2017 Tata Hexa launched in India at Rs 11.9 lakh

Tata Motors have launched the all-new Hexa MPV in India at Rs 11.9 lakh, ex-Delhi. The Hexa will be available in nine trims and with two states of tune for the 2.2-litre diesel engine. Tata says that the Hexa is based on the same hydroformed chassis that underpins the Safari. The MPV is slightly longer than the Aria that it replaces. It looks more modern than the other MPVs on offer in the market. There are projector headlamps with LED DRLs on the top variant. Tata also offers 19-inch wheels as standard on the top trims. The tail lamps too are LED.

Inside, the cabin looks similar to what we have seen in the Zest and Tiago. However unlike the other two, the Hexa has a touchscreen infotainment system, again from Harman, complemented by 10 speakers from JBL. The instrument console is an all-new affair and shows you the instant fuel efficiency and other details.

Coming to the engine – the 150PS/320Nm motor is available only with a 5-speed manual in the base variant. The higher tune(156PS/400Nm) motor is available with both the 6-speed auto and manual transmissions. Tata offers a 4×4 on the top manual and this also comes with different drive modes, similar to what we have seen in Land Rover models. We have already driven the 2017 Tata Hexa, read our first impression report here

Comparo: Hero Achiever 150 vs Bajaj V15 vs Honda CB Unicorn

You don’t have to be an economic mastermind to know that the Indian motorcycle segment is growing. You just have to have been around a few years ago. Around 10 years ago, performance motorcycles sat somewhere around the 150cc mark – a trend that was kick-started by Hero Honda’s CBZ. We’ve come a long way since then and in that time, the CBZ went away, made a comeback and then went away again. Also in that timeframe was another 150cc motorcycle from the same manufacturer. It was called the Achiever, and now Hero has resurrected that name with a new 150cc motorcycle, the Achiever 150.

Naturally, a comparison was in order. But unlike the time when the Achiever first came around, the 150cc segment was no longer a mash-up of a few 150s battling. The segment has since divided itself into several sub-segments. Some of them still hold on to their performance DNA like the Extreme Sports, Bajaj Pulsar 150 and the new Honda CB Hornet. Meanwhile, the section of the segment consists of evolved commuter machines that aim at giving the user a great mix of performance, comfort and fuel economy. And it is into this second sub-section that Hero has thrown the Achiever into. A segment in which, we feel, its biggest competition will come from the Honda CB Unicorn and the Bajaj V15.

Looks and features

One of these things is not like the others. You don’t have to be a muppet to know what I’m talking about. The V15 is the motorcycle that stands out here. It breaks away from the mould that all the 150s are made in. I used to think that it isn’t very aesthetically pleasing, but the more I’ve seen of it, the more I appreciate the fact that it doesn’t look like the others. The Hero and the Honda have a serious disadvantage here. To an untrained eye, one could easily be confused for the other. But the V15? There is just no way anybody can confuse the V15 for anything other than the new V12.

Build quality, ergonomics and features wise all three motorcycles are pretty evenly matched. Quality is top-notch on all three, and they all have the marks of experienced manufacturers making excellent motorcycles. Paint quality is great; all the panels are properly aligned, and there aren’t any bits and bobs that fall off. Oh wait. Actually, the Bajaj did have a footpeg that kept losing its rubber. And this is a problem that we have encountered on other test bikes as well. But then it’s nothing that a bit of Fevi kwik can’t fix.
Features wise, all three are quite basic. The Hero and Honda use an all analogue instrument cluster with a speedo, tacho, odo, fuel gauge and telltale lights (with the Hero getting a side-stand indicator as well). The V15, on the other hand, only gets an analogue speedo and trip meter with a digital fuel gauge and telltale lights. However, the Achiever does have a trump card up its sleeve. It gets the i3s system. Whether or not it translates to more efficiency, it is still new tech and its presence will give the Hero an edge.

