Abhini Sohan Roy has just become the first Indian woman to own a Rolls Royce Cullinan. Wife of Dubai based businessman – Sohan Roy, got the delivery of the Rolls Royce Cullinan today. Interestingly, her Cullinan gets the same Arabian Blue shade, which can also be seen on her husband’s customised Rolls Royce Ghost.

She was gifted the Cullinan SUV by her husband on the occasion of their 25th anniversary. They booked the vehicle in July and became the first Indians to book the latest vehicle from Rolls Royce. The couple recently experienced the Rolls Royce Cullinan at an official event hosted by Rolls Royce Dubai. They were supposed to get the vehicle on 12th December 2018, which is their anniversary date but the delivery got delayed somehow.

The Rolls Royce Cullinan is the first-ever SUV from the British luxury brand and it was received a great response from the market. The Rolls Royce Cullinan is powered by a 6.75-litre V12 petrol engine that generates a maximum power of 563 Bhp and a peak torque of 850 Nm. The SUV gets extremely premium interiors, just like any other Rolls Royce car. The cabin is acoustically sealed, which ensures absolute silence.

Other features of the SUV include pure leather upholstery which is carefully hand-selected by Rolls Royce to ensure that there are no stretch marks. Also, it gets heated armrests, multiple driving modes, a 360-degree camera with the birdseye view, massager in the rear seats, starlit roofline, specially customised tyres, carefully selected real wood with matching grains, self-levelling suspension, and many more such features.

It even gets an automatic umbrella dryer, which keeps the Rolls Royce insignia marked umbrellas dry when you put it in the specially made slots in the doors. The couple received the new Rolls Royce Ghost earlier this year and it received a list of customisations. Even the Cullinan gets a range of customisations including blue interiors. However, we are not sure about the other options that the couple has chosen.

Sohan Roy is a Dubai-based businessman and is the founder of Aeries group. They both belong from Kerala, India but have settled down in Dubai, UAE. After booking the vehicle in July, Rolls Royce posted officially about Abhini becoming the first Indian to book the vehicle. She was even given a memento for the feat.

The Rolls Royce Cullinan is quite capable off the road. It gets a four-wheel steering system for lower turning radius and greater handling at high speeds. It also gets the 4WD system with advanced features that eliminate the need of differential locks. Also, the suspension raises by 40mm when in off-road mode and the total travel of the suspension becomes 120mm. It gets 570mm of water wading capability, which is quite a lot. Other features include a Magic Ride system that offers an electronic damping system. It offers an extremely smooth ride.

Also Read: After Pune, Noida to get 'Tyre killers' to fight wrong-side driving: Installation before New Year

The Indian market would soon get stringent safety rules for both two-wheelers and four-wheelers. The rules for two-wheelers would be implemented on 1st April 2019 and a lot of manufacturers are already launching updated products that comply with the new rules. Aprilia and Piaggio launched the first ever ABS equipped affordable scooters in accordance to the new upcoming rules.

According to ACI, Aprilia launched the ABS equipped SR150 while Piaggio launched the Vespa 150 ABS range. Piaggio also launched the CBS (Combi-Brake System) equipped Vespa 125 in the market. All the three new scooters also get updated prices too. The SR 150 is priced at Rs. 80,850, the Carbon ABS variant is priced at Rs. 82,550 and the SR 150 Race variant is priced at Rs. 89,550. The Piaggio Vespa VXL is priced at Rs. 98,310, the SXL ABS is priced at Rs. 1.02 lakh, SXL 150 RED edition is priced at Rs. 1.03 lakh and the Elegante ABS is priced at Rs. 1.08 lakhs.

Aprilia and Piaggio also launched the CBS equipped lower displacement scooters in the market. The Aprilia 125 CBS is priced at Rs. 69,250 while the Vespa VXL 125 CBS is priced at Rs. 88,250, Vespa SXL 125 CBS is priced at Rs. 91,450 and the Vespa SXL 125 Red edition is priced at Rs. 92,500. The ABS-equipped versions have seen an increase of around Rs. 10,000 while the Combi-Brake System equipped scooters have seen a rise of around Rs. 3,000 in the market.

Apart from the addition of the ABS and CBS features, the scooters remain unchanged mechanically and visually. Every other detail remain the same. However, the new versions have received new stickers that highlight the safety feature.

Indian government has made it mandatory for the two-wheelers above 125cc to offer standard ABS while all the two-wheelers below 125cc must offer the CBS as standard equipment. Manufacturers have started rolling out the updated models so the sales can go on smoothly after the new rule is implemented. However, most of the manufacturers are continuing to sale the regular, non-ABS and non-CBS versions, which can be sold till 31st March 2019. The addition of the new features increase the price of the vehicles, which puts extra burden on the customers. However, both ABS and CBS ensure that the braking distance is reduced, ensuring the safety of the riders.

All the scooters launched by Aprilia and the Piaggio get the single-channel ABS. All the scooters already offered a disc brake. The only addition is that of the ABS feature. The CBS ensures that optimal pressure is distributed to the front and rear brakes of the two-wheeler when the front brake lever is pressed, which reduces the braking distance significantly and reduces the chances of accidents. Both the features would work to make the Indian roads safer, which sees lakhs of fatal accidents each year.

Also Read: After Pune, Noida to get 'Tyre killers' to fight wrong-side driving: Installation before New Year

Here comes Suzuki Connect, an advanced telematics solution which is just what you wished for. Built on the pillars of innovation & technology, Suzuki Connect by Maruti Suzuki is an empowering solution for your daily worries by integrating your car with technology.

Considering your busy lifestyle engulfed by technological gadgets, Suzuki Connect enhances your convenience & experience of owning a NEXA car. You losing track of your car in a mall’s parking lot might be thing of the past now. Suzuki Connect enables you to track your vehicle on real-time & hence, you can easily locate your parked car & get walking directions to it.

You can now actually get a tow away alert if your car moves from a parked position. Sounds cool, right? There’s more! Working towards the philosophy of prevention being better than cure, Suzuki Connect lets you share your real-time location with your loved ones, whether you are working late at the office or coming back from a party at wee hours of the night.

They say, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is equivalent to magic.” Suzuki Connect lives up to its reputation of being a technological marvel by making sure that you & your car become a part of a better-connected world. You can even geo fence your car so that the moment it leaves the set virtual boundary, you get an instant alert. Peace of mind at the touch of a button really.

Suzuki Connect keeps your safety paramount too. In case of a mishap, it sends a notification to your chosen contacts along with your precise location. No more getting stranded on the road while you go for weekend getaways. It also ensures a support call for immediate technical or towing assistance if it detects an issue. Its preventive function call even directs you to the nearest Authorized Service Centre.

In fact, Suzuki Connect has your back at all times. With progressive features like low fuel alerts & over speeding alerts, you will stay updated with your car’s health status at all times. You can also keep a tab on your driver while he is on his way to drop your child to school as you can define a threshold and get an alert every time he crosses the assigned threshold speed.

