Helmet-checking police inspector chases couple on his motorcycle, kicks it, making them fall.

In a shocking incident, a 30-year-old woman from Tamil Nadu lost her life after a traffic inspector allegedly kicked the two-wheeler on which she and her husband were traveling on. The incident took place at Thuvakudi near Trichy last evening. The accused, one inspector Kamaraj, has been arrested.

The deceased has been identified as Usha of a village near Papanasam in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu.The mishap took place near the Ganesha roundabout opposite BHEL quarters at Thuvakudi on the Trichy–Thanjavur national highway. Raja, Usha’s husband, was riding a motorcycle with his wife Usha on the pillion seat. A police unit attached to Trichy rural police was carrying out a drive against helmet-less riders near Thuvakudi toll plaza before the aforementioned roundabout. As per the eyewitnesses, the cops signaled Raja to stop the motorcycle, but he ignored them and kept riding on. Inspector Kamaraj got furious and got onto his motorcycle to chase the offenders. He allegedly kicked the motorcycle, which made it wobble lose control. Both Raja and his wife, Usha, fell on the road. Usha sustained serious head injuries form this fall. Raja was also seriously injured. Kamaraj fled the spot as many people started gathering around the incident spot.

Usha and Raja were taken to a government hospital in Thuvakudi, where Usha was declared dead. Even Inspector Kamaraj was admitted to the same hospital as he claimed having been injured while trying to stop Raja’s motorcycle. Usha is said to have been pregnant. However, Police said that it is yet to ascertain this through the post-mortem. A huge crowd gathered and protested against the police on the Thanjavur- Trichy national highway. Police was called in to disperse the crowd.

While Kamaraj denies kicking the motorcycle, an employee of BHEL, who claims to be a witness to this incident, confirms having seen the inspector kicking the motorcycle. This issue was brought to the notice of P S C Kalyan, the Superintendent of Police, who then ordered the arrest of Kamaraj. “The inspector has been taken under our custody and will be remanded soon,” P S C Kalyan said.

Also Read: Tata eVision Electric Luxury Sedan: Key details including launch timeline revealed

Tata Motors showcased the H5X SUV concept at the 2018 Indian Auto Expo. The automaker will launch the H5X sometime in early 2019. A lot of showgoers at the Auto Expo were wowed by the concept, and many even said that the H5X was the best looking vehicle that Tata has ever shown at the Auto Expo. The company got many people to talk in front of the camera about the H5X, and what they felt about it. Here is a video of that.

The H5X will be the first Tata SUV to use a Land Rover platform, which it shared with the Land Rover Freelander. Tata has engineered the platform to suit Indian conditions and cost structures. What this means is, the H5X will be affordable enough for Indian buyers and will also dump many of the expensive bits that come standard on Land Rover SUVs.

The vehicle will also borrow bits from the Jeep Compass. Key components include the 2 liter Multijet turbocharged diesel engine, but with lower power and torque outputs of 140 Bhp-320 Nm. The SUV will get 6 speed manual and 9 speed automatic gearbox options.

Tata Motors will also offer an all wheel drive system on the H5X but the base versions will be front wheel driven. The SUV is expected to be priced somewhere in the mid-Creta range, which means about Rs. 12 lakhs. It will take on Mahindra XUV500 but will be a five seater.

A 7 seat version of the H5X is also under development and will be launched in India in 2020 or beyond. The larger version of the H5X will use the same 2 liter Multijet diesel engine but in a more powerful state of tune. It’ll be costlier than the H5X but is expected to be cheaper than Rs. 20 lakhs, making it a much lower priced rival to the Toyota Fortuner.

Also Read: Tata eVision Electric Luxury Sedan: Key details including launch timeline revealed

Dilip Chhabria (DC) is well-known for the many ultra-luxurious and feature-laden coaches he has created for our celebrities. He is also known for some really attention-grabbing cars, like the Tarzan and the Avanti. DC also offers interior updates for many Indian cars. These interior modifications work well to enhance the luxuriousness and/or the sportiness quotient of the cabins of our mainstream cars. In this post, here, we take a look at 10 DC Car and SUV lounges –

Toyota Fortuner

Yes, the interior you see above belongs to a latest-generation Fortuner. As you can see, this lounge-like interior offers a really luxurious setup with electric reclining seats and a huge TV screen that separates the passenger area from the front seats. You also get a mini bar, ambient lighting, a premium entertainment system, and high-quality leather.

Toyota Innova Crysta

Here’s another highly luxurious interior by DC Design. The lounge-like setup you above belongs to a Toyota Innova Crysta. As you can see above, the interior gets a new white leather upholstery along with a lot of wood trim. You also get electric recliners, a TV screen, and a chiller. There’s a partition between the front and the rear seats to ensure the privacy of passengers in the rear.

Tata Aria

Tata once claimed that it’s really tough naming all the features inside the cabin of an Aria. However, DC decided that even so many features weren’t enough and hence, took matters into his own hands. The result? This lounge-like setup that can put to shame any luxury car twice the cost.

Mahindra XUV500

This luxurious-looking interior belongs to a Mahindra XUV500 SUV. As you can see, the middle and the last row of seats have been removed. Instead, you get two electric recliners that come draped in a tan leather upholstery. There’s a screen on the back of each of the front seats. The interior also gets ambient lighting and a new faux-wood trim.

Hindustan Ambassador

Yes, it is actually a Hindustan Motors Ambassador you see in the image above. As you can see, this modified Amby gets a new rear seat with leather upholstery, a lot of fake wood, rear aircon vents, a driver partition, tray tables and a couple of screens. Amazing!

