Crazeamaze - Honda Amaze Diesel

After a long time Honda revealed a new Sedan Honda Amaze to the Indian Market, the last Sedan which Honda launched for the Indian Market was City which was targeted for the Middle class Scenario and it was a great success, as the name “AMAZE” it really has some Amazing features, Firstly Amaze is also launched for the middle class people in India who are eager to buy a classy Sedan at reasonable price and Secondly it is the first Diesel car by Honda launched in India. So we can easily draw a statement like Economic Car with Luxury Qualities. Amaze is the Sedan version of Honda’s stylish looking Hatchback Honda Brio, which was launched previous year. Though being a Sedan, it’s a Sub 4 meter, which will help the Indian customer to choose it in their daily busy traffic routine.  The Sedan houses a Diesel unit which is powered by a 4 Cylinder, DOHC i-DTEC engine which generates an amazing 100 PS of maximum power at 3600 RPM and 200 NM of torque at 1750 RPM. Amaze also have a petrol variant which houses 4 Cylinder, SOHC i-VTEC 1198 cc Petrol engine which generates 88 PS of maximum power at 6000 RPM and 109 NM of torque at 4500 RPM. Now if we go for the detailing of the car we will get a Picture like this…
 
The frontage of the all-new Sedan is quite similar to the Brio as it’s the Sedan version of the same, the bonnet and the front fender tells the same story, it features the aerodynamic appeal like the Brio. All in all it’s nice. The Front profile also consist of all new two chrome plated embossed strips with the Honda logo engraved between the two. It is equipped with a droplet shaped headlamp cluster with side turn indicators in the front. The frontage also features a large air intake grill under the headlamp cluster and the front grill extended to the entire body color bumpers. Its total Aerodynamic when it comes to the Side Profile of the Amaze. The edgy stripe, which runs from the front to rear over the well-detailed doors with aerodynamic feature, adds a new level of styling in this car segment. The stylish well-designed ORVMs also play a key role to enhance the side profile. The simple looking wheel arch of the sedan also lights up the side profile in comparison to the other cars. The rear portion of the Sedan is well designed featuring the classy Honda edgy looking tail lamp cluster and the boot door design and the stylish looking rear bumpers, which adds classiness to the sedan.
Talking of the Interior needless to say “Economy with quality”. Spacious is the word to describe this sedan in the given segment. It has huge boot but it doesn’t compromise with the interior space. As I called it a spacious one the leg room, head room and the shoulder spaces are quite extended in nature the seats are much comfortable and spacious with underthigh support giving the passenger a ultimate comfort whether it’s the rear seat or the front despite of having a large wheels its quite spacious. Now talking about the interior styling the dashboard consist of the instrument cluster consists of the analogue speedometer and tachometer with Amber glow back lit display and with a digital fuel gauge. The dashboard is also equipped with the audio system with USB support and Aux-in and iPod interface, Air condition controls are at the bottom half of the dashboard, It has a Stylish looking three spoke steering wheel with the Honda emblem in the centre, audio controls can be found on the 3 spoked steering wheel. Being a Diesel variant with a robust engine the NVH level of the car is quite low, because of using the sound deadening materials, which makes the ride comfortable.
 
Now lets pop the hood and find out what’s in there, well it’s a robust diesel engine of 4 Cylinder, DOHC i-DTEC engine which generates an amazing 100 PS of maximum power at 3600 RPM and 200 NM of torque at 1750 RPM, that would certainly help the car to get to a level as other diesel cars available in the market. The engine is equipped with five-speed manual transmission the gear shifts are quite seamless and the throws are short, without any doubts making it one of the best transmissions in its segment. The displacement of the diesel engine is at 1498cc. The power delivered by the diesel engine is 98.6bhp at 3600rpm. The Honda Diesel engine is also capable of a promising torque of 200Nm at 1750rpm.Honda claims a mileage of 28.5 kmpl for this diesel Engine.
  The all-new Honda Amaze diesel is quite good in handling as it is made for the Indian cities and towns. It is equipped with 75/65R14 inch tyres, which provides good grip on the road. For advanced suspension system Honda used Independent, MacPherson struts at the front and non-independent, torsion beam axle suspension setup at the rear, brakes being the disc at the front and drum brakes at the rear, all this setup is quite efficient enough to handle Indian road condition. The all-new steering of this Sedan also plays a key role in handling the vehicle.
  Honda made this Diesel Sedan quite safe with lots of safety features to gain the faith of the Indian customers. Following are the features available to this variant:
 
 1.ABS with EBD.
 2.Duel front SRS airbags.
 3.Pre tensioner seatbelts.
 4.Engine immobilizer.
 5.Ace body structure.
   There is one other thing which I forgot to write at the beginning while discussing the Amazeness (from my Dictionary) of “AMAZE” if you go through this price list you will know what I am talking about.
  
