VR Tech Times

The next time you sit in a Toyota Innova play the guessing game. Get in, set off, and then over the course of the next ten or 15 minutes pay attention to the car. Listen to every squeak, rattle and hum. Pay attention to how the engine sounds, how seamlessly the gears engage, how effortlessly (or not) it rides. Then check the wear on the interior; the gear lever, the door-pads, and even some of the switchgear. Once you’ve done that, try and guess how many kilometers it has done. Spoiler alert, this isn’t easy. Toyota ’s Innova is so robustly built, it ages at a glacial pace. This means you often tend to grossly underestimate the number on the odometer. Why, only recently, after sitting in one for an hour, I guessed it had done roughly 1.8 lakh kilometers; it however had actually done over three lakh plus! I was way off. Toyota engineers say this longevity is all down to core strength. Not too different from what your trainer at the gym tells you, chassis stiffness and strength a...

The  Renault Kiger  has received a mid-cycle update after more than 4.6 years since the compact SUV was first launched. The 2025 Kiger boasts a slight bump in prices, additional features and a new nomenclature for its variants, and it continues to rival the likes of the  Nissan Magnite , Maruti Fronx , and more. Let us take a look at what the Kiger's powertrain options, variants and feature list now look like. Renault Kiger new vs old prices Kiger price has gone up by up to Rs 35,000 Renault Kiger facelift variant-wise prices (in Rs, lakh) 1.0 NA-MT 1.0 NA-AMT 1.0 Turbo-MT 1.0 Turbo-CVT Authentic 6.30 - - - Evolution 7.10 7.60 - - Techno 8.20* 8.70* - 10.00^ Emotion 9.15* - 10.00^ 11.30^ *Dual-tone colours cost Rs 23,000 more. ^Dual-tone colours available for no extra cost. While the outgoing Renault Kiger was on sale in 4 trims – RXE, RXL, RXT(O) and RXZ – the latest update swaps them with Authentic, Evolution, T...

The rooftop of Amanora Mall was transformed into a playground of speed, sound and street style as Royal Enfield’s GRRR Nights X Underground event was held in the city of Pune. Blending motorsport action with music and urban culture, this programme drew enthusiasts for a mix of drag races, drift showcases, car meets and live performances. Attendees were provided with riding gear to attempt burnouts At its core, GRRR Nights was about bringing motorsport to a public setting. Attendees could witness everything from drag races and drifting with the opportunity to ride shotgun in some of the cars. Additionally, attendees would also be given a chance to try stunt riding under a controlled environment. This event was host to specialists like Padma Prashanth, Sanam Sekhon, Jeet Tapaswi and Anish Shetty.  Royal Enfield also showcased its extensive lineup of riding gear and apparel The event itself began a lot later than expected and only came alive after the sun set. Ironically, ev...

Renault has launched the Kiger facelift in India with prices ranging between Rs 6.30 lakh and Rs 11.30 lakh (ex-showroom), and it gets subtle cosmetic revisions and new features on the inside. It continues to be available in four trims, but Renault has used this opportunity to change the variant nomenclature from RXE, RXL, RXT (O) and RXZ to Authentic, Evolution, Techno and Emotion, respectively. Let’s take a closer look at the powertrain options and features available with each trim. 2025 Renault Kiger variant lineup explained Renault Kiger facelift variant-wise prices (in Rs, lakh) 1.0 NA-MT 1.0 NA-AMT 1.0 Turbo-MT 1.0 Turbo-CVT Authentic 6.30 - - - Evolution 7.10 7.60 - - Techno 8.20* 8.70* - 10.00^ Emotion 9.15* - 10.00^ 11.30^ *Dual-tone colours cost Rs 23,000 more. ^Dual-tone colours available for no extra cost. The Kiger continues is available with four powertrain options. There’s a 72hp/96Nm, 1.0-litre naturally aspirated p...

The other American cruiser maker, Indian Motorcycles, has launched its entire Scout lineup in India comprising eight models in total. The price range starts at Rs 12.99 lakh (ex-showroom, India).   Scout lineup has three 999cc Sixty models and five 1,250cc models  Each variant available in three trim levels 101 Scout is the most powerful and has higher-spec parts Indian Scout lineup: engine and features for entire lineup explained All bikes share the same engine and chassis, styling is the main differentiator The Indian Scout lineup can broadly be divided into two categories - the smaller 999cc Sixty models and the full-fat 1,250cc models. There are three Sixty models - Scout Sixty Classic, Scout Sixty Bobber and Sport Scout Sixty. All three Sixty variants have the same basic engine and rolling chassis, with the primary difference boiling down to styling. The Classic has an expectedly traditional look, the Bobber has a stripped back, pared-down and blacked-out de...

Among the many competitors in the compact SUV space, the Nissan Magnite and Toyota Taisor (and its badge-engineered sibling, the Maruti Fronx ) are natural rivals. Both sub-four-metre SUVs weigh just above a tonne, and are powered by a 100hp, 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, which is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. We see which turbocharged compact SUV provides more performance with our exhaustive and accurate tests. Nissan Magnite vs Toyota Taisor Turbo price and specifications Magnite has more torque and weighs less than the Taisor Nissan Magnite vs Toyota Taisor Turbo price and specs Magnite Taisor Engine type 3 cyl, turbo-petrol 3 cyl, turbo-petrol Displacement (cc) 999 998 Power (hp) 100 100 Torque (Nm) 160 148 Manual transmission 5-speed 5-speed Kerb weight (kg) 1013 1015-1030 Power-to-weight (hp/tonne) 98.72 97.09-98.52 Torque-to-weight (Nm/tonne) 157.95 143.69-145.81 ARAI efficiency (kpl) 19.9 21.18 Price range...

