VR Tech Times

Hyundai Motor India, the second largest carmaker in the country, is set to enter the hybrid vehicle segment in the coming three years. Amid growing demand for hybrid vehicles globally and in India, the South Korean brand is looking to add hybrid powertrain as part of its electrified future in India, which is a departure from pure EV future planned in the past, say sources. People in the know say that Euisun Chung, the executive chairman of Hyundai Motor Group , told employees in India recently that hybrids will be a critical part of its portfolio in the country, along with electric vehicles. Chung had addressed a town hall earlier in the month offering a long term strategy for the Indian market. Hyundai midsize SUVs, sedan likely to receive hybrid tech Makes sense to use hybrid tech with diesel engines to meet emission norms Maruti has already begun development of hybrids for India Hyundai is likely to bring in hybrid powertrain alternatives to its midsize SUVs and sedan in the...

Mahindra launched the new XUV 3XO (formerly XUV300) with prices ranging between Rs 7.49 lakh to Rs 15.49 lakh, ex-showroom India. It gets an all-new front and rear design, new interior with more features and new powertrain options as well. The XUV 3XO also adopts a new trim nomenclature (similar to the XUV700 ) and is now available in nine trims – MX1, MX2, MX2 Pro, MX3, MX3 Pro, AX5, AX5 L, AX7 and AX7 L. Here, we are taking a close look at what features and engine options you get in each trim. Mahindra XUV 3XO variants explained The XUV 3XO continues with its 111hp 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine, the 131hp, 1.2-litre TGDi turbo-petrol engine and the 117hp, 1.5-litre diesel engine, but there are new gearbox options to choose from. Both petrol engines now get a new 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox, replacing the AMT unit on the base-spec turbo-petrol engine; the higher-spec turbo-petrol never got an auto gearbox option on the outgoing model. The diesel continues with its 6...

As part of its strategy to push alternative fuels on the path to reducing its carbon footprint, Maruti Suzuki is looking to sell over 6 lakh CNG vehicles in FY2025. The market leader is aiming to sell as many CNG vehicles this financial year as the rest of the market sold in FY2024. If the company attains its target, then it would register a growth of over 30 percent in volumes of CNG vehicles, from 4.5 lakh units in FY2024. CNG car, SUV sales in India crossed 5 lakh units for the first time in FY2024 Maruti CNG sales account for about 25 percent of total sales in FY2024 Speaking to media persons post Q4 FY2024, R C Bhargava, chairman of Maruti Suzuki said the company will continue to push on CNG sales across the value chain. Apart from selling more CNG cars and SUVs, the company is also looking at utilising gas to generate electricity to run its manufacturing facilities. The CNG vehicle market crossed half a million units for the first time ever in FY2024, predominantly drive...

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Force Motors is perhaps best known for its commercial vehicles, but it has also built a reputation in the off-road community thanks to its Gurkha SUV. Now, the Gurkha has undergone its most comprehensive overhaul yet: a new 5-door body style, a 7-seater layout, new features and an updated powertrain. So is it a more complete package now? Read on to know. Force Gurkha 5-door: design, interior and space The Gurkha’s design continues to be largely unchanged but that’s a good thing. Few vehicles out there have the sheer road presence of the Gurkha – like a desi G-Wagon, if you will. Standing at over 2m tall, 4.4m long and 1.8m wide, the Gurkha 5-door looks even more imposing than its 3-door sibling. And with the additional doors and the 425mm longer wheelbase (2,825mm), the Gurkha 5-door is actually the more proportionate of the two. Some of the stand out details are the LED headlamps with the cool segmented Daytime Running Lamp signature, the large Gurkha lettering on the front grille ...

Skoda has unveiled an outlandish electric single-seater concept for the Playstation racing game Gran Turismo. The Skoda Vision Gran Turismo is a totally unique four-wheel-drive racer, designed to “attract new fans” to the Skoda brand, according to CEO Klaus Zellmer. The digital racer gets a 272hp electric motor on each wheel for a combined output of 1,088hp and 1,020Nm of torque, with Skoda claiming its 4WD system and active aerodynamics will enure “exceptional performance” under all track conditions. Skoda Vision Gran Turismo gets 87kWh battery powering four motors Draws design inspiration from the 1957 Skoda 1100 OHC Spider Gets futuristic, yoke-like steering  Power is drawn from an 87kWh lithium-ion battery through a single-speed transmission. The 4WD layout optimises torque distribution between the two axles for better cornering performance, while a pushrod suspension system – similar to the one used in Formula E – is claimed to improve stability at high speeds, reduce...

Hyundai is currently in the midst of extensively testing the Creta EV, with prototypes having been spied on test a couple of times in the past few months. We can now report that Hyundai Creta EV is likely to go on sale in India before one of its biggest rivals arrives in the market, the Maruti Suzuki eVX. Creta EV India launch expected in early 2025 Maruti eVX launch delayed by a few months Creta EV to also rival Tata Curvv EV and MG ZS EV Hyundai Creta EV launch timeline Hyundai Motor India has confirmed that it plans to start with the mass production of the Creta EV at its Chennai plant by the end of this year, with a global debut scheduled for 2025. In contrast, the launch of Maruti Suzuki's eVX SUV seems to be delayed by a few months. As per our sources, the start of production for the Maruti eVX SUV is likely to move from September 2024 to February 2025, at the earliest. This indicates that Hyundai's first mass-market EV will launch in India before Maruti's. ...