The Honda Amaze is available in following color options:
  . Majestic Blue Metallic (New and exclusive)
 . Carnelian Red Pearl.
 . Urban Titanium Metallic.
 . Alabaster Silver Metallic.
 . Crystal Black Pearl.
 . Taffeta White.
 
The all new Honda Amaze though being a Sedan version of the Hatchback Honda Brio it has all the capabilities of making a benchmark in Indian market as an unique car more for its being the first Honda Diesel car in India, the other factors being the looks and the robust high performance Diesel engine with low NVH levels which gives a mileage of 28.5kmpl and of course the price factor which is the most important factor in Indian Market .So way to go for this Machine and double thumbs up for its success.

Crazy to drive the Ford EcoSport

It’s a Sub 4 meter.. Nope.. Its not a hatchback neither it’s a small Sedan. Its a SUV, Mini SUV…Ford launches the most Compact looking SUV in India, EcoSport, where people want a car to be stylish & muscular looking and easy to defeat the traffic with extreme road conditions in cities like Mumbai and Delhi. It has all the capabilities of SUV and the quality comfort level of Sedan and sporty look of hatchback. Gone through many opinions where people are comparing this vehicle with the Renault’s SUV Duster, from my perspective comparing the car with any other, is needless, as it’s a kind of its own, though Premier automobile launched a kind like this before, back at 2011, RIO, which was not a success, as it was not complete to be a Sub 4 meter SUV (of course from my perspective). But the ECOSPORT is the car.. The Urban SUV as Ford describes.. The USP of this Mini SUV lies under the hood, the award winning EcoBoost 1.0 litre 999cc three-cylinder turbo Petrol engine which produces a power of 125PS at 6000rpm and peak torque of 170Nm from 1400rpm all the way to 4500rpm.Well the EcoSport is also available with 1.5-litre Diesel and a 1.5 litre Petrol engine. Now lets get into the detailing of the car..

Satisfying Indian customers is not that easy for any car manufacturers, what Indian Customers look for, is a combination of stylish, muscular, edgy design and a spacious vehicle.. So keeping all these things in mind Ford Designed the EcoSport in a wise manner whether its style or space.Now Lets talk about the front profile of the car where the Front radiator grille, chromed with a unique design, which adds toughness to its looks. Just above the grille and between the bonate lies the Ford logo, chrome embossed with its popular blue background. The two edgy and sharply big headlight cluster which are equipped with high intensity halogen lights and side turn blinkers and the two fog lamps just below the headlight cluster adds a aggressiveness to the design of the SUV.. When it comes to the side profile it comes to the doors, the ORVM design and last but not the least the stylish wheels and the aerodynamic design, well in that case Ford EcoSport possess a nice looking side profile with, nicely proportionate bulky wheel arches giving a powerful look of SUV, and the aerodynamically designed doors strips with the black covering all over the bottom part of the SUV, the well designed side indicator fitted ORVMs also stylize the Side Profile. The rear portion of the SUV is quite attracted by the Spare Wheel attached to the rear door, which gives it look of a strong SUV reminding me of the Jeep an extreme vehicle. The rears also have a stylish window equipped with a rear wash and wipe function along with a defogger. The rear bumpers also add an element of styling to the SUV as the Ground Clearance of this SUV is 200mm which is quite huge and helps the rear bumper to get lit up for its looks.

The Interior reminds me of Ford Fiesta, though its not that same. The dashboard has a smooth surface of silver and black combined color texture. The dashboard is equipped with a glaring instrument cluster, which have notification lamps along with giving out vital information about the SUV to the driver, which is very important. A kind of Bluish back light enlight the analogue dials and other meters of the cluster. The SUV is equipped with lot of storage spaces with large Glove box appropriate cup holders and other useful spaces. The air conditioning system of the SUV is quite strong which gets cool in a moment it also has an advanced heater system. The three-spoked stylish steering wheel covered with leather and mounted audio and Bluetooth control adds beauty to the dashboard area.
Being a Sub 4 Meter SUV its quite spacious with good headroom, leg room, elbow and shoulder space despite of having 346 litres of boot space. Like all SUVs the rear seats can be folded to make more space. Being a compact SUV from my perspective it has got lot more of space and should not be compared with the other big SUVs such as Renault Duster.

