Launched: BMW M3 limited edition

Mumbai: To celebrate its first season clean sweep of the DTM race series, BMW has launched a limited edition M3 called the DTM Champion. The company says that only 54 of these will be made and production will start early next year. BMW is also offering owners, who by the way will be paying Rs 70.61 lakh for the limited edition M3, a chance to be part of the BMW M Fascination driver training at the legendary Nurburgring circuit.

The M3 DTM Champion is available in an exclusive Frozen Black metallic paint complemented by matte black wheels complete with M stripes across the bootlid and roof. To give it an authentic race car look, there are decals adorning the quarter window and fender. The interiors have door sills adorned with the race winning car driver Bruno Spengler's helmet design, his car's sequence number and also his signature.
BMW has announced that this car will be sent to various markets but hasn't specified which ones. We don't expect the Bavarian to include India as one of those various markets.

Review: 2012 Premier Rio CRDi4 compact SUV

Premier has taken another step in the right direction with their compact SUV - the Rio. It is now available with the 1.3-litre Fiat Multijet diesel engine. And this will allow Premier to sell the diesel Rio in large cities and metros where the old car, a BSIII level emission, 1.5-litre diesel engine couldn't be sold. The diesel will be available in two levels of trim, the LX you see in this test which is the top end version that retails at Rs 7.01 lakh and the DX (lower end) version which retails at Rs 6.74 lakh, both ex-Mumbai.

To look at, the Rio in its new 2012 avatar is much more a pleasing picture than its predecessor. Its lines bring back memories of the old Honda CRV and the wraparound headlamps, new body coloured bumpers and large round fog lamps give the front a more modern and youthful appearance. The CRV-ish look is quite familar now but still is a refreshing change and with the roof rails help the Rio look more SUV-like than over grown hatchback.

 That is until you pull up next to a real SUV and can't help feeling that the pretence is up.
Inside, the cabin layout is the same as the petrol we drove earlier this year (March issue) and leaves a lot to be desired. It's a mix of hard plastics, poor finish and colour mismatches. The placement and design of some of the buttons and switches could also do with a little more thought.

 Take for example the switches for the front power windows of which there are three different types of switches on the driver side. They are different in feel and operation and their functionality is not intuitive. Just one type of switch would have been simpler to operate and might have been cheaper to manufacture as well.

The instruments also are exactly the same as the petrol version and the tachometer is still redlined at 7000rpm even for the diesel mill which in reality can't rev past 4500rpm. Little niggles for sure, but something that Premier need to solve first before they attract buyers from metros and Tier-I cities.


The interior dimensions may be small but there is enough room to keep passengers' elbows from fouling up. The second row is adequate for two grown-ups with enough shoulder space and knee room, three would be a very tight squeeze. The problem is the seats themselves, they are flat, featureless and without contours to fit anybody. That bench is also quite upright, so long distance journeys are not going to be comfortable.

However the boot swallows up to 454 litres and when the second row of seats are folded you can carry up to 1158 litres of luggage which is comparable to the load space larger SUVs provide.

The Fiat partnership may have ended but the heart of the Premier Rio diesel is Fiat once again, and the 1.3-litre diesel driving the rear wheels is a great step up for the little SUV. The Multijet, multi-car engine (Maruti, GM, Tata and of course Fiat have many models with this very same engine) drastically improves the performance and driveability of the Rio. At 14.99s to 100kmph the new Rio is over seven seconds quicker than the old 1.5-litre mill. Fifth gear roll on figures which are faster than the old car by a whopping 14.4s too.

 We never got a chance to test the 1.5 engine's mileage but the Multijet figures (21.76kmpl highway, 16.63kmpl city) are better than the claimed figures for the old engine.
Refinement has improved significantly, thanks to the engine and some improved sound deadening. You can hear a faint diesel clatter in the cabin but it's not going to interrupt anything.

Driving the Rio is a mixed experience and while you do get good ride quality, with 200mm of ground clearance over bad roads, the trade off with this high stance is generous body roll around corners. Its the combination of that tallish stance and the small 15-inch alloys or 14-inch steel wheels, neither of which is conducive to tackling narrow and sharp urban allyways with urgency. Its small(er) size however means that this is an SUV that you can dart through traffic with and it does fit in surprisingly small gaps.