Ride and handing

There are similarities and differences among all three in terms of chassis spec. The Unicorn and Achiever both use a diamond-type frame and conventional forks up front, but the Hero uses a twin-shock set-up at the rear while the Honda uses the trademark monoshock. The V15, on the other hand, uses a twin shock set-up at the rear and a conventional fork up front while the chassis is a double-cradle frame. All of them use a 240mm disc up front with 130mm drums at the rear. The Honda is the longest of the three with a wheelbase of 1340mm, and at 135.5kg the V15 is the lightest. All three of them run 18-inch front and rear wheels except the V15 which uses a 16-inch wheel at the rear. The sum of all the similarities and differences is that the three motorcycles feel very different to ride.

All three use 240mm discs up front, but the bite and feel vary. The different tyres they each use also means braking performance is vastly different among the three

Of the three, I like the Achiever the best when it comes to handling. The turn in is quick but unlike the V15, it never seems over eager. The suspension components give it lots of composure in corners. It feels nice when ridden and cornered hard. The V15, on the other hand, feels super eager to go into corner but lacks the poise of the Achiever. The softer set-up suspension seems to be the culprit here. The Unicorn has the longest wheelbase here, and the combination of this and a spring set-up that is somewhere between the Achiever and the V15 makes it a little bland. It handles reasonably well, and even rides reasonably well. But it doesn’t stand out for anything.



Despite their differences, all three handle reasonably. The ride quality, however, is very different. The Hero feels the most stiffly sprung with the Honda coming a close second. The V15 feels softer in comparison and this helps it over really bad stretches of road. However, when the speeds rise, you realise that the edge in ride quality comes at the cost of high-speed stability. The V15 feels a little unsettled at high speeds, and while this isn’t too much of a bother that you really need to complain, the confidence of the other two motorcycles does highlight this. The Unicorn and the Achiever feel at peace even at highway speeds, and this will help if you plan the odd highway trip over your weekend. Having said this, none of these motorcycles is uncomfortable to ride. While the V15 is the clear winner in terms of ride, the Achiever and the Unicorn too soak up bumps and bad roads pretty well. Just not as well as the Bajaj.
All three motorcycles here use a 240mm disc up front with a 130mm drum at the rear. But like their ride qualities, braking performance too is very different. A lot of this comes down to the kind of rubber each of them is running. The Achiever is using Ceat Secura Zooms while the Unicorn uses MRF Nylogrip Zappers (FS up front and Y at the back). The V15 on the other hand uses Ceat Gripp Cruzs. In our braking test, the performance difference among the tyres and the brakes themselves stand out. The V15’s brakes have the most feel here. The tyres, though, don’t do it any favours, and thanks to that it takes the longest distance (17.39m) to come to a stop here. The other motorcycles lack the brake feel of the V15 but take under 17 metres to come to a stop, with the Achiever taking the least (16.17m).

Engine and performance

Like the looks, mechanically too, the Achiever and Unicorn are very similar. In fact, both the engines are essentially the same. 149.1cc, air-cooled singles with a bore and stroke of 57.3mm x 57.8mm. They even have the same compression ratio (9.1:1). But the way these motorcycles deliver their power is very different. The Unicorn has always felt, and still feels – a bit restricted in the way it delivers power. It felt like the motorcycle wasn’t breathing very well. The Achiever feels like all those restrictions have been thrown away. And in the process it has found a quarter horse more at 13.4PS (against the Unicorn’s 13.14PS). Where the Unicorn takes 5.2 seconds to hit 60kmph, the Achiever takes just under five seconds (4.96s to be exact). And in the 100kmph sprint, the difference increases to just under three seconds. The Hero takes 17.89s while the Honda takes 20.39s. The V15 on the other hand is the slowest in acceleration. The 149.5cc motor makes 13PS and 12Nm. This propels the motorcycle to 60kmph and 100kmph in 5.43s and 24.88s respectively.

