Cheap Telephone and Broadband

A giant Cheeto with massive fingers coated in orange dust becomes a roadside attraction. CNN's Jeanne Moos eats her way through the story.

[The Herald] Matabeleland North Afro-fusion outfit, Kweseka Band, went home US$15 000 richer at the 2024 Chibuku Road To Fame grand finale at Glamis Arena in Harare last Saturday.

[Nile Post] The Traffic Police Directorate has announced strict traffic guidelines for the 9th Edition of the Nyege Nyege Festival at Jinja Club.

[New Times] While progress has been made in enhancing sexual reproductive health among youth in Rwanda, challenges such as gender-based violence (GBV), teenage pregnancies, HIV infections, remain.

January 25, 2006 – Last month, just prior to the Congressional holiday recess, renewal efforts for the Patriot Act ground to a halt. The law, which gives the federal government sweeping search and seizure powers that many believe to be unconstitutional, had sixteen very controversial clauses that were due to expire at the beginning of this year. The Bush Administration had been pushing Congress to renew the law in its entirety, and to make it permanent. But when four Republican senators (a so-called “gang of four”) joined with democrats to demand greater protections for individual privacy, they were able to launch a filibuster to prevent a long term renewal of the law. Instead, the Senate and House of Representatives were forced into a compromise that renewed the law until February 3, 2006.

The cellular industry has repeatedly attempted to port popular consumer services to the mobile environment. Despite the investment of billions of dollars in data networks, spectrum, devices, and marketing campaigns, very few services have ported successfully. Yet digital music and podcasting prove that users will go to great lengths to mobilize entertainment, including actively connecting a

(Telecompaper) Satellite broadcaster Sky Italia has launched new Black Friday offers for its 'Sky Wifi' fixed broadband plus pay-TV plans. There are no activation fees and the promos are available online until Cyber Monday (02 December).

(Telecompaper) S4C, Welsh free-to-air public service broadcaster (PSB), has announced the appointment of Geraint Evans as its new CEO. He is currently Interim Chief Content Officer and leads the broadcaster's commissioning team.

I love the mountains and discovering off-beat destinations and trails. I am looking for a sturdy and tough SUV that can take a solid beating in bad roads in remote areas. It doesn’t need to be 4x4, but it should have good ground clearance. The car will also be used as a daily driver. I was looking at the Tata Harrier and the Mahindra Thar Roxx. What would you suggest?

Adwait Kelkar, Pune

Autocar India says: The Harrier is a very comfortable SUV with a spacious cabin and a great ride. It has the edge over the Roxx when it comes to overall comfort. However, if you are looking for an SUV that will be driven on bad roads regularly, then the Roxx is a much better choice. The tough body-on-frame chassis and high ground clearance gives it a huge advantage over the Harrier, which doesn’t feel as robust in comparison. Also, the Roxx’s diesel engine is far superior to the Harrier’s gruff diesel, which is now showing its age. For town use, the Roxx’s ride is lumpy compared to the Harrier, but it’s not a deal breaker and can easily double up as an everyday car, too. To sum-up, the Roxx is tougher and better suited for the mountains.

Also see:

Thar Roxx vs Jimny vs Gurkha 5-Door comparison video

Mahindra Thar Roxx waiting period stretches up to mid-2026

Tata Harrier EV to get AWD terrain modes

 I ’m in an impromptu drag race against a 19-year-old Honda City and I’m losing. A hint of smoke from that car’s tailpipe tells me the engine has crossed 5,500rpm and found its second wind. I can almost see the grin on Hormazd’s face as that happens.

A short run and a couple of gears later, we slow down and resume adult behaviour. This is only the customary four generations of Honda City photo shoot in Noida – the cars have a 6,000km road trip ahead of them.

Why are we going on a 6,000km road trip? Well, it has been 20 years since the Honda City first showed up on Indian roads. 20 years since a sea change happened to how we look at cars and what we expect from them. In these 20 years, we also started getting the roads to drive these cars on; and the first one of those roads was the Golden Quadrilateral.

The planning for this mother road, which links the four big metropolitan cities in India, was completed in 1999 – a year after the Honda City came to India. Construction of the road started in 2001, but then it took another eleven years to complete. In that time, Honda reinvented the City many times. From starting out as a simple, low-slung family car powered by the first 100hp motor in the country, the City went from first-generation swan to second-generation ugly duckling, and back to swan for the third generation. All of this happened while the government was still looking for funds and facing problems with land acquisition to complete a six-year project that ended up taking many more. Oh well, nothing new there.

To celebrate two decades of Citys, we are going to drive four generations of the Honda City along the length of the Golden Quadrilateral. For us, this is both, a documentary and a trip down memory lane. It is a documentary of the state the Golden Quadrilateral is in all its time of existence. The trip down memory lane? That’s just an excuse for a road trip.

Capital to financial capital
You forget how low old cars are; and so, when I drop into generation one’s seats, I let myself drop a couple of milliseconds early. The seat is lower than where I expect it to be. So a clumsy fall and a small wince later, I swing my legs in, slide the analogue, ‘browned-from-wear’ key into the starter and give it a twist. This 80,000km-run, 1999 City EXi has no trouble starting. MH-01-Y-9111 is Parsi-owned and according to its owner, is used twice a week to get his aged relatives to Bombay Gymkhana and back home. Asking it to do a cross-country run at this age seems absurd, until you actually drive it. It runs like it left the showroom recently – the dampers have spring in them, the engine still has the energy of a teenager and in no way does it feel like it left the production line nearly two decades ago.

