Passat CC Review: Comfortable Curves.

Given the exceptional steering, evocative design and a dash of luxury, that’s what the letters CC should stand for!

Bearing the fore-tag of one of the most practical yet comfortable sedans in the market, the Passat CC is the most impressive input from Volkswagen to liven up a value-conscious market that is driven by a ubiquitous and sudden penchant for sporting luxury.

Honestly, the name Passat is a misnomer for a car designed to flaunt its sporting prowess rather than practical comfort (which by the way it has in plenty and explains the name Comfort Coupe). Hence you will often see it referred to by even its maker as merely the CC.

The Drive

The CC is one of those cars that, in the first mile itself, demand to be driven a hundred more. Even before it could complete its first 6-speed cycle, I knew I had to take it out on a long route. I chose the winding roads to Fujairah, with the mountains rising on both sides like welcoming wallpaper and the road offering enough challenges for a gratifying drive.

The CC has exceptional drive manners. Its light, effortless and precise steering control, with almost zero overplay, makes cornering so well measured and graceful. The steering is one of the best, especially on the highway; it’s like an unhampered flow of rich cream that leaves you satisfied at the delicious maneuver you just completed. Interchange speed limits too may be tested confidently with its effortless precision, rarely found in cars that cost less than 175K. Further, the CC comes with bending lights that compliment the steering at night.

If you are driving the 2.0 L version like me, be aware that this isn’t a car that gives you a feel of its power on a 300 m dash between signals. Once you are on the motorway, the power responds fluently to your call. On city roads, the CC rakes up an impressive torque range in bursts, with an effortless streak up to the 5500rpm range - which simply means excellent passing acceleration whenever you are out to impress. But the acceleration pedal hits the ground too soon, and power plateaus just when you get used to the generous mid range torque (mind you, it’s the 2.0 L CC I’m talking about). That said, never during the laid-back and comfortable journey did grains on the road disrupt the driving pleasure!

The Design

Three nights after I drove the CC up the Fujairah hills, butterflies fluttered in my dreams, like they did in my stomach during the drive. Not surprising, given the psychedelic effect those large butterfly eyes at the rear have. Those lights of the CC make it stand out from any other model on the road, though not very Volkswagen like. The classic VW arch has been pulled and flattened a bit to suit its sporty disposition and sometimes brings the Mercedes CL class to mind from the distance. But thanks to it, the sunroof cannot be drawn back, only lifted.

Cabin and Controls

The insides are elegant, premium and yet minimalistic and matter-of-fact in styling. With a bit of wood to complement the flagship Volkswagen flair, the CC offers pure leather as well as elegant fabric finishes to its comfortable, sporty seats.

Strangely, there is ‘nothing to hold on to’ when the car takes on sharp bends. Grip handles are conspicuously absent in this car. Agreed, passengers don’t get to know road imperfections, and the car doesn’t stray an inch from the intended path but it’s basic courtesy to have grip handles even for a car with minimal body roll.

And so…

The Passat CC, or simply CC, is perfect for those who wish to have power up their sleeves but wouldn’t want to flaunt it at every light they take off from!

For the full story and features of Passat CC, read http://drivemeonline.com/passat-cc-review-comfortable-curves/

Dodge Charger Review: A storm blowing like a breeze!

If someone wants to move over to an SUV yet not leave behind the comforts of a sedan, I wonder why would anyone think of the neuter gender of a Crossover? The Dodge Charger is a big one, and it’s as menacing as a car can get.

If I took it for a beast all this while, something to make the list of the meanest and largest predators that trod the earth, you can’t blame me. On 20” wheels, with a long way between the bow and the stern, the Charger is more like a battleship on wheels.

Once you enter its reinforced cage, you realize the beast has undergone a course in impeccable etiquette and refinement, with road manners that almost tempts you to call the formidable presence “elegant”. Presence is what the Charger is all about. A menacing intimidating one as it storms down the highway, the Charger is surprisingly silent – like the bulwark that Hugh Jackman is as he minds his ranch beyond the Billabong. The power is felt rather than heard – despite the 5.7 L V8 engine that works up a 370 bhp storm like a breeze!

