If television programming were a barometer of society, then Indian society is feudal, schizophrenic, sexist and downright disgusting...
I cannot begin to compare the chasm between Indian prime-time serials / shows to something I grew up watching. Fox Mulder, Friends gang, Benny Hill, Simpsons, Jay Leno - to name a few. The degradation of Indian serials seems complete with the currently ranked #1 show - Uttaran.
Its' a story of a girl who lands up in a soup thanks to her psychopath elder sister. Then to make matters worse, the characters possess deep amnesia and exist in an alternate reality. Law & order do not exist, nor does morality, gratitude or plain divinity. All characters in this serial possess one and only one value which has not changed for the countless episodes that have aired. There is no remorse, no love, no clarity.
To add to the mayhem of this non-sense is the cliched cinematography that does not believe in airing 2 minutes of narratable content per episode, insists on multiple angle shots of dumb expressions of every actor reacting to tidbits that happen in each episode and above all the horrendous pieces of sound effects that accompany them.
So far it does not get offensive, but when you see the feudalistic mindsets of these writers, is when you lose reason. Its' indeed a shame that such grisly content is being served to the audience, which is primarily women who are mostly married - judging by the ads shown during the breaks, soaps, cleansers, fairness creams et al. My only request to the writers, directors and whoever is responsible for this non-sense - You dont' have to! If money is the only criteria then prostitution is the best profession, and yours currently ranks only a shade higher.
If there are any values at work in your heart, body or mind, then go ahead and walk out - unless there is stand taken against this horrid broadcasting, there is little hope for the future...
...thank god, the society I belong to is no where close to what the writers of this serial seem to have infested.
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Windows Vista SUX
I finally got an answer to why everyone HATES Windows Vista, it simply fcuks up without a clue. Lost a few of my girls' 1st birthday photos to this quirky piece of shit they call Windows Vista!
Possible triggers to the mess:
a. Windows update ran yesterday night for a long time and added a lot of security patches to Office 2007 apps.
b. I ran Dell MediaDirect today and accessed the "My Pictures" folder for an admin a/c (mine).
c. Left the laptop running for the whole day today.
The consequence:
a. Lost a few folders that were created in the last 36 hours, which included a few of my girls 1st birthday snaps.
b. Networking failed completely
c. AVG stopped working
d. Funny errors started showing up every 2 minutes
e. USB ran at a snail's pace
f. Scans reported errors but expressed inability to repair it.
After a thorough fight for 60 minutes, I decided to do the inevitable - run a clean restore using the Dell partition which everyone had recommended as junk.
Lessons learnt:
a. Backup
b. Vista will fcuk up, just a matter of time.
c. Backup!
Possible triggers to the mess:
a. Windows update ran yesterday night for a long time and added a lot of security patches to Office 2007 apps.
b. I ran Dell MediaDirect today and accessed the "My Pictures" folder for an admin a/c (mine).
c. Left the laptop running for the whole day today.
The consequence:
a. Lost a few folders that were created in the last 36 hours, which included a few of my girls 1st birthday snaps.
b. Networking failed completely
c. AVG stopped working
d. Funny errors started showing up every 2 minutes
e. USB ran at a snail's pace
f. Scans reported errors but expressed inability to repair it.
After a thorough fight for 60 minutes, I decided to do the inevitable - run a clean restore using the Dell partition which everyone had recommended as junk.
Lessons learnt:
a. Backup
b. Vista will fcuk up, just a matter of time.
c. Backup!
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
SX4 ZXi MT – 2010 – Nuevo Ownership Review
The Easy Part – Choice
When SX4 made its’ debut in 07, I was swept away completely by her looks, features and value offering. However, my old car was doing fine then, and I was in the market for a new flat thus ruling out the possibility of a buying a new sedan. I did however promise myself to relook at the SX4 once things settle down a bit.
Around mid-December-09 I began the hunt for a new sedan, the SX4 was naturally at the top of my list. Amongst the newer cars, the Linea had also set my heart racing, so I took a test drive, but came back disappointed. (Linea owners - my objectives and their weights were possibly different - for what its’ worth, my vote for COTY went to Linea).
The SX4 test-drive however was overwhelmingly positive, hence without any further hesitation our decision was done.
