VR Tech Times

There’s nothing like an outsider’s view to give you some much-needed perspective on things. Sure, we car reviewers have the benefit and privilege of driving every car on the market to form a wholesome opinion, but sometimes, caught up in our little bubble of 0-100 acceleration times, Global NCAP crash test ratings and on-limit steering feel, we might miss the forest for the trees. Over this Diwali break, I got to spend some long-overdue time with many friends and loved ones, and to share the Creta Electric with them. Their feedback was invaluable and, at times, eye opening. Not that I had to ask for their opinion at all; most people had something to say within five minutes of being introduced to it. Effectively kept the firework smoke out of the cabin through the festive week. My mother, who is my most regular passenger, knows her way around the car by now. She has learnt that, after a drive, the front passenger door won’t unlock just by tugging at the handle. It has to be manua...

The Honda Activa has cemented its reputation in our market over the past two decades for quite a few reasons - the promise of bulletproof reliability, low running costs and great fuel efficiency. In this story, we’ll examine how the latest generation of India’s best-selling scooter fared when we put it through our fuel efficiency tests.  Honda Activa real-world fuel economy Activa returned 60kpl (combined) in our tests As is our routine, we first ran the Activa on the highway for a little over 50km, after which it needed a measly 800ml of fuel to brim its tank once more. Thus, we arrived at an impressive highway fuel efficiency number of 66.2kpl.  After that, we circled back to the jam-packed streets of South Mumbai, where we ran the Activa for close to 50km after which it needed just 900ml of petrol for its tank to be brimmed again. This gave s a city fuel economy number of 54.4kpl.  Honda Activa fuel economy analysis  Activa has a start/stop system that's qu...

from Autocar India https://ift.tt/ZQgbo8X

Royal Enfield has unveiled a new special-edition Meteor 350 dubbed as the Sundowner Orange at Motoverse 2025 in Goa. 1. Royal Enfield Meteor 350 gets aluminium tubeless spoke wheels 2. This limited-run edition wears a commemorative badge, celebrates the 5-lakh-strong Meteor community Royal Enfield Meteor 350 Sundowner Orange: Key Highlights It remains mechanically unchanged The Sundowner Orange edition gets a factory-fitted touring pack that includes a touring seat, flyscreen, passenger backrest and the Tripper navigation pod that’s standard on higher models. It also features aluminium tubeless spoke wheels that is a first for the Meteor 350 range, a slip-and-assist clutch that’s been introduced with the 2026 range with adjustable levers and LED headlamp. Royal Enfield says the limited-run model carries a commemorative badge and celebrates the Meteor community, now over half a million strong globally. The Meteor 350 Sundowner Orange is priced at Rs 2.19 lakh (ex-showroom, Chenn...

Honda has stopped production of its Activa e: and QC1 electric scooters since August 2025, according to data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). The production halt came just six months after the Japanese manufacturer entered our electric two-wheeler market in February 2025. Zero production recorded for August, September, and October 2025 Only 5,201 units sold out of 11,168 units manufactured Only 740 units of Activa e: sold since February Honda Activa e: and QC1: What's gone wrong? Lack of home-charging and limited battery station network likely contributing to slow sales Between February and July 2025, Honda produced 11,168 total units of the electric Activa e: and QC1. However, with only 5,201 units (46.6 percent) dispatched to dealers, the company is sitting on significant unsold inventory, which could be the reason for halting production. Since production began, the QC1 has vastly outsold the Activa e:, accounting for 86 percent of sales, with...

