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Images: autoX |
| A7 and RS 5 Coupe in India |
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So the situation is like this – Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightley are going to be at war. Audi’s latest drop-dead-gorgeous A7 will go up against the curvaceous Merc CLS. The falling roof line lends a coupe-like character to the car and the 245bhp, V6 engine will make sure that the sporty looks are accentuated by a sporty drive too. The 3.0 litre engine is mated to a 7-speed S tronic transmission and Audi’s famed four-wheel-drive system, Quattro, comes as standard. The top speed is claimed to be 250km/h and the A7 can accelerate from 0 to 100 in just 6.3 seconds.
Now that the beauty is talked about, let’s also mention the beast a little. The RS5 promises to be a performance obsessed person’s poison. The RS5 features a 4163cc unit capable of producing 450bhp and 430Nm of torque. The single-frame grille, large air intakes at the front, a sporty diffuser insert at the rear and flared wheel arches ensure that the RS5 looks the part. The V8 powered RS5 claims a top speed
of 280 km/h and 0-100 time of just 4.6 seconds.
With the recent introduction of A8 and the R8 Spyder a couple of months back, Audi sure seems to have shifted up a gear and wants to get more aggressive in the Indian market. Going by the way the luxury segment is growing, it is only expected, and much needed. |
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| Hyundai launches new Verna |
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The New Verna has been the talk of town for a while now. Now that it is finally here, the Fluidic design philosophy has really transformed the new Verna from
its predecessor.
The latest generation of the Verna flaunts a hexagonal grille which is now the corporate identity for Hyundai, eagle eye headlamps, wider air damps and L-shaped fog lamps in the front. The rear gets a new tail lamp cluster with chrome plated two tone rear garnish. There are four engines on offer - 1.4 and 1.6 litre petrol engines and 1.4 and 1.6 litre diesels. The 1.4 litre petrol produces 105 bhp with 135Nm of torque while 1.6 gives out a slightly higher output of 121bhp and 154Nm of torque. The 1.4 diesel produces 89bhp and 219 Nm of torque while the most powerful engine is the
1.6 diesel that is good for 126bhp and 260Nm of torque. The price for the new Verna ranges from Rs 6.9 to 10.7 lakhs ex-showroom Delhi. |
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| The International Engine of the Year |
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The International Engine of the Year (IEOY) awards were announced after being evaluated by a panel of 76 judges from all over the world. After a strenuous selection process and a thorough judging procedure, the most sought after awards by manufacturers were finally declared at the Engine Expo in Stuttgart. The International Engine of the Year was awarded to the Fiat 875cc TwinAir.
This tiny turbocharged 2-cylinder powertrain, which made its way under the hood of the Fiat 500, produces 85 bhp and was found to be a refined engine by most. With a torque of 150Nm@2000 rpm that’s generated makes it feasible for picking it up at lower revs and thereby amounting to a smooth spread of power. The highlight of the engine though is the electrohydraulic control of the Multiair inlet valves and an innovative timing chain that drastically cuts engine running costs because it does not need any maintenance thus making the engine efficient as well.
The Fiat 875cc TwinAir was bestowed with another award and this time it was the Green Engine of the Year. The engine which weighs 85kg has delivered the cleanest, quantity production petrol engine in the world claims Fiat and well, it’s hard to disagree. The fuel-efficient engine sips 4.34 litres/100km and boasts of CO2 emissions of 95g/km. The TwinAir beat motors driving the Nissan Leaf and the Mitsubishi iMIEV. This does speak volumes of the effort Fiat has taken to making a small, powerful, fuel efficient, in short; a brilliant piece of engineering. Apart from the two awards, the 875cc bagged awards in the Best New Engine, Best Sub 1-litre engine categories as well.
Of course, when one talks about engines, performance is what comes to mind and this year it was Ferrari who bagged the award for their 4.5-litre V8 engine. The 4,499cc is Ferrari’s first direct-injection engine to be mid-rear mounted. The engine is equipped with the traditional flat-plane crankshaft and the V8 delivers 562bhp@9000rpm along with a torque of 540Nm@6000rpm.
The power propels the car from 0-100 km/h in merely 3.4 seconds and the Italian stallion tops out at a brisk 325kmph. Ferrari’s off-the-F1-circuit rivalry continues as it beat its rivals, McLarens, MP4-12C V8, to gain top spot.
The Italians seem to be catching up with the Germans and some engines like the Ferrari 4.5 V8 beat the Mercedes-AMG 6.2 V8 to gain top spot. The competition is certainly building up but it’s immensely amazing to see that the manufacturers, besides making fast cars are also making them environmentally friendly. The Italians have paved the way for a brighter future but do the Germans have something up their sleeve as well? The coming year will certainly decide which side the scales seem to be tipping! |
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The other winners in the categories are as follows: |
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Sub 1-litre
1-litre to 1.4-litre
1.4-litre to 1.8-litre
1.8-litre to 2-litre
2-litre to 2.5-litre
2.5-litre to 3-litre
3-litre to 4-litre
Above 4-litre |
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Fiat 875cc TwinAir
Volkswagen 1.4-litre TSI Twincharger
BMW 1.6-litre Turbo
BMW 2-litre Twin-Turbo Diesel
Audi 2.5-litre Turbo
BMW 3-litre Di Twin-Turbo
BMW 4-litre V8
Ferrari 4.5-litre V8 |
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