The hotly-anticipated Maruti Suzuki Jimny and manual BMW M2 headline June ’23 issue of evo India
The latest issue puts the Maruti Suzuki Jimny in the spotlight. While the Jimny was launched internationally in 2018 and even production in India started in 2021 for exports, the domestic market didn’t get it. Earlier this year, Maruti unveiled the 5-door Jimny at Auto Expo along with an announcement that the Jimny is finally coming to India, carrying forward the legacy of the Gypsy. But it isn’t going to be easy! The Mahindra Thar has revolutionised the segment by being a capable off-roader and also an SUV you can enjoy in the city. Can Jimny do the same? That’s what we find out in the latest issue.
Also in this issue, we get our hands on the BMW M2. The M2 is a throwback to the M cars we know and love – two doors, six cylinders and … the manual gearbox! Where the i7 (that’s also in this issue) is pushing boundaries of what to expect from BMW in terms of electrification, the M2 goes right back to its roots.
But that’s not all! We also have reviews of the Porsche Cayenne, BMW XM, Tata Altroz iCNG, and the BMW i7. We’ve gone on some epic road trips – taking the Tata Punch up one of the toughest trails in the country, and with the 911 Dakar through Europe, with a bit of off-roading thrown in there. The final part of the Thrill of Driving series teaches you how to slide a FWD car on gravel, and we give you the lowdown from the Jakarta E-Prix. On two wheels, we test out the newest KTM – the 390 adventure spoke wheel variant -- and also test if Chinese manufacturer QJ Motor has what it takes to fight with the market leaders.
Maruti Suzuki Jimny
The cover story features the much-anticipated 4x4 that has the Thar square in its sights. We get behind the wheel to explore its on-road dynamics, off-road capabilities, and how easy it is to live with. This is the most comprehensive review of the Jimny out there!
BMW M2 manual
The second generation M2 makes an even more compelling case for being a must-have for the car enthusiast by offering the option of a manual gearbox. It has all the ingredients for a great driver’s car – a strong engine, a compact footprint, great dynamics, and of course if you want ease of driving you can always stick with the 8-speed automatic instead of the optional manual transmission! With the BMW i7 and XM elsewhere in the magazine, the M2 shows that BMW M still hasn’t lost its mojo.
Porsche Cayenne
The Ed headed to Austria to experience the blend of sportiness and practicality that the Cayenne offers. This is the heavily updated third-gen and updates include more aggressive styling, upgraded engines (India only gets the V6 though), updated interiors and better ride and handling. This is the last ICE Cayenne, so if you want one, now is the time to bite!
BMW i7
Few cars have ever matched the insane comfort of the S-Class, until now! Before the new combustion-engined 7 Series arrives we get to sample the full-electric i7 Series and while the styling will shock you so too will the excellence of everything else. It turns heads like nothing on the road, it has an insanely great cabin, it offers awesome luxury and we hit 1g while cornering it on our favourite driving road.
Porsche 911 Dakar road trip
We took the off-road-ready 911 on a 2000km road trip through some of the best driving roads in Europe, both on and off the road. We find out if it still retains the DNA of the 911, and if you can actually take it off-roading as you would with a Cayenne. And also moan the fact that India hasn’t even been allocated a single unit
BMW XM
The future of BMW’s M division is the XM – a massive hybrid SUV weighing over two and a half tonnes, exactly the opposite of everything that M has traditionally stood for. Is it really worthy of the M badge?
Tata Punch to the world’s highest tea estate
Most compact SUVs come as sheep in wolf’s clothing, but the Tata Punch promises to be different. It has better approach and departure angles than some serious 4x4s. It has a full 5-star safety rating. It has true-blue SUV genes. And we put all of that to the test by driving it up the off-road trail to Kolukkumalai, the highest tea estate in the world.
Concours d'Elegance Villa d'Este
The world’s greatest vintage and classic car event had huge significance for Indian motoring with several cars of Indian provenance wowing show goes. Adil Jal Darukhanawala brings you the best of the show!
Subaru Impreza WRX
Does the legendary WRX badge still have weight? Or are the new cars a bit too soft? We find out if the 2.4-litre flat-four can please us on the windy roads of Los Angeles.
Aston Martin DB12
The DB11 successor is much more than a facelift. Out goes the V12 and in comes the heavily upgraded twin-turbo V8 with 671bhp and, addressing a major criticism of the past, there are also heavily revamped interiors. We analyse if this is the car that kicks off Aston Martin’s revival.
Tutorial – how to slide on gravel
The XUV300 TurboSport is Gaurav Gill’s rally car and now we teach you how to drive (somewhat) like Gaurav Gill. In the third and final edition of the Thrill of Driving tutorial series we teach you how to slide a FWD car on gravel.
Underground 8.1
The latest edition of the Underground car meet-up offered everything an enthusiast wants. Loud music, the smell of burning rubber and obviously, a close look at the tuned car that abound in such an event. This edition had a lot more to offer, including a drift show and the very first screening of the Fast X.
Adventures with the Renault Triber
Putting the versatility of the Triber to the test we get out of the city for another episode of Triber Adventures, this month taking it to Himachal Pradesh to go paragliding.
50,000km with the Nissan Magnite
For the second part in our series we head to Bangalore to meet up with Aparna and Sajin Maroli. They are a couple who are so fond of the Nissan GTR that they have a scale model gracing the dashboard of their Magnite, in which they have clocked over 50,000km. This was even the car Aparna learned to drive in and we recount their ownership story.
Tata Altroz iCNG
The premium hatchback offers style, safety and features but the real threat lies beneath the boot where Tata Motors is transforming the CNG market by offering innovative twin-cylinder packaging that liberates a usable boot space.
KTM 390 Adventure
KTM constantly tops the fan-following charts in India, but despite that we never got the 390 Adventure with spoke wheels. That has now changed as KTM has launched a slew of new variants for the 390 Adventure, including a low-seat height variant and one with spoke wheels and adjustable suspension. We ride the top of the line variant with the wired wheels and adjustable suspension to find out what it’s like.
QJ Motor SRK 400
The newest Duke 390 rival happens to be the only parallel twin in the sub-500cc segment. The SRK 400 offers a compelling sound, but can it match the thrill of the 390?
QJ Motor SRC 500
As if a Duke 390 rival wasn’t enough, QJ Motor is on a hunt for market leaders. With the SRC 500, they take on the retro bike segment leaders Royal Enfield.
Formula E Jakarta E-Prix
After getting a taste of it in India, we headed out to experience the rush of electric racing in Indonesia. We give you a deep dive into the workings of Formula E and what makes it a sport you should follow.
