To all the Jeepers in India, I am sure you are much chuffed about what happened this week. Your dreams have been fulfilled. The Mahindra Santa has finally delivered The Thar as a Christmas present. No longer do you have to search for Mahindra Classics in the used car market and then spend a fortune on re-doing them.

If you are a true-blue Jeeper, you must have tuned in to the live webcast of the launch (which BTW get a thumbs up from us, we believe that more manufactures should join the fray). There were a few hiccups during the presentation; nonetheless, the Mahindra boys managed it decently.

Displayed at the Auto Expo 2010, The Mahindra Thar is an evolved version of the Mahindra Legend that was launched to celebrate Mahindra’s 60th year anniversary way back in 2005. Since then it was only limited to the export markets for Europe and Africa.

Back in India, this car (oh sorry, Jeep) is launched as a successor to the Mahindra CJ340 (a.k.a the Classic). The design of the car is almost unchanged from the Classic, the only difference being the Classic had a seating of 2 people in the back and the Thar can manage 4 (although only barely).

The Thar comes with 2 engine options.

2.5L CRDe engine 77 kw (105 BHP) – BS IV compliant2.5L DI engine 77 kw (105 BHP) – BS III compliant

The engine is very smooth and very torqy, just what one requires in an off-roading machine. The whole jeep is built on the ladder frame chassis with independent front suspension and leaf springs at the rear. The ground clearance is massive and the car can manage anything in its stride. Mahindra says the Thar can manage 46 degree approach angles and 30 degree departure angles (and judging by the test drive, we trust them on this one).

Step into the car (and one really ‘steps into the car’ because the floor is very low than the doorline) and there is a familiar bolero 3-spoke steering that welcomes you. Once you are in the car, you are immediately reminded that this is a Man’s car because everything is very hard and everything is inaccessible. Even simple task like adjusting your seats, requires brute force.

Because Mahindra has pitted it as an ‘ultimate off road vehicle’, the Thar comes well equipped with a 2.48 low ratio transfer box. But it is not next to the main gear lever like an Endy or a Fortuner. It is very inaccessible as one needs to really bend down with neck below the steering wheel to check whether you are in high or low. Same goes for the handbrake which is flat-leveled to the floor.

The Thar is ‘AC ready’ and not ‘AC equipped’, so you can install an AC later if you want but don’t expect it as default. The interior quality is nothing to harp about (although if you get the ‘point’ of this vehicle, that’s not really a bummer as such). The jeep does come with simple vanities like bucket seats and power steering.

The ride quality is plain old jeep – everything rattles and everything creeks. And because the suspension set up is soft to make it off road worthy, on the road it wallows a lot. But if you feel like you will be thrown out of the car, there are a lot of handles and bars that you can hold on to

The Mahindra Thar is clearly not your first car, trust me you are better off in any public transport whatsoever. But it can be your weekend ‘fun’ vehicle if you are an off-roading enthusiast. However, we highly recommend you get the ‘Adventure’ model from Mahindra Customs. The standard Thar is more agrarian than lifestyle, but the Adventure model is properly ‘Cool’. A fully prepped up Adventure can be endless customized and will cost you 2-3 lakhs over and above the price of your Thar.

Of course we are not going to leave you at that.  There is an extensive gallery that you can browse through for a detailed look at the jeep. Your comments are welcomed and expected as always

- For more updates on this topic, subscribe via email or RSS Feed -

View the original article here

Here is a small exercise that you can do just for fun. Walk up to your friend or colleague and appreciate something that he/she is wearing. It can be anything – clothes, shoes, watch etc. The instant reply will be – “Oh! This is ‘X’ brand and I bought it from ‘Y’ place”. This is called ‘the Badge game’ which is based on a simple principle – People (me included) love to flaunt. Pricey badges are totally ‘IN’. Offices, Colleges, Parties etc are the arenas and if you can’t play the ‘Badge Game’ you are nobody.