Popping the hood will result to the new three-cylinder Ecoboost turbo 1.0 litre 999cc turbo Petrol engine, despite of being a small engine still it produces a power of 125PS at 6000rpm and peak torque of 170Nm from 1400rpm all the way to 4500rpm.Whereas the other variant which is equipped with 1.5 litre diesel engine generates 91PS of maximum power at 3750rpm and 20.8kgm at 2000-2750rpm.The other petrol variant which is 1.5 normal petrol engine generates 112PS of power at 6300rpm and 14.27kgm at 4400rpm.All the variant are equipped with the new easily shift 5speed gearbox. Ford claims its Ecoboost engine will give 18.9 km/litre of fuel efficiency and it is expected that the EcoSport will take about 11.5 seconds to hit 100kmph, which is really great.by going through all these details of the engine a question can pop in anybody’s mind what’s the Ecoboost Engine and how it derives so much power being such a small engine. The answer to the question is generally in any car engine the engine blocks are made up of Aluminum but here in the Ecoboost the blocks are made up of cast iron whish helps it to warm up easily and the mileage is enhanced by the exhaust which is built over the cylinder head which is made for the quick warming of the engine.

Fords always keep a strong eye on their every car regarding the handling so Ecosport is no different it got light weight alloy wheels of 16 inches which are equipped with 205/60-R16 tubeless radial tyres assuring good grip on the road concluding that the suspension system of this ford “MacPherson and torsion beam suspension” which is elaborated as the front axle fitted with an independent McPherson strut type of mechanism with dual path mounts, the rear axle equipped with a semi independent twist beam along with coil springs, which produces minimum vibration level. Talking about brakes the front wheels are equipped with ventilated discs while the rear wheels are fitted with drum based braking mechanism.  

The Safety features that Ford offers for this SUV are:
 1. ABS with EBD
2. Front, side and curtain airbags
3. Crash sensing auto door unlock
4. Rear parking sensors
5. Key-less entry and immobilizer system.

The EcoSport is available with following color trims:
 . Mars Red
 . Diamond white
 . Kinetic Blue
 . Moondust silver
 . Chill Metallic
 . Panther Black
 . Sea Grey
   Well the car can be concluded with its compactness in every aspects ranging from its design to the engine power, including safety and handling.

My Yamaha Gladiator type SS 125

Gladiator has been a part of Yamaha family for quite some time now. It is one of the best bikes that Yamaha has offered to its customers. It places itself among the 125 cc segment and occupies a well deserved position and is a good competitor for its rivals in this class. Gladiator offers 123.7 cc Ytps (Yamaha throttle position sensor) which means it has outstanding combustion efficiency and great pick up, it gives out 11 bhp of power at 7500 rpm.And Yamaha claimed that it  returned 67 km to a litre.I brought this bike back in 2010 and been riding it since then. The first thing I noticed about the bike is that It looks extremely good and sporty.The engine cover added an extra mean look to the bike, the second thing I noticed is that it is quite tall and long as compared to its rivals and believe it or not I have been asked a couple of times that weather it’s a 150 cc bike or not. The bike is exceptionally good in handling and you can seriously lean the bike in corners (if you have the confidence to do so) the MRF nylo grip tires works extremely well but Yamaha could think of a tubeless version for it future models. The best thing about the bike is it is quite steady in speeds above 90 and the engine only starts vibrating if you push the bike above 100 but on the other hand you will have to remember that It is a 125 cc bike. The riding position is very comfortable one do not have to lean forward to ride this bike thanks to its wide handlebars and comfortable,cushioned seats even the pillions can be comfortable at the back . I have revved the bike hard and it clocked 107 km in its analogue speedometer which is quite high as compared to the rest of the bikes of its segment.

But there are few things which i  disliked about the bike :- The headlight illumination is not at all good which causes a lot of problem’s if you are riding the bike at night.- The bike returned me a mileage of 42kms in city and 47 km in highways which is quite low for 125cc classBut after-all its Yamaha and they were never known for Good mileage. This bike is extremely well built and although its 3 years old I am confident I can give any other Bike a good competition with the Gladiator.
I have rode the bike for almost 30,000 km till date and I am very happy with its performance and never had any major problems with this bike except few nick knacks and the most common mileage issue.. Yamaha is always known to deliver the finest and good quality products to its buyers and this is yet another example. After riding this bike for more than 3 years now i can certainly say “YES YAMAHA”.                                                                                                      Post By: Riju Ganguly

Craaazy about that SpArK...

