Motorcycle manufacturers all across seem to be in a mad race to cram in as much technology into their motorcycles as physics allows. So, in this day and age, Ducati’s Scrambler Icon comes across as a really nice proposition, that’s well priced in India as well.

The first rule to not intimidate bikers has to be modest size, and the Scramber manages just that. How looks of a motorcycle go down with riders depends on one’s taste, but we admire the Scrambler’s retro, quintessential motorcycle looks. A round headlamp looks perfectly turned out for the Scrambler theme, and there’s an LED daytime running lamp surround. A cropped front mudguard fits snugly over the front tyre to match.

As on any Ducati, palm grips are top drawer, offering excellent grip. The front brake lever is reach adjustable, although the clutch misses this. The speedometer is all-digital, a petite unit that sits smartly off-center. All relevant information is available, except for a fuel-gauge. The tank is small, and exquisitely finished. The seat is flat, a bit narrow, and a chink in the Scrambler armour, for even short rides leave you sore.

Superb fit-finish and solid build quality are available with the Scrambler.

The Scrambler’s 803cc, L-twin, air-cooled engine makes 75bhp of power, and 6.9kgm of maximum torque. Power delivery is linear and comes in strong once you open the gas. In the lower gears, there’s enough acceleration to have you slide deeper into the seat, with even marginal throttle inputs. Throttle response is good, the Scrambler feeling a less exuberant below 2,500rpm, but enthusiastic and once past that, with great acoustics coming up from its exhaust.

The Scrambler may look a simple, small motorcycle, but make no mistake, there’s ample performance to keep you happy. Cruising at speeds of 130-140kph is effortless, but although the motorcycle is good for much higher speeds, the lack of a fairing and upright riding position prevents comfortable riding at sustained speeds of over 160kph.

The Scrambler’s 6-speed gearbox works to deliver smooth shifts. The cable driven clutch is likewise nice in feel.

The seating position on the Ducati Scrambler is upright, with high handlebars. The caveat is tall riders aren’t going to find the Scrambler comfy, for the footpegs are a tad too high for long legs and you feel cramped. Riding this Ducati is just as easy, as unintimidating, as hopping on to ride off and catch up with the horizon. You don’t have to have ridden a big bike before to feel comfortable on the Scrambler. It’s light, with a nice and low centre of gravity. The Scrambler also gives you enough confidence to push and ride hard when attacking corners. The front is supported by a set of upside down telescopic forks, with a monoshock at the rear. Ride quality is not exactly plush, but not overly firm either.

Tyres are by Pirelli, providing excellent grip. These, along with the well tuned suspension, stiff tubular steel chassis and an alloy swingarm make the Scrambler a classic looking bike that offers modern handling. Braking is via a single 330mm front disc, and 245mm single disc at rear, ABS in place. There’s always enough stopping power at hand.

After a few days of riding the Scrambler on-road, and off, we were left mighty impressed with the Ducatis solid capabilities. Yes, a few shortcomings exist, such as the lack of wind protection at high speed and uncomfortable saddle. However, the affordable Ducati scores so highly on so many other key fronts, you will find yourself happy to overlook all the niggles.

The Scrambler is the perfect bike for riders looking to own a true blue Ducati, and a good stepping stone to take you into the big bike world.
 

Courtesy : Autocar

We drive the Mumbai-Pune leg of Mahindra’s epic Goodness Drive from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in the e2o 

A few weeks back, Mahindra flagged off a first-of-its-kind all-electric expedition from Kashmir to Kanyakumari with the e2o. Christened the ‘Goodness Drive’, the expedition of three e2os was flagged off by Arvind Mathew, CEO of Mahindra Reva, in the presence of former Sri Lankan cricketer Arvinda de Silva on November 16. As the expedition arrives in Mumbai, we get a chance to be a part of this epic journey by driving the one of the three e2os from Mumbai to Pune.

The lack of infrastructure in India has been one of the prime reasons for the limited development of electric vehicles here. And that is exactly why a lot of people shy away from purchasing the Mahindra e2o. With this Goodness Drive from Kashmir to Kanyakumari Mahindra wants to clear all myths about the driving range of an EV.

So, as the expedition arrived in Mumbai, with our batteries completely charged (pun intended), we set off to Pune. The first thing I noticed was that the Mahindra e2o was absolutely noiseless. For an auto enthusiast like me who has a thing for loud pipes, this was indeed a welcome change.