 Anyway, you realise how much a modern car pampers you only when you step back a couple of decades. I have no clue how anyone ever reversed a car without a reverse camera or, at the very least, parking sensors. I also soon realise that all the connectivity I have is through the steering wheel, the pedals and the seat of my pants. There are no distractions in here – the simple dials light up in the same shade of tungsten yellow as the analogue dials of a 1990’s hi-fis (remember those?), voice commands come in the form of you singing ‘Another day in Paradise’, and you actually have to rotate a dial to vaguely set the air conditioning somewhere between red, blue and comfortable. This lack of distraction is good because this bit of GQ that runs through Haryana demands you pay attention.

Through the many villages that line the road are oblivious bikers, lazy cattle and swerving multi-axle trucks. In fact, the absolute lack of in-built safety is the one consistent thing we will see all through the rest of the drive. I will blow a gasket about this, later.

Anyway, the oldest City is still such a hoot. Because you sit so low to the ground, the sense of speed is enhanced and 100kph feels like 150! The engine snarls when you’re in low gear and high revs, the linear throttle response – it is all there!

Take the rose-tinted glasses off for a second, though. This is a family car that we considered sporty because when it came to India, the competition was still fighting about leaf spring settings! You also feel a bit unprotected. Two decades ago, you probably had to buy an S-class to get ABS and airbags as standard; and two decades ago, A-pillars were slimmer than a Victoria’s Secret model and the tyres were narrower than her waist. Out on a six-lane unpoliced highway, all of this leaves you feeling rather naked.

But you forget all that the minute you cross over into Rajasthan. Here, there’s ample space to wind out that 16-valve engine. The wide, open corners remind you why a low centre of gravity is so important in carrying big cornering speeds and the new MRF rubber we’ve fitted on the car keeps it secure.

Also helping our cause are the roads through Rajasthan and Gujarat – wide open stretches, six-lanes, and that odd blithering idiot on a motorcycle to keep you on your toes. The old City runs beautifully all the way and we arrive in Mumbai to swap into the second-generation car.    

Financial capital to traffic jam central
Blasphemy. The fans were up in arms. Honda had forced the Fonz to return as a college professor for season two. The second-generation City lost 23hp to the old car, looked almost as proportional as a Picasso painting and was about as exciting to drive as a white refrigerator – but Honda knew that the mid-sized customer’s needs had changed. He now had two kids, parents who were getting on in age and a wife who no longer enjoyed bouncing off the 7,000rpm limiter on the way to the supermarket.

 The second-generation City brought in practicality and (at a later stage) ABS and airbags. The old parents could now slide into the higher seats easily, three weeks of toys and diapers would fit in the big boot and the wife stuck it in fourth gear and smiled all the way to the kitty party.

I will agree with how practical it is. Leaving Mumbai during packed traffic, I appreciate the light clutch, the utterly light steering and the easy gearshift. For the 40-odd kilometres to Panvel, I am entirely happy to be ensconced in the ungainly proportions because it feels like I’m driving a toy.

Then we hit the six-lane Mumbai-Pune Expressway leg of the Golden Quadrilateral. I wind out the engine (it doesn’t complain), I lean on the skinny tyres (they protest loudly), I look for some excitement (there’s none). My pulse rate slows and I ask my colleague to take over the wheel. The back seat, I find, is the best place to be in this car. It is really comfortable and as different as night and day from the low-slung dungeon that the first-generation car’s rear seat is.

It is impossible to fall asleep, however, because once we cross Pune and get on the Bengaluru stretch, this bit of the GQ deteriorates. The tarmac is lumpy and Maharashtra easily outguns all other states when it comes to the league of oblivious motorcyclists/pedestrians. Joy has to punch the brakes often, swerve to avoid the drunk ‘bhau’ heading home and, overall, it is chaos all the way to Kolhapur. Then, as we approach Karnataka, the traffic thins out, the road widens and the feeling of space increases. This directly influences everyone on the road. Since they no longer have to jostle for space, everyone is calmer.

The stretch of GQ after Kolhapur, all the way to Bengaluru is mile-munching paradise. Since there’s little traffic and the road has broad shoulders, you can maintain consistently high average speeds without breaking speed limits. We are in Bengaluru just in time for rush-hour traffic – Google Maps tells us that it will take us 45 minutes to cover the 6km to the hotel! The second-generation car reminds me why it is the way it is, again in this bumper-to-bumper jostle for inches of space. It’s been a good drive but I’m glad to jump into the more exciting generation three City.

Traffic jam central to the City of Joy
On a morning when most Honda Citys are on the school run or on their way to the office, there was one hooning around on a racetrack. See, the GQ happens to run past my favourite Indian racetrack – and what better way to prove the third-generation City’s practical and fun credentials than a flat-out run on a track with a boot full of luggage. We’ve also fitted the car with wider 195-section MRF Perfinzas which should take care of our original grouse with the car – its narrow, fuel efficiency-biased tyres. I go in for a couple of laps and discover that the engine likes being wrung out, and that the tyres allow for much higher cornering speeds than I remember.

Just as I’m getting into the groove again, the officials tell us that our time is up and we need to get a move on. I promise you, the luggage in the boot stayed ironed.

We have a long way to go in addition to the mad run we’ve had on the superb stretch from Bengaluru. We’re going up the east coast and come across the best stretch of the GQ we’ve run so far – the bit before Vijayawada. I say it is great not only because it is six-lane perfection but because it is well-marked and well-lit, as well. There still are no real safety measures in place and this has been a constant through our drive. I feel they have built this fantastic road that allows for high speeds; but have left safety in the hands of the nimbu-mirchi, and the deity on the dashboard. Every village along the way has direct access to this road. There are few barriers to prevent out-of-control vehicles from careening off the road or jumping the median into your lane. There is no one to stop people from driving down the wrong side of the road; and animals freely roam this highway. It blows your mind when you actually drive down this otherwise modern road and see the number of unnecessary accidents and roadkill. It turns what should be a relaxing drive into an on-your-guard drive.

