BOB SHARE

Toyota is ruling the premium SUV segment with the Toyota Fortuner ever since the car was launched and in spite of its high pricing it is still able to get an appreciable average sales of 900 units per month. But soon it’s charm may get dull as now we have a cheaper alternative in the form of Mahindra XUV500.

There is a natural inclination of a car buyer towards a better value for money deal, which seems to be the Mahindra XUV500, but still lets ignore the price tag for a while and do a comparison more influenced by the character of the car and the features that come with the two.

Mahindra XUV500 Exteriors Vs Toyota Fortuner Exteriors:

Mahindra, as I have said before, has worked really hard on this SUV to make it the next most liked car and it is definitely moving towards it. The looks of the car are very impressive. The body lines, curves, overall aggressive styling is brilliant. The signature grille with nicely done headlamps give character to the car and flared wheel arches along with the the body lines enhance the same character.

The Toyota Fortuner is a fairly old model but in spite of this the aggression levels are well maintained. The body is quite compact yet bulky with nice curves and minimum body lines. The ground clearance which is quite good makes it look huge. The overall appearance of the Fortuner is of a typical traditional SUV with a solid built way better than that of XUV’s.

Make / Specification	Mahindra XUV500	Toyota Fortuner
Overall Length	4585 mm	4695 mm
Overall Height	1785 mm	1850 mm
Overall Width	1890 mm	1840 mm
Overall Wheelbase	2700 mm	2750 mm

In terms of proportions the Fortuner is better as it is longer, taller and also has a better wheelbase. The XUV is only ahead in width thereby leaving Fortuner a step ahead.

Mahindra XUV500 Interiors Vs Toyota Fortuner Interiors:

XUV is a modern car and this is expressed by the interior styling and features. The leather upholstery, two tone colour theme on the dashboard and door trims, latest gizmos etc. will leave you spellbound. In terms of features one would get Laptop storage compartment in the glove box, conversation mirror and sunglass holder, voice command activated control, a 6 inch touchscreen infotainment system with GPS navigation and iPod connectivity, 6 airbags, steering mounted buttons for audio control and Cruise Control, ABS with EBD, ESP with rollover mitigation, Hill Hold and Hill Descent control, foldable 2nd and 3rd row seats, premium leather upholstery, tilt and telescopic steering column etc. The plastic quality and the legroom in third row may not be impress you but overall it is very much acceptable.

Toyota has done a very disappointing job on the inside of Fortuner as they have modified the Innova’s dashboard, made it black and fitted the same into Fortuner. We certainly expected some innovative design but unfortunately the manufacturer has not amazed us as far as the interiors are concerned. On the features front it comes with GOA Body, SRS Airbags (Driver + Passenger), ABS, Back Sonar, Immobilizer, Dual Auto A/c (with Rear Air Conditioner Switch & Ceiling Vents for 2nd & 3rd Rows), Power Steering with Audio & MID Control Switches on Steering Wheel, Power Windows with Driver Side Auto Up-Down, Tilt Steering Column, 2 DIN 6CD Changer (MP3, WMA), AM&FM Audio System with 6 Speakers, Keyless Entry, Power Door Lock, MID (Multi Information Display), Optitron Combimeter with Illumination control, Chrome Inside Door Handles, Wood Finish Panels etc. The plastic quality is better and also the space in the third row is slightly more than XUV.

Mahindra XUV500 Diesel Engine Vs Toyota Fortuner Diesel Engine

Mahindra XUV Diesel Engine Specifications

• · 2.2 Litre mHawk Diesel Engine
• · Transverse CRDI Diesel Engine
• · Variable Geometry Turbocharger
• · Max power of 140 BHP @ 3750 RPM
• · Max Torque of 330 Nm @ 1600 to 2800 RPM
• · 6 Speed Synchromesh Cable Shift manual transmission
• · 4 Wheel Drive and 2 Wheel Drive Options
• · ARAI Certified mileage of 15.1 KMPL

Toyota Fortune Diesel Engine Specifications

• · Type: D-4D Diesel with Intercooler Turbocharger, 4 Cylinders In-line
• · Valve Train: 16 Valve DOHC
• · Displacement (cc): 2982 cm³
• · Fuel Supply System:  Common-Rail type
• · Max. Output: 170 BHP @ 3600 rpm
• · Max. Torque: 343 Nm @ 1400-3400 rpm
• · ARAI certified mileage of 12.55 KMPL

The Fortuner has a significantly bigger 3.0 Liter engine which is capable of producing 170 BHP of power and 343 Nm of torque in the range of 1400-3400 RPM. The gets a smaller 2.2 Liter engine capable of developing an appreciable 140 BHP and 330 Nm of torque. So Fortuner is definitely ahead but when it comes to mileage the XUV overtakes the former. XUV has a certified mileage of 15 KMPL as against Fortuner’s 12.55 KMPL.