from Autocar India https://ift.tt/e7bv4rS

The price announcement of the long-awaited petrol versions of the Harrier and Safari is expected on December 9, 2025. Tata's petrol-powered flagship SUVs will rival similar-sized models such as the Hyundai Alcazar, Mahindra XUV700, and the MG duo comprising the Hector and Hector Plus. Let us look at how the Harrier petrol and Safari petrol compare, on paper, against their rivals, based on what we know so far. Tata Harrier, Safari petrol dimensions vs rivals Harrier and Safari have the highest ground clearance and are the widest SUVs here.    Tata Harrier Tata Safari Hyundai Alcazar Mahindra XUV700 MG Hector/Hector Plus Length (mm) 4605 4668 4560 4695 4699 Width (mm) 1922 1922 1800 1890 1835 Height (mm) 1718 1795 1710 1755 1760 Wheelbase (mm) 2741 2741 2760 2750 2750 Ground clearance (mm) 205 (est.) 205 (est.) 200 200 192 Boot space (litres) 445 ...

The Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 is the brand’s flagship offering. It uses the same proven 649cc engine found in Royal Enfield’s other middleweight models, but distinguishes itself with a full-fledged cruiser riding posture. Here are a few things to know before buying the Super Meteor 650. 1. What is the peak output of the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650?   The Super Meteor is powered by the tried-and-tested 649cc, parallel-twin, air/oil-cooled engine that produces 47hp and 52Nm, mated to a 6-speed gearbox. 2. How is the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 different from the Shotgun 650? Although the Super Meteor 650 shares its platform with the Shotgun 650, it stands apart in several key areas. It sports a more traditional cruiser-style wheel setup with a 19-inch front and 16-inch rear, compared to the Shotgun’s 18-inch/17-inch combo. The Super Meteor also carries a larger 15.7-litre fuel tank, giving it roughly 2 litres more capacity than the Shotgun. Additionally, its ultra-l...

Porsche has launched the new Cayenne Electric in India from Rs 1.76 crore onwards. The SUV is available in Electric and Turbo Electric trims. Bookings for the SUV have commenced, with deliveries expected to start in the second half of 2026. Available in two trims: Cayenne Electric and Cayenne Turbo Electric Is the first Porsche EV to get an optional 11kW wireless charging Does 0-100kph in 2.5 seconds; most powerful production-spec Porsche New Porsche Cayenne Electric: Prices Available in two trims, prices start from Rs 1.76 crore. Trim Price Cayenne Electric Rs 1.76 crore Cayenne Turbo Electric Rs 2.26 crore Prices are ex-showroom, India New Porsche Cayenne Electric: Powertrain options 113kWh battery pack, dual electric motors and a 0-100kph time of 2.5 seconds. Both variants of the New Porsche Cayenne Electric come with a 113kWh battery pack and a dual-motor AWD setup as standard. The more powerful Turbo Electric trim features 1,156hp a...

Yamaha recently launched the FZ Rave, positioning it as a more sporty-looking version of the popular FZ while retaining its proven mechanical package. If you're considering the FZ Rave, here are answers to the most common questions you might have. What engine does Yamaha FZ Rave have? The Yamaha FZ Rave is powered by the same 149cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine as the rest of the FZ lineup. Peak output figures stand at 12.4hp at 7,250rpm and 13.3Nm of torque at 5,500rpm. The engine is mated to a 5-speed gearbox. Does the Yamaha FZ Rave have ABS? Yes, the Yamaha FZ Rave comes equipped with single-channel ABS as standard. Braking hardware, meanwhile, comprises a 282mm disc at the front and a 220mm disc at the rear.  What is the seat height of the Yamaha FZ Rave? The Yamaha FZ Rave has a seat height of 790mm. Since it's based on the standard FZ, other key specifications including the 136kg kerb weight, 13-litre fuel tank, and 165mm ground clearance, are identical as ...

A test mule of the facelifted Maruti Suzuki Brezza was recently spied on Indian roads for the first time. Maruti Suzuki launched the current-gen Brezza back in June 2022, so the compact SUV is due an update in the near future. Maruti Brezza facelift may get new alloy wheels and rear light bar Interior changes for Brezza facelift expected to be minor, with expanded feature list 1.5-litre petrol engine likely to be retained from current Brezza; CNG will be available too No precise launch timeline at the moment, but 2026 launch is possible Maruti Suzuki Brezza facelift exterior changes New alloy wheels, and rear end may get an LED light bar. The spy shots on hand only show the rear three-quarter of the Brezza facelift, and the heavy camouflage makes it tough to spot cosmetic updates. However, new four-spoke blacked-out alloy wheels can be observed, and the slightly reprofiled LED tail-lamps could be connected by a light strip with segmented sections a la the Maruti Victoris . ...