No further need to put reminders for the impending car service too. Suzuki Connect sends you an automatic reminder to get your car serviced. Talk about convenience!

Suzuki Connect even helps you become a better driver by analyzing the driving performance through parameters like acceleration, braking, speed & more. Not only this, it helps you stay informed of your car’s fuel efficiency through regular trip reports. You can get the maximum out of your car now by saving fuel & money. Smart, isn’t it?

Suzuki Connect is putting out all stops to integrate your car with your lifestyle making your life convenient & connected at the same time. We believe it’s just the beginning of good things to come in the world of connected cars.

Know more about Suzuki Connect by logging on to www.nexaexperience.com/suzuki-connect.html or visit your nearest NEXA Showroom or NEXA Service.

— SPONSORED —

Also Read: After Pune, Noida to get 'Tyre killers' to fight wrong-side driving: Installation before New Year

Royal Enfield was in a soup some time back when they launched the Classic Signals motorcycle. Prior to this, the company had launched the Classic Pegasus variant which was a limited edition model and had a higher sticker price than any Royal Enfield bike during the time.  However, the Classic Signals turned the tables with its launch as it came with more features like dual channel ABS, lower sticker price, was not a limited piece and had similar styling to the Pegasus.

This led to a number of Pegasus owners to get agitated and rant about the company. While the company had earlier made peace with the buyers by offering them various options, this Christmas they turned Santa for the Pegasus owners.

The company sent a mail to all the owners of Classic Pegasus in which it offered them with many Christmas gifts. The subject line of the mail read:

You didn’t buy a motorcycle, you became part of a legacy!

In the mail, the company has offered four gifts to the various Pegasus owners in a bid to further placate them and bring back things to as they were. The first gift is a helmet which will be itched with the bike unique serial number. These numbers were given to each limited edition Pegasus bike and is marked on the fuel tank. Apart from the helmet, there is a Jacket on offer too. The mail recipients will have to enter their size and preferences and send them to the company for them to get one.

Then there is a lapel pin offered as a gift too. The lapel pin can be a unique item for regular biking meets and as an adornment on a riding jacket. Lastly, there is also a bag being given away as a part of the Christmas gift giveaway. While it is not known that whether the bag will be a duffel bag, side bag or a proper backpack, it will be given along with the three other accessories. While it may not exactly compensate for the loss the owners have suffered, it is a good initiative undertaken by the company and shows that they care about the community.

Royal Enfield launched the Classic 500 Pegasus in July, 2018 with a limited run of 1,000 bikes. Out of these, only 250 units were reserved for India and rest were meant for international sale. In India, the bike was priced at Rs. 2.17 Lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi), making it much more expensive than the regular Classic 500 model. However, the flash sale that followed saw all the 250 units lifted under 3 minutes. The styling of the bike was inspired by the RE/WD 125 Flying Flea from World War II. The agitation from owners soon came out because international variants were better specced and that the company had removed any exclusivity factor with the launch of the Classic Signals.

The Pegasus uses the same 499cc, four stroke single cylinder engine found on the Classic 500. This long stroke, old school engine makes 27.2 Bhp-41.3 Nm, and is paired to a 5 speed manual gearbox.

Also Read: After Pune, Noida to get 'Tyre killers' to fight wrong-side driving: Installation before New Year

In less than a month from now, on the 23rd of January 2019, Maruti Suzuki will launch the all-new WagonR hatchback in India. Even as there are few weeks left for the actual launch, the car has been fully revealed through a new set of spyshots, courtesy GaadiWaadi. As the spyshots reveal, the all-new WagonR has a host of design changes, and looks nothing like the outgoing version.

The only common thread in terms of looks between the two cars is the tall boy form factor. This apart, the incoming WagonR looks totally different from the outgoing version, both at the front and the rear. Why, even the profile of both cars are dissimilar. The headlamps of the new WagonR wraparound the sides, and are more curved than the squarish units found on the outgoing version.

On the sides, the all-new Maruti WagonR gets a rising window-line, and chunky wheel wells. These design cues give the all-new WagonR a crossover-ish stance, and we wouldn’t be surprised if Maruti readies up a butch version of the new car in future. At the rear, X’Mas tree tail lamps make an appearance for the first time on the WagonR line-up in India. Overall, the new WagonR is curvier than the outgoing model.

The interiors are also expected to be fully revised. A new dashboard is expected to host a touchscreen infotainment unit now that the WagonR’s chief rival – the Hyundai Santro – offers one. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity options are likely to be offered with the touchscreen infotainment unit. Twin airbags will be offered across most trims with even the base model likely to get a driver airbag as standard.

This is in order to comply with the new BNVSAP safety norms. The new safety norms will also result in the all-new Maruti WagonR getting a host of other safety features. ABS+EBD, reverse parking sensors, seat belt reminder, provision for ISOFIX child seats and speed alerts are the various other features that the all-new WagonR is expected to get across all trims.

Mechanically, the new WagonR is expected to be similar to the second generatiom version it replaces. The 3rd gen model could continue using the 1 liter-3 cylinder K-Series petrol engine – a tried and tested unit. Power and torque figures are also expected to be similar to those produced on the older model – 67 Bhp-90 Nm. A five speed manual gearbox will be standard while an AMT option will also be offered. As for pricing, the new car will be priced similar to its arch-rival – the Hyundai Santro.

On the older WagonR, this engine used to support dual fuel options such as petrol-CNG and petrol-LPG. These dual fuel options are expected to be carried over even to the new model. Notably, Maruti Suzuki is also working on an all-electric version of the WagonR. The all-electric model is at least a year away from launch though. It’ll arrive into India during 2020, as Maruti Suzuki’s first all-electric car. The WagonR Electric is expected to be much more costlier than the internal combustion engine equipped variants.

Also Read: After Pune, Noida to get 'Tyre killers' to fight wrong-side driving: Installation before New Year

Compact sedans have long become among the best selling segment of cars in India. While many may call them a design afterthought or a-boot-strapped-hatch, there is no denying the fact that they offer tremendous value at affordable prices. The latest generation of compact sedans are now quite in the game and offer plush interiors and enough boot space. If you were planning to get a compact sedan anytime soon, here are the best offers on them.

Maruti Suzuki Dzire

Max Discounts up to Rs. 75,000

Though the Tata Indigo cs was the first sub-4 meter sedan, it is the Dzire that really made the segment popular. It has since been the best selling car in its segment and among the top selling car in India too. Currently, Maruti is offering up to Rs. 75,000 discount on the Dzire. The diesel powered Dzire gets a cash discount of Rs. 30,000 along with Rs. 40,000 off as exchange bonus exchange bonus. The petrol variants get the similar cash discount but the exchange bonus is limited to Rs. 30,000. Then there is an extra Rs. 5,000 off, being given away as corporate discount.

