Another one joins the family..!!

A wise move, after the heroics shown by the Renault Duster since its launch, a couple of months back Ford launched one of the compact SUV, Ecosport,  to take on the Duster. The launch of the Ecosport marked the start of the fastest growing and one of the most exciting segments called the compact SUV. The Ecosport was also a huge success after the company had to stop bookings. And now Nissan looks to give it a go in this segment with its all new Terrano.

The Terrano is based on the Duster platform with Nissan giving it there own touch by making few changes to the interior and the looks of the vehicle. The traditional headlights and the grille give it a Nissanish look to the front. It looks neat on the front and the rear end as Nissan have kept it simple by giving it body colored front and back bumper. After looking at the Terrano you feel like you are looking at the Duster but it has few more features than that of the Duster.

At the rear, the Terrano looks neat and tidy. The tail lights are clustered and stylish and spread  onto the shoulders of the car from the boot lid. As spoken earlier the rear bumper is body colored with the towing hooks covered by a body colored plastic lid.

It's available in three variants, the 1.6 litre petrol, 1.6l in line four petrol and 1.5 litre dCi diesel. The 1.6l petrol and the 1.5l diesel have a five speed manual gearbox whereas the 1.6 l in line four petrol has a six speed manual gearbox.

As it is based on the Duster platform, the interior looks Dusterish with minute changes in the console.

The Terrano will be priced somewhat more than the Duster. With the rivals making it big in the market, it will be quite interesting to see what kind of impact the Terrano has on the market.

Verdict:

The Terrano is just a redesigned version of the Duster by Nissan.
Neat looking, stylish and with the same features of the Duster.

Mahindra Verito Vibe

Mahindra made a surprising move when they launched an under four metre hatch.

Verito sedan also known as Logan when Mahindra and Renault were together was a huge success story.
Vibe is actually a trimmed version of the Verito. Vibe cannot be called as a hatch because when we open the boot, the rear glass remains at its fixed position. This actually is one of the problems in the Vibe. The fixed position of the glass makes loading luggage or bulky stuff very difficult.

Moving in, Vibe is one of the few cars that can easily and comfortably seat 3 people at the back. There's enough shoulder and leg room for the passengers at the back. That's one of the many good things about this car.

Coming to the fuel efficiency,  it can do just better than 12 kmpl in the city and around 16 kmpl on the highway which are very good figures.

The Vibe has the same 1.5l diesel engine that we saw in the Logan and now in the Verito and also the Duster. It is available in 3 variants,  D2 , D4 and D6. D2 is priced at Rs. 6.8 lakhs, D4 at Rs. 7.1 lakhs and D6 at Rs. 8 lakhs.

At 172mm, the ground clearance of the Vibe is more than some of the SUV's which allows it to take on any kibd of roads.

The major let down of the Verito Vibe is the cost. It is priced at Rs. 8 lakhs which is higher than the expected cost.

The overall on road dynamics are very good. The Vibe can easily reach 100s on the highway and gives a good control. The looks are same as the Verito. The interiors are good but not that great. They could have been better considering what Mahindra have done to the XUV.

The Vibe is a nicely built spacious and a tough car which is a bit low on the styling and also loses out on the price. It could have done much better had Mahindra priced it better.

What to expect from Hyundai's Grand i10?

                                                 Hyundai Grand i10: From my sketchbook

The new Hyundai Grand i10 is not an extension of the current Hyundai i10. The Grand i10 has a slight increase in its dimensions as compared to the i10. This new hatch from Hyundai will be in between the i10 and the i20. The increased dimensions help in increasing the cabin and boot space. The wheelbase in increased by 100 mm which adds to better stability and control when driving.

The front end of the Grand i10 shows improvisation and it now looks a bit more stylish than the i10. It now has a huge trapezoidal grille. The headlamps of the Grand i10 are in 3D with multi-reflector chrome surround fog lamps from the HID Projector headlamps with Angel Eye. The front end of the Grand i10 now looks sporty and more aggressive than the i10.
The rear end is a curvy one which was flat in the i10. The light cluster is a elongated wraparound which stretches into the sides. The rear bumper is body colored and curvy and has reflectors at its ends.

