The Golden Steering Wheel Awards 2013

The Golden Steering Wheel 2013 looks back at the outstanding achievements made by the Indian auto industry in 2012.

Unlike any other auto award, we at AUTO BILD INDIA, have a complete section devoted to review and user experience of automotive products and accessories. These include products for car-care, navigation devices, premium products like ATVs, caravans and so on. This year, it is the Garmin nuvi 50LM, which has won the Golden Steering Wheel award. A sat-nav with free lifetime updates, the nuvi 50LM is one of the few sat-navs, which comes with voice guided directions in Indian accent.

Maruti-Suzuki broke new ground with the launch of its MPV, Ertiga. Even though the Ertiga could not make the cut according to the judges, it turned out to be a winner in the eyes of the consumers for the Carwale Consumer Choice award. This award allows the general public to vote for their favourite car among the contenders and the decision is not influenced by the jury. The common man is the jury. Ertigas win goes on to show the appreciation that consumers have towards the MPV. It is an MPV that looks good, drives well and versatility is its middle name. Plus, its selling like hot cakes.

Jehan Daruwala is arguably the finest young talent to emerge on the Indian motorsports firmament in 2012. The Mumbai based go-kart racer became the first Indian to win a CIK-FIA approved karting championship when he emerged as a winner of the CIK-FIA Asia Pacific KF3 Championship against a field that included the best of young talent from the region and Europe. In 2011, he was selected by Sahara Force India from its One In A Billion talent hunt for Formula 1 teams young driver development programme. Apart from that, the 12-year-old racer has won every major karting championship in the country.

BMW India walked away with the Golden Steering Wheel for the Automotive Company Of The Year. BMW emerged on top in the premium sedan wars in the year 2012 by overtaking fellow German carmaker, Audi. In addition, BMW also kept itself busy by expanding its dealership network in the country and launched new models and updates such as the new 3-series, the 6-series Gran Coupe along with the iconic Mini Cooper range, registering impressive growth in the process.

Mahindra Xylo E9 takes the Golden Steering Wheel in the Variant category. The Xylo notched up impressive numbers after its launch despite the not-so-appealing looks. The main reason for its success was the features that were on offer. The Xylo E9 not only gets a facelift, but also gets new additions to its feature list along with a brand new engine. The new engine comes out of the Mahindra Scorpio and is a 2.2-litre mHawk unit that produces 120bhp and 280Nm of torque and is more fuel efficient than other engines on the Xylo. Inside, the E9 boasts of more space, even the third row is now big enough for adults, all three rows get air-con blower control, and it comes with steering controls and twin airbags for the driver and co-passenger. The huge list of additions made the Xylo E9 a worthy contender for the Golden
Steering Wheel, and ultimately the winner.

In the fourth edition of the GSW, the new generation Alt0 800 takes top honours in the hatchback category. The new Alto 800 is the first all-new Alto since 2003. Despite its slightly oddball looks, it tends to grow on you. The car returns a very good fuel economy, and the 796cc engine, which produces 48bhp and 69Nm of torque, feels sprightly. It is also one of the most maneuverable cars in traffic, easy to park and maintain. Plus, it offers a decent list of features for the price like internally adjustable mirrors and optional driver-side airbag. On the other hand, the runner up, the Renault Pulse, has all the qualities of a good hatchback such as size, power, handling, comfort and the 1.5-litre dci returns a decent fuel economy too. Since its quite expensive for a hatchback, has a limited dealer network and service points and expensive spare parts go against it.

Competition done and dusted. Indias favourite cars are SUVs, and the French connection is going strong.