BMW obviously recognizes this need of the hour. India is shining; per capita income is on the rise; young executives (a.k.a BMW’s target market) are full of aspirations but their salaries aren’t that high to actually sign the dotted line. In comes the X1 – The cheapest BMW in India. Their dreams of saying “Hey babe, should I drop you in ma Bimmer” have finally been fulfilled.

In essence, the BMW X1 is a jacked up 3 series which is slightly roomier and looks a bit different. Launched in 2008 at the Paris motor show, this car comes to India two years later with slight changes to suit to the Indian Market. The ground clearance is increased, the air filter is modified to suit our dusty roads and the suspension is set up differently.

Design wise, this car is very true to BMW’s ‘Love it or Hate it’ philosophy with very sharp angles and lines throughout the body. We love the design as it makes the car look very interesting and better than the donor car – The 3 Series which, if you remove the BMW badge, fails to attract any attention. The rear profile of the car is even better than the front with the tail lamps looking like the eyes of an angry robot.

The roof railings make the car look very outdoorsy. Obviously, this is not a recent styling attempt; this car is 2 years old remember. The recent styling attempts on the 5 series and 7 series are a bit dull to say the least.

The performance duties are performed by two 2L, 4 cylinder petrol and diesel engines with the diesel engine being performance oriented with more HP and more torque than the petrol one. The petrol one produce 150 HP and 200 NM of torque @3600 rpm. The diesel one is more generous with 177 HP and 350 NM of torque @ 3000 rpm. Both are mated to a six speed automatic transmission (yes no manual option for stick lovers). Although the international model is an all wheeled drive, we only get a rear wheel option. BMW claims the petrol gives 11.25 km/l and the diesel goes up to 15.24km/l

Get inside the car and it is exactly a 3 series, not a button has been shifted from here to there. Despite of being a tall car, getting in and out is a bit difficult (again just like the 3 series). The panoramic glass roof makes the car feel very roomy and airy but it is only available in top model and so is the iDrive system.

There are only 3 variants available of the car. The base one starts at Rs 22 lakhs and the top one goes to Rs 29.9 Lakhs. But there is a fair bit of customization equipment that the prospective owner can choose from.

All of this brings us to our Main Question: Would one buy one?

Let’ keep the 1000 pre orders aside and also the fact that BMW is sold out for the next 3 months and look at how many market segment BMW has stepped into at the same time:

There are those who wanted a soft roader and are contemplating on a CRV, Captiva or an X-Trail. They obviously wouldn’t mind a BMW in and around their same budget.

There are those who have booked a Fortuner or a Santa Fe and are awaiting deliveries. Now, a through off-roading fan would say “Hey, this car is not an off road machine; it’s not an all-wheeled drive neither does it have a low ratio gear box. It is just a poser” This is true, no arguments at all. But Toyota and Hyundai are clogged with booking orders so wouldn’t you mind a BMW in lesser time at your doorstep? You also get to go through the ‘Premium Car buying Experience’ in the same budget.

Plus I have seen so many Fortuners with not a speck of dust, doing the daily office run. And at the end of day, what sounds better? I drive a Toyota OR I drive a Beemer.

Then there are those who wanted a luxury sedan like a Camry or a Superb. They wouldn’t mind switching to a car with better ground clearance and over all better driveability. Yes, I know the base model is in petrol which will shoot up your monthly fuel budget. But you don’t drive this car remember, you show off in it. Plus, people who go for such cars generally have a company sponsored petrol card.

And now comes the final argument – There is no competition to this car from the German rivals at all. Audi has no plans to jack up the A4 at least not that we know of. Mercedes is working on a crossover but that will take more than two years to complete. Till then, BMW has the floor to itself.

At the end of the day, BMW has played its cards well. Instead of competing with others, they have created a segment for themselves. The X1 will extend the lead over other German rivals by a long margin.

