2020 Skoda Octavia RS 245 -A Powerful performance Sedan !

by admin | June 20, 2020

The popular performance version of the Octavia- the RS has a new version- the RS 245 and straight away, it has some striking numbers. Starting with the price- at 35.99 Lakhs, the introductory price tag is quite brave to be honest. But again, only 200 units of this car will be available in India so yes, it does have that special touch to it.

The popular performance version of the Octavia- the RS has a new version- the RS 245 and straight away, it has some striking numbers. Starting with the price- at 35.99 Lakhs, the introductory price tag is quite brave to be honest. But again, only 200 units of this car will be available in India so yes, it does have that special touch to it.

Talking of more numbers- the RS 245 is equipped with the 2.0 Litre TSI petrol unit that churns out 245 PS and 370 NM of torque. Connected to a 7 Speed automatic Dual Clutch Gearbox compared to the earlier version that had a 6- speed unit, the RS 245 is expected to leave behind its predecessor in terms of acceleration as it now crossed 100 Kmph in 6.6 seconds. Power is also 15 PS more compared to the older model. Skoda claims that the top speed of the Rs 245 is limited to 250 kmph. We told you, these are some really striking numbers.

While the performance has changed, the exterior remains the same mostly. A sports butterfly grille, gloss black touches, projector headlamps, LED DRLs, LED tail lights, sporty tailpipes, the sport vRS badging, 18- inch glossy Black Dual Tone alloy wheels make this car very appealing to look at. We the like the way it looks like a normal sedan but has some prominent highlights to it that don’t scream performance but when you need it, it is all at your disposal. So much, that it will surprise many!

The interior does look like a normal Skoda Octavia apart from some exception like RS seats with perforated leather and red stitching, 3- spoke flat bottom steering wheel with paddle shift. LED ambient lighting, an 8 –inch touch screen infotainment system with Apple Car Play and Android Auto, digital instrument panel, dual-zone Climatronic air conditioning suggest that comfort and convenience is in no way compromised for the sake of performance. Some optional features include Black Alcantara sport seats and a 12- way electrically adjustable driver and passenger seats.

The Skoda Octavia RS 245 also comes with loads of safety tech like ABS, ESC, Mechanical brake assist (MBA), multi- collision brake (MCB), adaptive front- light system (AFS), Anti- slip regulation (ASR) and Electronic differential lock (ESR). So, this car then does add a lot to the confidence.

Available in five colours like Race Blue, Magic Black, Rallye Green, Corrida Red, and Candy White. The Skoda Octavia RS 245 is a highly desirable performance car for enthusiasts who want to drive tastefully.

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Bajaj Chetak 2020

Bajaj has re-launched the popular Chetak scooter after many years and in an all new electric avatar. Priced competitively at Rs 1 lakh (ex-showroom), Bajaj has introduced the Chetak electric in two variants -- Urbane and Premium. The Premium model costs Rs 15,000 more and it will be sold alongside KTM. Customers are also offered the convenience of booking the Chetak on their official website as well. Deliveries for the Premium variant may begin from the end of April 2020 while the Urbane variant will commence by May 2020. The catch here though is that as of now, the Chetak is

available in Pune and Bengaluru only.

While there are other players in the electric scooter market, the Chetak stands apart in terms of build since it uses metal bodywork instead of fibre. It gets all things modern like LED lighting and a digital instrument console that displays many important things like vehicle speed, range and battery level and an IP67 rating. Also, the Chetak gets keyless ignition!

Speaking of performance, the Chetak is powered by a 4kW 16 Nm electric motor with 2 riding modes: Eco and Sport. It is a smart system as the Chetak’s Integrated charging unit senses throttle position continuously. As a result, twisting the throttle more than 85% will result in the mode switching automatically from Eco to Sport. Bajaj claims the Chetak will offer a real-world range of 95km in Eco mode and 85km in Sport mode. You might be surprised to know that the Chetak also gets a reverse mode. It is also claimed that the electric scooter can do 25 kms after one hour of charge while a 3.5 hour charge will charge the batteries all the way to 80%. 100% charge from no charge could be achieved in 5 hours.

