Lexus Begins Indian Journey

Over the years, the word ‘Lexus’ in India is most commonly associated with the Toyota Land Cruiser. Quite a few Indians would have remembered seeing the word ‘Lexus’ or the L logo encircled on a Toyota Land Cruiser. Well, not many people in India know that Lexus is the luxury division of Japanese car giant Toyota. Toyota began work in 1983, on developing a new premium sedan code-named F1. In 1989 this led to the inception of the first Lexus product – the Lexus LS. Back in 2014 there was talk about Lexus entering India, however this did not materialize as the import duty and other taxes were too high. The wait is finally over! Lexus has entered India with a 3-model lineup which includes the RX 450h, ES 300h, LX 450d.

   The Indian luxury car market is dominated by the German auto giants – Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi with Mercedes-Benz leading the way. There are other players as well such as Jaguar Land Rover and Volvo. The luxury segment in the Indian market has been one where there is cut throat competition where car manufacturers are continuously pushing the boundaries of excellence with respect to technology, comfort, driving pleasure and last but not the least luxury. In such a competitive market, it is very difficult for any player to be it an existing or new to sustain and make a lasting impression. On the other hand, the Indian market is a very exciting prospect for luxury car buyers looking to have a slice of the market, because the Indian car buyer is becoming younger and at the same time more affluent. In the Indian scenario, Lexus’ competitors have been on the market for the considerably longer period this is a major advantage for the competition as they know exactly what the Indian customer is looking for. The Indian customers have been accustomed to cars which deliver both great luxuries and at the same time are great driving machines with a good balance of leisure and enthusiasm. Whereas Lexus is more inclined towards providing with comfort and efficiency. In the Indian luxury segment, there is a great demand for diesel cars, as most of the units sold are diesel powered; Lexus has a very limited range of diesel engines and the cars which are going to be offered here are going to be hybrids. Most of the German cars, JLR etc. are locally assembled, manufactured, Whereas Lexus will initially sell their cars only as a full import unit, making the cars considerably expensive. The RX450h is a crossover SUV powered by a 3.5L V6 direct injection petrol engine paired to an electric motor producing 305 bhp. The ES300h is the flagship sedan of Lexus-powered by a 2.5L petrol engine paired to an electric motor generating about 200 bhp.

  Toyota has never really intended to create a cash cow out of Lexus but to build and enhance its brand image, We shall have to wait and watch how the Indian journey of Lexus unfolds. 

Range Rover Velar - On Par With Excellence

Range Rover have been one of the most popular brands in the automotive world. Always striving to be on par with excellence. A sub-brand of Land Rover, Range Rover has been pushing the boundaries of luxury, technology and overall capability for the better half of 5 decades. The Range Rover has been known as the ultimate luxury vehicle to take you anywhere, and rightly so! The Land Rover brand as a whole has been a pioneer in the off-roading segment. The first Range Rover launched in 1970, left the world amazed by its off-road capabilities, even on the harshest terrain. Over since the years the Range Rover has evolved but has keenly continued the tradition of beautifully integrating luxury and driving capability. The world renowned and Land Rover patented Terrain Response system (off-road terrain management system) does duty on all Range Rovers. This system has won many accolades as the best all terrain or 4X4 (AWD) systems ever since its debut on the Land Rover Discovery 3. In 2005, Land Rover extended the Range Rover family with the Range Rover Sport. A mid-sized SUV positioned below the Range Rover, continued the same pedigree of the Range Rover with a sportier flair to it. The range topping Range Rover Sport SVR holds the distinction of being the most capable SUV of 2017. In 2011, to meet the demand for a compact SUV capable in the urban environment targeted towards the youth and the luxury car buyer Land Rover introduced the Range Rover Evoque. The design of this SUV was an awe inspiring one. Though it was a crossover it had the roofline of a coupe and the ruggedness of an SUV. This was one of Range Rover’s most loved products. The powertrain though subsided mainly for tax benefits, was unmistakably Range Rover. It still remains one of the best designed SUVs.

