VR Tech Times

What you see here is the all-new eighth-gen BMW 5 Series. The version for India marks a break from tradition because it’s not as much about the person sat up front as it is about the one sat at the back. And that’s because, for the first time ever, we get the 5 Series in long wheelbase format. Formerly a China-only model, the 5 Series LWB makes its right-hand drive debut in India. The aim is to beat the Mercedes-Benz E-Class at its own game. BMW 5 Series LWB: Dimensions So, how long is that wheelbase? 3105mm. For reference, that’s 130mm longer than the last-gen 5 Series’ wheelbase, 110mm longer than the standard wheelbase new-gen 5 Series that we get in India in all-electric i5 form, and 35mm longer than that of 6 Series GT that this car will also replace.   What your friendly BMW sales rep will undoubtedly draw your attention to is the fact that the 3,105mm figure makes the 5’s wheelbase longest in the segment, and crucially longer than that of the outgoing Mercedes E Class...

Nissan India will double its portfolio on August 1, 2024, with the introduction of the X-Trail SUV. To be brought in as a CBU, the Nissan X-Trail will be the Japanese brand’s flagship model in India, and be priced in the Rs 40 lakh-45 lakh (ex-showroom) region. Bookings for the model will open on July 26, for an amount of Rs 1 lakh. Read on to find answers to frequently asked questions about the upcoming India-spec Nissan X-Trail.  Does the Nissan X-Trail get the e-Power hybrid tech in India? Nissan has opted to bring the X-Trail to India without the brand’s e-Power hybrid tech. For our market, the X-Trail comes with a 1.5-litre three-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine that features variable compression, and makes 163hp and 300Nm of peak torque. The engine comes with a 12V mild-hybrid system and is mated to a shift-by-wire 8-step CVT gearbox that can also be used with paddle shifters. Is 4WD offered with the Nissan X-Trail? While the SUV is available in international markets with a...

Of all the two-wheelers sold in April-June (Q1 FY2025), motorcycles comprised the biggest chunk at 3.19 million units, registering a 17 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth. Next were scooters, with sales of 1.66 million units, up 28 percent. Mopeds recorded 16 percent growth at 1,22,715 units. The bulk of the motorcycle demand, as always, was in the commuter segment. In Q1, a total of 15,03,398 such fuel-sipping motorcycles were sold, up 12 percent YoY. The second in terms of volume is the 110-125cc executive bike segment, with 9,13,793 units, up 19.62 percent, followed by the 150-200cc segment with 3,34,207 units, up 21 percent. The two other segments that saw six-figure sales are the 125-150cc category, which grew 64 percent to 1,74,934 units, and the 250-350cc segment. But sales of 250-350cc bikes slipped 3.5 percent YoY to 1,95,129 units. Also See: Hero Splendor+ XTEC 2.0 launched at Rs 82,911 Market leader Hero MotoCorp remains in an unassailable position. It sold 1.39 million...

Game Informer Magazine's next cover story dives into The Casting of Frank Stone , Dead by Daylight's first single-player game, and a collaboration between developer Supermassive Games and DBD masterminds Behaviour Interactive. As part of our ongoing coverage, enjoy watching this exclusive gameplay clip of The Casting of Frank Stone's prologue, which we played during our visit to Behaviour Interactive.  You can read about our impressions of this section in the digital issue, which is now live . Physical issues will arrive to subscribers in the coming weeks.  The Casting of Frank Stone launches on September 3 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Be sure to visit our cover story hub for more exclusive stories and videos by clicking the banner below. from Game Informer https://ift.tt/pPCKs5O

Tata Motors recently debuted the Curvv coupe-SUV in production-spec, but key details like the interior design and specifications remain under wraps. Our dealer sources revealed some equipment highlights, and now we have new information about of the battery specifications of the Curvv EV.  Tata Curvv to get 55kWh battery on higher-spec variants Lower variants likely to get 40.5kWh battery from Nexon LR Petrol and diesel variants to launch at a later date Tata Curvv EV battery details Like other Tata Motors EVs, the Curvv too will have two battery options: higher variants will get a 55kWh one, while lower variants are expected to use the 40.5kWh battery from the Nexon LR models. Details about the range of the new 55kWh battery are still unavailable. However, based on the 40.5kWh battery's ARAI-claimed range of 465km, the larger battery is expected to exceed 550km on a single charge. Comparatively, upcoming rivals of the Curvv EV such as the  Creta EV  and the ...

