Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)

The primary purpose of anti-lock brakes is to help the driver brake and steer the car under a hard braking situation.

Hit the brake pedal all the way to the floor while cruising along at highway speeds for an emergency, the wheels lock up (which means they stop rotating but start skidding), you have no control over the steering of the car. The car then slides along on its locked wheels and goes and hits precisely what you were trying to avoid by braking, which is in front of you. That is what happens when you do not have anti-lock brakes.

When your car does have anti-lock brakes, under the same circumstances hit the brakes and the wheels do not lock up but the car slows down rapidly. You still have control over the steering and therefore can steer the car in which ever direction you want, avoid whatever is in your way and come to a safe halt. That is anti-lock brakes for you.

The basic rules for using ABS are as follows:

1. Stomp – Firmly depress the brake pedal
2. Stay – On the brakes. Do not pump the brakes.
3. Steer – Where you want to go.

ABS is controlled via the onboard computer in your car.

The 4 main components critical to ABS are

1. Speed Sensors - The onboard computer senses via speed sensors. This helps the computer to know which of the wheels are about to lock up and start skidding.
2. Valves - There is a valve in each brake line controlled by ABS. In most systems the valve has three positions;

• Open- When the valve is open pressure from the master cylinder is passed right through to the brake.
• Block – The valve blocks the brake line and prevents the brake pressure rising further to prevent the wheel from locking up.
• Release – The valve releases some of the pressure from the brake as per the speed of the wheel.

3. Pump: When a valve reduces pressure in a brake line the pump is there to get the pressure back up from the brake line.
4. Controller: The onboard computer in the car that manages the whole anti-lock braking system.

In essence what ABS does is massage the brakes on your car at the required pressure (according to the speed at which the vehicle is travelling in), this helps the car not to lock up the wheels thereby retaining the ability to steer and stop your car at the same time.

Most developed nations have made it mandatory for cars to be sold with ABS.

Less is More

Modern cars are fit with every possible conceivable luxury one can think of. Talk about seats alone, there are heated seats, electrically adjustable seats with memory, seats that massage you, all that’s left is the ejection package to shoot your co-passenger through the sunroof. Then comes all the other gizmos like satellite navigation, TV screens, computers, cameras, cruise control and the lot. The list of unnecessary accessories goes on and on. Honestly, all you need is a potting shed and then you might as well live in the damn thing.

The trouble is with all this luxury and unnecessary whiff whaff the car becomes heavier which results in poor fuel economy, but the biggest problem caused by this added weight is its effect on the car’s performance and handling. The car accelerates slower with all the added weight, the handling in corners becomes iffy and negotiating sharp manoeuvres can get tricky. Ofcourse, manufacturers go to great extent to take care that their cars do not become dangerous and therefore have to carefully distribute weight equally around the car. But just take all that stuff off and you can get better fuel economy, handling and performance from the same car. Ecomentalists should catch on with this stuff, it will reduce pollution and our children will grow up amongst daisies and birds which can occasionally crap on them in the playground (but ofcourse they won’t, they are idiots).

The perfect recipe would be rear wheel drive, proper manual gearbox and all the basic stuff like air conditioning, powered windows, demister, fog lamps, a stereo which is just a stereo and nothing else and cruise control if you live in a city (it’s a joy in traffic). A car is meant to be enjoyed for its sheer driving pleasure, it isn’t meant to be your den.   

So maybe less is more. 

Is this going to be the death of the naturally aspirated engine?

The BMW M5 which is the ultimate driving saloon has recently fallen victim to the turbo charger. Its monstrous 5.0 litre V10 has been replaced by the 4.4 litre twin turbo V8 from the X5M. BMW say it’s going to be more powerful, torquier and will also rev higher than the V10. Which is fine in its own right, I mean who doesn’t want higher performance? But the charm of a naturally aspirated is something else. Ofcourse, turbochargers and superchargers are probably the greatest inventions of man after the wheel and the engine and contribute a whole lot to the automobile world.