Recently I saw a Red Hatchback overtook me when I was driving....Its the Spark , Chevrolet Spark..Chevrolet has launched small cars in many international markets across the globe but not many in the US in the past. So the 2013 Chevrolet Spark has been launched specially for US and Canada.

The Chevrolet Spark hatchback is one of the most attractive looking small cars in the US market. The increasing parking problem, fuel price hike and too much traffic has led many people adapt to small cars which can be easily maneuverable in the city busy streets without a problem. There is enough space for 4 adults inside the car if someone is thinking about the available space inside the car. 

The Chevrolet Spark although is a small hatchback but is one of the most attractive looking car in the US market as mentioned earlier. Chevrolet has maintained the global look at the front and added a prominent looking two-tier grille with the Chevrolet logo placed in the front. Although Spark is a small car but the front of the car looks aggressive.The Sparks headlamp consists of halogen units which stretches from the front of the car to the A pillars which give the front of the car an aggressive look. The fog lamps placed in the lower bumper of the car adds to the extra safety measure in the Spark.Spark is a small hatchback and has 4 doors, but Chevrolet has designed the car in such a manner that the spark looks like that it is a three door hatchback the rear door handles are placed in the C pillars of the hatchback so that the sporty appearance of the hatchback remains although it is a complete five door hatchback.It has a spoiler at the rear which contributes to the aerodynamics of the car and helps maintaining the sporty look along with it.

The most interesting thing that you will notice once you stepped inside the cabin is the space that is available inside. Although the car looks small and compact from the outside but there is lots of space in the interiors. The seats are extremely comfortable too.The most interesting feature that you will find inside the car is the two LCD screens which provide all the information that the drivers needs and yes it includes the speedometer too. The blue lights in the background also soothe the passenger’s eye during dark.  The air conditioning and the power windows are standard features in the car.

Chevrolet Spark is powered by an Ecotec 1.25 L I4 DOHC VVT 1249 CC engine which generates 84 Hp at 6400 rpm and 113 NM of torque at 4200 rpm. It has been mated with a 5 speed manual gearbox as a standard feature but also has an option of 4 speed automatic gearbox.Another interesting feature of the Spark is that the engine extremely is fuel efficient and returns 34 mpg combined in both city and highway driving and the automatic returns 32 mpg.The mid range torque in the engine gives the car more power in the highways. The engine has low emission rate and needs minimum maintenance although this is an affordable hatchback car but Chevrolet has not compromised on its safety features, the car has been provided with body frame, the car also has been equipped with ABS and StabiliTrak which helps to boost the driver’s confidence in wet road conditions.The car also been provided with ten standard air bags for the safety of the passengers in case of a collision..

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The Spark has been launched newly and the car has many advantages over the other hatchbacks of its class in terms of interior comfort and space provided inside the car including the cargo space. The car is easy to maintain and Chevrolet also promised an added value of five years and 100,000-mile powertrain warranty on this car which is added advantage and assurance from Chevrolet. So if you are planning to buy a car which has added power, good looks, provides good fuel economy and fits your budget then this is it...

A Big WaoooH to the Italiano Exotica...

The next thing I'm going Crazzzy about is the Italian Machine by Piaggio..It is named Vespa LX125 and it has done wonders for Vespa after it was launched. Vespa was so popular back in the early 90’s that Indian legendary two wheeler manufacturer Bajaj faced tough competition in keeping up with the sales figure of the foreign brand vespa.The new Vespa LX125 which was launched in the Indian market in the year 2012 is powered by a 125CC engine which generates about 10 BHp of maximum power and 1 Kgm of torque, this figure made not be appealing but the LX125 surely is. Lets get to know the details about this scooter.

Vespa LX125 is surely an attention grabber on the road. This scooter has the mixture of retro and modern style packed into it. The front of the scooter has lots of chrome in it but that does not mean that the scooter looks odd or too shiny. It has the perfect mixture of everything in it.The front headlamp is round shaped and the whole body is painted with single solid color, there is absolutely no graphics, stickers or any other color on the scooter. The front nose has been finished in chrome. The Piaggio emblem is placed at the front just below the neck of the scooter.The rear of the scooter has a tiny little lamp which has some chrome elements around it with two separate side turn indicators placed on either sides of the scooter. Every single details of the scooter has been taken care of even the mudguards at the rear has been painted in body color.The instrument cluster is simple and has a analogue speedometer and fuel gauge and a digital clock in it. The grips and the switch bar provided in the Vespa definitely needs improvement. The switches are made of average quality plastics and keeping in mind the price of the Vespa Pigagio definitely needs to take care of that. The switches are also not positioned properly thus the rider may face problems while reaching for the switches specially the horn it is placed quite low and thus the rider may face difficulty while reaching for it.