The generation three City, however, is a great long-distance car as long as you are not pushing it. That CVT gearbox (never my favourite) is great at cruising – but when you need to power out of a situation, it simply makes the engine feel strained. That aside, I’m enjoying the ability to listen to all the songs on my iPod (this generation was one of the first cars in India to altogether delete the CD player from the options list) and the seats are great, too. We make it to the Howrah Bridge and somehow land up in a hotel that serves only vegetarian fare. Picture eyes rolling.

To the capital
That bit about the GQ being completed in 2012 is not entirely true and we discover it just as we cross the Bihar border into Uttar Pradesh. For about 100-odd kilometres, all the way past Varanasi, the road is full of diversions past yet-to-be-constructed flyovers. In fact, it reminds me of how the rest of the GQ was, a decade ago. This whole belt is dismal. All the way from Jharkhand, through Bihar and UP, is one big dustbowl, and I’m quite glad I’m in the fourth-generation City, for this one. The seats are supremely comfortable and the superb sound system helps me ignore the slightly intrusive drone from the diesel engine. Once past Varanasi though, UP’s GQ improves considerably – although to no better standard than the rest of the country; or so I thought. We cheat a bit on the way back and take a part of the new Lucknow-Agra Expressway. This is a road that you could compare to anything you would drive on in a developed country. Properly barricaded, well marked with reflective signs  and lane markings, it makes the Golden Quadrilateral seem, well, a bit last-century.

The fourth-generation City is superb here. It is a fantastic cruiser and I love the way it delivers power – it is responsive and also so fuel-efficient, it easily covers the distance between Kanpur and Noida on a tankful of diesel. When Honda introduced this engine in the City back in 2014, it was way the last entrant in the segment, but it was worth the wait. What a nice engine this is! We surf along the diesel’s wave of torque on the Taj Expressway, and we are in Noida before we know it.

The end
Ultimately, there’s so much you learn from a trip like this. One, India has done the typical thing of going ahead and making a great road; and lost interest in building the rest of what such roads need to keep them safe. Two, our driving standards need to improve – the general Indian has no idea how to use a road like this and they need to be educated in etiquette. We saw a man meditating cross-legged in the fast lane in Bihar, we saw another who thought it was ok to ride flat-out in the middle lane in the wrong direction. We had truckers veering into the fast lane for no reason, cows chewing the cud around fast, blind corners, cyclists, poorly marked diversions – and the works. It is high time we did something about this callous attitude to life.

The Honda City, on the other hand, has progressed with the times. A trip like this shows you how diverse India is and developing a car that pleases everyone, is quite the task. The first generation introduced us to what good engines should be like, the second generation showed how good thinking out of the conventional three-box sedan can be, the third generation mixed everything the first two generations had and wrapped it in a good-looking suit, and the fourth generation added a layer of finesse to the third generation’s quality. It’s also impressive that no matter what their age, all four (well-maintained cars, mind you) ran faultlessly. So, like we said, it is extremely difficult to build a car that suits everyone’s needs; but a drive like this shows that the City’s wide range of talents help it do a pretty good job of that. 

OUSEPH CHACKO

To our readers outside of Mumbai, we apologise. Let there be no doubt, we had an absolute blast last month letting a Lamborghini V10 sing its greatest hits through the acoustic chamber that is India’s first undersea tunnel – part of Mumbai’s Coastal Road project. But we concede that some of you who don’t live here, engineering feat aside, might have wondered what all the fuss was about. Allow us to explain.

In other big metros, huge road infra is not unusual; heck, the average service road in Delhi is wider than parts of our Western Express Highway. For us Mumbaikars, then, a big new road is nothing short of a revelation. The reason is simple – Mumbai is a collection of islands, conjoined artificially, that snakes southward in a roughly peninsular shape parallel to mainland India. And it’s narrow, dense and heavily built up, which is why we can’t have wide roads or endless flyovers. The Coastal Road project posits the solution of transplanting the highway alongside the city, in the Arabian Sea no less; and for the 2km stretch we drove last month, underneath it.

For now, the only part of this ambitious new project open to the public is the southernmost section, connecting the hub suburb of Worli to the Princess Street junction at Marine Drive, just before the busy business district of Nariman Point. Eventually, the Coastal Road will join up to the northern suburbs as well, but even this small patch is said to have eased up congestion considerably on this final leg of the officegoer’s commute. But just how much has it eased up?

It’s Nikhil’s first time on the new road and suffice it to say, the sheer magnitude makes it a little distracting. The two-lane on-ramp takes a cautiously wide and gentle curve, and moments later comes a sight none of us have ever seen before. It’s our familiar city from an entirely different angle and perspective, and not since the Bandra-Worli Sea Link opened 14 years ago have we been hit with such a sense of novelty. He’s also having to remind himself that the speed limit has gone up to 80kph, which was thus far unheard of in the heart of the city, and possible thanks to the 3-lane width of this new road.

Moments later, he’s soaring past the NSCI stadium and Mahalaxmi Race Course on his left, and water-locked Haji Ali Dargah is below him on the right. This is proving to be less a race, and more an exercise in time travel. All around, one can see new on-and-off ramps ribboning into view and joining up with the main road, the impact of which is only amplified by the sea all around. Even at this early stage of development, you can see the new walking promenade and parks being built alongside, which should add some greenery to this monument in concrete.

Next thing you know, the final off-ramp to Breach Candy (and several other affluent SoBo neighbourhoods) flits by, and in the distance, the mouth of the tunnel appears. That can’t be right. Nikhil checks his watch in disbelief, and indeed, it’s only 9:55am. Five minutes from Worli to Breach Candy! Yes, there’s a bit of traffic now as all the tributaries have joined the river, but it’s hardly what you’d call bumper-to-bumper.

