The X1 Racing League Is Here To Revive Indian Motorsport

Motorsport has historically been a very exciting, fascinating experience for fans and spectators across the world. Just like any other sport, motorsport too has an emotional connect with its fans. A strong grassroots foundation is the stepping stone for sporting success in any country.  Competitions such as F1, WRC, NASCAR etc. are the pinnacle of global motorsport and have played a very important role in making the foundation of motorsport strong, while also setting young aspiring drivers a benchmark to achieve. The main body for motorsport in India – the FMSCI has built a good structure for motorsport in the country, however motorsport yet does not get the recognition it is worthy of deserving. The Indian motorsport industry needs a revival.

    Indian racers Aditya Patel and Armaan Ebrahim have a solution for this revival – The X1 Racing League. With over 15 years of experience in motorsport and having participated in races across the globe Aditya and Armaan are confident that the X1 Racing League will revolutionize motorsport in India and make it accessible to all. The Indian population has taken very well to the league format for sport in the country. The IPL (Cricket) set the trend and other leagues followed suit soon – ISL (Football), Pro Kabaddi League (Kabaddi) etc. These leagues have seen huge success and popularity within a short period, more importantly reviving the sport at the same time. The X1 Racing League is the world’s first franchise-based motorsport racing league. The X1 Racing League has 3 pillars – The X1 Racing League, X1 Racing e-sports, X1 Speed Summit. To uplift the sport set up of a country, it is very important to uplift its stakeholders as well. Indian racers - Narain Karthikeyan, Karun Chandhok, Gaurav Gill have achieved great success on the international scale. Motorsport is one of the most expensive sports in the world, this is often one of the biggest barriers to entry for any athlete; especially in India. With the advent of the X1 Racing League Indian talent will be exposed to a homegrown race championship and have an opportunity to race against international race stars. The X1 Racing League aims to not only uplift India’s driver talent pool, but also the country’s engineering and technology capabilities. X1 has decided to go the e-sports way, with the X1 Racing e-sport – i.e. the e-sports arm of the X1 Racing League. E-sports is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world and is quickly garnering a lot of attention, fans in India – games such as Counter Strike, DOTA, FIFA are amongst the most popular. X1 Racing e-sports is a driving simulator-based racing car game. Operated a PlayStation 4 console that is connected to a driving simulator set up – steering wheel, pedals, driving seat. The participants get to play the Project CARS 2 game, but instead of controlling a car via a PS4 controller…the participants must drive it! X1 has given participants a virtual experience of driving a race car; hence making motorsport accessible to all. X1 Racing e-sports is designed as competition across 6 cities – Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Delhi. Top 3 racers from these cities will be selected basis a competition format and will battle it out to be the best e-sports racer in the country. The winner of the e-sports championship will be given a chance to be trained and groomed under Aditya & Armaan to become a professional race driver. The venues for the X1 Racing League are Buddh International Circuit, Noida (30^th November to 1^st December 2019) and Madras Motor Race Track, Chennai (7^th to 8^th December 2019). 6 franchises that will be taking part in the League. Each franchise will have 2 cars and 5 drivers who will be eligible to participate; the drivers are a good mix of Indian and International racers – Gaurav Gill, Narain Karthikeyan, Alex Yoong, Pippa Mann, Mikkel Jensen etc. amongst others. The competition format is quite innovative and unique in comparison to races globally, including a Le Mans style race start where drivers must sprint to their cars! Ravi Krishnan, a pioneer in the field of Indian sport, media is the chairman of the league and will be guiding the young founders towards building a wonderful sports property. The man behind Premier Futsal - Abhinandan Balasubramanian is the Chief Business Officer for X1 and will be looking at replicating the success of Premier Futsal. X1 has locked in some great partners the likes of – JK Tyres, OnePlus, Sony PlayStation etc. The races will be broadcasted on the Sony Network.

   The X1 Racing League is all set to revive Indian motorsport by making it mainstream and give it the due recognition it deserves. The X1 Racing League is a made in India sports property which has the potential of turning around the landscape of Indian motorsport and something Indians should be proud of. The stage is set, the cars are ready, drivers have their foot on the pedals…India are you ready to play the rush?!

