The Other End of the Scale

   Hatchbacks, the first thing that pops up in one’s mind after uttering this harmless word is cheap, economical, simple...and what not. But if your pockets are deep enough and you’ve got a Beamer or a Merc just lying around and another one to drop ‘Baba and Baby’ to school, I doubt that the run-of-the mill Hyundais and Marutis will satisfy your bootless dreams. The Ritz wouldn’t be ritzy enough and the i20 wouldn’t be ‘Ubѐr Cool’ at all. Do not worry my prosperous friends; consumerism and capitalism have the answers to your hitch.   

  Welcome to the world of imports. The concept remains the same; you purchase a car that has been completely built abroad and imported to India by the manufacturer along with a 100% + import duty. This leads to a normal 6-7 lakh hatchback to be sold at 16-17 lakhs. The Europeans have been smart enough to tap this market and Fiat and Volkswagen have their own offerings to cater to this demand. The Japanese could have also done this, they too have brilliant hatches but none of those brands hold the prestige the Europeans brands have. So let’s meet the contenders...

  Both were born as the ‘Tata Nano’ of their era and country, a people’s car for a post-world war nation. Both were cheap and sold in astonishing numbers. One had simple Italian design yet oozing panache, the other had intuitive German engineering designed by the automotive legend Dr. Ferdinand Porsche summoned by Hitler himself! So if you haven’t guessed it by now, I am talking about the Fiat 500 and the VW Beetle.

Fiat 500 

The original Fiat 500

  Launched internationally in 2007, the Fiat 500 is the remake of the original 1950’s Fiat 500. Fiat has tried very hard to retain the original design cues and maintain similar overall appeal. The new 500 is actually based on the Fiat Panda. This car has won a plethora of awards and is highly regarded internationally. Though this car is sold as a basic hatch in UK and other markets, in India it costs almost Rs. 18 lakh. It comes fully loaded with all the creature comforts one desires and to be honest it does look a class apart.

The Fiat 500

  Despite having a huge range of engines abroad, Fiat has decided to get the same 75bhp 1.3L Multijet diesel engine that powers the Punto, for the 500 in India. I believe that if you are wondering of actually purchasing this car, you could be one of those I-care-for-the-environment-and-I-brag-about-every-small-thing-I-do types...so go ahead and boast all you want ‘coz diesel does burn better and is green. The downside to this car could be that Fiat doesn’t have all that snob value.

Volkswagen Beetle

Original VW Beetle

  The Beetle is one of the most iconic cars of the 20^th century, instantly recognizable anywhere in the world. Launched in 1998, the new Beetle has managed to keep some of the aura of the original Beetle. The car is based on the VW Golf, but apparently is not very engrossing to drive. I doubt that this would be a deal breaker in this segment in India though. The car has people hooked to its looks and also has a small vase in the dashboard! No wonder every daddy’s girl wants this as her 18^th birthday gift...

Current VW Beetle

 This cute little mechanical wonder will set you back by almost Rs. 27 lakhs, no much for your little princess...eh, Mr Rich? VW has got the 2.0 L petrol engine that boasts of a power output of 114 bhp, kind of low for this capacity though. The even newer Beetle is slated for a 2012 launch; with this one they have addressed the main issue...feminine looks. The rear half of it actually does look very similar to the original one. But if you are stuck on the cutie-cutie looks no ones to blame you.

2012 VW Beetle

  But if you actually are an enthusiast, you will be smart enough to not fall these two gimmicky cars, and rather import some other hatch. There are many other well established hatchbacks like the Ford Focus, Renault Megane and Clio, Alfa Romeos, and a few hot-hatches that will set you back by almost the same amount and let you enjoy the freedom of a small car but with a grin on your face that stretches from ear-to-ear.

Written by

Gaurav Singh
(The Grease Monkey Blog)

Maruti Gypsy-The vagabond

   It was warm summer time in march 2003, when i was busy enjoying my vacations with what a teenager would normally do ;), until when my dad surprised me  with a 1000 cc beast, THE MARUTI SUZUKI GYPSY. Even though a  2nd hand, but was sparingly used with just 10,000 km driven since December 2001 as it was used by a retired colonel  who drove it not very often to his farmhouse.(he knew what was it built for). But now she was ours, a new member in our fleet of a 1990 maruti Suzuki 800 & a Mahindra 540 jeep.