Volkswagen Ameo

Max Discounts up to Rs. 1.17 lakh

Volkswagen answer to the likes of Maruti Suzuki Dzire and Hyundai Xcent in the form of Ameo has not gone down very well with the buyers. For the same, the German manufacturer is offering a big discount of Rs. 1.17 lakh on the car. The discount is applicable only on the automatic DSG models of the Ameo. There is an Rs. 72,000 cash discount, Rs. 30,000 exchange bonus and Rs. 15,000 corporate discount. The manual versions of the Ameo, on the other hand, are available with a discount of Rs. 75,000. This includes a cash discount of Rs. 30,000, exchange bonus of Rs. 30,000 and Rs. 15,000 corporate discount.

Hyundai Xcent

Discounts up to Rs. 90,000

Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai have always been after each other in the Indian auto market and this is another example of that. The Hyundai Xcent was the second-most-popular sub-4-meter compact sedan in the Indian market until recently when the Honda Amaze tipped it off. Hyundai is currently offering a massive discount of Rs. 90,000 across all the variants of the Xcent. This includes a cash discount of Rs. 40,000, an exchange bonus of Rs. 45,000  along with a Corporate discount of Rs. 5,000.

Honda Amaze

Discounts up to Rs. 50,000

The second generation Amaze has turned out to quite a well made car and the same is reflected in its sales too. The compact sedan has been made from grounds up and comes with the biggest boot space in its segment, even rivaling some of the bigger cars in that respect. Currently, the Japanese carmaker is offering the Amaze with offer schemes amounting to approximately Rs. 50,000. There is an exchange bonus of Rs. 30,000 on the car along with a corporate discount of Rs. 4,000. Then is also an extended warranty for 4th & 5th Year on offer along with free 3 Year Service Pack.

Tata Tigor

Discounts up to Rs. 45,000

Tata recently brought out a new facelifted version of the Tigor compact sedan. It is also the only compact sedan to have a dedicated sports variant, called the Tigor JTP. Tata is dishing it out with exciting offers of upto Rs. 45,000 this December. This includes a special discounted price for 1st Year Insurance, presently being offered at Rs 15,000. Then there is an additional discount of Rs. 20,000 being offered as exchange bonus along with Rs 3000 off as Corporate bonus.

Ford Aspire

5 year Warranty offered

Ford is offering something different for the people who buy the Aspire this December. The compact sedan is being given away with a special offer of five years warranty on it. This may not be a direct cash discount but can prove to be pretty beneficial if you plan to use your car for long term. The Aspire was updated a couple of months ago and now features updated design as well as interiors.

Also Read: After Pune, Noida to get 'Tyre killers' to fight wrong-side driving: Installation before New Year

That Maruti Suzuki will not bring the Jimny to India is a news most of us our aware of. It went down as unacceptable among the enthusiasts as even the Gypsy has been discontinued. Now, the company has added further fire to our agitated souls by releasing two prototypes of what could be a pick up version and a hard core off road version of the Jimny. Both of them will be showcased at the 2019 Tokyo Auto Salon.

The Jimny has been extremely well received by the people world over and the company is registering an immense demand of the vehicle.

Talking about the Jimny off road concept first, it will be showcased at the Tokyo Auto Salon that is set to begin on January 11. Called the Jimny Survive, it has rugged looking metal cladding on all four corners. A winch and tow hooks adorn the front bumper which itself is quite wild looking. The headlamps have been enclosed by metal bars and the knobby off-road tyres complete the look. The concept car also features a metal roof box and a new matt paint scheme on the outside. Also present is the metal exoframe on the Jimny, which enhances its off road persona.

The Jimny Survive concept’s technical details and equipment list along with cabin features are set to be revealed during the Tokyo Auto show. The metal roof box and the front skid plate look especially tough. With all this extravaganza kit and equipment in place, whether the Service will make it to production has not been confirmed by the company yet.

Next up is the Jimny Sierra Pick up, which is based on the standard Jimny 5-door SUV. Apart from some of the design changes, it features a pick-up style open load bed behind the front seats in true pick up fashion. It gets an interesting gold paint scheme with wood paneling down the flanks featuring the famous Suzuki Rhino Club logo. There is a dash of chrome to be seen in the side mirrors and the towing hitches in the aluminum lower bumper. A set of LED off-road driving lamps are mounted at roof level to complete the tough off road effect.

The Jimny Sierra pick up is just a auto show prop rather than anything that will be a future production car. As it is based on an unmodified Jimny platform that’s 3,550mm long and 1,645mm wide, load carrying capacity will not be something to write home about. However, it will add a good amount of space on the SUV. To let you know, the Stock Jimny gets powered by a 1.5-litre engine that churns out 102 Bhp of power, which is enough to give it god off road prowess.

Also Read: After Pune, Noida to get 'Tyre killers' to fight wrong-side driving: Installation before New Year

Chinese owned British car marque Morris Garage (MG) is set to push a pure SUV lineup into India at least for the start of its venture into India. According to a new report by CarDekho, the first three launches from the British automobile marque will all be SUVs and that all three will be on Indian roads by September 2020.

MG has already confirmed that the first vehicle it will be bringing into India will be a new SUV. The new MG model, which is yet to be named will share its exterior design with the 530 SUV from Baojun, which is another car brand under MG’s current owners SIAC.

The differentiating factor between the Baojun 530 and the upcoming MG SUV will be in terms of the interior trim. The new MG SUV will compete with the likes of the higher-specced Hyundai Creta, Tata Harrier and the Jeep Compass when it arrives in the month of June 2019.

The new SUV will be offered in both petrol and diesel guises and at first, will be offered only as a 5-seater. A 7-seater version will arrive sometime later in the SUV’s product cycle. The diesel engine on the SUV will be the 2.0-litre turbocharged unit found on the Tata Harrier and the Jeep Compass while the petrol unit is said to be a motor developed in-house by Morris Garage. The SUV is expected to be offered with both manual and automatic transmission options when it arrives in June 2019.

The second SUV, which again has been already confirmed for India by MG will be an all-electric SUV which will compete with the Hyundai Kona in the Indian EV market. The all-electric SUV from MG will arrive in India by April 2020. Cardekho speculates that electric SUV could be an electrified version of the MG ZS.

Another option that the blog has put forward as an option that MG could consider is the Rowe RX5, which could end up costing quite a bit more than the Hyundai Kona that MG is targeting with the new electric SUV.

Car Dekho goes on to claim that the third and final SUV from Morris Garage for India will arrive in the month of September 2020. The blog claims that MG is currently considering two different types of SUVs for this third slot in its lineup for India.

The carmaker is currently deciding on whether to say yes to either a compact SUV or a full-sized SUV. While the first could compete against the likes of the Hyundai Creta while the larger option will take on the likes of the Skoda Kodiaq and the Honda CR-V as a premium offering in a segment dominated by the Toyota Fortuner.

