MotorKind

So its yet another beautiful Sunday!

A day to laze around for most, but a day every auto enthusiast waits to get their rides/drives out for a treat :). We did exactly the same and are thrilled to share it with you guys.

Today we took the newly launched Skoda Octavia out for a bashing and not any Octavia we choose the monster, yes the 180 BHP 1.8 TSI.

So what is it behind the wheel?
One word description: Explosive!. But hey we love to describe it more than just one word.
The 1.8 TSI comes only with Autobox (no paddle shifters though), slot the gear into 'D' mode and off you go, the low end torque offers excellent drivability in the city but its in the highway this monster feels at home.

Shift your gear to 'Sports' mode and let the vehicle play its natural game. The sports mode lets you rev your lower gears to the limit before upshifts, once the turbo kicks in you feel a sense of urgency in 2-3-4 gears and in no time you realize you've gone past the highway speed limit and well if you dare to keep the right foot down it will pull all the way to 220-225 kmph.
But Octavia isn't all about straight line speed on arrow straight highways, in fact we up for a real treat on the twisty roads as well, mind you its a big family car for one to expect sporty handling but in most corners it just dint let us down, thanks to the multi-link suspension. The suspension also offers excellent ride quality in undulations and extremely comfortable in Indian city driving conditions

Will your family accept the new member?
Well yes, why not. You've got yourself one of the quickest cars made in India without being bankrupt and to pamper your family the new Octavia provides better cabin room, comfortable seats for both front & rear passengers, leather seats comes as standard and also one of the safest cars in its class. So well we can term situation : "Win-Win".

Should I buy one?
If you're the kind of person who participates in fuel efficiency competitions then "NO", this one has some serious drinking problem whether in city or highways, also maintaining a Skoda is still questionable. But for most other rational & emotional needs it ticks the right boxes.
So if you're on a look out for a family sedan which also sums up as an enthusiasts' car then there are very few cars which stand up against the Octavia. Guess by now you've got the answer.

Specs:
Engine: 1800cc Turbocharged Petrol
Power: 180 Bhp (5100-6200 Rpm)
Torque: 250 Nm (1250-500 Rpm)
0-100: ~7.5 Secs
Top whack: ~225 Kmph
Suspension: Multi-link.

Rest of the features: Well we guess you would'nt be bothered to know for this car!

Quick report on the 2014 F1 Singapore Grandprix.

Leader board final Singapore GP
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
3. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)
4. Fernando Alonso ( Ferrari)
5. Filipe Massa ( Williams)

Top 5 drivers this season
1. Lewis Hamilton (241)
2. Nico Rosberg (238)
3. Daniel Ricciardo (181)
4. Fernando Alonso (133)
5. Sebastian Vettel (124)

Top teams this season
1. Mercedes (479)
2. Red bull Renault (305)
3. Williams Mercedes (187)
4. Ferrari (178)
5. Force India Mercedes (117)

"Triumph Motorcycles" - A name which I have been hearing from my Grand-Dad, he used to ride pre-independence. I have been waiting ever since to get my hands on one of these.

And in Nov 2013 when Triumph was re-introduced in India, I was all delighted to ride one, recently got an opportunity to ride the Bonneville.

Triumph Bonneville also popularly known as "Bonnie" was named after the Salt Flats of Bonneville (USA) when it set out to break the Motorcycle speed record, ever since it has been devout as an automotive classic.

What is it like to ride the new Bonnie?
What you'll Love:
- Retro Styling blended with contemporary engineering.
- Upright seating position, excellent for both urban and highway commuting
- Silky smooth power delivery
- Soothing exhaust notes (doesn't annoy in long distant rides)
- Extremely easy to ride
- The pride of riding an eternal classic

What you won't
- Steeply priced.
- Scanty service network (apart from Metros)

So should you buy one?
- If you are looking for a retro styled, easy to ride everyday commuter which can also be used for short blasts during weekends, this might just be the bike for you.

Specs:
Engine: 865 cc, Parallel Twin
Power: 68 PS @ 7500 rpm.
Torque: 68 NM @ 5800 rpm.
Weight: 209 Kgs
Price: 6.9 L (on road Mumbai)

Jaguar today has launched their flagship XJ Model in the Petrol disguise (2.0L). At 93.2 L (Ex S/R Mumbai) it is priced slightly lower than its German Rivals: BMW 7 Series, Mercedes S-Class & Audi A8.
Competition in every segment seems to be intensified.

Power Train:
Engine: 2.0 L Petrol
Power: 237 BHP
Torque: 34.7 Kgm.