But this is not the first time BMW has played this game. The cheaper Rolls Royce Ghost (a prepped up 7 series) is also a fine example of the same badge game. And with the talks of bringing in a smaller, cheaper MINI, we can expect more such ‘Badge’ strategies from BMW.

Well played BMW!

- For more updates on this topic, subscribe via email or RSS Feed -

View the original article here

The three biggest carmakers from Germany, BMW, Volkswagen's Audi and Mercedes Benz, have been in a constant race for dominance in the global luxury car segment. And now the rivalry has been taken to another level, the three have expanded to include a holiday season battle for playground prestige with new push cars and snow sleds.

Audi started the luxury kid toy trend when it launched a limited edition pedal-powered version of the Auto Union Type C. The scale model of the 1930s racer, designed for kids features an aluminum frame, hydraulic brakes, seven-speed hub gear, leather-clad steering wheel and oak dashboard. The car sells for 9,700 Euros.

And now BMW is all geared up for the feisty Christmas season with new BMW- and Mini-branded sleds for 79 Euros apiece. Mercedes Benz is reciprocating with a full version of gull-wing SLS supercar for toddlers, due in April for 90 Euros each. These carmakers believe that they can make a lot of money by promoting kid-focused merchandise than simply making a few Euros from hawking toy racers

It is no secret that Audi wants to oust BMW as the world's largest luxury carmaker by 2015, and now the carmaker is revamping the Quattro GmbH unit to sharpen its focus on vehicle customization and accessories, said Peter Schwarzenbauer, Audi's sales chief said.

Along with toy cars, Audi also offers a range of teddy bears including one decked up in motor-racing suit for 47 Euros. Then, you also have Rob the Gecko, a black, grey and gold cartoon lizard featured in plush toys and baby items. Audi said in a brochure that the Gecko is made of such soft plush that you could hug and stroke him for ages without getting tired.

Like their cars, luxury car makers take all the steps to add small details to their toys that make them extraordinary. BMW's Snow Racer sled, which is available for 79 Euros, features replaceable metal runners, a suspension-system in the red steering ski, and a horn to warn inattentive passersby.

Mercedes Benz is all ready with its foot-powered SLS Bobby-Benz which will feature the shapes of its headlights, grill and rear end with Mercedes' $183,000 SLS sports car. The toy car will have quiet-running tires, an Ackermann steering system with tight cornering for living-room manoeuvrability and a steering wheel that absorbs impact to prevent injury in the event of a collision.

It has been 15 years since BMW began its lifestyle business, and now the company sells more than 2,000 products including 39-euro Mini rain boots and a 1,500-euro bike from BMW's M performance unit. BMW has also introduced a kid edition of the M3 GT2 race car. The battery-powered version, which costs 349 Euros, has forward and reverse gears and a top speed of 2.5 miles per hour.
"We are first and foremost a marketing initiative, and the main objectives are to broaden the brand's presence and strengthen loyalty," said Thomas Goerdt, head of BMW's merchandising and lifestyle unit. "We are a marketing effort that makes money."

In China, which happens to be the third-largest market for BMW cars, it opened a store selling merchandise a year before it began assembling cars in the country. There are now 40 BMW stores in China, and it is considering expanding its retail presence to Korea, Russia and India.

These days, luxury car owners want a variety of products to convey their association with a particular brand, but the merchandising have to be kept limited so that it does not interfere with the brands' core business.

Michel Gabriel, managing director for consultancy Interbrand in Zurich, who has previously advised Audi on branding, said, "Sometimes you have to say no, even if a lot of money can be made from a product like branded underwear".

In the end, Audi, BMW and Mercedes Benz are also chasing Aston Martin when it comes to luxury kids toys. The super-luxury British carmaker sold mini motorised replicas of the V8 Vantage Volante and Virage in the late 1980s and early '90s to customers including Prince Charles.

The Aston Martin Volante Junior was sold for nothing less than 15,000 pounds plus taxes. The toy car had a petrol engine, radio and a top speed of more than 30 miles per hour.

View the original article here