Also Read: After Pune, Noida to get 'Tyre killers' to fight wrong-side driving: Installation before New Year

Police officials in NOIDA (New Okhla Industrial Development Authority) are stepping up their fight against wrong side driving, a traffic offence that is becoming very common in most big cities of India. The infamous ‘tyre killers’,  which were first used and then taken down in Pune, will be installed on a pilot basis at five points in NOIDA. Police  officials have revealed that the first tyre killer will come up in NOIDA before the New Year.

What are tyre killers?

Tyre killers are sharp uni-directional metal spike strips that can be fixed onto roads. These uni-directional spikes  are meant to cut into the tyres of vehicles traveling in the wrong-side (illegal direction), and puncture the tyres.

These ‘tyre-killers’ are meant to deter people from driving/riding on the wrong side of the road. Law enforcement agencies abroad routinely use such tyre killers to stop runaway vehicles of criminals.

Police officials have revealed that five major points where there’s blatant wrong-side riding/driving in Noida have  been identified. All five points will see tyre killers coming up. Here are the five points that have been identified:  Sector 76-74 intersection, Sector 77 North Eye junction, Hoshiarpur U-turn, Sai temple U-turn in Sector 61, and near  Sector 75 metro station.

Here’s what Rajeev Tyagi, general manager of NOIDA had this to say to HindustanTimes,

The signage informing people about this tool will be installed on Friday and the work will be completed in three  days at one stretch. Driving on the wrong side has been a menace in the city and such offenders are often penalised.  However, it is rampant and residents as well as authorities are consistently troubled by these miscreants.

Anil Kumar Jha, superintendent of police (traffic),

It is strange that unlike any other NCR city, in NOIDA people habitually drive on the wrong side. In some cases,  even if the right turn is less than 500 metres away, people prefer to take the wrong side, especially two-wheelers.  Since penalties have not been of much help, we hope the tyre killers will be a deterrent.

Consequences of the NOIDA experiment

If the tyre killers that the authorities in NOIDA plan to install deter wrong side drivers/riders, they could be  emulated in other parts of India. Wrong-side driving is reaching epidemic proportions in India, and traffic fines  have been largely ineffective as a deterrent. Tyre killers may prove to be the extreme solution to wrong-side  driving/riding. Don’t be surprised to see this dangerous contraption finding its way into other Indian cities in  future now that government agencies have begun using it.

Concerns about tyre killers

In Pune, the police officials made a leading mall in the city take down tyre killers from a public stretch of road,  citing that the mall authorities did not have permission for installing such devices on the road, and that it was also dangerous.

Such tyre killers can cause blow outs of tyres, leading to accidents, and this is the reason why they’re seldom seen  on public roads as a permanent installation. Even in cases where law enforcement agencies use such devices to stop  fugitive vehicles, the structure used is a temporary one that’s removed immediately after use.

Also Read: After Pune, Noida to get 'Tyre killers' to fight wrong-side driving: Installation before New Year

KTM’s 390 models – Duke and RC are quite popular in the Indian market as well as around the world. While the naked version – 390 Duke received a substantial amount of upgrades in 2017, the fully-faired version – RC 390 came out only with an updated sticker job in addition of a slipper clutch. KTM has started testing the all-new RC 390 in Europe and it is expected to be launched in 2019.

While the test bike has been spotted with heavy camouflage, we can expect that the exterior design of the bike mostly remains identical to the current version of the KTM RC 390. The updated RC 390 is expected to get similar updates like the 390 Duke. Visually, the RC 390 can become more inspired by the RC8. KTM introduced all-LED headlamp with the 390 Duke and we can expect the same in the updated RC 390. The dual horizontal lamp set-up in the current RC 390 would be replaced by a vertically stacked setup seen in the RC8. The windscreen has also become larger, which will help the rider from wind blasts and would give better aerodynamics to the bike. Rest of the fairing on the body will receive slight changes but overall, it will remain quite similar to the current version of the bike.

The next-generation RC 390 will also get the full coloured TFT screen, which is already present in the 390 Duke. The new console will get all the similar features including phone connectivity via Bluetooth. The new TFT screen is operated by a set of new switches and the RC 390 will also get the similarly updated switchgear from the 390 Duke.

Other improvements may include a bigger fuel tank, updated tail lamp and blinkers. Even the chassis will be upgraded to a bolt-on sub-frame on the trellis frame chassis. Mechanically, the all-new RC 390 is expected to remain similar to the current version. However, with the upcoming BS VI norms, KTM may just launch the all-new RC 390 with an updated and cleaner engine. The current 373.2cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine produces a maximum power of 43.5 PS at 9,000 rpm and 36 Nm of peak torque at 7,000 rpm. KTM may not update the power and torque figures on the bike. Also, the six-speed transmission will remain the same as the current version.

The RC 390 would get standard dual-channel ABS like the current model. Even the upside down front forks from WP and monoshock at the rear would continue as is in the upcoming model. The all-new KTM RC 390 would be manufactured in India like the current one and would be exported to the international markets.

KTM is expected to launch the all-new bike by mid-2019. KTM is also testing the all-new 390 ADV in the Indian market will launch the bike by the end of 2019.

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Also Read: Peugeot-Citroen DS 7 Crossback premium SUV testing in India

MG Motors will soon enter the Indian market and their first-ever product from the brand would be the Tata Harrier rival. Not many details of the upcoming SUV is known till now but according to a new report in Financial Express, the size of the upcoming MG Motors SUV would be larger than the Honda CR-V. However, the pricing would be in the range of the Tata Harrier and the Jeep Compass.

MG Motors is working to ensure that the all-new SUV gets at least 75% localisation at the time of the launch. It will ensure that the new vehicle is priced affordably in the market. The all-new SUV is expected to reach the Indian market in the first half of 2019 and the vehicle has been spotted testing on the Indian roads too.

The all-new MG SUV would be placed pretty high in the terms of features. It will get full LED headlamps and all the other bulbs would be full LED too. The SUV was caught with dynamic indicators in India which ensures that the SUV gets all the modern bits and looks luxurious on the roads. MG Motors is a British brand but is owned by the Chinese giant – SAIC. We can expect a value-for-money price tag on the upcoming SUV.

On the inside, it would offer a range of features too. As per the report, a few important features in the upcoming MG Motors SUV would be 360-degree parking camera, flat-bottom steering wheel, dual-tone dashboard and a flat floor for the optimal space for the rear passengers. Just like the Harrier and the Jeep Compass, the MG Motors SUV would also offer 5-seats.

