Two Two's Aint Four

The world is always divided with one group supporting this side and another section of people backing the other. And we beings Indians will have to support either the Congress or BJP when it comes to politics. Unless you are in Kerala or West Bengal, where the bidi for matchstick jokes run in the blood. Fortunately, I happen to be from the former. And yes, I am proud to be a Keralite. There are problems like corruption issues and more so, worker unions disrupting work; even when the work done is for the betterment of the place. But all that said and done, I love my people. And the wonderful weather. And the supremely classy greenery. One just does not appreciate its beauty until one steps into another world and realize how better it could have been. God’s Own Country indeed!

As much as I'm a non-partisan, when someone asks me if I support Congress or BJP, I won’t be surprised to see them look “huh” if I say CPI. It’s kinda like the same way, if I say Royal Enfield when asked if I prefer Petrol or Electric cars. Ok, when you are the type like your dads gives you a car when you are 8, you tend to be a car fanatic; or the case where your mom is worried about the two wheeler’s safety (or lack of it); you don’t have a choice but to drive four wheelers. You again tend to fall in love with cars. Or you have to be like couple of them who, simply put, hates two wheelers. You may end up loving cars that way too. If you do not fall in neither of these categories, and still do not drive a bike, you either do not know how to or does not like people watching you ride a mere two wheeler. The Puchham!!

Honestly, I do not know a better and simpler way of saying this. When you try out driving a good bike on a good road the feeling that you get is quite sensational. I don’t mean any offence to car-lovers. I am part of that pack too. But I’m just saying it’s different. Be it the swift superbikes or the cool cruisers, they induce a fantastic feeling of satisfaction

To know what it is like to really drive a two wheeler, you need to go into cruise mode on a drive. Read Royal Enfield. And for the really capable, that would mean a Harley. It’s something which you can understand only when you do it. Unlike the feeling of being part of the car, you feel that you are the system when you hit the road in one of these. There is nothing to stop you from being you. The sound of the engine, the exhaust notes and the wind are all that you hear. I just wished the holy saints had tried out an Enfield before they resorted to yoga and meditation. It bloody works! You are devoid of any other emotion/attachment. You do not have any distraction. You are one with yourself. You attain enlightenment. If you still not satisfied and NEED TO GO to the Himalayas, ride to the hills from wherever you are right now. And psst. Do it the Ladakh Leh shtyle. Can’t get any better. That alone will show you the path to happiness.

En Route: The world's highest motorable road 

Wind. This is probably the defining factor that separates bikers from car lovers. When you ride a bike, you sense a feeling of openness. A feeling that you are free and at will to go anywhere. You do not get the confined feeling that we have when taking out a car. The difference between riding a bike and driving a car is all in the mind. The former gives you the sense of freedom; the latter gives you power to unleash the machine at your disposal. Two emotions that may have been just one but are not, cause of the wind hitting your face and making your long hair go berserk. Even under bright sunlight, there is this overwhelming feeling when you ride a bike on a long straight highway, as against hitting the pedal sitting in your car with the air con ON. And not all bikes give you that feeling; which is probably why I prefer cruisers to the hot rod superbikes. There is a lot more to it than just speed.

Bajaj did make the Avenger.
But there is a reason why it will remain as wanna-be RE..

It is meant and made to be driven on long highways and show the world that fast ain’t the last word in driving. A trip in an Enfield will let you choose your accessories for the days ahead. For those who prefer a windscreen in front of the bike can have one, those willing to carry a proper tool kit can keep it with them with ease, those in love with the tent and camping kit can carry them also. These are not often possible when you ride a Ninja/R1/Duke, which tends to prioritise adrenaline to comfort, understandably so.  

Yes, I agree the lack of safety can be argued about but it doesn’t make sense. No really. A million bikes get sold every year, may be even more. And the parents don’t have a problem when daddy buys a Splendor and his son uses it when he’s old enough. But when the son decides to buy his own bike, there are safety and stability issues. Oh god…

The Royal Enfield. Period.

With the world debating over the problem of green environment and global warming, courtesy – automobiles, there seemed to be a clear line between the hybrid seekers, the electric geeks/celebrities and the hardcore petrolheads who will not let the environmental councils dilute the brute and rawness of the authentic real deal. So as the world sits down and try to come at a solution to all this, let’s take some time off. Grab your keys and get the twin wheels rolling. Thank God people do not know that bikes run on petrol..! 

