Why other car manufacturers will have a tough time to beat the Nissan Micra CVT?

Source ([motorbeam](http://www.motorbeam.com/wp-content/uploads/2013-Nissan-Micra-India.jpg))

Along with the test drive of the Honda Amaze automatic (which would also mean Brio AT), I also got a chance to take a test drive of the Nissan Micra CVT. After a rather long 2-3 hours at the Honda showroom, we just stopped by the Surya Nissan showroom for a test drive for Micra CVT. Since we were very tired we told the dealer guys that if it was possible they could give us a test drive at our home itself and quite courteously enough they agreed.

And as I drove to my home in my Sunny, I did find that the test drive vehicle was always keeping pace with us no matter how fast I drove. Upon reaching our home, each of us took a test drive of the CVT Micra which I will elaborate more upon just below.

For those who know about the Nissan Sunny, barring the exorbitant amount of space, the Micra’s interiors are pretty much a xerox copy of the Sunny. True that it’s not so great to compare the hatchback with the sedan, but in most cases, the two siblings are modelled identically and so is the case with Nissan as well. The dashboard is the dull brown or grey as you may call it. The stereo system thankfully is in piano black. The climate control system panel is similar to Sunny as well and the steering and front seating also gets the same treatment. For those who do not already know I wish to state here that until now in the entire B-segment sedan market, the Nissan cars have the most optimal seating ergonomics.

Honda has screwed it up a bit on the City, the Vento is a bit tight, Fiat Linea is better but deep and down, and it’s becoming a trend where pretty much every manufacturer creates a bucket seating design which in turn makes the road lesser and lesser visible leading to driving confusion. Somehow I found that the Amaze was close to Nissan in retaining a taller seating position naturally. The seating is very car specific and its all about the final design that has a say in which model of which manufacturer cuts it and which not.

I’m not a big fan of bucket seating as it leads to backache, leg ache and a general feeling of tiredness upon constant amount of driving. Another problem that I personally face in most cars is the clutch. Either its position or its play or its tightness. Sometimes the position was absurd as in the case of Polo (higher than other pedals which was a big bummer), or deep as in the case of FIAT (their logic being that Indians always place leg on clutch) or some other cars where pressing the clutch by itself was a great effort. Since we are dealing with automatic transmission here, that was on headache lesser.

{}![](http://www.hindustantimes.com/images/2013/6/f8d28105-0a54-45df-a9b1-d0eec07bc825hires.jpg)

[Source](http://www.hindustantimes.com/images/2013/6/f8d28105-0a54-45df-a9b1-d0eec07bc825hires.jpg)

The Nissan micra also carried forward lots of chrome on door knob handles, the dashboard and other areas from its elder siblings. The steering is an absolute beauty and its so much of a driver oriented design that I cannot stop raving about it enough. The gearshift is an automatic stick that has Neutral, Parking, Reverse, Drive and Low Range mode (for steeper inclines). The shift also has a overtake mode button for sudden overtakes which takes the car to sporty modes.

Switch the car on, and have no idea whether the engine is on or not. This is one of the most silent petrol engines I’ve seen so far. Being the racing engine preference kind of guy (read fiat, ford) this was a complete surprise to me honestly. And being a diesel head since almost 6-7 years now, I was suddenly thrown into an absolutely silent environment which for a moment was ultimately comforting for me.

Step on the gas and the car is ready to lunge forward immediately unlike the useless response of the Amaze/Brio siblings. This is an engine that really wants to keep up with you. The car handled some bad potholes pretty well and for the driver it was not so much of an issue. The people (3) at the rear were also overhead commenting that the space inside was sufficient enough (this was after what they felt the caaaaaaar to be) which was good to hear. I did find the car to be throwing about the rear occupants quite a bit on bad stretches so this could be one of the letdowns though one is expected to drive this car in an executive manner though the advertisement states otherwise.