Renault Duster

Here’s another lounge-like setting for the interior of a mainstream Indian car. The cabin you see above belongs to a Renault Duster. It offers full reclining seats at the rear along with a screen on the back of each of the front seats. You also get a new beige-tan color theme for the interior. Neat!

Nissan Sunny

Even the Nissan Sunny has been given the lounge treatment. It gets a new red-black color theme, with seats getting a full red leather upholstery. The rear gets two recliners and a chiller. There’s also a plenty of faux wood trim.

Ford EcoSport

The interior you see above belongs to a pre-facelift EcoSport that has been modified by DC Design. While there’s nothing radical about this interior, it does get a new beige-black color theme that makes the cabin look more upmarket.

Maruti Swift

Here’s a last-generation Maruti Swift that has been given the DC-treatment. It gets a white-black color interior with many bright red accents. The new interior color theme infuses a lot of freshness and sportiness with the design.

Nissan Evalia

Here is another interior that has got sportier after the DC touch. Seen in the above image is the cabin of a modified last-generation Hyundai Elantra that gets a red-black colour theme. The new colour combination makes the cabin look a lot more sportier.

Also Read: Tata eVision Electric Luxury Sedan: Key details including launch timeline revealed

In February 2018, sales of the Jeep Compass have been higher than that of both the Mahindra XUV500 and the Tata Hexa, chief rivals of the American SUV. 1,941 units of the Compass were sold in India during February while Mahindra sold only 1,910 units of the XUV500 while Tata Motors managed to sell 895 units of the Hexa. Month on month, sales of the XUV500 have dropped while that of the Hexa has increased marginally. The Compass also shows a minor sales drop from January, where it sold 2,106 units.

The Compass has been Fiat Chrysler Automobile’s best selling vehicle in the Indian market, and a variety of factors
are driving sales. For one, the SUV is priced in XUV-Hexa territory. It looks very fresh, has powerful petrol and
diesel engines and is just the right size for a 5 seat SUV.

The diesel powered Compass uses a 2.0 Fiat Multijet turbocharged diesel engine with 170 Bhp of peak power and 350 Nm of peak torque. This engine features a 6 speed manual gearbox as standard. It’s available with front wheel drive and four wheel drive options.

The petrol powered Compass uses a 1.4 liter turbocharged engine with 160 Bhp and 250 Nm. The petrol engine gets a 6 speed manual gearbox as standard while a 7 speed twin clutch automatic gearbox is offered as an option. However, the petrol Compass does not get a four wheel drive mode even as an option.

Later this year, Jeep India is expected to add two more variants of the Compass. Both these variants can further increase sales. One variant will be a diesel-automatic model, with a 9 speed torque converter automatic gearbox on offer with the diesel engine. The other will be a range topping Trailhawk model, with better off-road capability and the diesel-automatic combination. The Trailhawk variant will also be the priciest in the Compass range, with a sticker price of over Rs. 25 lakhs.

Also Read: Tata eVision Electric Luxury Sedan: Key details including launch timeline revealed

Mahindra is developing an all-new Thar on the future Scorpio platform, which will in turn use a body on ladder platform borrowed from South Korean SUV maker Ssangyong. The new off-road vehicle will be ready within the next 5 years, and is expected to be sold both in India and globally. The main reason why Mahindra is shifting the new Thar to the new Scorpio platform is to make it ready for stricter safety norms. Also, this approach will give Mahindra the flexibility to use turbocharged petrol, diesel and even electric powertrains on the new Thar.

Mahindra’s international operations chief, Arvind Mathew said this about the new Thar,

The one that is out there (present Thar/Roxor) does not meet Australian regs for crash, but the next generation will.

For now, these are the only new details available about the new Thar but off-road enthusiasts and existing Thar owners will be thrilled to know that Mahindra is actually developing an all-new model of the off-roader with many modern bits. The new Scorpio platform will not just meet higher safety standards but will also have cleaner engines. Finally, buyers of the Thar can have safety features like ABS and airbags, features that are missing from the present model. Also, using the new Scorpio platform for the new Thar will allow the off roader to be more refined in terms of on-road behaviour, another area where the current model lacks in.

Using the new Scorpio platform an digging into the parts bin of the new SUV is also expected to result in an affordable price tag for the new Thar. This is because of platform and parts sharing. As for styling, fans of the Thar will be hoping that it retains the iconic CJ5 Jeep inspired design. More details on the Thar is likely to surface in the coming months. Keep reading CarToq for the latest updates on the next-generation Thar, an international lifestyle off roader from India that is a Jeep Wrangler rival.

Via Motoring.Au

Also Read: Tata eVision Electric Luxury Sedan: Key details including launch timeline revealed

Royal Enfield has announced its first ever pre-owned motorcycle store in Chennai. It is known as Royal Enfield Vintage Store. This is a first-ever pre-owned motorcycle business started by a two-wheeler manufacturer in India. The brand will deal exclusively with pre-owned, refurbished and restored motorcycles.

As you can see in the photo, there could be many old-time Royal Enfields too – such as the Explorer (a moped in motorcycle form) and the 250 cc one from the 70s and 80s.

It is similar to many pre-owned car stores around India. It will cater the existing Royal Enfield customers as well as new customers who are looking for affordable pre-owned Royal Enfield motorcycles. The new showroom will ensure that the quality of the pre-owned motorcycles is at par with the new ones.

The showrooms will repair at the hands of qualified Royal Enfield technicians and will get as refurbished as per requirement. Experts will take care of the refurbish and repair process. Each motorcycle will be given an optimum value based on the points taken by the Royal Enfield technicians. As many as 92 quality checks will ensure that the refurbished bikes qualify the quality tests. Royal Enfield technicians will use genuine parts and accessories to repair or refurbish the motorcycles.

