VR Tech Times

Just in the beginning of October, Harley-Davidson teased the Sprint 440, third motorcycle from its joint venture with Hero. Now, the cruiser motorcycle has been spotted at a showroom before its launch. Considering it looks production-ready, we’d expect the launch to be really close as well. While all three are based on the same platform, the major distinguishing feature of the Sprint 440 is its faithful adherence to the cruiser philosophy, compared to the X440 and the X440 T . Elements such as an upswept handlebar, bucket seat and forward-set footpegs suggest a typical cruiser format Likely to get a different instrument cluster compared to the X440s Expected to retain the 440cc engine, but state of tune and sprockets could be different Harley-Davidson Sprint 440: What do we know so far? Redesigned seat, handlebar and footpegs for a traditional cruiser look As we reported after the teaser, the motorcycle’s front wheel is markedly larger than the rear. Considering the X440 duo already...

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has updated the motor vehicle rules to allow carmakers to build and sell flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) that use 100 percent ethanol (E100) and 100 percent biodiesel (B100). Earlier, motor vehicle rules allowed homologation of up to E85 (85 percent ethanol blend) vehicles. The amended rules now provide the legal framework (homologation norms) for manufacturers to commercialise the E100 flex-fuel prototypes they have been testing extensively. Updated rules clarify that E85 and E100 can only be used in certified FFVs Existing vehicle owners are not required to switch to E85 or modify their vehicles Along with this, MoRTH has also raised the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) testing threshold from 3,000kg to 3,500kg. Updated Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR): What’s new? Amended Rule 115 now allows for E100 homologation alongside E85  The updated Rule 115 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), 1989, now states that the emission-certifica...

The Hyundai Bayon is priced from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 18 lakh, ex-showroom. Hyundai is offering the Bayon in seven trims: HX2, HX3, HX3+, HX5, HX6, HX8 and HX10. For now, the midsize SUV is available only with a 115hp 1.5-litre petrol engine. A CNG option will be introduced next year. If you want to know how much you need to pay for the Hyundai Bayon, here are its on-road prices across five major Indian cities.  Hyundai Bayon on-road prices in top 5 cities (Rs lakh) Trim Mumbai Delhi Kolkata Bengaluru Chandigarh HX2 MT 11.55 11.15 11.45 11.85 11.05 HX3 MT 12.87 12.65 12.65 13.41 12.21 HX3+ MT 13.93 13.69 13.69 14.52 13.22 HX5 MT 14.70 14.45 14.45 15.32 13.95 HX5 CVT 16.35 16.07 16.07 17.04 15.52 HX6 MT 16.02 15.75 15.75 16.70 15.20 HX6 CVT 17.67 17.37 17.37 18.42 16.77 HX8 MT 17.82 17.52 17.52 18.58 16.92 HX8 CVT 19.52 19.19 19.19 20.35 18.53 HX10 MT 19.65 19.32 19.32 20.48 18.65 HX10 CVT 21.24 20.88 20.88 22.14 20.16 Note: On-road prices may vary based on city-specific registratio...

The Kawasaki Ninja 300 has been a popular motorcycle in India but the brand has kept it largely the same throughout the years. While that continues to be the case, Kawasaki has attempted to make it slightly more practical by converting it into a sport-naked, in the form of the Z300. Sharing many things with its faired brother in terms of underpinnings, the Z300 takes its Sugomi design cues from the bigger brother, the Z900, which was updated last year. Let’s see how it compares to its immediate rivals from India-Europe. Kawasaki Z300 vs rivals: Engine and output The Z300 is the least-powerful on paper   Kawasaki Z300 Aprilia Tuono 457 Special Edition KTM 390 Duke Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 KTM 390 Duke R Engine 296cc, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled 457cc, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled 349.32cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled 452cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled 398.63cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled Power 40hp at 11,000rpm 47.6hp at 9,400rpm 41.5hp at 8,600rpm 40hp at 8,000rpm 46...

Hero MotoCorp has recently introduced a new Combat variant on the Xtreme 250R , the flagship sport-naked motorcycle in the brand’s portfolio. Now the motorcycle is available in two variants, if you are planning to buy one, here’s what to know. Both variants retain the 250cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine, which produces 30hp at 9,250rpm and 25.3Nm of torque at 7,500rpm, the latter shows a 0.3Nm bump, and delivered  250rpm higher in the rev band. Retained from the previous model also include the steel trellis frame, the box-section swingarm, the 43mm USD fork, all-LED lighting and the dual-channel ABS. Braking hardware also remains unchanged, a 320mm disc at the front and a 230mm disc at the rear. Hero Xtreme 250R: Variant breakdown   Standard The Standard variant has received a Rs 11,000 price hike, raising its cost from Rs 1.73 lakh to Rs 1.84 lakh. This variant remains unchanged from before. It retains the mechanical throttle body, reverse LCD instrument cluster with...

