Mitsubishi Montero

The latest from Hindustan Motors (HM) and Mitsubishi, Montero is actually the third-generation Pajero. HM brought in the second-generation Pajero to India in 2002.Therefore, to have two different-generation but same products in the market could lead to confusion. So, the car will be called Montero in India. It is called Montero in the U.S., Shogun in the U.K. and Pajero elsewhere.

The new Montero is a completely revised car with a new common-rail engine, brand new interiors and a new face as well.

The timing for the Montero is perfect; people’s spending power is increasing and they are enjoying the outdoors a lot more. The vehicle is configured appropriately to fit into the super-luxury segment. The Pajero launched in 2002 was also aimed at the luxury segment but didn’t do too well as it wasn’t priced right, was not very comfortable and the interiors failed to make an impact. So with the new and better Montero, Mitsubishi and HM are hoping to enjoy success.

Design and engineering

The upright, elongated stance of the earlier car is retained in the new Montero and makes it look imposing, while heavy side cladding and the tailgate-mounted spare wheel add to the Montero’s SUV silhouette. The new face of the Montero is eye-catching and a huge improvement over the older car. It is built on a stiff monocoque chassis, which has a built-in ladder frame. The all-independent double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension used on the earlier Montero is carried forward here as well but with several upgrades. There is also a carbon fibre-reinforced driveshaft, massive 332mm brake discs front and rear, anti-lock brakes as well as stability and traction control.

Interiors

The new Montero fits the profile of a luxury car far better than the old one. Plastic used on all buttons, knobs and anywhere else is of top quality and the dash is finished in two tones: non-reflective black for the top and beige leather for the bottom half. The interiors are covered with quality soft-feel materials and leather. Steering wheel-mounted controls, cruise control and a comprehensive trip computer are just some of the goodies that come with the car.

The seats are quite comfortable and the driver and passenger seats are powered and you get lumbar support and side airbags. There is lots of space for the middle passengers as well. However, since the floor is high, the middle seat remains low and hasn’t got proper thigh support which can cause discomfort. The last row of seats has no legroom or thigh support and is only good for seating kids on short journeys. However, on the upside, this seat can be folded out of view into the floor and creates extra space for luggage.

Engine and performance

The new common-rail motor from Mitsubishi has been in the coming for a while now and is finally here. It displaces 3.2 litres and produces 165bhp and a hefty 39kgm of torque, which is not much more than the outgoing direct-injection motor. Refinement levels have improved but again, not by much. Idle is pretty silent and vibrations are well damped, but under load there is still a lot of diesel clatter. This is particularly noticeable when the car is accelerating and detracts from the now-otherwise luxurious feel of the car. Performance is only adequate, the new Montero being significantly slower than the older model. The power-to-weight ratio has dropped which has impacted acceleration. The dash to 100kph comes up in a leisurely 15.2 seconds and it takes 35.2 seconds to reach 140 from rest.

The short first and second gears help make the car quite driveable in the urban crawl. There always seems to be sufficient power on hand and turbo lag, though present, does not prove to be too much of a problem, the Montero lunging forward smartly with a tap of the throttle. Overtaking is also not much of a problem, the Montero having enough urge and power on hand most times.

Fuel efficiency

The additional safety kit and the extra features make this car is a heavy one at 2.3 tonnes and it isn’t a surprise that the fuel efficiency of the Montero isn’t all that great. It gave 7.3 kilometres per litre (kpl) in the city and 10.0kpl on the highway.

Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTS-i

The reasons for the Pulsar’s triumph are its good performance, use of break-through technology, great ride quality and good fuel economy.


