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The Hindu : y>Car and bike questions? We have the answers

I plan to buy a Maruti Alto soon, but would like to clear some doubts. When will the Alto get the K-series engine? Is it worth waiting for or should I buy an Alto now?

Abhas Sharma

There are no plans to launch the Alto with the K-series engine. The current F-series engine (F8D) motor will be upgraded to meet Bharat Stage IV emission norms well before April 2010.

We are a family of six, and are looking for an MPV priced around Rs. 10 lakh. Our concern is more about safety features. We like the Mahindra Xylo E8. It has ABS, but has no airbags. Is it worth waiting for the Tata Indicruz, which is due in early 2010 and expected to come with ABS and airbags?

Vimal Selvaraj

Mahindra is in the process of introducing airbags and ABS in the Xylo, which should take care of your safety concerns. However, the Indicruz, which is built on a brand new platform and with lots of new technology for a Tata vehicle, is quite promising and worth waiting for.

I have test driven the Maruti Swift VDI, Fiat Grande Punto EP (diesel) and Hyundai i20 Asta (diesel). I don’t like the Punto’s cabin and feel the comfort levels are poor and the drive experience unsatisfactory. The only thing that pleases is its price. I like the Swift’s performance and it fits my budget too. I have booked one but my family wants the i20. I see far more petrol i20s than the CRDi version in Kochi, why? Should I go in for the i20?

Justin J T

The i20 diesel is overall a better car but is not very popular because of its price. In fact, only 20 per cent of total i20 sales are of the diesel variant, and the rest are petrol. Hyundai’s CRDi engine in the i20 is smoother…More

The Hindu : y>

Like in the movie The collection reflects the soul of the film

Pantaloons, in collaboration with Vinod Chopra Films has launched the Three Idiots apparel and accessories collection inspired by the film. Ten, hand-drawn Doodle T shirts, designed by Aamir Khan during the making of the film are among the highlights of the collection. They reflect his inimitable style and the soul of the film. The collection offers shoppers an opportunity to partake of the magic of the movie and experience the style of their favourite stars.

The collection will be available across Pantaloons stores in the country. The T-shirts start at from Rs. 399 onwards and includes replicas of t-shirts worn by Aamir Khan in the film, tees inspired by the film, garments worn by Madhavan and Sharman Joshi in the film and replicas of garments and jewellery worn by Kareena Kapoor. Shoppers will also be able to add the Converse Three Idiots range shoes to their collection, which will be retailed at Planet Sports stores in the country.

Meanwhile, the collaboration will also offer a combination ‘doodle t-shirt’ and ‘Converse shoe’ virtual gift for Indian users to share with their friends. The virtual gift will be launched on Pantaloon’s Facebook Page – www.facebook.com/pantaloons .

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The Hindu : y>Delhi gearing up for the Indian Grand Prix in 2011

The yes, no, yes again saga of the Indian Grand Prix carries on. After “F1 is not a sport” from the Sports Ministry, new details have emerged.

Here is the first glimpse of the track in the Jaypee Greens Sports City. Designed by famous F1 designer Hermann Tilke, the GP looks like the race will be part of the calendar in 2011 as the Formula 1 authorities have all but confirmed this.

The Z-shaped track looks like a collection of medium length straights with the wide 180-degree multi-apex corner at the top as the highlight. Similar to the very impressive Turn 8 at Istanbul, where the balance of the car and the skill of the driver are tested to the limit, this compact track seems to have only one really slow corner.

The circuit is being built by JP Associates, which is part of a large industrial conglomerate called the Jaypee Group, alongside the Yamuna Expressway. A new road being built to connect New Delhi with the Taj in Agra.

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The Hindu :

Shruti takes confident steps in cinema

First cut Shruti debuts in Taj Mahal

With her father being an active member of the Prithvi theatre in Mumbai, Shruti grew up in an atmosphere that was full of creativity and arts. She finished acting in two Hindi films — “Jai Santoshi Ma” and another untitled movie.

From theatre

She’s been doing theatre right from her school and college days and is heavily influenced by her father. She says, “My father did plays out of passion, not for commercial gain; ditto with me. I did an English film with Pankaj Kapoor. I consider movies as an extension of theatre.” Originally named Nishat, she’s been rechristened by actor Sivaji as Shruti. She is his heroine in the Telugu film “Taj Mahal” that’s releasing this month and her name in the film is Shruti too.

She was supposed to have been launched as a heroine in Naga Chaitanya’s debut “Josh” .

She was selected and her contract was finalised, but later she was dropped. A tad sad, she says may be she didn’t fit into the director’s vision. Sivaji had given her a DVD of the Kannada version of “Taj Mahal” after briefing her about the story and her role. She says she was impressed as the character she was playing is not another pretty face.

