VR Tech Times

We didn’t mention this last month as we bid farewell to our long-term A6 , but its replacement was already waiting in the wings – none other than its smaller sibling, the A4 . And immediately, I did something I rarely do anymore, and that was take it out of Mumbai on a highway run. Admittedly, it wasn’t anywhere particularly far – just to our old stomping ground of Lonavala, to attend the press drive of the MG Majestor you’ll have seen earlier on in this issue. But the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, plus some incredible (and familiar) mountain roads are a great way to acquaint oneself with a car.  Phone shoots first. Getting out of the city is always an opportunity for some beauty shots with whatever car you’re driving. MG had asked us to be at Aamby Valley at 7am, which meant a pre-dawn departure from home. Empty roads led out of the city, the bright headlamps flooding the path ahead, and let’s just say broken roads are a lot better taken at higher speeds.  Pre-dawn departure makes...

The Norton Manx R is offered in four variants – Standard, Apex, Signature and First Edition. All four share the same 1,200cc, 72-degree V4 engine, electronics package and braking hardware, with the differences between them centred on suspension adjustment, wheel specification and weight. Here's a breakdown of each variant. Norton Manx R variant breakdown Standard The Manx R is powered by a 1,200cc, 72-degree V4 engine producing 206hp at 11,500rpm and 130Nm at 9,000rpm, and this powertrain is common across the entire range. The electronics package – featuring an 8-inch TFT display, a six-axis IMU, traction control, wheelie control, slide control and multiple riding modes – is also shared, as are the Brembo Hypure brake calipers. The Standard variant gets a manually adjustable Marzocchi USD fork and rear monoshock, and cast aluminium wheels. Norton claims a wet weight (without fuel) of 210kg for this variant. The base Norton Manx R is priced at £20,250 (approximately Rs 26.03 lakh) ...

Diesel is surely on the decline, especially in compact cars . But where there is choice, diesel still contributes a reasonable share to overall volumes. In the sub-4m SUV segment for instance, only five of the dozen or so cars come with a diesel engine option, and where it’s available, it makes up about 15-20 percent of sales. Here, we have ranked the five best diesel-automatic compact SUVs with a monocoque chassis currently available in the market.  Kia Sonet  Pricre: Rs 9.80 lakh – Rs 14.17 lakh, Autocar rating: 8/10 The Kia Sonet uses a 116hp 1.5-litre diesel with a 6-speed torque converter. It’s not particularly sporty, but it offers the best blend of refinement, efficiency, and performance, while being well priced. The Sonet has a premium interior and an expansive features list, but rear seat space and ride comfort are not among its strong points.  Mahindra XUV 3XO Price: Rs 9.22 lakh – Rs 13.90 lakh, Autocar rating: 8/10 The Mahindra XUV 3XO ’s 117hp, 1.5-litre ...

The 1.2-litre petrol engine does duty across Hyundai ’s small-car range in India – powering the Grand i10 Nios , Aura , Exter , i20 and even the Venue . While this engine is offered with both manual and automatic gearbox options in Hyundai’s smaller cars – a CVT in the i20 and an AMT in the rest – the Venue gets it exclusively with a 5-speed manual. Even so, the Venue 1.2 petrol accounts for a significant 63 percent of total Venue sales, with the turbo-petrol and diesel contributing 16 percent and 21 percent respectively. We put this version through our real-world fuel-efficiency tests to see how frugal it actually is.  Claimed range is 18.05kpl No automatic engine stop-start function Weighs 1,127kg Hyundai Venue 1.2 petrol-MT mileage explained Powered by a four-cylinder, 1,197cc naturally aspirated petrol engine producing 83hp and 115Nm, the Venue 1.2 boasts of an ARAI-rated fuel efficiency figure of 18.05kpl. However, in our real-world tests, it delivered 10.7kpl in the city an...

The Maserati GranTurismo promises to blend everyday usability with serious performance, but is it a proper grand tourer like its name suggests?  Priced from Rs 2.54 crore for the 490hp Modena , the GranTurismo is the entry point into Maserati's sports car range and is available as a coupé or convertible, with twin-turbo V6 or all-electric powertrain options. Here, we get behind the wheel of the 550hp V6 Trofeo to see what it’s all about.  Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo exterior design and engineering - 9/10 Sculpted fenders, flowing body lines, and a sleek coupé roofline come together cohesively. The second-gen GranTurismo is clearly an evolution of the original, retaining its classic long-bonnet, short-rear proportions. The first gen was a looker, and this one carries forward that appeal, with a face reminiscent of the brand’s flagship supercar, the MCPura . Vertically oriented headlights flank a traditional, snout-like grille that proudly wears the Trident emblem. Stunning ...

Back to one of our favourite times of the year – the annual Autocar Track Day – and we headed down to the CoASTT High Performance Centre in Coimbatore once again. For the 2026 edition, as always, we had 11-time national champion Rajini Krishnan, who would be putting the machines through their paces, but there was a notable change this time around. The track now features kerbs, and using them properly can help with sightlines and carrying more momentum to put out an even faster lap. The few surface concerns from last year were also sorted, and as this was our third outing at CoASTT, Rajini came in with an even better understanding of the circuit. CoASTT remains a wide, fast, flowing track with elevation changes, and to set a strong lap time here, outright power still plays a crucial role.  With the previous leaderboard fresh in our minds, we brought along a mix of the newest, most exciting motorcycles launched in the past year. This included everything from a Yamaha XSR 155 to a Du...

Honda has introduced a comprehensive update to the fifth-generation City . The MY26 City gets new design elements and feature additions while retaining its powertrain options. But how does it stack up against its rivals? We compare its specifications and price to alternatives like the Volkswagen Virtus , Skoda Slavia , and the Hyundai Verna .  Honda City vs rivals: Dimensions: Honda City vs rivals: Dimensions    Honda City Volkswagen Virtus Skoda Slavia Hyundai Verna Length (mm) 4,594 4,561 4,541 4,585 Width (mm) 1,748 1,752 1,752 1,765 Height (mm) 1,489 1,507 1,507 1,475 Wheelbase (mm) 2,600 2,651 2,651 2,670 Ground clearance (mm) NA 179 179 165 Boot space (L) 506 521 521 528 Wheel size (inch) 16 16 16 16 The facelift has made the Honda City the longest in the segment at 4,594mm. However, it has the shortest wheelbase, which is 70mm shorter than the Hyundai Verna with a class-best 2670mm wheelbase. Also, the Verna is the widest and has the largest boot in the segment. ...