We have already tested the 3.2-litre FSI and the 2.0-litre TDI powered A4s earlier. This time around, we have something more exciting than what you have read in the past – the A4 with the 3.0-litre V6 TDI motor. It might not sound as exciting as a 3.2-litre petrol powerplant, but trust me it’s much better. To start off with, let’s have a look at some figures that will make most of the things clear. There is 240PS of peak power through 4000-4400rpm and 500Nm of maximum torque at the driver’s disposal from 1500-3000rpm. Standstill to 100km/h in 6.79 seconds and the quarter mile run in a mere 14.68 seconds with an exit velocity of 152.29 km/h. Impressed? Ok, take this as a bonus – 200km/h comes up in less than half a minute from standstill.

This is a car thoroughly enjoying its success in India. With a past history of uncountable awards like the ECOTY to the best advertisements in various parts of the world, the Volkswagen Polo seems to be the flavour of the month. The last time, when I reviewed the petrol variant, the car had impressed me no end with a lot of positive traits. For example, its looks that in my opinion, put the Polo up there at the top of the ladder among the crop of premium cars in India. The front bumper chin, the sporty 15-inch alloy wheels, the slightly bulging wheel arches and a modern flawless design lend a very graceful look to the Polo. In fact, this car in Flash Red looks superb, helped by the outstanding fit and finish on the outside.

Mercedes GL was shown to the world for the first time in 2006. Now, almost four years on, it has received a facelift and a few tweaks to its range. In India, Mercedes has been a latecomer to the big SUV party, one where Audi’s Q7 has been the cynosure of all eyes. Indeed, Mercedes has made no secret of the fact that it has big hopes from the GL. When you first walk up to the GL, it’s like approaching Shaqueel O’Neil. It zooms into your vision and as you get closer, you realise just how big it is. At 50 paces, the well-crafted proportions help to disguise its bulk somewhat but when you’re at the door, it’s huge.

Yet, if Jaguar has just built a dinosaur, at least it’s going out with a tyrannosaurus roar. For although it’s a big car – longer than German rivals and a whole foot bigger in span than the first gentlemanly XJ6 – it is also commendably light and fuel abstemious (14kmpl in short-wheelbase diesel guise as tested). Perhaps this is one big executive car that can buck the sales slide. It certainly bucks the styling norm, with its rakish coupé lines and air of total modernity, in contrast to the quaint carriage-clock look of the outgoing (but technologically avant-garde) XJ, which was lamb dressed as mutton.

All Coopers get speed control and a multi-function steering wheel as standard, and a Harmon Kardon speakers joins the options list. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the MINI brand, the Cooper and Cooper S hardtops will be presented in limited-edition Mayfair and Camden models. Both feature unique exterior and interior trim, paint schemes, and a “50″ badge on the grille. MINI showed a concept version at the Paris Auto Show. The MINI Crossover Concept is longer than the Clubman and features four doors, four-wheel-drive, and increased ground clearance. The concept car has a conventionally hinged rear door on the right side and a sliding door on the left. It also has a side-hinged rear hatch, but it’s hinged on the right, which would make loading from the curbside difficult — let’s hope MINI deep-sixes that idea and goes with a regular top-hinged hatch for the production car. The extra ground clearance seems a little silly, but the idea of a four-door MINI is most welcome.

One number jumps off the page when looking down the fact sheet of the new Mini Cooper Convertible: 164,000. That’s how many of these compact, open-top playgrounds on wheels the BMW Group has sold since the car’s inception in 2005. This round instrument that resides next to the tachometer behind the steering wheel keeps track of how long the top is retracted while driving. It’s really quite useless, so I asked a Mini engineer, “What’s the point?”

On the icy roads of the Austrian Alps, the new Mini Cooper S Convertible shined like the Southern California sun. It possesses the same basic go-kart-like handling character as the previous open-top Mini, but a notch sharper. Credit here goes to the car’s revised suspension — MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam rear — that’s been specially tuned for the convertible. Despite not being an all-independent setup, the Mini suspension does a commendable job of providing near-neutral cornering balance through all types of corners while keeping body roll in check. It boasts a long list of technical features including BMW’s variable valve timing, direct fuel injection and a twin-scroll turbocharger. Step on the throttle and the engine delivers seamless power to the front wheels, without the lag associated with most turbocharged engines.

Our test car came with the manual 6-speed gearbox, whose short throws and well-defined gates add to Mini’s sporty demeanor — why anyone would get this car with the 6-speed automatic is a mystery to me. As for the car’s styling, it looks virtually identical to the old Mini inside and out, although the car does have different side panels and slightly larger taillights. While the Mini Cooper S Convertible looks striking with the top down, its appearance hardly suffers with the roof up. Speaking of the roof, it’s still a soft top that’s automatically lowered / raised by a toggle switch on the dash. The new Mini Cooper S goes on sale in April for $27,450 ($24,550 for the base 118-bhp Mini Cooper Convertible), complete with the Openometer which ultimately revealed to everyone that I drove most of my test route with the top up. Damn modern technology.