Vespa LX125 is powered by a 125 CC 3 valve unit with aluminium cylinder which generates 10 bhp of maximum power and 1 Kilogram of torque. The airflow is controlled by a high efficiency intake filter. The scooter is fitted with MAP sensing and variable spark timing for better fuel efficiency.Vespa has a lightweight construction and thus it is lightweight which improves its power to weight ratio. It has monocoque and low weight steel body. The engine is placed in the center. Thus all in al Vespa has been engineered to perfection.

Vespa uses single sided trailing arm suspension with Anti dive characteristics in the front and hydraulic shock absorbers at the rear which helps the Scooter to glide smoothly even on rough roads.Vespa Lx125 suspension can overcome potholes and rough roads with ease. both its suspension are set up for soft ride. The scooter can be easily ridden on Indian roads with ease.The LX125 stays stable even in higher speeds. The scooter uses 150mm front brakes, the 140mm rear drum brakes to bring the scooter to a halt.  The brakes could have been improved for giving Vespa better stopping power. The Scooter is easy to maneuver in City roads where are lots of traffic. Piaggio claimed that the scooter will return 60 Km to a litre. The Lx125 is made to be ridden on urban roads and so it does its job perfectly.The riding position of the Vespa LX125 is quite comfortable and the seats and handlebars are positioned in a comfortable manner, the female riders may face some problems though while riding because the scooter has a good ground clearance and average height ed people might face problems while riding.

Vespa LX125 is a fancy looking scooter and also is costly. The Vespa brand has lot of story and history surrounding it which will attract people towards it. There is no doubt that it is definitely a good looking scooter maybe the best looking in its class.

I'm Going Craazy About Mahindra Pantero...Check it out Guys...

     The new ride I'm going crazy about is Mahindra Pantero it just been launched recently in the Indian market.The Pantero is the updated version of Stallio. The Stallio was launched in the Indian market in the year 2012 but due to some technical difficulties and a faulty gearbox Mahindra stopped its production, then after working on the technical faults Mahindra relaunched the old Stallio and christened it as the Pantero.

The pantero is  powered by a four-stroke, 106.7 cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine which generates 8.4 bhp at 7500 rpm and  0.87 kgm of torque at 5500 rpm, this is average for a commuter motorcycle of this class. 

Talking about its looks it is a stylish looking motorcycle; it has a single unit headlamp with pilot lamps on top of it which can be switched on individually without switching on the headlamp.The instrument cluster of the motorcycle is fully digital and includes speedometer, odometer, fuel gauge, tachometer, trip indication meter and a digital clock. The rider will get all the information that is needed from the digital display itself.

The Pantero has a unique styled graphical detail in the body with the flowing flame decal which will surely attract everyone's attention. The seating position of the motorcycle is also very comfortable and has one of the longest seats of its class.

The Mahindra pantero is powered by a four-stroke, 106.7 cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine which generates 8.4 bhp of maximum power at 7500 rpm and  0.87 kgm of maximum torque at 5500 rpm as mentioned above. The power is quite descent in this class. The engine is mated with a 4 speed gearbox. The engine of the pantero is much refined and the power delivery and throttle response is also better than the previous versions of the Motorcycle.The Motorcycle is relatively faster than the previous version and is capable of reaching 0-60 kph in 8.8 seconds. The Pantero has  twin downtube steel frames which is lighter than the Stallio by about 1.87 kgs and uses a telescopic fork front suspension and obsolete, tubular steel swingarm at the rear which is a big disappointment because the ride quality is effected badly.Mahindra pantero uses 130 mm drum brakes for both the front and rear wheels to bring the bike to a halt. Mahindra claimed that Pantero will return somewhere around 79.5 km to a Litre..

Mahindra's Pantero will face steep competition from other Indian commuter motorcycles in the Market such as The Newly launched Bajaj Discover 100T and Honda's Twister. Both these motorcycles have all the features that one expects from the motorcycle of this class.The Pantero is a good commuter motorcycle which can be used daily. It has good riding posture and comfortable seats and can be used for riding both in the city as well as for long trips. 

Yes it is true that Mahindra has really worked hard behind this motorcycle in making it a much better product than the Stallio. Pantero now has a much more refined engine and a smooth gearbox.All in all what it got is that Crazy Factor which I look in every Automobile...