Mahindra XUV500 Diesel Performance And Handling Vs Toyota Fortuner Diesel Performance And Handling

Mahindra needs an applaud for the brilliant engine and suspension it has put in the XUV which lets the same show its reflexes on all types of terrains. Whether its bumpy or curvy or a straight road XUV does all like a charm.

But the Fortuner is still the ruler in the off-road category. The real off-road feel of the Fortuner is excellent and the tough instinct is awesome. All in all though the XUV is just near, the Fortuner is still the leader in performance and handling.

Mahindra XUV500 Diesel Price Vs Toyota Fortuner Diesel Price

Mahindra XUV500 Price Ex-Showroom Delhi

• Mahindra XUV500 W6 4×2 is priced at Rs 10.80 Lakhs
• Mahindra XUV500 W8 4×2 is priced at Rs.11.95 Lakhs
• Mahindra XUV500 W8 4×4 is priced at Rs 12.88 Lakhs

Toyota Fortuner Price Ex-Showroom Delhi

• Toyota Fortuner is priced at Rs.20.45 Lakhs

No doubt the Fortuner is very pricy when compared with the XUV500 and there is no way it could be compared with the same in terms of pricing but we must remind you that XUV offers a number of great features which are not present in Fortuner making it much better value for money.

The equipment for the iPhone are diverse and very creative, Unique speakers for iPhone or The iPhone SLR Mount as example. The manufacturers based in Germany called Zero1.tv add equipment to the iPhone, which was named The VooMote One that can turn your iPhone into a multi function controller. Not only could make an iPhone as a remote TV, applications can also arrange other electronic devices.

The VooMote One but can work in almost all models of television, he also can run on a DVD player and stereo so users need not move to exert control on those goods. Just by touching a finger to the buttons on the phone, users can run a full control.

Reported by dailymail, The VooMote One works with the help of wireless technology and capturing more than 30,000 cord infra red and hundreds of electronic devices. If total, it is compatible with 574 TV brands, 995 brand Top Box / DVR, 151 brand and CD audio.

Another convenience that can be obtained by users Zero1.tv is that he has the features of  Control Room which allows users to categorize the tools that he wanted to control based on location, for example living room or kitchen. Then with the One Touch, the user can store frequently used commands and set a number of command with just a click away.

Adding an add-on in your iPhone device will not interfere with the function of smartphones like the camera, the on / off or incoming calls. Unfortunately, the devices can also work on the iPod touch (2G-4G) is only available in America for U.S. $ 99


   

Yes, the  iconic Ford Mustang is back in the news, yet again. This time, the Ford Mustang Boss 302 has won the About.com reader’s award  for the ‘Best Special Edition Mustang’. This version of the Mustang has the ability to outsmart the popular BMW M3 both on the track as well as on the road.

The heavy and powerful 5.0 litre engine is capable of generating a power throw of 444 horsepower and develops a torque of 380 lb-ft. The top speed achieved is 155 mph which makes it one of the fastest muscle cars in the world. This doesn’t mean that you only have to drive the Mustang faster.

The 2011 Mustang Boss 302 can also go round corners pretty rapidly. The car has an advanced ‘ Limited Slip Differential’ with carbon fibre plates. We don’t need to give you the specifications of this vehicle again as you all might have already read them in the previous posts. So, enjoy the rest of the day dreaming about the Mustang.

Sony Ericsson has added to the Xperia series specifically for gamers, Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, where Xperia Play will be very similar to the PSP Go both in terms of design and form. And to support the success of the Xperia Play, Sony promised to bring the games hits on the Playstation One to the Android Market, and it has become a reality.

Along with the presence Xperia Play due to start this second quarter, the Sony presents best-selling game ever in the PS One, to the Android Market. The goal specifically for PS Phone connoisseurs can enjoy games on their handheld devices.