The speed limit drop from 80 to 60 in the tunnel feels agonising, especially when we saw what a Lambo unleashed felt like just last month. But then, as they hop onto Marine Drive where the old and new roads meet, the traffic is back! The final 2km is the same as it ever was – a crawl past Wankhede and Brabourne stadiums into the crowded business district and our destination. Still, it must be better than the classic route, right?

Well, no actually. Having broken off from the Tucson at Worli, the Comet and I are buzzing down past the Nehru Science Centre, with only a few meandering cabbies slowing us down. I drive past the second on-ramp to the new road that I’m tempted to take, but of course, I can’t. From this angle, too, seeing the ‘spaghetti junction’ of ramps over the bay is an astonishing sight; the horizon I’ve grown up with is altered forever. But even amidst the wonder, I can’t help but realise, I’m making good time. It’s at the popular Heera Panna shopping centre junction that I realise my biggest downfall will be stop lights, and every moment sitting still reminds me that the new road is signal free.

Instead, I find him still in discussion with the photographers and crew, preparing them for the money shot of my arrival – something they thought wouldn’t happen for a while longer. I see visible bewilderment as I park alongside the Tucson and step outside. “Did you also take the Coastal Road?” Nikhil asks. Surely it wasn’t that close; 15 minutes apart? 12?

Also see:

Howling through the Mumbai Coastal Road Tunnel in a Lamborghini Huracan Video

Driving on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link video

It might seem like Tata has replicated the Nexon EV’s winning formula with the Punch, which is a quick swap of all the ICE mechanicals for the electric bits and fitting them into available vacant spaces. However, with the Punch, the ALFA platform that underpins it has undergone a comprehensive re-engineering. It isn’t all new of course, the top hat is largely the same, as is the track, wheelbase, the suspension mounting points and the suspension system itself. But with the monocoque’s floor completely redone to flatten it, and a new electronic and electric (e&e) architecture, Tata Motors has given it a new name calling it the Acti.ev architecture. 

The EV’s centrally mounted battery pack has been integrated into the cabin floor, rather than bolting it underneath the body. As a result, its 190mm ground clearance is identical to the ICE version. With the ICE platform’s floor massively reengineered, it resulted in an increase in structural stiffness over its ICE counterpart too. That aside, the EV gets revised damping and stiffer springs, heavy-duty brake calipers, and the Long Range (LR) version also boasts of rear disc brakes to enhance stopping power and compensate for the EV’s added performance and weight.

The Punch EV gets a heavily restyled front end, which draws inspiration from the updated Nexon EV’s design. In fact, their front styling is so similar that when viewed head on, you could mistake one for the other. Sure, the Punch might have lost a bit of its individuality by adopting a family design face, but t here’s no denying that the Punch EV still commands attention, thanks to its striking new LED DRLs which flank the pilot lamp LED strip running across the bonnet. Tucked behind its blanked-out grille is its charging port, housed behind the Tata logo. It releases electrically via a switch on the centre console but has to be manually closed. An additional button on its key fob would have been much more convenient though.

While its side profile is similar to the outgoing car, thenew 16-inch dual-tone wheels sport a futuristic design. There are multiple EV badges scattered across the car and its tailgate has Punch.EV lettering spelt out. Dimensionally, the Punch EV is 30mm longer and 18mm taller than the ICE version, however, its width, front and rear track as well as its wheelbase, remain unchanged.

Like on the outside, the interior of the Punch EV is similar to the updated Nexon EV. Borrowed from its bigger sibling are its free-standing 10.2-inch touchscreen, a funky two-spoke steering (with an illuminated logo), and a new 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, all of which add style and a touch of modernity to the Punch’s exuberant interior. Also new is a piano-black panel with touch-operable keys for the climate control. These keys are backlit, and the temperature and fan speed control have physical toggle switches that make it convenient to use; also, this panel lends a very premium, uncluttered look. On the centre console sits a very premium knurled-finish drive selector flanked by drive mode buttons as well as the electronic parking brake and auto-hold button. Like before, contrasting white panels, textured plastics and other materials are carried forward for a rather upmarket look and feel. 

While there’s a lot to like, the execution of some bits could be better. As an example, the feature-packed touchscreen often tends to glitch, sometimes while using wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, and also while using the 360-degree camera. Then, the fonts and numbers on the digital instrument cluster are microscopic, which make them difficult to read. The gloss black touch panel for the climate control is a fingerprint magnet. Users will also have to make peace with the slow-shifting drive selector, which can get particularly annoying while trying to make quick three-point U-turns. 

An upright driving position and the seat ventilation feature enhance seating comfort. Further, the low window line, flat bonnet and large outside mirrors ensure outside visibility is very good. Elderly folk will appreciate its easy ingress and egress thanks to doors that open up to 90 degrees and the raised seating.

Despite being smaller than the regular crop of compact SUVs, the Punch’s excellent space management liberates respectable space for adults at the back. The backrest, however, is quite upright, the chair-like position is comfortable and there’s ample room beneath the front seat to tuck your feet. Unlike other EVs, you don’t sit in a ‘knees-up’ position, and thanks to its long seat squab, thigh support is plenty. 

Interestingly, to accommodate its battery, Tata engineers have raised this EV’s cabin floor by 20mm. It is because of this reason, six-footers are likely to find headroom a bit restrictive and this issue is exacerbated in sunroof-equipped cars, which have lower roof liners.

The Punch EV has a larger 366-litre boot compared to its ICE counterpart’s 319 litres. This added space comes at the cost of a spare wheel, which Tata has skimped on in the EV, and owners will have to make do with a puncture repair kit provided with the car. There is a small frunk too, which is well shaped and is a nifty solution to store additional, smaller items.

