BMW 530i Carbon Edition

Ever since its launch in 1972, the BMW 5 Series has remained one of the sportiest and sexiest luxury sedans you can drive. It is now available in an exclusive Carbon Edition, priced at ` 66.3 lakh. Available in the 530i (Petrol) M Sport variant, the ‘Carbon Edition’ appears sportier. With the kidney grille, front attachment, splitters and even side mirrors in dark black carbon fibre, the 530i looks extremely sporty in its new avatar. It even gets 18-inch Jet Black alloys and a carbon fibre rear spoiler.

The 5 Series also features Remote-Control Parking, Reversing Assistant, Parking Assistant, BMW Virtual Assistant, BMW Gesture Control and 360° Surround-view Camera. Further enhancing the sporty appeal are the electrically adjustable Sports Seats and M Sport leather steering wheel. For added comfort, the 5 Series comes with four-zone automatic climate control. It gets a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument display behind the steering wheel. For an impressive audio experience, it comes with a Harman Kardon 16 speaker music system with woofers.

Under the hood is a 2-litre 4 cylinder BMW Twin Power Turbo petrol engine which makes 248bhp and 350Nm of torque, mated to an 8-speed steptronic sport automatic transmission. The 5 Series sprints from 0-100kmph in just 6.1 seconds!

Audi Q5 | Q For Quattro Power

Ahead of the new Q5’s launch, Audi has already begun the local assembly of the updated model in India, and bookings are open. Expected prices should be about `55-60 lakh.
The new Q5 looks even more aggressive with the new, larger single-frame grille with chrome borders, along with vertical slats also finished in chrome, and a silver skid plate. The SUV also gets larger fog lamp housings. The new model gets revised full-LED headlamps with new LED daytime running lamps and 19-inch, 5 double-spoke star style alloy wheels. Audi will offer Matrix LED headlamps as an option – basically an adaptive driving beam system, which adjusts brightness according to oncoming traffic. The new Q5 also gets brand new OLED tail lights with three different rear light patterns.

The Q5 now gets a refreshed cabin with black interior trim and tan leather upholstery; the steering wheel is new and it gets dual-zone automatic climate control. It is equipped with a standard 10.1-inch display. Other expected features include wireless phone charger, Audi Park Assist, Comfort key with sensor-controlled boot-lid operation, Audi Exclusive Inlays in Black Piano Lacquer, Audi Virtual Cockpit Plus, Bang & Olufsen 3D Sound System.
Under the hood, the 2021 Audi Q5 will come with a 2.0-litre 45 TFSI petrol engine that makes 245bhp and 370Nm of peak torque, mated to a 7-speed S-Tronic automatic dual-clutch gearbox. . The engine also gets a 12-volt mild-hybrid system with brake energy recuperation.

MG Astor

MG Motor India opened bookings for Astor on 21st October and the car was sold out in minutes! Deliveries will commence from 1st November 2021. The carmaker aims to deliver 5000 units within this year.

The Astor has received an overwhelming response across India, with an introductory price of `9.78 lakh (ex-showroom). It is India’s first SUV with personal AI assistant and first-in-segment Autonomous (Level 2) technology. The Astor is based on MG’s successful global platform of the ZS. The ZS EV is also an extremely popular model across the country. The Astor gets a premium design with sporty interiors. The nine crystal diamond elements in the LED headlamps gives it a distinctive look.

It is sold with two engine options – a 1.3-litre Turbo petrol engine with a 6-speed AT delivering 220Nm of torque and 138bhp of power. And the other – 1.5-litre petrol engine with a manual transmission and an 8-speed CVT, delivering 144Nm of torque and 108bhp of power.

The car ensures a safe driving experience with 27 standard safety features like ESP, TCS and HDC. Convenience and safety features include 6 airbags, 6-way power-adjustable driver seats, electric parking brake, heated ORVM, rain-sensing wiper, panoramic sky roof, rear AC vents and front and rear armrests, a 10.1-inch HD infotainment system and a fully digital instrument cluster with a 7-inch embedded LCD screen.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

The ravishingly gorgeous Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W223), initially launched as a CBU, is now locally assembled in India, making it more affordable by close to
`60 lakh lesser than the imported S 400d and S 450.

Gone are the features and AMG Line bumpers that came on the Launch Edition model; it now sports bumpers that are softer on the eye, plus the 19-inch wheels get a new pattern. The cabin of the made-in-India S-Class doesn’t fall short of opulence, however. Features include a 12.8-inch portrait-oriented OLED touchscreen with the brand’s new MBUX software that gets facial, voice and fingerprint recognition, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, front and rear airbags, electronically adjustable front and rear seats with massage functions and 64-colour active ambient lighting. If you opt for the chauffeur package, you get rear seats that recline, while the leg rests rise, allowing you to stretch comfortably. Instead of the Burmester 4D surround system available on the CBU version before, it gets a Burmester 3D sound system.

Customers now get the S 350d, not the S 400d. The engine is similar to one on the Launch Edition model, but now makes lesser power and torque – 285bhp and 600Nm of torque. The in-line, 6-cylinder, turbocharged petrol is the same, making 362bhp and 500Nm of torque. The S-Class comes equipped with a 9-speed automatic transmission, with power being sent to all four wheels.

Volvo’s Updated S90 & XC60
Volvo Cars has launched facelift updates on the new S90 sedan and XC60 SUV. Prices start at ₹ 61.90 lakh (ex-showroom, India), and both models will be sold as the B5 Inscription variant.

The S90 sedan features a revised front grille with vertical chrome slats, a new logo and a mildly reworked front bumper, sporting a chrome strip below. Even the XC60 SUV gets mild revisions to its face that include an updated front bumper with some chrome.
The S90 and XC60 models feature an ‘Advanced Air Cleaner’ system, which basically filters air in the cabin and reflects the air quality on the infotainment screen. Volvo’s Blind Spot Infotainment System is worth a mention too. Multiple features on the S90 include adaptive cruise control, massage function for the front seats, air suspension, a 360-degree camera and a 19-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system, while the XC60 gets a 15-speaker audio system.

With petrol engines now becoming the fad for a cleaner tomorrow, the diesel engines have been shelved. Both models get a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder, turbo petrol engine, producing 246bhp and 350Nm of torque. Running in tandem, with the petrol unit, is a 48V integrated starter-generator motor.