Latest news with #MSRT
Auto Express
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Mid-size Van of the Year 2025: Ford Transit Custom
With electric, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains offered, plus a wide range of trim levels, as well as panel van, Double Cab, MultiCab and even camper options on the table, the Ford Transit Custom has a variant to suit virtually every use case imaginable, making it our category winner in the van's 60th-anniversary year. Advertisement - Article continues below Keep things basic, and the standard Leader model with 2.0-litre EcoBlue diesel power delivers a no-nonsense drive in two body lengths. But if you need to carry passengers, then the six-seat Double Cab In-Van could be for you. This comes in a wider range of trims, including the rugged adventure-inspired Trail option and racy Sport and MS-RT specs (which are also offered on the standard panel van), and given that the Transit Custom delivers such a grown-up drive, this could easily double as family transport. Somewhere in between the two sits the MultiCab, with a five-seat layout (three in the front, two in the back) and an L-shaped bulkhead so long items can still fit in the cargo bay. The strong diesel engines deliver good efficiency and power, while the electrified e-Transit Custom adds hushed refinement to the mix. There's even a performance-orientated model in MS-RT guise, where the electric powertrain is turned up to 281bhp (up from 215bhp as standard) to help give it the grunt to match the racier looks. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Overall, the Transit Custom sets the standard by which all other medium-sized panel vans must be judged, and it will have to be a very strong contender to knock the Ford off the number one position next year. Advertisement - Article continues below Our Find A Car service has the best deals out there on a new car from stock or top prices on used cars ... There's huge variety in the Transit Custom line-up, but the five-seat Double Cab In-Van variant stands out because it could be a more practical alternative to a pick-up truck, now that the tax regime for the latter has changed. It doesn't carry as much as the standard panel van, but the versatile second-row seats means it could double as family transport. There's so little between the Citroen Dispatch, Fiat Scudo, Peugeot Expert and Vauxhall Vivaro that we commended all four. They deliver car-like driving characteristics and excellent safety features, plus the choice of diesel and electric powertrains. Volkswagen's new arrival picks up where the old Transporter left off, by offering quality and capability in a great all-round package. There are standard and long wheelbases, diesel and electric power, while the Standard, Plus and Pro trims offer an increasing amount of luxury through the range. Click on the gallery below to see all the winners of our 2025 New Car Awards... You can find all the information on our New Car Awards 2025 winners and the reasons why we chose them on the pages below. Just follow the links to read more… For the full New Car Awards experience, make sure you pick up a copy of our special 2025 New Car Awards collectors' edition of the Auto Express magazine, which will be available in shops from July 2nd. You can buy individual issues of Auto Express or subscribe for even bigger discounts on the print magazine cover price. You can also subscribe or download individual issues of our digital edition direct to your desktop, phone or tablet as well. Stay right up to date with the latest from the world of cars in 2025 and beyond, subscribe to our email newsletter and follow us on social media... Find a car with the experts Car Deal of the Day: 717bhp BMW M5 Touring super-estate on a tasty lease deal Car Deal of the Day: 717bhp BMW M5 Touring super-estate on a tasty lease deal The BMW M5 Touring is M car royalty, with a thoroughly impressive PHEV powertrain. It's our Deal of the Day for 29 June Electric car appeal is at its lowest since 2019 Electric car appeal is at its lowest since 2019 From poor electric car sales to crashes in F1, Mike Rutherford thinks its been a crazy few weeks in the automotive world New Skoda Epiq vRS to headline brand's hot-SUV onslaught New Skoda Epiq vRS to headline brand's hot-SUV onslaught Every future Skoda will get the go-faster treatment, with the brand also working on making cars sharper and more engaging
New Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Tuning into inner peace at Varthamaan Yoga's MSRT workshop
In a quiet room filled with the freshness of morning air, where the only instruction is to follow your own rhythm, calm arrives effortlessly. As a gentle, balanced, and soothing sound fills the space, it feels less like an external chant and more like the soul's own music — inviting alignment, clarity, and peace into a busy mind. This was the atmosphere at Varthamaan Yoga's Mind Sound Resonance Technique (MSRT) workshop. Conducted by experts trained at SVYASA (Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana), the session blended traditional yogic chanting with a modern understanding of neuroacoustics and nervous system regulation. MSRT is rooted in the yogic understanding that sound is not merely heard, but absorbed and aligned with. Drawing from ancient scriptures and developed by SVYASA, the technique employs mentally resonant sounds — such as 'om' and other mantras — paired with slow, conscious breathing.
