Submit your Article

WK Design BD200 Wireless Bluetooth Sporting Magnetic Earphone

Price

Rs 2,445 Daraz

 WK is a Chinese tech company that only recently entered Nepal. The WK Design BD200 has a sporty design and an aesthetic, polished look. As this is a Bluetooth headphone, you will need to charge it often. Worry not though; the charging time is only 1.5 hours. On a full charge the earphone gives up to four hours of music time. With a standby time of 80 hours, you also don’t need to worry if you forget to turn it off when you’re done playing music. What’s more, it is water and sweat proof. At its price point, the BD200 provides a wonderful sports earphone experience.  

JBL JBLREFFITBLK Heart Rate Wireless Headphones: Black

Price

Rs 14,900 Evo Stores

 Yes, you read the name right. This ear­phone from JBL is here to help you train, giving you live heart rate feedback right as you train. Wirelessly. Audio wise, this JBL provides the signature sound that’s kept JBL in the heart of its customers for over 70 years. With its IPX5 certification, it can stand the sweatiest workouts. A mere 10 minute charge offers 1 hour of music playback. With a full charge, the earphone delivers a massive 10 hour music, beating the likes of AirPods.

Apple AirPods 2

Price

Rs 26,500 (without the charging case) Oliz Store, Babarmahal

 Apple redefined luxury wireless earphones with the AirPods. And the new AirPods stays true to that characterization. The playback is excellent and the same can be said about their charging speeds. With only 15 minutes of charge, you get up to three hours of music time, and a total music playback time of five hours. With its signature H1 chip, it can detect when you’re talking and when you’re listening, and allows you to tap the earphone for independent control. The AirPods are amazing devices. But you might want to go for the charging case as well if you want the entire Apple experience, which will set you back by another Rs 10,000.

 Name one motorcycle brand that has dominated pop culture more than Harley Davidson and we’ll eat our own shoe. Whether it’s the Terminator on a Fat Boy chas­ing down and rescuing John Connor in the LA River, Captain America riding the Street 750, or Mr. Bean getting the finger from a Harley-rid­ing bearded biker, no motorcycle compares to the stardom Harley Davidson commands. We grew up seeing it in the silver screens and rushing to get glimpses of the ex-Crown Prince thunder­ing through the streets. So, when Harley Davidson officially came to Nepal, we were over the moon. We were even happier when they offered us the opportunity to test-ride the Harley Davidson Iron 883. So, we got our boots and gloves and headed out in search of our own moment of badassery with the American Badass.

Rs. 4,585,000 Price of Harley Davidson

 The Iron 883 is a superbly handsome motorcycle that is a certified head turner in the streets of Nepal

The Sportster Iron 883 is not your regular Harley Davidson.

It is not the sort of ostentatious motorcycle that comes to mind when you think of a Harley. Instead, it’s a more stripped down version that is part cruiser and part retro sport bike. It is an all-black affair with the Iron 883, with very little use of chrome. At the heart of the beast is a massive black powder-coat­ed 883cc engine with black rock­er covers (valve covers). A round air-filter cover sits on top of where the V-engine converges and black exhausts beautifully adorn the right profile.

The low solo seat, only 760mm off the ground, combines modern com­fort with an authentic “tuck and roll” design inspired by the early days of the Bobber. Once seated you will find yourself in a forward, aggressive riding position holding onto low-rise drag-styled handle bars. You also get handlebar-mounted electronic speedometer with odometer, time-of-day clock, dual tripmeter, low fuel warning light, low oil pressure light, engine diagnostics readout, and LED indicator lights. The Iron 883 gets self-cancelling indicators with a button on each bar. It took a while to get used to, but they seem to work pretty well.

You aren’t seated in a position where your arms and legs are stren­uously outstretched in front of you. Instead the foot-pegs are placed clos­er to the middle of the bike for a more natural riding position.

The Iron 883 runs on black nine-spoked wheels with a mechanical look machined into the spokes. Like all Harleys, the Iron 883 is belt driven which is very peculiar in the Nepali motorcycling fraternity.

In fact, the Harley Davidson Sport­ster Iron 883 easily stands out in the Nepali auto industry.

And if you can’t see the differ­ence you will surely hear it.

You don’t have to stick the key in the ignition, just make sure you care­fully stow it away in your pocket. The Iron 883 will sense your presence and you can simply press the ignition to bring the 883cc air-cooled engine rumbling to life.

