There’s lots of exciting stuff packed into our first issue of 2013. Skoda’s bringing the Octavia name back to India, and we’ve got all the details. The new Range Rover tackles the urban grind of Mumbai, while its little sister, the refreshed Freelander 2 takes on the snowy wilderness of Canada. We also get behind the wheel of a Concours-winning Rolls-Royce, thump our way down to Goa for Rider Mania, and crown F1’s Man of the Year.

Skoda Octavia

The car that put Skoda on the map here in India was the Mark I Octavia, and it was so popular that they continued to sell it alongside its replacement (the Laura). Now Skoda has revealed an all-new model that’s bigger, more comfortable and loaded with tech. We’ve managed to get a detailed look at the car at its launch in Prague.

New Range Rover

Last month, we found out just how good the Range Rover was off-road, and on the streets of Morocco. This month we’ve brought it to the kind of environment most Indian customers will use it in – the mean city streets. Just how does a Rs 1.7 crore SUV handle the urban grind?

Chevrolet Sail U-VA

The full Autocar India road test of the petrol and diesel versions of Chevy’s new China-sourced hatchback, followed by a detailed comparison with its main rivals, the Maruti Swift, Toyota Etios Liva and Ford Figo.

Porsche Panamera Diesel

Porsche and diesel are not two words you would usually put together, but you’ll be glad to know that the latest in the Panamera range manages to make the combination work. The result is one very fast four-door grand tourer that won’t sting you as much at the fuel station.

Rolls-Royce 20HP

We travel to Udaipur to drive a very special car. It belongs to Maharana Arvind Singh of Mewar, it won an award at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and it came from the house of coachbuilders Barker – the 1924 Rolls-Royce 20HP.

Audi R8

Audi’s mid-engined supercar has just been given a subtle facelift which includes a slightly different grille and funky new LED arrays. But the big news is under the skin, where a new dual-clutch automatic gearbox replaces the old single-clutch robotised manual. There’s also a new 542bhp V10 Plus variant.

Land Rover Freelander 2

The Freelander 2 gets another facelift, but this time, the changes are far more significant. Despite being the baby of the range, it now feels a whole lot more upmarket than before. And, being a Land Rover, it is a veritable mountain goat when you take it off-road.

Yamaha Ray vs Piaggio Vespa LX125

Yamaha’s first scooter for India, the stylish Ray, definitely has the goods. But it targets the same basic audience as that other style icon – the retro chic Piaggio Vespa LX125. We put the two scooters head-to-head to tell you which one you should pick.

Motorsport

The dramatic 2012 F1 season drew to a close with the first ever race at the new Circuit of the Americas, followed by the exciting Brazilian GP – and we’ve got reports on both. We also take a look at the coming together of three Indian race series at the Sidvin Festival of Speed, and crown F1’s Man of the Year for 2012.

All this and much more in Autocar India’s January 2013 issue. Plus, two booklets and two posters FREE with this issue! 

About Autocar India Magazine

Autocar India is the country's leading authority for car and motorbike buyers.

Having pioneered road testing in India, its road test verdicts are the last word on new cars and bikes. Its monthly content of exclusive news, features and riveting stories continues to be unrivalled.

Autocar India is lauded for its high level of editorial content and production standards, and the magazine is complemented by its website AutocarIndia.com.

Autocar India pioneered the concept of advertorials in India, conceptualised and created by the in-house Special Projects team. The magazine also has the biggest and liveliest classified services section of any monthly motoring magazine.