Considering that we started early the highway to Pune was fairly unpopulated. We could easily maintain speeds of about 70kmph and still consume energy pretty efficiently. The regen system on the e2o was really put to good use especially on some downhill sections. This system not only stops consumption of power on a downhill, in fact it helps recharge the battery. Although at a pace that we are generally not used to driving, especially on the Express Highway, the e2o climbed up the ghats of Lonavala to our breakfast destination with quite some juice left. However, since we halted for a bite, we decided to charge them, just in case. For those who are wondering, the e2o just needs a simple 15amp plug point for charging. Soon after that, we continued on to Pune and arrived at our destination with close to 20 per cent charge left.

Mercedes-Benz takes top place amongst luxury brands in customer satisfaction in dealer services in India

Mercedes-Benz India has achieved the top position in achieving highest customer satisfaction in J.D. power 2015 India customer service index (CSI). The survey is mainly focused on the authorised dealerships of the brand. The three point star brand has achieved an overall score of 842 amongst its peers in the Indian market. The survey which is in the third year, constitutes the satisfaction of 265 luxury car owners who had visited the authorised dealership to carry out maintenance or repair work between first and second year of ownership. The survey is split of the basis of overall satisfaction on five factors- service quality, vehicle pick-up, service advisor, service facility and service initiation, listed in order of importance.

Luxury car owners look forward to a direct interaction with the service adviser handling their vehicle. This section of the survey includes the satisfaction received by the owners on the basis of the timely updates of their cars and reviewing the work done.  Such interaction have been observed to be less frequent in 2015, with 56 per cent of the owners mentioned their service advisors to be interactive as compared to 74 per cent in 2014.

In terms of dealership service towards customer loyalty, 24 per cent of customers were very much satisfied with the dealer faculty, out of which 79 per cent said that they ‘definitely would ‘ return to their dealers for services after warranty period and 85 per cent said that they will recommend their dealer to friends and family. In comparison to the owners who were less satisfied, only 46 per cent agreed on returning to the dealer after warranty period to carry out service and repair work followed by 66 per cent of owner would recommend the respective dealer to others. Same day delivery of vehicle was also observed to be 64 per cent for 2015 as compared to 56 per cent achieved in 2014.

“Luxury vehicle owners around the world normally expect a high level of personalized service, and that holds true for their service experience,” said Mohit Arora, executive director at J.D. Power, Singapore.

 “Customers expect their service advisor to have an ongoing dialogue with them so they can know the status of the work being done throughout the process. Luxury car manufacturers and their dealerships need to develop appropriate communication protocols in order to fulfil this expectation and drive greater customer engagement.” he further added.

Customer service is a crucial factor when it comes to top luxurious brands. Mercedes-Benz on the basis of survey finding will be expected to focus on improving the reviewing of the work carried out on the vehicle, performing proper inspection prior to work completion followed by cleaning of the car exterior as well as interiors. Statically, 21 per cent of owners indicated their vehicle were not cleaned properly when returned back to then after servicing which was 7 per cent in 2014.

Courtesy : Zigwheels

The updated A-Class will be available as a A180 Sport and A200 CDI Sport; both engines mated to a 7-speed DCT gearbox.

Mercedes-Benz launched the facelifted A-Class today at Rs 24.95 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the A 180 Sport petrol version. The diesel-powered A 200 CDI Sport costs Rs 25.95 lakh.  The updates on the facelifted model are purely cosmetic. On the exterior, the new A-class gets a redesigned front bumper with new air intakes and the option of LED headlights. The rear too gets a restyled bumper with a new, integrated dual-exhaust system and tweaked tail-lamps and LED lights.

The interior of the A-class is more in line with the new CLA, and features an all-new three spoke steering wheel. The infotainment system also has been updated with an optional 8.0-inch COMAND infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink software for smartphone integration. Other changes in the cabin include galvanised buttons and switches, a refreshed instrument cluster, and the use of new colours and materials on the dashboard.

The new car will get the same engine line-up as the previous model, with a choice of a petrol and a diesel engine. The power will be transferred via Merc's seven-speed dual clutch transmission.  It will be equipped with Mercedes' Dynamic Select system that offers three driving modes – Comfort, Sport and Eco.

The facelifted A-class is the last launch for 2015, as per Mercedes-Benz's '15 in 15' strategy that was planned for the year. The car will rival the likes of the BMW 1-series and the Volvo V40.

Courtesy : Autocar