Road Test and Review: Tata Aria 4X2

You probably think a mid-life makeover of the Tata Aria isn't worth your time. You might be making a hasty judgment there. The Tata Aria 4x2 is not just another makeover. It extends the range to new segments and redefines several benchmarks by slashing prices by a whopping Rs. 1.3 lakh. If that isn’t incentive enough, take it on a drive to find out whether Aria 4X2 will be a game changer for Tata.

No better place than Pune for a test drive -- with a wide variety of driving conditions spanning across the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway, idyllic hill stations a stone’s throw away, most indisciplined city traffic and off-roading prospects within the city limits, thanks to roads that have forgotten even the smell of tarmac.

Styling

The angular, wrap-around dual-barrel headlamp with projector beam and the signature Tata grille that we saw on Vista and Manza give Aria an aggressive look. Step in, oh sorry, walk-in (Passengers can simply walk into the Aria, rather than having to climb up or get down, thanks to the low-floor design) and you'll be quite impressed, rather surprised. The incredibly spacious cabin has three-row seats that are strategically arranged to provide passengers with acres of head, leg and shoulder rooms. Both front and middle seats are adjustable so that even a 5'6" person can comfortably sit in the third row. Yet, the third row is for kids, I must say. There are AC vents on B and C pillars, providing satisfactory cooling in all three rows equally.  All seats, except the driver's, can be flat-folded, giving you lots of luggage space - even space to stuff in a Tata Nano.

The dual-tone dashboard is neat, but not that exciting. Unlike the 4X4 edition, the new Aria has black & beige interiors with wood inserts and it looks much better than the black & plum dashboard withbrush metal inserts. The Aria 4X2 lacks Satellite Navigation system and reverse guide camera, but has the Ultrasonic Reverse Guide System instead. There are two gloveboxes, one of which can be used as a chiller, too. The 2 DIN integrated music system with 6 speakers is great but again, nothing 'exceptional' about it.

Aria 4X2 has a constructive driver information system that gives you real-time information about fuel-consumption, distance to empty, engine performance and other critical data. Tiltable steering, electronically adjustable and foldable mirrors, height-adjustable driver's seat provide the driver with lots of ease.

Safety

Tata had taken safety to new heights with the Aria 4X4. Aria 4X2 also benefits from the same features, both active and passive, that only vehicles over Rs 30 lakh can boast of. While active features like ABS , EBD and all disc brakes aid steerability and control in emergency braking, driver and passenger airbags ensure protection from front impacts. However, Aria 4X2 lacks curtain airbags. Passive features include Hydroformed chassis members that enhance strength and rigidity with reduced weight, crumple zones to absorb impact energy, side impact beams within doors, collapsible steering, auto door unlock during accidents et al.

Performance

At the heart of the Tata Aria is the same 2.2 litre Direct Injection Common Rail (DICOR) engine that powers the 4X4 Aria. Belting along a resplendently smooth mountain road that leads to Lavasa, the Aria didn’t gasp. The potent motor has an astonishing spread of power, pulling hard from low in the rev range and getting progressively and fantastically stronger all the way to the 4,400rpm red-line. Coupled with variable turbine technology and 32-bit ECU, the motor delivers 140 PS power and 320 Nm torque. It is equipped with a dual mass flywheel that isolates torsional vibrations from the powertrain, thus providing a NVH free environment in the cabin. The new Mark II gearbox is mated to the engine ensuring a slicker shifting. Turn the ignition and the Aria burbles gently into life. But as your foot goes down, it becomes a monster, accelerating swiftly. Trust me, there’s very less or zero turbo lag, this coupled with minimal gear shifts makes city driving duck soup.