Technical data

Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTS-i


Price Rs. 58,200 (ex-showroom Pune)

Type: Single-cylinder, air-cooled four-stroke

No of cylinders: One

Engine displacement: 149.01cc

Maximum power: 14.09bhp at 8500rpm

Maximum torque: 1.3kgm at 6500rpm

Starting: Self and kick-start

Transmissions: 5-speed, 1-down-4-up

Tyres (f-r): 2.75x17 - 100/90x17inches

Fuel tank capacity: 15litres

Combined fuel efficiency: 52.2kpl

Length: 2055mm

Width: 750mm

Height: 1060mm

Wheel base: 1320mm

Ground clearance: 165mm

Vehicle kerb weight: 143kg

Max speed: 109kph

Ford’s Endeavour SUV

The latest version of Ford’s popular Endeavour SUV has been recently launched. It is priced at Rs.15.44 lakh for the two-wheel-drive version and Rs.16.39 lakh for the four-wheel drive variant. With additional features such as two-tone paint and wood finish on the interiors, the ‘Limited Edition’ version is available for the next few months priced at Rs 16.28 lakh.

Ford expects a major part of the sales, up to 80 per cent, to come from the 2WD version, which is in line with the global trend for this model. The new SUV has a much needed power boost as the biggest change is the more powerful 143bhp, 2.5-litre common-rail diesel engine, compared to the earlier 116bhp unit.

Plans to launch the diesel version of the Fusion in October are also being made and this will be powered by the Fiesta’s 1.4-litre common-rail diesel engine.

Suzuki Grand Vitara Vs Honda CR-V

Maruti’s new Grand Vitara, which was launched internationally in 2005, is here and the new Vitara bears very little resemblance to the earlier version.

This is a good thing given the original wasn’t well received as it was priced very high, not fuel efficient and had the traditional SUV underpinnings of a non-independent rear suspension bolted onto a body-on-frame chassis and this gave it below par ride and handling, especially when compared to a car.

Today’s SUV buyer wants a vehicle with the looks of an SUV but one that can perform like a car and drive well on paved roads.

While the earlier Vitara had a long wheelbase, it was called XL-7, a powerful 2.7-litre petrol V6 motor and seven seats, the new Vitara has a much smaller engine, five seats and the biggest advantage is that it is priced brilliantly. Modern soft-roaders have rugged SUV looks and a high driving position but owing to the way they are engineered, they drive like cars.

Therefore, the new Vitara has a lot to accomplish. The biggest challenge for the Vitara though is the Honda CR-V, which is its direct rival. The Honda is a very competent car as well but then again, the Vitara has that tempting price. Would it be enough to defeat the CR-V? We find out…

Design and engineering

The Honda CR-V has quite the radical design even though it hasn’t been very widely appreciated.

Built on the Civic platform, with a ground clearance of 185mm and big overhangs, the CR-V is definitely not built for pure off-road use.

The headlights on the CR-V are eye-catching and the transition from horizontal to vertical from the nose to the fenders is lost in the curves and cuts and the steeply raked windscreen is very car-like.

Suzuki is known for its off-roading prowess so it is no surprise that the Vitara has ladder-like chassis rails and cross-beams pressed into the bottom of the monocoque body for greater rigidity.

Most of us who saw the Vitara liked its looks and felt the designers efficiently balanced the straight lines of a traditional SUV and more modern flowing lines and curves.

Both cars use similar suspension systems; a MacPherson strut suspension at the front and a double wishbone rear set-up.

Other common features include ABS brakes and anti-roll bars, front and rear, to keep body roll in control.

Feature-rich

The interiors of the CR-V are fresh and it comes loaded with features like auto-folding mirrors, powered seats and steering wheel adjustment for reach to name a few.

The contoured seats are supportive but slightly hard. The CR-V has a lot of extra space and the dashboard design is quite clever and frees up a lot of space between the front seats.

The stubby six-speed lever is placed in the dash and the centre console is sharply truncated.

The interiors of the Vitara are a big let down. Nothing about the interiors makes one feel like this is a luxury car and most parts are borrowed from the cheaper SX4 and Swift.

Seat matters

However, the seats are comfortable and the front seats are wide and offer good support to the shoulders, back and thighs.

The rear seats are comfortable as well and there is sufficient legroom as one is seated high.