    

    

Maruti Suzuki Launches The S-Presso For The Indian Market

Today Maruti has launched their latest car for the Indian market – the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso. The S-Presso is a ‘micro-SUV’ which is built on Maruti Suzuki’s Heartect platform. Other Maruti cars such as the Wagon-R, Swift, Dzire are also based on the Heartect platform. The dimensions on the S-Presso are quite compact which makes it very well suited in city conditions, parking and maneuvering in tight spaces will be a breeze. The S-Presso has a good ground clearance which enables to take a beating and tackle our Indian road conditions with ease.

     The styling and design of the S-Presso are based on the Maruti Future S Concept car which was showcased at the Auto Expo 2018. At the front, you notice a squared-off front end and high bonnet-line. The halogen headlamps are well integrated with the grille and the Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs) are placed below the headlamps. At the rear, the S-Presso gets a clean and simple tail end with a high rear bumper line. Hauling luggage into the boot might be a slight challenge due to the high access point for the boot. Given the compact dimensions of the car, the luggage space at the rear seems well suited for a weekend picnic. Step inside and you will be welcomed to a refreshing change in cabin layout by Maruti Suzuki. The S-Presso gets an all-black theme for the interior. The center console is the star of the show here. An orange Mini-like circular insert encompasses the touchscreen infotainment system and centrally mounted tachometer, odometer. In the safety department, the S-Presso comes equipped with ABS, driver and co-driver airbags, speed warning alert system, etc. The S-Presso gets a good equipment list – 7.0-inch touchscreen SmartPlay Studio infotainment system, steering mounted controls, etc. Powering the S-Presso is Maruti’s BS-VI compliant K10B 1.0 L petrol engine which makes a good 68 bhp of max power and has a torque output of 90 nm. This engine is a tried and tested one, superbly reliable and as efficient as can be! The engine will be mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox and an AMT.

   The S-Presso will take on the likes of the Renault Kwid, which is due for a facelift just around the corner. Maruti has informed the S-Presso will be sold across Maruti Suzuki Arena network of dealerships. With prices starting at Rs.3.69 lakh onwards, it shall be interesting to see how the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso competes in the market.  

  

Hyundai Venue: One Of India's Best Value For Money Cars

The Indian market is a value-centric one. Most Indian customers make their buying decisions basis value for money factor derived from a product or service. The Indian car market is one of the best places to witness such consumer behaviour and buying patterns. The Indian car market has a wide variety of cars on offer from Rs.1.5 lakh all the way to upwards of Rs.5 crore…yet cars below the Rs.12 Lakh mark make up the bulk sales. Car manufacturers who consistently provide value for money cars at a competitive price have been reaping rewards in the Indian market – just ask Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai! Both Maruti and Hyundai have championed the value for money factor with cars such as the Santro, Alto, Swift, i10, Wagon R, Ciaz, Creta etc. The latest addition to this amazing list of cars is the Hyundai Venue compact-SUV. The Venue is a superb value for money car with all the ingredients to make it one of Hyundai’s most successful cars of recent times. We find out what makes the Hyundai Venue a superb package for the Indian customer.