Ride and Handling

Aria does a remarkable job of protecting its passengers from rutted Tarmac. Unlike many others in this segment, Aria doesn’t juggle the middle-seat passengers. Independent double wishbone suspension in front and five link rear suspensions mean it rides amazingly and the shortage of body lean is amazing for such a tall, heavy car. There’s no need to slow down unless you are cruising along a dreadfully damaged road.  Aria is capable of dampening the harshness of ruts, potholes and even small speed breakers. You feel really confident behind Aria’s wheel, thanks to precise steering response, tremendous braking and laudable cornering capabilities.

When I halted amid dense fog of the Lavasa hills for a brief photography session, a couple of guys curiously chasing me on their two-wheelers all the way uphill, passed by, yelling – “naaice car!”- and that says it all.

Pricing

The Tata Aria 4X2 is available in three trim levels and the prices are:

Tata Aria 4×2 Pure – 11.61 lakh
Tata Aria 4×2 Pleasure – 12.61 lakh
Tata Aria 4×2 Prestige – 14.26 lakh

It’s a girl for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

 Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchanhas given birth to a baby girl, her husband Abhishek Bachchan announced on Twitter on Wednesday.

While the baby's father just said "it's a girl", her proud grandfather Amitabh Bachchan -- a veteran actor and head of Bollywood's most famous family -- could barely contain his joy.

"I AM DADA (grandfather) to the cutest baby girl!!" the 69-year-old Bachchan tweeted.

No further details were immediately available.

Rai, 38, a former Miss World, has been married to actor Abhishek Bachchan for more than four years and the star couple had been fending off baby rumours for months before the pregnancy was confirmed in June.

The Bollywood actress had been expected to give birth to her first child in November, and the Indian media followed her pregnancy obsessively.

She was admitted to a Mumbai hospital on Monday night.

Rai, who often features on "most beautiful" lists, won the Miss World crown in 1994. She went on to build a successful Bollywood career with hits such as "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam" and "Devdas".

She has also worked in Hollywood films such as "The Pink Panther 2" and is a regular at the Cannes film festival.

This is the third grandchild for Amitabh Bachchan. His daughter Shweta has two children.

Nokia to launch Windows tablet mid-2012 - report

Cellphone maker Nokia plans to launch a tabletthat runs on Microsoft's Windows operating system in the summer of 2012, the head of Nokia France told Les Echos newspaper in an interview published on Wednesday.

Nokia has said using Microsoft Windows 8 for tablets could be an interesting opportunity for the company but it has not yet unveiled any launch plans.

The tablet would compete with Apple's iPad.

"In June 2012, we will have a tablet that runs on Windows 8," Paul Amsellem told the newspaper.

When asked to comment on the report a Nokia spokesman said: "We have not announced any specific plans as it relates to tablets."

Nokia last month unveiled two sleek new Microsoft Windows phones in time for Christmas, a first step in the ailing cellphone maker's fightback against Apple and Google.

50 is just a number for me: Tendulkar

                                    




Centurion: He doesn’t hide the fact that he is happy but for Sachin Tendulkar, “50 is just another number.”

“Yesterday was my father’s (late Ramesh Tendulkar) birthday. I dedicate this century to him. As for myself, I am happy and ok to have scored runs. I really don’t know how to express my feelings,” Tendulkar told reporters at the end of the day’s play which saw him reach 50th Test century.

A teamman to the core, Sachin feels that the Indian team should be able to save the Test match.

“I believe in positive thinking. If you remain positive, you will find positive things happening,” he said.


Asked about the secret behind his stupendous form, he said, “It’s a state of mind. For the last two years, I have been doing well. I have been really enjoying my batting. I believe doing well is a habit and a good habit. So if you have this good habit, you shouldn’t let it go.”

Tendulkar was also happy that the team has batted well in the second innings.

“It was extremely important for us to do well and send a strong message. The wicket was difficult to bat on in the first innings. We needed to remain positive and confident.” 

Infosys' stock moves against results

Despite the fact that the IT major was able to post better than expected results to the market but the stock of the company failed to please the investors.

The IT bellwether beat the market expectations by filing a 13 per cent rise in net profit at Rs1,737 crore for the quarter ended September 2010 and has set the right tone for the company who will be announcing their results in the times to come.