But, Bajaj claims the top speed of the Chetak to be limited to 60 kmph which in our books is low. Top speed has been compromised in the interest of higher range and it could be the perfect speed for tight city commutes. But, what if you happen to hit the highway or a fast main road? Things could get a bit scary.

Speaking of handling and braking- the Chetak gets front trailing link suspension and 12-inch alloy wheels fitted with MRF Zapper tyres. A disc brake in the front and drum brake at the rear should provide a lot of stopping power. Bajaj claims the regenerative braking feature can add 2.8 metre of range every time a rider goes from 60-0kmph.

There is no provision for fast charging but Bajaj does include home charging port for free which will be fixed at your place of residence by a technician. It would be interesting to see how the Chetak performs against its competition- the Ather 450, TVS iQube and 22Kymco iFlow.

Tata Gravitas 7 Seat SUV - All You Need To Know

Tata Motors will be launching their flagship Gravitas 7-seat SUV later this year. The Gravitas is essentially the 7 seats extended version of the Harrier 5 seat SUV based on the Land Rover derived OMEGA arc platform.

Based on the Harrier, the Gravitas will be around 60mm longer than the Harrier to accommodate the extra 2 seats while also being taller to provide better headroom for the 3rd row. Except for the larger dimensions and extra seats, the Gravitas will be largely similar to the 5-seat Harrier.

The tailgate will be more upright, giving the Gravitas a more boxy appearance and the

SUV will also feature long functional roof rails for lifestyle utility. The top-spec variants will receive 18” dual-tone alloy wheels with the design similar to the Harrier's whereas the lower-spec variants will carry forward the exact same 17” alloy wheels seen on the Harrier’s lower variants. Though it is not sure whether the Gravitas will be provided with an electric sunroof.

Other than these external differences, the Gravitas will carry forward the same features as on the Harrier:

Xenon Projector headlamps with LED DRLs
Auto folding ORVMs
Rear wiper and defogger
18” Alloy wheels
Automatic climate control
Auto headlamps & wipers
Cruise control
8.8” Touchscreen system
Android Auto & Apple car play
Harman audio system with 9 speakers
Connect Next app suite
Reverse camera
6-way Power-adjustable driver seat with lumbar support
Off White Leather upholstery
Auto-dimming IRVM
Ambient mood lighting
Rear centre armrest
Smart key with push-button start
Follow me headlamps
Terrain response modes: Rough, Wet and City

Safety:

Safety features on the Gravitas will include:

ABS with EBD
All-wheel disc brakes
Corner stability control
6 airbags
Electronic Parking brake
Electronic stability program
Traction control
Hill hold control
Hill descent control
Rollover mitigation
Electronic brake prefill
Hydraulic brake assist
Brake disc wiping
Perimetric alarm system
Pretensioner seatbelts

Powertrains:

The Gravitas, just like the Harrier will be available with a diesel engine mated to either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission. The 2L Kryotec turbo diesel produces 170PS Power and 350NM torque. From the XM variant onwards, the Gravitas will be available with three drive modes; Eco, City and Sport.

Launch & price:

The new Gravitas is expected to be priced from ?15L to ?20L for the Manual variants and ?17.5L to ?21L for the Automatic variants. When launched later this year, Tata’s new flagship SUV will compete against the likes of the MG Hector plus and the next generation Mahindra XUV500. Stay tuned for further updates.

Tata Safari Launched in India at 14.69 Lakh

Tata Motors has launched its flagship Safari 7-seat SUV on the 22nd February 2021. The new Safari ranges from Rs.14.69l to Rs.21.25l (ex showroom).

The new Safari will be available in 6 variants in total.

The Variants include:

XE, XM, XT, XT+, XZ, XZ+

The new gen Safari is essentially the 7 seat extended version of the Harrier 5 seat SUV based on the Land Rover derived OMEGA arc platform. Earlier this SUV was named the Buzzard at the Geneva auto expo, which was then changed to Gravitas for the Delhi auto expo last year. Now, Tata motors has finalized that it will be

the successor to legendary and iconic Safari SUV.