Dilip Chhabria - Break The Rules

Identity. Something we all crave to have; something we dare boast off; something that reflects more about one’s personality than popularity; something that we tend to immediately associate with. It may be a person or a brand. Apple as a product has an identity. Narendra Modi has an identity, though a debatable one, still! We tend to attain that either by exceling in a field of work/profession or by innovative actions that bring about a positive change to the people/system that we are part of.

Automobiles too have the ambitious task of making an identity among people and itself. Couple of Indian cars that could have but did not make the cut are the Nano and Reva. But that does not prevent Tata and Mahindra from giving it a second try to make it worth the R&D spent on these babies. But I have always believed in how cars, infact any product, are viewed over a period of time. And that’s where Maruti Suzuki has scored well. When you take the Indian scenario, no player has understood the need of the people here than this Japanese. But on a more global scale, the idea of Maruti Suzuki dominating Indian market is lesser known. Tata Motors (and Mahindra & Mahindra also to an extent) is what rules India if you are a foreigner.  When you think of it, M&M got widely noticed when REVA came into the scene. Tata got the glamorous tag when it bought Jaguar Land Rover and even more popular for bringing in the world’s “cheapest” car. Well as much as the world would love to use a low cost, easy to use, kind on the pocket vehicle, the general discussion about the 1lakh car seemed to be more about the cheap quality of plastics, the questionable safety features and poverty stricken built-in features. The car was primarily built for India. None of these are a problem for the two-wheeler to four-wheeler transitioned owners for whom a low cost car is itself a big bargain. Poor marketing and bad strategy did not only let the most hyped car in Indian history go down as a bad inning, but it also left a black mark on Tata Motors as a brand; And hence ended India’s only leverage to the international world of motoring.

The Mastermind - Dilip Chhabria

But the Desi motor world does not stop with Tata and M&M like how majority of the population tend to think of. There are also couple of other one-off makers and startup companies here of which one stands out more than all the others. DC Design. No this aint the superhero DC comics. This is Dilip Chhabria DC.

What they do….

         -  Automobile consultants/Designers for auto companies

         -  Produce their own one-off production vehicles

         -  Take an existing good looking car and make it look as swanky, bling, luxurious and anything more as you’d like.

        -  Maintain and run a design school, DC-DYP for exploring, what is anyday, one of the most untapped areas of study in India

The big daddy got the bling factor now!

Who is he and what qualification does he have. Well he’s got the degrees and papers.. And is bloody brilliant at what he does. Proof?? James Bond. Die Another Day. Aston Martin Prototype – courtesy DC. DC Design also revealed their 25L super/sportscar. The DC Avanti. Gorgeous as it looks, this is one car that if handled with enough subtlety and proper marketing, has the genes to go global and sit beside the likes of its Italian counterparts.

VW Polo & Renault Duster - Who would have thought!!

Considered as the Father of Car modifications, this design genius has taken the task of car modification and reinvention to an alien level. Although some of the mod jobs are too extensive to my taste, there is no denying the fact that he can virtually change the image of your car, irrespective of what you own. Who on earth would dare take an old Hindustan Ambassador and steroid it to produce what they’d like to call the ‘Ambierod’. Following the appreciation he received, he decided to make a good business by taking other popular vehicles and giving it the DC touch. Note that he chose to work on the Innova, Fortuner and Duster than a Yeti or Captiva. DC realized that the numbers would turn out to be better if the raw material to work on was an already proven and rewarded automobile.  Well played DC. And of course, an insane Lamborghini Aventador also did get the DC makeover. \m/ 

An Innova - Post DC Makeup

All that said, his language of design ain’t that very pleasing to all if you intend to purchase their full-on vehicle. It certainly lacks the Indian touch. It is completely unorthodox and unless there are buyers who like this style, I’d doubt if DC will get the sympathetic getting used to tag for their not so elegant vehicles. I do not know how to explain. It just looks odd; disproportionate sometimes; incompletely flowing. But it is clearly out of the box though. DC has a clear reputation in the field internationally and that will certainly help when the company decides to go large scale.

DC Designed aint that pleasing for the Indian eye!