The Hero and Honda engines are essentially the same motor. The difference is that where the Honda feels a bit stifled, the Hero extracts all the performance it can front the 150cc motor. The V15 on the other hands plays the low-end torque game to its advantage

But while outright performance might be against the V15, it does score heavily when it comes to urban usability. At slower speeds in higher gears, the V15 accelerates better. It is perfectly happy puttering around in higher gears in a way that the other two cannot match. Mind you, they aren’t bad at this, but the V15 is vastly better. The difference points to a meatier low- and mid-range torque spread in comparison to the Achiever and the Unicorn. But out on the highway, the V15 struggles. Both the others feel comfortable at sustained higher speeds. A steady 80-90kmph doesn’t make you feel like the engine is running out of breath with the Honda and Hero.
Even when it comes to efficiency, the V15 loses out. The Unicorn is the clear winner here with a combined efficiency of 59kmpl. The Achiever isn’t too far behind with its 57kmpl. But with just 51kmpl overall, the V15 is far behind its competition. Something that holds true when it comes to engine refinement as well. The Achiever feels the most refined of the three here. The engine doesn’t feel stressed even at high speeds and there are no vibrations felt. The Honda too is refined but not to the level of the Hero. The V15 on the other hand feels a bit out of its element here. It feels like it’s working very hard to deliver that wonderful chug-around-ability.

Verdict

The reason the Unicorn came back into the market after being discontinued is because there was strong demand for it. And if you are in the market for a Honda Unicorn, you won’t even look at either of the other two motorcycles here, you’ll just go ahead and buy yourself a Honda CB Unicorn 150. But if you’re in the market for a good 150cc commuter, then the Honda feels a bit old and overpriced. It is close to Rs 7,000 more expensive than the Achiever and V15, both of which are within Rs 1,000 of each other. So, if you think about it, the real competition is between the Achiever and the V15.
Both the Achiever and the V15 are excellent motorcycles. The Achiever goes with the traditional, tried-and-tested look of the 150cc motorcycle, whereas the V15 brings some funky good looks to the table. But as a package, the Achiever feels more complete. If your usage is strictly urban, the V15 makes perfect sense. But the moment you decide to hit the highways, it feels completely out of its element. The Achiever, on the other hand, feels good in the city and also holds its own out on the highways. In short, the Achiever does well in both the situations a rider is likely to use this kind of motorcycle in and that holds more value to me here, despite the slightly higher price.

2017 Continental Supersports is the fastest Bentley ever made

Whenever luxurious and exotic cars are discussed, Bentley has always been featured as one of the prominent names. But the British automobile company does not want to limit itself to only making luxury cocoons. In a recent announcement, Bentley states that the Continental Supersports is the fastest four-seat car in the world. It has a claimed 0 to 100kmph acceleration of 3.5 seconds and a maximum speed of 336kmph.



Under than snazzy-looking bodywork of the Bentley Continental Supersports resides a W12 engine that puts out an insane 710PS and 1,017 Nm. This has been achieved by the addition of higher-capacity turbochargers, new torque converter and a revised intercooler system. This has been further aided with the upgraded cranktrain and new conrod bearings. The new iteration too retains the rear-biased torque split of Bentley’s all-wheel-drive system, sending 60 per cent of the engine’s power to the rear wheels as standard. The performance tweaks have been done on the 2009 Supersports model that increased the power output by 80PS and torque rating by 217Nm. The company also claims that the power-to-weight ratio has been increased by 10 per cent while the torque-to-weight ratio has been improved by 25 per cent. The has resulted to a rise in top speed by 8kmph while the 0 to 100kmph timing has been reduced by 0.3 seconds.



Doing the braking duties are the new carbon ceramic brakes with enhanced cooling. The supercar comes with a 420mm front and 356mm rear brakes, which are the largest compared to any other car. The company mentions that new brakes paired with the 21-inch wheels have dropped the overall weight by 20kg. And a further 5kg can be reduced by opting for the titanium exhaust system.