There was a situation where I was approaching (merging with) a main road from a residential area and the road started to incline upwards to about 10-20 degrees at the merge. When I was about to merge left I had to come to an abrupt stop due to another larger vehicle which passed me by. To my surprise I found that the Micra was holding up well and stayed put on that incline as is without a single bit of dodge from that position. I stepped on the pedal once more and it willingly took me forward as though nothing had happened. The character of the CVT is so composed at all times and you never feel the car is going to let you down ever, though it might be a tad slow on overtaking manoeuvres as compared to the manual geared versions.

[Source](http://indianautosblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/2013-Nissan-Micra-dashboard.jpg)

The air con is a mature piece of electronics and does its job to keep you cool if you are fretting within the car. Play some music and you will be lost into your own world immediately. This car has a reasonable amount of space at the rear and the boot and you will have no reason to complain about these. The front fascia looks gorgeous with the new revisions and the rear has LED tail lamps. The car is priced at about 8 lac on the road and with a bit of negotiations we were able to get a price of about 7.6 on the road (without any accessories). This car also has push button start and two airbags for safety, and already comes with everything fitted. The only thing I would have liked is if it had paddle shift gears on the steering and I believe this would be a fair ask since I am comparing this car with Honda, both Japanese cousins.

[Source ](http://www.zyglr.com/wp-content/uploads/Nissan-Micra-TailLamp.jpg)

If you are looking for a car that will really love you and never leave you, and is willing to work with you to keep you calm and composed while you enjoy sitting inside it and driving it, the Micra CVT is my choice for you. With an apparent mileage of about 14-15 for an auto tranny, its really got nothing to complain about as compared to other cars which either skimp on safety or some other feature here and there to make you always visit the accessory showroom. Nissan Micra CVT is a bold step by the company to introduce the only CVT in India in this segment and by the time the others make it to the market, Nissan would have already had a good lead in the CVT game to the extent that this car could get subsidised further due to the profits already made.

The service centres are nothing to write home about and currently this still remains a concern with both Shahwar and Surya in Bangalore. I found Shahwar to be maturing into servicing cars properly but Surya has a lot to learn with respect to having the right skill sets and attitude. Further considering that this car is a CVT, only regular oil and filter changes may be required to keep this baby in good shape other than the usual clean ups, tire pressures and other such stuff. The CVT engine will surely have a longevity much higher than manual engines around the same price brackets and I feel one could easily drive this engine all the way to the 200,000km mark without any issues. Nissan’s engine quality (both petrol CVT and the Renault diesel engine in Sunny) seem legendary with the way they perform and its highly unlikely to run into an engine issue when you purchase this car. Be wary of the dealers and specific to say what you want attended to in the service and you must get what you need. And just because there are only 1 or 2 dealerships, don’t fret much since that’s the case with most car brands.

Of all the brands that I know in the market, I feel only Toyota and Ford have a quick service option which is really quick. They have bays dedicated to handling some quickly solvable problems and keep these aside from regular service areas.

Overall the Nissan Micra CVT is an excellent car with few known quirks and perhaps unpredictable service. On the drive it is surely a car that will keep you extremely happy and create more time and mood for good conversations. If I had the money today and decided on an automatic, this would be it – the Nissan Micra CVT.

Why you must read this post before buying a Honda Brio or Amaze Automatic

I had a need to evaluate an automatic car for my friend who just relocated to India. In pursuit of this I wanted to test drive the Nissan Micra CVT and the Honda Brio AT (yea the car that loves you back!).

{}![](https://www.hondacarindia.com/wallpapers/Amaze/home-img1.jpg)

Source: https://www.hondacarindia.com/wallpapers/Amaze/home-img1.jpg

So we headed to the nearest Honda showroom. Since the Brio was not available I had to make do with an Amaze petrol automatic which was still okay for me since the only difference between the younger hatch and its elder sub 4-meter sedan was the boot. Having put that behind, I sat in the Honda Amaze AT first. The car did not have a push to start option so I had to turn the key for ignition the good old way.