Speaking at the Vintage Store Launch, Mr Shaji Koshy, Head, India+ Business, said,

“At Royal Enfield, we are constantly working towards offering new experiences and formats for our customers. With Vintage, we have created a place where epic motorcycling journeys, experiences, and stories will never end and will be passed on from one owner to another. We have observed healthy demand for refurbished and pre-owned Royal Enfield motorcycles, and believe that this business will continue to grow. We are targeting to open ten Vintage stores across the country in the first year”

The vintage stores of Royal Enfield will have three lines of business. There will be ‘Pre-owned’ motorcycles, ‘Refurbished’ motorcycles, where the quality check will be conducted as per requirement and ‘Restored’ motorcycles wherein the vintage motorcycles will be repaired and restored to the original condition.

The store will have a set of standardized process and the process for the purchase and sale of pre-owned motorcycles. The store will also get finance options and will help the customers to buy their dream bikes. Royal Enfield will provide warranty and post-sale service for every motorcycle that is sold through the vintage dealership.

It is not known yet but Royal Enfield will extend the network to the other cities in the future. As of now, the only vintage store is located in Chennai is located at No. 27, Mylai Balaji Nagar, Velachery main road, Pallikaranai.

Also Read: Tata eVision Electric Luxury Sedan: Key details including launch timeline revealed

Tata Motors has just showcased the eVision electric sedan concept at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. We now have a list of details about the new car, including information on when it will be put into serial production. Guenter Butschek, the managing director of Tata Motors, has revealed that the car will now be presented in front of the Tata board for approval later this month. Once green-lighted for production, the eVision electric luxury sedan will be put into production sometime in 2020 or 2022. It is too early to guess the price of the car, but considering it is electric, its likely to be costlier than the Tata Hexa crossover, currently their most expensive vehicle in India.

This is because it will be battery powered and also because it will be quite luxurious, with a size that puts it in the Toyota Camry-Skoda Superb league. Other interesting bits of the car include its battery range and performance capability. The car will be able to do a 300 kilometer distance on a full charge of its batteries. It will be capable of a top speed of nearly 200 Kph while the 0-100 Kph acceleration run will take just 7 seconds. This will make the eVision the quickest Tata car ever produced.

Guenter Butschek, the MD of Tata Motors said,

The E-Vision Sedan Concept is one of the most definitive and aspirational product by an Indian OEM and will be a game changer, reiterating our commitment to offer world-class design, technology and drive the EV revolution to build a sustainable future.

The eVision is built on the Omega EV platform, borrowed by Tata Motors from Land Rover. This platform is modular and scalable, which means that a wide range of electric cars can be built on it. The new electric sedan uses the Impact 2.0 design language, also seen on new Tata car concepts such as the H5X SUV and the 45X premium hatchback. The eVision showed high quality, minimalist interiors at the Geneva Motor Show, and prospective buyers of this car will be hoping that these interiors will be offered on the production version as well.

Via ETAuto

Also Read: Tata eVision Electric Luxury Sedan: Key details including launch timeline revealed

We are in the last month of the current fiscal and many car manufacturers in India are offering some really attractive discounts and offers on almost all of their cars and SUVs. So far, we have given you information about the discounts that are being offered on cars by Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, and Mahindra. In this post, here, we have written about Honda Cars and SUVs with BIG March discounts. We think that it is indeed a brilliant time to buy your favorite set of wheels from Honda. We say this as one might also benefit from some discounts at the dealer-level along with all the official offers we have listed out below.

Honda Brio

The smallest car from Honda is available with free 1st-year insurance. Apart from this, you can also benefit from a corporate discount of up to Rs 5,000 and some freebies offered at the dealer-level.

Honda Jazz

The Honda Jazz is also available with attractive discounts and offers. You get free insurance for the first year. Moreover, the petrol variants are available with a cash discount of Rs 15,000. The Diesel models are available with a discount of Rs 30,000. These discounts and offers make this Japanese hatchback an even better value-for-money proposition.

Honda Amaze

The Brio-based compact sedan is available with some really attractive offers. The E variant comes with a free insurance for the first year. You also get free accessories worth Rs 6,000. The Amaze Pride gets the 1-year free insurance offer only. However, the S, V, and VX variants get free 1st-year insurance, free accessories worth Rs 2,000, and Honda Pro Care maintenance pack for 2 years.

Honda City

The hot-selling sedan from Honda gets free 1st Year Honda Assurance insurance. While there are no other offers available, you can push your dealer to throw in some freebies.

Honda BR-V

The Honda BR-V is available with free 1st-year insurance and accessories worth Rs 23,000. You can also expect some offers from your local authorized dealer.

Honda CR-V

The slow-selling CR-V is available with a direct cash discount of Rs 1.5 lakh. You can also ask your dealer for additional discounts. The CR-V isn’t too popular among premium SUV buyers and hence, the dealer might be willing to make the deal sweeter by throwing in some additional discounts to get rid of the inventory.

There is no discount available on the Honda Accord. Other than all the offers mentioned here, there are good chances that one can also enjoy some more discounts and offers by haggling at the authorized dealership. We believe that there are good chances of the dealer offering some additional benefits in a bid to quickly clear the inventory. Also, keep in mind that the Amaze, WR-V, and City are the only Honda cars that sell in decent numbers. The Brio, BR-V, and CR-V are slow-sellers and aren’t too popular among new car buyers. Even in normal circumstances, dealers are known to offer good discounts on these. Hence, we request you to bargain hard at your local Honda car dealership.

