VR Tech Times

Adil Jal Darukhanawala is a treasure trove of information when it comes to India’s automotive history, and his latest book, Kinetic’s Electric Energy, is a testament to that fact. In the last three decades of the 20th century, Kinetic Engineering was established as a force to be reckoned with under the stewardship of the Firodia family. Adil’s hugely detailed book traces the humble and truly frugal beginnings of the company all the way to today, when a resurgent Kinetic is looking to establish itself as a mainstay in the electric two-wheeler market. This 170-page book starts off with a brief introduction to the Kinetic Honda DX while tracing the origins of the company with the spectacular moped success that was the Luna. The author goes into copious detail about how the company went to great lengths to ensure its moped transitioned India from pedal power to motorised mobility. Not only that, chapters like ‘Lunacy on the Luna’ and ‘Beating the Queen – Kinetic Luna takes on the Indian R...

The Hector Tomahawk EV is MG's newest SUV in the market, and despite its name, it's based on an all-new 'ADAPT' architecture and shares nothing with the ICE version of the Hector. Priced between Rs 19.50 lakh and Rs 23.50 lakh (ex-showroom), the Hector Tomahawk EV is available in 5-seater and 7-seater variants. We put the MG Hector Tomahawk EV through our real-world tests to find out how efficient it really is. Claimed range is 517km from its 69.2kWh battery Driven in 'Eco' mode, with regen set to 'Strong' (city) and 'Comfort' (highway) Weighs 1,908kg MG Hector Tomahawk EV real-world range tested The MG Hector Tomahawk EV is powered by a single Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) mounted on the front axle, and produces 204hp and 310Nm. It is only available with a 69.2kWh battery pack and uses Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) cell chemistry. It comes with three driving modes - Eco, Standard and Sport - and four regen modes - Comfort, Standard,...

The Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex is the sportier variant of the Guerrilla , and has more road-focused tyres, a lower and more forward-set handlebar, a fly-screen and a pillion seat cowl. It shares the 452cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder Sherpa engine with the Himalayan 450, which produces 40hp and 40Nm of torque. We put it through our instrumented performance tests and here's how it fared. Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450: Acceleration    The test was conducted on dry roads Acceleration Time (seconds) 0-60kph 2.85s 0-80kph 4.36s 0-100kph 6.34s The 452cc Sherpa engine is torquey in nature, as 90 percent of the torque is available from as low as 3,000rpm. The engine's strong low-end torque is highly effective for both city riding and highway cruising, minimizing the need of gear changes during quick overtakes. The bike accelerates to 100kph in a brisk 6.34 seconds, which is quite impressive considering its 185kg kerb weight. This bike can be ridden at steady paces or enthusiast...

Around seven months after launching the new-gen Duster in India, Renault is now getting ready to bring the hybrid version of its midsize SUV. Featuring what the French brand calls “strong hybrid E-Tech 160” powertrain, this version of the Duster is aimed at buyers who want good mileage without sacrificing performance. Having said that, let’s see how the Renault Duster hybrid compares in terms of claimed fuel efficiency when compared to segment rivals. from Autocar India https://ift.tt/mA4LOEd

Things appear to be quite busy at BMW Motorrad. After revealing the F 450 GS based sport-naked, the F 450 R just two weeks ago, the company has already teased its next 450, most likely to be called the F 450 RR. This plus a bunch of new car unveiling is a sure shot good sign for the German manufacturer being competitive. F 450 R was revealed on October 1, no prices or India launch timeline yet F 450 GS was revealed last November, launched in India this April Design looks inspired by flagship S 1000 RR BMW F 450 sportbike teased: What can we expect? The 420cc twin-cylinder engine could slightly change The BMW F 450 GS, which kicked off the new 420cc twin-engine based platform, was first unveiled in Europe last November. The company officially launched the motorcycle in India in April this year with three variants (versus four internationally). However, the gap between the F 450 GS and the now-revealed F 450 R was 11 months and the company doesn’t seem to want to take a break again. Y...

Tata has introduced the Aeris as a successor to the Tigor to strengthen its presence in the compact sedan segment. Apart from a new name, the Aeris is a heavily updated version of the discontinued Tigor, with sheet metal updates, a revamped cabin, and feature additions. If you’re considering buying the Aeris, we list two reasons to go for it and two reasons to look elsewhere based on our experience behind the wheel . Spacious and well-equipped interior The Aeris’ cabin is well laid out; the beige theme gives it an airy feel, while the fabric trim on the dashboard adds a premium touch. You get a plethora of physical buttons, which have a solid feel, and floating door handles from the Sierra, which have a sturdy build. Space at the back is plenty, with good legroom, knee room, adequate thigh support and comfortable seat cushioning. The boot at 419 litres is the largest in its segment. Additionally, the boot lid uses gas struts for its opening for more usable space, unlike rivals that ...

Harley-Davidson has had a dearth of its performance focused ST models lately, with the US website currently offering only two, the cruiser Low Rider and the adventure tourer Pan America 1250. It looks like the American company is fixing that next year, with three more models expected to add to the line-up. We believe the models to be the Road King ST, Road Glide ST and Street Glide ST, all of which fall under the ‘Grand American Touring’ category. Currently, Harley-Davidson sells the latter two exclusively in CVO (Custom Vehicle Operations) guise. Besides Road King ST, four other Harleys are expected for 2027 The ST could be powered by the Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine Road King ST set to arrive in 2027: What else can we expect? More powerful than the 2025 Road King, and ‘sporty’ suspension A brief untangling of Harley-Davidson ’s nomenclature before we get back to the motorcycles. ST refers to Softail frame which essentially means that these motorcycles are performance-oriented, with mo...

