London Taxi Now in India : Special Feature

If you’ve been to London, you might recognise one instantly. However, try to refrain yourself from calling out “Taxi!” Because this freshly imported piece, one of a fleet of 10, is only for the exclusive use of guests of Oakwood Hotel in Koregaon Park in Pune. Imported into India by Subash Sanas, a businessman, these TX4 models made exclusively by the London Taxi Company will offer his select clientele a luxurious, comfortable and spacious option to commute in the city, while giving them a little taste of London in India. 

While similar black cabs in London are seen from a pure commuting point of view, here it’s no doubt a way to stand apart from the crowd. Everywhere this cab goes, heads turn and conversations erupt. It’s not a beautiful car by any measure, but its rather practical design is carved out to offer maximum room for the all important rear seated passengers, head to toe and shoulders included.

This Tx4 variant is equipped with a 2.5-litre Euro IV compliant common-rail diesel engine mated to an automatic gearbox. The London Taxi Company has been in the business of making these instantly recognisable and now modern icons for over 70 years. They may hark back to an older design generation from the outside, but beneath it all it’s quite a modern cab. The Euro IV compliant engine runs clean and green, delivers high torque at  low rpm, perfect for the cut and thrust of daily driving conditions whether in Pune or in London. It’s got ABS all around as standard, an ultra strong steel chassis with bolt-on panels that should be a boon when fixing any dents or nicks. The LTC cab also boasts of a supreme turning radius of just 25 feet to make light work of heavy traffic turning situations.

Open the door, and the 90-degree opening angle gives you enough room to enter the even more spacious seating area.  The passengers' cabin is segregated from the driver's with a glass window that also houses the LCD television screen. Any interaction with the driver is taken care of by an in-built microphone that serves as an intercom between the front and the rear. The seats are comfortable, plushly appointed and the centre piece of the rear cab. Surrounding that is a one-piece centre division that houses a glass holder, a wine bottle cooler, along with an audio DVD player that allows you to entertain yourself if you happen to be stuck in a long jam. 

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For those looking to lug about shopping bags, don’t worry. No matter how much you shop your bags are easily stashed away in the front next to the driver’s cockpit, where the passenger’s seat is supposed to be. The 437 litres of storage space should sound more than adequate for a day’s spend.

At the Oakwood the chauffeurs of these London cabs are also going to be a pampered lot. With the cockpit being a comfortable space to do their business in surrounded by all the controls at their fingertips, large comfortable seats and a higher driving position that offers a great view of the road and traffic ahead. Exclusivity does come at a price however. This one takes the sticker at a cool Rs 50 lakh.

Location & vehicle courtesy: The Oakwood Premiere, Pune