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A problem with the mid­dle-of-the range product is that when it works, no one notices, but when it doesn’t, it sure stinks. We all hate a life of mediocrity, so we take chances, we take risks, and that’s when we enter the game and change its dynamics. When TVS show­cased the Graphite scooter concept at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo, it essentially did not create any stir… But the idea never dried. Fast forward to 2018 and we have with us the TVS Ntorq 125—a derivative of the Graphite concept. In an already crowded scooter seg­ment, the TVS Ntorq 125 is the new kid with its exciting design and smart features. TVS says the Ntorq 125 has been designed for the youth and comes loaded with 30 segment features. So can the Ntorq 125 break the monotony and make a distinctive statement? Read on to find out.

Design

The Ntorq sports a sharp, aggressive style with well-placed cuts throughout the body. It looks stylish yet functional without any over­done gimmicks. It really does tick a lot of boxes with its razor-sharp styling. The front fender gets an angular head­lamp cluster with batwing shaped DRLs. Blinkers are integrated into the handle­bars so that it is visible in the direction of travel.

The sculpted styling is carried on to the sides with appealing decals and textured floor board. The rear apron comes with a T-shaped LED rear lamp housed between faux air vents. The scooter looks quite sleek from the rear with its stubby muffler and split grab rails and it is available in four trendy colors: Matte Yel­low, Matte Green, Matte Red and Matte White.

Instrumentation and features

TVS has been raving about the SmartXonnect, a blue­tooth-enabled technology that allows riders to pair their phones with the scooter through the Ntorq mobile app, only available on Android so far. The fully-digital instru­mentation console with the smart connected technology boasts a total of 55 features including navigation assist, top speed recorder, in-built lap-timer, phone-battery strength display, last parked location assist, service reminder, trip meter and multi-ride statistic modes such as Street and Sport. Unfortu­nately, the app’s built-in navi­gation system won’t work here. The personalization feature of the console also lets you customize your name, and set automatic reply alerts to incoming messages and calls. Certainly targeted at the GenZ— as TVS likes to say.

Another interesting addition is the engine kill switch, which is a segment-first feature as well. There’s also a pass-by switch and a generous 22-liter storage compartment with an integrated USB charger. To further facilitate convenience of use, the Ntorq comes with an external fuel fill feature. Our only complaint is the five-liter fuel tank, and you don’t get a very spacious floor.

Engine and Performance

TVS says the Ntorq 125 is based on the TVS Racing ped­igree. To keep ahead of the traffic, the Ntorq’s 124.79 cc 3V engine churns out 9.1 BHP of power at 7500 RPM. The engine is a torquey affair with peak torque of 10.5 Nm deliv­ered at 5500 RPM. Accelera­tion feels quite lively with the rev-happy engine. Once the mid-range sets in, the engine becomes quite enjoyable, even though this surge droops after crossing the 60 kmph mark. However, you can cruise effort­lessly to 80 kmph. Beyond that, you won’t get enough juice to accelerate. But on straight roads, you can expect a max­imum speed of 95 kmph. The motor is extremely refined, with almost zero vibrations at any speed. The power is ade­quate to keep with urban traffic as well as occasional highway runs. TVS claims a quickest-in-class zero-to-60kmph time of nine seconds.

Suspension and braking

The most impressive part of the Ntorq has to be the suspension setup, an impres­sively supple unit. The front gets a telescopic unit and the rear a gas-filled spring shock absorber. The firm suspension setup paired with the ground clearance of 155 mm will inspire you to negotiate any road with ease.

At 116.1 kgs, the scooter sits on a rectangular tube type under bone chassis. It is 1865mm long, 710mm wide and 1160mm high and has a longish wheelbase of 1285mm. In terms of braking, the front unit lacks a sense of urgency, however, use both brakes in unison, and the scooter comes to a complete halt. Also helping the purpose of comfort and safety are the widest in the segment TVS-made Remora tires—100x80x12 at the front, and 110x80x12 at the back.

Verdict

The Ntorq 125 is an interesting addition to the niche 125cc scooter segment. As an offering targeted at the youngsters, this sporty scooter ticks all the right boxes in terms of style, comfort, per­formance and convenience. On top of that, TVS has also man

 The Toyota Rush is the new­est entrant from the Japanese automakers in Nepal, and it comes to the foray with a lot of expectations. Slated to be the star seven-seater of the moment, all eyes are on the Rush. It is off to a very good start with a considerable num­ber of sales already made. Here, we test out what the Toyota Rush really has to offer.

Exterior

Straight off the bat, you can see traces of the MPV DNA in the exte­rior of the Rush. The silhouette is unmistakably reminiscent of a car built to comfortably accommodate more people than a normal car. But, don’t let that fool you, it is by no means just another boring MPV. On the contrary, it is a stylish piece of work to look at.

