VR Tech Times

Everything just has to be some form of SUV these days, right? And you know what – that’s just fine. If you want a sedan with lifted suspension, a curvy roof and a punchier engine, do it! It’s adding more sport to your life. If you want a lifted hatchback with boxy sides and a bit of cladding, go for it – it gives you greater utility. That’s S and U covered. However, if you’re an alumnus of the Old School – the type who believes that an SUV must have four-wheel drive, high ground clearance and tough underpinnings, that it must be able to climb mountains, ford streams and have ancestors that fought in actual wars – there are only a handful of SUVs on the planet that would fit the bill. And after years of trying, we finally have three of them together on the same loose clump of mud. They all pay homage to their legendary ancestors, some more directly than others. The Jeep Wrangler, Land Rover Defender and Mercedes G-Class are not rivals in the truest sense of the word. How could the...

Because the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is similar in size to a Tata Harrier, it is too big for my cramped residential parking space, which means I can’t use it as a daily driver. So, ever since this EV entered the Autocar India long term fleet, I’ve been yearning to spend time with it. And after many months, I finally got an opportunity – a weekend getaway to Aamby Valley City, a holiday township, located around 125km away from Mumbai. Since I’ve tested this Hyundai EV extensively, its combined range of 457km made me very confident that the Ioniq 5 ’s battery would have enough juice for the round trip and still be left with sufficient charge.  “It looks futuristic. Nice colour. It is so spacious.” These were some of the remarks by my wife and friends, who were totally blown away by the Ioniq 5. With a fully charged battery, a boot full of luggage, and three very excited passengers, we set off. Since the intent wasn’t to maximise range, I drove in ‘Normal’ mode for the most part, and switch...

At a time when several OEMs are pushing for continued government support in the form of demand incentives for faster electric vehicle adoption, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) is developing its EV portfolio in such a way that the product remains sustainable and its prices are competitive even without government subsidies.  Activa e: and QC1 are the first set of electric two-wheelers by HMSI While Activa e: has removable batteries, QC1 has a fixed battery Bookings for both these e-scooters will start in January Honda Activa e:, QC1 pricing to be revealed next year “We developed our products, keeping aside any kind of subsidy. We develop everything without any government intervention in terms of our products. Our pricing strategy will not be dependent on any government subsidies,” said Yogesh Mathur, director for sales and marketing at HMSI, while launching the company’s first set of electric two-wheelers. Government subsidies in the form of demand incentives and...

Another week and another new SUV. Except the XEV 9e is no ordinary SUV. It’s Mahindra’s flagship electric SUV and marks a pivotal moment for the manufacturer in its electrification journey. Sure, the XEV name might link the model to Mahindra's XUV range of petrol and diesel SUVs, but it’s not merely an electric conversion of the XUV700. Under the skin, it’s all new. It's built on a cutting-edge electric architecture that enables some seriously impressive stats which you’ll learn over this review. The XEV 9E has been revealed with an introductory price of Rs 21.9 lakh (ex-showroom). And the price is only a starting point in a long list of highlights. Mahindra XEV 9e: Design and dimensions In terms of frontal styling, the look is what I'd picture a facelifted XUV700 to have looked like. It's new age, it's muscular and it's a whole lot more angular. The face is characterised by DRLs that start low down on the bumper, extend all the way across the bonnet and th...

Kia will take the wraps off the Syros , its second compact SUV after the Sonet , on December 19. The Syros will go on sale in January. The brand has been drip-feeding information on it for a few weeks, previewing some design details and features via teasers. Syros to launch with ICE powertrain initially Gets upright cabin for added practicality To come with a panoramic sunroof, ADAS Kia Syros to have a unique take on compact SUV Kia India is trying to position the Syros as a unique product in the crowded compact SUV segment. It features a boxy design with a flat roof and an upright rear, in order to liberate maximum cabin space.  Some styling cues on the Syros remind us of other Kia models like the flagship EV9 SUV and the Carnival MPV . A distinctive feature is the window line that rises up with a sharp kink for the rear quarter glass area. The break in the window line at the B-pillar, finished in body colour, is reminiscent of the erstwhile Skoda Yeti.  The Syr...

Also See: Mahindra XUV 3XO AX5 review: In demand   from Autocar India https://ift.tt/WcfS1n2

Honda will open bookings for its new electric scooters – the Activa e: and the QC1 – on January 1, 2025, with deliveries commencing in February. Honda plans to make 1 lakh units of these models annually It has 6.2 million-unit annual production capacity Both models have close to 99 percent localisation   Honda electric scooter India production plans “First year, we are planning to manufacture around 1 lakh units of both the electric vehicle models,” Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) President, CEO and MD Tsutsumu Otani told reporters on Wednesday. Honda can manufacture around 6.2 million two-wheelers annually in India across its four factories – Manesar (Haryana), Alwar (Rajasthan), Narsapura (Karnataka) and Vithalapur (Gujarat). The Activa e: and QC1 will be manufactured at the Narsapura factory. When asked about localisation, Yogesh Mathur, director of sales and marketing at HMSI, said: “We have localised around 99 percent of it with batter...