DC Avanti - Oh she's a beauty

What we have right now is a Desi who thinks big, got the right contacts, and the stuff to match. He’s got an identity and I hope that one day, the world will tend to relate him to India as well. The brand DC is not as popular as Dilip Chhabria himself, but expect it to go overboard if the right products click in the near future. Expect anything from a PlayStation to a Coffeemaker to fit in any car with ease. I do not know how profitable it is for DC Design financially, but if the recent jaw-dropping 3.5 Lakh modification on offer for the Renault Duster is anything to go by, the modification market is certain to pick up and DC Design is assured to be the next big thing. 

Big Bang Theory

Amitabh Bachchan wore those long big trousers; Abhishek brought it to the tight and fit jeans category; now the old bells are doing the rounds again. The fully covered attire gained popularity among women in the 80’s. A decade later, lesser the better became the mantra. Now, high waist and long frocks seems to be doing great. Take the case of food. People never bothered really about their diet and about getting fit and slim. Eat well, stay happy. Then we started to adopt the nutritional diet philosophy. So that the men can boast of their packs and the ladies can flaunt their curves. Well show-off hasn’t come down but they eat properly these days. They just do more exercise now to compensate. So clearly the cycle has come to the starting point again.

Tata Sierra : India's first SUV/MUV. No its not Safari and Sumo

Unless you happen to be a historian, the chances of you thinking about a car beyond 1950 are less. So the first car that set India rolling is the Ambassador. It’s big, comfortable and can seat five people easily. The first name that comes to mind when we mention Indian automobile company would be TATA Motors. And guess what. The first car that they offered: Tata Sierra – a big and bold vehicle.  This happened in the early 90’s. Then a certain Maruti 800 came over and the Indian market has since been the Mecca of small cars. For almost two decades now, the small and compact ruled the R&D minds.

Well, all that’s now past tense. The fact that in Sep-Oct only one small car was launched as against half a dozen SUV’s/MUV’s stand testimony to this fact. There are a lot more utility vehicles available now than what one would have predicted two years back. Lot of experts said that the launches at the Auto Expo were just a hype to show that the manufacturers have joined the band wagon. Well that certainly ain’t true now is it? M&M has its share from scorpio, bolero, xylo, quanto, XUV 500 and Tata from Sumo, Safari, Aria. Then the outsiders had their shot too with Duster, Koleos, Yeti, Innova, Ertiga, Fortuner, and Endeavour. Every manufacturer in the country seems to be in the hunt to get their share of some utility pie. They do realise the potential that’s at stake and the profit that will follow not just because it a little expensive than the smaller cars, but they also sell in big number. Something that’s really set the industrialists, even the manufacturers themselves confused.

Its all show off; but a very worthy contender

So what is it that made the Indian minds ponder on their tried and tested small car purchase ideology?  One. It ll make you look powerful and rich (stop frowning, that is the first reason). Two. It’s a diesel. 90% of all the SUV’s sold here are diesel and that obviously translates to reduced fuel and maintenance cost. Three. It can carry an XL sized family between cities easily without you hiring a Travera or Innova cab. Even Sedans can do that efficiently?? Please goto Point One. And this does not hint at the end of small car market in India. It is just that the disparity in petrol and diesel prices has gone up and there are not too many options in the entry level segment offering a diesel engine. So until you can afford a Figo/Swift/i20/Fabia, you were left with little choice if you wanted to avoid petrol. But experts say once the petrol prices stabilises and diesel prices starts to rise, people will move back to small petrol vehicles.

Big and heavy at an affordable price

Pretty good; but Duster + 10L? hmmm

I personally feel the future of big wheels is converging to the 7-11 Lakh range. And the more features per car per rupee per fuel that a company can offer, the more they are bound to get back.  Tata have a decent contender with the Safari/Aria. But these do not seem to be covering grounds. They need something more contemporary and SUV-ish. The ruggedness of Safari with the upmarket goodies of the Aria. Scale it down to the compact SUV league and it should do well, coz pricing has not really been a problem for Tata and M&M. M&M itself has the biggest backyard with the most offerings in here. The Bolero and scorpio that’s been there for a long time now while Xylo and Quanto for the MUV lovers. But M&M’s real hero has to be the XUV 500. That to me is the near perfect mix of how to make your buyers happy. The Renault Duster is another great deal at offer for consumers. The biggest setback for Renault would be how on earth they would intend to boost the sales of Koleos when customers can get pretty much everything they need in a Duster. Honestly I am looking forward to that one vehicle from Toyota. A Toyota Ginua (Yes, I made up that name). A compact SUV, diesel engine, and good looks. The low end Toyota cars offered here are just mediocre in the appeal factor. But when it comes to SUVs, they do have a legacy that they can boast off (Read Land Cruiser, Fortuner). At around 10L, you get a brawn friendly body with the reliability of a Toyota. Hope the Japanese sense the need of the hour.