The specific parameters I was looking for in my next car were as follows:
1. Safety Features : ABS, EBD & dual Airbags were a must.
2. Cabin Space : Let me just say this, the one shining feature of my Indica was Cabin Space, and my next car, had to better it.
3. Petrol : Done with diesel at least for the near future.
4. Indianization : Turn-indicators on the right, bad-road compatibility (GC, alloys, tubeless tyres) and tolerance to harsh weather.
5. Boot Space : Boot space needed to be adequate, as my Indica rear-seats had a split-fold, and we often made most of that feature.
6. Engine Performance : I am not comfortable with the concept of a hatchback-engine in bed with a sedan.
7. Value for Money : Needless to explain.
8. Low Cost of Ownership : Cheap & widely available spares, good fuel economy and reliability.
9. Superior After-Sales & Support : I’d owned a TATA vehicle for 6 years. TATA has improved lately, but the initial suffering left a long-lasting impact I guess.
10. City Drivability : I think I am around 25:75 on highway:city, hence, my new car needed to be easy to maneuver in City as well as comfortable on the highway. Chances are that the ratio might get pushed to 40:60, as my daughter is approaching her first birthday.
The Buying Process
My first car was bought without me leaving my house, courtesy JMD, a direct-marketing-agent. However, after team-bhp.com, that option was ruled out. The dealer – Spectra Motors, Borivali and more specifically the sales executive, Rahul Gangwani made the entire process quite smooth. Had to visit the dealership only twice, once to exchange my old car, and once to submit all the documents for my loan. The deal was stuck as follows:
On-Road Price ((SX4 ZXi Manual BSIV)): 854,747
Exchange Price for my 04' Indica DLS (bonus included): 137,000
Corporate Discount: 3,500
Cash-back: 1.25% of loan amount
Interest Rate: 10.00% for 5 years
2-yrs Extended Warranty: 7,990
Free Accessories: Front, side & rear sun-control film (Garware), leather steering cover, body cover & transparent carpet mats.
Paid Accessories (planned within a week): Seat covers, reverse sensors, under-body anti-rust treatment and engine treatment (safety from rats).
PRI-Check (Pre-Registration Check) at the dealers’ stockyard
Spectra was kind enough to allow me a PRI check at their stockyard without having paid a single rupee, nor having signed on any dotted line. The stockyard is located at Vasai, off the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway. The inspection itself was detailed, and folks at the stockyard didn’t mind my checking. Odometer reading was 4 Kms, no patchups visible and no scratches either. Overall, I think I was simply thrilled to see my next car in [i]flesh[/i].
D-Day::05-Jan-2010
Took AM off and went to the dealership at about 11:20. Undertook the PDI check – quite lenient this time – and completed the formalities. Was able to drive out of the dealership at about 14:40, as the Tax-Receipt was awaited from RTO. Distributed ½ kilo of sweets at the dealer, and gave a small token to the folks who’d helped clean and prepare my car. A small Lord Ganesh idol was given free along with two keys to my car. I got a beautiful surprise when a song wishing “Congratulations” was played out for me, with everyone smiling and wishing luck. Later, a customer service executive asked me to rate the quality of service received and general feedback. Another person explained the tiniest bits of details relating to the plethora of switches inside the SX4. A photo commemorating the day was taken and a print given immediately, got a few other snaps too which they happily saved to the USB I was carrying.
Gyan: I’ve heard some folks complain about SX4 having a single reverse light. That’s incorrect – the truth being there’s one automatic reverse light, and one manual. The manual one can be turned on at the flick of a button, thus giving you rear illumination at both sides, if needed. The manual one, for some reason, is called the rear fog light, which might explain the ambiguity.
As noted by other owners, music played via USB sounds much better than disc or radio. I do have an unlimited broadband, so works for me.
The first trip to the petrol station bought me to my senses, a full tank cost 2500 bucks for 48 litres of speed! The interesting bit was getting the tyre pressure checked, as the dealer had set all tyres to roughly 50 which irritated the guy as all he had to do was lower it to precisely 30.
Odo reading at full tank: 38.
