German Mag "AutoBild" all set to hit India

DCEite · 1st July 2008, 12:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Changes are cosmetic.

Nope.
There are minor changes in ECM and suspension setup IIRC.

.anshuman · 3rd July 2008, 14:01

i bought the magazine last weekend,it looks like they want the market share of WHAT CAR rather than ACI,BSM or TopGear.

But i liked the rating system.

Raja · 3rd July 2008, 14:10

Found it for sale in Pune at 'Landmark' in Camp (Opp SGS Mall)

revvedup · 3rd July 2008, 14:21

Got the magazine a couple of days back, quite decent I must say. But trhe best part is the article in which Walter Rohl

compares the 911 GT3 vs 911 GT2 vs 911 Turbo

.

ab1xlr8 · 3rd July 2008, 16:12

I was not very impressed with magazine.I thought the layout was a little to cluttered,was also hoping for more technical info like 1/4 mile stuff but that was missing.The cd that came with the magazine was joke,the videos were really old.Hoping for an improvement in the next issue

vasudeva · 3rd July 2008, 17:03

Have bought and gone thru the mag, and it is more of the same fluff and PR that exists in ACI and Overdrive. In my honest opinion, I have gained more insights on this forum and on the web than on European (largely VW) PR pieces.

phamilyman · 3rd July 2008, 18:33

Rags unfortunately today have little unique content. They are like hot chicks at a mumbai pub. Underneath the makeup and different war paint, sab ek barabar hain.

vasudeva · 3rd July 2008, 19:37

As far I can see, more mags do not mean more customer enlightenment. Rather, it means more mouths to feed for VW and other automakers, and even more grovelling and laudatory prose in the auto ragsheets (to get up the feeding chain).

gonecase_01 · 5th July 2008, 23:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Thats what i thought when i heard top gear was coming

.

top gear is coming to india
this is confirmed but they will be using some other name...and wait till the thing goes good.
Source of this news a very reliable

Akshay1234 · 6th July 2008, 00:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by gonecase_01

top gear is coming to india
this is confirmed but they will be using some other name...and wait till the thing goes good.
Source of this news a very reliable

u talking about top gear magazine? its been here for a year.

blue_pulsar · 6th July 2008, 09:22

I got a copy 2-3 days back. Not at all impressed with the content. IMO, ACI still is the best followed by OD. AutoBild doesn't even have the price list. Sad.

diffsoft · 6th July 2008, 13:05

I too managed to get my hands on a copy of Auto Bild. Seemed to quite like it better than ACI and OD.

Found far more cars covered (drives / Test Drives / scoops) and content has more "content" and less "fluff" compared to ACI and OD. Seemed certainly less driven by blatant PR seen in ACI. They are more critical and less sub-servient to their car masters. For instance ACI went ga ga ga on the Jetta first drive (the cover in May seemed to imply there would be atleast 10 pages and I spent Rs 70 just to find that there were only 4 pages, 60% of it covered by photographs) and how Jetta managed to achieve near perfect balance between ride and handling, Auto Bild was more balanced and said that Jetta may have some way to go before achieving less stiff rides esp for the back seats on Indian roads.

Content was also well laid out unlike the clutter in ACI.

Car prices ain't there but I feel that's waste of trees and paper cos most the stuff is the same month on month.

Having said what I had to say, it goes without saying that T-BHP is multiple degrees ahead of these mags in every aspect!

Cheers,

aaggoswami · 7th July 2008, 13:53

I got the issue on Saturday.
I found the magazine impressive but there were too much silly mistakes.

I personally liked the magazine and surely this will increase my expenditure of magazines. The boot space comparison is good and the CO2 comparison is the best step ever taken by any automotive magazine in India.

Positives:
--> Short but to-the-point, wide and wise criteria chosen for comparison, no unnecessary stuff present in other magazines like OverDrive and upto some extent ACI ( AutoCar India ).

Negatives:
--> Silly mistakes that could have been avoided in the first place, the buyers guide present in the last pages is completely useless. Its better if they can do without it. ACI has the best buyers guide on the last pages.

The silly mistakes I am talking about:

1)
On page number 46, they have marked the Fuel of Passat as Petrol.

2)
On page number 46, They have marked the headlamps of all the three cars ( Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and VW Passat ) as Xenon, but the photographed Honda Accord is not having Xenon lamps.

3)
On page number 46, The turning circle diameter of Passat is marked as 11.2 mtr.

gonecase_01 · 9th July 2008, 19:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by akshay1234

u talking about top gear magazine? its been here for a year.

no....

but wait for me to say...
STIG might come to INDIA

Cyrus43 · 9th July 2008, 22:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by gonecase_01

no....

but wait for me to say...
STIG might come to INDIA

STIIGIE in India!!! For what?? Please Please tell us if you know anything!!

