Opinion Closing The Gap 2013

Almost two years ago, I visited the offices and test facilities of one of Europe’s leading auto magazines, and it’s safe to say that it took a few days thereafter to pick my jaw up off the floor.

While we had no choice but to test and shoot cars, bikes, and SUVs in the relative pre-dawn calm to avoid the mad-rush that coincides with normal waking hours in our chaotic cities, the folks at this publication had a test facility all to themselves, which would put any OEM test-track to shame. They were even privy to secret tests conducted by manufacturers who used their state-of-the-art facilities to test their vehicles on either of their two circuits covering 8 kilometers, or their area for multifunction testing that included different road surfaces such as cobble stones, broken tarmac, railway crossings – the works – or even their dedicated off-road test track that included a wading area, ramps of varying degrees, and innumerable other obstacles. On occasion, F1 teams paid them a visit as well to conduct straight line testing. The only consolation is that they’re the only publication house in the world to have their own test track. Fortunately, they deemed us worthy enough to collaborate with. So, from this issue onwards, we’ll continue to bring you some of the most exhaustive tests ever conducted in the automotive world.

But access to the best from the West is one thing – the more important point is that things at this end have moved on considerably as well. We’re fortunate to have regular access to one of the most incredible modern racetracks on the face of this earth – the Buddh International Circuit. And that’s not merely my opinion, but one that’s echoed unanimously by the best drivers in the world. So, our testing continues to get more scientific, while, at the same time, the test fleets of most manufacturers are growing. As a result, performing comprehensive tests of the vehicles you buy is becoming the norm, and not the exception.

Some OEM’s take this a step further and truly allow the media to test their vehicles to the limit – often, of destruction. Take the Range Rover drive in Morocco last year, for instance. The price of the vehicle notwithstanding, it was phenomenal what hundreds of journalists from around the world were allowed to subject those luxury SUV’s to – which ranged from dune-bashing and rock climbing, to quite literally driving upstream through a set of raging rapids.
And F1 notwithstanding, our motorsport scene is moving closer to international standards as well. We’ve just prepped the autoX rally Gypsy for action after a couple of years, and have had to comply with the new FMSCI (Federation of Motor Sport Clubs of India) regulations that require seats, belts, suits, helmets, etc., to meet FIA norms. And while it does increase the expense, it’s an effort to improve safety – and you just can’t argue with that. Not only has safety improved, but, with the entry of various OEMs in domestic motorsport (ranging from M&M in rallying, to VW & Toyota in racing), the overall standards have gone up.

And while the sales charts of most OEM’s are best viewed in grey-scale at the moment, all of this is indicative of the fact that the Indian market continues to evolve into one of the most important destinations in the automotive world. And we’ll be right here to put it all in perspective for you!