They are not exactly similar vehicles. Nor do they belong to the same segment. So to call it a rivalry in the strict sense of the word would be a stretch. Even then, India being a country where an eventual Wagon R customer would also consider a Honda City at a given time, pitting the Renault Duster and Mahindra XUV in the same bracket should not come as a surprise. Read more

During the course of a week, I get numerous mails from people looking to buy cars and soliciting advice for the best purchase. Often, they also get back to me with the details of their choice and an appraisal of the vehicle vis a vis the others that were being considered. Read more

Who is he? You would ask. What is he doing in a blog that “claims” to deal with serious stuff about cars?. Anukool Rishi, remember? The 26 year old who “tragically” killed himself in a hair-raising accident on the BRT corridor last year. Does not ring a bell? Read more

Every year, the union budget that decides in some ways how richer or poorer we will get during the course of the year throws up a fair share of mindboggling policies. Rules that have no precedence, come out as a bolt out of the blue and prima facie, lack any sense of logic. Worse, sometimes they dont even have a sense of humour and only stress how far removed some of our bureaucrats are from reality. Or from technical knowhow. Read more

Oblivious to most car owners in the country, a pitched battle is being fought by 17 car manufacturers in India and some proponents of free market economy that may alter in some significant quantum, the shape of the after sales aspect of owning an automobile in the country. The moot point is the alleged monopoly of the car industry on spare parts and the Competition Commission of India stands as the judge in the matter. It’s a multi layered problem with varied repercussions. Here is how. Read more

In the midst of the riverie and small talk, the naked man with ash all over him, suddenly snaps at me.

“Why do you guys call my car dog’s dinner?” he asks, his pink eyes heavy with the hash he has been smoking all his life. Read more

When it was discontinued in 13 major cities in India in April 2010 as Maruti decided not to upgrade its engine to meet the tougher BSIV emission norms, everybody thought the M800 story was over. Read more

Among the four score odd emails that I received in response to the call for choosing the worst car of 2012, there was one that reminded me of my own promise from the year before, to not term it as such. I would stick to that promise and not call the particular car as the worst. Instead let’s call it a car we would rather not have. Read more

We all know what the best car of 2012 was. It has bagged the maximum awards, captured the imagination of most and resuscitated the fortunes of a company. Picking that was rather easy this time. The Renault Duster raised such a storm that any other car bagging an award ahead of it reeks of bias now. Read more

A thousand questions raised, a million thoughts provoked, a billion bones chilled, a nation shamed. The pangs of regret on why that evening had to be so horrid, why could it not have been like any other wintry night…were if you ask me, obvious. The girl should have been with us in 2013. She should have been oblivious and invisible to us, like she was on December 15. Read more