The engine options of the all-new SUV would be similar to the Jeep Compass and the Tata Harrier. It would get the same 2.0-litre Multijet diesel engine sourced from Fiat. However, it is expected that the power output of the 2.0-litre diesel engine would be around 170 Bhp, similar to the one see in the Jeep Compass. Interestingly, Tata Harrier offers the same engine with a maximum power output of 138 Bhp. MG Motors SUV would also be offered with a petrol engine. A 1.5-litre turbocharged engine is expected, which will produce around 150 Bhp of maximum power. MG would offer an automatic transmission with the petrol engine. It is expected to be a six-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission.

Even though it is early to position the upcoming SUV in the market but the report says that it would be priced at around Rs. 15 lakhs while the top-end model would be priced below Rs. 20 lakhs. This would be a competitive price for the rivals to match. MG Motors would prove to be a tough challenger if it comes with all the bells and whistles with such a competitive price tag.

Also Read: Peugeot-Citroen DS 7 Crossback premium SUV testing in India

Maruti Suzuki is said to stop building the Multijet diesel engine from its Gurgaon factory. This big development  comes at a time when there are rumours that diesel engines on small cars may be going the way of the dodo thanks to a steep increase in costs. According to LiveMint, The diesel engine factory could be converted to produce petrol engines even as Maruti Suzuki is yet to confirm this development.

Why’s it such a big deal?

There are so many cars in India that use a single diesel engine – the 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet unit – that it’s  jocularly known as the ‘national engine’ of India. Sample this. The Maruti Swift, Dzire, Baleno, Vitara Brezza,  Ertiga, Ciaz and S-Cross – all use the 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet turbocharged diesel engine. These cars make up for  more than 50 % of all diesel cars sold in India. And the numbers gets even more expansive if car makers such as Tata  Motors and Fiat, and their cars using the Multijet engine, are included.

What’s the alternative?

In the near term – next 3-5 years – Maruti Suzuki plans to shift to a new, in-house diesel engine. The new motor –  developed by Suzuki – will displace 1.5 liters and will replace the 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet diesel engine across  Maruti’s range. What this means, the likes of the Maruti Swift, Dzire, Baleno, Vitara Brezza, Ertiga, Ciaz and S-  Cross will shift to the 1.5 liter turbocharged diesel engine. In the long term (5 years+), Maruti may steer clear of  diesel engines altogether. Will this shift signal the end of diesels? There’s a good chance of this happening.

Already, voices right from the top of Maruti Suzuki have revealed that diesel engined cars may get too expensive in  the Bharat Stage 6 emission norms regime. In fact, the engineering head of Maruti Suzuki, Mr. CV Raman had recently noted that the price difference between BS6 compliant diesel engined and petrol engined cars could be up to Rs. 2.5 lakhs. This is likely to make diesel engined cars too expensive for private car buyers, making the fuel option  suitable only for cab operators.

Private car buyers are expected to shift towards petrol engined cars and other dual fuel options such as petrol-LPG  and petrol-CNG. For now, full-hybrid petrol cars – which are likely to be as fuel efficient as BS6 diesel engined  cars – are said to be too costly for mass adoption. Prices of petrol-hybrid cars – according to Maruti Suzuki chairman Mr.RC Bhargava – could be Rs. 2.5 lakhs costlier than regular petrol cars, which means that full petrol-hybrids will cost the same as BS6 diesels, at least for now.

Maruti Suzuki is also working on electric cars. The automaker’s first electric car – the all-new WagonR Electric – is  scheduled to make its debut during 2020. On-road testing of the car has already commenced, and Maruti Suzuki is  expected to launch the car at an affordable price point, well under Rs. 10 lakhs. However, the mass adoption/shift  towards electric cars is still at least half a decade away considering the fact that electric vehicle recharging  infrastructure is still in its infancy in India, and so is affordably priced electric cars.

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2019 is going to be a pretty good year in terms of new launches. What is different this time though is that apart from new models, new bike types are also making their way to our shores, some of which were never present in the budget category. This includes bobbers and scramblers which will be factory built production units. If you have been planning to buy a bike in 2019, here’s a list of 10 most awaited bikes that will be launched in the coming year.

Yamaha FZ V 3.0

Yamaha has planned to bring in a new version of its popular 150 cc naked bike, the FZ. The already muscular bike has been given more muscle and a front headlight assembly inspired from the FZ25. Yamaha has revealed that January 21 is going to be the date of a new bike launch and we guess it will be FZ V 3.0. The new FZ will also be ABS equipped, though probably it will only be a single channel system.

Hero XPulse 200

Hero’s second attempt at making an affordable on-off road bike seems to be going in the right direction. It will get Xtreme 200R’s engine, though in a slightly different state of tune. With the XPulse, Hero will try to penetrate the highly untouched segment of affordable adventure tourer and we guess this time it may even succeed.

UM Motorcycles DSR

UM Motorcycles have started planning to bring in more models in India apart from their cruiser range. The DSR will be among the first new models by the company and will add to the growing list of affordable adventure bikes that are coming to India in 2019. It will be powered by a 223-cc single-cylinder engine and will provide proper off road experience at an affordable price point.

Hero Karizma

There have been reports of Hero developing a new 200 cc bikes. If rumors are to be believed, it will be a fully faired motorcycle and will take on the like of Bajaj Pulsar RS200 among others. It is expected that Hero will use the Karizma moniker for the bike as the name is quite popular and well known among the youth. It will be likely powered by the same 200 cc engine which powers other Hero bikes like the Xtreme 200R and the soon to be launched XPulse.

Bajaj Pulsar 250

Among the various projects Bajaj is currently working on, one of the most important one is the new Pulsar 250. It will come off as a successor to the Pulsar NS 200, which has not been updated since long. The engine on the new Pulsar 250 will be based on the KTM 250 Duke’s mill, the same way as NS 200’s engine was based on Duke 200 engine. It will not come before the end of 2019 and the launching may even stretch to 2020.

Suzuki Gixxer 250

Suzuki too is eyeing the hotly competed 250 cc segment and will be launching a 250 cc Gixxer soon. It will be a step from the current 150 cc bike and will take on the likes of Yamaha FZ-25 among others. Internationally, the Gixxer 250 is sold with a parallel twin motor but the Indian version, in all likeliness, will sport a single cylinder engine to keep the costs down. The Suzuki Gixxer 250 is expected to be launched by mid 2019.

Honda CBR 300R

Honda has been developing Indian specific bikes since some time, which is the reason for its absence for the launch scene. The CBR-250R has now grown quite old too and needs replacement to keep up with the competition. IT is expected that the Japanese company will soon bring in the CBR-300 to India, most probably in 2019. It will take on the likes of Yamaha R3 and Kawasaki Ninja 300 among others.

Jawa Perak

Jawa made quite a re-entry into the biking scene. On the day of launch, it showcased three bikes, the 42, the Jawa, and the Jawa Perak. While the former two bikes have been launched, the Perak was held to be launched later. It will be the first affordable production Bobber themed bike in India and will be more powerful than the other two Jawa bikes. It looks quite stylish and expect the launching to be done sometime during the mid 2019.

