Indiaandrsquos leading SUV manufacturer Mahindra andamp Mahindraandrsquos second season of Mahindra Adventure will be held in June. This series that showcases the off-roading potential of Mahindra vehicles includes categories like Great Escape challenges Monastery Escape Royal New Year Escape besides three new adventures viz the 14-day Tri-Nation Escape that traverses Bhutan India and Nepal and the six-day Authentic Goa Escape and Wildlife Escape. Primarily designed for Mahindra vehicle owners those who do not own one can also participate by paying a nominal fee.

The Great Escape participants can participate in an andlsquoOff-Roading Trophyandrsquo later in the year.

andldquoAfter the successful run of Mahindra Adventure Season 1 we are all geared to unveil the new season that promises even more thrills for the adventure seeker. The andlsquoOff-roading Trophyandrsquo and international events make season 2 even more exciting and will go a long way in showcasing the tough and rugged capability of our range of vehiclesandrdquo said Vivek Nayer Vice President Marketing Automotive Division Mahindra andamp Mahindra Ltd.

Mahindra Adventure has also featured in the motorsport arena. After roping in drivers Gaurav Gill and Lohitt Urs it has also got 2012 Dakshin Dare Rally winner Sunny Sidhu on board. The team will compete in Indiaandrsquos most popular motorsport events including Mughal Rally Raid de Himalaya and Desert Storm.

The company also unveiled andlsquoGet Lostandrsquo Indiaandrsquos first online adventure magazine.

Multi Day Expedition and Challenges Calendar

Great Escape Calendar

Think of Indians competing in international level motorsport to most only two names crop up andndash Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok. And while it is a sad (and true) fact that the international motorsport rostrums are not overflowing with Indian names one canandrsquot really overlook the new generation of youngsters who have taken their racing talents to the world arena. Chief amongst these youngsters at the moment is Sailesh Bolisetti. The 23-year old from Vishakhapatnam had already made quite a name for himself in the Indian Touring Car class of JK National Racing Championship piloting the venerable Maruti Suzuki Esteem.

In a journey of racing tin tops that started in 2008 Sailesh finished third in the Indian Touring Car championship in 2009 and in 2010 he followed that up with a hard and closely fought second place finish in the same class. But 2010 held another feather in the cap for Sailesh as he also competed in the inaugural season of the Volkswagen Polo Cup India andndash a racing series designed to propel young talent from Indian into the global motorsport arena. And it was here that the lad was crowned the first Polo Cup India champion and got a sponsored seat in the 2011 Volkswagen Scirocco-R Cup in Germany. In his first ever international racing season Sailesh managed a points-scoring finish in every race and finished fifteenth in the overall standings.

His improvements here got him noticed by racing teams from around the world and electing to not compete one more year in the Scirocco-R Cup Sailesh found himself driving for the Lotus Sport UK team this year in the GT4 class of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship. The British GT Championship is one of Europeandrsquos premier touring car championships and should serve as the perfect launching ramp for the young lad to make it big in the top level of touring car championships such as DTM and Le Mans. And of course the car Sailesh is driving is nothing short of a proper world class GT racer andndash a mid-engine Lotus Evora GT with a naturally aspired 4.0-litre V6 motor that makes 355bhp and 445Nm of torque.

Even now the Vizag-lad is one event old in the championship and already he has shown his mettle through some remarkable driving. In the wet and tricky qualifying session at Oulton Park in the UK Sailesh was only able to bring his Evora into fifth position in the GT4 class. But come race day with a bit of wet-weather driving experience under his belt Sailesh and his teammate Phil Glew raced to a well-deserved second place finish in the first race of the weekend. Even in the face of stiff competition from seasoned veterans from the BTCC and other international championships in the second race Sailesh did well to keep his cool and bring his Evora home in another second place finish.

With six more rounds to go in the British GT Championship this year things are shaping up mighty well for Sailesh and the Lotus Sport UK team which is already rather pleased with the ladandrsquos performance. Now all we can seem to do is wait with anticipation as the season progresses and send him all our best wishes in the hope of him doing the country proud on the global motor racing arena.