While its muscular bigness is its trademark appeal, the Charger counterbalances its bulk through a plethora of technologically assisted features to help you dodge any challenges that may crop up. Blindspot Monitoring System, Parking Assist with a Rear Cross Path feature to help you reverse out of parallel parking spots and an extra-wide rear camera make the Charger smooth for its driver and safe for everyone else!

The driver-friendly features in the cabin obliges to keep you comfortable in its rather lofty seats, with convenient adjustment space (automatic in the top of the line) for the steering, the seats and why, even the pedals. At the touch of a button at your seat-side, the brake pedal lifts itself up to suit your leg space. The Alcantara leather seats offer ample cushioning for your lumbar area but there is only a heating facility – and no cooling – of the seats.

The menacing front grille is a legend. The design lines on the sides, starting like surfboard strokes from the A pillar all the way to the rear cabin lends a fast car touch.

Despite being a classic brand with a niche following, what’s amazing is the American spirit of keeping the prices low enough to translate a muscle car into a value proposition!

For the full story and features, read http://drivemeonline.com/dodge-charger-a-storm-blowing-like-a-breeze/

Audi A1: One for fun

Audi calls it “the next big Audi”. It is an utterly impressive 2-door hatch created using the same platform that gives rise to the more mundane, and half-as-pricey, Ibiza and Polo.

Driving tip: Take it easy with the A1. Use a light foot – after all it’s a cute and delightful car. It will respond by unleashing pulse-quickening power, though after a brief moment of thought, but if you tend to split open the throttle with a heavy foot, you might be disappointed by the painstakingly delivered drone – reminding you it’s a 1.4 L engine after all.

The Drive
The Audi A1 drives smooth and solid. Though the initial upturn velocity isn’t as seamlessly gained like an A4 or the other siblings, the A1 squeezes out the essence of an Audi Drive to fill a small cup of absolute pleasure. The passing acceleration will not disappoint you if you have a point to prove, while the dynamic suspension and the cross-axle lock that counter steers in corners add up to the precise handling.
The Design
The front façade and the headlamps with their LED signature are unmistakably Audi but the rear lights belong to the Volkswagen family rather than the Audi kin. Interiors are designed to bring alive the (aero) nautical experience, with the Air-conditioning vents that resemble a propeller and the console that reminds you of a cruiser’s hull.

The A1 squeezes out the essence of an Audi Drive to fill a small cup of absolute pleasure. Specs: 1.4 TFSI Petrol, Transmission: 7-speed S-tronic, Output: 122 bhp @ 5000 rpm, Torque: 200 Nm @ 1500-4000, Top speed: 203 km, 0-100 kmph: 8.9 sec

Cabin and controls
Inside an A1, detailing is painstakingly attended to – as expected of a car that you are expected to talk to, laugh with and cry on. The dials look bold and sporty reminiscent of a chronograph dial. Driver’s info pops up conveniently on the screen in front without having to resort to the centre console monitor. I found the deep red and black that marks the lit up dials sporty and intriguing, especially when only the red needles show up in the dark. The stowaway MMI screen is an interesting twist on the road, allowing simple yet elaborate navigation through the controls. The Bose music system is, probably, the most remarkable thing inside the A1 cabin.
Family Drive
The individual is at the centre of the A1 design. Right from the console controls facing the driver with an almost imperceptible tilt, to the stingy legroom or the total absence of any sort of storage or lighting at the rear, everything underlines this inclination. But I should be fair in adding that the A1 doesn’t keep the family out, and comes with even a baby seat provision. However, the ride at the back of an A1 isn’t half as comfortable as in the front. There isn’t much storage room in the cabin, with the door storage too shallow for anything much. But the boot is larger than you would expect in a Supermini and can fit in a couple of airport bags or a stroller!
Audi 1 Vs Mini Cooper
If you overlook the fact that they vie for the same pie, flaunts similar muscle, and sometimes speak for the category’s design in unison, all rational comparisons of the A1 to the Mini is a figment of marketing fancy or that of a very confused Audi or Mini fan. While Mini, even in its most modern avatar, maintains the makings of a classic as defined by Mini itself, the Audi A1 is a much more contemporary subcompact… Read the whole story on  http://drivemeonline.com/2011/11/04/audi-a1-one-for-fun-2/

Jaguar XF: The double-stitch luxury of classic and contemporary

As you press the start button, the knurled aluminium dash panel dramatically flips over at several spots, followed by a cool blast of air-conditioning. The Jaguar Drive Selector knob rises – like the periscopic elevation of a nuclear sub. The steering moves over to take its predetermined position. In the theatre of Jaguar, it’s the curtain raiser to the XF experience!