    Thorough market research and customer feedback are the stepping stones for making a successful product. Ever since the launch of the Santro, Hyundai’s first car for the Indian market…the Korean car giant has excelled by listening to the demands, wants of the consumers and successfully implementing the same in their cars for India. The Hyundai Venue is a compact-SUV which is positioned under the Creta and is Hyundai’s entry-level SUV offering for the Indian market. Your first impressions of the Venue might be that it looks like a smaller Creta; however, though there is quite a bit of resemblance the Venue does have subtle differences. The Venue has a neat front end with a sleek LED strip in place of the headlamps, just below are the projector headlamps with an LED DRL (daytime running lamp) surround. A large hexagonal grille takes centre stage, giving the Hyundai Venue a good stance and road presence. At the rear, the Venue has a rather simple and clean design which complements its compact dimensions well. The compact dimensions of the Venue make it a great companion to have in the city, urban environment where traffic and parking woes are a major concern. Moving inside the Hyundai Venue has a practical and well laid out cabin. Quality of materials used is pretty good, with the fit and finish scoring well. Yes, odd hard plastics are present but that’s not a deal-breaker. The Venue shares quite a few design elements and features with other Hyundai cars, which is not a bad thing as the cabin is quite modern and inviting. The Venue has good space in the backseat, fitting 3 adults sitting abreast will be easy. Though on long journeys, with respect to passenger comfort the backseat space is ideal for 2 adults. The addition of a charging socket for the rear passengers is a practical addition. The Hyundai Venue when launched was the first ‘Connected’ car in the country, equipped to the brim with a whole host of tech and connectivity features. Sitting atop the centre console is an 8-inch floating touchscreen infotainment system which comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The connected features on the infotainment system of the Venue blow the competition apart! The system comes with its own dedicated embedded sim-card which allows the user and car to be connected always. Ever wanted to start your car and air conditioning to your desired temperature before you sit in your car? Well, Hyundai has made this possible! Using Hyundai’s BlueLink app, a user can remotely start or stop the car, start the air conditioning, unlock/lock the car. Now that’s some amazing practicality all at brilliant value for money proposition! Other tech features include – navigation, voice recognition, geofencing, vehicle information, driving data etc. On the safety side, the Venue is well equipped with features such as ABS, ESC, Hill-Start Assist, parking cameras and sensors, dual front airbags for the front passengers and the top-end variant also gets side and curtain airbags. The BlueLink system comes equipped with on-call emergency assistance and Road Side Assistance (RSA). The Venue comes with a good high driving position and great visibility. When you drive the Venue, you will be assured and confident of nipping in and out of small gaps while evading the gruelling traffic hours. The compact dimensions also play a crucial role in the city as ease of parking is enabled. The Venue also comes equipped with an electric sunroof and wireless charging (available in the top-end spec variant). The Venue gets decent driving dynamics well suited for city driving conditions, good balance and stability on the highway. The Venue is not a car to drive in a spirited manner, best driven in a leisurely manner. The Venue is powered by a choice of 3 engines – a 1.2 L petrol engine producing 82 bhp of max power, a 1.0 L turbocharged petrol engine producing 118 bhp of max power, a 1.4 L diesel engine producing 89 bhp of max power output. All engines are mated to a manual gearbox with the 1.0 L turbo petrol engine getting a 7-speed DCT automatic gearbox. The DCT gearbox is absolutory effortless to drive and our pick of the lot in the segment. We drove the petrol automatic variant and were convinced that this is a great marriage perfect for our traffic-laden driving conditions. All customers looking to get a great petrol automatic under Rs.13-14 lakh should consider the Hyundai Venue. In the Venue, Hyundai really has a winner on their hands!

   Hyundai does seem to have a knack of getting things spot on with their cars for the Indian market. With the Venue, they seem to have hit the correct nerves yet again. So, in a nutshell, what does the Hyundai Venue offer a customer? – A well designed compact urban SUV, with superb value for money proposition, loaded to the brim with all the bells and whistles you can ask for, a connected car system which leverages technology to make driving a breeze for the user…all this at an extremely competitive price point! We at AutoGuru are quite certain the Hyundai Venue is one of the best value for money cars you can buy in the Indian market today. 

Understanding Your Car: Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

Driving a car is a constantly engaging process for the driver. Braking and handling are amongst the most crucial components of driving. The active safety of a car depends on the way a driver safely brakes and handles the car. Car handling refers to how a car responds to the inputs of the driver (braking, turning, accelerating etc.) and how it moves along in the desired direction of travel. A car being a wheeled vehicle is prone to understeer and oversteer. Understeer occurs when a car turns less than the steering input made by the driver. Whereas oversteer occurs when a car turns more than the steering input made by the driver. When a car experiences understeer or an oversteer situation the driver loses control of his vehicle and this often leads to an accident which can be fatal. Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is safety technology which mitigates the risk of understeer, oversteer during a critical driving situation and helps the driver regain control of the car due to lack of stability. Let’s find out more about this safety technology.

