The Business Standard Motoring Bike Of The Year 2009 - Yamaha FZ16.
It’s that time of the year again, when we pit all of the latest entrants on the Indian motorcycling scene against each other, before declaring the coveted Bike Of The Year winner. The bikes selected for this year’s brawl were the Royal Enfield Thunderbird Twinspark, Honda CBF Stunner, Bajaj Platina 125 DTS-SI, Suzuki GS 150R and the two Yamahas, the YZF R15 and the FZ16.
Before the final duel, the eliminations were severe and all aspects were considered. The Twinspark got the axe, despite its wonderful all-new unit-construction engine, simply by virtue of its old Thunderbird styling and frame. We wanted a totally new-from-scratch motorcycle. And in that light, the Platina was ticked off the list too, as the Bajaj’s 125cc engine isn’t entirely new. The same applied to the Stunner — despite the great styling, its engine, after all, is a tweaked Shine mill.
The final three contenders were the Suzuki and the two Yamahas. The jury members, comprising road testers from BSM, felt that the GS put up a very strong fight indeed, but had to place it third. A very close third. The GS is a great bike for what it is, and it sports one of the best looking instrument clusters on any Indian two-wheeler and boasts impressive build quality. But it does have a little less all-round merits when compared to the motorcycle that placed second.
| PREVIOUS WINNERS | |
| 2008 | Bajaj XCD DTS-i |
| 2007 | Hero Honda CBZ Xtreme |
| 2006 | TVS Apache |
| 2005 | Honda Unicorn |
| 2004 | Bajaj Wind 125 |
That bike, the runner-up, is the Yamaha R15. It’s a superb motorcycle, bristling with technology that was out of the reach of the Indian motorcyclist not too long ago. Liquid cooling for the 17 bhp engine, tyres as sticky as superglue and impressive handling are all included in the R15 package. However, the R15 isn’t one of the most practical bikes around, especially for the city, and comes at a price that would put a big dent in the pocket of a potential buyer.
That said, we have the honour of crowning the new king of the ring, the Yamaha FZ16. The FZ has brought in a new era of motorcycling in India. Never before has motorcycle styling been so aggressive and unconventional in the country. The butch and macho rear is great to look at. Stop astride a FZ at a red light, and the chiselled tank along with the shapely headlight is sure to grab attention. A great engine tuned for low grunt makes it great to ride in the city and the handling, while not as great as the R15’s, is quite adept.
The FZ16 is a motorcycle that you can commute on, tour if you insist and stare at while it is ticking away in your garage after a long ride. And what clinches the crown for the FZ is its affordable price. In fact, we still are wondering how Yamaha has managed to give so much for so little in return. But no, we aren’t complaining. Hearty congratulations to the Yamaha FZ16, then. It certainly is the best all-rounder and our winner for 2009. And we congratulate the two other competitors too. The R15 and the Suzuki GS 150R are creditable efforts by their manufacturers and are both eminently recommended motorcycles.
HELD CAPTIVE
Business Standard Motoring Import Car Of The Year 2009 — Chevrolet Captiva
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Here is a car that has finally put the brakes on the fantastic run that the invincible Honda CR-V has had for so long. Mainly because the Chevrolet Captiva chooses to sip the oily stuff. But that, of course, is not the only reason why the Captiva is our Import Car Of The Year 2009 — after all, it had competition from the fabulous Audi R8 and TT and the cheeky Fiat 500 in this category.
The Captiva won it for several reasons. It looks good from every angle, has neatly designed and thoughtful interiors and is well-built too. The 2000cc turbodiesel engine is a strong, torquey motor that does a great job of powering the SUV. Besides all these, the Captiva is competitively priced despite being imported. No wonder, it wins hands down in this segment this year.
AUDI DO IT?
Business Standard Motoring Premium Car Of The Year 2009 — Audi A4
You could call the new Audi A4 schizophrenic. The A4 2.0 TDI is powered by a sedate 2000cc four-cylinder turbodiesel that stretches the litre of fuel enough to keep your wallet happy, and on the other hand, the 3.2 V6 Quattro is a manic tarmac-chewing monster that can give established sportscars inferiority complexes. That apart, the new A4 is a brilliant entry-level luxury saloon that manages to capture two diverse worlds — the sporty, driving pleasure you’d get from a BMW and a cosseting, pampering ride that’s the usually the prerogative of a Mercedes.
Besides straddling all these extremes, the A4 also manages to look youthful and fresh, and also boasts a high level of quality, equipment, features and attention to detail. A host of new engine options which are on their way will only bolster the A4’s popularity. If there ever was a perfect all-rounder in this segment, it is the A4. Congratulations, Audi!
A STAR, ALL RIGHT
Business Standard Motoring Best Value 2009 — Maruti Suzuki A-Star
Had we retained our previous format for judging our Car Of The Year, there’s no doubt that the A-Star would have been the winner of the top honours. The previous evaluation method, after all, benefited a car that was affordable to many and could run more kilometres on a single litre of fuel. You see, the A-Star is fantastic value for money and its all-new three-cylinder engine is designed to merely sip fuel. Okay, so it may not be our Car Of The Year 2009, but it still wins our Best Value 2009 award, which the Chevrolet Spark won last year.
For the price it’s asking (Rs 4.17 lakh for the top-end ZXi version, ex-showroom Mumbai), the A-Star is compelling value. Especially when you consider that it includes dual airbags and ABS with EBD among other things. The safety features apart, the A-Star comes with a spunky motor, effervescent lines and superb driving dynamics too. Essentially, the Maruti Suzuki A-Star is a contemporary and refreshing world-class model that’s very affordable.
OPENING UP NEW VISTAS
Business Standard Motoring Jury award 2009 — Tata Indica Vista
The Tata Indica was launched ten years back, and today Tata Motors is the third-largest passenger car manufacturer in the country. Yet, the venerable automotive firm has never won a Business Standard Motoring award. But not any more. The new Indica Vista breaks that jinx. Our Jury award is given to a significant car other than the Car Of The Year. And we find the Vista significant because of several reasons. It has taken the Indica’s “More Car Per Car” USP to another dimension altogether.
The proven Fiat-sourced drivetrain has managed to put a smile on the driver’s face, while the attention to build quality means the Vista is nice place to be in. Tata Motors have also taken pains to get the components and aggregates that have gone into the car to a higher level of quality. Now add to this the Indica’s traditionally strong attributes of ride quality, affordability and incredibly low running costs. The manufacturer’s effort to make better cars is now very visible, thanks to the new Indica Vista. Hearty congratulations, Tata Motors!