The gorgeous beast draws dyna­mism from the Evolution V-twin 883 cc air-cooled engine that sits in a bare-bone chassis and generates 50 BHP @ 5,500 rpm worth of max­imum power along with 70 Nm of peak torque at 3,500 rpm. All these numbers translate to a tremendous time on the saddle. As mentioned earlier, the natural ergonomics go a long way in accentuating the riding experience.

People who consider this Sportster Iron 883 a strict cruiser are missing half the fun. Yes, it most likely is the best cruiser on two wheels in the country, but the narrow and torquey Iron 883 is a phenomenal worker in city traffic too. The suspension works shockingly well on beat-up urban streets, until you exceed the rear shocks’ travel. However, if you’re headed for a sizeable pothole, prepare for a hard hit.

For a motorcycle that weighs 256kgs, the Iron 883 takes corners surprisingly well. The ground clear­ance comes in at 140mm and some of the shoddily made speedbumps will not sit well with this cruiser.

Braking duties are undertaken by a single front disc and 260mm rear discs. They might not be the best brakes we’ve come across but that’s possibly because of the machine’s cruiser geometry. There isn’t the same sense of weight transferal to the front that other bikes give you under braking. Nevertheless, they are decent enough for your daily jaunts.

We have very few complaints.

It isn’t every day that you get to ride a Harley in Nepal. The Harley Davidson Sportster Iron 883 is a great entry level Harley Davidson. It isn’t overbearing or intimidating and neither is it confined to cruising. For a Harley Davidson motorcycle, the Iron 883 does a tremendous job of balancing its responsibilities as an amazing cruiser and a decent city companion.

The Iron 883 is a superbly hand­some motorcycle that is a certified head turner in the streets of Nepal. The bobbed fenders, side-mounted license plate, comfortable tuck-and-roll solo seat, machined highlights, and seemingly massive engine all instill pride of ownership. And that is a major allure of owning a Harley Davidson, the pride and joy that comes with it. Albeit, all that comes at a pretty hefty price tag of Rs 4,585,000.

We suggest you start saving a con­siderable portion of your salary for the purchase, immediately. If shell­ing out that kind of money is not for you, we’re pretty certain you’ll get to see Anmol KC riding it in his next movie.

 After another scintillating season of the Indian Premier League, the most prestigious cricket tournament in the world looms large: the ICC World Cup 2019. This one-of-kind sporting extravaganza calls for a special viewing experience too. For this season of the world cup we bring to you an easy buyer’s guide to help you pick the right TV for the occasion. All these TVs are 49”, have at least a HD display and are HDR enabled.

Samsung 49” Series 6 49M6300 Full HD LED TV

 Price Rs 120,000

Samsung has always been at the forefront of producing televisions with spectacular dis­plays and this 49” screen is no different. If you enjoy watching movies late night with lights off, the experience is pretty much unbeatable.

PROS:

> Better viewing experience with the curved design, which also makes the TV look absolutely beautiful compared to traditional flat screens

> Beautiful remote control that supports voice recognition, and a smart Hub that looks clean and polished

> Accurate color, HDR and auto depth enhancer makes the visuals look more natural and vibrant

> Superior sound quality compared to other big television brands so you can clearly hear those little nicks. The sound of fans cheering is really unbeatable on this TV

CONS:

> Limited to full HD/no 4k support

> Curved screen may pose a problem if your room is unevenly lit; glares may appear on the sides of the screen

LG 4K 49UH6030 UHD HDR Smart LED TV - 49"

 Price Rs 105,000

 LG TVs have always been big-time value for money and this 4k screen from LG is no different. It is beautiful, packed with features while being affordable. That is saying a lot for a 4k TV.

PROS:

> Offers the best value for money among other 4k TVs on the market and costs 10-15k less than the competition. If you are getting one just for the world cup, this could be a good option

> Its TruMotion 120Hz TruMotion 120Hz technology lets you see sports and other high-speed action with virtually no motion blur

> The multi-step data analysis enhances the detail of all video content, taking the 4k display up a notch

CONS:

> A little thicker compared to other TVs and the bottom chin a little wider

> The remote control looks, frankly, ugly for a high-end TV from LG

> Sometimes due to bleeding, clouding, and flash-lighting, the picture can be an issue when it comes to dark visuals

Sony 49X7000E UHD 49” TV

 Price Rs 114,000

 This product from Sony borrows the design statement from earlier Sony TVs while boasting a UHD screen. Though our Cable TVs do not support a 4k res­olution, watching HD videos on a 4k display is more visually appealing.