ALSO SEE-

Discounts on Maruti Cars and SUVs in March 2018

Discounts on Hyundai Cars and SUVs in March 2018

Mahindra SUVs with BIG March discounts: Bolero to XUV500

Also Read: New Maruti Swift outsells Baleno in first month of sales

Motorcycling has come a long way in India now. With the arrival of technology and gadgets, motorcycling has become a lot of fun in the modern world. The new gadgets make the riding much more fun and comfortable too. What are the coolest accessories that you can get for your motorcycles in India? Let’s find out.

Waterproof phone holder

The bikers and their devices are exposed to the heat and dust. Even though many modern phones are waterproof, it is always a good idea to put it an even more secure location. Here is a smartphone holder with a grip to mount it on the motorcycle handle. This secures the phone safely on the handlebar and has a transparent top that allows the user to see navigation on the move.

Product Link

Phone charger

While many scooters have started offering inbuilt phone chargers, the motorcycles are yet to offer this feature. Constantly using phone drain out the battery and if you’re using navigation, the battery would be dead sooner than you think. This plug and play phone charging system can be fitted to any motorcycle without cutting any wires. This will not void any warranty on the motorcycle too.

Product Link

Bluetooth headset

Communicating with the group you’re riding with is very important for safety and planning. Also, communicating with your loved ones while riding is important too. A Bluetooth headset can solve all the problems of seeing dozens of missed calls on your phone when you take a break. A Bluetooth headset fits in your helmet and lets you answer important calls or stream music while you enjoy the riding.

Product Link

Helmet lamps

At times, the brake lamps of a motorcycle can become dirty after riding in slush or mud and becomes invisible or less visible. The solution to this is to get a helmet lamp. It securely fits on the rear of the helmet and operates through a battery. It has different modes like night mode, where the light blinks every two seconds, an emergency mode where it rapidly blinks and so on.

Product Link

Action cameras

In earlier times, people used to find ways to find ways to fit the mobile phones in the helmets or holding them while riding. Nowadays, such dangerous stunts are not needed. Action cameras have become much more affordable than what they used to be a few years back. You can get a good, waterproof action camera that can be mounted on the helmet or a motorcycle easily.

Product Link

Helmet cooler

Indian summers can be devastating, especially for a motorcycle rider. However, you can be comfortable inside a helmet with new solutions in the market. Here is a helmet cooler called BlueSnap that attaches to your full-face helmet and brings down the temperature by a few degrees. The system is battery operated and has a small water container and a fan. It can work continuously for 8-10 hours.

Product Link

Cooled vest

If you’re into riding on the highways during hot weather, you will need a little more than helmet cooling. This cooling vest fits under your regular riding jacket and keeps the temperature controlled during the hot and humid conditions. This is not battery operated so you will not need to worry about the charging and discharging.

Product Link

Fingerprint starter

How cool will it be to unlock your motorcycle with a touch of a finger? Yes, just like smartphones. This device connects to the ignition of the motorcycle and lets the user start it with just a touch of a finger. The fingerprint starter does not lock the handle of the motorcycle, but hey, you can start your motorcycle in style! The device is priced at Rs. 2,999.

Product Link

Bar-end DRLs

Bar-end DRLs look super cool and they improve the visibility of the motorcycle too. The bar-end DRLs are available online and can be fitted to flash when the turn indicators are engaged too. They look super cool on a motorcycle.

Product Link

Heated handle grips

Long distance tourers who frequently visit the Himalayas and other cold places often suffer from number hands. The solution to this is the heated hand grips that fit above the existing hand grip. It is battery operated and gets a different level of heat settings to make the rider comfortable.

Product Link

Also Read: New Maruti Swift outsells Baleno in first month of sales

Before we go any further, we would like to advice you to always, always stick to the speed limit on any road, despite the road conditions making you feel safe. 

The all-new Maruti Suzuki Swift was launched at the Auto Expo 2018. With the new Swift, Maruti has taken the game a notch higher, thereby further blurring the thin boundary between the Swift and its premium hatchback, the Baleno. Both the cars are almost equally well-equipped and offer the same engines. And now, thanks to this video, it looks like they are evenly matched even on the expressway. Look how these two can easily do speeds of 140-150 kmph on a long, open stretch of road. Video courtesy Denz World

Both the cars here have the same set of petrol and diesel engines. The petrol engine that powers these two hatchbacks from Maruti Suzuki is a 1.2-litre K-series motor that has received a lot of appreciation for a good mix of performance and fuel efficiency. This engine outputs a maximum power of 81.80 bhp along with a peak torque 113 Nm. The other engine option, which is an oil-burner, is a 1.3-litre unit that outputs 74 bhp and a peak torque of 190 Nm. Both the motors come mated to a 5-speed manual transmission as standard. While the Swift offers an AMT on both the engines, the Baleno offers an optional CVT on the petrol engine option. That said, the performance of the new Swift stands at par with that of the Baleno. Both the cars here are based on the same new-generation, lightweight HEARTECT platform. This is the same platform that also underpins the Ignis. Both the cars offer features like a touchscreen infotainment that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a push-button start, automatic climate control, DRL LEDs, and projector headlamps.

Well, the real difference between the new Swift and the Baleno lies in their design and ride-handling setup. While the Swift looks sporty, the Baleno gets relatively understated looks with a more premium feel. Also, the Swift is the better handler of the two. It is more fun to push this car hard in the corners. The Baleno, on the other hand, offers a slightly better ride quality. Also, it offers more interior space. Other than these differences, the two are pretty closely matched in almost every other area. Even in terms of pricing, there is not a big gap between these two. While prices of the new Swift start at Rs 4.99 lakh and go all the way to Rs 8.29 lakh, the Baleno costs Rs 5.26 lakh to Rs 8.43 lakh.