First Drive Review & Heart-break
In the evening, we decided to take her for a spin, and left home at 20:45, the obvious route was a round-trip across Bandra-Worli Sealink (BWSL). First impression of my car was quite amazing, the gear-shift was smooth, the car & tyres made no sound at all ( "outside noise seems to be on mute" – Wife) and the engine was almost hungry to tear the road apart. Over-taking trucks, ricks and old taxis was a breeze – no down-shifting. The 3rd gear has a great range tried from 25-50, no worries. 4th was again neat, could go from 30-60 without much (if any) clutch. The 5th was not tested much as the BWSL had a speed-limit of 50 and I was hell-bent on sticking to it. Hence I stayed in 4th all the way, even while going over those subtle but not insignificant speed limiters.
ACC is a boon, as it means NO touching the knobs once the car is set in motion, and the ACC cools very efficiently. However it needs to be tested during the day, before a final verdict.
The handling and ride-quality was excellent, the WE Highway has quite a few surprise craters, and I was able to dodge most, however the max speed I had set myself was 65, and barely crossed it during this drive. So this remains an open item pending evaluation untill the running-in period is complete.
While being south-bound, I had noticed a jam on the other side stretching from the TOI flyover right upto Jogeshwari. Fortunately for us the jam had receeded upto Goregaon by the time we returned. Unlike signal-jams, vehicles were moving intermittently between 1-10 kmph. This was my first taste of city driving in my SX4. The car was quite easy to drive in the bumper-to-bumper traffic, at no point did I feel that the engine would stop due to excess clutch-release, nor did the 2nd gear complain about being used at 4-5 kmph. At various points, I had to stop on inclines, but despite having four adults+1 teeny weeny child and ACC on, there was no lack of power, in getting the vehicle moving in the forward direction. I got so comfortable, that I could ride the clutch on stop-go traffic on incline, without braking! (For some reason, I consider this as one of my better driving skills)
I was getting the feeling she is coming out with flying colors, when a motorist, who was clearly imbalanced (due to his body size) tried to follow a teenager on his bike. In doing so he did the most heart-wrenching thing, he grazed my stationary car at its’ left-rear corner leaving a couple of long ugly lines of rubbery black marks. A slight scratch was found later on the tail-light assembly as well. Nothing serious like a dent, and I'm willing to accept it, as long as it proved to be my good-luck tika.
That said, any suggestions of car cleaning compounds / brands that would help clear it off is always welcome. They do appear to be smudges rather than paint coming off, as they seem to wear off slightly, when rubbed with water-soaked cloth.
Initial Verdict
Most of what was hinted in the test-drive was found to be true., hence one more satisfied customer in the kitty for Maruti.
PS: Regardless of the advt punch lines, I really cannot relate to associating the masculine gender with cars.
When SX4 made its’ debut in 07, I was swept away completely by her looks, features and value offering. However, my old car was doing fine then, and I was in the market for a new flat thus ruling out the possibility of a buying a new sedan. I did however promise myself to relook at the SX4 once things settle down a bit.
Around mid-December-09 I began the hunt for a new sedan, the SX4 was naturally at the top of my list. Amongst the newer cars, the Linea had also set my heart racing, so I took a test drive, but came back disappointed. (Linea owners - my objectives and their weights were possibly different - for what its’ worth, my vote for COTY went to Linea).
The SX4 test-drive however was overwhelmingly positive, hence without any further hesitation our decision was done.
The specific parameters I was looking for in my next car were as follows:
1. Safety Features : ABS, EBD & dual Airbags were a must.
2. Cabin Space : Let me just say this, the one shining feature of my Indica was Cabin Space, and my next car, had to better it.
3. Petrol : Done with diesel at least for the near future.
4. Indianization : Turn-indicators on the right, bad-road compatibility (GC, alloys, tubeless tyres) and tolerance to harsh weather.
5. Boot Space : Boot space needed to be adequate, as my Indica rear-seats had a split-fold, and we often made most of that feature.
6. Engine Performance : I am not comfortable with the concept of a hatchback-engine in bed with a sedan.
7. Value for Money : Needless to explain.
8. Low Cost of Ownership : Cheap & widely available spares, good fuel economy and reliability.
9. Superior After-Sales & Support : I’d owned a TATA vehicle for 6 years. TATA has improved lately, but the initial suffering left a long-lasting impact I guess.
10. City Drivability : I think I am around 25:75 on highway:city, hence, my new car needed to be easy to maneuver in City as well as comfortable on the highway. Chances are that the ratio might get pushed to 40:60, as my daughter is approaching her first birthday.
