January 2023 issue of evo India is headlined by evo Car of the Year awards
evo Car of the Year is the ultimate test — with six jurors picking apart eight of the finest cars launched over the last year to decide which one gets to wear the crown for 2021. This 48-page-long feature will indulge you with some incredible visuals and the most incisive, yet descriptive writing that will transport you to those roads in Scotland, and put you right in the driver’s seat. There’s an incredible line-up of cars stretching from the relatively attainable stuff like the Toyota GR86 to exotica like the Ferrari 296 GTB. This year’s line-up has some real stellar cars including the McLaren Artura and Maserati MC20, with the final Audi R8 V10 Performance RWD making the cut. Porsche isn’t pulling punches with the 718 GT4 RS, but then neither is BMW with the M4 CSL and Mercedes with the SL 55 AMG. This is not a story you want to miss.
Audi Q8 e-tron
Audi’s e-tron SUV gets an update — with more range, more performance, updated styling and a new name. The SUV inherits the Q8 moniker, linking it to the ICE family, streamlining the line-up and making space for more electric SUVs. The interiors haven’t changed too much but particular focus has been paid to the driving dynamics, with a bid to make it sportier. The e-tron was already one of the most impressive EVs around, and this update makes it all the more appealing
Tata Tiago EV
The most affordable electric car on sale in India, driven! The Tata Tiago EV takes Tata’s learnings from the Nexon EV and Tigor EV, and packages it in to a smaller, more affordable package. With prices starting under Rs 10 lakh, the Tiago EV blows open the electric car space to a whole new audience. It promises adequate range and performance, while going upmarket in terms of features.
Range Rover Sport
The Range Rover Sport is back with a generational upgrade. The changes are significant, both on the outside and in. A new platform underpins the Sport with Ingenium V6 engines doing duty under the hood. The interiors have been completely revamped, in line with what the big Rangie has as has the styling on the outside. It retains its sporty intentions with stiff suspension, and big wheels, but remains as magnetic a sight as ever. Worth it, at half the price of the full size Range Rover?
BMW 3 Series
BMW’s 3 Series is back with an update and big news is the new screen on the inside that significantly uplifts the experience in the cabin. It can finally stand shoulder to shoulder with the brilliant cabin in the C-Class. Interestingly, BMW is bringing only the long wheelbase variants to India here on out, a clear indication that even entry-level luxury cars are all about the back seat.
BMW i7 and 7 Series
It isn’t often that a new generation of BMW’s flagship comes along, but this is one of those times. The 7 Series has gotten a comprehensive overhaul, with radical styling, a whole new interior and new hybrid drivetrains. There’s also an all-electric variant called the i7, which is near identical to the ICE 7 save for the drivetrain. Can the new 7 Series finally dethrone the S-Class? We head to sunny California to find out!
Mercedes-AMG Emotion Tour
The Mercedes-AMG Emotion Tour is back! Customers from Ahmedabad took to the roads in their AMGs, with everything from the A 35 to the G 63, and everything in between (including an SL 63 for good measure). The participants had flying experiences in a Cessna aircraft, set lap times in the E 53 around an Autocross track and experienced some of the finest hospitality around in the AMG Lounge. A weekend to remember, this!
Porsche Macan GTS road trip
Porsche’s Macan was an already competent car as we found out when we drove it last year. The Macan? It dials things up to 13. With a wild V6 engine under the hood, a honed chassis, and a complete focus on delivering a sports car-like driving experience, this is an SUV that needs to be experienced to be believed. We drive it from Kochi to Chennai, revelling in the performance it has to offer.
Hyundai Great India Drive
Part 2 of the Great India Drive takes us to the top of the world. Behind the wheel of the Hyundai Tucson, we attempt to scale the mighty Umling La pass at 19,024 feet — the highest motor able road in the world. It is a mighty difficult task in the summer, and we were attempting it in the dead of the winter. Sub zero temperatures, the lack of oxygen, the harsh wind, all of it makes it quite the challenge. Did the Hyundai Tucson make it to the top?
MG Astor
Progress is inevitable! In this story, we drive the MG Astor on the new and the old Mumbai-Pune highways back-to-back to see how far things have progressed. From the wide, endless expressway to the narrower, older highway the Astor feels at home either way — another sign of how far cars have progressed in the last decade!
Mahindra Thar RWD
The Mahindra Thar is finally here in a more affordable RWD guise! To understand how it fits in to out urban lifestyles, we drove it around Pune city, experiencing the various global cuisine on offer in the city. From Japanese to Italian and even the good ol’ American burger, we try it all. Meanwhile, the Thar reminds us why its presence, commanding driving position and traditional SUV platform make it such a capable car for the city.
Bajaj Pulsar P150
The Bajaj Pulsar P150 brings updated underpinnings — a new chassis and a new engine, to a familiar package. This motorcycle sits on the commuter end of the Pulsar spectrum, praising to be a comfortable, refined, easy-to-ride motorcycle that still promises some of that Pulsar pizzaz. Is it a worthy contender to the TVS Apache 160? We get astride it to find out.
Continental GT Cup
The Continental GT Cup is back! Using the Continental GT 650 as a base, Royal Enfield has stripped it down and made it race ready with more aggressive ergonomics, better performance and brakes. We get a glimpse of what it is like to race these retro-racers at the Kari Motor Speedway, on the sidelines of the JK NRC.