Also Read: New Maruti Swift outsells Baleno in first month of sales

Bajaj Dominar non-ABS variant was in limited demand

Bajaj Auto has discontinued the non-ABS version of the Dominar 400 motorcycle due to limited demand for the low-cost variant. Henceforth, the Dominar range will be equipped with dual channel ABS as standard. With this, the Dominar range will start from Rs 1.56 lakh instead of Rs. 1.42 lakh. Bajaj doesn’t seem to be worried about this as 80 % of the Dominar’s sales come from the ABS-equipped variant. Other than the absence of ABS, the now-defunct version had nothing to distinguish itself from the ABS-equipped model.

The Bajaj Dominar 400 is the most powerful and the most expensive product in the BAL’s lineup. It is powered by a re-tuned version of the KTM 390 Duke’s 373cc, four-stroke, single-cylinder engine. The motor outputs 35 Bhp of maximum power and 35 Nm of peak torque. This engine benefits from four valves, liquid cooling, fuel injection and a triple spark plug ignition. The motorcycle uses a slipper clutch and a 6-speed manual gearbox. Telescopic front forks and a monoshock rear shock absorber handle the suspension duties. Disc brakes are present on both the ends. The motorcycle gets attractive alloy wheels that are shod with tubeless tires. The Dominar 400, at 182 KGs, is a lot heavier than the KTM 390 Duke.

ABS, an acronym for the anti-lock braking system, prevents the motorcycle from skidding even under the really hard braking. It’s controlled by a microprocessor. The microprocessor senses wheel speed and releases braking pressure in micro installments during hard braking. This ensures that the wheels don’t lock up even during emergency braking, thus allowing the rider to steer the motorcycle even under hard braking. Skidding is eliminated as well. Bajaj Auto has taken a welcome step by making ABS as standard on the Dominar. We hope more manufacturers follow this approach in the interest of rider safety.

via NDTV

Also Read: New Maruti Swift outsells Baleno in first month of sales

Volkswagen has launched a new 1.0-litre naturally aspirated engine in India. The new engine will replace the 1.2-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine of the Polo range in India. It is a new three-cylinder engine that churns out a maximum of 75 Bhp and 95 Nm. Prices of the Polo remain unchanged. The petrol Polo starts at a price of Rs. 5.42 lakh, while the diesel Polo starts at Rs.6.92 lakh, both prices ex-showroom, Delhi.

The new engine gets an ARAI certified mileage of 18.78 km/l. Polo was earlier powered by a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine that generated a maximum of 74 Bhp and 110 Nm. The power has improved by 1 bhp in the new engine but the torque has come down by 15 Nm. The 1.2-litre engine returned a maximum of 16.47 km/l, which has improved now. The maximum RPM for the power and torque output has not been mentioned for the new engine.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Steffen Knapp, Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India said,

“Delivering on our promise of continued product introduction and innovation, we are pleased to introduce the Polo in an all-new 1.0 L MPI engine. We are known for our performance and unmatched safety and with this new introduction; we further enhance our brand proposition, providing a diverse portfolio to India’s distinctive car-buyer, with multiple engine options that best suits their requirements.”

The Volkswagen Polo takes on the likes of Maruti Suzuki Baleno and Hyundai Elite i20 in the market. It is known for its solid build quality and safety in India. Interestingly, Volkswagen 1.0-litre MPI engine powers the all-new MQB based international Polo too. The Indian market still gets the PQ25 platform based Polo. Volkswagen will launch the all-new Polo in India by 2020.

The diesel engine of the Polo remains same. It is a 1.5-litre turbocharged unit that produces 89 Bhp and 230 Nm. The diesel engine returns a maximum fuel efficiency of 20.14 km/l. The Polo gets 7-speed DSG dual clutch transmission with the 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine that is only available with the Polo GT TSI.

The top-end of the Polo comes loaded with features like cruise control, rain sensing wipers, automatic AC and touch-screen infotainment system. The car also gets standard dual front airbags and ABS across all the variants.

Volkswagen may replace the 1.2-litre engine from all other models soon. The 1.2-litre petrol engine also powers the Skoda cars in India.

Also Read: New Maruti Swift outsells Baleno in first month of sales

It has by now become fairly well-known that Hyundai Motor India Ltd, the second-largest selling car manufacturer in India, is about to launch a new small car. There are very strong speculations that the upcoming car would revive the Santro moniker and would go on to rival the likes of Maruti Suzuki WagonR and Renault Kwid. The upcoming 2018 Hyundai Santo was recently spied in Dwarka, New Delhi by Manoj Kandpal, one of our eagle-eyed readers.

Earlier this month, we revealed that the launch of the new Santro has been preponed from the Diwali-season of this year to August. The new Santro will replace the aging Eon, which will not comply with the upcoming safety norms in India. It’s being said that the new-generation Santro will be underpinned by the last-generation i10’s platform. It will also use the same 1086cc engine that powered the erstwhile i10 and the Santro Xing. For the new Santro, the motor will be re-tuned to output a maximum power of 70 bhp along with a peak torque of 100 Nm. The engine will come mated to a five-speed manual transmission as standard.

The new Santro will become the first-ever Hyundai car in India to offer an optional AMT (Automated Manual Transmission). The car is also likely to offer optional company-fitted CNG and LPG kits. The 1.1-litre motor will be tuned to meet the latest emission norms and will likely offer a fuel mileage of 22 kmpl.

As can be seen in the spy images, the new Santro will boast a tallboy architecture, which should translate into a sufficiently airy interior space. Our sources reveal that the new Santro will be a full 10 mm taller than the old i10 and about 10-15 mm wider, too. The cabin will offer sufficient space to seat five adults. Earlier spy images have revealed that the new car will offer dashboard-mounted touchscreen-infotainment system. Also, safely expect the car to even offer features like ABS, Dual Front Airbags, and ISOFIX child seat mounts. It’s being said that the prices of the new Santro will start below Rs 3 lakh mark. It may be noted here that the last-generation Santo was the highest-selling model in its segment for a really long time. Hence, there are good chances that the new car, if launched with the Santro moniker, would benefit from the high brand image that the Santro moniker enjoys.

