Shiraz 
Words by: Syed Shiraz
I remember, as a toddler, asking my father, “Why doesn’t Mercedes-Benz write its name on its cars?” He had replied, “It does not need to…” I also noticed quite early on that it was not just the car crazy kids and adults who could recognize a car with the three-pointed star as a Merc but even your Bajaj Priya-riding average Joe could point at that logo and exclaim “Mercedes!” stressing on the wrong syllable while at it though.
Photography: Kahkashan B. and Mohd. Asif Words: Syed Shiraz “Are you one of the judges?” asked the young chap at the gate. “No, my brother is participating; I have come to pick him up.” I said, assuming that a fashion show which was supposed to start at 5 pm would have gotten over by now … Read more
Photography: Salman Kazmi (city) & Arun Tyagi (off-road) Words: Syed Shiraz If there’s one country where estates (‘station wagons’ for the uninitiated), crossovers, compact SUVs, and dirt bikes should have ruled from day one, it’s India. Okay, we may have some of the best roads in the world but we still largely have some road … Read more
Our Chief drove the Datsun GO+ MPV this week on the mountainous roads of Rishikesh and while his detailed report gets LIVE, let me inform you that Nissan India intends to launch this vehicle next month and we have a good sniff that the prices will hover around Rs 4 Lakhs!
So it’s the Hyundai Elite i20 ladies and gentlemen that has been adjudged the best car of the year by the ICOTY (Indian Car Of The Year) jury in Mumbai yesterday. And this Hyundai managed that amidst some really ‘elite’ competition in the form of the new Honda City and Maruti Suzuki’s latest flagship, the Ciaz!
Of course, other than these three, there were many other contenders battling it out to claim the top spot in the most prestigious of awards of the Indian automobile industry. The nominated cars were judged on various parameters such as price, fuel economy, styling, comfort, safety, performance, practicality, technical innovation, value for money and suitability for Indian driving conditions.