Renault has finally managed to get a foothold in the Indian car market with the launch of the Renault Duster. When the Duster was launched it took the Indian SUV scene by storm. No one had ever seen an SUV that was as well packaged as the Duster. The story wasnt too different at the Golden Steering Wheel awards either. The judges adored the little SUV, which resulted in winning the award in the SUV category by miles with the runner up a whopping 48 points behind. The Duster is the complete package when it comes to an SUV and ticks all the right boxes. The 1.5-litre dci engine produces 110bhp and 248Nm of torque and it is enough to take the 1.3 tonne car to a top speed of 170kmph and still returns a class-leading fuel efficiency of 13.7kmpl.

As far as driving dynamics go, the Duster looks like an SUV and a damn good one at that, but it drives like a car even on the limit. It offers oodles of space and the interior is well equipped as well. It feels like a large car and never ceases to put a smile on your face. Simply put, it is miles ahead of all its competitors. The first runner up, the Maruti-Suziki Ertiga was appreciated by the jury for its versatility, interior quality, levels of equipment on offer, interior space and usability, but it lost out to the Duster due to the lack of power from the engine despite it being a diesel along with lack of oomph and the fun-to-drive factor.

The second runner up of the category, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport is powered by a 2.5-litre engine that dishes out 178bhp complete SUV in all respects. It is almost unstoppable off-road thanks to its ability to shift from 2WD to 4WD on the fly and a differential lock, but on the road unfortunately it feels rather heavy to drive and is a far cry from a balanced car.

Competition done and dusted The Elantra comes of age. The Korean carmaker has upped the ante, and is now giving the biggies a run for money.

Hyundais new fluidic design philosophy has worked wonders for the Korean carmaker and has helped it to establish itself as a major player in the Indian market. Nowhere is the design language more profound than in Hyundais new line up of sedans especially the Elantra, the winner of the Golden Steering Wheel in the Sedan category. It gets most things right, which was needed, because it was up against the likes of the BMW 328i and the Toyota Camry, which are more established players.

The Elantra has come a long way from its predecessor, it is now not only ogle-worthy, thanks to its futuristic design, but offers the best package of the lot. The 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine produces 126bhp of max power and 260Nm of peak torque. The peak torque is available from 1,900rpm, which means you have plenty of grunt from a low rev range translating into quick acceleration. The interiors on the Elantra feel plush and rich and the seats offer comfort along with a great ride quality. The Elantra also offers hoards of equipment for comfort and safety such as front cooled seats, rear audio controls, six airbags, a reversing camera and vehicle stability program. Its a much better packaged and balanced car than all its competitors, and at a price that makes it a steal.

The legendary BMW 328i with its 2.0-litre in-line four-cylinder engine producing 245bhp certainly goes like a rocket and looks the part too. But it is far from an affordable car. It is also costly to maintain and the safety and comfort features offered on the BMW are fewer compared to the Elantra. The Toyota Camry, on the other hand, is a big and luxurious sedan with spacious interiors and is a massive improvement over the out going Camry in terms of driving dynamics and handling, but it isnt as well equipped as the Elantra.

Versatility at its finest. It is never easy choosing the winner after pitting the best against the best.

How they do it simply beggars belief. Mercedes-Benz wins the Golden Steering Wheel for the Import Car Of The Year for the second time in a row this time with the M-class. The Mercedes SUV not only boasts of luxurious interiors but a rugged and good looking exterior along with performance. The M-class offers its customers a choice of two engine options, a 2.2-litre fourcylinder, which powers the ML 250 CDI and produces 204bhp and 500Nm of torque and the 3.0-litre V6, which hides under the hood of the ML 350 CDI producing 258bhp and 620Nm of torque.

Both engines are mated to a seven-speed GTronic Plus gearbox and are equipped with Mercedes patented BlueEfficiency technologies. What set the Mclass apart from its rivals other than the cutting-edge technology despite the high price, is that the car offers great value for money. Its size notwithstanding, it is a dynamic vehicle and offers a great drive not only on the road, but thanks to the adjustable suspension on the ML 350, it can even carry on when the roads disappear. Along with all the luxury, the ruggedness and sheer usability of the car, its soft on the environment, thanks to the BlueEfficiency technology. So, it was no surprise that the M-class took the GSW this year.

