VR Tech Times

In the run-up to EICMA, Kawasaki has updated the Z900 naked bike with new styling, more features and better componentry. The higher-spec Z900 SE variant has also seen similar changes.  Slight reduction in peak outputs to meet new emission norms Base Z900 weighs 213kg, SE weighs 214kg India launch expected next year, current price is Rs 9.38 lakh Kawasaki Z900: visual changes and more features for 2025 The biggest visual change to the 2025 Z900 is the new styling, which has become even more angular than before. This is in line with the new Z design philosophy, with the headlight being the same unit as the Z500 and the Z7 Hybrid bikes. The tail-light is also new, with the older bike’s trademark Z-shaped unit making way for a new angular one. There are also brushed metal accents on the side panels with the Z logo on the 2025 Kawasaki Z900. Electronic features have also been added to the 2025 Kawasaki Z900 because it now finally gets ride-by-wire and an IMU (inertial measurem...

Also See: Toyota Hyryder Hybrid long term review, 4,500km report     from Autocar India https://ift.tt/Ya6OsRG

The long-awaited range of Mahindra’s born-electric SUVs are finally round the corner, the first of which is expected to be the BE.05 slated for a launch in January 2025. Soon after, it will be followed by the XUV.e8 and the XUV.e9 duo, and a recent camouflaged sighting of the former has given us sneak peek at its full-width, three screen setup in action. XUV.e8 will be an electric version of the XUV700 Will share sheet metal parts and interior trims, features Will have a battery pack of up to 80kWh Mahindra XUV.e8 interior and features The shy shot reveals that there will be three individual screens housed in a single casing spanning the dashboard’s entire width. It appears like an extension of the XUV700 ’s dual-screen setup with an additional passenger screen and will likely be flanked by AC vents on either side. Such a setup will be quite a novelty in the mass-segments, as it has so far been seen only in luxury cars in India, such as in Mercedes’ and Porsches. The three ...

Underlining the robust consumer sentiments in the automobile market, India’s largest passenger car maker, Maruti Suzuki, said retail sales of passenger vehicles have been pretty good during the festival season. The automaker estimates its retail sales to grow 14 percent in the peak festival period on a year-on-year basis. Maruti  operating profit declined almost 8 percent YoY in August-September Maruti dealers had over 30 days of worth of inventory Maruti received over 4 lakh bookings in the festive season "[The] Festival season has been pretty good. We are expecting our retail sales, starting from the end of the Shradh period till the end of Diwali, will have roughly 14 percent growth, compared to the same period last year," Maruti Suzuki chairman RC Bhargava, told reporters after announcing the company's second-quarter results. The festive season in India generally starts with Ganesh Chaturthi or Onam in Kerala towards the end of August or start of September, a...

Anti-lock braking system or ABS is a safety feature that can prove to be invaluable on our treacherous roads and here are the top ten most affordable bikes in the country that come with ABS. It bears mentioning that the bikes on this list have single-channel ABS only.  All prices ex-showroom, Delhi Bajaj Pulsar N150 Kicking things off is the Pulsar N150, one of the most recent additions to Bajaj’s ever-growing Pulsar lineup. At Rs 1,24,730, the Pulsar N150 is the most expensive bike on this list which should give you an idea of how affordable the other options are.  Yamaha FZS Fi The original FZ16 cemented Yamaha’s reputation in India and even today the FZ range of models are strong sellers for India. The FZS Fi at Rs 1,21,900 is based on the FZ V3 and still uses the older design.   TVS Apache RTR 160 2V Just like the aforementioned FZ, the Apache RTR 160 2V has been responsible for establishing TVS’ reputation in India. The 2V model has been updated incremen...