Stay tuned to Cartoq for the latest news updates on the launch date and prices of the new Hyundai Santro.

Also Read: New Maruti Swift outsells Baleno in first month of sales

Recently, we came up with a post on some really lavish and sporty interior setups by renowned Indian car designer, Dilip Chabbria (DC). Other than doing a great job with the interiors, the design guru is also known for the transformations of some of the SUVs we know of. Here, in this post, we have a look at some DC Modified SUVs. Be warned, you may actively dislike some of them!

Toyota Fortuner

The car you see in the image above is a last-generation Toyota Fortuner that has gone under DC’s scalpel. As you can see, the highlight of the updated design is a gaping front grille, which gives the Fortuner a rather strange new identity. While we find this design change a bit too loud for our liking, many seem to have liked this transformation.

Renault Duster

The Renault Duster is another popular Indian SUV that has been modified by DC. Akin to the modified Fortuner you saw earlier on this page, even the modified Duster featured here gets some radical changes at its front-end. This Duster gets new housings for the foglamps, which also holds a pair of auxiliary lamps. It also gets a new grille and the headlights have been replaced with LED units. Not bad, no?

Mahindra XUV500

We featured DC-modified XUV500 for its tastefully done up interior recently. On the outside, the same XUV500 gets a new front-end that features a bolder bumper and a more minimalistic design for the front grille. Pretty neat!

Mahindra Thar

Believe it or not, the car you see here is actually a Mahindra Thar! DC Design says it’s the ‘Thar Urban Mod’, which basically means that it’s a Thar for the metrosexuals looking for a capable off-roader with modern looks. We feel that DC has gone a bit overboard with this one, what about you?

Ford EcoSport

The modified Ford EcoSport you see here has been styled on the lines of the modified Renault Duster you saw above. It gets a similar LED arrangement for the headlights and new fog lamp housings with auxiliary lamps. It comes painted in metallic black and looks a lot bolder than the pre-facelift EcoSport it’s based on.

Maruti Gypsy

This modified Maruti Gypsy is the work of DC and is currently showcased at the Heritage Car Museum near Gurgaon. This Gypsy was used in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and brought a lot of fame to Indian car designer. Its interior gets an all-black theme and a dashboard from the Maruti 1000. Even the exterior gets some bits from the erstwhile sedan sibling.

image – clicktouring

Porsche Cayenne Turbo

Yes, the car here is actually based on a Porsche Cayenne Turbo. DC decided that the Cayenne wasn’t attractive enough and hence, got ride of the rear doors and gave some new styling bits like a huge grille and new headlamps and taillamps. Do we approve of this? Not really.

Maruti Vitara Brezza

The Vitara Brezza, too, has been given the DC treatment, which makes the car a look a lot more aggressive and bold. While the  Brezza retains its headlamps, it gets a new grille and a new front bumper. The car also gets LED indicators and massive air vents. The rear-end (not seen in the picture) also gets a new bumper.

Landcruiser

Here’s an old Toyota Land Cruiser that has been modified by DC. As you can see, it gets a lot plastic additions all around the body. It also offers a new set of headlamps that look more sophisticated than the ones on the stock version. We’re not too sure if we like what we see here but at least, the DC-modified Land Cruier manages to have its own identity.

Tata Sierra

Remember the very handsome Tata Sierra? Well, this is what happened when it went under DC’s knife. The front-end features a huge grille and small auxiliary lamps that replace the original headlamps. The new headlamps can be found on the new bumper. The hood gets a couple of faux air-scoops.

Also Read: New Maruti Swift outsells Baleno in first month of sales

Mahindra re-launched the 295cc Mojo in the Indian market last week in new versions of XT 300 and UT 300. These are being promoted as ‘Xtreme Tourer’ and ‘Urban Tourer’ models and have a price difference of Rs 25,000. Infact, the cheaper UT 300 gets a further discount of Rs 10,000 till 31st March, making it Rs 35,000 cheaper than the XT 300. Lets have a closer look at the similarities and differences between both these Mojo versions

Continue to read the text or scroll down to watch the video

Styling

The Mahindra Mojo XT 300 is basically the earlier, single version that was sold in India. The cheaper UT 300 looks identical in terms of design but there are a few aesthetic changes. The UT does not get a dual color treatment for the fuel tank, radiator shrouds, belly pan and the visor. This change suddenly makes the XT 300 look so much cooler! However, given the price advantage, the UT 300 will bring in numbers, something that is the need of the hour. The UT also sits lower by 8.5 mm and has a ground clearance of just 165 mm.

Features

In order to cut down on price, the UT 300 misses out on a lot of features. We will start from the front – the UT 300 now sports conventional forks as compared to USD (up-side down) forks seen on the XT 300. Next, Mahindra has ditched the expensive Pirelli tyres for Indian made MRF ones. The rear tyre is also narrower at 140mm as compared to 150cc seen on the Mojo XT 300. We all loved the dual exhaust set-up of the XT 300, something that also gave it a rather good exhaust note – this is now missing on the UT 300 as it has a single exhaust set-up to keep price and weight down – this has gone down by 1.5 kgs.

Engine

Another area where Mahindra has been able to shave off costs is the engine. The Mojo XT 300 and UT 300 make use of the same 295cc single cylinder engine but the latter now comes with a carburetor as compared to fuel injection on the XT. This will not be a welcome change for tourers are Fi is known to adapt to changing weather conditions easily. High altitude riding and cold weather starts call for fuel injection.

