The year 2017 has come to a close and it’s as good a time as any to look back at some of the cars we reviewed at The Quint this year. Every one of the reviews we did had something special to offer. Click on the Auto Reviews section under Tech and Auto to see any of the reviews. Here are some of the top car reviews at The Quint that we really enjoyed doing.
Maserati Levante
The Quint was invited to Dubai to check out the 2018 Maserati Levante SUV. We sampled the 3-litre V6 diesel variant and the 3-litre V6 S petrol variant, which has a Ferrari engine. The 2018 Maserati Levante will be coming to India soon. Watch the full video of the 2018 Maserati Levante making light work of the sand dunes and the highways in the UAE here.
Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive
Porsche unveiled its latest 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June 2017. Only 500 units of the Exclusive Series have been made, which are eventually bought by elite consumers across the globe.
The Exclusive Series is manufactured out of the Exclusive Manufaktur in Stuttgart, Germany. The Quint got a chance to visit this elite design workshop and experience how this luxury four-wheeler is conceived. Watch the video here.
Jeep Compass
The much-awaited Jeep Compass was launched earlier this year, priced between Rs 14.95 lakh and Rs 20.65 lakh. The Jeep Compass is a compact SUV for the urban adventurer at heart. Like all Jeep SUVs, it comes with proper off-road credentials, but has been built to handle the urban rough and tumble too.
The best part: It’s made in India. We took this compact premium SUV to the beaches of Goa and up into the jungles too, covering varied terrain. Watch the video here.
Maruti Dzire
Maruti has given the popular Dzire a complete makeover. The car is priced between Rs 5.45 lakh and Rs 9.41 lakh.
While engine choices remain the same with the 1.2 litre petrol engine putting out 82 bhp of power and 113 Nm of torque, and the 1.3 litre diesel engine putting out 74 bhp of power and 190 Nm of torque, the new car drives a lot better. That's because it is nearly 105 Kg lighter and has an improved suspension system. Watch the full review of the Maruti Dzire here.
Tata Nexon
The Tata Nexon compact SUV, with prices starting at Rs 5.85 lakh, undercuts the Maruti Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport and Honda W-RV on price. For the features it offers, it is pretty good value for money. The Nexon is being pitched to a young millennial buyer with its radical styling. It is powered by a choice of two brand new engines - a 1.2-litre turbo-charged petrol motor and a 1.5-litre turbo diesel. We drove both the models of the Tata Nexon in Kochi. Watch the video.
BMW 730 LD
The BMW 730LD, priced at Rs 1.12 crore ex-showroom Delhi, is a luxurious sedan that pampers its occupants to the hilt. It comes with four-zone climate control, ventilated seats with massage function, a sunroof, a moonroof, ambient lighting to suit the mood, and even has a fragrance control where you can select the kind of perfume you want in the car. We pitted it against a cycle and the Delhi Metro in a unique 3-way race. Click here to see how that turned out.
Volkswagen Tiguan
The Volkswagen Tiguan may not be as big and brawny as some of the other SUVs in its price bracket of Rs 28 lakh to Rs 32 lakh, but it has its unique propositions. It handles like a car and yet has pretty decent off-road characteristics. The Tiguan comes in two variants, the Highline and the Comfortline. We drove the Tiguan Highline on a 500 km round trip between Bengaluru and Chikmagalur for this review.
Renault Captur
Renault calls the Captur a crossover SUV that has been turned to work for Indian road conditions, highlighted by its class-leading 210-mm ground clearance. With prices starting from Rs 9.99 lakh (all-India), Renault would be hoping for similar fortunes to that of its rugged SUV, Duster.
In addition, Captur comes in various colours – the customer gets to pick. It is likely to compete with Jeep Compass and Hyundai Creta, among others. Here’s our review.
Ford EcoSport
A lot has changed with the 2017 Ford EcoSport, but in terms of looks, the major change is restricted to the front only, while it is similar in profile at the rear. The interiors have been completely revamped. The good thing is that it retains its strengths and most of its earlier weaknesses have been redressed. Click here for the full review of what all has changed.
Mahindra Scorpio
Mahindra has updated the Scorpio and added more power, torque and features. However, the cosmetic changes feel a bit like overkill. So just how good is the 2017 Mahindra Scorpio S11 2WD compared to the 2015 Mahindra Scorpio S10 4WD? We compare the two Scorpios. Watch the full comparison here.
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