I write this fresh after having the unusual opportunity to have ridden 35km to work on the TVS Raider this morning and then completing the same commute back home on the superb new Aprilia RS 457 . Guess which ride I enjoyed more? To be fair, Mumbai’s harsh, horribly bumpy and ridiculously slippery concrete roads have steadily beaten down on my love of sporty motorcycles, but that’s a rant for another day. What I really want to talk about today is how far we’ve come with the idea of commuter machines. If you’ve read or  watched our comparison between the new Hero Xtreme 125R and the TVS Raider, you’re probably wondering why I was so enthusiastic in that story. After all, they’re just another couple of piddly little 125s that no enthusiast worth their salt would care about, right? Honestly, that thought process would be a mistake. I get why people would think that way though. The very first motorcycle entrusted to me as a journalist was a 125cc commuter – and even then, as a co...

The world today needs more electric cars. No, don’t get me wrong, this is not because I think they are ‘zero emission’ vehicles; far from it. What EVs can be in the future, however, are a cleaner, greener way forward. And it’s not just the world that needs more EVs; India desperately needs more EVs too. We spend roughly USD 125 billion on the import of crude oil every year, and any significant move to electric vehicles can help offset this massive drain on our national resources.   What EVs, however, need to do is get greener. To achieve this, we first need norms that dictate batteries be made using less energy-intensive materials that are cleaner to mine, refine and produce. And on the flip side what we need to do is decarbonise and clean up the grid. Remember the old adage ‘only when you measure, can you improve’? That’s exactly what we need to do here today. Measure, measure, measure. The sad fact is that no one is really measuring the amounts of CO2 EVs generate. In fact...

I am really disappointed that carmakers nowadays are reducing the width of their cars. I understand it’s for easy handling in traffic, but it has made cars look small, a segment lower and ugly. They have forgotten that Indians want their cars to look big and expensive. The latest Alto, for instance, looks like an MG Comet, and the fourth-gen Honda City looks better than the fifth gen. The reason I’ve brought this up is because I now feel the same way about my Virtus. I feel it looks disproportionate, so I got it lowered by changing the coil springs. This made the ride very hard and I went back to the stock ones. Can I drive around with a permanent weight in the boot? Secondly, I replaced the stock tyres to a set of 225/45-R17 section tyres, but the ride comfort has gone for a toss again and it has already started damaging the suspension. I want to get the stock wheels back again but the dealer from whom I bought the wheels is not helping me. Raghav Aggarwal, via email Autocar India...

It’s been a three-year gap, but we’re back with the annual Autocar Track day for 2024! This time around, some things remain the same, but quite a few things are very different. For example, we still have motorcycle racing legend Rajini Krishnan setting the lap times, so you know these bikes are going to be pushed to the limit. On the other hand, we’re now at an exciting new race track, the super fast and flowing CoASTT High Performance Centre in Coimbatore. Air pressure for the track is a lot lower than stock. This brand new circuit is 3.8km long, which is almost identical to the MMRT in Chennai. However, the lap times will be much quicker here because this track has an extremely fast and flowing layout that favours high downforce race cars. With its very high corner speeds and multiple blind corner entries, CoASTT is a circuit that favours a brave and skilled rider so it’s a good thing we have Rajini on hand to set the lap times. In case you were wondering, he’s the most succes...

I’m planning to replace my Mahindra Marazzo with another 6- or 7-seater. My yearly average is about 25,000km, and I need the MPV for family trips. My budget is around Rs 25 lakh-40 lakh, and I need something that’s not only feature-loaded but also has good fuel efficiency. Srivatsa, Chennai Autocar India says: Given your requirements for space and long-distance driving, the Toyota Innova Crysta would be your best bet as it is super reliable, comfortable for six to seven people and great for long-distance cruising. The issue of availability of the Crysta is also sorted out now and dealers have ready stock, but its only available with a manual gearbox. If you are looking for an automatic, then the other alternative is the Toyota Innova Hycross, which is very comfortable and reliable but doesn’t have the long-legged cruising ability of the Crysta. Also See: Toyota Innova Hycross non-hybrid video review Toyota Innova Hycross petrol AT review, real world fuel economy tested Toyota I...

The TVS Raider was the first 125cc motorcycle that said, ‘yes, you can have a sensible and cost effective commuter, but it can also be fun and desirable’. That formula led to it winning our Bike of the Year award in 2021 and the Raider has subsequently become TVS’ bestselling motorcycle in a really short span of time. It’s such a great success story that Hero is going down a similar route with the new Xtreme 125R. AT FIRST SIGHT In fact, when it comes to giving off premium bike vibes, the Xtreme even outdoes the Raider. With its aggressive headlamp, sculpted fuel tank, large side shrouds and sporty tail, you could easily mistake this bike for a 160, and the Xtreme scores big in this regard. The Raider is still a very stylish motorcycle, but it does look a little more petite in this company. Both do more than simply try to look like larger machines and they also offer you a more premium feature set than you would find on the typical 125cc commuter. For example, both have good lookin...