The Jaguar XF 3.0 spits out 238 bhp @ 6800 rpm with a 293 Nm torque @ 4100 rpm, with 80% of its torque available before you reach 2000 rotations. The 0 – 100 achieved in 8.3 sec is a telling figure of priority while the 237 kmph top speed still speaks for its capability. The 5.0 L supercharged can do 100 in 4.9 sec.

The Jag XF is designed to do anything at the flick of a finger or the mere touch of it. From shifting gears to engaging the parking brakes to switching on the cabin lights.

The Jaguar XF pronounces its verdict on luxury – reiterating that it lives in the detail of exquisite craftsmanship. There is nothing like handcrafted double-stitch leather laid-out like the ordained icon of bespoke luxury on the dash and the window sill, complemented by wood veneer trims.

The new design is an ingenious work of art, retaining the claw marks on the bonnet, the bestial muscularity of the flanks and even the pillars that are reminiscent of the agile limbs of the big cat. As night falls and the car makes a sharp turn, the cornering lights spring out next to its Bi-Xenon lighthouse, like a pleasant surprise from the dark!

The S mode holds the lower gears for longer allowing a quick sprint halfway up the rpm meter, taking your pulse rate along with it.  You would expect the thirst to increase dramatically with the switch to the S mode – but thankfully, it doesn’t.

The winding road up the mountain was perfectly traced by the XF’s unflinching road adherence and precise steering controls. Yet, what’s overwhelming is the ease with which it is achieved.

You can’t take the classic out of a Jaguar. The burbling rage of the British race car is a voice that echoes down the chronological corridors of the sixties onwards. Whether you wrap it with stunning curves and sporty lines, or equip it with absolutely mind-blowing technological titbits, it’ll still remain what it has always been – a true classic.

Read the full story on http://drivemeonline.com/2011/10/10/jaguar-xf-the-double-stitch-luxury-of-classic-and-contemporary/

Peugeot RCZ Review: The double-bubble Peugeot can bank on!

In the Pug of War with the Audi TT, the stunning Peugeot RCZ pulls sporty minds towards design aesthetics.

What does it take to make the drivers of the Audi TT to turn their heads? That was perhaps the very brief that Autodesk designers received at the Peugeot headquarters. It seems what they came up with has urged not only Ingolstadt but the entire world to sit up and take a second look! With the unique, even a bit weird double-bubble design, the RCZ from Peugeot reiterates the superiority of style over everything else in French Automobile Grammar.

RCZ: The power to pull the Peugeot brand-wagon

When offered the test drive, my preference to experience the manual drive first, as against the more popular automatic transmission, was just as obvious as the additional 44 bhp power available in the 200 bhp manual version.  The latter’s torque as high as 275 Nm makes the manual drive as powerful as you want a mid-range sports car to be. Despite fielding a 1.6 L engine – thanks to Peugeot’s environment-friendly agenda – you don’t have to wait for the torque to kick in. This makes the manual transmission smooth and pleasurable, and the purposeful gearshift adds to the sporty feeling of the drive.

RCZ runs up to 100 kmph swiftly enough (7.1 sec) but takes much longer to cruise past the 200 mark. But then, it’s an uncannily similar comparison here with the Audi TT 2.0 TFSI, that leaves 100 behind in less than 7 sec but crosses the 200 mark at (yawn!) 29.5 sec, in fact half a second behind the RCZ!

Active driving dynamics and N-Cap safety rating

Peugeot RCZ features a dashing spoiler across its boot that comes awake with a crunch that sounds more like a sharp and sudden revving of the turbo-booster – a signal to other drivers regarding the powerhouse that is passing by. Christened the Active Rear Spoiler, it is deployed automatically according to the vehicle speed or by the touch of a button in the central console, and is designed to optimize the flow of air and improve the down-force.