The Buying Process
My first car was bought without me leaving my house, courtesy JMD, a direct-marketing-agent. However, after team-bhp.com, that option was ruled out. The dealer – Spectra Motors, Borivali and more specifically the sales executive, Rahul Gangwani made the entire process quite smooth. Had to visit the dealership only twice, once to exchange my old car, and once to submit all the documents for my loan. The deal was stuck as follows:
On-Road Price ((SX4 ZXi Manual BSIV)): 854,747
Exchange Price for my 04' Indica DLS (bonus included): 137,000
Corporate Discount: 3,500
Cash-back: 1.25% of loan amount
Interest Rate: 10.00% for 5 years
2-yrs Extended Warranty: 7,990
Free Accessories: Front, side & rear sun-control film (Garware), leather steering cover, body cover & transparent carpet mats.
Paid Accessories (planned within a week): Seat covers, reverse sensors, under-body anti-rust treatment and engine treatment (safety from rats).
PRI-Check (Pre-Registration Check) at the dealers’ stockyard
Spectra was kind enough to allow me a PRI check at their stockyard without having paid a single rupee, nor having signed on any dotted line. The stockyard is located at Vasai, off the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway. The inspection itself was detailed, and folks at the stockyard didn’t mind my checking. Odometer reading was 4 Kms, no patchups visible and no scratches either. Overall, I think I was simply thrilled to see my next car in [i]flesh[/i].
D-Day::05-Jan-2010
Took AM off and went to the dealership at about 11:20. Undertook the PDI check – quite lenient this time – and completed the formalities. Was able to drive out of the dealership at about 14:40, as the Tax-Receipt was awaited from RTO. Distributed ½ kilo of sweets at the dealer, and gave a small token to the folks who’d helped clean and prepare my car. A small Lord Ganesh idol was given free along with two keys to my car. I got a beautiful surprise when a song wishing “Congratulations” was played out for me, with everyone smiling and wishing luck. Later, a customer service executive asked me to rate the quality of service received and general feedback. Another person explained the tiniest bits of details relating to the plethora of switches inside the SX4. A photo commemorating the day was taken and a print given immediately, got a few other snaps too which they happily saved to the USB I was carrying.
Gyan: I’ve heard some folks complain about SX4 having a single reverse light. That’s incorrect – the truth being there’s one automatic reverse light, and one manual. The manual one can be turned on at the flick of a button, thus giving you rear illumination at both sides, if needed. The manual one, for some reason, is called the rear fog light, which might explain the ambiguity.
As noted by other owners, music played via USB sounds much better than disc or radio. I do have an unlimited broadband, so works for me.
The first trip to the petrol station bought me to my senses, a full tank cost 2500 bucks for 48 litres of speed! The interesting bit was getting the tyre pressure checked, as the dealer had set all tyres to roughly 50 which irritated the guy as all he had to do was lower it to precisely 30.
Odo reading at full tank: 38.
First Drive Review & Heart-break
In the evening, we decided to take her for a spin, and left home at 20:45, the obvious route was a round-trip across Bandra-Worli Sealink (BWSL). First impression of my car was quite amazing, the gear-shift was smooth, the car & tyres made no sound at all ( "outside noise seems to be on mute" – Wife) and the engine was almost hungry to tear the road apart. Over-taking trucks, ricks and old taxis was a breeze – no down-shifting. The 3rd gear has a great range tried from 25-50, no worries. 4th was again neat, could go from 30-60 without much (if any) clutch. The 5th was not tested much as the BWSL had a speed-limit of 50 and I was hell-bent on sticking to it. Hence I stayed in 4th all the way, even while going over those subtle but not insignificant speed limiters.
ACC is a boon, as it means NO touching the knobs once the car is set in motion, and the ACC cools very efficiently. However it needs to be tested during the day, before a final verdict.
The handling and ride-quality was excellent, the WE Highway has quite a few surprise craters, and I was able to dodge most, however the max speed I had set myself was 65, and barely crossed it during this drive. So this remains an open item pending evaluation untill the running-in period is complete.