The freestanding 10.3-inch touchscreen is vibrant and stuffed with features and apps.The range-topping Empowered +S LR variant gets nearly as much equipment stuffed in as a top-spec Nexon EV, only missing out on vehicle to vehicle (V2V) and vehicle to load (V2L) charging. So equipment like a sunroof, a crisp 360-degree camera, lane-view monitor, ventilated front seats, an electronic parking brake with auto hold, an air purifier, auto LED headlamps and wipers, an auto-dimming rear view mirror and a  wireless charger are all part of the spec. As mentioned, it also gets  a 10.2-inch feature-packed touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, in-built Alexa voice assistant, connectivity features and the cabin’s sound experience is enhanced by an 8-speaker setup. For an otherwise very well equipped car, the Punch EV misses AC vents and charging provisions for rear passengers. 

The freestanding 10.3-inch touchscreen is vibrant and stuffed with features and apps.

In its electric guise, the Punch finally lives up to its name, something which sadly doesn’t hold true for its three-cylinder petrol version. The Punch EV comes in two versions – standard and Long Range (LR). The former gets a 25kWh battery and an 82hp/114Nm electric motor, while the LR gets a larger, 35kWh battery and a more powerful 122hp/190Nm electric motor, and we’ve tested the latter. Being its fourth EV offering, Tata has really mastered the art of fine-tuning them, making the electric Punch one of thesmoothest and perhaps the most refined car to roll out of Tata Motors, EV or otherwise. 

Drive the Punch EV for a few metres and you’ll immediately notice its progressive power delivery, very tame though by the snappy EV style. Tata claims to have intentionally blunted the motor’s responses in the interest of comfort so that newer drivers or those switching from ICE vehicles aren’t caught off-guard by its sudden acceleration. As a result, you don’t feel any neck-flexing thrust, each time you flex your right foot.

On offer are three drive modes – Sport, City and Eco. In fact, the latter two perform very similarly, with the motor delivering only about 60 percent of max torque. Despite the restricted output, both Eco and City mode feel adequate for a majority of the driving, thanks to the EV’s inherent instant response. What differentiates Eco and City mode are the vehicle’s top speed, which is limited to 115kph in the former and 132kph in the latter (as per our GPS measured speed test), respectively.

But for spirited driving, it is the third mode that’s the one to dial up. Sport mode unleashes the full potential of this EV, delivering the entire 190Nm of torque. While it gathers pace rapidly, the measured power delivery robs away the drama to some extent, which might disappoint thrill-seeking driving enthusiasts. That said, progress is rapid, with the Punch EV sprinting to 100kph from a standstill in just 9.4 seconds in Sport mode, which is 4.2 seconds quicker than in the other modes, both of which go from 0-100kph in 13.6 seconds. 

Like its other EVs, Tata has included three levels of regenerative braking in the Punch EV, with Level 3 being the most aggressive and an option to turn off this feature as well. These modes can be selected independently to the drive modes. Level 1 feels most natural in its operation, wherein it reduces speed in a gradual, predictable manner, akin to engine braking in an ICE vehicle. Level 2 is about 1.7 times more aggressive than Level 1, but it is still quite usable and easy to get accustomed to. Level 3 is said to give 0.18g of deceleration, and in the real world, it feels roughly 2.5 times stronger than Level 1, akin to depressing the brake pedal with some force. It’s simply too strong for everyday use and we would recommend this only when descending steep slopes so that you come down in a controlled manner while harvesting energy. There’s no one-pedal functionality and the car only slows down to crawling speeds using regenerative braking; it doesn’t come to a standstill.

For our range test, we drove the car as per our standards: so in Eco mode regen was set to its maximum setting in the city, and mid setting on the highway. In the city, this levied a huge penalty on its efficiency, as the car slowed down far more and earlier than expected thanks to the strong level 3 regen. This warranted a longer time spent on the accelerator pedal robbing it of charge. Of course, outside temperatures nudging 40 degrees made the climate control work hard to maintain a cool cabin temperature. As a result, the Punch EV’s average city efficiency was only 5.43km/kWh. However, repeating the test with regen set at the mid setting (level 2), felt more natural in its operation and we achieved an average city efficiency of 6.92km/kWh, extrapolating to a real world range of 242km and on the highway we achieved 6.17km/kWh, translating to a range of 216km.

The Punch gets a single CCS2 charging port, which is the industry standard. The company claims that on a DC fast charger, the battery can be topped up at a maximum speed of 25kW taking it from 10 percent to 80 percent in 56 minutes; not very fast by modern EV standards. To put it to the test, we plugged it into a 60kW DC fast charger and charged its battery from 15-100 percent. In the process it consumed 31.99kWh of energy, took about 99 minutes to complete and averaged a charging speed of 19.5kWh. However, it is worth noting that beyond 90 percent, the battery management system (BMS) automatically reduces the charge rate for cell balancing and SOC calibration, in the interest of the battery’s health.

The Punch EV is also available with a 3.3kW portable charger – good for charging wherever you have to use 15A plug. Top variants also get a 7.2kW AC fast charger that can be installed in your home or office. 

The Punch EV’s chassis is 30 percent stiffer than that of its ICE counterpart, and a key contributor to this additional torsional rigidity is the battery pack itself, which acts as a stressed member. Further, with a rigid chassis, Tata engineers were at liberty to use a softer damper setting for improved ride comfort, without compromising body control and stiffer springs – than the ICE version – to compensate for the LR EV’s 1,360kg weight; 325kg heavier than the top-spec Punch AMT. 

