VR Tech Times

It’s not every day that a new brand enters the Indian market, but by the end of this year, we’ll have two – JSW and Denza. Last month, we exclusively reported on Denza’s intention to enter India , and now we bring you all the additional juicy details. A little bit about the brand first. Founded in May 2010 as a joint venture between BYD and Daimler AG (now Mercedes-Benz Group AG), the company announced its brand name ‘Denza’ two years later. Mercedes has since exited the partnership, and in 2022, BYD repositioned the brand and is generally concentrating its efforts at the higher end of the market.  In India, Denza will be positioned above BYD’s existing portfolio, with products at around Rs 80 lakh and above, while BYD will occupy the Rs 20 to Rs 80 lakh space. Leading Denza’s charge will be two models, the  Z9 GT high-performance fastback and the D9 luxury MPV. Both will be brought in as completely built-up units. Denza Z9 GT: Enormously powerful yet practical fastback The Z...

Priced at Rs 2 lakh (ex-showroom), the Keeway EZI Hypevolt-R arrives in India as a CKD and occupies the premium end of the electric scooter market. The dual-battery setup gives you the choice of charging the scooter directly or removing the batteries and charging them at home. The catch is weight: each battery weighs 17.3kg. Charging the scooter from 0-100 percent took 6hr 15min. The only issue we faced was that the charging cable is rather short, which could be inconvenient depending on where your socket is positioned. The claimed IDC range of this scooter is 180km. We conducted this range test over two days and riding mainly in Normal mode, we managed a riding range of 125km. That is a respectable real-world figure and considering the performance it offers in this mode.  Battery Percentage Kilometres Covered 80% 32.7km 60% 60.2km 45% 77.5km 15% 109km 10% 114.6km 0% 125km Autocar India’s range testing Before our real-world range test, the battery of our two-wheeler on test is ful...

When the first Bajaj Pulsar 150 broke onto the scene in 2001, it shattered the mould of what was expected of an accessible yet sporty commuter motorcycle. This recipe saw such widespread success that nothing Bajaj brought out since has been able to replace it. Therefore, the company went back to the drawing board and has now brought out a new generation of Classic Pulsars, spearheaded by the 125 and 150. In this review, we’ll share what the larger one was like to ride.  Bajaj Pulsar 150: What’s changed compared to before? From the mechanicals to the tech, it is all-new To start with, gone are the double-cradle frame and twin shock absorbers, replaced by a lighter and stiffer diamond frame and monoshock, respectively. Complementing the new chassis is a brand new motor. This engine started life as an engine from a similar displacement N model, but Bajaj has made certain changes to suit this application. The state of tune, various internals and the exhaust system are all different ...

The classic Pulsar 125 has always been the most affordable way into Bajaj Pulsar ownership and while the 2026 model might look largely the same as before, underneath, it is actually all new. Bajaj Pulsar 125 what’s changed under the skin? Everything from stem to stern is all-new To start with, gone are the double-cradle frame and twin shock absorbers, replaced by a lighter and stiffer diamond frame and monoshock, respectively. Complementing the new chassis is a brand-new motor. This engine started life as an engine from an N model of a similar displacement, but Bajaj has made certain changes to suit this application. For instance, the new 124.58cc engine on the smaller Pulsar has the lightest crank inertia among its peers – claims Bajaj – and the company has saved 1.2kg here alone, compared to before. Speaking of weight, the 125 weighs 131kg with its 11 litre fuel tank brimmed. Despite all under-the-skin changes, the Pulsars retain their traditional styling to cater to market demand...

Car buyers today are pretty spoilt for choice. Beyond a multitude of brands, body styles and variants, there are now more fuel options than ever before. Petrol, diesel, CNG, hybrid, electric, and soon even ethanol-powered vehicles are all vying for attention, making the decision increasingly complicated. So, which powertrain makes the most sense for you? Tata Nexon models (left to right): Petrol, diesel, petrol-CNG and EV. To answer that question, we turned to one of the most versatile models on sale in India – the Tata Nexon . Few vehicles offer such a broad range of powertrain choices, and with design, space, practicality, safety and features remaining largely consistent across the range, the Nexon provides the perfect platform to isolate the one key variable – the fuel itself. So, we got together the turbo-petrol, CNG, diesel, as well as the EV to find out each fuel’s pros and cons, and thus, which would best fit your needs.  Disclaimer: Fuel prices vary from state to state. T...

The Hypevolt-R has a 5.04kWh battery pack split into two units. It gets three riding modes, each with a different top speed and throttle response. Eco is limited to 45kph, Normal takes that up to 81kph, while Sport allows the scooter to reach its claimed 115kph. Keeway EZI Hypevolt-R: Acceleration During our test, the conditions were damp. Acceleration (Sport Mode) Time (seconds) 0-40kph 2.64s 0-60kph 4.54s 0-80kph 7.49s 0-100kph 13.05s In our performance tests in Sport mode, the Hypevolt-R achieved the 0-80kph sprint in 7.49sec and 0-100kph in 13.05sec, making it quicker than the Ather 450 Apex. It was even slightly quicker than the BMW CE 02 we tested last year. Throttle calibration is well done. Despite the strong acceleration, the scooter never feels intimidating. Keeway EZI Hypevolt-R: Roll-On Acceleration The scooter delivers 12kW (16.3hp) of peak power. Roll-On Acceleration (Sport Mode) Time (seconds) 20-50kph 2.58s 30-70kph 3.73s 50-80kph 3.96s Roll-on acceleration times are a...