3rd July 2008, 14:01	#32
.anshuman Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Good-Gaon Posts: 7,763 Thanked: 11,064 Times View My Garage	i bought the magazine last weekend,it looks like they want the market share of WHAT CAR rather than ACI,BSM or TopGear. But i liked the rating system.
	() Thanks

3rd July 2008, 14:10	#33
Raja BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Pune Posts: 419 Thanked: 69 Times	Found it for sale in Pune at 'Landmark' in Camp (Opp SGS Mall)
	() Thanks

3rd July 2008, 14:21	#34
revvedup BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Delhi Posts: 269 Thanked: 24 Times	Got the magazine a couple of days back, quite decent I must say. But trhe best part is the article in which Walter Rohl compares the 911 GT3 vs 911 GT2 vs 911 Turbo.
	() Thanks

3rd July 2008, 16:12	#35
ab1xlr8 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: mumbai Posts: 93 Thanked: Once View My Garage	I was not very impressed with magazine.I thought the layout was a little to cluttered,was also hoping for more technical info like 1/4 mile stuff but that was missing.The cd that came with the magazine was joke,the videos were really old.Hoping for an improvement in the next issue
	() Thanks

3rd July 2008, 17:03	#36
vasudeva Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 2,221 Thanked: 212 Times	Have bought and gone thru the mag, and it is more of the same fluff and PR that exists in ACI and Overdrive. In my honest opinion, I have gained more insights on this forum and on the web than on European (largely VW) PR pieces.
	() Thanks

3rd July 2008, 18:33	#37
phamilyman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 5,968 Thanked: 4,642 Times	Rags unfortunately today have little unique content. They are like hot chicks at a mumbai pub. Underneath the makeup and different war paint, sab ek barabar hain.
	() Thanks

3rd July 2008, 19:37	#38
vasudeva Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 2,221 Thanked: 212 Times	As far I can see, more mags do not mean more customer enlightenment. Rather, it means more mouths to feed for VW and other automakers, and even more grovelling and laudatory prose in the auto ragsheets (to get up the feeding chain).
	() Thanks

6th July 2008, 09:22	#41
blue_pulsar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,112 Thanked: 403 Times	I got a copy 2-3 days back. Not at all impressed with the content. IMO, ACI still is the best followed by OD. AutoBild doesn't even have the price list. Sad.
	() Thanks

6th July 2008, 13:05	#42
diffsoft BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 773 Thanked: 404 Times	I too managed to get my hands on a copy of Auto Bild. Seemed to quite like it better than ACI and OD. Found far more cars covered (drives / Test Drives / scoops) and content has more "content" and less "fluff" compared to ACI and OD. Seemed certainly less driven by blatant PR seen in ACI. They are more critical and less sub-servient to their car masters. For instance ACI went ga ga ga on the Jetta first drive (the cover in May seemed to imply there would be atleast 10 pages and I spent Rs 70 just to find that there were only 4 pages, 60% of it covered by photographs) and how Jetta managed to achieve near perfect balance between ride and handling, Auto Bild was more balanced and said that Jetta may have some way to go before achieving less stiff rides esp for the back seats on Indian roads. Content was also well laid out unlike the clutter in ACI. Car prices ain't there but I feel that's waste of trees and paper cos most the stuff is the same month on month. Having said what I had to say, it goes without saying that T-BHP is multiple degrees ahead of these mags in every aspect! Cheers,
	() Thanks

7th July 2008, 13:53	#43
aaggoswami Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Vadodara Posts: 4,982 Thanked: 2,931 Times	I got the issue on Saturday. I found the magazine impressive but there were too much silly mistakes. I personally liked the magazine and surely this will increase my expenditure of magazines. The boot space comparison is good and the CO2 comparison is the best step ever taken by any automotive magazine in India. Positives: --> Short but to-the-point, wide and wise criteria chosen for comparison, no unnecessary stuff present in other magazines like OverDrive and upto some extent ACI ( AutoCar India ). Negatives: --> Silly mistakes that could have been avoided in the first place, the buyers guide present in the last pages is completely useless. Its better if they can do without it. ACI has the best buyers guide on the last pages. The silly mistakes I am talking about: 1) On page number 46, they have marked the Fuel of Passat as Petrol. 2) On page number 46, They have marked the headlamps of all the three cars ( Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and VW Passat ) as Xenon, but the photographed Honda Accord is not having Xenon lamps. 3) On page number 46, The turning circle diameter of Passat is marked as 11.2 mtr.
	() Thanks