Škoda Octavia RS 230

Source: Skoda India Youtube

When we talk about performance cars, the images that come to our minds are of Audi, BMW, Benz etc. Recently Jaguar, Audi and other brands have been launching entry-level performance car and the pricing ranged from 30 to 50 lakhs. But it all became irrelevant when Skoda launched it Octavia RS in last year. A perfect match for the term ‘affordable performance car’.

On August 30 2017, a beast was launched in India, the most powerful Skoda to ever come to India; Octavia RS 230.

Looks and Design

In terms of the exterior, there is not much difference the standard Octavia. Most of the people won’t even be able to differentiate it with the standard Octavia, but if you pay close attention you will find it.

Source: Skoda India Youtube

Source: Skoda India Youtube

Source: Skoda India Youtube

Source: Skoda India Youtube

A bold horizontal line can be seen on the bumper, with a broad honeycomb air inlet that enhances the cars aesthetic look. The headlights are redesigned for a new crystalline look with full LED technology and a standard AFS adaptive front light system. The crystalline appearance continues on the fog lights, tail lights and number plate illumination with LED tech. The radiator grille and tailgate sport the RS logo of gloss-black ‘V’ (for victory). Spoilers at the rear of tailgate show the car’s emotive and dynamic design.                                                       

The sporty touch is not just on the outside but inside also. The panels, steering wheel and the dashboard have got a premium as well as sporty look. The 17inch alloy wheels finish the look.

Comfort in seating and space is pretty good in front and back side. With a boot space of 950 litres and expandable up to 1,585 litres, it’s perfect for travellers.

Safety and Ergonomics

Source: Skoda India Youtube

Source: Skoda India Youtube

Source: Skoda India Youtube

Not just the looks, it has got the safety features included like 7 airbags with front & rear disc brakes ABS and EBD, giving it a nice and clean stopping power. The list of equipment available in the new Octavia is, a sunroof, adaptive LED headlamps, keyless entry and go, powered front seats with a memory function for the driver, hands-free parking assist and a super-slick 8.0-inch touchscreen with navigation, eight airbags, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Specifications

Length	4689 mm
Width	1814 mm
Height	1496 mm
Seating Capacity	5 Person
Displacement	1984 cc
Fuel Type	Petrol
Max Power (bhp@rpm)	227 bhp @ 5500 rpm
Max Torque (Nm@rpm)	350 Nm @ 1250 rpm
Mileage (ARAI)	14.5 kmpl Fuel credit card offers
Alternate Fuel	Not Applicable
Transmission Type	Automatic
No of gears	6 Gears
Drivetrain	FWD
Air Conditioner	Automatic Climate Control
Power Windows	Front & Rear
Central Locking	Remote with Boot Opener
Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)	Yes
Airbags	8 Airbags
Seat Upholstery	Leather
Front Tyres Rear Tyres	225 / 45 R17 225 / 45 R17

Performance

Let's talk about performance. Skoda claims that it can do a 0-100kmph in 6.8 seconds, that's impressive! This Octavia has everything new inside; new suspension, new brakes, new wheels and a new engine. Yes, the new engine is of 2.0 TSI (230 PS) turbocharged petrol with 6-speed DSG transmission.

Source: Skoda India Youtube

This car pack a punch and they have also fitted it with a launch control system which helps it to get off the line so quickly. It's not just in straight line but also in corners. One ride and you will fall in love with her, even the soundtrack yes, even if she is straight 4 cylinder engine turbo changed engine she has a pretty good sound.

You might be thinking that she is turbocharged so there will be lots of turbo lag but no, power kicks in from 2000 rpm because of the so much torque it has. Next the gearbox, it works like a charm it will never hesitate to shift up and then again shift down on the touch of your throttle.

Source: Skoda India Youtube

The suspension has become a bit stiffer but, ride quality hasn’t been compromised.

One exciting thing this variant include is the ‘limited slip differential’. In the corners, it makes the outside wheels spin faster and brakes the inside wheels for more aggressive turn-in and finally stabilising the car under power. It reduces the understeer problems seen in many front wheel cars.

Next question will be because it is RS and so much power is delivered; is it good on Indian road?. Yes, it is, you can drive it in the city with ease, it is because of the gearbox. The gearbox makes city driving with ease and, the suspension is great. A car which can go over the corner pretty flat with much comfort for the driver and the passenger.

Source: Skoda India Youtube

It is sad to know that most of the people here are not aware of the premium and quality machines that Skoda makes, and, they go behind Audi and BMW of the same price range. Skoda’s many models and very undermined by Indians and many are spreading an age-old news of poor service of Skoda brand.

 Price: 24.63 (ex-showroom)

Final Verdict:

Looks and design: 8/10
Specs & features: 9/10
Dynamics & performance: 9/10
Safety & quality: 9/10

Skoda has attempted to create many good drivers car in the past and Octavia is one example of an affordable performance car. Same goes with RS as they have launched a limited edition of (very few numbers).