Further, the maximum power has come down to 22.7 bhp from 26.8 bhp, a drop of 15%. Likewise, maximum torque has dropped by 16% to 25.2 Nm as compared to 30 Nm on the XT 300. We are sure this will reflect in real world riding and performance will take a hit.

Both the versions continue to use a 6-speed gearbox and rider aids like 320mm front and 240mm rear disc brakes which is a good step.

Verdict

The low cost Mojo UT 300 is priced at Rs 1.49 lakh (1.39 lakh till 31st March) while the XT 300 is just 16% more expensive at Rs 1.74 lakh. It looks better, has more features and offers better performance which is a boon for touring. If you happen to purchase the bike on a typical 3 year loan, the difference in EMIs will be under Rs 800 which is a nominal amount to pay for the improvements. The reason why we would pick the Mojo XT 300 as the better buy here

Also Read: New Maruti Swift outsells Baleno in first month of sales

Here are seven more segment starter cars in India.

7-Seater affordable SUV

Tata Safari

The Tata Safari was a cult vehicle in India. It offered brute looks while offering two extra seats in the third row. Tata even did a great job with the advertisements of this SUV. At the moment, there are quite a few cars in a segment that was essentially started by the Tata Safari.

Full-Size SUV

Mitsubishi Pajero SFX

The segment that is currently ruled by the Toyota Fortuner and the Ford Endeavour was started by the Mitsubishi Pajero SFX. The 90s SUV became widely popular in the market and a vehicle of choice of many. The capable SUV was powered by a 2.8-litre engine and it was a delight to drive this SUV on the highway and even off the road.

MPV

Kazah Kazwa

Long before the Toyota Qualis and Toyota Innova saw the face of Indian roads, Kazah Kazwa was around in India. The car got homologated for the Indian market two years before Toyota started to rule the segment with the Qualis. The MPV was planned with an agreement with Hindustan Motors with annual production of around 150 cars. Kazwa was highly inspired by the Renault Escape MPV and it was powered by a 2,000cc diesel engine from Hindustan Motors. The car was never launched in India. The first MPV to come to India was the Qualis, which became extremely successful.

AMT Hatchback

Maruti Celerio

Maruti Celerio became quite famous in the Indian market. One of the best selling points of the Celerio AMT is its gearbox, which makes it one of the cheapest automatic vehicles in India. The Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) has the basic skeleton of a manual gearbox but with additional equipment that helps to keep the cost at minimal. The Celerio AMT kickstarted a revolution that saw many manufacturers following suit with their own AMT models. The Celerio AMT provided customers with low-cost automatic solutions that brought ease of driving experience to them.

Micro SUV

Mahindra KUV 100

While Renault Kwid brought the brutish SUV looks to the segment in India, it was the KUV 100 that really looked like an SUV. The KUV’s masculine looks and a high ground clearance make it look like a proper SUV, which make it a first in the segment.

Dual-clutch Hatchback

Volkswagen Polo GT TSI

The Volkswagen Polo is quite known for its build quality in the market. Volkswagen also launched a hot version of the hatchback that is powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine. Volkswagen offered high-tech dual-clutch DSG transmission with the hatchback, which made it every enthusiast’s dream. Later Ford also launched the Figo with the dual clutch transmission in the segment.

Hatchback-based Crossover

Volkswagen Cross Polo

Volkswagen launched the Cross Polo, which is a butch-looking version of the Polo hatchback. The segment later saw launches of similar cars, like the Etios Cross and the Hyundai i20 Active. Even Ford is about to launch a crossover-ish version of the Figo under the Freestyle moniker.

Also Read: New Maruti Swift outsells Baleno in first month of sales

17,291 units of new Maruti Swift sold in February

Demand for the all-new Maruti Swift is very high. The B-Segment hatchback has just outsold its more premium sibling, the Baleno, in February 2018. Last month represents the first month of sales for the new Swift, which was launched at the recently conducted Auto Expo 2018. The new Swift sold 17,291 units in February while the company could manage to sell on 15,807 copies of the Baleno. While the Baleno sales are very impressive as standalone numbers, it looks like the B2-segment hatchback from Maruti Suzuki has lost some of its appeal owing to the advent of the all-new Swift.

Maruti has already garnered over 75,000 bookings for the Swift in just over a month since official bookings opened across the country. The Swift is produced at Maruti’s Hansalpur factory in Gujarat. The Baleno was also being produced at this factory but production of the car has been now shifted to the Manesar factory in Haryana due to the huge demand for the new Swift. Both cars are priced close to the each other, and there is even a fair bit of price overlap between some variants of the two. Prices of the new Swift start from Rs. 4.99 lakhs while that of the Baleno start from Rs. 5.36 lakhs.

Both the Swift and the Baleno offer the same engines – a 1.2-liter K-Series petrol with 82 Bhp and 113 Nm and a 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet turbocharged diesel with 74 Bhp and 190 Nm. 5-speed manual gearboxes are standard on both engines. The Baleno also has an RS version with a 1-liter turbocharged petrol (101 Bhp-150 Nm) powering it. On the Baleno Petrol, Maruti offers a CVT automatic gearbox as an option. On the Swift, however, both the petrol and diesel engines get an optional 5-speed AMT. This is another reason for the high demand that the Swift is enjoying. Both cars get ABS and airbags as standard features.

Also Read: New Maruti Swift outsells Baleno in first month of sales

Royal Enfield electric motorcycle under development for the Indian market

Royal Enfield is the latest among the long list of automakers in India who are betting big on going electric. Royal Enfield president, Rudratej Singh, has confirmed that the Indian retro motorcycle giant is developing an electric motorcycle for the Indian market. However, the motorcycle is at least a couple of years away from production. He delved into more details including the way in which the new Royal Enfield electric motor will perform. Here are the comments he made to Autocar on this matter.