However, the lack of sufficient separation between the front and rear seats makes you feel cramped.

The Honda’s engine is a lot more smooth and refined compared to the Vitara.

Maruti’s new Vitara has a two-litre DOHC four. Suzuki’s J20A was engineered along with Mazda and on this car, features technology like variable-length air intake (for better low and high engine-speed torque), four valves per cylinder and lower compression for India.

Breezes uphill


The gearbox of the CR-V is light to use. If you switch to low-range via the switch on the dash in the Vitara, the low gearing make it easy to tackle the most difficult inclines.

The Vitara’s full-time four-wheel-drive running gear penalises economy while the Honda’s sixth gear gives it a huge advantage.

The Vitara delivered 6.7kpl and 9.5kpl on the city and highway respectively and the Honda delivered 7.3kpl in city conditions and 11.3 on the highway.


The winner

In contrast, the Honda has a brilliant engine and really good interiors.

It might be more expensive but we feel it is worth it and these factors contribute to the fact that the CR-V remains winner.

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Techinical data

Suzuki Grand Vitara

Engine layout: 4 cyls in-line,

1995cc

Max Power: 120bhp at

5500rpm

Max Torque: 17.3kgm at

3500rpm

Top Speed: 162kph

0-60: 5.75secs

0-100: 14.07secs

CFE: 8.1kpl

Fuel tank capacity: 66 litres

Boot capacity: 395-1386litres

Length: 4470mm

Width: 1810mm

Height: 1695mm

Wheelbase: 2640mm

Weight: 1594kg

Ground clearance: 200mm

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Honda CR-V

Engine layout: 4 cyls in-line, 2354cc

Max Power: 161bhp at 5800rpm

Max Torque: 22.23kgm at 4200rpm

Top Speed: 207kph

0-60: 4.57secs

0-100: 10.96secs

CFE: 9.3kpl

Fuel tank capacity: 58 litres

Boot capacity: 556-955litres

Length: 4530mm

Width: 1820mm

Height: 1680mm

Wheelbase: 2620mm

Weight: 1535kg

Ground clearance: 185mm

Tavera, Scorpio, Safari and Innova

The Tavera, Scorpio, Innova and Safari, all come with standardised power windows, steering, remote locking and air-con in their top-end models. The Scorpio SLX is the cheapest in this group and it comes with a CD/MP3/USB player, body-coloured bumpers and internal manual adjust mirrors. The Tavera SS-D1 has all of the above plus alloy wheels and fog lamps but no electric mirrors. The Innova V comes with a dashboard- integrated CD player, electric mirrors, alloy wheels, airbags for the front passenger and driver and ABS. The Safari VX comes loaded with a reversing camera, DVD player with LCD screens, two airbags, ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and alloy wheels.

Drive and handling

The key to city driving is to have a responsive engine; however, since the cars in this contest will be used on the highway as well, the engine needs to be powerful too. The Scorpio is the best performer of the four and the Scorpio and Safari both employ common-rail technology. No matter what gear you are in, the Innova briskly moves forward at a mere tap on the throttle. Furthermore, the Toyota gearshift is easily the best of the lot with a crisp shift quality. The Tavera puts out 80bhp and is even slower than the Safari and runs out of breath on the highway, especially if it is fully loaded.

The ride of the Innova is outstanding and low-speed ride is good with very few irregularities entering the cabin. As speeds increase, the Innova has an amazing ability of go over even large potholes without throwing the passengers around. The low stance also helps the handling — there’s far less body-roll than in the Scorpio or the Safari.

Fuel economy

The Scorpio SLX will hurt you the least financially; it returns 11.3 kpl (overall) and comes with a two-year/50,000km warranty. The Innova is the most expensive car in this competition and gives 11.5 kilometres to every litre of diesel it comes with a 3-year/1 lakh kilometre warranty. The Safari comes with an 18-month/unlimited mileage warranty and returns 10.6 kpl overall. Like the Scorpio, the Tavera too comes with a two-year/50,000km warranty and delivers 12.1 kpl.