I am looking to purchase an electric scooter for my father, who is 62 years old. His daily commute is approximately 55 kilometers, so I’m specifically looking for a reliable and comfortable electric scooter with a good range capacity that can handle this distance efficiently on a single charge or with minimal recharging. Comfort, safety, and ease of use are important, considering his age. I would also appreciate features such as good suspension, a stable ride, and after-sales support. Shaik Abdul Cany Chennai   Autocar India Team says: Since this is quite a long commute, you will want a scooter with a battery capacity of no less than 3kWh and ideally 3.5kWh or slightly higher. That will give you a good amount of real world range even at higher usage speeds of 50kph or more - which is usually the case with long commutes. With that in mind, you will also want an electric scooter with a top speed of 70-80kph.  Considering your needs of comfort, reliability and storage sp...

  It's been a couple of years since there was much news from Indian Motorcycles in India, but the Polaris-owned company has just launched its full range of 2025 Scouts in India. We had a chance to take the Scout Bobber for a spin on a very wet couple of days in Mumbai and it turned out to be heaps of fun.   Indian Scout Bobber: Design and comfort -  8/10 Sensational design and reasonable comfort The 2025 Scout sticks to the original formula of being a long, low and gorgeous motorcycle powered by a liquid-cooled V-twin engine. 2025 brings the highest amount of choice we’ve seen yet with a total of 8 different variants split between two engine sizes, and each variant being available in three trim levels.    The bike here is the Scout Bobber Limited which comes with the bigger 1250cc motor (against 999cc), but doesn’t get the TFT display and a few other features that come by upgrading from the Limited trim to the Tech trim.   With its stretched sta...

I am looking to upgrade to a premium SUV, and after recently driving my friend’s Jeep Compass diesel AT in Leh, I was impressed with its performance. Compared to the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta petrol ATs, is it worth buying a diesel AT Compass, as the cost delta is significant? Also, between the new Mahindra Thar Roxx and the Compass, which is better? My monthly running is around 1,000km in the city and on the highway, and we are a family of four. My priorities are ride and handling, maintenance costs, resale value and the outlook for diesels. Sachin Yeole, Pune Autocar India says: We can understand why you were impressed with the Compass in Leh, as it’s a very capable vehicle in the mountains, over bad roads and long distances. However, in bumper-to-bumper traffic in the city, the Creta and Seltos petrol ATs are smoother and have a softer ride. They also have better-equipped interiors and a more spacious back seat. If you are doing a fair bit of highway driving, the Compass, ...

Many credit the original Porsche Cayenne – launched in 2002 – with saving the brand from extinction. It was, after all, the first proper performance SUV and despite its divisive styling, it proved a sales success. Now in its third generation, the Cayenne continues to be a bestseller in India and globally. With a comprehensive facelift in 2023 that brought the exterior and interior bang up to date, and the reintroduction of the V8 engine in the GTS, the Cayenne is better than ever. But it isn’t perfect. Here are three reasons it deserves your money, and two reasons to look elsewhere. Reasons to buy Performance For a while, the Cayenne was sold in India with only a six-cylinder petrol. While the 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 makes a respectable 353hp and 500Nm, delivering a strong 0-100kph sprint in 5.7sec, the V8 is the real highlight. The GTS ’ 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 puts out 500hp and 659Nm of torque, dropping the 0-100kph time to just 4.4sec. Both engines are paired with a s...

The Royal Enfield Adventurer XT pants are designed to complement the jacket of the same name, and much like their upper-half counterpart, these aren’t your usual riding pants. Priced at Rs 15,950, the XT pants bring waterproofing, solid protection and all-season touring capability in a durable, well-thought-out package. The XT pants use the same super-stretch and softshell fabric as the jacket, with a triple-layer nylon fabric rated at 10,000mm, meaning there’s no internal liner to fumble with. Superfabric and Cordura are added at key abrasion zones, and the pants carry a CE AA certification.   You get CE Level 2 protection at the knees and hips using Royal Enfield’s in-house Ergo Pro-Tech armour. The materials feel tough and well-stitched, while the pants, at just 1.9kg, are also lightweight for what they offer. These trousers have been through everything from city traffic to off-road trails and heavy Mumbai downpours. The waterproofing works well for the most part, though,...

The timing for this new long termer entering Autocar India’s fleet couldn’t have been better. With monsoons setting in, a 4x4-capable SUV was more than welcome. However, before we indulged in some mud-slinging fun, we put it through a proper road trip. Mumbai to Indore and back – a 1,200km round trip is a pretty solid initiation for our newest garage entrant. And it’s thrown up quite a few things: good, not good, and typically Thar . Our Thar Roxx is a top-spec diesel automatic version, the 2.2-litre mHawk paired to a 6-speed torque converter. It’s the combination most buyers gravitate towards, and after this trip, I see why. This isn’t your everyday urban SUV, but it didn’t leave me fatigued even after 600km. I really like the motor; it is super-refined, and performance is effortless. In fact, the refinement is so good that it can be easily confused for a petrol motor on the go! There’s a healthy dose of torque in reserve and it feels overly peppy at times, so you have to ease...