“At the moment, thereís no indicative timeline for REís electric platform development, but donít expect to see a production bike before 2020. But what will an electric Royal Enfield be like? Well, itís fair to expect that the motorcycle will be all about enormous torque delivery. This will suit the Royal Enfield character well, and while loyalists will definitely miss the iconic thump, theyíre just going to have to come to terms with the fact that the future of automobiles is going to be brisk, but quiet!”

Royal Enfield fans may not like the fact that an electric motorcycle will be quiet, without the signature thump that has come to be one of the biggest pull of the Royal Enfield range of motorcycles. However, the immense torque that an electric motor makes right off idle could be the big compensatory feature of the electric motorcycle, and in some years, people may even forget the thump of Royal Enfields. More details about the new electric motorcycle that Royal Enfield is putting together will be revealed in due time.

For now, we do know that Royal Enfield wants to be an innovative motorcycle maker ready to embrace change rather than fight it. Royal Enfield will soon launch two twin-cylinder motorcycles here, which are a part of the Indian motorcycle giant’s most ambitious project yet. By developing the electric motorcycle, Royal Enfield seems to be taking a leaf out of Harley Davidson’s book. Harley is also developing an electric motorcycle which will soon be launched commercially in the United States.

News Source: Autocar

Also Read: Mahindra Roxor up close (Video)

In yet another step towards eliminating the use of non-ISI two-wheeler helmets, Government of India will soon ban the sale of them throughout the country. By 2018-end, selling a non-ISI helmet will become a punishable offense. We believe that this will be a huge step in the right direction to reduce road fatalities involving two-wheelers.

It is being said that this move to ban sales of non-ISI helmets has been welcomed by the ISI helmet association. This development took place on the sidelines of an event organized by MoRTH on March-7, wherein Nitin Gadkari and Dharmendra Pradhan launched Sukhad Yatra mobile app and 1033 National Highway emergency helpline number. BIS has told a Supreme Court panel on road safety that the compulsory move for ISI certification can be implemented within 6 months from now.

Rajeev Kapur, President, ISI helmet manufacture Association said, “We are proud of our policy makers as this was much needed. Looking at the current statics over 75 to 80 percent of helmets used by two-wheeler riders across India do not meet ISI standards, the market is flooded with sub-standard products that compromise on safety despite a fourth of all road deaths involve two-wheeler occupants. We are now glad that government has made it mandatory for all helmet manufacturers to obtain Indian standards certification from Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for the headgears in order to reduce road fatalities.”

While it’s actually a thing of common sense to wear a helmet to protect oneself while riding a two-wheeler, many two-wheeler users in India find the practice of wearing a helmet totally unnecessary. While the various drives to push two-wheeler users into wearing a helmet has yielded some positive results, many users buy cheap, non-ISI mark helmets. Such helmets generally offer no protection and their usage has even given rise to a fake helmet industry. Economics suggest that the least possible cost of production of an ISI-approved helmet ranges between Rs 300-400. There are many replicas of these helmets available for as low as Rs 100. Such helmets are being purchased to avoid being fined by the traffic cops. However, they offer no protection in an event of a crash.

Estimated demand for two-wheeler helmets in India is around 90 million pieces per annum. A large number of two-wheeler users purchase non-ISI helmets. The government’s move will aim to convert them into users of ISI-approved helmets. The authorities will soon start identifying retailers of non-ISI helmets and booking them under the law.

Also Read: Mahindra Roxor up close (Video)

The Indian highways are one of the most dangerous places to drive. A large number of accidents on the Indian roads is a proof that the highways are not safe. A recent incident from the Bangalore – Hyderabad highway tells us why the highways are so dangerous.

This video shows an SUV on the Bangalore-Highway stretch where it is doing a constant 100 – 110 km/h on an empty stretch. This is a closed stretch with steel guards on both sides of the road. Such guards are placed to stop the pedestrians and animals to cross the roads.

The driver of the vehicle spots an old lady crossing the road when he started braking and honking. As per the driver, the lady was looking at him while crossing the road and the driver expected him to stop. However, the lady continued walking across the road. The driver applied full brakes when he realised that she would not stop. The ABS kicked in multiple times and it was a downhill which delayed the stopping time.

The lady realised that a car is coming on her way at a high speed. Looking at the vehicle, she froze and stepped back. The driver swerved to the left to avoid any contact with the lady. Had it been night, the results would have been very different here as spotting someone at night becomes very difficult. Also, the stretch is empty, had there been another vehicle behind, it could have rear-ended the SUV under hard braking.

Many people cannot sense the speed of an oncoming vehicle, which could have been the case here. Also, short-sightedness can be the reason that she could not spot the vehicle earlier. These factors make the Indian highways extremely dangerous and prone to accidents. Thankfully the driver could bring the vehicle to stop in time and had a dashboard camera to record it all.

There have been previous incidents reported from the Indian highways where the villagers blocked the roads and held the motorists because of accidents due to jaywalking.

Here are a few tips that can keep you safe on the Indian highways:

1. Always slow down while crossing a stretch through towns of villages.
2. Keep an eye open for stray animals, they are very difficult to spot at night.
3. Always maintain the speed limit. Slower the speed, quicker you stop.
4. Overtake from the right-hand side, it gives a clear view and keeps you in the view of the other driver.
5. Never drive close to heavy vehicles like trucks and buses on the highway.
6. Never tailgate any other vehicle.

Source, Video

Also Read: Mahindra Roxor up close (Video)