KTM 390 Adventure

Among the most awaited bikes of the year, the KTM 390 Adventure was recently spotted testing in India. The bike was long rumored to be in work, ever since the launch of Royal Enfield Himalayan. KTM has a lot of experience in making adventure bikes and also competes in the Dakar rally championship, considered to be the toughest off road rally race. It will share most of the parts like engine among others with the 390 Duke and we expect the company to launch the bike by the third quarter of 2019.

Royal Enfield Classic 500 Scrambler

When it was first caught testing, almost all were taken for a pleasant surprise. Who knew that Royal Enfield would be developing a Scrambler type motorcycle based on the Classic 500. However, that is true and the bike will be launched in mid 2019, though launch could shift to end 2019 also. Powertrain et cetera will remain the same and not much information is available on the bike yet. However, we expect it to get longer travel suspensions, a modified rear sub frame along with a bit of engine tuning.

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The Hyundai Creta has remained the undisputed king of the SUV segment in the Rs 9-14 lakh bracket. With an average of over 10,000 units sold each month this year, the Creta is the 9th largest selling car in India. That said, this SUV’s unchallenged winning streak might take a hit in 2019 as five all-new SUV models are expected to be launched in the same price bracket. Which are these models? Lets have a look:

Creta Rival 1 : Nissan Kicks 

Price segment: Rs 9-14 lakh
Will rival: Lower models of Creta
Fuel: Petrol & Diesel
Time frame: Jan 2019
Why will it attract Creta buyers: Lower price point, dimensions

Nissan is all set to launch their made-for-India Kicks crossover. Longer, wider and taller than the Creta, the Kicks will be positioned just under the Hyundai SUV and this will make it a value deal for new car buyers. Like the Creta, it will come with a choice of both petrol and Diesel engine options.

However, an automatic will be missing at launch and this will not go down well with all buyers. We drove the cross-over for two days in Gujarat and came back very impressed. Nissan has made extensive changes for the Indian market including beefing up the looks to make it look muscular and aggressive. The 17-inch alloy wheels, raised ground clearance, lovely roof rails and a bold front do make the Kicks look urban cool.

The cabin is well laid out and looks premium thanks to additions like soft touch leather for fascia and door pads. Its a loaded Nissan too with a semi digital display, climate control, start-stop button, 360 degree camera and an 8 inch touch screen interface. It gets the same petrol and diesel units that power various Renault / Nissan vehicles  (1.5 petrol / 1.5 diesel) though an automatic, as we mentioned above, is sorely missed. If Nissan can price this from Rs 9 lakh onwards, they will certainly be able to attract a large set of Creta owners into their showrooms.

Creta Rival 2 : Tata Harrier

Price segment: Rs 12-16 lakh
Will rival: Higher end models of Creta
Fuel: Diesel
Time frame: Jan 2019
Why will it attract Creta buyers: Size, design, engine

The Harrier will be the second Creta rival that will be launched in Jan’19. As is the case with most Tata SUVs, the Harrier too owns the road when it comes to street presence. It is larger than the Creta and also offers a better design, one that can truly be called as stunning. This alone will be a big factor that will get prospective customers in the Rs 12-16 lakh bracket into Tata showrooms. Secondly, the Harrier will also come with a larger diesel engine than the Creta which means better performance. And lastly, it will offer Terrain Response Modes, something not seen on the Creta.

And white the Harrier will also offer a larger touch-screen with a better audio set-up, where is surely lacks in front of the Creta is in terms of powertrain options. No petrol and no automatic with the diesel – given the increasing demand for an automatic, specially at this price point, the Harrier will disappoint quite a few prospective buyers

Creta Rival 3 : MG SUV 

Price segment: Rs 13-17 lakh
Will rival: Higher end models of Creta
Fuel: Petrol & Diesel
Time frame: May-June 2019
Why will it attract Creta buyers: Design, engine, features

MG Motor or Morris Garages will launch their first product for India in the form of a SUV that will be priced under Rs 20 lakh. However, it will have generous dimensions, making it much larger than the Creta. Infact, in terms of size, it is as large (or even bigger) than a Honda CR-V!

We Indians love our SUVs to have good road presence and in this department, the MG SUV will outshine the Creta. Likewise, it is likely to get a larger 2.0 diesel motor sourced from Fiat – the same unit that powers the Jeep Compass. Even the petrol model with come with an advanced 7 speed automatic gearbox as opposed to a conventional one seen on the Creta. This petrol MG will also put out more power than the Creta petrol.

MG has also confirmed that their SUV will have a host of features including segment first connected features. The design itself will be stunning including Audi like progressive indicators – now that will surely be bling. Though priced slightly over the Creta, the MG SUV sure will offer max bang for your money.

Creta Rival 4 : KIA SUV

Price segment: Rs 10-14 lakh
Will rival: Mid range models of Creta
Fuel: Petrol & Diesel
Time frame: June – Aug 2019
Why will it attract Creta buyers: Design, features, cabin design

Its a little known fact that Hyundai owns 33.88% share in Kia Motors. The reason why we see a lot of similarity in design language between both the companies world wide. Will we see that in the upcoming Kia SUV? Well, no official sketch or design language has been released by the company yet but going by their international models, we can safely say their upcoming SUV, to be named Trazor or Tusker, will definitely turn heads in admiration. There is no word yet on the engine specs too – infact, the Andhra Pradesh factory is still coming up and trial production will start next month and only then will we get hold of some solid information.

That said, as per a latest release, the ‘SP2i’ SUV will have a very modern design language with the features and quality generally found in cars from higher segments.

In terms of pricing, it should be placed in the Rs 10-14 lakh bracket and like most Hyundai offerings, the cabin of the Kia SUV should also be upmarket and premium. Our fingers are crossed.

Creta Rival 5 : New Renault Duster

Price segment: Rs 8-12 lakh
Will rival: Lower end models of Creta
Fuel: Petrol & Diesel
Time frame: July – Sep 2019
Why will it attract Creta buyers: Value, AWD, ride quality

And finally, the new Duster. The current versions used to enjoy a huge waiting period a few years back but today, given the much improved competition, suffers from poor sales and is being offered with massive discounts. This will change later in 2019 when Renault gets in the new Duster. The good news is that it will continue to offer a value deal with prices starting at around Rs 8 lakh, thus locking horns with lower versions of the Creta. Adventure seekers will be also be delighted to know that it will be offered with an AWD as well.

This new version isn’t a radical departure from the current model and continues on with the same design language, but in a better way. It will be based on the current B0/Logan platform though structural changes will be done to meet the Indian crash test norms.

The cabin will be all-new and this is essential as the current Duster’s biggest shortcoming are the dated interiors. The same pair of petrol and diesel engines will also be carried forward. The former will also come with an optional CVT while the latter will get an optional AMT as well as AWD.