India is just a part of the revolution. This change has been happening everywhere. The best-selling Porsche car in history is the Cayenne SUV. Yes it is sad that one of the greatest sport car manufacturers have the top spot reserved for an SUV (an ugly one at that). But the fact remains that if you need Euros to go in smoothly, you need a vehicle that will sell in numbers. And being cheaper and utilitarian than its sporty siblings it was easy to see the sales dept’s smile when you tell them the math and numbers that the Cayenne will bring in. In fact the Cayenne has sort of set the rules among the big league names entering SUV segment. Following its super success, fellow iconic brands, Bentley and Maserati have already started investing big on their own SUV. Hell even Lambo have set foot in this territory. Yeah, we do know none of these may even bother to challenge the capabilities of the old school granddaddy of SUVs, but even the Land Rover would love some competition.

We are now witnessing the biggest transformation in Indian car market. 2012 will be the year not when the world ends, but the year when a new life begins. A new chapter with a lot of offerings is now part of the history book. Let’s wait and see how the story unfolds. Will the big and strong hero survive the test of time or will he perish in the aftermath of all the hype that surrounds him. Only time will tell. Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai have a point to prove. Can these two small car superpowers challenge the strength and might of the SUVs? If you can’t beat them, join them. Maruti Suzuki already seemed to have got the hang of it.

Enlightenment Hunt.. in the hills of F1...

Back in 1983, the fans were excited to hear from the radio that India of all the teams was the first to tame the mighty Windies and win the cricket World Cup. The insurmountable task of not getting intimidated by the line-up which would, cut copy paste, make it to the ICC World Eleven without a thought irrespective of whether you’re from the Caribbean or not. And that is why the fact that ‘Kapil’s Devils’, as they were famously called, got the better of the Dream team bowling attack is much appreciated. So how do we know so much about all this? Well, cos you’re living in a country where a player in the starting eleven would get more attention than a movie star or a politician, a nation where the captain of the national team earns more that the best in the world of track and field or tennis, a system where a starter’s yearly contract would any day beat a lifetime monetary benefit offered to a Kabadi or Boxing player. And all this is precisely one of the reasons why F1 or motorsport has not gained attention among the early Gen-Y crowd. Come 1990s and the popularisation of TV went well for the rare motorsport crowd. Those spending their time jobless and lazing on their couch on a Sunday evening finally had a reason to rejoice.

I have no clue if Dr.Manmohan Singh’s liberalisation policy in 1991 had anything to do with it. But if there is something, well, good job! And ofcourse brilliant thinking by F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone with the TV rights. So once F1 got its fair share of viewership in India, which is by the late 1990s, it was only a matter of time before people started to go with the pack and appreciate the brilliance of the then best driver in F1, Michael Schumacher and his healthy rivalry with Mika Hakkinen. And then MS went onto win Championships number 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. And go into the history books as the greatest ever. Whether he had to return to F1 after his retirement and race with a new team with the same boss, but without that Schumi magic still in him is a different question altogether. But one thing that needs notice is the question: Is MS actually the best??? 

Michael Schumacher : Yet another German  masterpiece

I’ll admit it. In the 90s at the age of 3 or 4, I could hardly realise what a car can do, let alone speak out German names. For the better part of my 23 years, Ive grown up watching Michael Schumacher do what he does best. And that would mean watching F1 on Star Sports with commentators Steve Slator and Chris Goodwin doing their duty. And so right from childhood, the look-upto-star was always Michael Schumacher, primarily cos of the illustrious career that he had and the numbers to back him up. So by the time you’re at an age to understand and enjoy the sport, you would have decided in your mind that MS is the greatest ever driver in F1. Well, statistically yes. But it’s not like F1 started in 1989. It’s been there for decades now and yes there has to be other drivers too who are eligible to claim that title.