   

   The beauty of this beast was that it actually caused my teenage puberty hormones to burst into those of an ADULT.In easy words it was the reason for my transformation into a much matured BOY. SHINY TOUNGE RED, fitted with stock accessories ; fitments, an inborn killer look to die for. Being an underage driver i took the control of the steering 1st when i was in the 7th grade without anyone's knowledge. But the gypsy didn’t allow anymore secrets of mine to be kept with myself. Being a 9th grade student i didn’t have much technical Knowledge about anything related to a ride. The only expression that i had while & after driving it was AWESOME. Over the years due to my technical knowledge i not only understood the ride well but could also better my skills of handling an actual S.U.V.

   

 The gypsy was 1st launched in 1986 by Suzuki under its collaboration with MARUTI. Gypsy is Manufactured in India by Maruti Suzuki, & was 1st introduced in the Indian market in December 1985 with the 970 cc F10A Suzuki engine and while sales was never very high it became very popular with law enforcement. It was launched as MG410, which stood for "Maruti Gypsy 4 cylinder 1.0 litre engine". Initially, it was only available as a soft-top, but a bolt on hardtop was later introduced to the public after the after-market hardtops became popular. It instantly replaced Premier Padmini as the NEW FACE of the  Indian rally car due to its performance, reliability, tun-ability and the go-anywhere capability. The carbureted F10A engine makes a  45 bhp (34 kW; 46 PS) and was meshed to a 4 speed gearbox. The 4WD transfer case had 2 speeds. 4 HIGH for higher torque in slush & 4 LOW for lower torque in gravel.

   It has a freewheeling mechanism on the front axles that unlocked the front axles from the hub when 4WD is not used; It reduces rolling resistance, thereby improving fuel efficiency. However, many owners of the Gypsy who constantly complain about the poor fuel consumption do not know about this novel feature. 

   The two major complaints of the vehicle in the civilian market are poor fuel consumption and poor ride quality especially in the rear seats. The suspension is indeed harsh with live axles and leaf springs all around. If it wouldn’t had been so then it would had never been the most popular vehicle in the INDIAN ARMY as it is one of those few vehicles that are able to take the recoil velocity of a Rocket Launcher Mounted on its chassis, without much difficulty. It features almost no creature comforts, like power-windows and power-assisted steering, hence enabling the driver to develop their forearms.

  

Wide Track 1.3L engine

In June 1996, Maruti added the engine from the Esteem. The new engine was the all-aluminum 8-valve G13BA engine displacing 1.3L and made a respectable 65 bhp (48 kW; 66 PS). This engine was carbureted unlike the US market G13BA engine.

It was meshed to a new 5-speed gearbox. It was codenamed MG413W and called the Gypsy King. The F10A-engined regular Gypsy continued in production until 2001. The visual differences of the Gypsy King compared to the MG410W are the pronounced bulge on the hood and a completely different grille design with horizontal slats.

    
In India, it is widely used by the police and defense forces. In fact, the MG413W model is now the mainstay of the Indian Army. In civilian use, the Gypsy is a popular choice as a low-cost SUV and is a common sight at rally and the toughest of all RAID DE HIMALAYAS & the DESERT STORM RALLY.

   As quoted by Autocar India, "There is nothing that can touch a Gypsy off the road, except perhaps an Arjun battle tank. The trouble is that everything else does better on the road - the ride from the archaic leaf springs all round is horribly bumpy and the interiors are utilitarian as well. Gypsy in a loaded condition (200 kg load) is more comfortable. And available with only two doors, it’s inconvenient too."

     As a 4x4 at this price point, it’s only Indian competitors are sold by Mahindra and Force Motors. The petrol engine in the Gypsy is also much more refined than the diesel mills used in the cars from the two above mentioned companies. As of 2011, the Gypsy is only available against an order with an advance payment and a waiting period of over 3 months. This has led to the creation of a strong market for used Maruti Gypsys.

 
      No doubt the gypsy’s a masterpiece that’s traded for exorbitantly high prices depending upon the vehicle condition & the goodies fitted in & on it. But if you are lucky enough to come over across the Government auctions. Preferably the gypsy’s belonging to the railways & civil services are well maintained & better kept than those of the Police vehicles, which are not worth a buy. These vehicles cost anywhere between 15,000 to 40,000 Indian Rupees.

 FILE PICTURE OF THE AUCTION QUOTATION IN THE TIMES

- Vikas Bhatia 
  (The Grease Monkey Blog)