And then there are people who adore their cars, love them and live with them. People who love driving their machines. People who call themselves automobile enthusiasts, car lovers, petrolheads, etc.

Enthusiasts as we know are an endangered species today because very often, challenges and responsibilities in life ensure we leave aside our passion for short or long periods of time. The RPM needle doesn't go past the half mark. Fuel economy suddenly becomes the most important factor to consider in a car. Comfy suspension replaces the sporty suspension. That fun to drive factor is replaced by a dead,

But does it really have to be that way? Does life always have to go in that direction? Or is there a way where can have a bite from both worlds and maintain equilibrium? Of course, you still can’t expect good mileage if you rev it too much. But still, we think there's still hope for people like us. A way where we could maintain a fine balance between fun and responsibility. A balance between passion and practicality.

Often, we find this balance in cars from Ford. Of course not all of them from the fleet have this speciality where you get two things for the price of one. But mostly, they do have the capability to bring a smile on your face every time you take those cars out for a drive.

Ford Ecosport, Ford Fiesta, Ford Figo, Ford Freestyle. They've all been around us for a pretty long time. We’ve seen them evolve with us (except the Freestyle) but most importantly, what has stayed in this process of evolution is a communicative steering wheel that lets you feel every crack on the road, a suspension setup that offers decent comfort and enough stiffness to handle those curves. Horsepower figures are usually just enough to take you back by surprise and yet, there’s enough fuel left to do a last minute road trip.

This fusion of both worlds creates such a blend that driving these machines indeed feels very special. Not only this, We’ve mostly seen that cars from Ford India often offer safety features like 6 airbags, ARP, TCS, etc to even cars like the Freestyle! That says a lot about what the brand really prioritises on. We haven’t even moved onto the service costs yet because we feel that would be off topic.

With so many different choices in the market today and in this ever ending race between manufacturers to be on the top, what is often left behind is the essence of driving. Sadly, items like large infotainment systems, sunroof, projector head lamps, etc are features that are considered a priority by consumers while cars that offer an excellent driving experience with other satisfactory features are being ignored. To petrol heads like us, this is a worrying trend indeed. It is easy to find cars that go fast and have all the latest features. But it is indeed difficult to find great cars today that offer a blend of both worlds. Enthusiastic drivers and drivers’ cars then, are indeed endangered species.

The Nissan Magnite was launched on the 2nd of December and is expected to challenge rival sub-compact SUVs with Pricing, features and space as it's Trump cards. In just 5 days, the newest compact SUV has received 5,000 bookings, apart from over 50,000 enquiries. This is no mean feat given the meagre number of dealerships in India. 

The Nissan Magnite was launched with an introductory starting price of Rs 4.99 lakh (ex-showroom) for the entry-level variant. However, 60% of the bookings are for the top XV and XV premium variants.

This introductory pricing though is valid till December 31 only, after which

The Magnite offers a whole lot of features and creature comforts; with all Variants excluding the entry-level XE being available with two engine options including a turbo engine and a CVT transmission option. The top-of-the-line XV Premium is loaded with features such as 360-degree monitor, Digital instrument cluster, rear AC vents, 16” alloys, all-LED lamps, etc. The XV premium is also available with a Dual Tone roof option which makes the topmost CVT version available for Rs 9.59 lakh (ex-showroom).

The Magnite offers a spacious cabin with comforts like rear-seat armrest available from the Turbo XL Variant itself. The entry-level XE variant offers quite a list of standard features including all power windows, Rear wiper, washer, defogger, 16” wheels and fabric padding on the doors.

All Variants are available with a 1.0L naturally aspirated 3 cylinder petrol engine which produces 72PS of Max Power through a 5-speed manual gearbox. However, the 100PS turbo petrol engine is available only from the XL Variant onwards. All turbo variants get ESP, traction control, Hill holds assist and Hydraulic brake assist as standard. The turbo variants also can be had with the Xtronic CVT automatic gearbox.

Nissan is also offering a Tech Pack for an additional Rs 38,698 on the XV and XV premium Variants. The Tech Pack includes more features like an air purifier, puddle lamps, ambient light, wireless car charging, premium JBL speakers and LED scuff plates.

NISSAN India is not only targeting the CSUV segment with the Magnite; The non-turbo variants are aimed at the hatchback segment buyers who would want additional space, comfort and SUV appeal. For sure the Magnite will be a great success and will help rebuild the image of the almost forgotten Japanese car market in India. However, Nissan will have to put more effort to expand its sales and post-sales network, which is essentially the key to gain the trust of customers.

The new Mahindra Scorpio (codename Z101) has been under testing for more more than 2 years now on public roads. The new generation model will be based on the brand new platform that is seen on the new Thar as well and will be completely all new.

Name

According to news updates, the new gen Scorpio is likely to be named with a suffix. Mahindra has trademarked the name “Scorpio Sting” for the new SUV. It is also likely that a special variant with the name “Scorpio-n” will be launched later.

Design

The new Scorpio will be longer and wider than before, but still

The design language will be evolutionary and will feature strong character lines that run along the sides, including a pronounced kink on the rear door that pushes upwards along with the window line; similar to the current gen model and the XUV siblings as well. At the back, it is likely that the new Scorpio will continue using a side-hinged door with vertically placed tail-lights.

Interior

Similar to the exterior, the new Scorpio will get an evolutionary yet fresh interior design too. The new upright dashboard is likely to house large portrait-style touchscreen infotainment system. Most of the switchgear will be shared with other Mahindra models like the new Thar and the Marazzo. The new SUV will also offer features such as Auto climate control, Auto headlamps, auto wipers, electric sunroof, side airbags, ESP, hill hold and leather upholstery on certain variants.

Powertrain

The new Scorpio SUV is expected to come with the same 140PS, 2.2-litre diesel with a 6 speed manual gearbox as the current model. The new 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine with 153PS is also likely to be offered with a 6 speed manual. The 6 speed torque converter automatic gearbox from the Thar is also expected to offered with both engines. Mahindra will provide four-wheel drive as well on the top spec variants, similar to the outgoing model.

Launch

The new generation Scorpio will be unveiled by May 2021, with an expected price range of Rs.11-18L ex showroom.

Stay tuned for further updates.