At last, the customers should be taking a look at Skoda cars before going to BMW, Audi etc. In performance, it matches these and in price, it is cheaper. Even it is cheaper than the entry-level Jaguar.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 650

Source: Royal Enfield India

Royal Enfield is well known for its retro style, and the Continental GT is not a brand new bike in the market. It's been with us for a long time and, for 2018 they have made it even better.

Looks and Dynamics

About the looks, the continental GT looks more focused and serious café racer. Most of the part has been redesigned to make it more appealing while keeping the retro look.  That’s what this bike is for giving you a new age performance with the retro style. The quality of the material used on GT is much better than it used to be but still, not the best in class. The instrument cluster is simple and with a nominal amount of information. Other than that all the proportion and design on the bike goes with what they want; this bike to be to a rider.

Source: Royal Enfield India

Specifications

Engine Displacement:	648 cc
No Of Cylinders:	2
Torque:	52 Nm @ 4000 rpm
Power:	47.65 PS @ 7100 rpm
Top Speed:	160 Km/hr
ABS:	Dual Channel

Performance

With a 650cc engine, we expect it to have a lot of power, but that power is not much you would expect from a 650cc café racer engine but still, 47 PS is good enough power along with a good torque of 52Nm. 80% of torque kicks in by 2000 rpm, so you can say it has good low end and mid end power band just like any Royal Enfield. It pulls nice and lenient from a standstill with giving many jerks, and at same time accelerates hard enough to keep you entertained.

Source: Royal Enfield India

The seating position of continental GT is a bit more serious than its twin brother Interceptor 650. Which mean that it is more engaging to ride compared to its brother, but you will get tired much earlier on GT then on Interceptor who has a bit upright position. Both have soft seats and are narrow, which means that it might not be that comfortable to take it for a long ride.

Suspension of this bike is a bit on the softer side, which means that it can absorb most of the small bumps, but they have given it a 5 stage pre-loaded suspension setting which you can set manually as per your taste. And breaks it has duel disc break with dual ABS which has a good bite to stop a 200 kg bike with confidence.

Add caption

The chassis balance is good; the handling of this bike is impressive compared to the old GT and other Royal Enfield bikes. Even on the curvy roads, this bike can handle itself rather well without any surprise. It’s not as sharp as other racing bikes in this range, but it is good. Especially compared to the interceptor where you might feel not connected with the road on high speed, it might be because of seating position as on GT the rider has to lean forward putting weight on front wheels.

Price: 2.565 (INR ex-showroom Mumbai)

Source: Royal Enfield India

Final Verdict:

Looks and design: 9/10
Specs & features:8 /10
Dynamics & performance: 8/10
Safety & quality: 8/10

This bike is for those who want a retro looking machine; it can do well in performance comfort and handling. But not as a racing or a café racer bike as it lacks the power to do it. As for the given price of 2.6 lakhs it good enough.

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Mahindra e2o plus Review (Best looking fully electric car made in India, electric hatchback )

Source: Mahindra electric

After many trials and experiments, Mahindra has come to the latest fully electric car e2o this year with few changes from the previous model which was launched a few years ago.

Mahindra Electric Mobility Limited, a wing of Mahindra concentrating on the electric car development has been doing a lot of homework recently and have launched the latest uplift of Mahindra e2o as e2o+.

Let’s see whether the facelift is worth buying for the Indian customers.

Looks and Dynamics

On the first glimpse you may mistake it for Mahindra Reva, but no, it’s brand new e2o. The design has been good with extra 2 doors. Interiors are not up to the mark, instrument pod is much better than before with nice backlit.

Rear seats will make you feel comfortable as there enough leg room and comfort seating is assured. Headroom is good for adults. 135 litres boot space is more than enough for this segment. The P8 variant gets a 72-volt battery pack and a 30 watts motor, giving you a good torque of 91NM.

Overall the look and dynamics are just ok or will be fine for those who line electric cars or who will compromise on looks as they care about the environment. Well, have you seen the Bajaj Qute!?

Specifications

Mileage:	110 km/hr
Engine Displacement.	48 cc
Transmission:	Automatic
Fuel Type:	Electric(Battery)
Boot Space:	135 Ltrs
Power Windows:	Front and Rear
Airbags:	NA
ABS:	No
Central Locking:	Yes
Fog Lamps:	No

Source: Mahindra electric

Performance

The electric car should be silent, not much sound from the engine in it but tire sound is too loud, can be heard inside. The AC sound is annoying sometimes. Mahindra claims 140km on a full charge. The electric hatchback takes 9 hours for one full charge.

Fast charging option is available if we pay more. 95% in 2 hours is what a fast charging option can do. Interior built quality bad, outer is ok. 4 can sit comfortably. Top speed is about 90km/h, which is hmm, not bad for an electric car.

Normal mode is available in this variant but, no punch and overtaking ability; Performance mode gives just an ok feel inside the car.

Performance is bad, cornering is just ok. Regenerative energy technology is embedded in it. One more interesting feature is that you can precool the car before entering for a ride.

Ride quality not good and, it feels like riding a normal car with acceleration coming to a moderate range. Responsiveness is good enough and handling does a fine job. In upholstery section, Mahindra has done a good job if feels like a complete hatchback from inside.

