Friday, May 13, 2016
Friday, April 29, 2016
Friday, February 19, 2016
Fortuner 2016 vs Pajero Sport 2016: Drive, Review and Everything that Matters!!
Fortuner 2016
Priced at Rp442.000.000*, Toyota Fortuner 2016 boasts style and power like no other. Offered in 2.4 L Diesel and
2.7 L Petrol variant, the car has a power of 148 hp & 161 hp respectively.
The 400 Nm torque provides a towing capacity of 3000 kg for automatic
transmission while 2800 kg for manual transmission.
Interiors might look spacious but
are narrower than usual. Second row seats fit 2 adults easily but it becomes a
little squeezy for 3 individuals. There is ample legroom and headroom for all
three rows. Air Conditioner vents are provided on all the 3 rows with glove box
cooling as well. Each row also features a 12 V power supply which is a great
attraction. Front seats have baggage hooks with 4 kg holding capacity.
Driving the all new Fortuner is
efficient and smooth. For cities and highways, the drive is controllable and
predictable. The car is quite reliable during cornering at high speeds all
thanks to its superb Stability Control. Slip conditions are mostly avoided as
the ECU has a quick response. Cruise Control works well but the gear decreases
with gradient even if not required. For Manual transmission, torque is a bit
sluggish as large accelerator pumping is required to accelerate the car when
loaded. Steering is slick and shock absorbers are fine. Together they provide a
manageable drive, not too great, but not bad either. Paddle Shifters are swift
and clutch in manual is light which increases comfort. Another feature worth
mentioning is the seats. Seats are quite cosy and even during very long drives
do not cause any discomfort.
One thing where Toyota Fortuner
stands out of its class is the off road performance. Rear differential lock and
hill descent control provide an awesome assistance in rough terrains.
Switchable 4WD is an asset worth cherishing. The 30 degree approach angle and
25 degree departure angle help in avoiding bigger obstacles. Even in water, the
car performs well with 225 mm ground clearance. While electronics are fine,
hydraulic steering is a small turn off. The steering becomes highly stiff on
inclinations for very short period of times, nothing that might cause safety
issues but still a little irritating. While large rocks and obstacles are adequately
tackled, smaller bumps impact the comfort.
In all, Fortuner is cost
effective and versatile option for customers.
Pajero Sport 2016
Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 2016 is
the latest beast in the town. Launched on 29th January this year, the car has
already made an impression with its styling among SUV enthusiasts. Pajero Sport
price is kept Rp446.000.000* for the Indonesian market which makes it a tough
competitor to Fortuner in the price range as well.
Only available in Diesel variant
with engine capacity of 2477 cc & 2442 cc, the power pumped out is 134 hp
and 179 hp respectively. 324 Nm torque for 2477 cc and 430 Nm for 2442 cc makes
it a powerful option for load carrying.
Pajero comes with a wide range of
accessories and options and therefore can be customized in several ways. The
new version of the vehicle features a shorter gear lever and the manual
handbrake is replaced by Electronic Parking Brake. The infotainment system now
includes a HDMI port and voice recognition system as well. Looking at new updates,
one can figure out the main focus of the manufacturer had been user comfort.
Both the cars offer sufficient
space. Pajero has enough headroom to fit long men comfortably but shoulder room
limits the occupancy to 2 adults in the second row. While in some countries 3rd
row seats aren’t available, Indonesia is blessed with 60:40 folding seats in
the last row. Folding seats help increase the boot space to 1624 L which is far
greater than 1080 L boot capacity of Fortuner with seats folded. AC vents on
each row add to the comfort but no power outlet is provided on rows except the
first one.
The drive is great with a
seamless transmission. Gear shifting is easy and smooth for both manual
transmission and paddle shifters. Pajero again features Hydraulic Power steering
same as Fortuner. Drive experience on highways is smooth but shockers cause a
little reverberation during bumps. With minimum turning radius in its class
(5.6 m), the car can take steep turns, but cornering at high speeds causes a
little imbalance with in the vehicle.