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Scramblers have been catching up as a popular motorcycle type of lately. The interest spiked to peak when there were rumors of Jawa bringing a new scrambler themed bike during its launch but that didn’t happen. Ever since then, there have been lot of mod jobs done on various motorcycles to give them the typical scrambler look.

Royal Enfield is also making a scrambler version of its popular Classic 500 motorcycle, which could be the cheapest production scrambler in India. However, today we bring you a Royal Enfield Bullet 350 Electra which has been modified into a proper scrambler. Take a look at the video before we proceed further.

Scramblers are basically striped down bikes which are meant for off roading. Spoked rims, knobby wheels, short rear fender and bare minimum design are among the features that a scrambler is made up of. Coming to the Bullet Scrambler, it has been modified by Revheads and done very nicely. It is not somethings out of the world and one can still tell that it was once a Bullet. Which, in fact is its main plus point. The modified scrambler does not lose much of its original DNA and the motorcycle gains a new personality. Let’s now see in detail all what has gone into the making of this motorcycle.

Starting from the front, the headlamps have been replaced with a smaller unit that goes with the look of a scrambler. The Bullet handlebars have been replaced with more practicals ones, finished in black. The front fender has also been chopped and given a black paint finish. In fact,  the whole bike carries the black paint finish except for the fuel tank and the tool box. This creates an interesting contrast and gives the bike a proper scrambler character. A new saddle now sits where once the stock Royal Enfield seat was. The rear subframe has been custom made for the bike and has been made to give it a short tail look.

The tires at both the front and rear are shod with blacked out spoked rims and are custom units. The instrument cluster has also been replaced with a new single piece units that gives all the relevant information. Then there is the custom silencer which creates a rather blissful note out of it. The tail light is a single piece circular unit and does its job without any pomp and show. The front gets a disc brake while the rear end does with a drum brake unit.

Currently, the most affordable production scrambler available in India is the FB Mondial HPS 300. The radical looking scrambler motorcycle is available at an ex-showroom price of Rs. 3.37 lakhs, which is quiet a sum. It is a good bike but definitely overpriced and out of reach of many customers. Therefore, modifications like this one here are the sole provider of affordable scrambler motorcycles.

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Foreign motorcyclist Karl Rock was on his way to Pune from Vadodara on a road trip. He was riding a Royal Enfield  Himalayan, and when he reached the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, he missed an exit and rode straight onto the expressway. Indian cops were lying in wait, and busted him. Here’s what happened next.

As the video indicates, the cops first bust Mr. Karl Rock, and his riding buddy, who was also on a Royal Enfield  Himalayan. Then the cops did something unthinkable, at least in the eyes of Indian bikers. They actually let  actually let Karl Rock off with friendly advice about the right way to take. They did this as Mr. Karl Rock was  ‘India’s guest’, and guests can’t be fined for minor transgressions committed unknowingly, can they?

Riding a two wheeler on the Mumbai-Pune expressway is illegal. The expressway is only meant for private cars, taxis,  light and heavy commercial vehicles. All other vehicles – except those used by the authorities – are illegal, and  this includes two wheelers and three wheelers.

Mr. Rock’s riding buddy wasn’t as lucky. He had to pay the full fine for illegally riding on the Mumbai-Pune  expressway, and the cops handed over a challan to him, which means that it wasn’t a bribe but a legitimate traffic  fine that was levied. Mr. Rock does add that Indian cops do accept bribes, and even asks people caught for  traffic offences to ‘negotiate hard’.

While there are a few signboards on the Mumbai-Pune expressway that prohibit two wheelers, three wheelers and bullock carts – yes bullock carts – from accessing this smooth stretch of road, it’s easy to miss such signboards. The  problem becomes acute as two wheelers riding on the old Mumbai-Pune highway (NH4) have to use the expressway for a very short stretch near Lonavala before rejoining the old highway. It’s at this point where riders get confused, and many of them end up getting stuck on the expressway, with no exit to the old highway in sight.

Indian cops are usually found lying in wait at the toll gates for such riders, who have strayed onto the expressway,  knowingly on unknowingly. While the cop who stopped Mr. Rock was friendly, and helpful, there have been instances where bikers have been fined upto Rs. 5,000 for straying onto the expressway under various offences. So, if you are ever riding on the old Mumbai-Pune highway, be very aware of your surroundings and get off to the old highway at the right point.

There are multiple reasons why riding a two wheeler on the expressway is ILLEGAL!

1. It’s dangerous. Most two wheelers in India have engines that displace under 125cc. What this means is 80 Kmph – which is the speed limit on the Mumbai-Pune expressway is close to the top speed of most two wheelers. This makes it quite dangerous for people riding these bikes as they’re at their vehicle’s limits if they obey the speed limit.
2. If they choose to go slow, they’re sitting ducks for faster traffic, and can be swayed violently by wind blast from passing cars and trucks.

While the Royal Enfield Himalayan – a motorcycle that Mr. Rock and his friend were riding – on the Mumbai-Pune expressway before getting busted, can manage much high speeds than 80 Kmph, there’s no differentiation in law between fast and slow motorcycles, which makes all of them illegal on the expressway.

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The Renault Duster is among the first compact SUVs in India. It popularized the concept and became a sales success for the company at a time when it was most needed. Initially, it was offered only with front wheel drive option but due to popular demand, Renault later on brought the All-wheel Drive version to our shores.

However, the SUV was meant mainly for city usage and the same was reflected in its design. One of the owner though wanted something more from his Duster and thus created the brutish form you see below in the pictures. A perfect dark horse, though it is not officially named that by its owner.

Talking about owner, this magnificent modified Duster AWD belongs to Rinoy Sebastian. Done in glossy black paint shade, it looks quite menacing as well as intimidating. While the Duster has not seen many modified example in India, this one is clearly among the better ones we have seen.

To give it a complete dark theme, all the chrome parts have given way to shiny black paint. In fact, there’s not even a single piece of chrome to be seen any where on the exterior body of the Duster, be it the grille or the rear number plate area.

Talking about the changes made on the car, it has been heavily worked upon. Unlike many of the mod jobs we have seen, the Duster has been given a proper engine tuning among other engine enhancements apart from just aesthetic changes. The 1.5 litre diesel engine on the Duster has been given a Code 6 Stage 1 Performance Tune along with K&N Intake Filter to help with air intake. The SUV has also been given an Eibach Pro-Lift Kit, which is the reason for its intimidating stance. The front of the car features off road spec bumper complete with auxiliary lamps. The rear gets blacked out tail lamps and a new tail pipe.

Then are those mad wide tires that look absolutely bonkers on the Duster. The rims are 16 inch units which have been shod on with 235/60/16 Rubber. Coupled with the lift kit, the massive tires provide a distinct look to this Duster. For sure then, it can’t be confused for any other Duster on the road.

