VR Tech Times

The third-generation Mini Countryman C is the most accessible version of the entry-level luxury SUV sold here, positioned below the JCW All4. Like any car, the Countryman C has its share of strengths and weaknesses. Here are three reasons to consider the Mini SUV, along with two reasons why you might want to look at the Mercedes-Benz GLA, Audi Q3 or BMW X1. Funky yet premium look The new Countryman looks sharper, boxier and larger than before. It has grown in size and is now the tallest SUV in the segment while also offering the highest ground clearance. However, Mini has also made it look large, replacing the rounder styling of the earlier model with smaller, sharper and more angular details. Even the headlights, grille and roofline now have a boxier design. From the rear, it is easily identifiable as a Mini, thanks to the contrast roof, ‘Countryman’ lettering on the tailgate and Union Jack-style tail-lamps. It also gets champagne-coloured accents, a contrast roof and large 19-inch d...

Chetak ’s Kerala network has grown from just two outlets to 103 customer touchpoints, as the electric scooter brand continues to expand its retail and service reach alongside rapidly increasing sales. Kerala network now comprises 18 Chetak Experience Centres and 85 Bajaj Auto touchpoints Chetak has more than 50,000 customers in Kerala Chetak sold 3.03 lakh units in FY2026, up from 2.60 lakh in FY2025 Chetak has expanded its sales and service network in Kerala to 103 customer touchpoints, comprising 18 Chetak Experience Centres and 85 Bajaj Auto Ltd touchpoints. The company says its network in the state has grown from an initial two outlets and that it now has more than 50,000 Chetak customers in Kerala. The network covers locations including Kochi, Wayanad, Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad. While Chetak’s presence in Kerala is not the biggest takeaway by itself, the scale of the network expansion highlights the growth the brand has seen in the state and the infrastructure it has added ...

Skoda Auto India plans to bring electric vehicles from its global portfolio to India in limited volumes next year as the Czech automaker looks to establish its presence in the EV market. According to Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Skoda Auto India, the company needs an electric vehicle in its portfolio not only to meet future regulatory requirements but also to remain relevant as EV adoption gathers pace in India. Skoda India to bring EVs: Additional details  “A lot of things are under discussion. So, for meeting the CAFÉ norms, there are a lot of opportunities available along with electrification, which has to be the cornerstone of meeting all compliance regulations. So that is something which we are aggressively working on," Gupta told our sister publication, Autocar Professional. Gupta added that the company needs an electric car in its portfolio since adoption has grown in the last 3 months owing to increasing fuel prices. While Skoda has yet to announce a specific locally ma...

Tesla India recorded its highest-ever monthly retail sales in July 2026, delivering 115 Model Y SUVs according to Vahan data. The American EV maker's previous best stood at 69 units, achieved in September and December 2025. The strong performance follows Tesla's Rs 9 lakh price cut for the Model Y in June, which lowered its starting price to Rs 50.89 lakh (ex-showroom). Tesla holds a 16 percent share of the luxury EVs sold in July Over 600 units of cumulative sales so far Tesla Model Y priced between Rs 50.89 lakh and Rs 61.99 lakh (ex-showroom) Tesla Model Y price cut drives July sales Tesla delivered 115 Model Ys in July, up 203 percent from 38 units sold in June. The sharp increase came after the company reduced the Model Y's starting price by Rs 9 lakh to Rs 50.89 lakh in June, improving its competitiveness in the luxury EV segment. Before the price revision, demand for the electric SUV had remained relatively limited. Tesla becomes third-largest luxury EV brand The ...

There’s no simpler way to compare one car’s performance to another than with a head-to-head quarter-mile race. Following the shootout between the newest crop of midsize SUVs , i n this edition of Autocar India’s quarter-mile racing series, we’ve brought together three premium electric SUVs including the Tata Harrier EV, the Mahindra XEV 9e and the Vinfast VF7. Let’s find out which one here is the quickest down the drag strip. Round 1: Tata Harrier EV vs Mahindra XEV 9e  Model Tata Harrier EV Mahindra XEV 9e Battery  75kWh  79kWh  Electric Motor setup Dual Motor, AWD Single Motor, RWD Power  313hp 286hp Torque  504Nm  380Nm  Weight  2335kg  2201kg  Between these two homegrown EVs, the Harrier EV has an advantage for not only being more powerful, but it also has all-wheel drive as opposed to XEV 9e ’s rear-wheel drive setup. Both SUVs are heavy-weights, but the Mahindra has an advantage for being  134kg lighter. On whose favour...

