We kick start 2020 with our annual Car of the Year issue. It’s the most beautifully shot, eloquently written and lavishly produced COTY you will read in any magazine, any where in the world. Featuring 12 of the most thrilling and entertaining cars launched, this year’s eCOTY has AMGs and Porsches along with performance cars in all sorts of shapes and sizes plus we have open-tops and hatchbacks. Which car was the definitive highlight of 2019? Pick up a copy of this issue to find out!
We have also driven a slew of new cars heading our way including the new Tata Altroz, Mercedes-Benz’s updated GLC, Jaguar XE and the Audi Q8. On the electrification front, we’ve also gotten our hands on the country’s first plug-in hybrid in the BMW 745Le, and also the upcoming MG ZS EV electric SUV.
On the road trip front we have driven the Kia Seltos across the west of the country looking for the finest indigenous art, took the Jeep Wrangler across Canada to see everything it has to offer, drove up to the hills of Mahabaleshwar to pick strawberries and accompanied nutty Jeep owners on the Jeep Trails to the Rann of Kutch. We’ve also taken an in-depth look in the Volkswagen TSI engine and how it is synonymous with performance.
The two-wheeler space has been no less exciting. We rode down to IBW, and bring you all the new launches from there. We have gotten our riding gloves on some exciting new bikes as well: the new Apache RTR 160 and 200, Suzuki’s Gixxer 250 and even BS6 scooters like the Honda Activa and the Yamaha RayZR Street Rally 125.
evo Car of the Year
We have brought together the finest cars of 2019 to sunny Spain and test them on both road and track, to see which one deserves the coveted eCOTY title. These cars are difficult to define under one umbrella – they come from varied manufacturers, with varying body style and very different sort of performance levels. But eCOTY has never been about outright speed: it is about the Thrill of Driving. The car that delivers the biggest thrills, that manages to put a smile on your face and have you coming back for another ride, that is the car that wins eCOTY.
Does the Tata Altroz look as well as it drives?
Can the MG ZS EV be the catalyst to an electric 2020?
What does the new Mercedes-Benz GLC do when you say ‘Hey Mercedes’?
What does the Jaguar XE offer over the traditional German rivals?
And can the Q8 bring Audi back into the reckoning? All the answers in our extensive Driven section.
Kia Seltos Art Trail
We drive the Kia Seltos through India, looking for the finest in art and design. One of the Seltos’ USPs is it s design and we wanted to find reflections of it in the real world. Our journey takes us discovering traditional Warli art, sitting at the feet of a classical music master and craftsmen who make something as unassuming as the Kolhapuri chappal.
Canada Roadtrip
What is the best way to see a new country? By road, of course! We recently went about discovering Canada from behind the wheel of a truly American icon, the Jeep Wrangler. From the Niagara falls to the cities of Toronto and Quebec, we set about discovering everything from the food, sights and culture of this massive country.
It is strawberry season! What better time to take the family and head out of the city. We take India’s favorite people-mover, the Toyota Innova and head out of town to this hill station nested in the western ghats of India.
The story of TSI
The TSI engine has been an integral part of Volkswagen’s journey in India, and democratised the turbo petrol engine. We explore TSI’s past, its motorsport connect and what more you can expect from the TSI family of engines in the near future.
India Bike Week
We ride down from Pune to Goa to attend India Bike Week, on a Ducati and a KTM. Plenty of news including the launch of the Triumph Rocket 3 R, KTMs 390 Adventure and the surprise launch of the Husqvarna brand in India – all included in our coverage of the event