Kia has revealed the Tasman - its first ever pickup truck. The Tasman is Kia’s answer to popular pickup trucks such as the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok. The Tasman will initially launch in the Korean domestic market during the first half of 2025 before being introduced in markets such as Australia, Africa and the Middle East. Tasman gets 2.2-litre diesel, 2.5-litre turbo-petrol engine options Offers single-cab, double-cab configurations Kia Tasman: exterior, interior design The Tasman features a boxy design with a squarish fascia featuring five vertical slats in the grille, vertically stacked headlamps that are set slightly behind the nose, as well as a muscular bumper. The wheel arches feature chunky plastic cladding, and the pickup truck sits on 17-inch gloss-black wheels with all-terrain tires, with optional 18-inchers. At the rear, the Tasman gets C-shaped tail lamps with a large stamped logo and the Tasman badging under it in the middle. Based on a body...

Tata Motors has discontinued the mid-spec Adventure and Adventure Rhythm trims available on the Punch. These trims were available in manual, AMT and CNG form and with the discontinuation, the compact SUV is now available in 8 trim levels. Do note that the recently launched Punch Camo is a limited-run festive season special, and has not been considered here. Tata Punch now available in 19 variants Punch petrol available in 8 variants AMT and CNG variants number 6 and 5, respectively Tata Punch variant-wise prices, ex-showroom, India (in Rs, lakh) Petrol-MT Petrol-AMT CNG-MT Pure 6.13 - 7.23 Pure (O) 6.70 - - Adventure S 7.60 8.20 8.55 Adventure + S 8.10 8.70 9.05 Accomplished + 8.30 8.90 9.40 Accomplished + S 8.80 9.40 9.90 Creative + 9.00 9.60 - Creative + S 9.45 10.00 - As the table above shows, Tata’s smallest SUV is now available in a total of 19 variants, though prices are unchanged from the most recent upda...

EICMA is the biggest show in the two-wheeler realm and this year’s rendition will mark its 110th anniversary. Each year, big-name manufacturers showcase new products to expand their catalogue and here’s all you can expect from this year’s iteration, in alphabetical order.  Aprilia When the RS 457 debuted, it turned over a new leaf for Aprilia in two ways, firstly, the Italian manufacturer finally entered the burgeoning and ultra-competitive sub-500cc class. Secondly, Aprilia manufactures the bike right here in India. Whenever a new Aprilia RS model has debuted, its Tuono equivalent is almost certainly given. This year’s EICMA would be a good opportunity for Aprilia to take the covers off the much-rumoured Tuono 457.  Another new model on the 457cc platform that was spotted just a few days ago is the Tuareg 457 rally racer. The spy shots showed us a competition-spec bike with no road-legal necessities and it's quite likely that this model is still a few years away. However,...

Mercedes-Benz India is all set to launch the new AMG C 63 in India on November 12. The AMG C 63 drops the V8 for a new plug-in hybrid setup that combines a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine along with a rear-mounted electric motor. For the new generation, the non-S C63 base model is dropped, which means that it will be available in the AMG C63 S E Performance spec only. AMG C 63 S E Performance gets 13km electric-only range Sprints from 0-100kph in 3.3 seconds Mercedes-AMG C 63: powertrain, specs The 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine on its own puts out 475hp, while the electric motor further produces 203hp. The total output stands at 680hp. To minimise lag, the turbocharger incorporates an electric motor that runs off the 400V electrical system and helps the turbine spool up faster – technology derived from Mercedes’ Formula 1 car. It gets a 9-speed multi-clutch automatic gearbox with all-wheel drive. The C63 also gets four-wheel steering, allowing the rear wheels to tu...

Mercedes-Benz is on an onslaught in India and wants to leave no segment empty. After EVs, coupe-SUVs, and even sedans, it is now the turn of a convertible. And no, unlike the previous ones (E 53 cabriolet and SL 55), this one does not carry an AMG badge. The CLE 300 is a cabriolet that is far from the usual gung-ho AMG models, and instead, is a convertible for those who want to take it easy. It’s more about style and the feeling of the wind in your hair than about lap times and cornering. Mercedes CLE: design The CLE’s calling card is its top down laid-back character.  In terms of design, there is a faint resemblance to the C-Class, but that’s all it is. Up close, the CLE is very different. The India-spec gets the AMG line treatment as standard, which adds a layer of sportiness to the design. As a result, the only chrome bits on the face are the studded grille and the strip on the front lip. The digital LED headlamps are wider and sharper, the bonnet features two muscular power...