Just before trying out the Honda Amaze I took some time to check out the new Honda City in the showroom itself. I must state here that the new Honda City has definitely matured into somewhat of a C-Segment car now. Its more plush, the dashboard design is just about exclusive, the seating is more of the Chevy Cruze types (you know sunken in types) and the rear is styled awesomely with respect to space. All said and done with that part, I somehow still feel that Honda does not understand seating positions for all kinds of crowds when it comes to designing the Honda City. When I am paying over 10 lakh money the least I expect is a car that is suitable for the driving position.

The seats are totally bucket types, more of a racing car styled theme where the angle between the thighs and legs are rather steep. This makes pressing pedals an annoyance and the visibility in front only hampers the overall experience. The Amaze thankfully is NOT like the City. The seating is more natural just like in any other car and the front view is not obstructive but more useful. The seating angle and access to pedals is good and the footwell is not too cramped.

{}![](https://www.hondacarindia.com/wallpapers/Amaze/home-img4.jpg)

Source : https://www.hondacarindia.com/wallpapers/Amaze/home-img4.jpg

The rear seating in the Amaze is almost as good as the City and Hondas are always known for rear seating. Until of course the Caaaar from Nissan came in and blew them away. Sticking to the topic the overall feel of Amaze is very normal and the styling is not something to scream in excitement about.

Coming to the auto transmission on this car, its a 5-speed system which is **NOT** a CVT (continuous variable transmission) option. This in plain english means that if you step on the accelerator, the car takes it own time to respond. As the auto journals say, you get used to it after sometime, I feel if you have a rogue kid or adult who is used to road rage and want to tame him down a bit, then this car is a sure shot option. The rather lethargic response from the engine on pedal presses is not confidence inspiring especially if you want to do a lot many overtaking manoeuvres.

Another thing I found is that when you shift the gear into Reverse (R) mode, the car starts moving all by itself. This is something you need to urgently get tuned to without which if you are a newbie who does not understand this would cause a sure accident if you are not alert enough. I am not sure why Honda has designed it this way considering that they always have a keen eye for safety. Whatever the reasons, taking care is absolutely essential on the road.

The test drive path was a perfect one – some stretches with roads to accelerate on, and some riddled with potholes to see how a car behaves on such stretches of road. The natural reaction to a free stretch of road which is well tarred is to step on the gas and the Honda disappointed me with its reaction. “You press what you want, I’ll react when I want” is more a way of summing up its response. There was a clear 2 to 3 seconds lag in the response. With full load, air conditioner and luggage this is only bound to get worse. And since it’s an automatic there is no other way but to just wait for the car to do its thing.

The handling over potholes and bad stretches of road was kind of a mixed bag. In some places the car glided over the road whereas in some others the occupants were jostled quite a bit. Overall I would say the amount of cabin disturbance is tolerable though not of City’s standards. Of course then you get what you pay for isn’t it? I did notice that the petrol version of the car was very smooth and silent that the only noise if at all we could hear was those of other vehicles on the road. Full marks to Honda over this department of quality. There are reports of Honda’s diesel engine noise percolating into the cabin which they have rectified now in the City after listening to customer feedback. They have apparently also done some changes in damping in the Amaze itself for newer deliveries.

Source : [MotorBeam](http://www.motorbeam.com/wp-content/uploads/Honda-Brio-5-Speed-Automatic.jpg)

So at about close to 9 to 10 lac worth of money does the Honda Amaze provide any value for ownership? In my opinion, the City makes sense at that price while the Amaze is not a bad car as well. As for the driving experience, the automatic version of Amaze (and probably Brio too) leaves a lot to be desired without CVT at this point in time. There is a power mode available on the gear shift but how responsive it is, is another question altogether. Clearly Honda’s strategy is to maintain a price point versus feature provision to have a stand in the markets. The new Honda Jazz which is supposed to debut anytime this year will also likely NOT come with the CVT option but might still rake in numbers considering it’s pricing unlike the last time when it turned out to be an utter failure.