We even surprised a couple of autorickshaw drivers when we very easily maneuvered ourselves into spaces only they were expecting to go. The hydraulic power steering though is not quite up to the mark and is on the heavy side while manoeuvring slowly (while parking for instance) and gets light at highway speeds leaving you a little uncomfortable once the speedometer crosses the ton.

Braking from speed is also not confidence inspiring. While the ABS and EBD work and the Rio comes to a stop from 100kmph in just 3.39s it's not quite confidence inspiring in execution with one having to make steering corrections constantly to ensure it stays in a straight line as the electronics do their job of bringing the car to a stop.

The Rio was a pioneer in the compact SUV segment and does have some good things going for it, namely the multi jet diesel, its compact size and the price. It's ultimately let down by poor interiors that could have been better designed. It's monopoly in the compact SUV segment has ended and there are other options for buyers to choose from like the Renault Duster which is a better package and the entry level diesel variant is Rs 98K dearer than the LX. Another, bigger threat will inevitably come from the Maruti Ertiga which offers an extra row of seats, quality interiors and is Rs 70K more than the top of the line Rio.


Premier had a jump start on the competition and has even taken a step in the right direction to improve the Rio but I don't think they have done enough.

First ride: 2012 Harley-Davidson Fat Bob in India

New Delhi: Is it a mix of the Fat Boy and Street Bob? That was the immediate question that sprung to mind when I first heard about the Fat Bob. And when I finally saw the motorcycle and then spent some time riding it I realised that it actually is a mix.

Not exactly between the Street Bob and Fat Boy, but its low stance and drag-style handlebars make the Fat Bob a mix between the choppers that enjoy a cult status with their classic styling, and drag bikes. And it gets the 'Fat' tag thanks to its massive front end, which uses a fat 130-section tyre and a set of thick forks.

The past couple of years have seen Harley-Davidson steadily raise the count of CKD motorcycles in its line-up, which has helped it become one of the most prominent players in the CKD/CBU segment in the country.

The Fat Bob is the sixth CKD product from Harley’s stables, and one that should help it strengthen its position in the Indian motorcycle market further.


So what's the Fat Bob like? Typically American to be honest – it sits low, but is quite big, and looks imposing. Our test bike wore a bright orange colour, which made it instantly identifiable.

Orange suddenly seems to be the preferred colour – the shade which hardly adorned a motorcycle sold in the country until a year back, but nearly half a dozen orange motorcycles have been launched in the last twelve months! The shade looked out of place on a Harley initially – we are used to seeing Harleys in darker shades, but orange does give the Fat Bob a very distinct identity.

The distinctiveness is further enhanced by the dual round headlights finished in chrome. Twin headlights were trending a decade back, the most popular example being Triumph’s Speed Triple. But even today they do not look outdated, and with the chrome finish they get on the Fat Bob, they do look nice.

The handlebar is flat, but sits on high risers, which makes it very comfortable even for shorter riders. The tear-drop tank ends in a wide comfortable seat for the rider. The seat is a single piece unit including the pillion perch as well, which is a tad too small. This is a bit surprising since the tail piece continues well beyond the seat. The clocks sit on the fuel tank like most other Harleys, and the dummy fuel cap on the left which is actually the fuel gauge is a nice touch.

There’s loads of chrome all around – right from the front forks, handlebar, instrument pod, airbox, engine, exhausts to the tail piece and rear suspension. Overall the styling is hinged towards the classic look, no modern design cues here. Presence? The Fat Bob offers loads of it, just like any of its siblings – the imposing dimensions and the chrome (and in this case the bright orange colour) ensure you get the stares.


Sitting under the fuel tank is the familiar fuel-injected 1690cc V-twin (popularly known as the Twin Cam 103 engine). Peak torque produced is 135Nm at 3500rpm. This engine is known for the loads of torque it offers even at low revs, and is mated to a six-speed gearbox with adequately spaced ratios, making it well suited for both city and highway.

The first thing I noticed on cranking the engine is that it is not as loud as several other Harleys. The typical V-twin sound is eminent, but at idle it sounds muted.

Even when revved it isn’t exactly loud and it hints towards the Night Rod’s sporty sound, but has the distinctness of a Harley-Davidson. Open the throttle in any gear, and there’s tractor-like torque on offer. It's as if the torque delivery is not a curve, but a straight line.