In terms of design, the 2017 Bentley Continental Supersports gets a more sculpted front and rear bumper designs that now feature a carbon-fibre splitter and diffuser respectively. The new side sill extensions and bonnet vents are also finished in carbon fibre. The front wing vents are finished in gloss black while the tailpipe design too has been changed. It seems Bentley wanted to bring in a more dark theme to the overall design as there is a dark tint on the headlights, tail lights and front grille as well as dark accents on the rear bumper, door handles and the window surrounds. Bentley will also offer an optional rear spoiler and front splitter combination for the coupe with new Supersports badging and a new black and bright-machined finish for the 21-inch forged alloy wheels.



The exquisite exterior of the 2017 Bentley Continental Supersports has been carried inside as well. There is a new diamond-quilted design in the seats and door-side panels finished in Alcantara leather. There is a chequered Supersports carbon-fibre finished dashboard fascia. To make it look even more special than the previous offering, there is the new Supersports emblem stitching with a bespoke Supersports steering wheel and unique gearlever, both featuring Alcantara detailing.

And just in case all of the above seem to general and you still want to further customise your Continental Supersports, Bentley will offer a X-Specification pack that consists of eight unique dual-tone paint treatments and carbon-fibre door mirrors and heel plates. This will come with titanium exhaust and carbon-fibre finished interior side panels and a carbon-fibre engine cover as standard.

Tata Hexa to come with a long list of accessories in India

The upcoming Tata Hexa MPV is already in the news for its space as well as equipment on offer. Now comes the news about its long list of accessories. Leaked online, these ‘strictly confidential’ documents show the multiple customisation options as well as accessories for the big Tata. All these accessories seem inspired from the Hexa Tuff concept showcased at the Auto Expo. The kits have been given different names – Tuff, Expedition and Luxe.



The Tuff, as expected, is the most expensive option here. It brings along with it a Rs 58,580 roof box, a head-up display with tyre-pressure monitoring system for Rs 15,875, wireless charger tray for Rs 855 and Rs 2,338 for 3D-moulded mats. The body kit is sold separately for Rs 53,478, and this includes the front, side as well as the rear skirts.



The Tata Hexa Expedition kit is for the explorers, and we believe this will be offered strictly with the 4×4 option. The kit has a roof platform for Rs 11,149, a canopy and waterproof luggage bag for Rs 33,225, a puddle lamp for 1,795 and a Rs 3,195 shovel.



Finally to the Luxe kit. There is a mirror cover for Rs 1,477, a headlamp garnish for Rs 3,031 and a show grille garnish for Rs 1,567. There are also similarly priced options for the tail gate, tail lamp as well as the sides. With the Luxe kit, you can also order the wireless charging, illuminated logo (Rs 2,385), a plug-in chiller and warmer for Rs 13,950, anti-skid mats as well as puddle lamps.



Other accessories as stand-alone include alloys for Rs 8,520/piece, side steps for Rs 4,436, art leather seat covers starting from Rs 12,596 as well as a cycle carrier. The Tata Hexa will be launched in India on January 18. We expect the top variant, which will be the AT, to be priced at around Rs 18 lakh. The base variants should start from Rs 13 lakh. As the car is loaded to the gills with features, it has the potential to take on the segment leader, the new Toyota Innova Crysta. It remains to be seen if the Tata can put behind the Aria debacle and make the Hexa a success story.

Bajaj Auto issues statement regarding the hunger strike by its workers

Just a day ago, PTI reported that Bajaj Auto workers would be going on a two-day hunger strike. The hunger strike will be held on January 7 and January 8 to protest the management’s anti-worker and anti-union activities. The strike was called by Vishwa Kalyan Kamgar Sanghatana which had stated that Bajaj Auto had adopted a strategy of terrorising and harassing workers. It stated that the union’s active members have been transferred and issued false charge sheets and show-cause letters. Now, Bajaj Auto has issued a statement regarding the hunger strike called by its workers. It states that “the facts are contrary to reasons being cited by Vishwa Kalyan Kamgar Sanghatana (VKKS)”.
The statement says, “As far as transfer/deputation of workmen from one plant to another is concerned, it has been a regular practice in the company to transfer the workmen on the basis of requirement of skills and need at other plants. In the present context, the union has filed four cases in the court challenging the transfer of workmen from Chakan to other plants. In three cases, where order has come, the Industrial Court, Pune, in its interim order, has held that the company has every right to transfer employees from one plant to other plants of the company.