TECHNICAL DATA


Chevrolet Tavera SS-D1


Engine layout: 2499cc, 4 cylinders

Max Power: 80 bhp at 3900 rpm

Max Torque: 19 kgm at 1800rpm

Top Speed: 135kph

0-60: NA

0-100: 24.0secs

CFE: 12.15kpl

Fuel tank capacity: 55litres

Boot capacity: 780 litres

Length: 443.5cm

Width: 168cm

Height: 176.5cm

Wheelbase: 268.5cm

Weight: 1660kg

Ground clearance: 18.4cm



Tata Safari VX

Engine layout: 2956cc, 4 cylinders

Max Power: 115bhp at 3000rpm

Max Torque: 30kgm at 1600rpm

Top Speed: 144kph

0-60: NA

0-100: 19.54secs

CFE: 10.6kpl

Fuel tank capacity: 65litres

Boot capacity: 981litres

Length: 481cm

Width: 191.8cm

Height: 192.5cm

Wheelbase: 265.0cm

Weight: 2040kg

Ground clearance: 20.5cm



Mahindra Scorpio SLX


Engine layout: 2609cc, 4 cylinders

Max Power: 115bhp at 3800rpm

Max Torque: 28.3kgm at 1700rpm

Top Speed: 152kph

0-60: NA

0-100: 16.53secs

CFE: 11.3kpl

Fuel tank capacity: 60litres

Boot capacity: 820litres

Length: 449.5cm

Width: 170.0cm

Height: 197.5cm

Wheelbase: 268.0cm

Weight: 1980kg

Ground clearance: 18.0cm



Toyota Innova V


Engine layout: 2494cc, 4 cylinders

Max Power: 102bhp at 3600rpm

Max Torque: 20.39kgm at 1400rpm

Top Speed: 146kph

0-60: NA

0-100: 17.5secs

CFE: 11.5kpl

Fuel tank capacity: 55litres

Boot capacity: 758-1128litres

Length: 455.5cm

Width: 177cm

Height: 175.5cm

Wheelbase: 275.0cm

Weight: 1590kg

Ground clearance: 17.6cm

Ford Fusion diesel

The Fusion diesel isn’t different from the petrol version at all, which isn’t a bad thing as the Ford Fusion was given a makeover less than a year ago. The only difference is the car’s rear bumper that has been modified to make the car’s length less than four metres so that the Fusion diesel gets the excise benefits given to cars below 4000mm and powered by a diesel engine that has less than a 1.5-litre capacity.

Driving it

The Fiesta’s 1.4-litre common-rail motor is the main reason behind why the Fiesta is doing so well. The same engine does duty in the Fusion diesel as well. The pulling power is generous on all the gears of this car and so you will not feel any kind of lack of power – the engine delivers 68bhp . The highlight of the TDCi engine is its responsive nature from low engine speeds. The fact that the Fusion is responsive from around 1200rpm makes it great to drive in the city, especially in traffic. Power delivery is quite strong and linear and there’s no ‘turbo kicking in at 2000rpm for a knee-jerk burst of power’ drama. The only issue here is when the car is on the highway, as it only gives out 68bhp; it runs out of breath quickly on the highway.

The engine remains smooth for most of its powerband and vibrations are kept well under control. The Fusion always had great steering feedback and this only gets better in the diesel version. In addition, the high seating position gives the driver a commanding view of the road. The gearbox feels smooth and precise to use. The huge 198mm of ground clearance makes sure that Fusion diesel can tackle the largest potholes and tall speedbreakers with ease.

The interiors

The interiors of the Fusion diesel are the same as the petrol version and nothing has been changed. This has advantages and disadvantages. On the downside, the quality of plastics could do with improvement and the Fusion does not even come with a CD, MP3 or cassette player! In addition, the placement of the bonnet release button is on the front passenger’s side and that can be annoying.