The growing demand for OE fitted equipment has attracted not just car makers but OE manufacturers as well. Blaupunkt Holding Germany has tied up with AutoSonics India. The Penang Malaysia plant inaugurated with the Indian subsidiary set-up will also eventually cater to the Indian subcontinent confirmed Lars Placke CEO Blaupunkt Group Germany.

andldquoIndia has always been a strategic market for Blaupunkt both for OE and retail business. This is a very dynamic space and high customer involvement category. Emerging technologies are creating new opportunities for mobility connectivity productivity and entertainment while on the road. Increasingly our OE customers (in India and on a global basis) are looking for innovative solutions to enhance their competitive advantage and to address the needs of a discerning customerandrdquo said Placke. The OEM space is a rather unchartered one with major Indian players in the market. However the entry of foreign players such as Blaupunkt marks the growth of the original equipment sector in India.

The OE manufacturer has been in the Indian aftermarket and original equipment space with a number of car makers like Audi VW and other Indian players. However high pricing of its products did put it on the back foot. With the Penang plant the company will also look at revising pricing as well.

Headquartered in Hildesheim Germany the infotainment system maker has manufacturing centres in Tunisia and Malaysia.

Gills win came in light of his MRF teammate Chris Atkinson taking the top trophy at the inaugural round of this yearandrsquos APRC season at the Rally of Whangarei in New Zealand. In the same rally Gill had managed to bring in his Race Torque-prepared Skoda Fabia Super 2000 for a well deserved third place. And as a follow up of the events of the first rally Atkinson snatched second place at New Caledonia from Brian Green making it a good day indeed for Team MRF.

The weather conditions made the event a difficult one for crews - hot sunny conditions then turned to tropical downpours which created several deep water crossings playing havoc with the electrics of the cars and punctures caused dramas and time losses. The conditions managed to catch out even experienced rally drivers like Protonandrsquos Per Gunnar Anderson while he was leading the pack. This shot Atkinson into the overall rally lead overnight but after this things only got worse for all the drivers. The young Australian had a 41.4 second lead over Gill but both the Skoda Fabias encountered some serious difficulties. Atkoandrsquos car had developed some electrical problems sustained while going through a water crossing which ended up costing him seven minutes while Gill had problems with his rear suspension. Still the Delhi-lad managed to nurse his car back to the service area after that.

After a bit of repairs Gill got back into the rally and his persistence and speed ensured he won the event by close to five minutes over his teammate. andldquoIt makes me proud as an Indian that I can match and beat guys like this. This win has helped prove the point that we guys can defeat the rest with 25 per cent of their infrastructure and experienceandrdquo Gill said after the win. andldquoThe track was slippery and there were rocks but the tyres performed brilliantly. Iandrsquod really like to thank the team for this one. It was due to them we could keep going. Everyone had issues and Iandrsquom sorry for what happened to Chris but the main thing is that itandrsquos still a one-two finish for MRF and the whole team can celebrateandrdquo he added.

Atkinson still heads the leaderboard as the APRC heads to the Rally Queensland in Australia but Gill has moved up to second place in the championship eight points behind. Team MRF though heads the Teams Championship with 109 points more than twice that of Proton Motorsports.

Iandrsquove been an SUV fanatic from as far back in time as I can remember. My love for big wheels big engines high ground clearance and off-roading abilities might have sprung from the fact that I grew up on a mountain in South India and spent a serious amount of my childhood on farms where jeeps ruled the roost. Out in the rugged boonies the only thing that ever mattered was raw power and the ability to get out of sticky situations with ease. Itandrsquos the land of no cars and itandrsquos left a lasting impression.

My obsession has only grown with time and Iandrsquove been the proud owner of a Willyandrsquos low bonnet a CJ3B MM540 Mahindra Bolero and a Mahindra Scorpio at various instances plus I have had the opportunity to drive a plethora of high end SUVs thanks to the nature of my job. With all this experience Iandrsquove had the benefit of gaining a deep understanding of what a jeep/SUV can do and canandrsquot do and one thing is certain a jeep or an SUV for that matter isnandrsquot designed to do hot laps on a race track I never thought the day would come but it finally did in the form of the Mahindra XUV500 Torque Day held at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida.

