Auto India is a great automobile mag, to say the least.At just Rs25/- you get a good, info-packed auto mag with authentic roadtests reports , well written articles and (occasionally) fabulous offers.I feel this is the only mag that has improved a lot with a minimal increase in price.Though it faced a crisis period during early 1999 and mid-2001, and combined issues were published, but I feel the problem has been well sorted out and it is on the move again.
However, I think when Hormazd Sorabjee(now heading Autocar India) was the editor during 1996—early 1999 the mag was at its peak.Now with Ashok H Advani behind the wheel, all the staff of the mag has changed and I find new names on the staff-list.
The paper quality is good but sometimes the photographs are blurred.We readers enjoy clear and beautiful photos and personally, I get a bit disappointed if the photos aren’t clear.Auto India needs to look into this.Also some photos are darkened in appearance.
As usual, you get the roadtests and first drives of new cars and bikes, but sometimes they appear a little later than other auto mags.However this isn’t a very serious problem.The TECH TALK, and the NEWS BRIEFS are interesting and the NEWS columns have a reader friendly and colourful layout.But sometimes the editorials are a bit boring and you don’t exactly understand what Mr.Editor is up to.Good editorials are a plus point for all magazines and we the readers can hear what an eminent personality feels about a certain topic.
That’s a real pleasure. Better Auto India takes a cue from Autocar India about editorials.