Union Budget 2024 is likely to evoke mixed feelings among EV buyers and manufacturers. On the one hand, it has set the stage for a reduction in EV battery prices by lowering custom duties on key minerals used in battery manufacturing, while on the other, it has been silent on restoring or increasing e-two-wheeler subsidies. First, the good news: The budget reduced customs duties for critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt and copper from 10 to 2.5 percent on various metals to nil – a move that can reduce battery prices by as much as 20%. "Batteries account for 40%-50% of the cost of EVs,” pointed out Vikrant Singh, Co-Founder, Director, and CTO at battery recycling firm Batx Energies. “The government has assisted battery manufacturers by lowering the cost of imports of key battery materials such as nickel, which is required for cathode manufacturing. The government's overall mineral policy is also a welcome step because it will allow battery costs to be reduced by more th...

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Publisher: Behaviour Interactive Developer: Supermassive Games Release: September 3, 2024 Rating: Mature The Casting of Frank Stone is Game Informer ’s cover story this month, and we learned some exclusive details about the upcoming horror game during our trip to Behaviour Interactive’s studio in Montreal. Speaking to Supermassive creative director Steve Goss, he clued us in on the game’s most central and unique mechanic: the Super 8mm camera.  Set within the Dead by Daylight universe, the game story unfolds in the summer of 1980 in the unassuming small town of Cedar Hills. It follows a group of teenagers who set out to film a horror movie at an abandoned steel mill that has ties to a murderer named Frank Stone. At its core, The Casting of Frank Stone is a Supermassive game through and through. It’s a cinematic choice-driven horror game that sees players making decisions and executing split-second button prompts that can deci...

Helldivers 2 has been one of 2024’s biggest successes, and developer Arrow Head Games is prepping to launch its most substantial update yet. Escalation of Freedom is an upcoming update that adds new missions, new hazards, and, of course, new bugs. Arriving on August 6, Escalation of Freedom challenges players with a new level 10 difficulty and introduces new mission objectives, such as locating and extracting a crying larva that attracts Terminids. The game also receives new, larger fortress-like outposts for players to capture. The swamp biome gets a spookier facelift, and acid storms can now reduce the armor for players and enemies so both sides take greater damage. New Terminids and Automatons will clash with players, and Arrow Head Games teases that Escalation of Freedom features more surprises players will have to discover on their own. Check out the trailer for a look at what's to come.  Escalation of Freedom also brings quality-of-life improvements including an update to...

Even as the Indian two-wheeler industry registered wholesales of 4.98 million units, up 20% YoY, in April-June 2025, what comes to light is the continuing and strong contribution of the humble moped, the product at the lowest end of the two-wheeler pyramid, to overall industry numbers. TVS XL100, sales figures, details As per SIAM wholesales data for Q1 FY2025 (April-June 2024), the company dispatched 1,22,715 XL100s, up 16.58% year on year (Q1 FY2024: 105,261 units). Do the math – that’s 1,348 mopeds sold every day for the 91-day period between April and June 2024. What keeps the moped mantra ticking for TVS is the small two-wheeler’s affordability quotient, good mileage, and high level of reliability as a carrier of household goods, dairy and agricultural produce for small traders, particularly in rural India. Most of the moped demand is understood to generate from South India, Gujarat and regions of Madhya Pradesh. The XL100 is currently sold in five variants, from the base He...

Reviewed on: Xbox Series X/S Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom Release: July 19, 2024 Rating: Teen Kunitsu-Gami is the kind of wonderful, left-field Capcom release we don’t see often these days. Bound to be a cult classic in the future, Path of the Goddess is original and does not lean on any of Capcom’s established properties. Instead, it relies on an admittedly difficult-to-explain but well-executed gameplay loop that I found hard to put down with an art style that is equally challenging to look away from. Players take on the role of Soh, a masked swordsperson bound to protect the divine maiden Yoshiro as she slowly dances along the path of Mt. Kafuku to purge and cleanse it from invading demons. During the day, Yoshiro moves through a level while you explore to find experience points and villagers who can be assigned a job to help protect the maiden during the night as demons pour out from gates in all directions. The loop...