When it comes to ride comfort, Tata has nailed the suspension tune. Softer dampers have made the ride more supple, and while the ICE version always felt confident over bad and broken roads, the EV does it with a bit more finesse. On the flipside, it does roll more than its petrol-powered counterpart, however, with its heavy battery sitting beneath the cabin floor resulting in a low center of gravity, the EVs tyres feel planted to the tarmac. Infusing confidence further is its steering feel with a very fluid, predictable nature. What’s nice, particularly for newer drivers, is that it doesn’t feel overly pointy or sharp like some other Tatas, and there’s just the right amount of slack in the straight-ahead position.

Lastly, the Punch EV LR gets all-wheel disc brakes and has a natural pedal feel. And what’s nice is that its braking performance in a panic brake test from 80-0kph is identical to its over 300kg lighter ICE counterpart. Notably, in regen Level 3, you can feel a distinct transition from the regen braking of the motor to the friction brakes. There’s a nifty ‘auto hold’ feature that adds a degree of convenience while halted; however, you will hear a distinct grinding sound each time you depress the accelerator to start moving.

As an urban runabout, the Punch EV has all the right ingredients – a smooth powertrain, compact dimensions, a pliant ride, and to top it off, an expansive features list that will appeal to new-age techy EV buyers. Furthermore, performance is strong, the real-world (combined) range of about 230km on a full charge is respectable, and those transitioning from an ICE car will feel at home behind the wheel of this EV. There are, of course, shortcomings. To begin with, the software is infested with glitches, something that Tata must iron out, considering this is the company’s fourth EV. Then, Tata’s sales and support experience is hit or miss, which will be instrumental in shaping the buying and ownership experience. And lastly, the price of the top variants of the Punch EV overlap with lower variants of the Nexon EV, the latter being larger, more spacious and with more power and torque to boot. But look again at the Punch EV’s merits and its extremely impressive as a package. And as a city car, it doesn’t get better than this.

The C3 Aircross is Citroen’s attempt to take on the crowded midsize SUV segment that has players like the Hyundai Creta. After our first drive experience, we were impressed by the Citroen’s strong fundamentals, clever packaging and attractive price tag; however, we also found it lacking in some crucial areas. We’ve now subjected it to our exhaustive, instrumented real-world tests to shed more light on it.

Citroën has done a good job of making the C3 Aircross stand out from the crowd by giving it some flair in its design. It is quite similar to the C3 hatchback, with which it shares some sheet metal panels as well as the C-Cubed platform it’s based on. The front, in particular, is very similar—right up to the B-pillar—but the Aircross gets a new lower bumper with a prominent skid plate and a pair of distinctive squarish design elements above it.

There’s a wide air intake placed above the bumper and number plate housing, and the grille and Citroën’s chevron logo are finished in black with chrome detailing. The headlamp and Daytime Running Lamp (DRL) cluster are carried over from the C3 hatchback, and so are the halogen lights. The only LEDs on this SUV are the DRLs. 

The C3 Aircross’ best angle is perhaps its profile. Citroën’s designers have done well to bring together the long, 2,671mm wheelbase and the short overhangs to make it look well-proportioned. It has the typical upright stance expected of an SUV and Citroën has also added some pizzazz to its design. There’s plastic cladding on the doors, which helps reduce the visual mass. There’s cladding around the wheel arches, a distinctive crease in the rear fender, an optional dual-tone roof and smart, stylish 17-inch alloys. 

The wraparound effect given to the small quarter glass and the rear windshield is well executed and the C-shaped tail-lights look attractive, too. However, even these aren’t LEDs, and it only gets one reversing light on the left-hand side. Rounding off the rear design is a chunky, faux skid plate and a roof-mounted spoiler.

The Aircross shares quite a bit with the smaller C3. You’re greeted with a dual-tone, layered dashboard that looks nice and has some attractive details. The textured, bronze-coloured trim on the dash adds a dose of style and the large AC vents look unique. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is nice to hold, and features buttons on either side for the infotainment and instrument cluster. The fully digital cluster is easy to read on the go and has different layouts to choose from. 

Sitting high up in the centre console is the touchscreen, under which are the chunky knobs for the HVAC system. There’s two cupholders ahead of the gear lever and a slot for your smartphone, but your phone will slip out under hard acceleration as it doesn’t have a lip. Other than that, there’s sizeable door pockets that’ll easily fit 1-litre bottles and the glovebox is fairly spacious as well.

Overall, the fit and finish in the cabin is decent by segment standards, and the quality of materials is also good, except in certain areas like the leather steering and knitted roofliner. There are some hard and scratchy plastics on the door cards and the lower portion of the dash. Our test car, which was relatively new, already developed some rattles with some parts being ill-fitted. Also worth noting, the light cream-coloured upholstery tends to get soiled quite easily.

Citroën’s cars are known for their comfy seats and the C3 Aircross is no exception. The driver’s seat is well-cushioned and supportive, and the height-adjustable seat and reach-adjustable steering make it easy to find your ideal driving position. What also adds to the comfort is the driver’s armrest.

The middle row is also comfortable, with ample headroom and kneeroom even for taller passengers. The 5-seater version gets a centre armrest, and the backrest can be reclined for more comfort. However, underthigh support is a bit short, there’s no centre headrest or a three-point seat belt (you get a lap belt). The middle row of the 5+2 seater is also a pleasant place to be, and you also get the benefit of roof-mounted AC for the rear passengers with blower control, but it misses out on an armrest and backrest recline.

Getting into the third row is a straightforward process thanks to the tilt and tumble operation of the second row. These seats are placed on the boot floor, so you end up sitting knees up. The tight kneeroom and headroom also mean that this space is best reserved for kids, or adults for a short journey.