Aggressive bodylines and delib­erately smooth curves mix well to create a balanced design. Similar design cues are used well through­out the body and the four distinct creases on the bonnet are the first ones you’ll notice when you stare down the sharp cut angular LED headlamps of the Rush.

Move on to the side and you will see the roof-line descends nicely to the spoiler to give the Rush a decent profile. You will also note that the body extends further than the C-Pil­lar to accommodate seven seats. Giving more weight to the profile is the distinct character line that runs across the body and meets the wrap­around tail lights.

Interiors

The dash is well laid out and pleasing on the eye. The instru­ment panel integrates speedometer and tachometer and is accented by elegant chrome-plated rings. The multi-information display in the cen­ter of the meters show fuel efficiency in an intuitive format, together with an eco-bar indicator.

A seven-inch touchscreen info­tainment system sits on the center of the dash. It does take a slight bit of time to get your bearing with the system, but when you do it provides a host of features from all the audio capabilities to the option of tilting your infotainment screen to your desired angle.

When you’re driving, the chunky steering wheel feels good to hold and has audio and telephone con­trols well integrated into it. The Rush makes quiet a statement for its practicality and utility as a fam­ily vehicle. You can comfortably seat seven people, although third row occupants will be slightly more snug. That does not imply that Toy­ota hasn’t considered the safety and comfort of the third row passengers. It is still a pretty comfortable seat, and you get third row passenger seatbelts too.

Boot space is also adequate with more than enough space to lug around your family’s baggage for a weekend out of the city.

Performance

The Toyota Rush performs like you would expect a 1.5-liter sev­en-seater to. It does not sprint off the line like Usain Bolt nor does it gallop towards the horizon like a mechanical beast with untam­able horses under the hood. However, even if this was the case, we can’t really see ourselves grin­ning into the rearview mirror and watching our horror stricken family desperately trying to find something to hold on to.

So, to be completely honest, you won’t be finding any “surge of adrenaline” here. That said, the Toy­ota Rush is by no means a slouch. We did have our reservations on the 1.5 liter mill that had the duty of lugging the rather large seven-seater around. Nevertheless, it was a pleas­ant surprise to see it hold its own on the roads.

Under the hood is a 1496cc 4-cyl­inder petrol engine that is mated to either a 5-speed manual transmis­sion or with a 4-speed automatic gearbox in the top specs. As always, Toyota does its best to fill the car with the best-in-class features like VSC (Vehicle Stability Control), TRC (Traction Control System), ESS (Emergency Signal System), ABS (Antilock Braking System), and HAC (Hill-Start Assist Control) embedded in the vehicle.

It is a smooth engine that is decent to drive. It does seem to struggle on steep inclines when the cabin is fully loaded and is not too eager to overtake other cars on the roads. Yet the Rush soldiers on if you’re not reluctant to take the rev-happy engine to the higher rpms.

One thing that you can be certain of is the high level of comfort of the passengers in the car. The Rush soaks up road undulations like a champ and does not disorient pas­senger even at sharp bends. And that is definitely one of the things to look for when buying a seven-seater.

Verdict

The chances of Toyota coming out with a disappointing product is close to zero, and they’ve kept that record with the Rush. It is a comfort­able car for passengers and we can definitely see it undertaking the role of a family vacation car. And with the Dashain season round the cor­ner, it could be a vehicle of choice for many. 

 Huawei Y7

Price

Rs 15,000

On a tight budget, the Huawei Y7 is an excellent phone to get your hands on. The device has pretty robust specifications, like a dependable Snapdragon 435 chipset paired with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. The 2 GB of RAM augments the phone’s ability to multitask well and the 4,000 mAh battery provides ample power to tide over a couple of days easily. The phone has a 12 MP camera on the back and an 8 MP camera on the front. Both perform well but selfies look a bit smoothed and washed out. The rear camera does a better job of capturing focus faster while producing more vivid pictures. For a budget smartphone, the Huawei Y7 is a steal.

Gionee S11 Lite

Price

Rs 15,641

Marked down from Rs 25,999, Daraz.com is offering the Gionee S11 Lite at a massive 40 percent discount. Considering the massive price drop, the smartphone is pretty powerful. The phone comes with a Snapdragon 430 processor, 4GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. There is a decent 3030 mAh battery and a 5.7 inch display running at 720p resolution. The phone has a 13 MP rear facing camera and a 2MP front facing camera that work to mediocre effects. The phone, with a shiny metallic finish that’s super reflective, looks a lot better on the outside than on the inside though. And although the look is metallic, it’s really made of plastic, which doesn’t add much to durability. With a 40 percent price drop, however, it’s a phone you should consider.