 There’s a sense of solidness to the engine that is peculiar to most of the Harleys – that’s how the Americans like it – big, burly motorcycles with torque enough to uproot a tree stump! The Fat Bob’s light front end is a bit of a surprise, but very welcome.

This makes riding the bike in traffic a breeze, and despite its imposing dimensions the bike is at ease in the city.

The ride quality is surprisingly supple, and this Bob was super happy even on Mumbai’s broken roads. The rear dampers are actually one of the most comfortable ones, and along with the plush seat make the bike really comfortable. This in conjunction with the relaxed riding position makes it an ideal highway machine too.

And the gearbox ensures you have enough torque, be it accelerating or simply passing someone on the road.
So how much does this dream burn your pockets? The Fat Bob will cost Rs 12.8 lakh, ex-Delhi, which puts it between the Street Bob and the Street Glide Custom.

And going by first impressions, this motorcycle should offer great value for money at the price – it has all the presence you could ask for, but isn't loud enough to wake up your neighbours in the wee hours, and is comfortable and powerful on the highway and in city.

First drive: 2012 Maruti Alto 800

Ten years is a long time for a car to be the top seller. Ten years is also a long time for a car to not get any serious updates. So I don't even have to tell you how badly the Alto needed an update seeing how it has been around for 12 years.

And no, I don’t care how well it was selling despite not getting an update. 12 years is simply too long! Maruti agrees too it seems, because they're gearing up to launch the all new Alto with lots of updates and an '800' attached to its name. Before you go around making assumptions let me clarify that the 800 in the name has no connection whatsoever to the Maruti 800. It is just to differentiate between the Alto 800 and the Alto K10.

Visually the Alto 800 is a completely new car. The all new front end is, well, all new and looks a lot like the A-star. The headlights are mounted higher now and has black detailing inside.

 The grille is very Ford Figo-esque and has a chrome strip running right across the middle. Under the small grille is the large expanse that is the air dam. Given an all black treatment the air-dam and the sculpted bumpers give the front a sporty feel.


The A-star inspiration is again evident at the rear with the new tail lamps and bumper which give the car a very distinctive look. Rather than looking like an evolution from the previous Alto, the rear looks like it was inspired more from the A-star. What I don’t get however are those two little kinks on either side of the Suzuki badge.

 To me it looks like two dents and kind of hinders the flow of the rest of the bootlid. The side profile is again similar to the A-star. The rear window has become a bit smaller and the entire car has grown significantly taller.

The extra height in the car means more headroom inside. To be exact the headroom has increased by 15mm. And it’s not just the headroom that has gone up. There are also the scooped out front seats that liberate 15mm of rear kneeroom, just like in the K10. The interiors are all new with dual tone upholstery.

 The dashboard too is all new. It is raised at the centre to accommodate the new aircon vents. The side aricon vents are now circular. The aircon controls however are the same from the previous Alto, while the steering wheel is all new. The LXi variant now get a driver airbag and optional ABS.


The Alto 800 has a lot of changes under the hood. There is a new plastic intake system (the older one was aluminium), a new lighter crankshaft, a new cylinder head, new piston rings and a new gearbox. All this combined boosts the output to 48PS and 69Nm which is an 11 per cent increase from the previous model.

Maruti is also claiming a fuel economy of 22.7kmpl. The engine feels much smoother and more linear than before. There is ample low down torque and the typical three cylinder judder when starting from standstill has been eliminated. The car also feels much quicker than the older one. But we can only say for sure once we test it.


The chassis in the car remains pretty much unchanged. It does however feel more rigid than the previous car. The suspension has been tweaked a bit. The car no longer has that crashy quality that the previous Alto had.

Ride quality has improved quite a bit and the car doesn’t feel as flighty as before at high speeds. The steering feel has become heavier though. Considering most people will use this car mostly in the city, a lighter steering would have been better.

So overall, the Alto has become a fresher, more contemporary package. At a time when the competition (read Hyundai Eon) was starting to eat away at a lot of the numbers that the Alto had for itself, the update is just what the doctor ordered. Now the only thing that remains is to see how Maruti will price this baby.

 If they get that right, this king will still remain atop the hill. But we'll have to wait till 16th of October when the launch is to find that out.