VR Tech Times

The Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 and the Triumph Tracker 400 are closely matched on paper; both roadsters producing 40hp, near-identical kerb weights and a price gap separated by barely Rs 10,000. However, both are very different to ride in the real world as our VBox-verified numbers will reveal. Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 vs Triumph Tracker 400: Acceleration   Despite weighing more, the Guerrilla asserts lead at every benchmark   Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Triumph Tracker 400 0-60kph 2.85s 3.05s 0-80kph 4.36s 4.86s 0-100kph 6.24s 7.55s Even though the Guerrilla (185kg) carries a slight 4kg more compared to the Tracker (181kg), it dominates in every measurable metric. It clocks 0-60kph in 2.85 seconds, two-tenths of a second ahead of the Tracker’s 3.05 seconds. As the speed climbs, this gap widens significantly close to half a second at the 0-80kph mark and to 1.3 seconds at 0-100kph. Here the additional displacement and wider torque curve gives the Guerrilla a clear adv...

Kawasaki has revealed the Z300, a new street-naked bike which could be based on the same platform as the Ninja 300. This motorcycle will effectively serve as the entry-level model in the brand’s Z lineup. Similar silhouette like the bigger Z900 Bookings open on October 19 More details and price will be revealed on October 20 Kawasaki Z300 details  Could be powered by the 296cc parallel-twin as of the Ninja 300 At a recent event in Bangalore, Kawasaki showcased the Z300, which strongly resembles its larger sibling the Z900. The powertrain could be the 296cc parallel-twin engine, producing 39hp and 26.1Nm of torque, paired to a 6-speed gearbox. It features a wide, upright single-piece handlebar and relaxed ergonomics. Unlike the semi-digital unit on the Ninja 300, the new Z300 gets a TFT instrument cluster featuring smartphone connectivity and more. The new motorcycle will be available in two colour options: Green and Black. After its initial appearance in Bangalore, an identical pr...

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...