2019 Mahindra Alturas G4 review, road test

Mahindra broke the Rs 10 lakh price ceiling with the Scorpio, the Rs 20 lakh ceiling with the XUV500, and now, its research indicates that Indian car buyers are willing to pay Rs 30 lakh for a luxury SUV wearing a Mahindra badge. It takes a strong product to break these psychological price barriers and perceptions, and to breach the Rs 30 lakh mark and get the job done, the carmaker borrowed the second-generation G4 Rexton from its Korean subsidiary, SsangYong, and renamed it the Alturas G4. ‘Alturas’ was the name given because it connotes height, so can Mahindra’s new flagship take the brand to new heights?

To make a great first impression, Mahindra has loaded the Alturas G4 to the brim with premium kit and launched it at aggressive price tags of Rs 26.95 lakh (4x2 AT) and Rs 29.95 lakh (4x4 AT), making the latter a whole Rs 3 lakh cheaper than the top variants of its two core rivals – the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour. So we put it through an exhaustive test to find out if pricing is the only aspect it’s got going in its favour or if it is truly a well-rounded, premium SUV capable of grabbing a sizable share in the segment. 

Mahindra has kept it simple with just two variants – a 4x2 AT and 4x4 AT. Both variants get features including Nappa leather seats, LED DRLs, projector headlamps, LED tail-lamps, 18-inch alloys, ventilated front seats, dual-zone climate control, third-row air-con blower, tyre pressure monitor, cruise control, touchscreen, ESP, hill-start assist and hill-descent control. Our pick of the range, however, is the 4x4 AT variant. Apart from the four-wheel-drive hardware, the additional Rs 3 lakh gets you kit like a 360-degree camera, nine airbags, driver-side seat memory, a 7.0-inch coloured instrument cluster, Xenon headlamps, LED fog lamps, sunroof, ambient lighting, auto headlamps and rain-sensing wipers.

 

The 8.0-inch touchscreen has a nice display, but the system is a bit slow to respond. The interface isn’t very user-friendly, but the presence of physical shortcut buttons below the screen helps. While satellite navigation is missing, maps can be used via either Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. The international version gets a 10-speaker Infinity audio setup, which didn’t make it to the Indian version. We’re happy to report though, that in terms of sound quality, the six-speaker setup is very good with a crisp and clear sound output.

The Mahindra Alturas G4 is an impressive SUV that punches above its weight. It may not have the badge value of its rivals but as a product, it offers far more. Firstly, its towering dimensions and tough-looking design give owners the street cred they want. Then, the interiors take things several notches above its rivals; the first and middle row are really comfy and it gets a laundry list of features like cooled seats, a 360-degree camera, nine airbags, many of which are segment-best. Also hugely impressive is the best-in-class level of refinement, and when it comes to performance, the Alturas is no slouch. Where the SUV does fall behind is dynamics; it doesn’t feel as much of a driver’s car as the Ford Endeavour and it can’t match the Fortuner for off-road prowess.

However, as a car to live with every day, it does a great job. It’s a good highway cruiser and in town, too, it’s not as intimidating to drive as the Endeavour or the Fortuner, to which the Alturas is a credible alternative priced at Rs 26.95-29.95 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The Alturas is fantastic value for money and a good way of keeping Mahindra loyalists within the brand. 

from Autocar India - Car Reviews http://bit.ly/2TnX8gN

2018 Hyundai Santro review, road test

True to the title of a book that chronicles the first years of its existence, the original Santro really was a car that built a company. A quirky-looking car from an unknown Korean manufacturer (Hyundai was a lightweight in the automotive world in 1998) should have faded into oblivion. But, in reality, things couldn’t have turned out better. The Santro was a runaway success and quickly established Hyundai as a household name in India. The ‘tall boy’ set the foundation for Hyundai’s meteoric growth and today the Korean carmaker is India’s second largest.

In the 16 years it was on sale, the original Santro sold a whopping 1.32 million units in our market. And now, after a gap of four years, there’s a new Santro in town to take the story forward. The first signs of big success are there, with the new model managing to get 32,000 bookings within a month of launch. Now, if Hyundai can hold on to all those bookings that will be an even greater achievement because the new Santro is not exactly a budget hatchback as the original was.

Prices start at Rs 3.89 lakh and top off at a fairly substantial Rs 5.64 lakh (ex-showroom, India). But do note, the prices will see an upward revision after the first 50,000 bookings. In effect, the Santro’s positioning is more i10 than Eon.

On offer are a petrol-manual, a petrol-AMT (Hyundai’s first-ever AMT) and a CNG-manual. We’re going to put both gearbox versions of the petrol Santro under the scanner to tell you if it delivers on everything that matters.