Shifting from 2WD to 4WD is as easy as ABC
(Rhyme intended!). Control dial can be rotated according to power requirement.
Turning up each notch activates different drive modes viz. 2WD, 4WD,
Differential lock activation & Rear differential lock. There are also
different modes for different terrains like gravel, sand & snow but can be
only activated during four wheel drive. These modes change the stability
control effect on the vehicle and also the accelerator sensitivity. The 218 mm
ground clearance is lower than Fortuner and 30 degree departure and approach
angle helps in off roading. The car though employed with enough features as
Fortuner, do not match the performance of the Toyota SUV on rough terrains.
Verdict
The Fortuner vs Pajero Sport war has indulged a lot of attention. With new features incorporated in
both the SUV’s, both flaunt new vigour to take the market. With electronic
features like HSA, HDC, Traction and Stability Control handling the vehicles, both
cars have a good grip on road and off road. But when comparing performances,
Fortuner excels in off road drive with quicker controls and reactions. Pajero
proves better in handling and cornering but lacks in comfort. Talking about
styling, each individual has different opinion and depends on the buyer. So,
depending on your use of vehicle, you can choose different car suiting you.
Overall, we rate Fortuner better than Pajero in terms of Style, Comfort,
Stability and Off Roading.
Monday, February 1, 2016
BMW X5- Walk-Around the New Luxury Beast
Renowned worldwide for their high performance luxury cars, the German manufacturer BMW has never been known for Crossover or Sports Utility vehicles before the launch of the X5 in 1999. The production for the BMW X5 took place at the BMW US Manufacturing Company facility, located in South Carolina, which is the only place where most BMW SUVs are built. Interestingly, rather than labeling the X5 as a regular mid-size SUV, the manufacturer described it as a Sports Activity Vehicle. Technically speaking, Sports Activity Vehicles (SAVs) are not a separate category of automobiles, but refer to the range of crossover models that are manufactured by BMW. Other vehicles in the SAV category include the X1, X2, X4, X5, X6 and X7 that are all manufactured by BMW at the South Carolina Assembly plant. The BMW X5 spawned a total of 4 generations, with the latest X5 set for its launch this year. Before the next generation variant is launched in early 2016, let us take a brief look at the X5’s history and its past generation models.
BMW E53 - 1999
The first generation X5 E53 was developed using technology from Land Rover vehicles. BMW had been a co-owner of the Rover brand till it was acquired by the Indian automobile giants Tata Motors in 2011. Using several components from the Range Rover L22, the E53 Crossover was presented in 1999 and was produced in 3 engine variants. As most of the vehicle components were shared with several other BMW cars, it also allowed for some easy upgradations resulting in the X5s popularity. With its launch, the X5 E53 merged the aesthetics of a luxury road vehicle and provided it with some decent off-road capabilities. It was also presented with several borrowed features from Land Rover vehicles such as the Off-Road Engine Management and Hill Descent. It was also provided with a facelift in 2003, and the powerful 4.4i and 4.8is line of engines by BMW. The E53 was finally retired by BMW in 2006, when it was replaced by the BMW X5 E70.
BMW E70 - 2006
The X5 Sports Activity Vehicle saw its second generation in 2006 with several updated features and 3 engine variants including a 3.3-litre straight-6 engine apart from the 4.4i and 4.8is. Like its precursor, the X5 E70 also featured a signature BMW xDrive system for 4x4 vehicles and was further improved by the manufacturers to boost its off-roading capabilities and handling. The E70 also featured a highly advanced electronically controlled gearstick and also added a third row seat to make room for 7 passengers. It also spawned a high performance variant branded as the ‘X5 M’ that made its debut in 2009 at the New York Autoshow. The high performance E70 was supplied with a massive M Power Turbo V8 engine that was controlled by an 8-speed automatic transmission borrowed straight from the BMW 7 series. The X5 also made use of a special ‘Head’s Up’ display that projected any critical information, right on the windscreen. The X5 M was produced commercially between 2010 and 2013 before the X5 mantle was handed over to the BMW F15.