The S4, on the other hand, was the second favourite. This 3.0-litre V6 powered monster won the hearts of the judges thanks to its confidence-inspiring drive and the ability to be comfortable even when the speedometer turned the full circle. Had it been a bit less expensive it mightve nicked the GSW from the big Merc. The Range Rover came in third despite its uber-rich interiors, excellent ride and snob value, it lost out to the Merc and the Audi mainly because of its lack of usability and the steep asking price.

The Duke of adrenalin rush. It was a tough task to choose the Motorcycle Of The Year from these worthy contenders.

The KTM Duke 200 has taken the Indian motorcycling scene by storm in the last one year. Launched in early 2012, the KTM Duke 200 is a product of the joint-venture between Bajaj and KTM. The Duke 200 is one monster of a motorcycle, producing a peak power of 25bhp@10,000rpm with a torque of 19Nm@8,000rpm. The Duke 200 gets USD forks, which is a first in the Indian bike market in the segment and comes with international look and feel. The Duke 200 was one of the favourites to win the Motorcycle Of The Year Award, and it justified its pre-award billing. With superb corner carving ability, handling, quick acceleration and one of most fun-to-ride motorcycles, the KTM Duke 200 deserves every bit of praise coming its way and certainly pleases the enthusiasts.

The CBR 250R was last years winner. Needless to say, its younger sibling, the 150R, had big shoes to fill. The CBR 150R handles well, is quick off the mark and comes with decent ergonomics and ride quality, but it finished close second this year. It loses out to the Duke, because its a bit of everything, resulting in small compromises in most aspects, instead of being a class leader on important parameters like handling and ride quality.

The Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500 finished third on this years list. The bike is a delight to ride, gets new styling and comes with new-to-the-model cycle parts and engine. The attention to detail and the fit and finish is by far the best we have seen on a Royal Enfield Motorcycle. With the engine churning out 27bhp@5,250rpm and a massive torque of 41Nm@4,000rpm, the Thunderbird 500 makes for a good cruiser, thats comfortable to ride on the highways. But, typical Royal Enfield problems such as shallow braking and vibrations still persist. Also, it hasnt had the impact that the Duke 200 and the CBR 150R have had.

Yamaha Ray: Scooter

Dawn of a bright new Ray. Yamahas first foray in the scooter segment in India turned out to be a winning move.

This year saw the launch of a number of scooters in the Indian two-wheeler market, which is once again showing signs of growth. The year saw Yamaha foraying into the non-geared two wheeler segment with the launch of the Yamaha Ray. Yamaha has always been for quality and has managed to nail it with its first scooter in India. The Ray was launched in September 2012, and has done pretty well in the past few months in terms of sales. The Ray gets an 8bhp engine with 7Nm of torque and feels peppy to ride and handles well.

Also, its wheelbase and length is one of the longest amongst scooters in India, which aids in stability and comfort. Needless to say, the Ray is this years Scooter Of The Year.

The Vespa has made a comeback in the Indian two-wheeler market after decades. Be it looks or performance, the Piaggio Vespa sits at the very top. With its retro looks, the Vespa is a head-turner wherever it goes. It drew flak for being too pricey, and also the quality of plastic used doesnt feel premium for the price it commands. The Vespa retains the single-sided shock absorber up-front, which is archaic technology. It finishes second primarily on account of these two factors.

The Swish 125 is the latest scooter from Suzuki in the 125cc segment. The Swish 125 is the one of the most powerful scooters in the segment. It gets a 9.8bhp engine, which is one of the most powerful engines amongst the Indian scooters. The Swish handles well, but feels heavy. Also, it could have done better in the looks department. It finishes in third spot in the Scooter Of The Year category.

The judges had a tough task to choose the winner. It all boiled down between the Ray and the Vespa and our judges voted for the better scooter was the top dog at the awards.