The new Santro has been launched in five trims but only the petrol-manual car is available in all five options. The petrol AMT and CNG models can only be had in mid-spec Magna and Sportz trims.

The entry D-lite trim (Rs 3.89 lakh) is absolutely barebones and includes few features beyond its electric power steering, multi-info display, and folding rear seat. Era trim (Rs 4.24 lakh) cars add in body-coloured bumpers, air-conditioning, rear air-con vents, front power windows and a 12V power socket. Central locking, rear power windows, and a day/night rear-view mirror are some of the features on the mid-spec Magna (Rs 4.57-5.23 lakh) cars. However, not all Magnas are the same, with only the AMT version getting a Bluetooth audio system and steering audio and telephone buttons. A 7.0-inch touchscreen is the talking point on the well-specced Sportz trim (Rs 4.99-5.64 lakh) that also gets larger 14-inch wheels with full wheel covers, fog lamps, electrically adjustable mirrors, remote locking, and a rear defogger. A rear wash/wipe is exclusive to the fully loaded Asta (Rs 5.45 lakh) and it’s also the only one with a passenger side airbag, rear parking sensors, a reverse camera, speed-sensing auto door lock, impact-sensing auto door unlock and front seatbelts with a pre-tensioner and load limiter. Reverse sensors will be rolled out across the rest of the range to meet new norms in 2019 but it’s disappointing that lower versions don’t go above the minimum requirement of a driver’s side airbag.

 

Base trim Santros don’t get an audio system, Magna-spec AMTs get a simple Bluetooth unit but it’s the Sportz and Asta cars that go the whole hog with a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It’s a very impressive system in touch response, layout and user friendliness. There’s no onboard satellite navigation but you can use maps via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay that it comes bundled with. Sound quality is fair.

Let’s first get this out of the way. Good as the new Santro is, it’s not as revolutionary a product as the original was back in 1998. Sure, the new car is built for a different time and even a different buyer but it conforms to what’s expected in the class rather than changing the game.

But such a comparison is for an automotive market observer. A car buyer will have a lot to like in the new Santro. It’s easy-to-drive, comfortable, refined and even feels relatively premium. Even the AMT version, that’s garnered 30 percent of bookings so far, works well as a city car. And Hyundai has packed in quite a few features too; you do pay considerably for the goodies on higher-spec models, though. We’d have liked to see more safety features as standard and even things like alloy wheels and more adjustment for the seat and steering are missed. Pricing frankly isn’t as aggressive as we would have liked, especially the higher variants which can get expensive. However, factor in the standard three-year/1,00,000km warranty, three-year roadside assistance programme and the promise of low maintenance costs, and the Santro’s price tag becomes a little easier to justify.

Whether the new Santro will live up to its tag line of ‘India’s favourite family car’ or not, remains to be seen, but it sure has most of the ingredients in place.

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2018 Mahindra Marazzo review, road test

Is the MPV segment really shrinking? Perhaps, but one look at individual sales figures and two models stand tall – the Toyota Innova Crysta and the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. Despite the price having doubled since the previous-generation version was launched, the Innova still clocks over 6,500 units monthly, while the Ertiga, now in the last few months of its current iteration, still managed over 3,500 units in August. These two have proven that if the packaging is right and the product is dependable, sales are inevitable.

Interestingly, there’s a Rs 5 lakh vacuum between the Ertiga diesel (Rs 8.78 to Rs 10.69 lakh) and the Innova 2.4 diesel (Rs 15.77 to 20.71 lakh). Yes, the Renault Lodgy does sit in this space, but it’s failed to make a mark. Enter the new Mahindra Marazzo. Priced at Rs 9.99-13.90 lakh, it sits neatly between the two, making the carmaker’s intentions quite clear – it’s gunning for buyers from both sides.

Developed from a clean slate by the Mahindra North American Technical Centre (MNATC) in Michigan, USA, the Marazzo looks and feels vastly different from any Mahindra before it. It’s built on an all-new platform, is powered by a new 123hp, 1.5-litre diesel engine, gets a new six-speed manual gearbox, and, crucially, it wears a design language that’s safe and contemporary.

There’s only one engine and transmission option currently available across the Marazzo’s four variants – M2, M4, M6 and M8. Safety kit like ABS, EBD, dual airbags, all-wheel disc brakes and Isofix child seat mounts are standard on all. The bottom three variants get both eight- (second row bench) and seven-seater (second row captain seats) options, whereas the top trim is only available in the seven-seat configuration. Features like a 7.0-inch touchscreen with navigation, Android Auto, a reversing camera and sensors, 17-inch alloys, a rear wiper and washer, part-leather upholstery, rear air-con, climate control, projector headlamps with LED daytime running lamps and cruise control are part of the equipment list in the top variant.