You see turbochargers superchargers being fit onto smaller engines produce more power than a bigger naturally aspirated engine because it increases airflow to the engine thereby increasing combustion and producing more power.

So why not just have bigger engines instead of fitting turbochargers and superchargers? A smaller engine consumes less fuel and reduces the weight of the car it also helps better weight distribution which is why manufacturers are increasingly using turbochargers and superchargers in their cars and not just sports cars but also in regular hatchbacks to increase fuel efficiency and power. Very soon all our cars will be turbocharged or supercharged considering the mass production of turbochargers and superchargers resulting in cheaper costs.

But as long as we have powerful fun to drive cars it doesn’t really matter what configuration is used for the engine. Some of the old world charm is gone but that’s how the world works.

Petrolhead time – Don’t disgrace motorsport

Jean Todt the FIA President has officially lost it. He is all set to start a racing series for electric cars. Yeah right! Why doesn’t he just ask the drivers to push the cars instead? And here is the really funny bit, the race is supposed to last for 4 hours, isn’t that just hilarious. A purely battery powered car can’t even drive around for 4 hours at decent speeds let alone RACE!!

For once I stand by Bernie Ecclestone who has criticised Todt for trying to initiate a fiasco.

Motorsport is sacred and should not be disgraced and humiliated with something as irritating as a battery powered car. The whole point of motorsport is evolution of the automobile, it’s all about making it cleaner, faster and more reliable as I have mentioned in an earlier story of mine. Battery powered cars have no future. Therefore they do not deserve to stand on the pedestal of motorsport. I mean the first battery powered car was invented somewhere between 1832 and 1839 and in nearly 200 years if you mean to say that the human race could not invent a half decent battery powered car but managed to land space crafts on different planets, then you would look like a clown. Battery powered cars never have and never will work. So stop wasting the planet’s resources for nothing. 

I believe hydrogen is the fuel of the future and it would benefit the human race if people invested in the infrastructure to store hydrogen and make it available in petrol stations. I would even go out and say that a hydrogen car motorsport would be nice, in the name of a cleaner planet and the human race.

Save the good stuff for us petrolheads.

Maintain Your Car and Your Dignity

I was at Hyundai today, and as I approached a guy at the servicing department he happened to be on the phone with a customer whom he was literally begging to secure permission to change the bearing for the clutch in his car!! How stupid could the customer be? For starters I happened to hear that the part was for Rs 2000, but that’s not the point (if you drive a car you should be able to afford it or you should get a bicycle). What if the moron's clutch gave way in the middle of peak traffic? And eventually it would, which would then cause a kilometer long jam and I could be stuck in it!! Then I would be late for work which is pathetic and for others who are less fortunate, their bosses would give them a nice mouthful. Leave alone the moron who will have bigger problems.

And this is the problem with people in New Delhi. They refuse to allow a word called 'maintenance' into their dictionary. Once they buy their cars the maximum extent they go to for taking care of their car is to avail all free servicings and that’s it. Forget about denting and painting cars in case of scratches or dents, people don't even like getting their cars serviced in periodic intervals. A year old car looks like it’s been through a decade of torture, and I’ am not joking, there are 10 year old cars that look showroom fresh without ever having been re-painted. It’s clearly not that they don't have time otherwise they would be driving better cars which they would care about, I think it’s probably because they want to save money. But guess who looks like the clown at the end? Yes, it’s the moron owner who has to bear a huge cost for all the consequent parts that cocked up because they didn't bother to have a minor part replaced or inspected. 

While we are on the subject of maintenance the favorite mending material for all external body parts for cars in New Delhi seems to be duct tape and screws!! Broken taillight? 'No problem, I got duct tape'. Hanging rearview mirror? 'No problem, I got duct tape'. Broken windshield or body panel? 'No problem, I got duct tape'. Dented or hanging bumper? 'No problem, I got a hammer and some screws'. It’s appalling to see new cars in such condition. 