Some of the Playstation One game that was brought into the Android Market are:
- Syphon Filter
- Destruction Derby
- MediEvil
- Jumping Fish
- Cool Boarders 2

This game will be priced at $ 6.38, while the user specifically Xperia Play will get the game pre-installed the original Crash Bandicoot. Sony believe that there will be some more games that will be sold in the Android Market.

Sony Ericsson has teamed up more than 20 game developers, including Gameloft, Electronics Arts and Sony Computer Entertainment, in order to provide a variety of interesting games that can be enjoyed on the Xperia Play.

Some games can be found on the Xperia Play include Need for Speed, Tom Clancys Splinter Cell, Gun Bros, Galaxy on Fire 2 and Assassins Creed Altairs Chronicles HD.

Yes folks, not because hes the one movie G.I. Joe figure Id get if I could only buy one more toy before my time was up, but because of his awesome coat that lets him do this:

Can you say Matrix? Trinity? Morpheus? (All in a Keanu voice) Ok, so Neo might not have pulled this move off as "The One" (too easy for him) but Snake Eyes sure can on his fabulous coat tails.

To be honest, I wasnt expecting much from Paris Pursuit Snake Eyes because Id heard his caot gets in the way of his poseability. But guess what? Its not all bad news, especially if youre like me and love to pose figures mid-flight/kick/jump/dive/lunge etc. Just look at Snake Eyes sweet ass flying kick!

They also gave this guy a wedge shaped slit in the back of the coat to allow more maneuverability of his legs. Good move!

Another wonderful thing about these PP Snake Eyes is that he comes with a bunch of accessories, but none of them is the gargantuan unwieldy available in all colours of the rainbow big frickin gun.

He does though come with Timber, 2 guns, a sword and sheathe (that can plug into his back), a bayonet, and a stand.

A pity that Timber has no articulation and can only thus be considered an accessory. He is though, a repaint and hence unique in his own way I guess. Wouldve been awesome if even just his head could turn.

No matter, I had tons of fun with PP SE. His only problem is that he cant kneel cuz of the coat, otherwise hed be perfect. And while the Ninja Commando Snake Eyes does have a BFG with less accessories, he doesnt suffer from knee problems. But he does have the sculpted lips from the movie costume which can be oh, so lame. This is where Paris Pursuit Snake beats Ninja Commando hands down. I guess the best solution, like my cousin Byron recommended, would be to take the PP head and swap with the Ninja Commandos, if thats what one prefers.

Oh, and the detail on the rest of Snake Eyes is also really nice. Like this pouch here.

The down side is that unlike PP Shadow, besides the sheathe for the katana, he doesnt have anywhere to holster his weapons.

Its a pity because I like with his sword in hand more than the machine gun or pistol, which have to be lying on the ground somewhere if he takes up the blades.






































But I just cant get over the awesomeness of the coat! Its like DCSH Superman having a long cape that helps him balance better and do all sorts of taking off and landing poses.

Who needs wire fu when you gots the coat-tail fu? :)
























Lets rate him!

Aesthetics: 9.4/10 - Nice detail all over, plus points for the blank mask and long coat, sleeves, pants and all--Nicely creased at the parts that need to be and just thick enough around the limbs to seem like hes wearing layers. But I guess blacks not really my colour, or perhaps the black they used (LOL) makes it hard to make out all the little details.

Poseability: 9.4/10 - Yeah the coat gets him here. Otherwise hed be really a lot nearer full marks. Go tto give it to Hasbro, though. They didnt cut corners and gave him a full 22 points like Stormie. :)

Fun: 9.5/10 - All together now--COAT TAILS! Ok Ill stop. But really, realizing that he could balance without his feet on the ground made me laugh out loud. Ill put him in a fight with PP Stormie real soon. Pics to come!!!

Value: 9.2/10 - Takes a hit from Timber being only a repaint with no articulation. Dont get me wrong, the wolf is cool and the gang and all, but Id rather have had more guns and/or places to put em.

Overall: 9.38 - Great figure, get it if you like the lipless mask on Snake Eyes. But I suspect the perfect Snake Eyes can only be found from a combination of more than one of his various versions.

And Check out this fight scene between Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes! (Sort of ;P)

Thats what comes to mind for me first thing--shes part of the Superman "family" but doesnt wear the big red S.  Instead shes got, well, literally nothing for a chest emblem.  Ok, not nothing...but rather two whole lots of nothing. :P

I had to get this figure loose on Ebay where not surprisingly, shes the most popular figure in Wave 10, more popular than even the sensationally accessory-laden clown prince of crime, the Joker.  Thats based solely on price, where PG was the most expensive of the three Wave 10 figures I got (the other was Man-Bat).



