Tag: Review:

Car Review: Last year for the high performance Cadillac ATS-V sedan

Loknath Das

WASHINGTON — Small luxury sedans are a tough sell these days, and the Cadillac ATS sedan is no different. So this year will be the last year for this fun-to-drive car. The ATS has a special version called the ATS-V, a sports car with four doors. What sets apart the V series ATS is a twin turbo V6 with 464 hp, and it really makes this small sedan fly. It might not sound as good an Alfa V6 but you can get into some serious trouble if you’re not careful….

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Skoda Kodiaq review: better than the larger Toyota Fortuner and smaller Audi Q3?

Loknath Das

SUVs are the flavour of the season, no two ways about it. But surprisingly, this is not limited to mass-appeal segments like compact SUVs or 7-seater family options in the Rs 15-20 lakh bracket. Even the premium space is witnessing newer options and the latest entry in the Rs 30-40 lakh segment comes from Skoda. It’s their first try at a 7-seater full sized SUV and they seem to have got it right. Why? Read on… The Kodiaq looks smart. If you want muscles and bulk, look elsewhere. This one…

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2018 Audi Q5 Petrol Review

Loknath Das

There’s still a lot left to tell about the second generation Audi Q5. And one can say that there’s one more chapter added to the Q5’s tale. A chapter that’s probably predictable, none-the-less a story worth telling. It’s like my niece telling me the story of Harry Potter and me looking at her wanting to know more and acting as if I have never heard of such a person. Audi had made it quite clear that it is looking to shift its attention to petrol-powered cars and the balance will soon…

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2018 Mazda6 GT wagon new car review

Loknath Das

Turbo engine brings more performance. New model a lot quieter than old 6. Beautiful presented cabin. Boot not biggest in class. Rear seat room tight for three adults. New engine thirstier than non-turbo model. Evolution, not revolution appears to be the ethos at Mazda these days. And why not, as the Japanese brand is riding the crest of the wave – in Australia at least – with strong sales and an image that places it between mainstream rivals and the prestige elite. Enter the new Mazda6, which in theory is…

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2018 Audi Q5 petrol India review, test drive

Loknath Das

What is it? With petrol-powered cars making a comeback in the luxury segments, Audi announced a renewed focus on petrol cars in India, some time ago. Last year, India got the Q7 with a petrol engine; and now it’s the Q5 that the brand has made available with the petrol engine on offer. The engine in question is the same 2.0-litre turbo-petrol motor that produces a strong 252hp in the Q7. Interestingly, this Q5 45 TFSI-badged petrol makes 62hp more than the only Q5 on sale up until now –…

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Car review of new BMW X3 XDrive 20D: On-track, but not offbeat

Loknath Das

New BMW X3 XDrive 20D It’s love at first sight. The striking design language of the new BMW X3—featuring a bold front with a double kidney grille, adaptive LED headlights and fog-lamps, and the expressive rear that has LED tail-lights combined with a low-slung roof spoiler and exhaust tailpipes on both sides in chrome—attracts attention wherever it goes. The X3, in its third generation now, reflects a new, youthful BMW. What is the X3? It’s a premium midsize sports activity vehicle—BMW calls its SUV-shaped vehicles as SAV. It was first launched…

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2018 Audi Q5 Petrol Review

Loknath Das

There’s still a lot left to tell about the second generation Audi Q5. And one can say that there’s one more chapter added to the Q5’s tale. A chapter that’s probably predictable, none-the-less a story worth telling. It’s like my niece telling me the story of Harry Potter and me looking at her wanting to know more and acting as if I have never heard of such a person. Audi had made it quite clear that it is looking to shift its attention to petrol-powered cars and the balance will soon…

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2017 Renault Lodgy Stepway long term review, second report

Loknath Das

Interestingly, I once helped a friend move house in a BMW 5-series we had on test. Okay, granted, it was only a few boxes that fit neatly in the Bimmer’s boot, but what I learnt from that experience was, in a pinch, you can find at least some utility in just about any car these days. Then it was time for me to move house, and I do admit, for about 30 seconds, I did consider using my long-term Maruti Dzire for the job. It’s got a pretty big boot…

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Updated 2018 Range Rover Sport SVR Review

Loknath Das

The SVR treatment gives it 50 more horses and 75 Nm more torque than the regular Range Rover Sport 5.0 V8 When Land Rover launched the 2nd generation of the Range Rover Sport in 2013, it was six months after the all-new Range Rover had come out. Yet the two have been given a facelift at the same time. And while I have already shared my review of the facelifted Range Rover with you all, I am now going to tell you what’s new on the updated Range Rover Sport. But I shall…

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2018 Bentley Continental GT review, test drive

Loknath Das

The plan is to have breakfast in Austria, lunch in Italy, make a dash back across the border, and fly to Germany for dinner. It’s a hectic schedule but Bentley presumably wants us to get into the skin of the jet-setters who make up the Continental GT’s buyer base. There must be many of the type because an incredible 70,000 Continental GTs have been delivered since the model made its debut in 2003. It is the bestselling Bentley to date until such time, of course, the Bentayga SUV inevitably stakes…

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