September 01, 2026

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Premium

TESLA MODEL Y

The Tesla Model Y has always been a slightly different proposition in India. Not because it is an electric SUV, or because it wears a Tesla badge, but because the experience of owning and driving one feels un- like almost anything else available here. Now, with its latest update, Tesla has addressed some of the areas that mattered most while, rather importantly, making the Model Y significantly more accessible. From an exterior design perspective, nothing has changed. The real changes become apparent once you step inside. Firstly, the cabin now gets black and grey upholstery, which looks fresh.The centrepiece is the new 16-inch infotainment screen, which is up from a 15.4-inch unit. It is sharper and remains the command centre for almost everything in the car. Tesla's approach continues to be different from the norm, with functions that you would normally expect to have physical buttons buried within menus instead. It takes some getting used to, but the interface itself is slick and responsive. The addition of xAI's Grok integration adds another layer to the experience. It transforms the vehicle's voice assistant setup from a basic command interpreter into something far more conversational, witty, and contextually aware. Rather than simply executing robotic tasks like turning down the cabin temperature, Grok can answer complex queries, adapt to natural speech patterns, and offer a layer of personality that makes in-car interactions feel alive.The three-spoke steering wheel is another highlight. It looks wonderfully futuristic without becoming difficult to use, and the indicator stalk positioned behind it is genuinely fantastic once you get accustomed to it. Also, the windscreen wiper control and the high-beam flash sit on the steering wheel. There is a brief learning curve, particularly if you are coming from a conventional car, but it soon feels liveable. The important takeaway from all of this is that the Model Y feels more contemporary than before, and that matters when you are spending this kind of money on a car whose appeal is closely tied to technology.Out on the road, the Model Y immediately reminds you that this is a fairly substantial electric SUV. Power comes from the rear-mounted PMSM, which puts out 303bhp and 420Nm of torque. Performance is brisk, as you would expect from a Tesla, with the electric motor's instant response making overtaking and merging into faster-moving traffic effortless. There are two driving modes, Chill and Standard. Chill softens the initial response and is perfectly adequate for everyday commuting, while Standard gives you the sharper reaction that makes the Model Y feel properly quick. The

PINNACLE OF LUXURY

The S-Class reached the pinnacle of luxury with the W140 that took over from the W126 that we featured in the last issue of the magazine and was followed by the W220 series that was the first of the S-Class cars to be launched in India. The first lot of 60 W220 cars were actually sold out even before the opening of bookings as India would become, if I remember correctly, the first or second market for the S-Class to be assembled outside of Germany.While the development of the car began in early 1981 with an intended launch by the end of the decade, Olivier Boulay's design was only finalised towards the end of 1986. Interestingly, the chief engineer of Mercedes during the W140 project, Wolfgang Peter has revealed that the car became so big because only because both he and the line manager for the project were over six feet tall ­ six feet and three inches to be precise. Bruno Sacco, the head of styling had wanted a car like the Jaguar XJ, quite sporty looking to take on the perception of BMWs as sporty cars. However with both the chief engineer and the line manager not quite fitting in the rear, the roof had to be raised and consequently to keep proportions and prevent the flagship from having a tall boy design the cars dimensions were increased. The Mercedes design chief was however unhappy with the final design and has been quoted as saying that the car's roof was four inches too high.The final product is not only expansive in size but also in the list of features and firsts. From moving the needle in terms of coefficient of drag to 0.31 to the first ever Mercedes production car with a V12 engine, this generation signalled that nothing was not achievable, even though the V12 on the W140 was in response to BMW launching the 7 Series with a V12. The need for having the V12 led to further delays and cost over runs and the eventual moving on of the chief engineer from Mercedes. Four valves per cylinder and adjustable intake cams on one hand with adaptive damping system on the other both pushed the envelope while features we take for granted like automatically folding rear view mirrors, power closing for doors and boot lid and headlamps with variable focus reflectors were just making their debut. It was the first to feature a speed-sensitive steering with variable torque depending upon the speed of the vehicle, something I experienced and was quite surprised by. Safety was also moving forward with lots of firsts including side airbags for the front seats, ESP as standard and brake assist in the latter years of the generation. In terms of taking comfort to the next level there are the double glazed side windows as well as seat belts that automatically adjust for height.