She adds, “The girl is simple, down to earth, clear in her head about the guy she wants to marry. It’s about unrequited love, a girl’s journey…”

So is she Mumtaz in this “Taj Mahal”? Shruti quips, “Everyone has been asking me that but I’m not telling.”

Sivaji turns producer with this film, which was a superhit in Kannada running for 175 days.

Y. SUNITA CHOWDHARY

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The Hindu : y>The new diesel motor perfectly complements the exquisite refinement and style of Mercedes-Benz E350 CDI, writes SHAPUR KOTWAL

Diesel motors have been gaining in popularity because they have been getting more powerful as well as more silent and refined. The Merc’s updated 3.0-litre V6 takes this even further. The new diesel E350 CDI is so smooth and sweet-sounding even from the outside that anyone could mistake it for a petrol-powered car.

Mercedes engineers have taken what was already a very good motor and improved on it significantly. While much of the OM 624 (OM stands for Oil Motor or diesel) remains common with the previous-generation E280 CDI, Mercedes has both upped the power and improved fuel economy. In an effort to make it more refined and silent, the motor’s compression ratio has been reduced significantly from 17.7 to 15.8. And there are new, more responsive injectors for better control as well as improved air flow and ducting in the engine, all of which translate to greater refinement.

This all-aluminium 72-degree V6 also makes commercial vehicles blush — producing 55kgm of torque from 1600rpm, just off idle, and this allows this otherwise heavy 1825kg car to be blown forward like it’s one with the wind. Yes, it lacks the surge in power you get in the earlier 280 CDi and you miss that spike to a certain extent, but the overall performance is stronger.

Normal driving conditions call for only a gentle dab on the throttle; good enough to scoot forward in that effortless, well-insulated, typically Mercedes manner. The greater flexibility of the motor also means that the gearbox in ‘Comfort’ setting can shift up gears much earlier, so progress is rapid and relaxed. However, with 231bhp, the sharp new E can easily be a performance saloon as well.

As you take off from rest with full throttle, the E-class’s seven-speed automatic gearbox winds you through…More

The Hindu : y>From mental denial to acceptance, bodily transformation to the first heartbeat, motherhood is one rollercoaster ride, writes BINDU TOBBY

Photo: P.V. SivakumarBRING IT ON That little bundle of pleasure and pain

The picture of a tiny pinknew born cocooned in thesecure arms of its brandnew smiling mom alwayswarms the cockles of our hearts.Slide that arcane door a littleand you would know more -the glow is because of the stitcheswhich are smarting, the bigsoulful eyes are because of dilatedpupils from lack of sleep.Your back is sore, your tummyand legs niggle, and while youare too hungry to eat and tooexhausted to sleep, you retainthat shining smile to entertainguests who are busy clickingphotos.

Transformations

Of course the pains start fromthat moment when a little stripwith a blue and red line flashes`positive’. The initial denial followedquickly by sheer elation,paves way for the heartburn,the nausea, the hunger, thepain, the aches and the swelling.Then the horror at watchingour petite little frames go fromsize to size, stretch marks andblack marks and weird appetitestaking complete control ofyour swinging moods.

And yet, we moms endure thejoys and the pains with placidity,pulling ourselves throughthose nine long months, cartingaround inside us (happily forthe most part), a growing, kickinglive being.

Says Marina Furtado, who isnear half way through the ride,”My best experience was thefirst time I heard the baby’sheartbeat. That’s the day it reallysank in that a human beingwas growing within me. Thebond you feel with that littlebeing growing inside you is themost awesome experience lifehas to offer!”

Agrees Durrain Shaik, momto four-month-old Aadil: “Feelingthe very first flutter and beingkicked is amazing, as alsofeeling your tummy move andsway like it is doing a Mexicanwave!” She also quickly addsthat all is not rosy. “For me thelast trimester seemed the longest.The feelings are almost always`mixed’ by that timebecause you obviously want thebaby to go to full term and be ahealthy one, but you so desperatelywant it out and see whoyour baby…More

The Hindu : PRINCE FREDERICK

Vikas is taken up with the challenge of using an old machine as if it were made for the modern times

Almost every vintage vehicle enthusiast lavishes time and money on his/her machine to give it an attractive glint. These old machines make for a pretty picture and gather admirers everywhere they go. But V. Vikas and his Jawa are strangely at odds with this popular perception. Vikas, whose house is taken over by breathtaking antiques, has turned a blind eye to the Jawa’s weather-beaten look. A closer inspection of the machine reveals that Vikas belongs to a small clutch of vintage vehicle collectors who are enticed by the challenge of using old machines as if they had been made for our times. Evidence supporting his interest in performance are the bottle fuel filter and the glow-indicator embedded in the visor over the headlight.