When the Guerrilla 450 first launched in 2024, comparisons to the KTM 390 Duke (now known as the Duke R) were inevitable. In 2026 though, things have changed because, following the revised GST structure on motorcycles, Bajaj decided to downsize all of its 400cc manufactured bikes to fall below the 350cc threshold. So, we now have a 390 Duke with a 349cc engine and the 398cc version continues on as the 390 Duke R. Meanwhile, the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 is now available in a new, sportier Apex variant. Let’s see how the motorcycles compare on paper with these redrawn boundaries. KTM 390 Duke vs Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex: Engine and output KTM has more power, Guerrilla has more torque   KTM 390 Duke Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex Engine 349.32cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled 452cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled Power 41.5hp at 8,600rpm 40.02hp at 8,000rpm Torque 33.5Nm at 7,000rpm 40Nm at 5,500rpm Transmission 6-speed 6-speed Power-to-weight ratio 246.58hp/tonne 2...

Mercedes-Benz has introduced a thorough facelift for the C-Class sedan for 2026 and beyond. As part of the update, the C-Class features significantly revised styling inspired by the likes of the larger S-Class , a longer list of features, and an upgraded set of petrol, diesel, and plug-in hybrid powertrains. Prices for the 2026 Mercedes-Benz C-Class start at 41,045 euros (Rs 45.43 lakh) in Germany. from Autocar India https://ift.tt/HeDSn3b

Mahindra launched the 2026 BE 6 recently, adding the ‘Sporteq’ moniker and pricing it from Rs 19.45 lakh to Rs 26.95 lakh (ex-showroom). Along with a new name, Mahindra has also introduced some updates to the midsize electric SUV to keep it modern in the segment. Here’s a detailed list of these updates: New 70kWh battery pack New battery pack offers 651km range and is mated to a 241hp rear motor The 2026 Mahindra BE 6 Sporteq gets a new 70kWh battery pack in addition to the previously available 59kWh and 79kWh batteries. This new 70kWh battery offers an ARAI-claimed range of 651km and a rear-axle-mounted (RWD) electric motor that produces 241hp and 360Nm. It supports a 7.2kW AC, a 11.2kW AC and a 160kW DC charger. The DC fast charger recharges the battery pack from 20-80 percent in a claimed 20 minutes. Mahindra is offering the 70kWh battery with the Three and Three+ trims, priced at Rs 22.95 lakh and Rs 23.95 lakh, respectively (ex-showroom).  Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) scheme ...

Porsche could axe the Taycan by 2030, reported German business magazine WirtschaftsWoche. This comes just a couple of months following the global unveiling of the 2027 Taycan, and about five months after Porsche's plan to merge the Taycan and Panamera nameplates. Plummeting demand cited as a major reason Production of the Taycan has been halted several times Porsche Taycan faces an uncertain future Demand for the brand’s first fully electric car has been weak in recent years After hitting a peak of 40,960 units in 2023, the whole of 2025 saw worldwide sales of the Taycan dropping by over 60 percent (at 16,339 units). Similarly dismal numbers have led Porsche to halt production of the Taycan several times over the years, Autocar UK highlighted. A phased ramp-down aside, Porsche’s plans with the Taycan also included an immediate cessation of its production, as per WirtschaftsWoche’s report. 2027 Porsche Taycan with the Manthey kit shown for representational purposes only. Even thou...

