September 2012 anniversary issue is out on stands now

Its September, the time for our anniversary issue. We have completed 14 long glorious years entertaining you, the readers, with our honest to the core reviews, fun-filled features, informative technology-related articles and superlative comparison tests. Needless to say, the 426 page anniversary issue is jam-packed with what we profess, exciting contests and some more.

Road tests:

The neo Fluidic Hyundai Elantra goes through the road test treatment with Halley behind the helm of things. He says that this car will definitely augment Hyundai's presence in the entry-level D-segment and will give a tough fight to the Lauras and Cruzes. Premier started the nascent compact SUV segment in India and the company has now taken it a step further with the inclusion of the multijet engine for the Rio. Alan gets behind the wheel to see if its just a change of heart or more to it. The new 3 Series has got everyone's attention and this has nothing to do with its brand ambassador. Rishaad opines that though the new 3 has gone soft, it still will rule the compact luxury segment in India. Kawasaki gave everyone a pleasant surprise by launching the 2012 Ninja 650. Shumi straddles the new Kwacker and finds how much has changed for India's most loved 650cc motorcycle.

First drives:

Nissan has got big plans for India and this time they have the mighty Innova in their sight with the new Evalia. Rishaad drives the Nissan Evalia and brings you the details in his report. The Chevy Captiva when launched proved to be a success story and the company regularly gave it updates to keep it fresh. For the model year 2012, Chevrolet gave it a new 2.2-litre engine and a 6-speed auto transmission. Bert gives the low down on how much has changed in this SUV. Audi's first S badged model with a diesel engine is the new SQ5. Halley gets behind the wheel to see if it lives up to the tag. Fiat is looking to bring in various iterations of the new 500 and the latest one, the 500L wows the European, Ray Hutton. Toyota's Camry may have been long forgotten in the Indian context, however Toyota is keen on bringing in the new Camry to Indian soil and in a diesel-dominated country, only in a petrol trim. Bert checks if it will swim against the tide or sink. Halley visits Italy and gets to drive all the Lamborghinis in the current portfolio. Lucky man, we say!

Features:

Speaking of features, we revisited the feature that we had carried a few years back but now in a different way, Rush Hour â€" we rush through the Pune traffic to see which is the fastest way to commute to and fro from work. Ashok takes two Mercs, the new ML350CDI and GL350CDI all the way up to Marsimik La, a remote mountain pass north of Pangong Tso. Joe accompanied him, but on a Royal Enfield Classic 500 to the Himalayan Odyssey. Looks like the entire OD team was up in the hills. Abhay, Ashok and Alan went to the Komic, the highest inhabited village in India on motorcycles. Their choice of steeds, the new 110cc commuters â€" Honda Dream Yuga and Suzuki Hayate. The oldest one amongst them, the Hero Splendor was there to give them company as well. How many kilometres can the Hyundai Eon cover on a tankful of petrol? The OD team finds this at the VRDE test track. Dogs they say are a man's best friend. Wait a minute! What are dogs doing in an automobile magazine? Tushar, our internet man, wanted to check if manufacturers actually cater to the furry clients which are nowadays a part and parcel of every home. He finds the best car in each segment for the canines. The monsoons are in full song and give enough reason to Sandeep Srikanth to take two luxury SUVs, the Q5 and Q7 to Dive Agar beaches, roughly 250km away from Mumbai.

A ride on the Ducati Multistrada in Italy ended up with Halley meeting Simoncelli's dad and visiting his home and came back with memories to last a lifetime. How are car stunts performed in movies? Lijo finds out with his visit to the movie sets of upcoming flick Zanjeer.

Rides:

After they announced their lineup early on in the Auto Expo, Triumph have been very quiet about their Indian operations. While the motorcycles may still be sometime away, Abhay gets to ride the iconic Bonneville........in India. Plus a leaf out of Fast Bikes with the best sportsbike of 2012 including the Ducati Panigale and Honda Fireblade.

Comparos:

We head to the Himalayas in the flagship vehicles from Mahindra (XUV500) and Tata (Aria) in search of some of the world's highest and most beautiful lakes. Halley has 50 enthusiast cars lined up on one empty runway. The ultimate performance test with a 0-100-0 figures.

All this and then we have all the motoring news from India and abroad. We remember all the automotive heroes and their contribution to the auto industry. There are also lots of exciting contests to win like the ultimate experience with Maserati cars at a race track, Grandstand passes to the 2012 Malaysian GP, experiencing the grip of Quattro in the Artic Circle with Audi SUVs or driving Mercedes AMG cars at the Buddh International Circuit. Plus we have all the happenings from the world of Indian and international motorsport. So, what are you waiting for? Go grab your copy of the mega anniversary issue on September 25.