A magnet in the filter draws the rust particles — this dross can be cleared by loosening a screw and freeing the bottle. With only a six-volt power system in place, the Jawa has to manage with a measly power output. The headlight lets out only a feeble shaft of light. The glow-indicator, which glows when the headlight comes on, is an additional warning to oncoming motorists. Besides, it is also a means for a rider to know if his headlight bulb is working. Vikas finds the glow-indicator particularly useful when he heads out of the city and hits dimly-lit roads.

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The Hindu :

Cosset yourself in the most lavish of silks, plain or embellished, at Silk Sutra

Photo: Murali Kumar K.Cascade Of handloom silks

Silk Sutra, an exhibition of traditional sari weaves is on at Safina Plaza. As the name suggests, the place is brimming with all kinds of silk — mulberry, tussar, Eri and silk blends in a wide range of hues and textures.

There are 21 stalls from 11 states with 15 distinctive hand styles on a variety of combinations, explains Khitish Pandya, the CEO of Eco Tasar Silk Pvt. Ltd., also the organisers.“Eco Tasar is a branch of Pradhan, an NGO that works with the tribal community in the North Eastern States.

You can pick up a Pashmeena silk sari with hand block prints starting at Rs. 2,000. Tussar from Chattisgarh offers saris, and dress material that come at Rs. 250 per metre (pure silk) and Rs. 150 a metre (cotton silk). The tussar saris start at Rs. 2,500.

There are Aggarwal saris that use Pashmeena as the base fabric, which are then printed. A large section of the silk comes from West Bengal.

“The works are intricate. You will find a lot of kanta and zardosi on these silks and you will also see neem jari work here,” says Khitish. The kurta pieces in this section start at Rs. 1,200 for two-and-a-half metres.

“The aim of organising this show is to provide only silks or silk blends. Bringing in other weavers with us will only make it bigger and better and also give them a direct feedback. Traditional weavers do not venture into using unconventional colours or designs. This will give them an idea of how the urban crowd reacts to their works. While interacting with them they will also get more ideas of how they can blend in the modern with the traditional,” observes Khitish.

He comes across as a walking encyclopaedia on silks. As he…More

The Hindu :

Wage a war against insects, the organic way

PHOTO: A. ROY CHOWDHURYPESTICIDES ARE TOXIC We all inhale stuff that can seriously harm our health

In the colony where we grew up, mosquitoes would rise at dusk. Mom would stuff earthen pots with dried coconut husk, light them carefully, and pile green neem leaves on top. Clouds of smoke would swirl and quickly fill the rooms. The pinch of sambrani she added would not be enough to subdue the strange smell.

The ritual was meant to drive the mosquitoes away. Those that insisted on staying were clapped to death. Against cockroaches and silverfish, our weapon wasfootwear — thwack! Stamp! Flies were stunned with rolled-up newspapers, mice were enticed into traps. We lived in an anti-chemical age.

We grew up and chose pesticide-filled spray guns to kill the buggers. We rejoiced when deadly chemicals came in fragrant options. We cheered when the guns morphed into aerosol cans. Today, we aim and press, and the enemy goes belly up. We use electronic insect killers that promise high-tension death for household menaces.

A pest-free paradise? Hardly. There are more now — dust mites thrive in that itchy sofa, the silverfish in the clothes cupboard, cockroaches take over when we leave the kitchen, and mice are everywhere. It’s a jungle out there! And, in our insect war, we and our children are inhaling stuff that can seriously damage our health — virtually every type of pesticide is toxic. The substance in which it is dispersed (petroleum-distillate) is worse.

Did you know cockroaches pick up chemical signals? They sample food before eating, and can detect the pesticide in it. They have good memory and develop immunity to most sprays. We don’t. We buy chemicals and poison our homes. We wash them down the drain, only to get them back as contaminated groundwater. It’s time for us to come a full circle. We…More

The Hindu : y>Hyundai focusses on Hyundai Advantage to retain old customers

Hyundai Motor India has launched the latest version of its nationwide service programme ‘Always Around’, which aims to provide free check-ups to its customers at convenient locations, throughout this month.

Last year, around 80,000 Hyundai vehicles, across 6,000 locations, attended the camp. This year, the campaign hopes to cover 6,500 locations, and about 90,000 customers. The company is also renewing its focus on its used-car programme ‘Hyundai Advantage’. Hyundai buys cars of any make and any model under this exchange scheme, and has 69 operational dealers across 49 locations in India. It plans to expand this to 108, across 59 cities by the end of 2009, and 200 by the end of 2010.

According to Arvind Saxena, senior vice-president, marketing and sales, Hyundai Motor India: “The size of the used-car business in India is approximately 1.3 million cars a year. This is expected to grow exponentially in the next few years. We want to focus on ‘Hyundai Advantage’, as it will not only help us retain old customers but also make an interesting business proposition.”

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