PROS:

> Ultra HD 4k display is an investment for the future. For now, you can watch 4k videos from YouTube

> Slim bezels and simple box frame makes the TV look cleaner and professional

> Dedicated YouTube and Netflix buttons make getting to your favorite apps much easier

> Its Reality X-pro features display little details in a video clearly so you capture even the smallest on-field action with camera zoomed in or zoomed out

CONS:

> Sound quality is still under-par. While the company boasts Clear Audio+, you are still better off with a home theater

> Smart features on screen are less friendly to use and can sometimes be a real pain

> Pictures, while clear, don’t appear very vibrant even with a 4k screen

 After being discontinued in 2014, the Santro moniker has made a comeback with a new tag line: “The perfect first car”. And in this review we’re evaluating it on a clean slate. We will not give it the unfair advantage of a piggyback ride on the success of the old Santro, nor are we going to hound it to live up to the former’s legacy. This is going to be a comprehensive and impartial review of the new-gen Hyundai San­tro. So, can the new Santro hold its own without the leverage of its past success?

Exterior

When you first look at the Hyun­dai Santro, it looks like your run-of-the-mill car targeted for the budget buyer, but with certain styling flairs that help it stand out in the segment. Surprisingly, Hyundai have foregone the iconic tall boy structure, opting instead to give it a stance more akin to the Hyundai Grand i10 with which it shares the K1 platform.

Some of the design elements inte­grated by Hyundai into the new San­tro are stylish as well as functional. The front fascia houses the Hyun­dai’s cascading grille, which cools the engine, sits wide across the face and encompasses the fog lamps. Angular, swept-back headlamps are mounted high up on either side of the grille.

On the profile you will notice that the shoulder line dips down on the rear door to give extra glass area as well as an element of style. Addi­tional design element on the pro­file of the new Santro comes in the form of boomerang creases over the front-wheel arch. The tail of the Santro gets a pair of simple tail lights and functionally wide-rear wind­shield. Overall, the exterior is well put together and gives the Santro a premium feel. However, that is only half the battle.

Interior

It’s when you step inside that the Santro truly begins to impress. For what is segmented as a budget car, the new Hyundai Santro is pretty well specced out. They have man­aged to maintain an air of quality in the cabin. It gets dual tone beige-and-black dashboard (with an option of all black) with smoothly func­tioning 7.0-inch touchscreen info­tainment system loaded with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sitting in the center.

The infotainment screen doubles as a reversing camera in the top-spec Asta variants. There’s also a detailed MID, displaying useful information like average fuel economy, average speed and distance to empty. The sporty looking side air-vents that resemble those seen on some Mer­cedes models further help it achieve the upmarket appeal.

Apart from the headroom, all oth­er dimensions are increased from its predecessor. The front seats are comfortable, but the lack of seat height and steering height adjust­ment mean that it isn’t the best place to be for tall individuals. Rear pas­sengers fare slightly better with plen­ty of shoulder room and tremendous under-thigh support, not to mention segment first rear aircon vents. The air-con itself is possibly the best in class and chills the cabin rapidly, despite the huge glass area.

Performance

The same 1.1 liter Epsilon engine (G4HG) from the old Santro Xing and in the original i10 finds its way into the new-generation platform of the new Santro. The motor makes 69hp and 99Nm of torque which are competitive stats in the segment. Where it excels most opposition is in terms of refinement with little to no vibrations whether it is idle or on the move.

The engine responds well to your inputs and performs best when it’s in the mid-range. Gear shifts are slick and easy thanks to the light clutch; this makes life in stop-and-go traffic much easier.

It is not a rev-happy engine and feels a little stressed when pushed upwards of 5,000rpm, but the power comes in at 1000rpm and remains strong throughout the mid-range. With its ability to soak up road undulations with ease, the Santro scores high in terms of ride comfort. Nevertheless, sharp bumps do seep through to the occupants of the vehi­cle. It can also take on corners with comparative ease. Steering is light and easy to maneuver, with decent feedback. You will not run into trou­ble around tight traffic.

Verdict

The new Hyundai Santro is a decent car for the segment. It gets many things right and very few things wrong. While there are plen­ty of cost cuts, you still feel like you’re driving a car made for a different class.

Segment firsts like the rear aircon vent and rear parking camera defi­nitely take the Santro high up on the potential purchase list. Overall, the new Santro is a great new car and manages to punch above its weight. It is a very good first car, exception­ally good in many.