Clearly, the owners have no self respect. Because if they did, they would not want to be seen driving around in a half broken contraction which looks like shit. And then they very proudly say "I drive a Honda Civic". Here’s some news, no you don't. What you drive is a piece of contraption. Forget about the aesthetics, it’s not safe to drive around in a broken car. Things can go horribly wrong at high speeds. Cars are designed in a particular way for efficiency and aerodynamics, the moment you mess with it things are bound to go wrong. Also dents and scratches which are not touched up lead to corrosion and rust of the body which makes the car age faster. So if you think you will sell it off and not bother about it, think of the resale value.

On my way back home a lady had caused a traffic jam because her car broke down in the middle of the road, she was literally in tears, I felt bad, but I hope she learnt a valuable lesson today.

Modern cars are close to a 100% reliable (apart from the rare manufacturing defect) and ask for no daily maintenance whatsoever, just periodical servicings and replacement of parts. Look after your car and it will look after you. Spending regularly on periodical servicing and replacement of parts will save you a lot of money in the long run. Plus there is no harm in being seen in a decently maintained car, and you will never be embarrassed in front of the whole world for your car breaking down. It’s a win-win situation really.

Mini War

Looking to buy a first car? Here is a list of the most affordable cars in the Indian market today. Each of these cars are different from one another. Read on to find out which one suits your needs best.

India has given a new dimension to the car market, specifically the affordable car market. Nowhere else in the world can a person buy a brand new car Rs.1,60,000. This is partly because cars in India do not have to meet any safety norms whatsoever, one of the primary reasons why the market can develop and produce cars at such low budgets. Besides safety, people in India also expect very little in terms of kit and performance from cars. In other parts of the world all of these low budget cars would be considered technologically obsolete and would not meet the health and safety norms, as a result they would be banned from entering a market. In India so long as something has four wheels, four doors, some seats and windows, it is considered a car.

Another reason for the availability for such affordable cars is that the Indian car buyer expects so little out of a car. But that is not a bad thing considering safety as a whole. An individual is much safer in a car than on a motorcycle, also with such extreme weather conditions in the country people can travel in comfort and be cloistered from the harsh conditions outside. These reasons along with many more together are responsible for an ever growing car market in India and across the world.

Here is a look at the contenders. There are primarily five cars. From Tata we have the base model petrol Indica and the market shattering Nano, from Maruti Suzuki there are the 800 and the Alto, and from Hyundai we have the base model Santro. Another car worth mentioning would be the Mahindra Reva, an electric car which is more expensive at initial price but worth a look, considering running costs and maintenance issues.

Without further ado let’s evaluate the biggest gossip in the market, the Tata Nano.

Tata Nano

The Nano comes with an efficient 625cc engine with 35 break horse power delivers 18 km/pl in the city, put the air conditioning on and you can expect figures to dip to 16 km/pl. The base model is priced at Rs.1,60,000 on road New Delhi. For that money you get four doors and quite a lot of space in between. The kindest thing one can say about the car is that it is built to a price. Everything in the car feels cheap, but from the looks of it at least it should all be worth the price.

Practicality

The Nano has plenty of cabin space with excellent head and leg room and can accommodate five people easily. However there is no boot because the boot space is full of engine, instead Tata has left you some space under the bonnet to store a bag or two but not more. One of the biggest plus points of driving a super mini is that you can see out the back very well which means that it makes life very easy to park and manoeuvre in reverse. In the Nano however due to the engine occupying space in the back, rear visibility is not as good. Also opening the bonnet to refuel can be embarrassing. What I failed to understand is why the car is equipped with power windows but no power steering! Probably for packaging reasons I suppose.