Colors P85+ Selfie Pro

Price

12, 995

Our homegrown smartphone manufacturer Colors deserves a shot in this list especially because they have been competing in budget smartphone market for so long. Col­ors, with time, has started produc­ing decent smartphones with mass appeal. With a focus on selfies, the smartphone manufacturer seems to be targeting a wider spectrum of consumers than powerhouse flag­ship users, which seems to be work­ing well for the company as it has home advantage.

The phone is decently spec’d with a quad-core MediaTek MT6735 processor with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. Since the phone is selfie focused, it comes with a 13 MP rear cam­era and an 8MP front facing cam­era, and both perform pretty well. There are various photography modes and utilizing these modes will definitely augment your photos. If you’re someone who likes to take lot of selfies, the Colors P85+ is an excellent device.

 Beijing Automobile Works Co., Ltd, one of the pioneers of Chi­nese automobile industry, was founded in 1958 as the second larg­est automobile factory in China. In 2001, it was developed into Beijing Automobile Works Co., Ltd. (BAW) based on modern enterprise system.Now, if you find the BAW name familiar it’s because it’s been on Nepali roads for some time now. However, what we have here is on a very different side of the spectrum. We have with us the BAW Warrior, a promising off-roader that was jointly developed by Beijing Auto Works and Chrysler.

While BAW does contribute to the commercial market, it also produces special vehicles for military use in China. The BAW Warrior is the most widely used 4×4 vehicle in the Chi­nese army and the People’s Liber­ation Army. It is also used by some paramilitary and law enforcement units and also the UN.

And it is now here to wreak havoc on the roads of Nepal.

Exterior

The BAW Warrior plants itself on the Nepali roads with indomitable authority. For perspective, the War­rior stands wider than the Hummer H3. It is a behemoth and if we were to truthfully use this term, it would be for this machine. Just with its sheer size the BAW Warrior man­ages to turn heads, and it should: it is based on the stunning Cherokee.

It is a masculine machine and you will not find a lot of frills; It’s bare, raw, and ready for action. The mesh inserts are clearly visible through the five massive slots of the Jeep-esque grille. This is flanked by simple round headlights and side indicators on the flat front face. A massive bumper and side bull bars finish off the front.

To be absolutely blunt, it is a boxy design and it is pretty evident. The windshield is rather vertical and the strong steel double cabin body has the same boxy design. This is carried on to the pickup bay which gets a spare wheel on the gate.

Interiors

Much like the exterior, the interi­ors are simple. You wouldn’t look for luxury in a car that is meant for seri­ous military business, would you? However, it does exceed expectation on cabin space. There are acres of headroom and shoulder room for all occupants, four of whom you can comfortably accommodate in the rear seats.

The seats themselves are comfort­able and provide adequate support. Visibility for the driver is good, even the A-Pillars don’t cause too much of a distraction. You won’t find any premium plastic parts in the BAW Warrior. Nevertheless, soft touch plastic and leather might not be the best thing to have on a car in which you might have to wade into rivers and water that might fill up the cabin.

Performance

Inside the massive bonnet of the Warrior is a 2.7L diesel engine bor­rowed from Isuzu that works well to haul the massive machine around. It is a torque heavy mill, which we loved. While the Warrior is better suited for off-road driving, the way it performed on the tarmac put a smile on our faces. Shift up through the gears and you’ll notice that the engine delivers power to the rear wheels with much enthusiasm. Body rolls on such a massive machine is inevitable but you quickly learn to live with it.

Let’s be honest here. You’re not going to drive a machine like the BAW Warrior to go grocery shopping. So we did what any sane person behind the wheels of a 2.7 liter, 4WD, military grade off-roader would do; we took it off-roading. And this was where the Warrior truly shined. It suddenly came to life, as if happy that it was finally off the smooth tarmac. All that torque finally started to come to use as it chewed up and spat out anything in front of it. The massive ground clearance definitely came in handy too.

Verdict

The BAW Warrior is a formidable machine. For its sheer size alone, it gets a lot of respect on the roads. However, if you’re looking for refined driving and luxurious inte­riors, it’s best you look somewhere else. But if you’re looking for an off-road capable machine, and you’re not fussy about fancy frills, this is definitely a good option. And, not to mention, it will outsize practically anything else in the segment on the streets of Nepal.

However, unless you’re planning to properly use the abilities of the Warrior as a private buyer, it will be a vehicle underused. We feel that the BAW Warrior would be better suited for a job that requires traversing larger distances and beaten tracks. A job that utilizes the prowess that this machine has to offer. And priced at just Rs 4,600,000 it makes great monetary sense too O