Besides the high visibility quotient of the rear windscreen, Parking Sensors with a blip make it a friendly cockpit to drive in. On the flipside are the cruise control and speed limiter stalks that are well concealed behind the steering spokes – looks great by being invisible is it at the cost of practicality?

Peugeot RCZ Automatic Transmission

Well, if you would rather barter a vial of adrenaline for the ease of everyday urban commute, the automatic transmission still doesn’t deprive you of the RCZ essence. There is a lot of style and character to the car that help keep the balance, as the absence of one-fourth of its pulling power tends to tip the scales in the wrong direction.

Above everything else, what marks the RCZ is its refreshing ability to inspire awe…

Read the whole story at http://drivemeonline.com/2011/09/13/peugeot-rcz-review-the-double-bubble-peugeot-can-bank-on/2

Ford Escape: The first taste of adventure

With its boxy design that has survived several summers, the Escape is Ford’s closest contender to the fabled 4 x 4 archetype. On and off the road, if confidence and the power to take on a challenge are the attributes expected of a purely functional 4 x 4, Ford Escape is designed to give you just that. It saves you a few precious minutes by finding an alternative escape route from a haplessly waiting lineup of traffic or by extending a Friday jaunt further by an adventurous mile.

Escape offers a long-distance ride quality that doesn’t feign to be luxurious yet stays mindful of passenger comfort even on undulating terrain. Actually, how the 4 x 4 scores brownie points is by paying attention to your philosophical rudiments, if you are a sedan-to-SUV convert. This sturdy box on wheels adheres to even the smallest commandments of your credo with a wet storage boot, space for your soiled Timberland boots and strong railings on top for bikes or backpacks. For a quick pick up and drop of cargo, the boot-lid glass can be raised and lowered independently. The 2011 model even comes equipped with a Blind Spot reading bifocal mirror – while the concept is tremendously useful when upgrading your drive from a sedan, it needs a bit of getting used to particularly during night driving.

On the transmission path from sedan to SUV, this Ford affords a quick escape into the realm of fun and adventure. Read the whole story at http://drivemeonline.com/2011/08/16/ford-escape-the-first-taste-of-adventure

Mazda 6 Ultra: Mazda’s best kept secret

Mazda’s lineup of sedans for most, stop with the Mazda 6. Their most eligible contender for the pride of place in the mid-size/executive sedan segment seem to be stuck in a blind-spot in spite of doing pretty well for itself in the showrooms. And that makes the Mazda 6 Ultra the hidden gem in the Mazda line-up.

An experience beyond Mazda 6

The Ultra is a car that makes up for every shortcoming of the Mazda 6 in the family car segment. With more space, more power and more material comfort, the Ultra is designed for those who appreciate the exuberant designs that get Mazda to stand out in the crowded and fellow-Japanese dominated world of practical and cautious car purchase. For those who look beyond the somewhat compact design of a Mazda 6 and don’t mind shelling out a few thousands more for the extra frills, Mazda 6 Ultra offers sufficient solace.

The Mazda 6 Ultra bundles an offering that truly makes it worthy of the flagship position in the Mazda lineup. The central console, for instance, is something that will instantly charm those who have crossed over the realm of ostentatious frills. Purely functional and minimalist, the convenient settings present themselves as an elegant black button panel framed by a silver lining (brushed aluminium to be precise) that differentiates the Ultra luxury from the Mazda 6. What doesn’t compliment the setting though, is the shell finish where you mostly find wooden trims in other cars of the same stature.

The Mazda 6 has it all. Great design that sets the Mazda standards. A reasonably  powerful and fuel-efficient engine that ensures a satisfying drive, and frills that translate to everyday convenience.

Upside: Impressive design. Comfortable interiors. Bose 12-speaker Music System

Flipside: Mind your head when you get in.

Read the full story on http://drivemeonline.com/2011/08/02/mazda-6-ultra-mazda%E2%80%99s-best-kept-secret/