  All right enough of the glorious Range Rover history! Let us put that away for a while and dive straight into where the thick of the action is. Yesterday, Land Rover unveiled the curtains on the latest addition to the Range Rover family. At an event in London, the crowds gathered for witnessing a spectacle of automotive design, technology and innovation. This event was also streamed live across the world. The moment the curtains were lifted an epitome of automotive innovation and design was showcased, the Range Rover Velar was introduced! On stage Gerry McGovern - Chief Designer, JLR came on to give the crowd and worldwide viewers a brief about the car. McGovern, described how emotionally enriching and enchanting a car can be, and how important the collaboration of the design and engineering departments of a car manufacturer is to creation of an overall balanced product. The name, Velar is derived from a Latin word which means sail or veiled. The first 26 prototypes of the Range Rover were named Velar.  At a first glance the Velar is a very striking and appealing proposition. A completely new design for an SUV. The silhouette coupe inspired roofline flows beautifully over the car, giving it a very sleek and modern look. It is by far the sleekest Range Rovers of all time. The intricate matrix LED headlamps give the car a very futuristic, bold and aggressive look. The traditional honeycomb grille gives it a distinct Range Rover identity. There is a lot of attention to detail given to the car and this is evident in the fog lamp cluster as well as the front light bay. Aerodynamics play a huge role in the design of the Velar, with a drag coefficient of 0.32 it is the most aerodynamic Land Rover ever produced. The detailed copper inserts on the bonnet, and simple yet sophisticated character lines running across the body of the car all away to the rear. They beautifully integrate into the LED tail lamps. These tail lamps are to die for! The short overhangs in the front and a long tail section give the car a flair of elegance and stature. On the first glance you notice something peculiar……. where are the door handles gone?! Well the answer to this is quite simply innovation. The Velar uses flush door handles, which slide outside when in use and slide inside, camouflaging in to the body of the car when not in use.  The simplistic and modern nature of the design continues on the inside as well. You are welcomed by a brilliantly laid out cabin which is reminiscent of other Range Rovers, but with a burst of innovation and new technology. When you enter any car you tend to first get greeted by the familiar knobs, dials on the center console. But, in the Velar you do not! The center console has been replaced by 2 large touchscreens, one on the dashboard and another below traditionally where the gear is placed. There are 2 rotary dials on either side of the touchscreen below. What is more exciting is that when you enter the vehicle, the touchscreen at the top tilts in front towards the driver. Awesomeness personified. The new dual touchscreen system called the ‘Touch Pro Duo’ by Land Rover, aims to minimize switchgear and maximize a sense of engagement and personalization between the car and the driver. The touchscreen at the top is the primary infotainment center of the cars housing controls for the telephone, Bluetooth, music, SATNAV. The touchscreen at the bottom houses controls for car related systems, such as air conditioning, Terrain Response system, Seat controls, overall vehicle diagnostic settings. The steering wheel gets touchscreen buttons too. Both the touchscreens can be individually configured as the driver wishes to. There is a large panoramic sunroof which runs across both at the front and rear. The overall quality of the seats are top notch. This car can fit 5 people very comfortably. The boot space is a large 673 Liters with the added functionality of a 60/40 split. The Velar comes with a complete air suspension setup, rides quality is just brilliant. Another great innovation of this car is that it allows for the body to be lowered, so that the passengers can enter and exit the vehicle with ease.

One could argue that the Jaguar F-Pace and the Range Rover Velar are very similar cars, well apart from sharing the same platform and a few engine options the cars are radically different. While the F-Pace is a performance oriented SUV, the Range Rover Velar is still a family vehicle with a charm unlike any other. One thing is for sure there is quite a gap in price as well as size between the Range Rover Evoque & the Range Rover Sport. The gap is not too big any more, the Velar has come in to fill the void. An all-aluminum construction gives the Velar a light, safe and strong structure. The Velar will come with 6 engine options, 2 diesels and 4 petrol. All these will be mated to an 8 speed automatic transmission. There is no confirmation of a range topping SVR/SVO model. The Range Rover Velar will go up against more traditional SUV rivals like the Audi Q7, BMW Q5, Mercedes GLS, Volvo XC90 and also the performance powerhouse from Stuttgart – Porsche Macan.  The Range Rover Velar is a brilliant proposition unlike any other and has all the underpinnings to be a market mover. The search for excellence is often an impossible one, but it is not every day that we come across cars that are marvels of engineering, a treasure trove technology, ignited with innovation and last but not the least a masterpiece of design. Car manufacturers have always banked on such products for keeping them on top of the industry and being a canvas of inspiration for others to follow. Well Range Rover seemed to have found that in the Velar – a product that should keep them on par with excellence.  