I love the mountains and discovering off-beat destinations and trails. I am looking for a sturdy and tough SUV that can take a solid beating in bad roads in remote areas. It doesn’t need to be 4x4, but it should have good ground clearance. The car will also be used as a daily driver. I was looking at the Tata Harrier and the Mahindra Thar Roxx. What would you suggest? Autocar India says: The Harrier is a very comfortable SUV with a spacious cabin and a great ride. It has the edge over the Roxx when it comes to overall comfort. However, if you are looking for an SUV that will be driven on bad roads regularly, then the Roxx is a much better choice. The tough body-on-frame chassis and high ground clearance gives it a huge advantage over the Harrier, which doesn’t feel as robust in comparison. Also, the Roxx’s diesel engine is far superior to the Harrier’s gruff diesel, which is now showing its age. For town use, the Roxx’s ride is lumpy compared to the Harrier, but it’s not a deal brea...

Chinese manufacturer BYD (Build Your Dreams) is perhaps best known in India for its Atto 3 electric SUV and the Seal electric sedan, but BYD began its India chapter with the launch of the e6 electric MPV. It was initially offered just to fleet operators, but when sales opened to personal buyers, it couldn’t shake its commercial image. That’s where this new eMax 7 comes in. Essentially a revised and improved version of the e6, the eMax 7 comes with a larger battery, more features and a third row of seats.   BYD eMax 7 platform, powertrain Before we get to the cosmetic and interior bits, let’s talk about what’s under the eMax 7’s skin because it is interesting. It makes use of BYD’s e-platform 3.0, which includes the innovative Blade battery and an 8-in-1 electric powertrain. BYD’s Blade battery has a reputation of being one of the safest batteries out there, having passed tough safety tests like nail penetration, strength and bend tests. The unique arrangement of the cells in ...

Jaguar has built two special examples of the E-type 50 years after the final example of the original car rolled off the line in Coventry, UK. Jaguar’s in-house historic vehicles division, Jaguar Classic, has used original blueprints to build these models for a client in Southeast Asia. Reborn E-type based on Series I drophead coupes 3.8-litre straight six now gets EFI, more power Only two units built for a Southeast Asian client Jaguar E-type reborn: classic yet modern Designed to original Series I E-type specification but inspired by the run-out Series III Commemorative Edition, these are the only 'new' E-types to leave the Jaguar Classic workshop, said the firm. Both units are E-type drophead coupes, one finished in Signet Green and the other in Opal Black – both variations of colour schemes that were on the options list in 1974. They draw their power from the 3.8-litre straight six that powered the E-type from 1961-1964, but with a few modern additions: electronic ...

Hero’s Xpulse 200 4V has been updated, and it’s offered in two variants: Standard and Pro. As the name suggests, the Pro is essentially the erstwhile Rally Edition, and it’s the more extreme version of an already capable off-road motorcycle. It is also available with a set of optional Maxxisknobbies that you see on our test bike. Hero has given the Xpulse 200 4V Pro some new features this year, and I took this motorcycle out in its natural habitat to find out what it’s like. You now also get three switchable ABS modes. Hero has made some noticeable changes to the 2024 Xpulse range, which includes new reinforced knuckle guards, new switchgear, revised footpeg position, a new projector LED headlamp, a USB charging socket and ABS modes. The all-new headlamp is significantly brighter and incorporates an all-new Daytime Running Lamp design, making the Xpulse appear slightly more upmarket. New switchgear feels better to use. Unique to the Xpulse Pro is a new rally-styled windshield ...