Ride and Handling

Then comes the really bad part, the driving dynamics of the car. While the driving position is good and visibility out of the front of the car is very good. Nothing else is. The steering is wooden, let me put in context to another car, a Mark 4 Ambassador, that had a much better steering than the Nano. The brakes have only two settings On and Off. Press the pedal and nothing happens, nothing happens and then the wheels lock up all of a sudden, it’s terrible and unsafe. The clutch is heavy and shifting gear requires more effort than arm wrestling. Depress the accelerator pedal and not much happens ever. Frustration while trying to overtake another car can be epic. The suspension does not do a good job of absorbing bumps in context to its competitors. The handling is iffy and it is not recommended for enthusiastic driving. And while the height of the car is good for practicality, it compromises on the handling and it tends to roll a lot. The Nano does not come with stabiliser bars or anti roll bars, as a result one should take the appropriate measures while driving such a tall 

Car with wheels the size of coins. Also, be warned while being over taken by a bus or truck as it makes the whole car vibrate.

Finance

The CX version starts at Rs.1,60,000 and Rs.1,90,000 for the metallic paint versions. This is without air-conditioning and power windows and body coloured bumpers. The LX comes with all of the above at Rs.1,90,000 and Rs.2,10,000 for the metallic paint version.

100% finance is available at 15% rate of interest. But it is recommendable to go for the 80% finance at 5% rate of interest.

Verdict – Buy the cheapest model and make sure you have a driver or your stress levels are bound to go up. Reliability can be an issue.

Mahindra Reva

The Mahindra Reva is the first and only completely electric road legal vehicle in India. The first thing one will notice while driving it is that it’s not much different from a golf cart. The Reva has an automatic gear box which means that the driver is left with two pedals – brake and accelerator. There is no noise from the electric motor as you drive around. While one cannot expect any form of performance out of it, overtaking and reacting suddenly with the accelerator pedal should have been better, a lot of planning has to go into overtaking. Combined with the mileage issues as you cannot charge the car on the corner of the street, does stress you out mentally, there is always a little voice at the back of your head that’s telling you ‘be careful’! The Reva starts at Rs.3,56,000 and is available for finance at 15% rate of interest.

Practicality

Even for an average person the interiors are cramped, the rear seats are completely useless for passengers and the boot is tiny. Visibility out of the car is very good. The interiors feel cheap, mind you, leather seats are optional. The top model comes with air-conditioning, demister, fog lamps and body coloured bumpers.

The biggest problem with the Reva is the power it runs on. While its very clean and kind to the environment. On full charge the Reva will do 60 km. But imagine, it is a cold rainy night and you are stuck in traffic. Your brain has to work extremely hard to choose between headlights, heater and wipers, coupled with the tension of running out of juice, the experience is bound to be very stressful.

Ride and Handling

The Reva is a pretty neutral car to drive around, not much happens no matter how you treat it, which can be a good thing for safe drivers. The suspension is a little stiff and bumpy and you can get a better handling car for that kind of money. It has a ‘boost’ setting which can be used while overtaking, but to be honest even if you drive on boost all the time it is not going to make much of a difference.

Verdict – The whole point of a car is freedom and convenience. With the Reva one can never drive outside a carefully calculated radius.

Hyundai Santro

Sticking with affordable cars the base model Santro is available for Rs.3,06,000 ex-showrooms.

Practicality

The Santro is spacious for a small car. It has a decent sized boot, headroom all around is good. The only issue is rear seat legroom which is cramped, it can get uncomfortable over long journeys. Mileage is decent in the city and on the highway. Cabin quality is best in class in terms of materials used for various cabin components.

Ride and Handling

It is a basic car without air-conditioning or power steering. But the ride is decent and the engine is peppy for city driving. No sweat at all to drive the car around town. The suspension absorbs the bumps well for a car this cheap. The handling of the car at speeds is decent but a bumpy road can upset its composure. It has the best driving position and driving dynamics of all cars within the price bracket. This is one of the few A segment cars in the market that is capable of highway cruising. It has the best gearbox amongst all its competitors.

Verdict – The best driving car in its class.