While being south-bound, I had noticed a jam on the other side stretching from the TOI flyover right upto Jogeshwari. Fortunately for us the jam had receeded upto Goregaon by the time we returned. Unlike signal-jams, vehicles were moving intermittently between 1-10 kmph. This was my first taste of city driving in my SX4. The car was quite easy to drive in the bumper-to-bumper traffic, at no point did I feel that the engine would stop due to excess clutch-release, nor did the 2nd gear complain about being used at 4-5 kmph. At various points, I had to stop on inclines, but despite having four adults+1 teeny weeny child and ACC on, there was no lack of power, in getting the vehicle moving in the forward direction. I got so comfortable, that I could ride the clutch on stop-go traffic on incline, without braking! (For some reason, I consider this as one of my better driving skills)
I was getting the feeling she is coming out with flying colors, when a motorist, who was clearly imbalanced (due to his body size) tried to follow a teenager on his bike. In doing so he did the most heart-wrenching thing, he grazed my stationary car at its’ left-rear corner leaving a couple of long ugly lines of rubbery black marks. A slight scratch was found later on the tail-light assembly as well. Nothing serious like a dent, and I'm willing to accept it, as long as it proved to be my good-luck tika.
That said, any suggestions of car cleaning compounds / brands that would help clear it off is always welcome. They do appear to be smudges rather than paint coming off, as they seem to wear off slightly, when rubbed with water-soaked cloth.
Initial Verdict
Most of what was hinted in the test-drive was found to be true., hence one more satisfied customer in the kitty for Maruti.
PS: Regardless of the advt punch lines, I really cannot relate to associating the masculine gender with cars.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Test Drive Report: Fiat Linea MJD
Linea - I have not drooled over anything ever in my life (lie) but this one got me my first. Its' a marvellous piece of machine an absolute beauty to look at. BUT, is the car as good from the inside? I decided to evaluate it myself.
I went for a walk-in test-drive as my call to Wasan Motors, Borivali-E, requesting for a petrol Linea TD went un-returned. I was at Spectra once more to get the evaluation done for my current car, my true love, till date. With a bit of anxiety I walk into the Tata Motors showroom - same as above - to evaluate the only other option I was considering. The Fiat Linea 1.4 Emotion Pack.
First thing I noticed was the "same-old-feeling" of being at something "Tata". Its' neither impressive nor exciting to say the least. I felt the Bajaj showroom next door had more pulse and vigor than this one. I ask for a TD and the lady asks me to fill a form and voila I'm next to the Fiat-Tata salesman. This is where the experience changed, this guy came across as an ace salesman and more importantly very professional. At the outset, I made clear "No technical data please", I know all there is to know about the car, before buying. (Courtesy: Team-BHP)
The disappointment began early, no petrol test-drive vehicle. I was itching for a test-drive anyway so I decided to go with the MJD instead. The idea was to judge the "feel" of the car, and evaluate the petrol later. I was further told that petrol wont be available till January 2010.
Now for the real cool bit, the test drive itself. The Linea was parked in such an awkward place, that I requested them to pull it out of the parking area, lest I scratch the very car I'm evaluating for a purchase. Once inside the disappointment started swelling. I was expecting loads of interior space given the monstrous length, but sadly my Indica can give it a bit of a run for its money. But space apart, I was staring at 6-years of automobile progress, rather 26 years of it, as I don't think my Indica was anywhere near the latest piece of machinery when I bought it 6 yrs back. The only disappointment was that all in-dash information was frozen - this was someones' paid vehicle. Poor soul, I am really sorry.
The gadgetry inside was astounding, the feel was OK, nothing to drool or go berserk about. Apt I'd say. Once I started the car, the car sound was no louder than a whisper, there's a space-age diesel underneath. The 1st, 2nd & 3rd were peppy and the car can pin you to your seat if need be, but the FE would be heading south for sure.
The decisive part of the TD happened when I was at about 40, and engaged the fourth, and started climbing a Flyover. I could feel the drop in AC and the temperature perceptibly got higher, and the car itself was ambling up the slope at its own pace, I'd floored the accelerator but it made no difference. I used the "diesel" trick of pumping and even that did not give me the desired response. Then at another time, I distinctly remember having to down-shift for power - that was natural thanks to my Indica. The short TD ended and I decided to check out the rear seat. Lo-behold I felt very familiar, its no more comfy than my existing car. Wifey already had a irritated look for having made her go through all this after the exhilarating SX4 TD the other day. I did not exactly differ by a whole lot.