 

The 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system is easy to use, with good touch sensitivity and an interface that’s quick to respond. What’s nice is that it gets Android Auto, but Apple CarPlay isn’t available for now. The user interface, too, is fairly easy to work with, but it could still do with a bit more spit and polish. The integrated navigation system works precisely, and it will even give you turn prompts on the multi-info display between the dials, which is useful. You can also sync a phone via Bluetooth while on the move, though for safety’s sake, it’s best to let your passenger do it for you.

Mahindra has outdone itself with the Marazzo in terms of design and quality. As a people mover, it is spacious, comfortable and well equipped. The engine’s refinement and effortlessness in the city are highlights and the car’s light controls, high seating and excellent visibility make it nice and easy to drive. The body-on-frame construction gives it a sense of indestructibility over bad roads, and its ride is quite simply the comfiest in its segment. This 1.5-litre diesel engine could have done with stronger performance, particularly with a full load of passengers, and some cabin ergonomic quirks should have been sorted out. While its starting price is attractive, Mahindra could have priced the higher variants a touch more aggressively. But on the whole, the Marazzo is a huge leap forward for Mahindra and for those looking for an easy-to-drive, plush and spacious seven-seater family car, this MPV is certainly the one we can recommend. 

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2018 Honda Amaze review, road test

The first-gen Amaze was a pioneer for the Honda brand in many ways. It was the first Honda in India to get a diesel engine and it was also the carmaker’s first crack at the compact sedan segment. It went on to become a huge sales success and in the span of five years, it reached 2.5 lakh households to become the second bestseller in the segment (after the Dzire) and the second bestselling Honda too (after the City). So the Amaze is a very important car for Honda, and, for this all-new model, the Japanese company has taken lots of learning from the first-gen car to take the game up several notches.

Gone is the built-to-a-cost Brio platform – a fundamental weakness of the previous-gen model; this time round, the second-gen Amaze is built from a clean sheet of paper, or, specifically, an all-new platform. Honda claims to have engineered and incorporated several features in the new Amaze, based on user feedback. Strengths like space and practicality have been enhanced, the premium feel has been upped and even claimed fuel efficiency, from the familiar 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines, has been improved. The option of a diesel-CVT is a trump card that distinguishes the Amaze from its rivals. More on that later.

Initial demand for the new Amaze has been very strong and it has contributed to over 50 percent of the sales for Honda in India. In fact, prices have already been bumped up a bit, ranging from Rs 5.80-8.10 lakh for the petrol, and Rs 6.90-9.10 lakh for the diesel. 

Honda has equipped the top VX variant of the Amaze with all the features that we’ve come to expect from a car at this price, like the 15-inch alloys, shark-fin antenna, keyless entry, start/stop button, electric folding mirrors, 7.0-inch touchscreen, reverse camera, climate control and cruise control. Safety kit like ABS with EBD, dual front airbags, Isofix child seat mounts and parking sensors are standard across the range. 

The CVTs, however, are available only in the lower S and V variants, which also get a 2-din audio system with Bluetooth instead of the touchscreen. The petrol-auto gets segment-first paddleshifters as well. The Amaze still misses out on some features that its competitors get, like projector LED headlamps, daytime running lamps, rear air con vents, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, driver armrest and a cooled glovebox.

The top VX variants get a 7.0-inch touchscreen with navigation, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. While the interface is easy to use, it feels fiddly to operate and the software is a bit slow to respond. The physical buttons placed beside the screen feel small and cheap. Notably, you can’t pair your phone via Bluetooth on the move in this variant, however, in the lower S and V variants (without a touchscreen), you can.

The new Amaze is a huge step-up over the first-gen, be it in terms of size, comfort or premium feel. The interiors appear more upmarket, the seats more comfortable, and the equipment list almost matches that of its rivals. For those who are chauffeur-driven, the backseat is still the most comfortable place to be in (in its segment), but the absence of adjustable rear neck restraints and the tight headroom are disappointing. While the petrol engine is smooth and offers a satisfactory performance, it is the diesel that truly impresses when it comes to overall performance. The CVT paired with the diesel is outstanding; you get a respectable performance and the convenience of the smoothest-shifting automatic in that segment. It’s unfortunate that those looking for a CVT (with either engine) will miss a factory-fitted touchscreen and cruise control as it isn’t available in the top variant.

Where the Amaze falls short is with its sub-par cabin insulation and mediocre high-speed dynamics. However, despite these shortcomings, the new-gen Amaze is neatly packaged and as a city car, it is as good as it gets. And the diesel-CVT, an industry first, is certainly a feather in its cap.

 

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