Tata Indica

The base model petrol Indica is available for Rs.2,84,000 ex-showrooms. First things first, if you are looking for a very spacious car at the lowest price possible, look no further. The Indica has acres of headroom and legroom, the boot is big and the seats are spacious, an ideal car for the Indian market considering how many people can get into a car at the same time around here. However the materials used in the interiors of the car are below par. Everything from the plastics to the seats feel cheap. The panel gaps on the inside as well as on the outside are not always even.

Ride and Handling

The Indica is rubbish to drive, full stop. The steering is vague and has no feel, the car rolls around like a canal boat on the ocean. The suspension fails to inspire even a remote feel of confidence on the go. It does however absorb bumps quite well for its price. The performance from the engine is mediocre but due to its weight the give from the engine is further hampered. The gearbox feels antique.

Practicality

With its spacious cabin and boot this is by far the car that offers the most space for the money. Visibility out of the car is good as well. Five adults can easily travel around the city in comfort in this car.

Verdict - If you are looking to accommodate the most number of people in a small car, this is it.

Maruti Suzuki Alto

There is a reason why the Alto has been the best seller in its class for 4 years on the trot. It’s brilliant. The base model costs Rs.2,50,000 ex-showrooms. The Alto scores top marks for everything.

Practicality

Cabin and boot space are good but not great. Legroom and headroom are decent for passengers in the back and in the front. Visibility out of the cabin is excellent and the Alto is a joy to park and reverse. The Alto has the highest mileage for any car in the market. The materials used to build the car are very good, considering the price of the car.

Ride and Handling

The car drives well, the engine has good performance, handling at all speeds is brilliant, it absorbs bumps decently at low speeds, cabin space is good, materials used for the car inside out are decent for its price. At speeds the suspension cannot cope with bumps, but at its price that should not be a complaint at all. The driving dynamics are excellent. The gearbox is smooth and on the whole the car inspires confidence in the driver.

The top model comes with power steering and air-conditioning for Rs.3,07,000 ex-showrooms. This is the one to go for, if you are looking for a good small car that is cheap, sensible and reliable.

Verdict - The best bet for a cheap, practical, and easy to run and maintain car is the Maruti Suzuki Alto. Reliability is excellent and spare parts are cheap. Also, access to service centres across the country is excellent. Buy one and enjoy no nonsense motoring.

Maruti Suzuki 800

Although the 800 does not meet the current emission norms in Indian Metros one can purchase them outside these cities. The Non AC model is available for Rs. 2,05,739 on road and the AC variant for 2,26,652. The car as I always emphasise is known for its fun to drive factor and bullet proof reliability.

Practicality

The 800 can seat four adults in comfort. Visibility is excellent out of the car. The boot is small though. The driving position is spot on. Slotting the gearbox into 1^st and 2^nd gear could have been made more comfortable.

Ride and Handling

Keep the car below speeds of a 110 kph or so and ride and handling is spot on. Above a 110 the nose of the car starts to lift and the steering goes light due to the lightweight engine. The driving dynamics are excellent. Just point the steering wheel at a barely manageable gap and stand on the accelerator the car will shoot out at the target with 0% steering error, its perfect. However, the suspension doesn’t react well to potholes and the ride can get quite bumpy. Because there is just enough power to wiggle about in the city a keen driver will always enjoy driving it at the limit as it is so controllable and offers so much feel from every mechanical component. There is no power steering in the car but because the engine is so light, one hand is enough to turn the steering from lock to lock even when the car is stationary. The steering offers so much feel and is so accurate that it can put a lot of expensive cars to shame.

Verdict: The most fun to drive car in its class.

Pre-owned cars

Apart from the above options if you really do want to spend less than 2 lakhs on a car it would be best to go for a certified pre-owned Maruti Suzuki from its True Value outlet. The cars that are covered under warranty are well maintained, along with a one year warranty you also get 3 free servicings. Considering the reliability of Maruti Suzuki cars, it would be the best buy.