The Maserati Grecale facelift brings subtle exterior revisions and cabin updates, while the engine line-up gains a 390hp Nettuno V6 option. The updated luxury SUV will launch in India on October 30, alongside the GranTurismo and GranCabrio facelifts.  Here is what to expect from the Maserati Grecale facelift.  What exterior changes will the Maserati Grecale facelift get? The facelift gets a redesigned front bumper and grille, with a ‘shark-nose’ design inspired by the Maserati MCPura supercar. The bumper also incorporates air curtains designed to guide airflow around the front wheel arches. Other changes include new 20-inch Asteria and 21-inch Crono alloy wheel designs, along with a new Grigio Lamiera Shiny paint finish available through the brand’s Fuoriserie personalisation programme.   What interior and feature updates will the Maserati Grecale facelift get? The cabin gets a new octagonal steering wheel, available in perforated leather or Alcantara, and a digital clo...

These days, I’ve been making a concerted effort to go analogue. Well, at least as analogue as life in 2026 will allow. Crucially, from the moment I wake up, I try to avoid screen time for as long as I can, with just a quick glance at my phone’s notifications tab to see if anything urgent needs tending to. I’ve been doing pretty well, if I may say so myself. Twist-action gear selector feels satisfying and intuitive. So imagine my frustration when I hop into the car for my commute to work – a time usually reserved for quiet contemplation, mental preparation, and perhaps relaxed music – and have my retinas assaulted by cricket-stadium brightness from a 15-inch panel. I feel like I’ve opened my work laptop, which isn’t supposed to happen for another half hour. This is the Volkswagen Tayron ’s calling card, but in my opinion, it detracts from what is otherwise a superbly resolved premium executive SUV. Its size and placement at the top of the dashboard means it never truly leaves your fiel...

I’ve always liked faired motorcycles and, having owned a Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 , the Aprilia seemed like the next good upgrade ever since it entered the Indian market. Initially, a lot of the bikes did face reliability issues, so I waited for around 2 years, after which I was comfortable with making the purchase, knowing the issues were resolved.  There are just 3 dealers in Mumbai that retail this bike, and all of them are a good one hour from where I live. The buying process was fairly straightforward. I did select a few accessories like the USB charger, extended windshield and the seat cowl, considering the GP Replica Edition already came standard with the quickshifter, sintered race pads and adjustable brake lever. Delivery of the bike took approximately a month. Standard on the GP Replica Edition and works really well in all conditions. The bike is a hoot to ride, irrespective of it being a short or long one. That engine, when paired with the quickshifter, really makes the en...

Mahindra recently introduced the XUV 3XO with the option of factory fitted CNG kit. Barring the KUV100 CNG, which was mainly fleet focused, the Mahindra XUV 3XO CNG is the company's first CNG vehicle aimed at private buyers. Priced between Rs. 9.99 lakh and Rs. 12.27 lakh (ex-showroom), the XUV 3XO CNG is available in four variants and costs roughly Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.2 lakh more than its equivalent petrol offerings and we've subjected it to our real world fuel efficiency tests. Gets twin CNG tanks underneath the boot floor Automatic stop-start feature is available, even in CNG mode ARAI claimed efficiency of 24.7km/kg Mahindra XUV 3XO CNG real-world fuel efficiency explained Powering the XUV 3XO CNG is the multi-point fuel injection (MPFi) turbo-petrol engine which gets a 10-bar CNG injection system, allowing it to produce the same 111hp and 200Nm both in the petrol and CNG mode. It features a twin cylinder CNG setup underneath the bootfloor with a capacity of 60 litres, whi...

I hope by now you’ve read or seen some of our incredible Pune-to-Prague (P2P) drive stories with the Skoda Kylaq . Over 19,000km of smooth, fast highways, steep, twisty mountain roads, washed-away terrain, and even no roads at all were all devoured by this diminutive cross-continent champ. But for all that, what has seemed to break the Kylaq’s spirit is Mumbai traffic. No, seriously; our P2P team were all praise for how the Kylaq managed everything in its stride, but on my 8km office commute, it’s anything but happy. The trouble is the constant low-speed traffic. 0 to 30kph is no fun thanks to the Kylaq’s weak low-end torque and turbo lag, which are very noticeable below 2,000rpm. So, you end up going off boost, accelerating to compensate and suddenly finding a surge in power. This takes a toll on fuel efficiency too. Turbo direct-injection engines are very sensitive to throttle inputs and often over-inject fuel to avoid knocking, and my home-to-office runs have yielded an average eff...