autocar-logo
Delhi

Auto Hold function in VW Passat

Does using the Auto Hold function on my diesel-automatic Passat overburden the gearbox?
1 min read18 Oct '16
Autocar India News DeskAutocar India News Desk
22K+ views

I have a two-litre DSG diesel automatic Volkswagen Passat which has Auto Hold function. I use the function continuously due to heavy traffic in Delhi NCR, so as to avoid frequent change to drive mode and neutral/park mode. On Auto Hold gearshift indicator displays gear position as ‘1’. My query is, am I overburdening the gearbox by continuously using Auto Hold function?
Hejarajan Ra, Gurgaon

AAA The Auto Hold function is not overburdening the gearbox because it is in no way connected to the gearbox. The Auto Hold function actually prevents creeping by holding the brakes automatically and releasing them when you accelerate. It is meant for situations like bumper-to-bumper traffic, so you need not worry even if you are using it continuously.

Suspension problem on Maruti WagonR

I get a strange thudding noise from the front left suspension when negotiating bumps even at low speed.
1 min read12 Oct '16
Autocar India News DeskAutocar India News Desk

Big brother's watching

The new tracking device from MapmyIndia promises that your chauffeur will never be able to misuse your car without your knowledge. We test its credentials.
3 min read8 Oct '16
Saumil ShahSaumil Shah

It’s as simple as plug-and-play in your car’s OBD port – there’s no wire-cutting or warranty issues.

The notifications are incredibly detailed, with precise time and location stamps.

It’ll also record the entire history with route replay and green driving scenarios.

Preset your alert settings and you’ll receive notifications via SMS and email.

Driven by safety

Mercedes-Benz ‘Safe Roads’ campaign sheds lights on basic safety practices and trailblazing safety technologies.
2 min read30 Sep '16
Autocar India News DeskAutocar India News Desk

Body in White’ (BiW) exhibit shows the core elements of a car structure designed to absorb the energy during a crash and minimize passenger cabin intrusions.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class S500 equipped with innovative technologies that give a glimpse of the future of safety.

Visitors got to see and understand how technologies like airbags work.

Manu Saale who heads research and development in India believes in safety first.

The most popular exhibit at the venue, it enabled visitors to experience the impact of seat belts in a simulated crash environment at low speed.

Jochen Feese, Head of Accident Research, Pedestrian Protection and Sensor Functions, Mercedes-Benz Cars, hoping to inspire the young ones.

To the Beatles Ashram with the Beetles

Shapur Kotwal & Joy Chaudhuri take a new Beetle and a ’70s classic up to the Beatles ashram in Rishikesh.
3 min read28 Sep '16
Shapur KotwalShapur Kotwal

Lennon and Harrison stayed six weeks in the lush and serene environs of Rishikesh.

The jungle has taken back a lot, but some bits still remain.

Sometimes the art just makes you stop in your tracks

The two Beetles on the very road that the Beatles took nearly half a century ago to reach the Maharishi’s ashram .

The road to the ashram was well paved in sections only.

Driving the old Beetle is an aural as well as a physical experience.

The classic’s fender is free-flowing, unlike the modern car’s that seems a bit abrupt.

It wasn’t until 1969 that VW used the name ‘Beetle’.

Getting directions here wasn’t easy, we had to just ask and be lucky; and we were.

You can’t tell how many gears the DSG has.

Four-speed manual is slick but noisy.

Luggage space isn’t great in the nose.

Samarth strikes a pose on his uncle Daksh’s car.

George’s classic ‘Here comes the Sun’ was written in this ashram.

The meditation huts or pods look straight out of a sci-fi movie.

Ropeways are sometimes the only way across the Ganga; check out the mist that forms over the cold river.

Upgrade Ford Figo Aspire to BS-VI

Is it possible to make the Ford Figo Aspire diesel BS-IV compliant when the norms come into force?
1 min read22 Sep '16
Autocar India News DeskAutocar India News Desk