MultiVersus has two new fighters on the way in the form of Jack from Cartoon Network/Adult Swim's beloved animated series Samurai Jack and Beetlejuice of, well, Beetlejuice and its upcoming sequel (don’t make me write it a third time). The game is also getting a ranked mode. Samurai Jack and Beetlejuice are part of the Season 2: Back in Time content, which kicks off tomorrow, July 23. Jack becomes available at launch, letting players cut down opponents using his signature katana (as you can see in the trailer below). Beetlejuice arrives later in the season at an unknown date, so we don't get to see him in action just yet. However, Warner Bros. confirms he’ll become playable before the September 6 theatrical premiere of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice .  Season 2 also introduces a new ranked mode, allowing players to battle for leaderboard points to earn exclusive rank-based cosmetics. A new map, the Warner Bros. Water Tower, will also be added. MultiVersus is available now on Pl...

Nexa dealers have been offering big discounts on their cars and SUVs this month. To further sweeten the deal, benefits on the Jimny and Fronx have been increased. Jimny gets up to Rs 3.3 lakh off this month Fronx discounts increased to Rs 85,500 Disclaimer: Discounts vary from city to city and are subject to the availability of stock. Please check with your local dealer for the exact figures. Maruti Suzuki Jimny discounts for July 2024 The Jimny was previously listed with discounts of up to Rs 2.5 lakh , but that's now gone up by Rs 80,000 to Rs 3.3 lakh. The top-end Alpha trim gets a Rs 1.8 lakh cash discount, along with an additional Rs 1.5 lakh off for buyers who opt for Maruti Suzuki Smart Finance (MSSF). Jimny Zeta now gets benefits worth up to Rs 2.75 lakh with the MSSF scheme. The Jimny is priced from Rs 12.74 lakh to Rs 14.95 lakh before discounts. Maruti Suzuki Fronx discounts for July 2024 The discounts on the Fronx have also increased – the turbo-petrol v...

We recently broke the news that TVS owned Norton motorcycles would debut 6 brand new products over the next three years. The more exciting aspect about that was that these motorcycles will go on sale in India as well. We can now report some even more exciting news and that’s the fact that Norton motorcycles will also be manufactured in India. In a recent conversation with Sudarshan Venu, MD TVS Motor, we learned that the company will be leveraging its manufacturing and supply chain might in India to bolster the UK-based Norton business. Norton’s first all new product under TVS ownership is due to come out in 2025 and TVS plans to begin production in Hosur as well by the end next year. Also See: Norton to launch 6 all-new bikes over next 3 years Production will also continue at Norton’s new facility in Solihull UK, but TVS will be using its facilities in Hosur as well. “I believe high quality manufacturing is what TVS really brings - it is the strength of TVS - and therefore we wil...

Oscar Piastri scored his first ever F1 win in a dramatic Hungarian GP that was only further complicated by McLaren’s strategy. Despite all the intra-team chaos, though, McLaren did finish one-two, with Lando Norris on the second step of the podium. Lewis Hamilton survived his own share of drama with Max Verstappen to finish third. 1.     Piastri becomes the seventh different F1 race winner this year 2.     Hamilton secures 200th F1 podium finish McLaren issues team orders at Hungarian GP Norris, Piastri and Verstappen went three abreast into Turn 1 at the start. Piastri won this battle and led most of the race. However, McLaren complicated matters when it pitted Norris first during the second round of pitstops, seemingly to cover off Hamilton. As a result, Norris undercut his teammate and emerged in the lead. Over the next few laps, McLaren made several calls asking Norris to give the position back to Piastri. But the Briton seemed hesita...

Gone are the days when buying a pre-owned vehicle in India was synonymous with settling for less. The journey from ‘used’ to ‘pre-loved’ cars signifies a profound shift in consumer attitudes and market dynamics. While ‘used’ implies wear, depreciation and, potentially, lower quality, ‘pre-owned’ or ‘pre-loved’—as the companies prefer to call it—reimagines these vehicles in a positive light, suggesting care and enduring value. And the proof of it lies in the numbers. In the fiscal ended March 2023 (FY23), the industry sold 5.17 million units, a 56 percent increase from the 3.3 million units sold seven years ago. By FY28, that number is expected to almost double to 10 million units.  And why not? First, there’s a burgeoning middle class with a growing desire for personal mobility. Technological advancements have been lightning-quick. In the backdrop of it, several online platforms for second-hand vehicles, such as Spinny, Cars24, Cardekho, and car&bike, have emerged. They...