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Chevrolet Beat Diesel Review

July 26th, 2011
Chevrolet Beat Diesel

Chevrolet Beat Diesel

General Motors has finally plonked in a diesel engine in the Beat. The company will offer the Beat Diesel in four variants, namely PS, LS, LT and LT (option). But does the TCDi motor in the Beat have what it takes to set the sales chart on fire. Time to review the car and find out the same.

The Chevrolet Beat uses Fiat’s Multijet engine to its advantage, except that it loses a cylinder. The 3-cylinder motor has been tuned to eliminate vibrations and harshness. General Motors has done it very well and reduced NVH levels drastically. The car is barely audible when revved hard and vibrations are very well cut out from the interiors. The 936cc engine produces 58.5 bhp at 4000 rpm and 150 NM of torque at 1750 RPM. Turbo lag is minimal thanks to a small turbo, making the Beat Diesel the idle car for city driving. Initial response is excellent whereas top end power is decent. The SDE (Smartech Diesel Engine) ensures the Beat will reach 100 kilometers per hour in less than 17 seconds and on to a top speed of 150 kmph. This might sound slow but is more than adequate for the city jaunt.

Other than the engine, everything in the diesel version is the same as its petrol counterpart. The only difference is the availability of AUX plug and USB slot on the center console. The audio system has been tweaked too, ensuring better sound quality. The hydraulic power steering is absent in the car and the Beat Diesel now features an Electric Power Steering. The EPS is very quick and makes parking a breeze in small and tight areas. The suspension has been tweaked, owing to the heavier weight of the oil burner. Comfort was on the minds of GM’s engineers and the Chevy is more suited for comfort than out and out handling. Something which seems opposite to that of the Maruti Suzuki Swift (the current segment leader). » Read more: Chevrolet Beat Diesel Review

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Posted in Car Review, Chevrolet

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Portable Dual Screen Players

July 18th, 2011

Once found only in the airplanes, the portable DVD players are nowadays far more affordable and within everyone’s reach. However, before spending your hard-earned cash on the most expensive make and model, take the time to understand how they work, what features they come with, and what options they offer.

For starters, for a large vehicle or a van, you should select a dual-screen DVD player with at least seven-inch monitor, while for smaller city car, a smaller screen size would do as well. Apart from the size, you would want a monitor with little glare and one that is clearly visible from different angles. Although the quality of the picture has greatly improved in the past few years, some of the cheaper brands still come with poor quality audio and this could be quite frustrating, especially if your backseat passengers are trying to watch a movie, while you are driving on a noisy motorway. Purchase a unit, which could be powered by batteries, car adapter, and mains adapter since this gives you the best of both worlds – a DVD player, which is small enough to use in the car, yet could be used at home too and hooked to a large TV screen or used on its own.

Take a look at the specs before purchasing and see what file formats are supported, what functions are included, and find out if the set comes with earphones and remote control. The accessories, which are available for a particular model, could greatly extend its functionality too – some of the dual screen portable payers could be used to play multiplayer computer games, which allows them to be turned into a gaming console instantly. » Read more: Portable Dual Screen Players

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Posted in Auto Modification, Auto Repairs, Auto Sound Systems, Car Audio, Car Stereos

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