1.    Audi A8
Sure, an automatic gearbox has to deal with the job of just selecting driving modes and basic automatic duties like park, neutral and drive, but when you are in a flagship Audi, it must also feel like the command centre of a luxurious speedboat. So there you go, the A8 comes with a lever that looks like a marine throttle stick. Neat indeed.

2.    Bentley Mulsanne
Whether you are driving a Bentley or being driven in one, the world is at your command. The grip of the shifter has to be solid and chunky then, don’t you think? High quality leather stitched to perfection and a rounded metal top with the Bentley logo to boost your pride seems just about right.

3.    Jaguar XJ
The Brits also like it cool and classy, so where Bentley has its lever much in your face figuratively, Jaguar likes to hide its selector flush with the centre console when not in use. Thumb the starter and a textured metal-finished rotary raises itself to life. Very cool, Jaguar, very cool!

4.    Lamborghini Huracan
The folks at Sant’Agata Bolognese love their supercars like they love airplanes. The theme inside the Huracan is one of toggles and flip switches, pretty similar to what you’d find inside a top-dog fighter plane. While there are buttons to shift you from park to drive, god forbid you accidentally click one to go to reverse. Can’t make such a mistake, can you? So Lamborghini gave the reverse selector a rather lovely lever that tugs to the back to engage.

5.    Volvo XC90
The new XC90 has one of the best luxury SUV cabins on offer around the world. All credit must be given to the interior designers of the luxury SUV for crafting such a heavenly cabin. No detail was overlooked, and that extends even to the shifter. It’s made of crystal and gives the car that extra premium feeling.

Courtesy : Zigwheels

The future could witness a highway full of autonomous cars with their occupants sitting back watching their favourite TV shows in high definition

The concept of self-driven cars looks more and more realistic with every passing month. After all the recent developments in the autonomous car quarters in California, some companies are now thinking one step further to complement modern-day media needs in these future vehicles. At the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, Volvo revealed that it is developing intelligent, high bandwidth, streaming capabilities with its technology partner, Ericsson, that will ensure drivers and passengers get the most out of their time travelling in an autonomous Volvo, said a press release. 

“We recently unveiled our design vision for fully autonomous cars with Concept 26. Now we are actively working on future solutions to deliver the best user experience in fully autonomous mode,” said Anders Tylman General Manager Volvo Monitoring & Concept Center at Volvo Car Group in the release.

He added, “Imagine a highway full of autonomous cars with their occupants sitting back watching their favourite TV shows in high definition. This new way of commuting will demand new technology, and a much broader bandwidth to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience.”

Researchers at Ericsson believe that around 70 per cent of all mobile data traffic in the coming years will be from video. Thus, they have recognised the need for tailor-made content to be provided to customers when they are travelling in an autonomous car. 

“If you want to watch the latest episode of your favourite series, the car will know how long the journey needs to take and can optimize the route and driving control accordingly. With autonomous drive it is no longer just a question of just getting from A to B quickly – it’s about the experience you wish to have in the car – how you wish to spend the time you are saving,” said Tylman.

“With our future autonomous drive technology we will provide people with the freedom to choose the way they would like to commute and the content they would like to experience,” he concluded.

Courtesy : Zigwheels

The new SUV is set to lock horns with the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Renault Duster etc

We have long been advocating the case for the SsangYong Tivoli’s entry in India, and Mahindra seems to have finally answered the calls. After its launch in South Korea earlier in 2015, the Indian carmaker is now set to debut the new SUV in India at the Delhi Auto Expo in February, reports have claimed.

Although Mahindra is the largest manufacturer of SUVs in India, their presence in the sub-4 meter SUV segment had been missing till they announced the TUV300. The new TUV of course will go up against the likes of the Ford EcoSport but Mahindra needed a soft-roader type SUV to put up a fight against the Hyundai Creta. And this is where the SsangYong Tivoli will stake its claim.

The Tivoli seeks design inspiration from its European SUV counterparts and could appear more attractive than its competitors once it arrives in the Indian market. All in all, with its bold lines, wide and muscular wheel arcs and other modern design elements, the car adheres to most of Mahindra’s design philosophy while spicing it up with some Korean-European ideas.

While the Tivoli was originally only launched with a petrol engine, it also got a diesel version later on which of course would be the apt one to get to India. The petrol engine is a 1.6-litre motor that makes 128PS of peak power and 160Nm of peak torque. The diesel on the other hand is a 1.6-litre motor that gets 116PS of peak power and 300Nm of peak power. Both engines come with either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed automatic gearbox and are offered with a front wheel drive or all-wheel drive setup.

The pricing of the SsangYong Tivoli could define its success, or failure, in the Indian market. Even with prices starting at about 11 lakhs for the lower end trim levels and going up to about 14 lakhs for the top of the line car, there could be a huge market in this segment that features the likes of the Hyundai Creta, the Renault Duster and Toyota Innova.

Courtesy : Zigwheels

Dual airbags offered as standard across all trims of the 2016 Verna SX and SX (O) get AVN system.

The current generation Hyundai Verna received a mid-cycle refresh last year. With this cosmetic update, Hyundai had discontinued the top-spec SX (O) trim. Now for 2016, the carmaker has made a few equipment tweaks across the line-up and has relaunched the top SX (O) trim. Here’s a look at what’s new in the 2016 Verna.

The 2016 Verna is available in four variants – Base, S, SX and the SX (O). All variants now come with standard dual airbags. The base variant gets the option of a 1.4-litre petrol and 1.4-litre diesel engines mated to a manual gearbox. In terms of equipment, there's the addition of a cooled glovebox but it loses out on a music system.

The Verna S offers the choice of a 1.6-litre petrol and a 1.6-litre diesel engine, mated to either a six-speed manual or a four-speed automatic gearbox. The automatic gearbox-equipped models come with 15-inch alloy wheels while manual versions come with steel wheels. A 2-DIN audio system is offered as standard. The carmaker has now discontinued the Verna S(O) trim.

The third trim, the Verna SX now comes with Audio-Video Navigation, 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, front fog lamps, power folding wing mirrors, an AVN system and a shark-fin antenna. This variant is powered by the same engines as the S trim. However, it gets the option of an automatic gearbox only on the petrol-powered version.

Hyundai has relaunched the Verna SX (O) trim for 2016. It comes with side and curtain airbags, leather seats, steering, gearknob and armrests. It also gets push-button start, telescopic steering, rain-sensing wipers, push-button start, chrome door handles and a 'Supervision' instrument cluster. The engine options are the 1.6-litre petrol and diesel. Only the diesel-powered SX (O) is offered with a four-speed automatic gearbox, along with four-wheel disc brakes.

The addition of the new top-spec variant, new safety features and equipment will strengthen the Verna to compete against the likes of the Maruti Ciaz, Honda City and Volkswagen Vento. The 2016 Hyundai Verna range will hit showrooms soon.

Courtesy : Autocar