   ESC technology was introduced in 1995 with the Mercedes-Benz being the first car manufacturer to introduce ESC in their Mercedes-Benz S 600 Coupe. This technology was jointly developed by Mercedes and Bosch. When the car tires are in contact with the road surface traction is produced. As a result of this traction, the car travels along the road in the direction desired by the driver. A loss of traction often results in the driver losing control of the car. An ESC system is a computerized system which improves the stability of the car by detecting traction or loss of steering control and prevents the car from understeer, oversteer. ESC comes to the rescue during evasive manoeuvres and comes very handy when driving on low traction surfaces such as slippery, icy road conditions. An ESC system has multiple components – a steering wheel sensor, yaw control sensor, accelerometer and a wheel speed monitor. The yaw control sensor monitors the lateral or sideways movement of the car, while the steering wheel sensor keeps a check on whether the car is travelling in the desired direction of the input given by the driver. The ESC systems spring into action when it detects a loss of steering control of the car. When ESC is activated, the system takes corrective measures to ensure the car is brought back on route safely. In case of an understeer situation – the ESC system automatically applies brakes on the rear wheel of the car, to control and bring the car back on the desired direction of travel. In case of an oversteer situation – the ESC system applies brakes on the front wheel of the car, to control and bring the car back on the desired direction of travel. ABS and ESC are technologies that work parallelly to ensure the safety of the passengers and car. The Indian government has made it mandatory for all cars in the country to be equipped with ESC. The great thing about ESC is the fact that it is always on! The next time you see the ESC warning light flashing in your car, make sure to get it checked with a mechanic or your service station.

   ESC is often regarded as the most important car safety technology invention after the seatbelt. ESC plays a crucial in not only preventing damage caused by accidents but more importantly in saving countless lives. There goes an old cliché – respect, take care of your car and in return, your car will take care of you!

Kia Seltos: Kia Finally Launches Its First Car For India

This week has been quite an exciting one for the Indian car market with 3 amazing cars being launched already – The Grand i10 Nios, Maruti Suzuki XL6, BMW 3 Series. One of the most awaited and highly anticipated car launches of the year has taken place today. Kia Motors have finally launched their first product for the Indian market – the Kia Seltos SUV. Before being officially launched the Seltos has already garnered 23000 bookings (bookings started on 16^th July 2019). This is a huge amount for a brand-new car! Kia is world-renowned for offering premium cars which are sporty, tech loaded, modern and have an amazing design…all this at a price which will not break the bank.

   The Kia Seltos is a mid-sized SUV which is positioned above its Hyundai cousin the Creta. The overall design of the Seltos is quite like the Hyundai Creta. However, Kia has taken the design game a few notches above! The Seltos is a beautifully designed modern, urban SUV which is sure to be a head-turner. Starting at the front there is Kia’s signature Tiger Nose grille, which creates a distinct identity for the car at the same time giving it a bold, sporty character. The grille is flanked by intricately designed headlights and integrated LED DRLs. The Seltos has a muscular stance when compared to the Creta, this adds to the road presence. At the back, the Seltos has a pair of detailed LED taillights which look awesome! Moving inside the modern and well laid out cabin assures you of being in a premium car! The materials, fit and finish are of very good quality, for once you do seem to think am, I sitting in a car a few segments above? The Seltos gets a dual-tone colour scheme for the Tech Line variant, the GT Line variant, on the other hand, gets red stitching for the interior. A huge 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system is a highlight, this system is loaded with all the bells and whistles you would expect from a car of this segment including Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Being a connected system, the driver/car owner has the added ease of operating the system with a mobile app. For example, one can turn on the car and start the air conditioning system remotely. The Seltos comes with an air-purifier system, Bose speaker system, cruise control, heads up display etc. The Seltos has an extensive safety list such as multiple airbags, ABS, vehicle stability program, blind-spot monitor system etc. The Kia Seltos comes with 3 engine options – 2 petrol engines and 1 diesel. The 1.5 L petrol engine churns out 115hp and is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox and a CVT automatic option. The 1.4 L direct-injection turbo-petrol engine produces 140hp comes with either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The diesel engine produces 1.5 L and makes 115hp mated to 6-speed manual or torque converter automatic gearbox options.

   The Kia Seltos is a brilliant all-rounder and gives the Indian customer a premium car at a very attractive price point of Rs.9.69 lakh onwards. Kia wanted to enter India with a bang! And the Kia Seltos is exactly that!  

BMW Launches The Latest-Gen 3 Series Sedan For India

The BMW 3 Series is one of the most popular compact luxury sedans in the world. The 3 Series offers a great blend of driving performance and luxury. BMW launched the 3 Series sedan in 1982, seven generations since the 3 Series remains one of the best-selling luxury cars in the world. The latest generation was globally introduced in March earlier this year. Today, BMW India has launched the latest-generation 3 Series sedan for the Indian market.