The new-gen Honda Amaze has started reaching dealer stockyards and the first leaked images of the Dzire rival have surfaced online, showing the exterior and interior of the car in production form. New Amaze looks like a mini-City Gets camera-based ADAS like Elevate Gets a free-standing infotainment unit New Honda Amaze design is modern yet familiar The car seen in these images seems to be finished in Obsidian Blue Pearl, which is also available on the City sedan. Honda India seems to have replicated the look of larger models in its line-up and could be playing it safe in terms of styling by using familiar design cues. The new Amaze comact sedan looks striking from the front, but also has a lot in common with the Elevate SUV – the grille is large and upright, and has a similar honeycomb design. It gets a dual-LED headlamp setup, which is much slimmer and is positioned higher than before. Its daytime running lamp signatures also seem inspired by the Elevate. The front bumper ha...

The Audi Q7 facelift has been launched in India at Rs 88.66 lakh. This is the second facelift for the current-gen model that debuted in 2015. Bookings commenced a few days ago and local assembly is already underway at the Aurangabad plant. Q7 facelift gets OLED headlamps Gets updated Virtual Cockpit and new upholstery shades Continues with the same 3.0-litre turbo-petrol engine Audi Q7 facelift exterior highlights This facelift made its global debut in January 2024 , extending the current-gen SUV's lifespan by a few years. The update focuses mainly on cosmetic changes such as new OLED headlamps with customisable light signatures like the Q6 e-tron , a new grille with a thicker chrome surround and a hexagonal pattern, and redesigned bumpers that resemble the Q8 SUV. The facelift gets a choice of five exterior colours: Sakhir Gold, Waitomo Blue, Mythos Black, Samurai Grey and Glacier White. Audi Q7 facelift interior highlights The facelift gets two upholstery shades – Ceda...

Mahindra has revealed the first of its born-EVs – the BE 6e and the XEV 9e. While the smaller BE already has competition in the market (from the Tata Curvv EV and MG ZS EV) and more than a few upcoming rivals (from Maruti’s e Vitara to the Hyundai Creta EV), the larger XEV 9e is a somewhat more niche model. The all-electric coupe-SUV is not expected to see any direct competition until Tata brings out the Harrier EV next year . However, based on its price, size and specifications, along with the fact that's it's a born-EV and not an ICE conversion, the XEV 9e will contend with the BYD Atto 3 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5, to a degree. Mahindra XEV 9e vs rivals size Mahindra XEV 9e vs rivals: Dimensions XEV 9e Atto 3 Ioniq 5 Length (mm) 4789 4455 4635 Width (mm) 1907 1875 1890 Height (mm) 1694 1615 1625 Wheelbase (mm) 2775 2720 3000 Ground clearance (mm) 207 175 163 (laden) Turning diameter (m) 10 - 12 Tyres 245/55 R19 (245/50 ...

Maruti Suzuki has exported 30 lakh made-in-India cars to international markets since exports began in 1987. In that year, Maruti had sent the first shipment of 500 cars to Hungary. Maruti currently exports 17 models to nearly 100 countries Key markets include Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Plans to export 7,50,000 units by FY2030-31 The latest shipment, comprising 1,053 made-in-India Maruti cars, departed from Gujarat's Pipavav port. It included models such as the Celerio , Fronx , Jimny , Baleno , Ciaz , Dzire, and S-Presso. In addition to these models, Maruti exports other locally manufactured cars and SUVs in both left- and right-hand drive layouts. The brand also supplies Toyota-branded cars and SUVs to many international markets from India. Maruti Suzuki reached its 1 million export milestone in FY2012-13 and achieved the next million less than nine years later, in FY2020-21. The progression from 2 million to 3 million exports took just three years ...

Maserati has announced its intention to continue racing in Formula E as the series enters the Gen4 era, ensuring its participation at least until 2030. Currently running the third-generation race car, the Formula E series will move to the fourth-generation car, which will compete from season 13 in 2026 to season 16 in 2030. CEO Santo Ficili said, "Having entered the electric racing series in 2023, with the introduction of the third-generation car, Maserati was happy to announce its further commitment to the fourth generation, as it sees this as the ‘future of racing’ and an important series in the motorsport world." Asked by Autocar India if Maserati sees the series more as a test bed or marketing arena for its passenger EV range, Jean-Marc Finot, senior VP of Stellantis Motorsport, said that the company sees this as the “best of both, on the marketing side and technology side”, but stressed that “customers expect EVs to have more range, faster charging, and Formula E is t...

Aston Martin has two models in the pipeline for an India launch next year. One is the recently revealed Aston Martin Vanquish, the brand’s new flagship offering, and the other is the yet-to-be-revealed facelift for the Vantage Roadster. New Aston Martin Vanquish launch in January 2025 Vantage Roadster facelift launch in mid-2025 Aston Martin Vanquish India launch details Aston Martin will announce India prices for the new Vanquish in January 2025, and we expect the flagship model to be priced upwards of Rs 6 crore, ex-showroom, without options. The all-new Aston Martin Vanquish is powered by an uprated version of the brand’s 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 engine; it now produces 835hp and a massive 1,000Nm of torque. This denotes an increase of 110hp and 100Nm torque over the now-discontinued DBS’ V12 unit. All that output is sent to the rear wheels through an 8-speed automatic gearbox with an electronic shift-by-wire system. Aston Martin claims a 0-100kph of just 3.3 seconds and ...