"   Being a racing driver means you are racing with other people. And if you no longer go for a  gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver.   "

Undoubtedly, the most famous words in the history of motorsports. Words that clearly signify the level of concentration and commitment that defines this person more than anything. Surely it does not describe how much is being spend on R&D, materials and manufacturing, but itsports,  does give an idea of the level of skill, intensity and perfection that any other sport can only dream to match.

The Unsung Hero in the F1 World

Ayrton Senna – The man who Michael Schumacher is popularly deja-vu’d with when discussed about the controversial accident on the last race of the season to ensure his Championship. The man who again Michael Schumacher is compared with in his prime days to express the level of excellence achieved. The same man whose tragic death saw the world pause in shock and create a void that still remains to be filled.

But then couple of months back, I happen to watch TopGear where presenter Jeremy Clarkson uncharacteristically does a genuinely good documentary on Senna’s motoring life. And that’s when I thought I’d check out the movie “Senna”. It is more of a documentary than a movie. But then it’s probably the best ever Ive watched. People talk a lot about being a petrol-head or having seen F1 since his 2^nd birthday and all that usual stuff. But let me tell you this, you aint got the real deal if you do not know the facts and reality. Yes, if you’re an Indian the chances that you are a Sachin Tendulkar fanatic is supremely high.. The man who pretty much owns the record book in the cricketing world. So that is very understandable too. But every time we say Sachin is the greatest man to step foot on the pitch, there is that slight pinch of doubt in our mind about the Don. What if he was still playing now. What if they had played a Test match in opposite teams in 2012. Get the point?? And it was after watching this movie that I began to respect Senna and realise how ignorant people are about the sport and him in particular. If you have not watched it, pls get your hand on one. All jokes aside, this is a genuine request.

Wonder if the New Gen drivers can do this if they were given the cars of 1980s;

No electronics here, everythings pretty much raw

Senna started F1 with a struggling Toleman team. After consecutive modest performances in the first races, he arrived at Monte Carlo. The Monaco Grand Prix. A track which a lot of pandits admit as being the most difficult and trickiest (besides the glitz and glam). So what happens when it starts to rain on this track? Well you see a bunch of cars moving on with enough caution to stay away from side barricade and with extra caution to avoid slipping in the rain. Amidst all this, there was Senna who pretty much drove the car like he was playing NFS. Mind you, in a Toleman’s cockpit, things are a lot busier than it is on the other teams. Yet he moved at such blistering pace that none could keep up with him. In another occasion in UK, he moved from fifth place to first in the first lap of the race while raining and eventually went on to lap the entire field that race. Still not impressed??

Devastatingly brilliant in rain; may even better Gayle's dominance in T20

Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. Well this man believed he had a God given right to win. Nope. I aint kidding. That’s what the great Ayrton Senna told the reporters when he was being interviewed. Well, the way he drives, you really can’t question his words.

After his first year in Toleman racing team, the rise of a young star was always on the plot. I do not wish to elaborate on what is showcased so meticulously well in the movie. Just couple of things I wanted to make very clear. Before I watched the documentary/movie, I had a set of info, which I assume is what a lot of you guys have too. But that was just the outer lining. Headlines don’t always cover the full story. I believe history and attention to detail are two things that can change your perception of anything. And that is beautifully done in this and it brings out the real picture. Everybody talks about Senna throwing his car bang into his rival’s to ensure race over for both, hence assured championship. But only a handful knows how and why this happened. 

This is the not often seen video of Alain Prost banging Senna that happened an year before 

the more popular video of Senna crashing into Prost. 

I know experts tend to compare and match MS with AS and there are a lot of similarities. In the way they drive, how they strategise and also on some of the controversies they were involved in. I don’t know the truth about Schumacher’s story. But this movie does bring light on what happened in front and behind the camera. Senna’s achievement stands out also because of the fact that during his time a lot of others greats also raced with him. The likes of Alain Prost (Four time world champion), Nelson Piquet (Three time Champion) and Nigel Mansell (Another world champion) did add heat to the competition and hence bring out the best in the Brazilian. Something like how Schumacher was able to showcase his full armoury when he got threatened by Hakkinen, probably the only one eligible to be called a rival.