With such a not-so-positive feel from the supposedly "powerful" sibling I had very little hope for the petrol. Please dont get me wrong, a 1000 Lineas are selling monthly in India, but I seriously wonder how many of them were ex-Indica owners. The SX4 offered me a thorough upgrade from my Indica, I mean every element of it. This one unfortunately doesn't. In fact the sight of a world-champion auto-manufacturer sharing space with a humble Indian car company is pitiful. Its' just plain wrong. The step-brotherly treatment starts right from the placement of Linea pricelist, the ones for Manza are right next to the visitor louge and for the Linea - you need to request the receptionist. The Fiat salesman looked too good to be there, and was clearly on his own in a sea of Vistas and Manzas. No Linea on display, only parked next to a humongous waste area.
Overall, I guess a great car to admire from outside as long as it belongs to someone else. Sadly, I was quite prepared for everything except being downgraded in terms of A.S.S. I mean I've seen how bad it can be for a Tata Vehicle, now the same folks are gonna look down upon you...not in this life again.
Last word: If Fiat goes single, it's gonna be a different story al-together.
I went for a walk-in test-drive as my call to Wasan Motors, Borivali-E, requesting for a petrol Linea TD went un-returned. I was at Spectra once more to get the evaluation done for my current car, my true love, till date. With a bit of anxiety I walk into the Tata Motors showroom - same as above - to evaluate the only other option I was considering. The Fiat Linea 1.4 Emotion Pack.
First thing I noticed was the "same-old-feeling" of being at something "Tata". Its' neither impressive nor exciting to say the least. I felt the Bajaj showroom next door had more pulse and vigor than this one. I ask for a TD and the lady asks me to fill a form and voila I'm next to the Fiat-Tata salesman. This is where the experience changed, this guy came across as an ace salesman and more importantly very professional. At the outset, I made clear "No technical data please", I know all there is to know about the car, before buying. (Courtesy: Team-BHP)
The disappointment began early, no petrol test-drive vehicle. I was itching for a test-drive anyway so I decided to go with the MJD instead. The idea was to judge the "feel" of the car, and evaluate the petrol later. I was further told that petrol wont be available till January 2010.
Now for the real cool bit, the test drive itself. The Linea was parked in such an awkward place, that I requested them to pull it out of the parking area, lest I scratch the very car I'm evaluating for a purchase. Once inside the disappointment started swelling. I was expecting loads of interior space given the monstrous length, but sadly my Indica can give it a bit of a run for its money. But space apart, I was staring at 6-years of automobile progress, rather 26 years of it, as I don't think my Indica was anywhere near the latest piece of machinery when I bought it 6 yrs back. The only disappointment was that all in-dash information was frozen - this was someones' paid vehicle. Poor soul, I am really sorry.
The gadgetry inside was astounding, the feel was OK, nothing to drool or go berserk about. Apt I'd say. Once I started the car, the car sound was no louder than a whisper, there's a space-age diesel underneath. The 1st, 2nd & 3rd were peppy and the car can pin you to your seat if need be, but the FE would be heading south for sure.
The decisive part of the TD happened when I was at about 40, and engaged the fourth, and started climbing a Flyover. I could feel the drop in AC and the temperature perceptibly got higher, and the car itself was ambling up the slope at its own pace, I'd floored the accelerator but it made no difference. I used the "diesel" trick of pumping and even that did not give me the desired response. Then at another time, I distinctly remember having to down-shift for power - that was natural thanks to my Indica. The short TD ended and I decided to check out the rear seat. Lo-behold I felt very familiar, its no more comfy than my existing car. Wifey already had a irritated look for having made her go through all this after the exhilarating SX4 TD the other day. I did not exactly differ by a whole lot.
With such a not-so-positive feel from the supposedly "powerful" sibling I had very little hope for the petrol. Please dont get me wrong, a 1000 Lineas are selling monthly in India, but I seriously wonder how many of them were ex-Indica owners. The SX4 offered me a thorough upgrade from my Indica, I mean every element of it. This one unfortunately doesn't. In fact the sight of a world-champion auto-manufacturer sharing space with a humble Indian car company is pitiful. Its' just plain wrong. The step-brotherly treatment starts right from the placement of Linea pricelist, the ones for Manza are right next to the visitor louge and for the Linea - you need to request the receptionist. The Fiat salesman looked too good to be there, and was clearly on his own in a sea of Vistas and Manzas. No Linea on display, only parked next to a humongous waste area.