Coming up next: How does this car compare to the Nissan Micra CVT?

Why Chennai silks in Karur is undoubtedly one of the best shopping centers in the city

When I was staying in the Residency Karur, of which I have written an earlier review **[here](http://chowchowbath.com/2014/06/25/the-residency-karur-short-review/)**, I was tempted to visit the Chennai silks showroom which was just few meters away.

Having been to the sprawling 4 to 5 floor chennai silks showroom in (well) Chennai :-), I expected similar standards here too in Karur. And I was not disappointed at all.

The ground floor is full of fancy dresses and jewelry, the first floor was the kids section which was so large that one could go on shopping on and on without an end. For the sweltering heat of 40 degrees, the showroom offered utmost comfort with drinking water available at every floor (chilled needless to say).

The first floor also housed a traditional section for silk sarees. The whole unit was done up with lots of wood so it gave a completely traditional ambience as compared to the other sections around. The counter staff was very courteous and even showed how the selected sarees would look like on every individual which was a bonus. Further the section for sarees had a few sofas in place where people accompanying those who bought the sarees could rest for a while tired of the constant walking between the floors.

The Second floor housed clothing for men from different brands, and the third – clothing for women. Its almost impossible for you not to pick up something in this showroom before leaving the place. There is a section for everyone at every price range. Compared to other traditional smaller shops in Karur, the newer Chennai Silks has made a mark on the city with its really enormous real estate and its vast collection of clothing, toys and other accessories for the general public to splurge on.

If you are passing by Karur and even if you are not staying there overnight, Chennai Silks is only a mile away from the national highway and you cannot but feel like stopping over to shop here. Check it out for yourself and let me know in the comments section what your experience was!

Why “The residency Karur” is the best place for you to stay in Karur

We decided to stop over in Karur owing to the fact that the drive from Kodaikanal to Bangalore could be pretty lengthy. The next challenge was to find a good hotel in Karur. Most of the times, my father always used to suggest Valluvar near the bus stand. But that was more of a stop and go hotel just to refresh yourself and had no great restaurant or ambience whatsoever.

More recently a hotel by name “[The residency](http://www.theresidency.com/residencykarur/)” had opened up in Karur which was off the highway by a very less distance. I checked on TripAdvisor and found that there were no rooms available for my stay. I picked up my phone, called the hotel and they agreed to provide me two rooms for the same dates. The bonus was a 24-hr checkin checkout policy. It almost took about 2 to 3pm to reach the hotel from Kodai hills. But this checkin policy was the comfort zone.

The hotel’s car park is behind the hotel and though there is security, an unfortunate thing was that it was not a closed car park. Atleast they could have arranged for a thatched roof parking to beat the summer heat of Tamil Nadu. The temperatures were close to 40 degrees and leaving the car in the open sun in that heat was no less than a ridiculous move, but without any other choice, nothing else was possible.

The hotel reception lobby was inviting and the attendants or front desk officers were neatly dressed and they already knew about my arrival and had kept things ready for me. After a brief intro, we were given our room keys. In the meanwhile my kids were enjoying in the front relaxation area watching the transparent lift going up and down with people. The rooms themselves were neatly organized in the corridor with minimal noise and some great woodwork and carpetry.

Once inside the room, it was clear that this is one of the better hotels in Karur the other one being Hemala which is a 5-star hotel. The room was well appointed with the usual things including writing desk, sofa with center table, beds, tolietries, cupboards with digital safe, huge mirrors and some practial lighting. The bath area was clean and airy though it had some smell from outside thanks to vents, but that was sorted soon.

