Car Inclined.

𝘕𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘯 𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘠𝟨𝟢 (𝟣𝟫𝟪𝟩 - 𝟣𝟫𝟫𝟩)

Nissan Patrol never managed to embed itself as its makers had hoped. It was not pretty, it certainly wasn't quick, and even in diesel-engined guise, particularly economical. With its boxy shape, the Patrol was not a favourite of the Barbour brigade, although its serious off road credentials were frequently put to the test.

Until the launch of the Patrol Y60 generation in late-1987, Nissan always played second fiddle to Toyota, which had its hugely popular Land Cruiser spearheading its four-wheel drive line-up. Hallmark of Patrol has become a decent level of comfort while maintaining excellent off-road qualities, thanks to which, in fact, this model has won respect all over the world.

The Y60 saw the introduction of coil spring suspension, five-link rear axle and rear disc brakes, while some models added a limited-slip differential, as well as vacuum operated rear differential locks. The Patrol was also branded as Safari in Japan. Interestingly, the Nissan Patrol Y60 was sold also by Ford in Australia as the 'Maverick.'

Body styles included a short wheelbase, long wheelbase wagon, cab-chassis ute and pick-up truck. The styling was of Y60 generation was quite American and boxy, and of course, size was one of the biggest strengths of Nissan Patrol. Interiors looked quite basic, but they were built to last. Model codes of GR and GQ were applied to LHD and RHD models respectively.

Top-end Ti grade had electric windows, electrically-adjustable ORVMs, central locking, rear air-con, 7-speaker audio system, alloy wheels, and automatic locking hubs. Two minor facelifts happened in between, one in 1992 and the other one in 1995. The 1992 update saw upgrades like revised transmission and suspension, bigger brakes. Limited slip differentials and auto-locking hubs were made standard.

Engine-wise, the Y60 Patrol had a variety of diesel engines : non-turbo and turbo-diesel, as well as a large-capacity six-cylinder petrol motor. A 3.0-litre petrol six joined the line-up in 1990 while 1995 saw the release of a 2.8-litre turbo diesel. The 4.2-litre TB42 inline-6 petrol generated 181bhp at 4400rpm and 320Nm at 3200rpm.

𝘛𝘢𝘵𝘢 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘰 𝘊𝘚 𝟤𝟢𝟢𝟪 - 𝟤𝟢𝟣𝟢)

The Indian government introduced legislation in 2006 to impose a lower excise duty on cars shorter than four meters in length powered by sub 1.2-litre petrol or 1.5-litre diesel engine options. If a car maker produced a vehicle that fitted the above criteria, that particular car model was eligible for lower excise duty.

While the plan was meant to promote the manufacture and use of small cars for avoiding congestion on roads, car manufacturers adapted to the regulation in an interesting way. Tata Motors was the first brand to adapt a sedan into the sub four-meter format with the Indigo CS.

Indigo CS was first unveiled at the Auto Expo in January 2008. 'CS' actually stood for Compact Sedan. It was introduced in four variants initially : GLE, GLS, LE and LS, priced at ₹ 3.8lakh, ₹ 4.0lakh, ₹ 4.2lakh and ₹ 4.5lakh ex-showroom respectively. The Indigo CS was a steal at that price. Yes, it was cheaper than hatchbacks like WagonR and Zen Estilo.

At one point of time, Indigo CS was marketed by Tata as the smallest sedan in the world. Inside the cabin, it had better-finished, improved quality of plastics compared to older iterations of Indigo. LE and LS had full-black interiors, rest of the variants used to have beige colour scheme instead. The 'T' shaped thin-ribbed steering wheel was awful to hold.

Due to heavy demands, Tata brought two more variants called GLX and LX to the Indigo CS range in September 2008. These variants had front and rear power windows, rear defogger, seatbelt warning alarm, leather-wrapped steering wheel, fabric upholstery and body-coloured ORVMs. The sedan was once again updated in 2009 with a modified front fascia, replacing its old Indica Xeta face.

Two diesel engine options were offered in the Indigo CS : a 1.4-litre TDI and a 1.4-litre DiCOR. The former produced 68bhp at 4500rpm and 135Nm at 2500rpm, mated with a 5-Speed manual gearbox. 1.4-litre DiCOR belted out 68bhp at 4000rpm and 140Nm in 1800-3000rpm range. Petrol version had the 1.2-litre four-cylinder motor from Indica Xeta producing 63bhp at 5000rpm and 100Nm at 2600rpm.

𝘓𝘦𝘹𝘶𝘴 𝘓𝘟 𝟤𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘯 (𝟣𝟫𝟫𝟪 - 𝟤𝟢𝟢𝟩)

LX470, the flagship SUV of Lexus brand based on Toyota's Land Cruiser 100, debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show in end-1997. This particular model was meant for the North American markets, however, there existed a version of the same car as 'Land Cruiser Cygnus' in Japan. Import car dealers in India took this as an advantage and did brisk business swapping LX470 badges on to regular Land Cruiser.

Both LX470 and LC100 Cygnus shared the same dimensions and body shape, the same 4.7-litre engines and the same all-wheel drive transmission with a locking center differential. Both looked identical to each other from outside except for the chrome trim around license plate slot and bigger 18-inch wheels.

Dominance of light beige leather and polished maple wood offered the cabin a richer esthesis. Selector of the transmission lever had no straight line, as was customary among the Japanese, but a stepped groove, which was more typical, say, for Mercedes. Active pneumohydraulic suspension systwm controlled shock absorber damping rates and ride height.

Steering mechanism used VGRS system, which changed the control algorithm. When maneuvering at low speed, the steering wheel was very light and sharp, the wheels turned completely in 2.5 turns. But at speed, the control got heavier, turning the wheels from lock to lock required 3.5 turns. It would seem that this is technically complex.

A rack and pinion mechanism was used here, its rotation was transmitted from the original steering shaft. The latter consisted of three parts : two shafts directly and a planetary gearbox in the middle, an electric motor and a blocker, designated VGRS. Depending on the driving modes, the electric motor drove planetary gearbox, which increased or decreases the angle of rotation of the wheels.

Powering the LX470 was a 4.7-litre V8 petrol engine, mated with a 4-Speed automatic ECT-i transmission. This engine churned out a peak power of 235bhp at 4800rpm and 434Nm of maximum torque at 3400rpm. The SUV underwent a cosmetic makeover in 2005. Chrome front grille, LED taillamps, and different design alloy wheels were introduced in this facelift.