5 Reasons Why A Mercedes Benz is One Of The Safest Cars On The Road

Safety is paramount to all living beings. No matter who you interact with, where you go, what you use for daily activities, how you travel and so on, safety or being in a safe ecosystem while carrying out any of these actions is a common denominator. Safety in a broader aspect of the term is a condition of being safe or protected from any harm or other undesirable outcomes. What safety also refers to is the recognition or awareness of various hazards which can cause the risk of harm or injury.  We live in a world where there is a lot of reliance or dependency for support and assistance on machines and technology for enabling us to carry out various activities/tasks. Cars are a very common means of travel for humans. The risks and hazards involved with car travel are infamous and common knowledge. While driving a car concentration and awareness of the one’s surroundings is imperative, the loss of attention even for a split second can lead to major consequences such as life-threating injuries and or death. With more and more cars being driven on the road and an influx of latest technology (for e.g. faster cars) the importance and emphasis on car safety has never been more important. With the advancement of technology cars are getting faster, more luxurious, smarter, more efficient and most importantly much safer. Though there is a lot more technology keeping us safe in cars than what was about half a decade ago, it is extremely crucial that we not only respect our other fellow drivers on the roads; but also that we respect our car equally.

Mercedes Benz has been a car manufacturer that has been admired and loved across the world ever since its inception in 1926. In the automobile world Mercedes has been an epitome for quality, luxury, cutting edge technology and unwavering reliability. Mercedes Benz has also been one of the pioneers for vehicle safety, striving for excellence in passenger and vehicle safety. As per their official website, with Mercedes Benz being inventors and innovators of the car, they claim to have a huge role and responsibility towards road and passenger safety. With over 80000 patents filled for safety innovations one can be rest assured that Mercedes Benz is playing a huge role in road and passenger safety. With many firsts in automobile safety such as the first company to perform Crash Tests to analyze the performance of cars in accident situations in 1958, the inventors of Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) along with Bosch in 1978 Mercedes Benz has been at the forefront of passenger and vehicle safety. Let us now look into the other safety and passenger protection systems developed by Mercedes Benz.

• PRE-SAFE:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Collision Avoidance Systems are very crucial to car safety. They are automobile systems designed to reduce the severity of a collision. PRE-SAFE is the collision avoidance system from Mercedes Benz. First introduced during the Paris Motor Show in 2003, this revolutionary system works with the assistance of a host of other systems such as the Electronic Stability Control (ECS), sensors measuring steering angle, acceleration and brake assist sensors (BAS) for detecting emergency braking and cameras placed around the vehicle. On anticipation and detection of a possible collision the PRE-SAFE system actively prepares the car, passenger by taking safety and preventive measures such as tensioning the seatbelts, raising the headrests forward to enable better support during impact, rolling up of the windows before an impending accident, closing the sunroof in case of a roll over situation. The PRE-SAFE Brake was later added to this system, this allows the car to monitor the traffic ahead with sensors and cameras and warn the driver 2.5 seconds prior to an impending collision and also waning the vehicle behind via the hazard lights. In case the driver does not react the car engages autonomous emergency braking.                                                                                                                                                                                              
• DISTRONIC PLUS WITH PRE-SAFE BRAKE:                                                                                                                                                                                                                Distronic Plus with PRE-SAFE Brake is a radar based adaptive cruise control system. An adaptive cruise control system which can be deployed from 20-120 mph, equipped with infrared sensors and cameras the Distronic Plus system actively scans the traffic ahead for possible collisions. As quite a few road accidents are rear collisions, Distronic Plus with PRE-SAFE brake aims to prevent them. The system actively monitors the distance between the vehicle ahead and itself till up to 650 feet. If the gap between the 2 vehicles reduces by more than 650 feet the Distronic Plus warns the driver by emitting audible and visual alerts. In case the driver fails to react the PRE-SAFE brake engages autonomous braking by calculating the braking force required to prevent the collision. Once the distance between the 2 cars is safe (>650 feet) the car again goes into cruise control mode at the desired speed set by the driver.                                                                                                                      