Kawasaki has teased a new four-cylinder tall and upright sport tourer on its UK social media handle, which we expect is to be the new Versys 900. The presence of a windscreen resembling the one on the Versys 650 and 1100 models and an inline-four cylinder soundtrack both reinforce our claim. 4-cyl motor sounds unstressed, not peaky and high-revving Bike shown tackling varied road conditions in teaser It has a tall adjustable windscreen, like 1100 and 650 Versys models Will a new Z900-based model supplement the Versys range soon? There are quite a few signs in the teaser which point to this fact There are some primary points to pay attention to on the teaser shared by Kawasaki UK. Firstly, the four-cylinder soundtrack immediately reminds one of the smooth and refined hum of the unstressed, torque-rich, big-bore 948cc four-pot motor on the Z900 complete with the exhaust pops as if a bidirectional quickshifter (a feature on the latest-gen Z900) is being used to shift between gears. S...

The Tata Aeris may be a new name, but its roots lie in the Tigor, which has enjoyed considerable popularity since 2017 for its distinctive styling, practical cabin, comfortable ride and decent powertrains. The Aeris builds on that foundation with a sharper design, a more upmarket cabin and an even more generous equipment list while retaining the same basic mechanical package underneath. Having already driven the iCNG version , we now get behind the wheel of the petrol Aeris to see how it fares as an everyday sedan. Tata Aeris petrol performance and refinement - 7/10 The petrol version has slightly better cruising capability than the CNG  3-cylinder engine is so-so on refinement and sounds coarse when revved hard. The Tata Aeris comes with a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder naturally aspirated engine that produces 86hp and 113Nm in its petrol guise and is offered with a choice between a 5-speed manual and a 5-speed automated manual transmission (AMT). The three-cylinder engine isn’t the smoot...

Prospective buyers considering a Tata EV can take advantage of compelling benefits on the Harrier EV, Curvv EV and Nexon EV, among others. These benefits are available throughout October 2026, and depending on the model and variant, they include cash discounts, intervention offers, exchange/scrappage bonuses and loyalty incentives. Disclaimer: Offers/benefits may vary by city and are subject to stock availability. Buyers are advised to check with their local dealer for exact figures. Tata Harrier EV discounts in October 2026 Up to Rs 2.75 lakh off The Harrier EV is available with a maximum benefit of Rs 2.75 lakh for the Fearless+ and Empowered trims. These include an intervention offer of Rs 1 lakh, an exchange/scrappage bonus of up to Rs 75,000 and a loyalty incentive of up to Rs 1 lakh. However, if you're specifically looking to buy the top-spec Empowered AWD Stealth ACFC variant, you get a lower Rs 50,000 intervention offer, dropping the total benefit to Rs 2.25 lakh. Lower...

Suzuki has launched a new matte grey colour for the V-Strom SX at Rs 2.02 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the same price as the other colours. The new colour sits alongside the other colour options of the motorcycle. Besides the new colour, the motorcycle remains mechanically unchanged. Mechanically identical to the existing V-Strom SX No change in price Customers will receive a Rynox apparel voucher worth Rs 5,000 V-Strom SX gets a new colour but no changes otherwise        Uses the same 249cc engine and features As mentioned above, the Suzuki V-Strom SX uses the same 249cc oil-cooled single-cylinder engine, which delivers 26.5hp at 9,000rpm and 22.2Nm of torque at 7,300rpm paired with a 6-speed gearbox. The design, features and pricing remain the same as the existing model. Suzuki is now also offering a Rynox apparel voucher worth Rs 5,000 to the V-Strom SX customers, subject to terms and conditions. At this price point the V-Strom SX is now competing against other p...

Bengaluru-based electric mobility startup E3 Electric.Ai has started production of the E3 Trion electric scooter at its Hyderabad manufacturing plant and it will begin deliveries from today onwards. Available in two battery pack options across three variants The first 100 customers will receive optional extended warranty at an additional cost Prices start at Rs 1 lakh and go up to Rs 1.20 lakh (ex-showroom Bengaluru) E3 Trion details   Offered in 2.3kWh and 3kWh battery packs, with up to 165km IDC range The E3 Trion is offered in three variants: C1, C1X and C2 and deliveries for the variants will begin in a phased manner. Across the three variants, the scooter will be available in two battery pack options 2.3kWh and 3kWh. The base C1 is offered in the 2.3kWh battery pack which is removable, whereas the C1X and C2 will comprise the 3kWh fixed battery pack. The C1, C1X and C2 have a claimed IDC range of 108km, 165km and 128km respectively. The scooters will feature 14-inch wheels at...

The Tata Aeris was launched recently as a facelifted and reworked version of the Tigor, with a fresh and modern exterior look and a minimalistic interior brimming with features. The powertrain options, however, are the same as those of the Tigor. We recently drove the Aeris iCNG, and here are three reasons why you should consider buying it and two reasons that could deter you. Reasons to buy the Tata Aeris CNG Modern exterior design and well-equipped interior The Tata Aeris is clearly a step up from the Tigor and looks modern. It gets slim LED headlights with integrated LED daytime running lamps (DRLs) joined by a gloss-black trim, all of which give it a clean look. Some contrast is added via the front bumper, which features a black section around the wide air inlets. The new LED fog lamps and the clamshell bonnet also look good. In profile, the CNG variants’ 14-inch stylised steel wheels look undersized, particularly against the prominent wheel-arch cladding. Chrome elements on the...