I have to confess: the first thing I did when I got this figure was to compare her torso with the rest of the female figures I had from the line like Wonder Woman and Hawk Girl.  And its no surprise that Power Girls is a new sculpt which is bigger in two specific areas. Yup.  Perhaps the extra cost in molding a new chest prevented other nicer add-ons?
But despite being disappointed at the lack of accessories (other than the Imperiex C&C, which Im kinda meh/blah about, mainly due to the size of the complete figure), Ive been pleasantly surprised by the overall integrity of the figures joints, especially the new thigh/hip swivel/hinges.  It could be just that the fig I got was nice and tight but Id like to think Mattel has improved on the quality of the line, especially since theyve hiked prices.  Still, tight joints mean tight poses, and thats where Power Girl shines.



Like: The face sculpt, viewed head-on.  Unfortunately beside looking all dolled up and pretty, shes barely got an expression from this angle, though her eyes have been painted nice and sharp and blue. :)


Dislike: The face sculpt, when viewed from the side. Its a little flat for my liking. Whats worse is that she also looks she has no neck, giving her a little bit of a constipated expression.


Like: The sculpted folds in the boots, cape.  They also did a good job with her, um..."emblem."

Like: That her arms are nice and muscular without being to beefy.  We definitely dont want PG looking like a female body builder although Ive read in some places that some fans think she should look that way. Not me.

Like: Her new leg joints, which dont have the hinge cut on the outside of her hips.  She looks more natural when posed in wider stances compared to the older heroine figures.

Dislike: That her left knee piece doesnt match her left thigh, giving the thigh swivel a really mismatched look.  As a result, my Power Girl looks like shes got a bow-leg.  Luckily I can hide it when posing her.  But its obvious enough that youll notice it if you look.  Some QC please, Mattel?

Dislike: That she has some blue paint marks on her thighs that I strongly believe rubbed off from her gloves during shipping.  After all,m I did get her loose. (And she flew halfway round the world to Singapore from the US.)  But those should come off with a little bit of alcohol.  If youre getting her in package, there should be no problem here.

RATINGS

Aesthetics: 9/10 - Power Girl looks great, make no mistake about it.  From the sharply painted facial features to the details in the sculpt and the seamless hip joints. Theyve done a great job, especially with how plain PGs costume is.  Its just too bad her face isnt a nicely done as Wonder Womans or even Big Bardas.  Ya win some, ya lose some, I guess.

Poseability: 9/10 - PG shines here not because shes more poseable than the standard DCUC female, but because her legs look nice and seamless in poses.  With the new hip joints, she doesnt have weird joints cuts in her hips.  Also, with thinner limbs than the males, her joints are nice and tight so she can hold her poses without falling over.  Thats always good.  Oh and get this--shes got extra boot-top swivels. Nice.

The downside though is that she, like all of the new figures after Wave 8, have lost their ball-joint ability in their heads.  Pity, because a flying character like PG could use it.  It also doesn;t help that her ab crunch is partially blocked by the piece used to attach her cape to her back.

Fun: 9.5/10 - I think its always fun when you get a great female character in a male dominated line like DCUC.  Well, actually most action figures are male anyway.  Thats all the more reason to get the females right.  Its also great to have a character like Power Girl because shes not a main main character, but she is vital to lots of storylines.  Take Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, for instance.  They needed her, er...assets in order to persuade the 13 year-old Toyman to find a solution to the Kryptonite asteroid about-to-crash-into-Earth dilemma. Heh. ;P

Value: 8.5/10 - Great as she is, PGs a little shy in the value for money department because she doesnt come with any accessories.  What would come with PG, you ask?  Well thats a tough one.  Alternate hands? Since both of hers are fists...Removable cape?  That would be nice, but not absolutely necessary.  But since when did an accessory have to be necessary to be included? :)

Overall: 9/10 - Shes a highly sought after Walmart Exclusive, which makes her price high at the online stores and Ebay.  But do not fret, for shes slated to be released in a future wave as a "Worlds Greatest Hero" figure with a stand.  Get her then, cuz her price should be lower and theyll probably have worked out QC issues (hopefully.)  Shell also come with a stand! Woot! ;)