The Bangalore major company also said that it will be giving a special dividend of Rs30 per share to the investors which will be a mark of its entry into the third decade of operations and this dividend will be separate from Rs 10 interim dividend that the company will be giving to the investors.

It is to be mentioned here that the company also announced an interim dividend of Rs. 10 last year as well. However, the stock of the company didn't fared well on the bourses as it fell by close to 3.39 per cent or Rs108 to Rs3,076.15 on its disappointing guidance.

Infosys didn't raise its outlook for the rupee terms and said that the company will be hiking its guidance in the US dollar terms. V. Balakrishnan, chief financial officer (CFO), Infosys Technologies said that as there is still economic uncertainty over the financial conditions, the currency volatility is still a very big concern for the industry.

ICC’s ‘undercover agents’ to pose as bookies to snare errant players

International Cricket Council is reportedly considering a radical plan of creating a team of undercover agents, who will pose as illegal bookmakers.


These agents will approach cricketers to see if they report the encounters.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, players who do not report the approaches would be penalised under the anti-corruption code, with sanctions ranging from warnings to fines and suspensions.
The plan is only in its embryonic stage and is one of many new initiatives being considered by the ICC in light of the Pakistan spot-fixing allegations.


The idea was put to ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat and is now being considered.
''''We are thinking of setting up our own approaches to players, to see if they report it, we will think out of the box,'''' Lorgat told the Herald.


He added: ''''It is only a tentative plan at this stage, we are working on a number of measures to combat corruption. We are not sitting on our hands … we are being as proactive as we can in ensuring the integrity of the game is maintained.''''

5 Reasons Not to Feel Guilty About "Me Time"

Perhaps you always talk about doing it, but it never seems to happen. Why is it that you just can’t bring yourself to schedule that facial, or spend a Saturday afternoon reading magazines in a coffeehouse, or finally get that Moms’ Happy Hour to come together? Though it’s sometimes hard to take the plunge, here are five reasons why taking time for you—and your friends—is something that you owe to your family as well as yourself:

1. Stress relief makes you a better mom

Often, when you remove yourself from the chaos of the homefront, you come back missing and appreciating your kids more than ever—even if they still haven’t cleaned up those Legos. Not to mention, the less tense and anxious you are, the more patient and attentive you can be when it really counts.

2. Your partner needs to take over, too.

Often, Moms may feel that if they slip away for that spa day or get on board with that Girls’ Night Out, the well-oiled machine that is their home life will veer dangerously off-kilter. Sometimes it’s hard to relinquish control without feeling guilty or worrying that your kids will have six hours’ worth of an ice cream binge in your absence. But the more tightly you cling to being in charge, the harder it will be to get your break—and the more you’re devaluing your partner’s contributions.

3. Your kids should see that you are a whole person, with needs and interests that aren’t completely eclipsed by parenthood.

Let’s face it: in many ways, you’re the center of your kids’ world, and vice versa. That’s fine and dandy, but do you really want them to think of your existence as revolving around them? Would you really want them getting the message that they can either be a parent, or have their own interests-- but not both? Showing your children that you are a person with more dimensions than only being their mother is quite important for their development.

4. Children need to learn that friendship matters.

And what better way to teach your kids that good friendship is important in life than to let them see that you make it a priority? Having a circle of adults that you make time for lets your kids know that relationships, reciprocity, and kindness are things of value. So if you can’t schedule that brunch for the sake of yourself, do it to teach Maddie or Sam that being part of community is what life is all about.

5. You deserve it.

It sometimes can feel indulgent to admit, but it’s the truth—parenthood is quite tough, and the challenges are relentless and not governed by a time-clock. The closer you can come to clocking out for just a little while, the more you’re rewarding yourself for a job well-done. Mommyhood is one of the few jobs where you get to override your boss and grant yourself your own bonus.