India exported 1.81 million motorcycles between April and July 2026, up 33 percent from the same period last year, according to SIAM data. Motorcycles accounted for 86 percent of India’s 2.10 million two-wheeler exports during this period. 1.81 million motorcycles exported between April and July Bajaj and TVS account for 76 percent of exports TVS exported over 85,898 more 125cc motorcycles than Bajaj Bajaj, TVS lead India’s motorcycle exports Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor Company together accounted for 1.38 million motorcycle exports, or 76 percent of the total. Much of the demand is concentrated in the 100-125cc segments, which accounted for 1.22 million units, or 68 percent of all motorcycle exports. Bajaj Auto exported 8,54,991 motorcycles between April and July, up 48 percent year on year. Its 100-110cc exports nearly doubled to 378,941 units, while 110-125cc exports rose 36 percent to 229,677 units. Africa has been a major growth driver for Bajaj, with the company reporting that its...

On the sidelines of the world premiere of the Lamborghini Revuelto SV, the brand’s president and CEO, Stephan Winkelmann, spoke to journalists about the new flagship hybrid supercar, the move away from EVs and even the Indian market. India-EU FTA hybrid uncertainty could pose a problem  A hot topic at the moment is the India-EU free trade agreement (FTA) soon to come into effect, which promises to make imported cars a whole lot more affordable. While that’s great news for most super-sportscar brands, it’s not so for Lamborghini, as the India-EU FTA offers no clarity about benefits for hybrid cars, which make up the Italian brand’s entire range. “The decision was made, I think, at the beginning of the year to lower the import taxes, but not for PHEVs,” said Winkelmann, responding to a question from Autocar India. “So, we see a drop in the market due to the uncertainty which is created by this. And there is still not enough clarity.” While other brands do have some pure-ICE models, ...

The Bajaj Pulsar N160 has gained a lot of traction in the last three years and Bajaj has now given it even more appeal with the introduction of a new 4 valve version. The existing 2-valve N160 continues to be on sale while two new 4-valve variants have been added to the line up. Bajaj Pulsar N160 4V Whats new The engine changes are bigger than expected with this being a new engine that is still 165cc but now has a bigger 63.5mm bore and shorter 52mm stroke. Bajaj claims a sizable jump from 16hp at 8750rpm to 18.5hp at 9500rpm while torque drops marginally from 14.65Nm at 6750rpm to 14.4Nm at a higher 8000rpm. Bajaj also claims a high rev limit of 10,900rpm. The bottom end of the engine and the gearbox are the same as before. The chassis is also mostly the same, but there have been some minor refinements in the main frame and swingarm which have helped offset the minor gain in engine weight as well as the move to a fatter new 37mm USD fork on the 4V models. As a result, kerb weight is ...

The Grecale is Maserati’s take on the mid-size luxury SUV and in SUV-crazy India will likely be the first port of call for buyers intrigued by the iconic brand. It’s been updated outside, inside and under the hood to help convert that mystique into sales. 2027 Maserati Grecale Exterior Design and Engineering - 8/10 Like most Maseratis , the Grecale is one of those cars that looks better in the metal than it does in photographs. There’s Italian flair to the design, with the proportions finely balanced across its 4.8m length. The classic Maserati cues - voluptuous fenders, vents aft of the front wheels and the cut of the glasshouse - are all there and help establish the marque, even in profile. The 2027 Grecale gets a more prominent concave grille with the Trident logo at its centre. The key visual change comes at the front. A strong horizontal crease visually divides the face into two distinct sections. The upper portion retains the familiar sculpted Maserati look, while the lower sec...

The Ducati Monster V2 is the most significant update to the Monster nameplate in several years. It brings a new engine shared with the Panigale V2, Streetfighter V2 and Multistrada V2 families, a new monocoque chassis, and some major design changes, including the return of the muscular big-tank look that defined earlier-generation Monsters. Here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about it. What is the price of the Ducati Monster V2 in India? The Ducati Monster V2 is available in two variants – Monster and Monster+ – across three colour options. The Monster starts at Rs 13.99 lakh for Ducati Red and Rs 14.23 lakh for Iceberg White and Sport Livery. The Monster+ adds a headlight cowl and passenger seat cover over the standard model, and is priced at Rs 14.34 lakh for Ducati Red and Rs 14.45 lakh for Iceberg White and Sport Livery. All prices ex-showroom, India. What engine does the Ducati Monster V2 use? The Ducati Monster V2 is powered by a new 890cc, liquid-coole...