Overall, I guess a great car to admire from outside as long as it belongs to someone else. Sadly, I was quite prepared for everything except being downgraded in terms of A.S.S. I mean I've seen how bad it can be for a Tata Vehicle, now the same folks are gonna look down upon you...not in this life again.
Last word: If Fiat goes single, it's gonna be a different story al-together.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Test Drive Report: SX4
Here we go...its' an awesome car, backed by an giant of an automobile company - Maruti Suzuki. The test drive was a pleasant experience, one phone call, and the dealer - Spectra Motors, Borivali - welcomed me for a test drive "anytime" I want. There was hardly any delay, the salesman - Mr. Rahul, walked right next to me and asked me to check out the displayed SX4 AT, beige gold.
The tall stance of SX is already folklore, but only when you get behind the wheel is when you realize what it means, and why. It almost makes you feel like being in a SUV - my 5'11' frame was most comfy at the highest end of the seat and it gave a view par-excellence from there.
Finally after a few minutes of drooling over the beauty, we went for the test drive a top-end manual version with full body kit. It was a sheer beauty, and the fun only begins when you stand right next to it. Its' a no-nonsence stance, I tell you. Sitting in my Indica, I've always felt threatened by the "tall-bullies" (read rowdy Qualis drivers). Not anymore, this guy - yes its' masculine to the core - gives you a confidence that makes you feel adequate to take on one and all except CVs.
I started the ignition, and instead of the usual roar I am used to, got a sweet nothing instead. The engine is noise-less to say the least. Once on the road, started evaluating a few points I had in mind:
A-Pillar blind-spots
My verdict: Yes, its an issue, but only if you are blind! Any humanoid with two working set of optical organs should be able to work with the design efficiently. Clearly the car is designed for those who would look at where their car is headed rather than the ones who like to be surprised at every corner.
Braking
My verdict: The car is equipped with ABS and EBD, that effectively means a space-age jump for me from my Indica days. This is by far the most advancement in terms of technology over my current car.
Ride Quality & Handling
My verdict: The 16" tubeless mounted on alloys make a world of difference. The car did hit some bumps and manage to cushion them well, however, I was on the WE Highway and the road was mostly smooth - as smooth as the City permits them to be - with great pickup and nice cornering. I even intimated an auto - and this in a test drive. Wifey was very pleased with the ride, she got to be the passenger and wanted me to book it right way only for the comfort this beast is capable of.
Space & Interiors
My verdict: Well, its' an aptly designed car. No more no less. Its not exactly designed to fool you into thinking you are driving anything more than what you are paying. No sir, you get the very best of the mid-segment. Slap on a Stanley cover and this baby will look ravishing for sure. I loved all the gizmos' on offer, the best of all were steering wheel controls. The music system was strictly OK, but given that my little girl loves to doze off when we start our journeys, I think its' perfectly fine.
Overall
My verdict: A 90% chance of booking the ZXi Manual within the next 30 days, however that depends on a certain document being received by me from office. If all augurs well, our Silver SX4 would be entering our apartment on Mia's birthday.
The tall stance of SX is already folklore, but only when you get behind the wheel is when you realize what it means, and why. It almost makes you feel like being in a SUV - my 5'11' frame was most comfy at the highest end of the seat and it gave a view par-excellence from there.
Finally after a few minutes of drooling over the beauty, we went for the test drive a top-end manual version with full body kit. It was a sheer beauty, and the fun only begins when you stand right next to it. Its' a no-nonsence stance, I tell you. Sitting in my Indica, I've always felt threatened by the "tall-bullies" (read rowdy Qualis drivers). Not anymore, this guy - yes its' masculine to the core - gives you a confidence that makes you feel adequate to take on one and all except CVs.
I started the ignition, and instead of the usual roar I am used to, got a sweet nothing instead. The engine is noise-less to say the least. Once on the road, started evaluating a few points I had in mind:
A-Pillar blind-spots
My verdict: Yes, its an issue, but only if you are blind! Any humanoid with two working set of optical organs should be able to work with the design efficiently. Clearly the car is designed for those who would look at where their car is headed rather than the ones who like to be surprised at every corner.