   The new 3 Series is built on BMW’s Cluster Architecture (CLAR) platform shared with the larger 5, 7 Series sedans. This latest-gen 3 Series is larger and lighter than the car it replaces. The overall design of the new car remains unchanged, BMW’s signature kidney grille just keeps on getting bigger and bigger! At the front, the new 3 Series gets L-shaped LED headlights instead of the round ones we are accustomed to seeing. At the rear, the tail lamps get a new rectangular design which adds to the bold and athletic appeal of the 3 Series. Step inside and you will be welcomed by a familiar BMW cabin. The cabin design is like other BMW cars such as the latest X5 and X7, which is great! Though the new 3 Series has grown larger, space inside is relatively the same as the previous model. BMW has made practical changes such as the addition of storage spaces and providing an option of split seats for the rear. Being a luxury car, the 3 Series comes with all the bells and whistles you could ask for. The new 3 comes with 2 touchscreen options – an 8.8-inch (for the 320d Sport) and a 10.25-inch (for the 330d Luxury & 330i M Sport) both these can be controlled by the iDrive system via the rotary dial, voice control, gestures, and touchscreen. Other features include – electric sunroof, 3-zone climate control, digital instrument cluster etc. The new 3 Series is powered by 2.0 L turbocharged petrol and diesel engines both of which are mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox.

   The BMW 3 Series will rival the likes of Mercedes-Benz C Class, Audi A4, Jaguar XE. With prices starting at Rs.41.40 lakh onwards, this segment is an interesting one to watch out for.

Maruti Suzuki Launches The XL6 Premium MPV For India

The Toyota Innova was the car that won the hearts and minds of Indians in a short span of time. The Innova was a car which introduced the concept of the MPV as an alternative to the SUV for the Indian market. Even today the Innova is known as the undisputed MPV in the Indian market. Maruti Suzuki introduced the Ertiga as their offering in the MPV segment. Since its introduction in 2013, the Ertiga has been a huge success in the Indian market. Recently there has been an increasing demand for premium cars at a price which is affordable and offers value for money to the customers. Maruti Suzuki being experts at offering affordable cars at a great value for money proposition have identified this trend. Today, Maruti Suzuki has launched the XL6 premium MPV for the Indian market.

   The XL6 is a 7-seat MPV which is based on the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. At first glance, the XL6 looks quite like the Ertiga. However, when you look closer you will notice the changes in design. Starting at the front the XL6 gets a refreshed and bold styling for the grille. The XL6 gets a larger grille, more chrome and sleek LED headlamps; this gives the car good road presence, good and bold character. Along the sides, the XL6 gets plastic body-cladding giving it a robust appearance. At the back, the key highlight is the beautifully designed taillights which look stunning! Step inside and you will notice a cabin layout like the Ertiga but unlike its Maruti sibling the XL6 gets an all-black colour scheme. One of the USPs (Unique Selling Proposition) of the Toyota Innova was its individual captain seat configuration for the middle row. This configuration offered customers a lot of space and legroom providing them with a comfortable experience even on long journeys. The Maruti Suzuki XL6 comes with this winning configuration – individual captain seats for the middle row. The XL6 comes loaded with tech and features such as a touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, automatic climate control, AC vents for the rear passengers, cruise control, keyless entry, engine start-stop button etc. The XL6 gets safety equipment such as ABS, EBD, dual front airbags as standard across all variants and hill hold assist is also an option. The XL6 will be offered only in the petrol fuel type with Maruti’s tried and tested 1.5 L naturally aspirated petrol engine. This engine also does duty on the Ertiga and Ciaz; comes with mild-hybrid technology and is BS 6 compliant. The 1.5 L engine produced 105 bhp of max power output and will be mated to both a manual and AMT gearbox. The XL6 will be only sold at Nexa dealerships across the country.

    The XL6 is a great option for a car buyer who is looking out for a premium MPV on a budget. The XL6 will also prove a car for fleet operators (premium hotel chains, corporates). The XL6 will be competing with the likes of the Mahindra Marazzo, Honda BR-V amongst others. The XL6 is priced competitively with prices starting at Rs.9.80 lakh onwards.