BMW F15
Making its debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, the X5 F15 model was also one of the first BMW crossovers to receive a Hybrid variant. It was released three engine variants for both gasoline and diesel types and was presented with a standard 8-speed automatic transmission. Although the exteriors of the X5 F15 didn’t seem much changes during its initial launch its BMW signature AWD (all-wheel-drive) system was further improved by the manufacturers. The new 20-inch alloy wheels also came as standard across all variants with tonnes of new safety features such as Anti-lock braking system, Xenon headlamps and panoramic sunroof. The 2014 X5 M variant added a V8 engine to the vehicle making it the most powerful 4x4 in BMW’s fleet. It was also presented with a Hybrid drivetrain in 2015.
Although the dates for the 4th generation X5 has not been officially announced by the German automakers, it will be sometime in early 2016. Although not much has been changed in the X5 in all these years, doesn’t mean that it is any less of a Sports Utility Vehicle with its powerful drivetrains and superb handling that BMW cars are known for.
Monday, January 11, 2016
What is Manumatic Transmission?
All car freaks and passionates must have come across a term “Manumatic Transmission”. But understanding it technically is far more complicated. Today, let’s break the term down into more understandable expressions.
Though the name indicates manual+automatic, a manumatic transmission is NOT a combination of manual and automatic transmission. But, then what actually is Manumatic Transmission? Technically speaking, manumatic transmission is automatic transmission in which an user can override the computer commands for gear shifting. Different companies have labeled their manumatic transmissions as ‘Tiptronic’, ‘Geartronic’, ’Touchshift’, 'Touchtronic', ‘Sporttronic’, ‘Clutch-less Manual’ and others.
Putting it in much simpler and basic words, a manumatic transmission is an automatic transmission. But you can still shift gears according to our requirements for several reasons like fuel economy, traffic convenience or just for a feel of manual transmission. In an automatic transmission, the ECU or “the computer” does all the work of gear shifting depending upon acceleration, load and speed of the car while in manumatic, the power of gear shifting is vested in your hands if you want to shift gears manually or leave the work to ECU.
Getting a little geeky, let’s talk some science now. What do you need to override a computer command? Another computer command! A manumatic transmission employs an extra ECU, solenoid and some resistors that are activated as soon as you shift gears manually. The solenoids detect the gearshift and transfer the signal to the ECU which then takes control of the the gearbox instead of the automatic gearbox ECU, where the number of solenoids depend upon the number of gears. As soon as the manual gear shifting is completed, the computer regains the command of the gears so there is no worry to the user. Some companies use a different technology but the basic idea remains the same.
Now how to differentiate between an automatic and manumatic? In automatic transmission, the gear console only has P, R, N and D modes while in manumatic, you will find “+” & “-” with the D mode as well which are used to shift gears. You may also find paddle shifters behind steering wheel in some cars. It is also called two paddle transmission as manumatic cars do not have a clutch paddle.
The PRNDL modes on a gear console of an Automatic
Manumatic transmission: Notice the +,- symbol for gear shifting
Gearshift Paddles are an sport/luxury upgrade in Manumatics
So why Manumatic? Manumatics are an advantage over automatic in some places. For example, an uneven terrain like hill requires different torque ratios depending upon the gradient. A manumatic is more economical and useful way in these situations when compared to automatic transmission. There is no tension of gear shifting but also the feel of it. Though manumatics may provide a pinch of feel of manual transmission but are totally different from them. So for manual driving enthusiasts, manumatics are not a good option.
What to choose? Manumatic or Automatic? Manumatics are a better option when talking about fuel economy and they also provide a touch of manual transmission. So if you are passionate about driving and find automatic a bit boring, then manumatics are meant for you. Also as stated above, manumatics can be more useful and advantageous in irregular drives like a hill or a busy city road. But if you are a control freak and like to be in full control of your machine, manuals are your thing. Fuel economy, total control and the thrill of driving are some advantages of manuals over manumatic.
Now that you know what actually is manumatic, let’s hope you will now look for a car which will better suit you needs.
Exclusive: OTO.com
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