• ATTENTION ASSIST:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Driving can often be a tiring exercise often leading to driver fatigue, often experienced during long drives. This has led to numerous major accidents. Ever wondered if a system could warn you about fatigue whilst driving? Well…..Mercedes Benz has got you covered. The Attention Assist system, monitors the driving pattern of a driver and warns him of fatigue, sleep, tiredness symptoms. Within the first few minutes of driving the Attention Assist system makes an individual profile of the driver analyzing his driving pattern. Over 70 parameters actively monitor the driver over the duration of driving. When the system detects the signs of driver fatigue, sleep etc. it uses audible and visual signs to warn the driver. At the same time considering external conditions such as cross-winds, road surface etc.                                                                                                                    
•  ACTIVE LANE KEEPING ASSIST:                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Maintaining lane discipline is a very crucial element of safe driving. Accidents often occur when a driver fails to respect the lanes. In order to avoid this Mercedes Benz has developed the Active Lane Keeping Assist. This system continuously monitors the road ahead by a camera mounted on the windscreen. Many a times due to driver fatigue or loss of concentration the driver unintentionally lets the car drift outside his lane causing accidents. In order to prevent this the Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the driving conditions looking out for signs where the driver has unintentionally let the car drift away from his lane. In case this happens the system warns the driver by vibrating the steering wheel. If the driver fails to react the system automatically breaks the wheels away from the road markers, bringing the vehicle back in its lane; hence avoiding an accident.                                                                                                                                                                                                           
• PEDESTRIAN PROTECTION:

The Mercedes Benz Pedestrian Protection system is designed to protect the pedestrians. It is noted that in most cases a head on collision can be fatal for a pedestrian. The Pedestrian Protection system uses an Active Bonnet. On impact with a pedestrian the rear of the bonnet is raised by about 50 mm. This raising of the bonnet reduces the injury impact on the pedestrian. 

This certainly reiterates the fact that Mercedes cars are among the safest on the road. Mercedes has been a guiding light for other car manufacturers and their safety innovations often continue to serve as a benchmark for the industry. 

MARUTI IGNIS - The Modern Urban Car For The 'New Age' Indian

By 2022, India is set to be the most populous nation in the world. With close to 60% of the population below the age 35 years, India is on track to become the youngest nation in the world. Firms in the Indian market are keeping a watchful eye, particularly on the millennial generation. Generation Y as they are more popularly known, refer to the people who are born between 1980s to the early 2000s. Currently India has about 356 million people who are in the age bracket 20-35 years. All the players in the Indian automobile market are just waiting in the wings to capitalize on this segment. Maruti  Suzuki has been a pioneer in the Indian market since a long time and is amongst the very few brands in the Indian market who know exactly what the Indian customers want and they seem to get their products spot on most of the times!

The Ignis, Maruti Suzuki’s latest offering for India is one of the most anticipated cars of 2017. Car manufacturers the world over are very keenly following the trend of crossovers or crossover inspired styling. A crossover with respect to cars is a car platform made by combining the features of an SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) with the features of a passenger vehicle. Being a hatchback crossover, the Ignis has an upright stance and looks all set to take on all the Indian roads can throw at it! The first impression of the Ignis it seems the design team at Maruti, has taken the Wagon-R back to the drawing board and made a more modern avatar of it. Though it may resemble the Wagon-R…….it is huge leap in design from Maruti Suzuki. The front grille is bold and the neatly integrated LED headlamp with DRLs encompassing them is a beautiful piece of car design. The cladding at the front bumper, fenders and on the sides gives the car an SUV like look. The slightly slanted roofline of the car integrated with the boot looks a bit unorthodox to be honest especially for the Indian market. Nevertheless, it gives the car a good character. The design of the Ignis is quite revolutionary for Indian customers in this particular segment as they are quite used to more traditionally designed cars. The Ignis is a real good blend of retro and modern car design. The Maruti Suzuki Ignis ticks all the correct boxes to be a real head turner. Also a unique and neat touch is the 3 inclined lines in descending order at the C-pillar, giving the Ignis a distinctive identity. Step inside and one is welcomed by the Ignis nameplate, giving the car a premium touch. The cabin is modern and quite spacious, like all Maruti cars the Ignis is very practical. The Ignis is loaded with tech and features such as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, MirrorLink system etc. The new sporty steering wheel, switch controls for the AC, infotainment touchscreen are just a few elements which make the cabin feel a funky and nice place to be. The car is clearly designed keeping the millennial in mind. Maruti has been quite generous with the space in the backseat, the bench seat will allow for 3 passengers to sit comfortably. The boot is decent as well, allowing for good vertical luggage storage. The black alloy wheels also give a nice appeal to the car. The Igins is powered by the 1.2L K Series petrol unit and the Fiat sourced 1.3L Multijet diesel engine. These 2 units have been very reliable and are widely used across the Maruti range. Maruti could possibly introduce a 1.0L Boosterjet petrol engine for the Ignis. The transmission options will be a manual and an AMT (Automated Manual Technology) for both petrol as well as diesel. There are options to customize the interiors with an option of coloured door handles and different material for surrounding the AC vents.

