Mahindra Scorpio – The Masculine Car Of India

After a lot of R & D, Mahindra and Mahindra has been able to produce and launch the Mahindra Scorpio. This vehicle is equipped with many features previously not available, auto cars, in cars in India. Moreover, the vehicle is a perfect example of the ability of the designers of automobiles in India. With its robust male body and the internal combustion engine, stands out in the crowd,, auto cars, drawing admiring glances all around.The Mahindra Scorpio SUV is the first company means not, auto cars, only the local market in India, but also for the world, auto cars, market, where it was well received.

The machine fills the gap between style and adventure, luxury and ruggedness, and performance and economy. Scorpio is looking good not only with a sophisticated interior design, but also has a strong, auto cars, engine.The motor vehicle is equipped with more than 2600 SZ diesel giving 109 hp with a torque of 26 kgm. The speed of 0-60 was achieved in less than 9 seconds. The petrol version of the, auto cars, vehicle has 116 hp engine reaches 0-60 in just under 8 secondsThe Scorpio is one of the few other cars in India which have been designed and built according to international standards and quality control.

Taking care of your CAR Tyres

Taking care of your tyres is easier than you think. Check out these important points to see if you’re doing the right thing.

BALANCING :Properly balanced tyres are important for driving comfort and long tyre life. Unbalanced tires can cause vibration, resulting in driver fatigue, premature tyre wear and ruined suspension. Tyres should always be balanced when they are mounted on wheels for the first time, or when they are remounted after repair. Tyre vibration may also be caused by poor tyre alignment or other mechanical problems.

CARE : New tyres feel different from the tyres that were replaced. Drive carefully as you become familiar with their performance and handling characteristics. Differences are most noticeable while braking, accelerating, cornering, and driving in the rain. You need new tyres when the tread is worn down to where you can see a solid bar of rubber across the width of the tread. Sometimes inserting a coin to measure the depth of the tread tells you how much your tyre is worn.

DRIVING:Avoid speeding if you want to increase the life of your tyres. Excessive heat is generated while driving at high speeds, increasing the rate of wear, and reducing its durability. Avoid fast turns on curves, fast starts and sudden braking.

INFLATION : Always use the air pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. You can find the proper tyre inflation level in your owner’s manual, posted on the edge of the driver’s door, on a door post or on the inside of the glove box door. Remember to check your air pressure when the tyres are cold. Don’t have time to go to the garage all the time? Keep a good pressure gauge handy. Also, it is very important to remember not to try any stunts and try to repair tyres yourself. It takes a trained professional to determine if your flat tyre is safe to repair. When a tyre loses its air pressure, it must be removed from the wheel for a complete internal inspection. Tyres driven a short distance while flat can be damaged beyond repair. Most punctures smaller than ¼"and confined to the tread area can be repaired by trained personnel using industry approved methods. Tyres with punctures on the sidewall or tyres worn below 1/ 16" can not be repaired.

ROTATION :Regular and proper tyre rotation promotes uniform wear. Tyres should be rotated in a"modified X" pattern, meaning only the tyres being moved to the drive axle are crossed to the opposite side of the vehicle. The remaining two tyres are moved from the drive axle to the free rolling axle, remaining on the same side of the vehicle. This method of rotation helps promote even and uniform tread wear pattern for all four tyres. These should be rotated at least every about 10,000 kms. It is a good idea to rotate four- wheel drive vehicles every 6,000 kms. Check your vehicle manual for information.

Insuring your new car

Insurance amount: The amount of insurance is equal to the market value of the vehicle and not the original purchase price or book value of the vehicle.

Renewal: The insurance policy needs to be renewed before expiry of the policy period. Any delay in insurance renewal can deprive you of the insurance benefits and also attract a penalty while renewing. Remember, it is against the law to drive an uninsured car. Moreover, if the insurance policy isn’t renewed within the period of validity, the car will have to be brought to the insurance company office for inspection.

No-claim bonus: No-claim bonus (NCB) clause is basically applicable to holders of comprehensive insurance policy. The clause refers to the discount that a policy holder can receive on the amount of premium payable, if he/she has not lodged any claim during the year.

The policy holder can claim a 20%, 35%, 50% and 65% discount in the premium in the first, second, third and fourth year of holding the policy. NCB cannot be claimed in the 5th year premium. The discount is based upon the claim that he has lodged with the company. Besides this, NCB is important when you are buying another new car because you can transfer this record (clean claim period) to your new vehicle.

Let us work out some numbers on this. Say you have to pay Rs. 5000 as premium of your car. However, as you have a clean record, you would have to pay just Rs 1750, when you enjoy NCB @ 65%. Now, when you buy a new car which has a value higher than the current one, premium is undoubtedly higher. But you get to transfer the bonus percentage onto your new car.