I must admit it was my curiosity that got me to wake up at the god forsaken hour of 5:00am in order to get ready and make it to the track in time for this rather unusual drive. Unlike a Ferrari drive or a BMW M Power Drive I really didnandrsquot know what was in store at such an event. After all how much fun could it be trying to take a 2.5-tonne diesel powered behemoth around a race track?

The corners would be slow the chance to topple would be high (especially with 200mm of ground clearance and a high centre of gravity) and there would be absolutely no element of enjoying the XUV500andrsquos true purpose of being an able soft-roader. I figured I could have more fun with a XUV500 in a gravel parking lot or a dirt trail than I could out on the track. I was wrong.

The XUV500 is by far the most refined product to roll out of Mahindraandrsquos facility. Itandrsquos a soft-roader that commands great street presence and it also happens to be the first Mahindra to boast a monocoque chassis and a transverse mounted engine. Power goes to the front wheels but there is an all-wheel drive option which sadly wasnandrsquot what I was given to drive at the track.

While the AWD version would have helped in offering an enhanced drive experience I had to make do with the fact that the only elements that I had to rely on while out on the track would be the monocoque body which doesnandrsquot allow for as much body roll compared to a body on ladder frame the MacPherson strut suspension at the front and an independent multi-link suspension at the rear which have been tuned by Lotus plus there was the element of my own driving skills to count on as well.

PAGEBREAK

I geared up and hopped into the driverandrsquos seat for my set of hot laps on the circuit. Accelerating towards turn one I felt as though I might have been too harsh on the accelerator and the turn was upon me in seconds. My mind was racing through the few lessons Iandrsquove learnt about driving on a race track and I did my level best to keep the vehicle composed yet take the turn at a decent speed.

While there was enough body roll to make my co-passenger mutter a quick prayer the XUV500 surprised me with its ability to take that turn without feeling out of control. That single instance gave me enough confidence to step up the pace and try my hand at following the proper race lines along the course in order to hustle this SUV through the corners and have a gala time doing so.

I didnandrsquot expect the XUV500 to behave like a sportscar nor did I expect to hit major speeds out on the tarmac. However I got to unleash the 2.2-litre mHawk engine to its full potential and more importantly I got to witness first hand the dynamic ability that the XUV500 possesses.

I wish we were given the AWD versions for an increased level of hooliganism out on the tarmac but the fact that the 2WD version performed so well is a compliment to the vehicleandrsquos build as well as a testament to the blokes at Lotus who must have had a field day in deriving an ideal suspension tuning for the XUV500 to allow for some uninhibited fun on a race track yet tackle the rugged outdoors with andeacutelan.

On a parting note I admit that driving a XUV500 out on the track holds its merit as one of my most memorable track driving experiences till date. I know it is a limited list but it does include a Ferrari 458 Italia Audi A4 Mercedes-Benz E-Class BMW Z4 and BMW M5 so I do have the right to be judgmental here. Regardless while the XUV500 isnandrsquot going to set lap times or take corners at three-digit speeds it has the potential to entertain and on that accord it disappoint at all.

High-end luxury car buyers have perennially sworn by the word of the automobile journalists when it comes to drawing the right conclusions on the vehicle that would best suit their needs. However while exclusive media drives have helped us understand the might of brand Mercedes-Benz hereandrsquos the German car maker reaching out to directly its curious customers for the third consecutive year through its flagship Mercedes-Benz StarDrive Experience.

The third edition promises to be bigger and better but will once again primarily focus on providing customers a closer look and feel at the safety features engineering prowess and handling dynamics of Mercedes-Benzandrsquos extensive line up of high-performance automobiles on sale here in India.

The new and improved M-Class the monstrous GL-Class the best-selling C-Class and E-Class sedans and the street searing AMGsandrsquo are among many vehicles that will put up their individual acts in the course of the nationwide event. This year the Mercedes-Benz StarDrive Experience will be conducted in two phases across 6 cities andndash Kochi Bangalore Chennai Delhi Chandigarh andamp Mumbai.