The fact remains that Michael Schumacher is still the viewer’s choice when it comes to best drivers, but Ayrton Senna would be the drivers pick. Stats may speak loud in favour of MS, but sometimes it’s above all that. Watch this video and you get to pick yours. Honestly, after Schumi’s run, a million documentaries will be made on him and will show him as the best ever to race. Well, I’m a fan of Schumacher myself, and would love to watch all of those. But to decide then between Senna or MS or may be even couple of others greats would be difficult. So you know Schumi’s story and stats, you can understand Senna’s after you take a look at this. So this is when you decide. Is it just coincidence that despite a lot of fatalities earlier, it was only after Senna’s accidental death that the F1 world decided to up the safety regulations and Senna remains the last driver fatality in Formula One? Leave that to you. Think about it!

Safety First

Bangalore is known for IT. I do not know why those businessmen back then chose this city, but that trend has followed since and now the place is full of them. Besides Google, MS, Yahoo! and the usual Infy, CTS, TCS and the like, there are other smaller companies that emerge from here. And the most interesting part is that a lot of these small start-ups would be initiated by an ex-employee of the big guns. So this is just how I visualise the environment in an IT firm. They make sure the employees have the right atmosphere to work, in every way. Else the people take a print of their resume, go to the adjacent IT Park, meet the HR, get a higher salary package fixed and confirm the switch. There was one thing that caught my eye when I went to one of the companies. The place was very neat. Im mean, very. There was a guy sweeping the floor. The only safety board I encountered in that building was in front of that wet floor where the sweepers did their work saying “WET FLOOR. CAUTION WHILE WALKING”. I agree that it is a nice thought to have placed that board. But having placed that there, one would expect them to have kept it at places where it is expected to be too.  This is my only visit to an ‘IT’ company. And to be honest, it was good. Forget the Safety board. AC room, individual cabin, personal computer/laptop, cafeteria, food court, the struggle to find guys amidst all the ladies who seem to be everywhere, flexible work timings, a chunk of scheduled holidays, plus unofficial holidays.. Oh Im sorry..  I meant “work from home”. How stupid of me to have misinterpreted that. And a big fat salary to match all that. How can you get bored of this life????? Ya ya I know what you’re thinking. “But we have so much work, they take every bit of soul from us to get the work done, blah blah”. If you still can’t stop cribbing, well, welcome to the world of core engineering my dear IT boys. Now think again. Wanna switch places or do you mind living your life happily ever after?? 

Safety First

It’s not until this new millennium that people really considered safety as a necessity rather than an extra that we get when buying a product. And probably the first name that comes to mind when asked to relate cars and safety will be Volvo. I do not know if there is an award for the safest car to drive. If there was one, I bet the judging panel would be scratching their heads over this one. The MC would stop at “And the nominees are……………….”

• Volvo S60
• Volvo S80
• Volvo XC 60
• Volvo XC 90

If you’re someone living in a metro, what is going through your mind now will be the sight of those big red/orange/green buses that the local Govt hired to provide a comfortable and tireless journey (read maintenance-free and higher tax). If you happen to be from the Tier II cities, then you’d be imagining a long AC buses with the name and logo of that private travel splashed on the front and side. And if you’re from neither of these places, then the chances of you having herd of a company beyond a ‘Benz’ is highly unlikely. Sorry folks, but you’re missing out on what is pretty much the most under-valued auto-brand in India. It’s got the potential to be one of the best with its new engine, seductive styling and packed performance; all at a price that could well shame the local auto makers. So why am I saying all this now? Because Volvo recently announced that they will be selling their range of vehicles at a reduced price with the entry level vehicle S60 at 23 lakh. Now when you argue that there are other cars at slightly lesser price with better dealership too, I will be thinking about Sonata, Superb, Passat, Accord and Camry. These are the major players in the segment. Well that is the difference. This ain’t the segment I’m talking about. Im talking about the actual luxury segment. Well logically speaking the better choice is to get the best value for money vehicle, irrespective of the ‘segment’. But that is where the off-paper factors come in. Besides the flooded luxury and overflowing safety equipments that come in when you have a Volvo tag on the front grille, what is also attached is the feeling of belonging to that elite group of Indians that own a proper ‘luxury’ car. And that, not many statisticians would be able to differentiate and fit that into their mathematics.


"Cars are driven by people. The guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo, therefore, is and must remain, safety", Co-founder of Volvo.