       Having a wide price range starting from Rs.4.59 lac – Rs.7 lac, Maruti has priced the Ignis very aggressively. With the Mahindra KUV 100 and the Hyundai Grand i10 the closest competition the Ignis looks all set to take the market by storm! The Ignis is just one of those cars which either you love or you hate but you can definitely not ignore. It will take some time for the Indian car buyer to warm up to the revolutionary Ignis, but eventually it will be successful. With the introduction of the Ignis, Maruti has set the tone for the new age of cars for the urban modern Indian. We are extremely excited by the Maruti Suzuki Ignis are you?

Hyundai - A Journey Through The Years

     

 Hyundai Motors has been a customer favourite for many years, not only in India but the world over. Unknown to most, the meaning of the Hyundai logo is a handshake between the company (Hyundai) and the customer. The handshake symbolizes the bond of unshakeable trust. What a customer wants in a car is simple; an affordable, reliable, practical car with the latest technology. This is what Hyundai has been delivering this consistently for the past 49 years!  Lets have a look at the timeline of Hyundai Motor Company and find out as to what this great company has achieved over the years.

Nissan - Celebrating 83 Years

The beginnings of  the Nissan Motor Company Limited can be traced way back to 1911. Masujiro Hashimoto founded the Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works on 1^st July, 1911 in Japan. It was the first automobile manufacturing company of Japan. In 1914 the company produced its first car, the DAT (acronym for the surnames of the company investors). In 1925 the company changed its name to DAT Motors, in addition to trucks in also produced DAT and Datsun passenger cars. However, a large majority of its output were trucks due to a non-existent market for passenger cars at that time. In 1926, DAT Motors merged with Osaka-based Jitsuyo Jidosha Company Limited, the new company moved headquarters to Yokohama. In 1928, Yoshisuke Aikawa founded the holding company Nihon Sangyo. The name Nissan originated in the 1930s as an abbreviation for Nihon Sangyo. In 1933, DAT-Jitsuyo Jidosha was merged into Tobata Casting As Tobata Casting was a Nissan company; this was the beginning of Nissan’s automobile manufacturing.

    In 1934, the company was renamed to Nissan Motor Company, and was 100% owned by Nihon Sangyo. With its Yokohama plant complete in 1935, 44 Datsuns were shipped to Asia, Central and South America. American engineer William Gorham played a key role in bringing cutting-edge technology and furthering technological innovations at Nissan. In 1952, Nissan entered into a legal agreement with Austin Motor Company, UK to assemble and sell Austin cars in Japan. The agreement also gave Nissan the rights to use Austin patents, which Nissan used to develop its own line of engines for Datsun. Nissan realized an opportunity for the small car markets, and decided to globally expand their Datsun small car line for markets such as Australia and the USA. They first showcased cars at the 1958 Los Angeles Auto Show. The company formed a US subsidiary, Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A based in California.  Nissan continued to improve their cars with the latest technological advancements and a stylish, sporty design. Famous Nissan cars at the time were the Datsun Fairlady Roadster, Datsun 240Z, 510 , the race winning 411 Series. In 1966, Nissan merged with the Prince Motor Company, this led to Nissan bringing more upmarket cars like the Skyline & Gloria.

   By 1970, Nissan had become one of the largest automobile exporters in the world. In the wake of the 1973 oil crisis the demand for high-quality small economical cars grew. To meet growing demand, Nissan opened plants in Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Taiwan and USA. Nissan faced financial difficulties in 1999. It entered into an alliance with Renault of France. The Renault-Nissan alliance was a first of its kind global alliance between a Japanese and a French company. Carlos Ghosn was named the CEO of Nissan in 2001. The ‘Nissan Revival Plan’ under the tutelage of Ghosn saw the company bounce back to making profits, the performance of Nissan has shocked the leading economists of the world. Considered to be one of the most spectacular turnarounds in corporate history   In 2005, Nissan entered India through its subsidiary, Nissan Motor India Private Limited. Along with Renault invested close to $990 million to set up its Chennai plant.