Based on the Harrier, the Safari is around 60mm longer than the Harrier to accommodate the extra 2 seats while also being taller to provide better headroom for the 3rd row. Except for the larger dimensions and extra seats, the Safari is largely similar to the 5-seat Harrier. However, the front grille gets a slightly different treatment, featuring the signature Tri-arrow pattern finished in Chrome.

The tailgate is more upright, giving the Safari a more boxy appearance and the SUV also features long functional roof rails for lifestyle utility. The top spec variants receive 18” dual tone alloy wheels with the design similar to the Harrier's whereas the lower spec variants carry forward the exact same 16” Steel wheels seen on the Harrier’s lower variants. The higher variants are also offered with a Panoramic sunroof.

The new Safari is available with 7 seats as standard while only the XZ and XZ+ will be optional with a 6 seat configuration.

Here’s a detailed walkthrough on the features available on the different Variants:

XE: Rs.14.69L

Projector headlamps
Functional roof rails (75kg load bearing)
Halogen bi-functional DRLs
Central locking
All-black interior
Telescopic steering wheel
Front center armrest with cooled storage
Power windows
Manual Air-con
Rear AC vents
Digital MID
60:40 split 2nd row seats
Boss mode 2nd row
50:50 split 3rd row
16” Steel rims

Standard safety features include:

Dual airbags
Pretensioner seatbelts
All wheel disc brakes
ABS with EBD
Corner stability control
ESP with traction control
Hill hold control
Roll over mitigation
Hydraulic brake assist
Electronic brake prefill
Brake disc wiping
Engine drag torque control
ISOFIX child seat mounts
Reverse sensors
Engine immobilizer
Perimetric alarm

XM: Rs.16L (XMA : Rs.17.25L)

Front fog lamps
Rear wiper/washer and defogger
Electrically adjustable ORVMs
Driver seat height adjust
7” touchscreen system
Reverse assist display
6 speakers from Harman
Steering mounted audio controls
Rear armrest
Remote central locking
Multi drive modes : City, Eco and Sport

XT: Rs.17.45L

18” single tone alloys
Soft touch dash top
Dual tone interior
Reverse camera
Android Auto & Apple carplay
IRA connect features
What 3 words
Smart key access
Push button start
Power folding ORVMs
Cruise control
Auto climate control
Auto Headlamps & wipers
Mood lighting
Auto dimming IRVM
Tyre pressure monitoring system

XT+: Rs.18.25L

Panoramic sunroof

XZ: Rs.19.15L (XZA : Rs.20.40L)

Dual tone machined 18” alloys
Xenon projector headlamps
Oyster white Leather upholstery
Leather wrap steering and gear lever
7” semi digital instrument cluster
8.8” touchscreen system
9 speakers from JBL with subwoofer
6 way Powered driver seat
Driver lumbar adjust
Terrain response modes (Wet and rough modes)

Additional safety features include:

6 Airbags
Hill descent control

XZ+: Rs.19.99L (XZA+ : Rs.21.25L)

Panoramic sunroof

As a surprise, Tata motors has also launched the ADVENTURE PERSONA special edition of the Safari which sports a few significant cosmetic changes. This special edition features a new Tropical Mist body colour along with piano Black replacing the Chrome inside and out. The Grille, window line and door handles are finished in piano Black while the R18 alloy wheels are finished in charcoal grey. The interior too gets a different treatment, with an all black dashboard featuring a lot more piano Black and the oyster white upholstery replaced by Earthy brown(beige) on the seats and door pads.

This special Adventure Persona edition is priced at Rs.20.20L for the manual and Rs.21.45L for the Automatic.

Powertrain:

The Safari, just like the Harrier is available with a diesel engine mated to a 6 speed manual transmission as standard. A 6 speed torque converter automatic transmission is available only on the XMA, XZA and XZA+ variants. The 2L Kryotec turbo diesel produces 170PS Power and 350NM torque. From the XM variant onwards, the Safari is available with three drive modes; Eco, City and Sport. The XZ and XZ+ variants also get Terrain response modes which includes a Wet mode and Rough road mode as well.

Rivals:

Tata’s new flagship SUV will compete against the likes of the MG Hector plus and the next generation Mahindra XUV500.