But what’s really ingenious is the versatility of these third-row seats. When you don’t need them, they can be removed from the car in about 20 seconds and used as picnic chairs when you’re outdoors. With both third-row seats removed, you get 511 litres of boot space (67 litres more than the 5-seater), which can be further expanded to 839 litres with the second-row seats folded. There’s also the   option of removing just one seat and using the SUV as a 6-seater with some luggage space. It’s this unique versatility that’ll be a big draw for potential C3 Aircross buyers. 

This is an area where the C3 Aircross leaves you wanting. Sure, it packs in a large touchscreen, a great-sounding audio system, a digital instrument cluster, USB ports for all rows, a rear-view camera, six airbags, a tyre pressure monitoring system, hill-hold assist and traction control. But it also misses out on a load of essential features that rivals offer like auto climate control, push button start/stop, ventilated seats, a powered driver’s seat, a sunroof, a wireless phone charger, LED lighting, a 360-degree camera, cruise control, a heads-up display and ADAS tech.

What’s even more annoying is the blatant cost-cutting. The C3 Aircross makes do with a simple key with lock/unlock buttons, which doesn’t belong on an SUV of this price range. The wing mirrors can’t be electrically folded, the driver’s door only houses switches for the front windows and rear window switches are not present on either rear door but placed in the middle of the front seats. Additionally, you only get an auto-down function for all windows and not auto-up because that would have meant installing an anti-pinch function.

So while it does get some of the basic features expected in this class, the absence of some crucial ones too limits the appeal of the C3 Aircross.

Top-spec C3 Aircross gets a 10.2-inch free-standing touchscreen infotainment system that features wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. The screen is bright and the user interface is easy to navigate. However, it misses out on physical buttons or knobs to control functions like volume up/down, next/previous track etc. During our test, the system never malfunctioned or lost Android Auto connection.

Powering the C3 Aircross is a sole, 1.2-litre, three-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine that also does duty in the smaller C3. Power output is 110hp and 190Nm with the 6-speed manual, and 210Nm with the 6-speed torque converter.

This engine, dubbed ‘Puretech’, remains one of the nicest small capacity turbo-petrol engines on the market, impressing with its smoothness and strong performance. There is that typical three-cylinder rocking and vibration at start-up, but the engine settles into a silent idle soon after. It’s quick to respond off the line and the strong midrange makes overtaking effortless. It’s also keen to respond to part-throttle inputs and pulls cleanly till it’s over the 6,000rpm redline. It’s only when you press your right foot down real hard that you encounter turbo lag and hear some of the thrummy engine noise. So while it doesn’t have the capacity or output as some of its more expensive rivals, you’ll never be left wanting for more in terms of performance. 

The 6-speed manual gets shorter ratios than the C3 to compensate for the approximately 240kg that’s extra on the Aircross. In terms of rolling acceleration times, from 20-80kph in third gear and 40-100kph in fourth gear, the MT takes 10.61sec (0.37sec slower than C3) and 14.54sec (0.17sec faster), respectively. As for flat-out acceleration, the Aircross manual is expectedly slower than the C3, completing the run in 12.80sec, 2.08sec slower.

The manual gearbox is precise and has short throws, which makes it enjoyable to drive. However, the clutch pedal has a springy action and you’ll need some time to get used to it. The ratios are also cleverly stacked, meaning you are always in the meat of the powerband after upshifting.

Coming to the automatic, the gearbox is an Aisin-sourced unit that also does duty in some of its rivals. This 6-speed unit stands out for its smoothness and off-the-line response, but quick shifts are not its forte. Part-throttle responses are good, but there is a moment of hesitation before it kicks down and moves you forward. You also get manual control for the gears via the lever but you’ll rarely be tempted to use this as the gearbox is good at keeping the engine in the meat of the powerband. Considering the auto also gets more torque, it doesn’t come as a surprise that it’s quicker than the manual in flat-out and roll-on acceleration, with a kickdown, of course. The Aircross AT takes 11.87sec for the 0-100kph sprint, while 20-80kph and 40-100kph in kickdown take 6.72sec and 8.68sec, respectively. 

While the turbo-petrol is more than capable in this SUV, its appeal is limited as rivals in this segment also offer diesel and strong-hybrid powertrain options.

The Citroën C3 Aircross manual returned 9.76kpl in the city and 14.04kpl on the highway. As for the automatic, it was slightly less efficient as expected, managing 9.46kpl in the city and 13.62kpl on the highway.

Both versions get fuel-saving auto start/stop tech, but owing to high ambient temperatures during our test (around 40-degC), the system rarely switched the car off in order to keep the AC running. For reference, while cruising on the highway, in top gear, the manual sits at 2,000rpm at 100kph while the automatic spins at a slightly higher 2,100rpm.

Citroën is synonymous with comfort and the C3 Aircross only furthers that claim by being one of the best-riding SUVs in the segment. Low-speed ride is great as the suspension does a phenomenal job of soaking up bad roads, potholes and ruts. There’s a soft edge to the ride which makes for a cushy low-speed ride, but on the flipside, this results in some vertical movement at higher speeds. Firmer damping would have given it a flatter, composed ride but that would’ve compromised the overall ride comfort. Road and tyre noise is also well-contained in this SUV but what is very apparent is the suspension noise.

Despite being a long SUV, the Aircross’ handling is fantastic with good body control and grip levels. A special mention has to go to the steering, which is one of the best around. It’s nice and easy to twirl at low speeds, and weighs up nicely as you pick up the pace allowing you to be precise around bends. Straight line stability is also very good and as such, the C3 Aircross is a joy to drive at higher speeds. The Aircross’ brakes are also confidence-inspiring, with a good initial bite and progressive stopping power there on.