   Globally Nissan along with its subsidiaries namely Datsun, Infiniti has a very strong product portfolio. Cars such as Altima, Serana, Skyline and the legendary Nissan GT-R have been adored by customers throughout. The Nissan GT-R  holds the distinction of being one of the finest supercars in recent history. Made in-house the car nicknamed as ‘Godzilla’ is world renowned for its extraordinary handling and driving dynamics, also for its 3.8 L turbo petrol V6 engine producing 570bhp. Nissan is by far the most successful automobile manufacturer with respect to Electric Vehicles (EVs). Nissan introduced its first battery operated electric vehicle the Nissan Altra at the Los Angeles International Auto Show, 1997. In 2010, Nissan introduced the LEAF, the first mass-market EV offering. It soon became the best-selling highway-capable EV of all time. As of September, 2016 over 240,000 LEAFs have been sold worldwide.

Nissan may not be as strong a presence as its Japanese peers Honda & Toyota, but it is certainly a force to be reckoned with. Being the 6^th largest car manufacturer in the world,  it has a great scope for growth especially in emerging markets such as India. Today it is celebrating 83 years as a company and we certainly hope Nissan will continue to be delivering to customers for many more years to come! 

                   Volvo S90 : Redefining ‘Practical Luxury

The influence of German cars has been a very big factor, in the Indian market. We, must agree that the German manufacturers do offer another dimension to the Indian car buyer. Brands such as Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai etc. have always done well and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. No car is perfect and with the preferences and fancies of the Indian customer changing at a very rapid pace the Germans have garnered a very strong fan base in India.

Moving to where they are just outright dominant…………..the luxury segment! The number of Audis, BMW’s, & Mercedes-Benz cars in India is just huge!! Well, the aforementioned brands have a very big factor and for them, a lack of genuine competition. It goes without saying that BMW, Audi & Mercedes-Benz cars are made with top-notch quality and cutting edge technology that very few brands can match. None of these brands make their cars without compromising on luxury. But do these car manufacturers make their cars from a practical standpoint? That is a point which is debatable. With the Indian luxury car buyer becoming more rich and younger, he is also looking for an option which is practical and does not miss out on luxury. To be honest it is seldom that a luxury car will meet all the criteria of being a practical one as well.

Enter the Volvo S90. The newest kid on the block in the Luxury sedan segment is a car which has been very highly anticipated since a long time. The S90 comes as a direct replacement for the aging S60 sedan. The S60 was a well-rounded package, but failed to see the order book fill as it couldn’t cope up with the Germans. Volvo of late has been removing some very beautifully designed and luxury oriented practical cars. Take the Volvo XC 90 for example, a Swedish masterstroke! It is just huge! It is in every inch a commanding SUV, the design many would argue could be based on the Audi Q7, but we feel it has a different charm and aura of its own. With its fluidic arches and sheer attention to detail is a head turner where ever it goes. The Thor inspired headlamps are just the icing on the cake. Similarly the S90 follows the new design language by Volvo, and boy it is just jaw-dropping, it seems to redefine the essence of beauty in simplicity. When compared to the Volvo S60 of whom the S90 is a replacement, the wheelbase and the car as a whole has grown quite a bit. The S60 was a very elegantly designed car, but the new S90 takes that to a whole different level. The car has a very good and no-nonsense road presence. It is a car that just stands out wherever it goes. This car too gets the iconic Thor inspired headlamps. The interiors are completely redesigned and feel like a shadow of older Volvo cars. The cabin as a whole is luxurious at the same time extremely practical as well. The full touch screen interfaces for the centre console is unique at the same time something which Indian customers have not been accustomed to, which is a very good thing. A 2.0 litre diesel mill does duty on the S90, producing about 190 bhp. Though it is underpowered when compared to the competition it is more than sufficient for city as well as highway duties. Currently the S90 is only available in a diesel variant, Volvo is going to be introducing other engine options to the line-up.

The luxury sedan segment is one which has many dragons. The S90 being the newest dragon to enter the den, is priced really smartly. Another strong point S90 has going for it is being powered by a smaller engine when compared to the rest.

It may not be a performance powerhouse as a BMW or a luxurious chariot as a Mercedes-Benz, but it is as practical as a wise old man, without compromising on luxury. It is still a very long way to go for Volvo to make a dent in the Indian market especially when competing with BMW, Audi & Mercedes-Benz but it is a dark horse in what is to be a very fierce race. Volvo with the S90 could create a niche market within the luxury segment, and has truly redefined the essence of ‘Practical Luxury’.