So what is all this hype about Volvos and safety. I mean it has got to be exaggerated. Ummmm.... No! For a start, what is the first safety feature that we recognise in a vehicle? A seat belt. A Volvo engineer invented and patented the modern say 3 point Safety Belt. The Volvos then introduced the first 3 point seat belt for the middle of the rear seat and a child safety cushion integrated in the middle armrest. In 1991, it introduced Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) which channeled the force of a side impact away from the doors and into the safety cage. To add to the SIPS, Volvo was the first to introduce side airbags and successfully install them as standard equipment needed in all models. In 1998, Volvo developed and was the first to install a head protecting airbag. Apparently the side head protecting curtain airbags can reduce the risk of death in a side impact by upto 40% and brain injury upto 55%. Impressive stuff i guess...!! Volvo also introduced its Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), a safety device to prevent injury to front seat users during collisions. in 2004, they developed BLIS system, which detects the vehicles entering the Volvo's blind spot with a side view mirror mounted sensor, and alerts a driver with a light. That year also saw Volvos sold in all markets equipped with side-marker lights and daytime running lights. In 2006, Volvo's Personal Car Communicator (PCC) remote control has been launched as an optional feature with all Volvo S80. Before the driver enters their car, he can review the security level and know whether they have set the alarm and if the car is locked. Additionally, a heartbeat sensor warns if someone is hiding inside the car.


And that's about it as for the Volvo's safety features. That's a lot of stuff they've done.. Wait!!!! There's even more...

Simple n Sensible

Volvo's Collision Warning with Auto Brake feature - It issues visual and audible warnings, begins to apply the brakes, and increases brake hydraulic pressure when sensing a likely collision with another vehicle. But Volvo is developing the technology one step further by detecting people with wide-angle radar technology that allows the vehicle to "see" people.


Volvo's Lane Departure Warning system - delivers an audible warning when the vehicle moves across lane markers without using turn indicators. In future applications. Volvo would like to integrate collision avoidance by Auto Steering - a feature that uses camera and radar to self-navigate a vehicle back into its original lane if it wanders into the path of oncoming traffic.

Proud to be a pedestrian?? This one's for you

While we most often think of the safety of a car's internal occupants, it's important to remember than a two-ton weapon of mass destruction moving at highway speeds is also extremely dangerous to pedestrians outside the car. In addition to a new Pedestrian Detection system, Volvo has introduced the world's first external airbag. Located at the base of the windshield, the airbag deploys from a cavity that expands upward from the rear of the car's hood in the event of a collision with a pedestrian.

“It’s better to be Mr.Late than Late Mr.” – That’s just a traffic police message that I happened to see near my place. Besides the lighter side, it makes sense too, dusnt it? But then there are unavoidable situations every time when even the most cautious of drivers gives a day off to patience and crosses the line. And what Volvo has done here is to make sure that if anything were to go out of hand, not just the passengers inside the vehicle but also the unfortunate soul who happen to be crossing the road at the wrong time, things would be much better than it could have been a decade ago. And for that, Volvo has to take home the credit for raising the bar and making sure its rivals also keep up. And to be honest, when it comes to saving lives, we wouldn’t mind a good competition as to who does it the best. Well Done Volvo!!

Heart says Yeah.. Mind says Hell Yeah..!! 

Well this is what it is if you’re a cricket fanatic. Consider you being the owner of a franchisee in IPL. You’re sitting at the auction for buying and setting up your team for the next season. You have room to fit in one more foreign player. You can prefer having to spend a little extra to get a Big Bang Chris Gayle or an express fast Dale Steyn. Or you can be a little smart. Pay a little lesser and get hold of the big Jacques Kallis. He may not be the fastest bowler on earth. He may not have a SR of 160 as some of the T20 specialists. But he has the right mix of all that’s needed to make him, in my opinion, the best all-rounder in world cricket.  That pretty much is the case here. The S60 still lacks the poise of the C-class, the dynamics of a 3-series or the sheer quality of an A4 - but it does offer a unique set of strengths – Luxury, safety, performance and a price tag that would make any manufacturer awe. This is the one - a convincing alternative to its more established German rivals. Finally.. But my heart says even this one will go down as one of those that always had but never did. Sad but admittedly 
true. 


For those Passat, Superb and the like aspirants, you really need to be sick not to have a look at this. Yes, Volvo's service network in India aint that great. But only if people buy their vehicle, will they setup any. And.... for those Bimmer, Audi takers, you've some decision making to be done. Go for prestige and invest the proven choice of style and pride. Or be a little smart and challenge the system.. Let the world know there is a new kid in town.