However, the car has good bits as well like the several places where one can store away small knick-knacks. Other clever parts include the small shelf above the glovebox and a small storage compartment right on top of the middle of the dash. The driver-seat-steering geometry is good and the steering and gear knob feel nice to grip. There is a handy distance-to-empty metre that tells you how much further you can travel before you need fuel again.

The seats at the front and the rear of the Ford Fusion diesel are comfortable and the height is higher than other saloons, which serves to accommodate more legroom. This also makes the car easy and comfortable to get in and out of as you get the feeling of walking into the car. The boot space in the Fusion diesel is 337litres, which increases to 1175litres when the rear seats are flipped forward. The upholstery of the cabin is in beige and you don’t get an option of grey or leather. The ‘approach lights’ where the parking lights light up when you press the remote unlocking button is another useful feature and is very helpful to identify your car in a parking lot. Additionally, there’s the battery-saver feature, which automatically turns off the car’s lights after a few minutes in case you’ve forgotten.

Suzuki Hayabusa

When Suzuki first launched the Hayabusa in 1999, it was the first bike to hit the 300kph mark. In fact, the Hayabusa was referred to as the fastest motorcycle in the world until 2006, when it was overthrown by the Kawasaki Ninja ZZR1400. The Hayabusa, of course, has a huge fan following and enjoys massive sales.

This bike has been ruling the motorcycle world for the longest time and has been renowned for its superb aerodynamic design and precise engineering. In fact, this bike was so close to perfect that it didn’t require any modification for the nine years since it launch. Now, however, the new Hayabusa is here with the first makeover since the bike’s launch.

Suzuki engineers worked hard and really made an effort to ensure that the Hayabusa 2008 will please its fans. The new Hayabusa retains its smooth yet bulbous look and it spells aggression. Concealed fairing fasteners add to the style and aerodynamics of the bike, while the new fairing comes with a lower drag efficiency dialed in. The panel joints are now an even smoother fit and the headlamps have been altered to provide more intense and better-distributed light. Analogue speedo, tacho, fuel gauge and coolant temperature dials feature on the new silver trim-surrounded four-pod instrumentation.

The Hayabusa 2008 also has a new Suzuki drive mode selector (S-DMS), which allows convenient thumb flicking to adjust power output via a toggle switch on the right-hand switchgear. Riders can use S-DMS to instantly select and set one of three engine maps — A, B or C. In A, the bike runs in normal mode, in B it adjusts mapping to bring on more linear torque delivery and C sets the bike up for even more linear power delivery across the widest rpm spectrum.

The heart beat

The engine on the new Hayabusa is very different from the earlier model. The new bike comes with a four-cylinder in-line, liquid-cooled engine. The new ‘Busa is Suzuki’s largest and most powerful superbike engine ever, with lighter pistons, shot-peened chrome molybdenum steel-alloy connecting rods and a crankshaft using revised crank pin positions to accommodate its now-longer stroke motor. Bucket tappet-operated titanium valves and cam-chain tensioning via hydraulics to enhance cam timing accuracy and reduce noise levels are other highlights one can find on the new Hayabusa. It claims a staggering 198bhp at the crankshaft, which is 25bhp up on the outgoing model. Maximum torque developed is now 18.6kgm at 6200rpm.

Despite the power, the Hayabusa’s six-speed transmission works hand-in-hand with a back torque-limiting clutch to allow smooth, controlled downshifts. Though the bike will remain at 298kph, it will accelerate to this speed faster than any other bike on the planet. As opposed to many superbikes out there, the Hayabusa is known for its comfortable seating. The seat bearing rails have been lowered to 17mm on the new bike. Fully-adjustable inverted front forks featuring low-friction inner tubes and an adjustable single rear shock absorber with 43mm piston diameter have been used on the new Hayabusa, while the new bridged alloy swingarm is also engineered to offer increased rigidity that will help the new bike cope with its increased power output. This is definitely a complete makeover for Suzuki’s Hayabusa.