The Citroen C3 Aircross is unconventional and it stands out with its innovative seating configuration, strong mechanicals, and good ride and handling balance. The powertrains are also smooth and punchy, it’s affordable and the design makes it stand out as well. However, what’s disappointing is the cost-cutting with some materials, a severe lack of features, and the lack of powertrain options, especially when compared to nearly every rival in this segment.

Being a late entrant to the Indian market and competing in the hotly-contested midsize SUV segment, Citroën would have benefitted from throwing everything at the C3 Aircross—including missing features and a longer standard warranty—that would at least pull potential buyers to the showroom. In conclusion, then, the Citroën C3 Aircross is a well-engineered SUV that’s let down by poor product planning.

Jimny (5-door) will be available in Zeta and Alpha variants with Automatic and Manual transmission choices for customers, Maruti Suzuki India said.

Waymo is growing its ridership by leaps and bounds, and opening up to more and more riders almost every week it seems. It’s also working on its PR, looking to score brownie points for helping different disadvantaged groups. Or maybe it’s just trying to do good in the world — ... [continued]

The post Waymo Supporting Single Mothers & Vulnerable Road Users appeared first on CleanTechnica.

The Orthodox understanding of the spiritual life is unlike most things that we think about in our culture. There is not a "technique" that produces "results." Instead, it is a way of life. Fr. Stephen Freeman explores this understanding.

Fr. Tom interviews the leaders of the Crossroad program at Hellenic College in Brookline, MA. Crossroad is intended to help High School students discern their life callings, matching their personal gifts with the needs of the world. His guests are Ann Bezzerides, Mary Long, and Dan Belonic. He referenced in this interview his very informative eight-part AFR podcast series on the Church and State. In the next program, Fr. Tom will interview some of the participants in Crossroad.

Fr. Tom speaks with two students and a leader in the Crossroad program.

Fr. John Whiteford preaches about the encounter with Jesus on the road to Emmaus, from Luke 24:13-35.

The Sunday of the Holy Cross.

Why is the Lenten Journey so challenging? Fr. Steven Ritter gives us some answers.

Many of us have to eat away from home as a result of our work situation. Others are going to be eating away from home for extended periods of time due to vacationing. Whatever the scenario might be, how do we practice eating on the road with watchful attention? Rita offers several strategies.

On this feast of the Apostle Luke, Fr. Andrew highlights his encounter with Jesus on the road to Emmaus and what that means for our own spiritual lives.

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick preaches the Paschal homily of St. John Chrysostom at the feast and adds a story about a time when he shared Chrysostom's words in a non-Orthodox setting.

In Part 1 of this two part series, Danielle and her fellow CrossRoaders reflect on who they were as Orthodox Christian high school students four years ago, their mindset going into CrossRoad, and what they gained from their CrossRoad experience. CrossRoad is a ten-day academic summer institute that prepares high school juniors and seniors to make big life decisions and invites them to connect with the Orthodox Christian theological and spiritual tradition in a deep and meaningful way.

In this episode, Danielle continues her conversation from last week with six of her fellow CrossRoaders. From this 10 day institute, they discuss how CrossRoad opened up a new means of wrestling with deep questions and how this new skill has affected them in their lives post-CrossRoad.

Fr Joseph—in his previous life—rolled yards, bent forks, painted water towers, and was, on more than one occasion, killed by his father. (Some of which is actually true.) In the end, hats off to fear!

This week we read 2 Corinthians 9:6-11, probing its beauty, and taking the cue from St. Paul that we should understand the mystery of generosity through Psalm 111/112.

Fr. Gregory takes his theme from the Sunday of the Cross to show that every road can become a Cross-Road on the way to the Resurrection

Fr. Gregory reads the sermon by Fr. Emmanuel Kahn on the Ascension.

Shortly after the new complete Orthodox Study Bible came out, Fr. Peter Gillquist, Randy Elliott from Thomas Nelson Publishers and John Maddex from Ancient Faith Radio traveled together to the three major Orthodox seminaries to give complimentary copies to the seminarians. This is the story of that trip. If you haven't ordered your copy of the new Orthodox Study Bible yet, we encourage you to do so today! Click HERE for more information.

Bobby Maddex, Operations Manager of Ancient Faith Radio, interviews John Maddex, the CEO of Conciliar Media Ministries, about the recent electrical storm here in Chesterton, IN, that incapacitated our streaming music station. Can you help us with the funds needed to make sure that this situation never occurs again? We would really appreciate it!

Bobby Maddex interviews Kyra Limberakis, the director of the CrossRoad program at Hellenic College under the Office of Vocation and Ministry. Applications for CrossRoad are due February 1 and can be found online here: https://www.crossroadinstitute.org/apply. Eligible applicants are Orthodox Christian high school juniors and seniors. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please email crossroad AT hchc.edu

Major Test nations need to play more matches overseas to help the game bring in more fans and money says World Rugby chair candidate Brett Robinson.

What is it? Gumroad: A service that lets you "sell anything you can share" which is to say - anything you don't need to collect shipping information for. Each purchase ends with a download link. You create "links" that send...

Bear Scotland says it is aware of complaints about congestion around improvements to a cycleway.

Ms Watkins was the first continuity announcer to appear on screen on Telefís Éireann.

The roadshow pays a visit to Thirlestane Castle in the Scottish Borders.

Owner PD Ports says action is needed to stop wild camping on the peninsula by Redcar Beach.

Somerset Council says the upgrade work on Hurdle Way is vital for pedestrians and cyclists.

The bridge on Squibbers Way in Bridgwater was closed due to a fire that happened underneath it but was reopened following an inspection.

Reporter Duncan Cook has been finding out more.

Business future uncertain; Georgia Stone reports.

The junction is expected to remain shut during rush hour but southbound is still open, police say.

The campaign aims to increase speed awareness and improve road safety around schools.