The White Ghost

I remember it been called the ‘White Ghost’ once people started seeing her on roads.

She wasn't called ‘White Ghost’ for any reason at all. She was worthy of the nickname given to her.

Pearl White finish, Golden front & rears shocks, beast inspired headlamps, Nocturnal blue backlit digital display, & to top it aerodynamic razored design. Dint she get heads to turn.

If you have guessed it, you have guessed it right. Iam talking about the new Apache Rtr powered with 180cc of engine, 17.03 bhp @ 8500 rpm & a maximum torque generating ability of 15.5Nm @ 6500 rpm. The 2 valve, single cylinder, 4 stroke engine gallops ahead when one tries to compete with a vehicle of its class.

With a top speed of 124kmph and an ability to do 0-60 in less than 4.18 seconds the bike can truly floor you while you are riding her. She also comes equipped with front & rear roto petal discs for superior braking ability. Tvs has also introduced the new ABS (Anti lock braking system) feature in the current version. Just as the name suggests it prevents the bike from skidding or locking the tyres when one applies brakes at regular or high speeds.

Shorter in length and height (compared to other bikes in its class) it truly is a ‘chota packet bada dhamaka’.

The Beast (as the company calls her) is available in 3 different colours black, white & grey and it’s not easy to choose one.

They have priced the Abs version at INR 88,000 which means they are charging a premium of INR 12,000 for a feature that might make a difference between your life and death.

Overall with good maneuvering ability at high speed & at regular speeds, the bike does pretty well in its class. But for its class the bike does generate a lot of vibration. Also Tvs could come up with better quality of tyres compared to the ones that currently The Beast comes equipped with.

Good value for money, Abs version is a must buy for all those technical buffs & also not so technical buffs (as it might save your life). In the meantime let’s wait and see what the rest of its competitors come up with.

About the author:

Kunal Choksi is an automobile enthusiast. He has done his college from the Mumbai University and has also done a PGDBA in Marketing.

He likes to read, travel and loves automobiles & gadgets.

Email – kunal-choksi@hotmail.com

The White Elephant

After procrastinating for almost a month, I finally couldn't avoid it and I had to drive. With a girlfriend who had a broken foot beside me, I had to drive and go to Jaipur as I was the one who wanted to see the pink city (though ironically there is nothing pink there).

Sx4 being an underrated vehicle in its category, I decided I might as well test the vehicle and see why is it termed as an underrated sedan. So at 5 in the morning with a limping girl beside me, we entered the parking lot and there she was standing a white coloured beauty (or rather a white elephant as my girlfriend calls her) ready to whistle through. Started with setting the trip B indicator to a zero and had already topped up the tank to its maximum capacity we left and soon I could see Delhi in my rear view mirror.

Delhi – Jaipur highway being under construction since (I don’t know how many) years, the start was a bit slow as there was quite a bit of traffic near the Daruhera area. But once past that we whizzed through the journey. A brilliant sitting position with an advantage of an adjustable steering, my lower back (that at times behaves like my friend’s mother in law) dint utter a word. Our average speed was in the three figures and I did manage to take the white elephant to a 150kmph. Now the gujarati in me did scream his lungs out suggesting that the average will go down as I was driving fast but surprisingly I did manage to get an average of 13.5kmpl on the highway and 12kmpl in the city with the ac being permanently switched on coz as my girlfriend suggests “if you want to drive a car without the ac switched on, go ride a bike”.

Managing to take care of my girlfriend and her broken foot, reaching Jaipur within 6 hours, satisfying the gujarati in me & not harming my lower back it was a wonderful trip. I would like to take the white elephant out for a longer trip so that I could test her suspension and get used to the wonderful blind spot that Maruti has provided, (the A pillars of the car) suggesting it’s a wonderful design. I might want to add that if you don’t pay attention while taking turns, this wonderful design might just kill you and make a wonderful design of you but none the less overall it’s a beauty to drive and own.

About the author:

Kunal Choksi is an automobile enthusiast. 

He likes to read, travel and loves automobiles & gadgets.

Email – kunal-choksi@hotmail.com

The Legend of Yeti

The legend of Yeti that originated in the Himalayan region of Nepal is a secret to no one.

It’s still considered as a myth but only till the time you see it made of metal, rubber & plastic instead of flesh, bones & blood.

The Germans surely know how to put a legend to life. With a 2Ltr engine, 140(ps) of power & a maximum torque generating ability of 1750nm @ 2500 Rpm the Yeti roars to life in the 21^st century.

The legend says, Yeti was taller than the average human being and was very dangerous. The Germans took this very seriously. The moment you sit in a Yeti, it makes you feel grand. Tremendous power, height adjustable seats in the front for an average human being, (and also for that not so average friend that we all have) more space for those knick knacks (that we all have) with features like a storage compartment below the front passenger’s seat. They also give you the option of removing or folding the rear seats according to your needs.

Now Yeti the legend might be very dangerous but this one has a list of things that will keep you safe.

It comes equipped with features like Abs (Antilock Braking System), Edl (Electronic Differential Locking), Asr (Anti Slip Regulation), Tcs (Traction Control System), Esp (Electronic Stability Program) & Hhc (Hill hold control). To top it, it is also equipped with 6 air bags. So the Germans have made sure that the probability of Yeti the legend harming you is much more than the 21^st century Yeti.

Ferocious looks from the exterior but very elegant from the inside, Yeti comes with leather seat upholstery for front and rear seats. Now Yeti the legend might be from the Himalayas but we don’t need to go there to feel that drop in the temperature. It comes equipped with a Dual-Zone climatronic feature where you can control temperature for the right side of the cabin & the left side of the cabin. So the driver might be feeling warm but that doesn’t mean the co passengers can’t feel the air conditioned air in their hair.

With smooth suspension and a driving feel you would kill for Yeti is a very tough competition for its class. If you are one of those people who want an all wheel drive version then there is no hill too tall and no ditch to deep with the Yeti.

About the author:

Kunal Choksi is an automobile enthusiast.

He likes to read, travel and loves automobiles & gadgets.

Email – kunal-choksi@hotmail.com