The Grand i10 is definitely more spacious and provides more head and leg room than the i10. The Grand i10 provides a modern and good looking central console with climate control and a music system with 1GB inbuilt storage capacity. Also it has 2 tone interiors and electrically adjustable rear view mirrors.

The price is expected to be in between the i10 and the i20. Hyundai will try to price it so that it can grab hold of the market that is currently occupied by the Maruti Suzuki. The Grand will come with two engines, the 1.2 Kappa petrol and Hyundai's 1.1 U2 CRDi diesel.

Competitors:

Maruti Suzuki Ritz and the new Nissan Micra

Verdict:

It is a more spacious, good looking and an improvised version of the i10 we already know with even more features than the i20.

Now it all depends on how Hyundai decide to price it for the Indian market.

Ford Ecosport : Auto breakdown verdict

                                                  Ford Ecosport : From my sketchbook.

With its price being pretty low than other cars in its segment, it was always believed that the Ford Ecosport would grab a huge market after it was launched. Measuring just an inch under the 4 meter mark, the Ford Ecosport provides you with a new less known segment of cars called to be the "compact SUV".

The size still doesn't matter as it still has got all the requirements to be called as an SUV. It has got a ground clearance of 200 mm, then it has large 16-inch wheels, an approach angle of 25 degrees and a departure angle of 35 degrees.

The only short coming of the Ecosport is that it is a front wheel drive. However Ford have made it sure that they won't be looking to bring in a 4WD variant.

Efficiency:

The EcoBoost engine is a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder, direct-injection, turbo-petrol that gives 118 bhp. The 1.5 L engine is whereas somewhat known to us through the Ford Figo and Ford Fiesta. The fuel efficiency of the EcoBoost engine is quite impressive. 

The 1.0 L EcoBoost Petrol gives 18 kmpl on highway and around 12 kmpl in city. The 1.5 L diesel variant gives 21 kmpl on highway and 14.5 kmpl in city. The 1.5 L Petrol variant gives 16 kmpl on highway and 11.6 kmpl in city.

Attractive pricing:

The EcoSport comes in three engine options: 

• 1.5L diesel engine priced between Rs6.69 lakh and Rs8.99 lakh.
• 1L EcoBoost turbocharged petrol engine between Rs5.59 lakh and Rs8.45 lakh. 
• 1.5L petrol engine between Rs7.90 lakh and Rs8.29 lakh.

Competitors:

• Renault Duster.
• M&M Quanto.
• Maruti Suzuki Ertiga.

Specs:

Engine:

Fuel:                 Petrol / Diesel

Installation:       Front, transverse

Type:         4 cylinder, 999 cc / 4 cylinder 1498 cc turbo diesel

Compression ratio: 10.0, 16.0:1

Power: 123 bhp at 6000 rpm

Transmission:

Type :               Front wheel drive

Gearbox:         5-speed auto/manual

Dimensions:

Length:    3999 mm

Width:     1765 mm

Height:     1708 mm

Wheel base:    2520 mm

Boot volume:    362 litres

Ground clearance:     200 mm

Body:

Construction:    Five-door

Weight: 1259/ 1290 kg

Wheels: 16-inch

Suspension:

Front:    Independent, MacPherson strut, coil springs, stabilizer bar

Rear:    Semi-independent, stabilizer bar

Steering:

Type:    Rack and pinion

Type of power assist:    Electric

Turning circle:  10.6 m

Brakes:

Front:   Ventilated discs

Rear:    drums

ABS:    Yes

Verdict:

It has got everything an average Indian consumer desires. 

It is strong, fuel efficient, stylish, compact.

It has a great EcoBoost engine.

It has a short cabin and boot space.

It is a good buy at a low cost.