I did have a few requests from housekeeping as soon as I entered and I must say here that this hotel had one of the FASTEST room service response rates till now in my life. Absolutely fast. Ask and thou shalt receive is how I must put it. The food menu was more on the expensive side, with breakfast part of the daily tariff. Room service was a tad more expensive but well served and on time. We did have a chance to eat breakfast at the hotel the following morning and I personally felt that the choices of food could have been something more traditional and of larger variety. Neverthless barring a couple of items the rest were good to eat. I would not say its the best of quality when it comes to food, but its not terrible to say the least. This hotel is a bit of hit and miss with respect to food stuff. Sometimes the food taste was not upto the mark, but in some cases – like the phulka and channa masala – they had literally nailed it for good. It was the best item I had ordered in a while.

The restaurant itself was clean, and organized well – kid friendly and people there were very courteous at all times. Though I did not stay long enough to comment on the laundry or general housekeeping refreshes on daily basis, I am pretty sure they have a capable strong team to take care of that at all times. The soaps in the bathroom were herbal and refreshing for an example. A keen eye to some of these details is worth mentioning about this place.

The room we stayed in was a bit around 3,500 bucks a night mark which is reasonable considering the demand supply statistics for Karur. Its proximity to Chennai Silks makes it even more enviable since shopping is literally as close as walking out of the door.

To summarize I would say “The Residency” in Karur is a cozy and comfortable place for the weary traveler to get that well deserved relaxation. I would recommend this hotel to anyone wishing to stay in Karur. Try it out and you will not regret the decision, I promise.

Why Clique from Henge docks is a perect companion for your iMac wireless keypad and trackpad

This was a long pending quick review of the Clique dock from [Henge Docks](http://hengedocks.com/products/clique-magic-trackpad-and-wireless-keyboard-dock). To put in simple manner, this is a dock to hold the Apple wireless keyboard and the Apple wireless trackpad (both amazingly created and crafted accessories) together in one horizontal plane.

Selling for about 25$ (within usa, plus shipping for international) this was a nifty addition for my aging iMac. So i ordered the same and when the package arrived, it looked stunning. There were instructions all over the place and the packaging was looking excellent. Like all USA products, extensive packaging, one would like to put it!

The package contained the henge dock within a layer of packaging foam which looked nice and soft. Once I removed the dock my expectations were grossly undermet. What I expected was a hard aluminium or titanium matte finished dock surface and I was completely astounded to see that it was made of a more thinner, flexible material.

While one can understand this dock has to hold the keyboard and trackpad under some pressure to keep it slotted in place, still the expectation out of such a body frame was definitely not met as far as I am concerned. I felt for the first time that anything I bought in the USA was made of cheap quality and below par of what is done in that country as a design practice.

That said, it does the job of keeping the accessories in place and provides one lengthy surface which makes typing a little more predictable. The Apple keyboard is known to be a keyboard on which one can type really really fast, and this dock adds to that pleasure.

For those of you wondering whether we will mistakenly put our hand on the trackpad while typing, be rest assured that such a thing does not happen. Also you can see that nifty little power button which switches on that keypad by nudging it to the right.

So in summary, if this were a ten dollar item for the quality provided, I’d have been overjoyed, but for one and half times more, I hope Henge docks is able to provide the same sturdy material that apple uses for its hardware.

They can also learn from [other manufacturers](http://www.g-technology.com/products/g-drive-ev-220) about how to produce [complimentary looking hardware](http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=910) !

Flipkart’s mobile app bar code scanner review

I got a chance to test out the flipkart mobile app bar code reader today. This feature works in a simple manner, choose bar code reader, and it uses your camera to read bar codes from objects that you are interested in.

As long as the barcode is a universal barcode as per what is used across the country, and further that item is available in flipkart, it uses the scan results to divert users directly to that product page where you can purchase the same product easily from the online store.

So if you are at your friend’s home and you see a product you are interested in, you can do a quick bar code scan check using flipkart mobile app to see if the same product is available at their store.

Check out the video below to know more.

Get ready to welcome the new Honda Mobilio MUV

Honda is about to launch its MUV the Mobilio. Well known for its new design, ample space, good petrol and diesel engine and an automatic variant with two rows of airconditioning and ample storage spaces, this vehicle is going to sell like hot cakes when it comes out to the market in a month or two.