Price: 5.96Lacs-7.17Lacs (ex-showroom)

Source: Mahindra electric

Final verdict:

Looks and design: 6/10

Specs & features: 6/10

Dynamics & performance 4/10

Safety & quality: 7/10

Best suited for those who want to drive in the city and, not for those who want to drive on a highway and speed is their concern.

For those who want Daily usage of 100km and want no luggage space, it is a perfect electric car for them.

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Future of electric vehicles in India

 

It's not like electric vehicles are new products in the Asian market, they are in the market from the starting era of electric vehicles. We have heard news of many brands trying to develop their own electric cars for years. Still, electric vehicles are not up to the mark to give us more range, power, and fast charging; while Tesla has shown the world how far electric vehicles can go and break boundaries metaphorically as well as literally.

A few years compared to what we are used to seeing, there are a lot of EVs on roads in India like in Delhi there are electric Rickshaws as public transportation for short distance commute. It's not fast and comfortable but, does a good work in covering a short distance quickly.

Mahindra has e2o in the market with a range of 120 km in full charge and at a top speed of 80 kph; it's not enough to substitute combustion engine which can produce lot more power, Tesla has cars with lot more power and approx 300 miles range. But Tesla has lots of fast charging stations in those countries, in India, it’s a different story.

Consumers who are going to use their vehicles just for city driving can still go for the EV as in city top speed is not what you can achieve and the range of minimum 100 km can do, as even in city like Mumbai you don’t have to cover a lot or drive fast, kudos the city traffic

But, for going long distance tour in an EV is not feasible. First, the charging time of EV is long. The fastest charging is of 1.5 hrs by Tesla but for others, it is much higher compared to the combustion engine in which you can refuel it in few mins. Second, the range of EV is less because of which you will have to take a stop more frequently. And, because of these 2 reasons, the traveling time increases by a great margin; it might double the traveling time. Third, the cost of the car compared to the size, style, dynamics, and power.

Let’s look at the present scenario of electric vehicles in our country

In 2013, India launched ‘National Electric Mobility Plan (NEMMP) 2020’, to address the need of electrifying the vehicles around the country for energy security, minimizing air pollution and encouraging domestic manufacturers to develop electric cars.

The Indian government has made plans to make a substantial change in electric vehicles by 2030 as per the Paris Agreement.

The Indian app-based taxi network Ola cabs are working on shifting regular cars to electric cars in coming years. Mahindra Electric Mobility Limited, formerly known as Reva Electric Car Company has already sold 4000 different units of compact electric cars worldwide. Their compact electric cars are now available in 26 countries most commonly known as REVAi electric car.

Some of the popular fully electric cars in India are:

Mahindra e2o plus

Tata Tigor electric

Mahindra e-KUV 100

Toyota Prius, Honda Accord, Maruti Ciaz are examples of good hybrid cars.

Many brands are already working on fully electric two-wheelers, and, are ready to launch it nationally. Heroelectric, a unit of Hero Motocorp is one among them.

From 2014, electric buses have been seen in India’s IT Hub Bangaluru; the latest being Goldstone Infrastructures' 25 electric buses delivered to Himachal Pradesh Transportation Corporation in Sept 2017 and Tata’s 25 Starbus electric hybrid buses to Maharastra.

The Role Played by Indian Government

The government has already started the plans to motivate electric and hybrid car productions and released tenders to help increase charging fractures in the country. Last year Karnataka government approved Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage Policy 217.

The Central Government started the scheme called Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME), which provides incentives for purchasing electric and hybrid cars. For scooters/motorcycles, the incentives will be ranging from Rs. 1800 to Rs. 29000 and, Rs. 1.38 Lacs for cars.

Around the World

When we look around the world, the biggest producers of electric cars are China, followed by European countries combined, North America and Japan. Sadly, India comes under the others category which is less than 10%.

China is kicking off many plans and incentives for electric car producers to reduce the current air pollution problem as well as to achieve its self-sustaining status goal by lessening the oil imports. While the U.S.A and European countries are mostly worried about pollution and the environment’s health. Most countries started this as a part of Paris Agreement and will be increasing their production slowly.

The basic problems that India is facing now are;

1. The lack of proper infrastructure as currently, the charging stations are not available at a minimum distance.
2. Plus fast charging is required for the citizens to become encouraged to buy electric cars. If 2030 is the target we should go to rural areas and highways too for developing charging points.
3. The final blockade is the price of an electric vehicle. Though there are incentives by government to both the buyer and manufacturer, the prices remains to be high and unaffordable to everyone.

Conclusion

 Currently, India is not ready for EV as minimum requirements are not fulfilled, except for the city and for just city driving. It might work out for whole India by 2030 but for that, the government needs to work really hard to get all the minimum infrastructure ready with proper functionality and at all locations, both rural and urban. Indian citizens are still not much aware of EV and don't trust EV so there need to be some initiatives to let the people know the benefits of EV and government should give some incentives for those who are buying electric vehicles, much more than what’s been given now, or to decrease the taxes on the production of EVs.

 At the current pace, it’s difficult to see an all EV on Indian roads, but if everyone gets along and supports the government and vice versa, it can be done.

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