VR Tech Times

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The mid-size sedan segment has been witnessing a resurgence. Things have spruced up with facelifts introduced for the Hyundai Verna and Honda City, and Skoda has also joined the bandwagon by giving the Slavia a facelift of its own. This is the first major mid-life update for the sedan since it was launched in 2022 and brings comprehensive updates throughout. If you’re looking to buy the Skoda Slavia facelift, our list of reasons helps you decide if it's worth the wait or if it’s better to look elsewhere. Powerful and zippy engines      The Slavia facelift continues to offer the same 115hp/178Nm 1.0-litre 3-cylinder and 150hp/250Nm 1.5-litre 4-cylinder direct-injection turbo-petrol engines as its pre-facelift version. And it’s not a bad thing because both engines have enough pep. The talking point is the introduction of a new 8-speed torque converter automatic for the 1.0-litre engine, which replaces the older 6-speed unit. Shifts are smooth across gears, and manual mode ...

The C2501 is the affordable electric scooter from Chetak, priced at Rs.1.05 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai, before subsidies). It gets two riding modes: Eco and Sport, and these modes are tuned for extracting maximum range rather than performance. Eco mode can get up to an indicated speed of 45kph, while the Sport mode can get up to an indicated speed of 60kph. The mode change can be made on the go using the D button. In Sport mode, the scooter covered 86.5km It has an efficiency of 34.6km/kWh The 750W charger tops up the flat battery in 3 hours Chetak C2501 Real World Riding Range For us, the performance in Eco mode felt like it was mainly tuned for crowded, narrow back roads or in stop-go traffic, so we decided to conduct our range test in the Sport mode. We started the test with a fully charged battery and made our way through our testing loop within the streets of South Mumbai. With 100 percent, the range indicator was showing a range of 112km in Sport mode. During the test, we made sur...

Mercedes-Benz will launch the updated Maybach S-Class in India on October 5. The facelift brings styling and technology updates, along with more personalization options and changes to the powertrain range. With the launch just around the corner, here’s everything you need to know about the new Maybach S-Class. What exterior changes does the new Maybach S-Class get over the S-Class? The Maybach S-Class gets the larger illuminated grille seen on the updated S-Class, but with Maybach-specific vertical slats and an illuminated ‘Maybach’ wordmark above them. It also gets an illuminated Mercedes star on the bonnet, LED headlights with three-pointed-star DRLs and rose gold embellishments featuring the Maybach logo instead of the techie blue accents on the standard S-Class. There are also tiny Maybach logos in the lower air-dam mesh, an illuminated Maybach logo on the D-pillar and the same three-pointed-star LED signature for the tail-lamps as the standard S-Class. The Maybach is 180mm longe...

In the previous issue (August 2026), you saw the Skoda Kylaq take on the familiarity of India, the hills and traditions of Nepal, and the variety of China through Tibet’s gorgeous but bone-shaking terrain, followed by the sensory overload of food and culture. Now, it was time for a fresh experience through Central Asia on the ancient Silk Route, subsequently entering Europe towards our final destination. Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan – Kazakhstan  Kyrgyzstan The Kylaq had everyone turning heads. Crossing the Chinese border into Kyrgyzstan was like crossing into a different world. The differences are immediate, right from the signage, fonts and faces to the sights, terrain and traffic. Being a landlocked country peppered with alpine mountains, one doesn’t need to go far to experience what Kyrgyzstan has to offer. As you drive through the ribbon of tarmac between the peaks, you realise why it is called the “Switzerland of Asia”. A roughly 400km drive to our first halt in Naryn was smoot...