The mobilio will compete against Ertiga, Ecosport, Duster, and XUV 500 all good in their own right, and also having good amount of booking wait times now.

Meanwhile it is interesting to see the Mobilio in its most clear form in the real world through this indonesian marketing video. The video is not in english, but still its worth watching to see what the company will launch in india. Most things such as warranties, versions and features would match what is being sold in Indonesia, so this is pretty much the version India will see.

Take a look and enjoy

Flipkart announces Flipkart First – a priority customer support service on subscription model

Flipkart surely has many more things up its sleeve. Notwithstanding the assault mounted on this company by Amazon, Infibeam, Shopclues, Snapdeal and the rest of the online sites, Flipkart has taken the war to a totally new level – and its called **[Flipkart First](http://www.flipkart.com/flipkart-first?otracker=hp_widget_banner_0_image)!**

Its basically akin to a preferred customer concept where upon a yearly subscription you are given more preference over the others to make you satisfied for the impulsive shopper you are. Notable things you will receive as a subscriber to this juggernaut are free shipping, free in one day guarantee, priority over others, and a whopping 60 day replacement guarantee over the current 30 days. Whether or not it applies to all sellers is something not made clear yet. But in the history of Indian online shopping, this is perhaps the first time that someone is going to be able to get a 60 day replacement guarantee. I do wish it was a refund or replacement, instead of just replacement, but then we live in India 🙂 and this is good for a start.

Although not specific, they are promising more benefits shortly and its not really clear what more.

Coming to the most important factor, its not also clear what is the price for this kind of subscription model. Flipkart will announce that shortly. What would you be willing to pay for this? Let us know via the comments section. As for my opinion, a price of about Rs.1000 to Rs.2000/- will be optimal. One has to wait and see for the end result.

Online Shopping got more happier, and merrier especially when someone showers with you special attention. Enjoy your shopping!

Flipkart introduces buying clothing that you can try at home

How many times had you had to travel on a hot afternoon to the mall with your family for that clothing purchase? And those unimagniable number of people at the clothing section, and the ever full trial rooms brimming with clothes and people?

Add to it crying and cranky kids, who are also hungry, and a situation where you are not getting the right fit of clothes?
That should be enough for you to call it a day for shopping wouldn’t it ?

As though someone heard your cries for help for a better shopping experience, Flipkart has come up with the try before you buy offer for clothes. You can shop only by calling a phone number and mentioning the style code of the dress you saw online. Without changing style code, you can opt for two sizes other than the one you chose, so you have three sets to choose from. once you confirm your order, Flipkart will visit your house with the products, and you get 20 minutes to decide whether you like your order. If you do, you can pay cash on delivery. if you dont you can simply call flipkart and cancel the order.

The best part of this is buying things at the comfort of your home like everything flipkart, plus trying out the clothes at the comfort of your home as well. This is a big boon for people like me who hate mall culture and who doesnt want to spend a whole day in a trial room of a mall wasting my time on purchasing something which is not worth all that time spent.

So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and try before you buy.

Flipkart introduces same day delivery of shopping items

After Amazon promised in a day delivery, Flipkart has now upped the ante with a **Same Day delivery promise** for an introductory price of an additional 140 bucks. The next day delivery still stands at Rs.90 additional just as before. Post the offer the delivery charges will be raised to Rs.200, which in my opinion is a bit on the higher side. Even if a person takes a bus or auto from their Whitefiled sort facility for instance and come directly to my house, this is perhaps what it might cost.

By placing an additional cost, Flipkart is trying to address those customers who would otherwise shop on Amazon, as well as those customers who have the fastest fingers first philosophy on online shopping. So, what are you waiting for? Go and grab that favorite gadget of yours and get it on the same day if you order before 12 noon. Yeah, obviously no later than that 🙂

Let’s now wait for Amazon to counter that and then Flipkart to come up with 2-hr shipping !