So, if on your new car, the premium that you have to pay is Rs 10,000, because of the NCB, you need to pay only Rs. 3500; that is, you save Rs 6500. But remember that the new car purchase has to be made within three years of sale of the old car.

Differences between motor insurance policies

Motor Policy A: This insurance policy covers personal injury and property damage caused by your car. The parties covered under this include:

• Pedestrians, occupants of other vehicles etc. except those within your vehicle,

• Driver of the other vehicle

• The passengers with whom your vehicle is for hire. Here, the owner of the vehicle gets an insurance cover on third party property damage only in case of an accident. In other words, if you are in an accident, the affected party can claim damages from you. The premiums generally are dependent on the cubic capacity of the car.

This cover does not go to fire and theft accidents, for which you need to pay additional premiums.

Motor Policy B: The premiums of this comprehensive insurance’s are much higher than those paid for regular insurance cover. This type of policy covers both third party insurance and own damage liability. Covered under this policy are:

• Loss or damage to the vehicle caused by environment as well as other reasons. That is, accident, fire, explosion, lightning, theft and other malicious acts are covered under this policy.

• Damage to the vehicle while it is under transit.

• Risks due to natural/man-made calamities like floods, earthquake, riots, strikes and terrorism.

Damage to accessories like car stereo, car AC and other items that are not part of the original equipment.

Important clauses of auto insurance policies:

The vehicle insurance cover is not applicable if there is consequential loss, depreciation, wear and tear or mechanical and electrical breakdown. It is also not applicable in the following cases:

• Drunken driving.

• Driver does not hold a driving license.

• More people in the vehicle than the capacity permitted by the RTO.

• Damage incurred in a war zone.

New cars too cause ecological damage

NEW CARS are not necessarily more fuel- efficient or eco-friendly than the older ones. A recent analysis of data on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has found that at a time when oil price hike has put Indian economy at risk, CO2 emission —which depends directly on the amount of fuel burnt — from newer cars on Indian roads, is on the rise.

The trend emerged when the Centre of Science and Environment (CSE) analysed the emission data compiled by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) from vehicles produced in different time periods —1991- 96, 1996- 2000, post- 2000 and post- 2005.

In Delhi, the total CO2 load from vehicles has shown significant increase. Experts say this is due to the unbridled growth in cars and two- wheelers and an increase in travelling distances. They warn that the impact of this trend on the energy sector can be severe. “Older cars can emit more CO2 due to poor maintenance and deterioration. But newer

cars, even those produced after 2000 and 2005, showing higher levels of CO2 emissions than the older vintages is unexpected and disturbing,” said Anumita Roy Chowdhury, in charge of CSEs Right to Clean Air campaign.

The CSE made efforts to obtain official fuel economy data for car models that are recorded at the time of certification of new vehicles. “We were appalled to discover that this information is not available even under the Right to Information Act. At atime when the country is going bankrupt due to crippling crude oil prices, fuel economy data of cars is held as trade secret,” said Roy Chowdhury. She said the Auto Fuel Policy requires “mandatory disclosures” of fuel economy data by auto companies, but the government has failed to implement it.

Cars and two- wheelers are responsible for 60 per cent of the total CO2 emission in Delhi. Between 2002 and 2007, the CO2 emission load from cars has increased by 73 per cent and from two- wheelers by 61 per cent. Buses contribute much less —20 per cent. Since they carry several times more people, the fuel consumption per head is significantly low. CSEs estimate for BRT corridor shows per capita energy consumption can be 8times higher in cars than buses.

Old car or new?

This is totally dependent on your mentality. And of course, there is a price differential. So, it is better that you identify your needs first and then take a call on the one that suits your purposes.

For instance, if you are someone who is looking for a regular upgrade in say, every two-three years, then a second-hand car makes sense. Moreover, if this is your first car and you are trying to learn driving on it, a second-hand car definitely makes much more sense. On the other hand, if you are someone who is happy using the same vehicle for a number of years, then a new car is definitely recommended.

Of course, there are other important parameters like your negotiating skills and the previous owner. For instance, a Parsi owned car commands higher value as Parsis are known to maintain their cars very well. As a Parsi friend confesses, We do not believe in repair? we replace.? Whereas even the latest model in the hands of a Young Turk (a la Schumacher) would create imageries of burning tyres and engine on an overdrive.

Before buying any car, here are a few things you need to consider:

1. What is your budget for the car?

2. What is your monthly budget for the car?

3. How do you intend to use it? Within the city or even outside the city? (Heavy weight age towards the latter means that you need a MUV or multi-utility vehicle like Tata Sumo, Mahindra Bolero etc.)

4. How long do you intend to keep the vehicle?

Now that you have answered the above, you know whether you want a new or an old car. But before you go for that old car, get yourself a cool car mechanic that is, a trustworthy one who will check the car for you. Ask him to check all the parameters like tyres, suspension, cooling etc.