Midsize SUVs blend versatility and practicality in a way that caters to a huge set of buyers. Apart from smaller cubbies in the cabin meant for storing nick-nacks, long road trips or frequent airport runs mandate a sizeable boot. So, here are a few midsize SUVs that have the largest boot with their last row of seats in place, ranked in an ascending order. 9. Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder The petrol-only variants of the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder get a 373-litre boot, which puts them at the bottom of this list. While the opening is well-sized and the boot’s depth is decent, outright space is low. It gets much worse if you pick one of the Hybrid variants, where boot space is only 265 litres. 8. Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Taigun The Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun both offer 385 litres of boot space with the rear seats in place. The low boot floor makes it easy to store tall items, while fixed tethering hooks can be u...

Hybrid cars offer a great middle ground between the conventional combustion engine and all-electric powertrains – specifically excellent fuel efficiency with none of the range anxiety typically associated with EVs. Currently, only six hybrid cars are available this side of Rs 50 lakh in India, and we’ve put four of them through our fastidious real-world mileage tests. Let’s see how they rank. 4. Toyota Innova Hycross Average tested mileage: 14.60kpl Kicking things off is the Toyota Innova Hycross  with a 184hp 2.0-litre petrol-hybrid powertrain – the strongest one here by far. However, the Innova Hycross is also a large and relatively heavy people-mover, so in our testing, it achieved 13.10kpl in the city and 16.10kpl on the highway, averaging out to 14.60kpl. Toyota Innova Hycross hybrid fact file Price (Rs, lakh) 25.90-31.90 Engine 2.0-litre, 4 cyls, petrol-hybrid Power (hp) 184 (combined) Torque (Nm) 188 (engine) + 206 (motor) Gearbox e-CVT ...

The Shotgun 650 is a long, low, Bobber-style machine, and while it is based on the Super Meteor platform, there are plenty of differences. Here are a few things to know before buying the Royal Enfield Shotgun 650. 1. What is the peak output of the Royal Enfield Shotgun 650?   The Shotgun is powered by the tried-and-tested 649cc, parallel-twin, air/oil-cooled engine that produces 47hp and 52Nm, mated to a 6-speed gearbox. 2. How different is the Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 compared to the Super Meteor 650? While the Shotgun is based on the Super Meteor’s platform, it features plenty of differences. The more notable ones include different wheel sizes, with an 18-inch/17-inch front and rear setup versus the more traditional cruiser setup of 19-inch/16-inch combination on the Super Meteor. It also gets a different fuel tank that holds 13.8 litres, which is about 2 litres down on its sibling. Then there’s the seat height, which at 795mm is still very approachable but much higher th...

Projector headlights have been around for decades, first debuting in high-end cars before eventually trickling down to mass-market models. Motorcycles followed the same path – projectors were once reserved for premium bikes but are now increasingly common even in affordable commuter machines. A projector setup can use either a halogen bulb or an LED, but the key advantage lies in better illumination, a more consistent spread and a controlled beam throw compared to conventional reflector headlights. With demand for improved visibility on the rise, several manufacturers now offer this feature in the budget segment. Here’s a look at six motorcycles priced under Rs 1.5 lakh that come factory-fitted with projector headlights. 7. TVS Apache RTR 160 4V Rs 1.16 - 1.36 lakh TVS launched an update to celebrate 20 years of the Apache, introducing the updated RTR 160 4V and RTR 200 4V with a mono-projector LED headlight. The RTR 200 4V is not included in this list, as it did not make the cut...