Go for a pre-owned Alto preferably the LXI from Maruti True Value, and you’ll go to bed knowing you have not gone wrong.

Maruti Suzuki

Ever since Maruti Suzuki set up shop in the Indian Market in it has gone onto revolutionise the Indian car market. When it started out back in 1984 with the 800 Maruti Udyog set up a bench mark for quality and reliability in the passenger car market in India. And unlike most companies who tend to slip with their own standards overtime, nothing of the sort happened to Maruti, their quality since then has been top notch. So the basic requirement from a manufacturer has been looked after then. Oh, and they do have the widest service network in the country, a fact acknowledged by the sales figures.

Research and Development

The Boffins at Maruti Suzuki were clearly asleep for just a little over a decade since the launch of their first car here. They did absolutely nothing to modify their cars or make them safer or add any new features whatsoever.  Actually come to think of it I don’t think they had a R&D department at all. Then the Indian Government kicked in and enforced the Euro II emissions norms. Suddenly the people at Maruti cleared the recess room and set it up into an R&D office. Here they did many exciting things such as introduce VX versions of some of their cars which featured power windows and power steering and so on.

And their efforts have to be commended. Since they set up that room, they were the first car maker in India to offer climate control, airbags and antilock brakes in a car which cost on the happier side of the 10 lakh price bracket.

The Change

Yes, I ‘am talking about the Maruti Suzuki Swift. With the Swift Maruti revolutionised the Indian car market. It offered to the public features that no car below the 10 lakh price mark could offer. 

After the Swift’s success Maruti upgraded all of their cars that could carry off those USP features. As a result, today Maruti has the Indian car market gripped by the plums. Their efforts have to be commended. The whole of the hatchback market is in Maruti’s background. Their cars are well made, well equipped and have good engines. And they are cheap to maintain, because all their cars share components and are produced in bulk competitors cannot match their spare parts pricing to Maruti. What impresses me is that despite the mass production their quality is still very good and everything in their cars are built to last.

The dip in the curve

However, the down side is that the company feels hideously inbred. I mean just look at all their stuff the stereo, the buttons and knobs, the steering wheel, the seat fabric. Everything is exactly the same in almost every car they make. The seat fabric on the Swift is fine for a 5 lakh car but the exact stuff on the Vitara’s seats, come on.

Then there are the cars themselves. In order to capture the market share Maruti has gone and launched multiple models on the same platform, so they can capture the market share with different models. While it is always a good thing to cut costs, their design department has suffered, result the new Zen and Ritz. The Swift and Wagon R are fine, I get their point, but the Zen and Ritz?? If you want to do it then at least do it well.

And the Swift Dzire, what in God’s name is that. The back looks like a million bees have stung the backside of a monkey. And the handling of the car is, I’m sorry I can’t stop laughing, but its rubbish.

Back to the Swift, it’s a great car and I get the cheaper variants of it. But why did they have to go and fit the tyres from a peddle car on the Vxi and Lxi versions? Fine I get it, alloys are expensive. So what’s the matter with giving steel rims the size of the alloys on the Zxi?? If Maruti say the tyres are cheaper, why don’t they buy the wider tyres in bulk for all three versions considering the number of Vxi and Lxi versions sold, and this is only a hunch, the cost is bound to turn out to be the same, if not less. It’s not too late Maruti, come on you can still redeem yourself.

The SX4, a car that competes in its segment with seat fabric fit for a 6 lakh car, no leather anywhere and plastic borrowed from its hatchback siblings. Coupled with a bumpy and unsporty ride (no idea how they managed both at the same time) and an engine whose mid range is great but everything else isn’t, the car only sells because of its somewhat odd but popular looks and high ground clearance, which you have to admit is good for Indian roads. I love the spacious and airy cabin though it's a nice place to be in, shame about the materials used.

So, there you are the best car maker in the country with plenty of room for improvement. Let’s hope for the best then. Come on Maruti it’s nothing you can’t do.