Braking
My verdict: The car is equipped with ABS and EBD, that effectively means a space-age jump for me from my Indica days. This is by far the most advancement in terms of technology over my current car.
Ride Quality & Handling
My verdict: The 16" tubeless mounted on alloys make a world of difference. The car did hit some bumps and manage to cushion them well, however, I was on the WE Highway and the road was mostly smooth - as smooth as the City permits them to be - with great pickup and nice cornering. I even intimated an auto - and this in a test drive. Wifey was very pleased with the ride, she got to be the passenger and wanted me to book it right way only for the comfort this beast is capable of.
Space & Interiors
My verdict: Well, its' an aptly designed car. No more no less. Its not exactly designed to fool you into thinking you are driving anything more than what you are paying. No sir, you get the very best of the mid-segment. Slap on a Stanley cover and this baby will look ravishing for sure. I loved all the gizmos' on offer, the best of all were steering wheel controls. The music system was strictly OK, but given that my little girl loves to doze off when we start our journeys, I think its' perfectly fine.
Overall
My verdict: A 90% chance of booking the ZXi Manual within the next 30 days, however that depends on a certain document being received by me from office. If all augurs well, our Silver SX4 would be entering our apartment on Mia's birthday.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Slumdog Millionaire
4.5 out of 5
Brilliant !
Humbling !
This is a movie about Mumbai, its' "underbelly", it fabric and above all the inhabitants of its' slums. Slumdog Millionaire is a fast-paced drama of human values preserved through despecible acts of hardships, communal tension, exploitation, child-labor, torture and abuse. That the film depicts, almost laments the deplorable side of Mumbai's slum is hardly a central theme, more of a backdrop to the drama, than anything else. The same story could have been written in a village, or a middle-class family, albeit with far lesser impact, the backdrop chosen, fits its' purpose in a very apt manner.
Performances are truly outstanding, espcially the child-actors, they are the clear winners in this saga of human hardships faced in the face of harsh realities. Dev Patel and Frieda Pinto are passable, Anil Kapoor has done most of what he gets these days and Irrfan and Saurabh Shukla are outright misplaced in the movie. But the movie is by far dominated by "actors" that do not appear on-screen, the off-screen ones. Danny Boyle, the director, the cinematographer and the scores by A.R.Rahman, the stuff that legends are made up of.
The movie is nominated for 10 oscars and 12-odd BAFTA's, its' not everyday that such records are achieved, nor will it possibly happen in the next few years. After-all it takes a depression to lend a perfect backdrop to a human story such as Slumdog Millionaire.
A must watch if you love the word "Cinema"
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Steal @ Croma, Malad
I saw one of the best deals in town on offer at Croma. A 32-inch Sony Bravia "V" series going for 39990. Yes, you heard it right, this is one of the best televisions in town and is going at a 15-20 % discount because Sony has launched a new line.
Go for it, the TV I've mentioned is technically superior to the LGs and Samsungs of the world.
Go for it, the TV I've mentioned is technically superior to the LGs and Samsungs of the world.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Review: Dum Laga Ke - Malad, Link Road
I discovered this restaurant by chance, when we ordered biryanis at my friends place. To my sweet surprise, the biryani's were not the messy ghevda based ones, but authentic mughlai biryanis. Then, one friday, we all decided to eat out for lunch, and that was my second visit. That day, I had Egg Biryani (Tawa-Style), and have had the same 3 more times in the last two weeks.
Besides the above, there is a good variety of biryanis', tandoor based items, and a lot of the non-vegetarian stuff, which my dad loved. Me, being a lacto-ovo veggie, had to satisfy myself with just Egg biryani, paneer biryani and veg biryani.
Bottomline, if you love your biryanis', this place is a must visit.
A word of caution, this place is supposedly a franchisee of Borivali Biryani Center (BBC), but BBC is far worse than Dum Laga Ke, in terms of quality, and service.
Besides the above, there is a good variety of biryanis', tandoor based items, and a lot of the non-vegetarian stuff, which my dad loved. Me, being a lacto-ovo veggie, had to satisfy myself with just Egg biryani, paneer biryani and veg biryani.
Bottomline, if you love your biryanis', this place is a must visit.
A word of caution, this place is supposedly a franchisee of Borivali Biryani Center (BBC), but BBC is far worse than Dum Laga Ke, in terms of quality, and service.
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