The Duster AWD is powered by a 1.5 litre diesel engine which now, thanks to the remap, pumps out a lot more power than what it does in stock form. In the stock form, the 1.5 litre mill churns out a healthy 108 Bhp of power along with 248 Nm of torque. The engine comes mated to a sic speed manual transmission and power goes out to all the four wheels. A new, facelifted version of the Duster is also on cards for 2019, but until then, this Dark horse will provide some solace to our eyes.

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India is a very difficult country for automobile enthusiasts. There are very high taxes on the imported vehicles that make them out of the reach of most of the people. To overcome the hefty taxes, many people illegally import the products, which later get seized and rot in the police stations. Here are a few superbikes that have faced the same fate and have been left to die by the owners.

Sidhartha M has put up a few pictures from Andheri Police Station, Mumbai showing various superbikes with several layers of dust rotting in the station. The bikes include the Honda CBR 1000RR Fireblade, Honda CBR 600RR and a Yamaha FZ-1. There are as many as four Honda CBR 600RR bikes parked at the station and one of them is the rare Repsol replica bike.

The Repsol replica is inspired by the MotoGP livery and is extremely popular among the enthusiasts. There is another Konica Minolta edition Honda CBR 600RR, which again is a rare product. There is also a Yamaha FZ-1, which looks like an accidental case and the headlamp set-up has melted away in a possible fire.

Most of the bikes seen abandoned here belong to the mid-capacity 600cc class. While most of the international manufacturers sell their litre-class products legally in India, government rules earlier banned the import and sale of 600cc segment motorcycles in India. The law was made to provide enough room for Indian manufacturers to grow in the market. However, with time, the law has been amended to allow 800cc and above bikes. Since then, a lot of manufacturers have set-up assembly plants in the Indian market to assemble the CKD bikes from the 600cc segment and sell them legally in the market. However, no racing-class 600cc, in-line, four-cylinder bikes like the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R or the Honda CBR 600RR are still available in the market.

The law, however, allowed any NRI returning to India to bring in their vehicles to the country. This backdoor entry provided a channel for the enthusiasts who really wanted to buy such bikes. Many 600cc in-line four-cylinder engine powered bikes were imported to the Indian market through the same channel and were sold without proper documentation. Over the years, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) gathered information of such bikes and raided the garages or caught them on the roads. The illegally imported bikes are often seized and the owners are asked to pay hefty fines and pay taxes, which can run into lakhs of rupees. With such a high amount of money involved, owners often prefer to disown the bikes and leave them to die.

To import a CBU 600cc bike in India is still a big challenge and one has to go through various government departments to get permissions and other clearances. Most of the enthusiasts go for the litre-class bikes even though they cannot be utilised fully on the crowded roads. We do hope that rules change in the future and we do get to see some great iconic models in the Indian market.

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The Indian automotive market is growing at a fast pace. Manufacturers from around the globe are setting their eyes on the Indian market to the advantage of the situation. Peugeot is one such global manufacturer which is planning to launch their products in India and their first-ever product for the market has been spotted testing on the Indian roads.

DS Automobiles is Citroen’s premium arm, which only makes luxury vehicles was seen testing the DS 7 SUV on the Indian roads. It takes on the likes of the Volvo XC 40, BMW X1 and the Audi Q3 in the international markets and is expected to target the same products in the Indian market too. Even though it is placed in the same price bracket, it offers much more when compared to the German offerings.

The DS 7 Crossback is based on the EMP2 platform. It is the same platform that underpins the Citroen C5 Aircross and the Peugeot 5008 SUVs. As DS Automobiles is a fairly unknown brand, especially in India, it is quite possible the Peugeot-Citroen group rebadges them before launching in India. The group has also acquired rights to the Ambassador name in the Indian market from Hindustan Motors. However, it is not known if they will use the iconic name to name of the cars in the Indian market.

Coming back to the DS 7 Crossback, it is powered by a range of engines in the international markets. The SUV gets a 1.5-litre diesel engine that generates a maximum of 130 Bhp, a 2.0-litre diesel engine that produces a maximum of 180 Bhp and a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine that generates a maximum of 222 Bhp. It gets both manual and automatic transmission options. The manual transmission is only available with the diesel-powered variants while the automatic version is available exclusively with the petrol variant of the vehicle.

It is quite possible that car caught testing is for testing for the upcoming BS-VI compliant engines and new transmissions that will be manufactured by the brand in Hosur, Tamil Nadu. The brand already has set-up a plant and will soon start the manufacturing process.

The Peugeot group is making a comeback to the Indian market after about 14 years. It is expected to target the high-volume products in the Indian market. Even though the names of the cars are not known, Peugeot is expected to launch the 208 hatchback to take on the Maruti Suzuki Swift, 308 hatchback to take on the Maruti Suzuki Baleno, 2008 SUV to take on the Hyundai Creta and 3008 SUV to take on the likes of Jeep Compass in the Indian market. Peugeot has joined hands with the CK Birla group and is expected to launch their first product in 2020. They will also set-up dealership and service network across the nation.

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Winters are here and so are the regular problems faced by bikers this season. While riding gloves, jackets and boots do provide some protection against cold winds, they are not very effective if you are living in a region where minimum temperature drops to less than 5 degree Celsius.

For such regions, a heated grip will be ideal. Here’s a video, courtesy Jhampa66, which shows a heating grip accessory. It can be easily installed on any motorcycle and will provide the much needed warmth to your hands while riding in cold.

Many high end cruiser/tourer motorcycles get a feature of heated grips factory fitted. However, this can even be installed on any bike you own and under your budget. Talking about the video, it shows the heated grips being installed on a Bajaj Pulsar NS200. The package containing the heated grips comes with many other contents to be used as whole. This includes two Heated Grip Pads (With Connection Wires), one temperature Position Switch, one Heat Resistant Tape and two Heat Resistant grip covers. Now, let’s move on to the installation procedure, which in fact isn’t as tedious as it seems to be

All the wiring work has been already done by the company and one just has to attach the negative and positive ends to the bike. The control switch is firstly placed near the switch gear. This switch controls the functioning of the heating panel and come with 3 modes. These modes are warm (45 degree) off and extra warm (65 degree). The heated grip pad is then wrapped around the handle grips and the grips are cleaned before the placement. It is rolled and then placed around with the help of the heat resistant tape provided in the package.

The heating panel is then covered with the provided grip covers. After making the right wire connections, the whole setup becomes ready to use and starts producing heat. These heating grips are very useful if you are planning to go on a long ride this winter season. Not only it heats your hand and provide comfort, it also enables one to ride longer. Also, extreme cold can often result into less effective control over switch gear and other levers as hands become too cold. With these grips, this issue is also taken care of.

Other options like heated seats among other are also available in the market but they are too expensive and also are not very practical. Unless you are a regular long distance rider, heated seats will not provide you with any instant benefit. However, heated grips are a good option and the best part is that they come at very affordable prices. Installation and usage is also quite easy, making them an excellent accessory to get for your bike.

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