“VKKS leadership is always unreasonable and raises unrelated demands. During last wage review, which was due from April 2013, the union had come up with a similar unrealistic demand of allotment of shares to workmen and resorted to strike which lasted for 50 days causing huge financial losses to the workmen  and ultimately realised their mistakes and came back to work unconditionally. This time, it is the demand for reinstatement of dismissed workmen.
“The union should not raise the issues which are in fact non-existent and extend full support in growth and development of the company rather than creating unnecessary hindrances in smooth functioning of the company,” the statement mentioned.
Bajaj Auto says that various proposals were made to the union for the salary increase, and negotiation was about to conclude. However, the union put forth an unreasonable demand of reinstatement of the workers of Chakan plant who were dismissed in the year 2013-14 from the services of the company for committing various acts of misconduct. Their cases are pending for adjudication before the court.
“Due to delay in wage review, a large number of workmen approached the management with a request to consider giving them upfront wage rise immediately in view of festival season in October 2016. The management found substance in the request made by the workmen and did not want its workmen to suffer financial hardship due to unrealistic demands made by the union. Management, therefore, declared wage rise ranging from Rs 10,000-11,500 based on experience of individual workman for a period of three years from April 01, 2016 to March 31, 2019.” Bajaj Auto says that arrears for the period April 2016 to September 2016 were paid immediately.

Ford Mustang hybrid to debut in 2020

The year 2017 has just started and automobile manufacturers have already dropped a hint of things to come in the near future. Recently, we reported that Toyota is banking on hybrid cars in India that will be launched from 2017. And now Ford has made an announcement of electric cars and hybrids that the car manufacturer would start rolling in the next couple of years. The first of these vehicles would be the Mustang hybrid which will debut in 2020.



This announcement was made at the company’s Flat Rock assembly plant in Michigan where the Ford Mustang is currently manufactured. In addition to the Mustang hybrid, Ford will get a hybrid version of the F-150 along with an all-new electric SUV during the same time.

Ford has still not revealed the exact specifications of the powertrain that the Mustang hybrid would use. However, the company has clearly mentioned that the power output would be equivalent to that of the V8 motor that is close to 441PS and will also have an increased low-end torque. We believe the new Mustang hybrid would not be a plug-in variant like the Toyota Prius and instead would use regenerative braking. The muscle car with this new powertrain will debut in North America in 2020.

The F-150 hybrid will be built at Ford’s Dearborn truck plant and will offer greater towing and payload capacity than the existing version, claims the company. The all-new electric SUV will be manufactured at the Flat Rock plant and will be sold in North America, Europe and Asia. This new SUV will have a claimed range of 482km on a single charge.

Ford F-150

To cater to the commercial market, Ford will also bring in the Transit Custom plug-in hybrid in 2019. This is in addition to the company’s plan of launching two new hybrid police-pursuit vehicles. Both these vehicles will be customised for police requirements at the company’s police vehicle modification centre in Chicago.

Ford Transit plug-in hybrid prototype

And most importantly, Ford will also launch an autonomous vehicle for commercial ride hailing or ride sharing. Like the Mustang hybrid, the autonomous vehicle too will debut in North America. The hybrid vehicle will debut in 2021 and will be built at the Flat Rock plant.

Ford has already signed memorandum of understanding with other car manufacturers in Europe to create an ultra-fast charging network that will offer faster charging than the present options. In its initial phase, 400 sites have been planned in Europe. The company states that by 2020, consumers would have access to thousands of such high-powered charging points.

The new line-up of electric vehicles are seven of the 13 new global electrified vehicles that Ford plans to introduce in the next five years. The company announced its plan to invest $700 million to expand the Flat Rock assembly plant in Michigan that will manufacture the above-mentioned autonomous and electric vehicles. All of this is a part of the $4.5 billion investment by Ford in electric vehicles by 2020.