For off-roading enthusiasts artificial parcour set-ups resembling natural off-road terrains will be used to demonstrate the real-world application of off-roading features in Mercedes-Benz SUVs. For the more andlsquoStarandrsquostruck kind this yearandrsquos participants would also get a chance to get behind the wheels of a Mercedes-Benz by participating in the StarDrive with Farhan Akhtar contest wherein one lucky winner along with his spouse gets a chance to actually meet the multi-faceted silver screen talent.

All your curiosities about the region-wise schedule prior experience of participants and everything else you need to know about registering for season 3 of the Mercedes-Benz StarDrive Experience can be quenched on www.mbstardriveexperience.co.in.

In a bid to regain lost market share in India Mercedes-Benz plans to assemble eight to nine models over the next few years a move that would help it save on steep import duty and price its products more aggressively.


We are going to change the rules of the game in the next three years with our CKD lines said Peter Honegg MD andamp CEO of Mercedes Benz India. The German premium carmaker on Tuesday launched the third generation ML class at 56.90 lakh. The company already assembles C E and S class cars at its Chakan plant.

While imported cars attract 110% duty those assembled in India are levied a lower import duty of up to 30%. Over the next few years Mercedes-Benz has lined up a slew of cars that it will assemble in India such as GL-class followed by upcoming B-Class A-class and GLC-Class models. The luxury carmaker is also investing Rs 350 crore in setting up assembly lines and the paint shop.

The company is aiming to sell 500 ML-Class this year and has already got over 100 bookings said Honegg. While the Stuttgart-based carmaker has lost out to Audi as the second-largest player in the country Honegg says Mercedes-Benz is aiming for profitable growth in India.

In 2011 BMW was the No.1 player in the premium and luxury car segment in India with sales of over 9400 units followed by Mercedes-Benz at 7430 and Audi at 5511 units.

Known to be the pioneer when it comes to technology Mercedes-Benz has done it again by being the first to start of series production for the cleanest regular-service diesel bus. The first Citaro left the production line at the EvoBus plant in Mannheim with Mercedes-Benz Oncemore taking the lead in the field of eco-friendly buses. Based on pioneering diesel technology they reduce CO2 emissions and ensure a clean environment for our towns and cities.

One of the inherent features of Euro VI emissions technology is that it increases fuel consumption. And yet the Mercedes-Benz Citaro manages to use even less than ever. To achieve this the engineers have really put their innovative thinking caps on. As just one example: during braking or coasting down a slope the alternators generate andldquofreeandrdquo electricity that is then stored on board the truck in a series of super-condensers. A second example: the rear door entrances are now lower. When andldquokneelingandrdquo or lifting again at a bus stop the bus therefore requires less energy. All in all the Citaro with Euro VI saves around three to five percent fuel. With normal service mileage it will therefore use around 1 000 litres less diesel and emit around 2.6 tonnes less CO2 each year.

Working away at the back of this best-selling regular-service bus are some new engines. The six-cylinder in-line units with a displacement of either 7.7 or 10.7 litres deliver output ranging from 299 to 394 PS. The tried and tested Mercedes-Benz SCR emission control system with AdBlue injection and closed-loop particulate filter is combined here with an exhaust gas recirculation system. To accommodate the new engines and the complexities of the emission control system the Citaro now features a new tail end design. The potential extra weight of Euro VI is compensated for here by a number of measures ranging from a lightweight glass-fibre-reinforced plastic roof to a weight-optimised rear axle. As a result the payload and thus the number of passengers who can be accommodated in the Citaro remains unchanged. Clean frugal and practical the Citaro is definitely a star amongst buses.

The Maharashtra Government has decided to cut vehicle tax on company owned and imported vehicles. The tax on such vehicles will now be charged at 20% of the cost of the vehicle. The state cabinet unanimously decided to cut the tax on imported and company owned vehicles as the transport department had reported that thousand of vehicles were getting registered in neighboring states to avoid high level of taxes in Maharashtra. Earlier imported and company owned vehicles attracted a tax of 22% for petrol vehicles and 26% for diesel vehicles.

The state government had raised the tax on private vehicles in the last budget. For private vehicles the tax has been increased by 2% for petrol and 4% for diesel vehicles. The change has already been implemented. The cut in tax on imported and company owned vehicles will be implemented with immediate effect.