Auto Car
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Car
What if your V6 sports car was… a truck? We drive the Ford Ranger MS-RT
At first, it's hard to see a purpose for the new £52k Ford Ranger MS-RT, given that there are already seven models in the Ford Ranger line-up. This starts with the no-frills, four-pot XL at £29k and extends upwards to the Baja-influenced Ranger Raptor at £51k, complete with 288bhp 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6, locking differentials, racing shocks and four-wheel drive. Scan the specifications, though, and light dawns. For all the racy body bits and the claim of 'a motorsport aesthetic' for this pick-up truck's styling, the components that matter are the ultra-torquey 3.0-litre turbo diesel V6, the standard four-wheel drive, the 21in alloy wheels wearing 275/45 Continental performance rubber, the 3.5-tonne towing capacity and the butch-looking tow hook protruding from the girder-like rear chassis crossbeam. The MS-RT seems destined to become the handsome prime mover in a rig that might include a large trailer, caravan or horsebox. Or maybe it will be found on the nation's boat ramps, helping yachts reach their natural habitat. Verdict Good Distinctive looks Strong diesel V6 Bad Poor ride quality, but it's still a pick-up truck in the corners Unintuitive gear selector Pros Looks unlike any other pick-up truck Diesel V6 means there's go to match the show Retains 1000kg load capacity Cons Some of the spoilers and diffusers are over the top The MS-RT also has a load capacity of a full 1000kg, rather than the 600kg of the even racier Raptor, below which it sits on the price ladder. Although it claims the same 'ultimate street truck' vibe as the Raptor, the MS-RT is different in many important ways. First, the visuals. It has a uniquely sporty frontal treatment with different grille details and low-level air scoops that emphasise its 40mm-lower-riding suspension. There's a roof spoiler at the end of the cab, another on top of the tailgate and the rear underbody affects a diffuser – more show than go. While it uses the same 10-speed automatic gearbox as other Ranger variants, the MS-RT has a diesel rather than a petrol V6, which means its fuel consumption is always 30% better than the petrol Raptor and it will cruise at least 150 miles farther on a tank. Even so, it produces 20% more torque (443lb ft at 1750-2250rpm), although its power of 237bhp at a relaxed 3250rpm does give ground to the higher-revving Raptor's 288bhp at 5500rpm. But performance isn't far behind: the 0-62mph sprint takes 8.7sec, about a second slower. Pros Well-equipped Good UI, with a mix of physical controls and a responsive touchscreen Cons Inside, the MS-RT uses the same pleasantly car-like collection of materials that give an aura of quality with long-life durability. The sporty front seats, similar but different in design from the Raptor's, have exaggerated side bolsters and are faced with a combination of suede and 'non-animal leather', which works fine. The central touchscreen is reminiscent of the Raptor's but the display directly ahead of the driver is simpler and less configurable. Lots of Raptor toys – a variety of settings for steering effort, damper stiffness, angry exhaust note – are missing but you still get an excellent rear-view camera, speed limit sign recognition, keyless entry, active park assist, rain-sensing wipers and a variety of dash-selectable drive modes (Normal, Eco, Tow Haul, Slippery, Mud/Ruts and Sand). There's also a familiar rotary selector for the various transmission modes (2WD, 4WD Auto, 4WD Locked), plus hill descent control. Pros Cons Needs paddles for gearbox control The engine is quiet, smooth, strong and nearly always unobtrusive, especially since its low-end shove means there's no point in revving it hard. The auto 'box works well most of the time but doesn't have the control offered by the Raptor's column-mounted shift paddles. Instead there are three close-packed and near-invisible switches on one side of the central gearknob, meant to allow the driver to control the gearbox manually. You feel for them in moments of need and invariably get it wrong, not least because it's difficult to remember which anonymous button does what. It's the Ranger's poorest control feature. Pros Improved handling compared to standard Ranger Cons Upgrades don't suddenly turn it into a sports car... ...but do make the ride very poor If you're used to the quality damping and relatively soft ride of the Raptor, you won't much enjoy the ride quality of the MS-RT. It takes a different direction, riding lower with less suspension travel and running deliberately stiffer dampers. This controls body roll well, takes advantage of the big, sporty tyres and sharpens the steering, but there's a limit to just how much a fundamentally cumbersome, 5.4m-long vehicle weighing 2.3 tonnes can benefit from agility tweaks. The unladen ride is poor, especially at low speeds. The MS-RT crashes into potholes and picks up surface irregularities more than both its siblings and its rivals. Things do improve if you go faster, but authentic comfort, even average comfort, is not this Ranger's strong suit. Verdict Good Distinctive looks Strong diesel V6 Bad Poor ride quality, but it's still a pick-up truck in the corners Unintuitive gear selector It's easy to imagine plenty of buyers being attracted by the MS-RT's image, durability and good looks. No argument, it draws admiring glances, but we would advise any serious customer to take a good, long road test over typical UK roads before they commit. Model tested: Ford Ranger MS-RT Price: £52,141 (excluding VAT) Engine: V6, 2993cc, turbocharged, diesel Transmission: 10-spd automatic Driveline layout: Front engine, longitudinal, 4WD with low-range Model tested Ford Ranger MS-RT Price £52,141 (excluding VAT) Engine V6, 2993cc, turbocharged, diesel View all specs and rivals Transmission 10-spd automatic Driveline layout Front engine, longitudinal, 4WD with low-range Torque 443lb ft at 1750-2250rpm Rivals Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster Toyota Hilux
