Nissan launched the all-new Kicks in the Indian market earlier this year. The SUV that takes on the likes of the Hyundai Creta gets a starting price tag of Rs. 9.55 lakh while the top-end is priced at Rs. 14.65 lakhs. Here is the new TVC of the Kicks released for the Indian market.

The TVC highlights the fact that you will feel like home in the Nissan Kicks and it is made up of all the things that you need or carry around. The Nissan Kicks gets the B-Zero platform that also underpins the Renault Duster, Renault Captur and the Nissan Terrano in the Indian market. The Indian-spec Kicks is quite different from the international model. It is much bigger, more affordable and gets a completely different platform in India.

The Nissan Kicks gets unique styling with the familiar Nissan’s signature grille at the front. The vehicle gets a floating roof design with blacked out A, B and C-Pillars. Customers can also go for contrasting roof options with the Nissan Kicks. The Nissan Kicks is quite large in dimensions and is even bigger than the Hyundai Creta. The Kicks gets a ground clearance of 210mm.

The Nissan Kicks is one the most feature-rich SUVs in the Indian market. It gets the dual-tone black-brown interior theme. The top-end version gets premium leather seats and leather-wrapped armrests. There are also rear AC vents, four airbags, and a 360-degree camera system that makes it very easy to park in close spaces. Nissan has highlighted the same feature in the TVC too.

The feature list of the Kicks also gets a start-stop button, keyless entry, automatic headlamps, cruise control, steering-mounted controls for controlling the audio, a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic climate control system, USB charging ports, powered windows and powered outside rearview mirrors. It also gets ABS + EBD, rear parking sensors, dual front airbags and braking assistance as standard across the variants. The top-end versions also get Hill Side Assist, which is commonly known as Hill Descent Control.

The compact SUV gets machined 17-inch alloy wheels with 215/60 section tyres. The base version gets 17-inch steel rims. The front gets get disc brakes and the rear tyres get the drum brakes.

The Nissan Kicks is powered by both petrol and diesel engine options. It gets a 1.5-litre H4K petrol engine that churns out a maximum power of 106 PS at 5,600 rpm and 142 Nm at 4,000 rpm. The diesel engine powering the Nissan Kicks is a 1.5-litre K9K dCi engine that produces a maximum power o 110 PS at 3,850 rpm and 240 Nm of peak torque at 1,750 rpm. It gets the 5-speed manual transmission for the petrol engine variants and a 6-speed transmission for the diesel variants.

Also Read: Tata Motors & BSNL Tie Up To Make Cars Smarter

Mahindra will launch their new XUV300 sub-compact SUV on 14th of next month. It is based on the SsangYong Tivoli compact SUV, albeit it is smaller in size. Almost all the details and features of the SUV have come out in public except for the pricing, which will be out on the day of launch. It will come with many segment leading features and will be positioned as a premium offering in the segment. It will come in four variants with different set of features and engines.

The segment leading features on the SUV would include front parking sensors, dual-zone automatic climate control, a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a sunroof, disc brakes on all four wheels along with seven airbags. These features will come with the top of the line W8(O) variant. Reports suggest that the diesel XUV300 will also get micro-hybrid technology. Other additions on diesel variants include in-built navigation, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, heated wing mirrors and three steering modes – Comfort, Normal and Sports. We were the first to report that the XUV300 will come with multiple steering modes.

There will be many exteriors differences on the four variants of the XUV300. There are a few external differences between the four variants of the Mahindra XUV300. The base W4 variant will get LED tail-lamps, but will come without wheel covers and chrome garnishing on the grille. The W6 varinat, on the other hand, gets both along with black roof rails. The W8 and W8 (O) will further come with projector headlights, LED DRLs, 17-inch alloy wheels (diamond-cut units on the top-spec) and wing mirror-integrated LED turn indicators. The XUV300 will be offered with six paint options – blue, red, orange, black, silver and white.

The XUV300 is also quite sound when it comes to safety. The XUV300 W8 gets hill-hold assist, electronic stability control and front and rear fog lamps and Isofix child seat mounts are on offer with the. Two airbags, four disc brakes and ABS with EBD will be standard across all trims. The W8 (O) variant will also come with multiple colour illumination instrument cluster, leather seats, a height adjustable driver’s seat, push-button start, height adjustable front seatbelts, a tyre pressure monitor, a tyre position display, a reverse camera, auto-dimming inside rear view mirror, automatic headlamps and wipers, power folding and adjustable wing mirrors, four speakers and two tweeters, a rear seat armrest, a soft-touch dashboard, cruise control and more.

The all-new XUV 300 will be powered by both petrol and diesel engine options. There will be a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine that generates about 200 Nm while the diesel variants would be powered by the 1.5-litre engine that debuted with the Mahindra Marazzo in the market. On the Marazzo, this engine produces 121 Bhp of power along with 300 Nm of torque. Both the engine options would be offered with a 6-speed manual transmission but Mahindra is expected to add automatic transmission soon after the official launch of this Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza rival.

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Also Read: Tata Motors & BSNL Tie Up To Make Cars Smarter

Hyundai Kona, which will become the brand’s first full-electric vehicle in the Indian market will be launched in the Indian market later this year. The second-largest automobile manufacturer in India is planning to manufacture the all-new Kona EV in India. Hyundai is expected to launch the all-new Hyundai Kona EV in the Indian market in the second half of 2018 and it will be manufactured at Hyundai’s Chennai plant.

To set up the production line for the Kona, Hyundai India will invest as much as Rs. 7,000 crores. The overall capacity of the plant will rise by 1 lakh units and 1,500 new jobs are expected to be created with the expansion. Currently, the production capacity of Hyundai’s Chennai plant is around 7 lakh units and many models are exported from the same factory.

Hyundai India will initially manufacture the Kona EV for the domestic market but the electric SUV will be exported from India to various different markets too. The Hyundai Kona was showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo but it was not an EV model. The Indian market is expected to get only the EV model of the Kona and the price is expected to be around Rs. 20-25 lakhs. It is not yet known if the vehicle will be manufactured completely in the Indian market or it will be assembled after importing Completely Knocked Down (CKD) kits of the SUV. If the vehicle is manufactured locally in India from the scratch and Hyundai sources locally made parts for the Kona, it can come with an attractive price tag. However, importing the vehicle in any form will increase the price.

The Kona gets two powertrains but we are not sure which one will be made available in the Indian market. There is a short range trim that gets a 133 Bhp power and gets a 39.2 kWh battery pack. It can do a maximum of 300 km on a full charge. The short range variant can do 0-100 km/h in just 9.3 seconds. It takes 6 hours to charge the battery pack completely.

Hyundai also offers a long-range version in the international markets. It gets a 64 kWh battery pack and 201 Bhp electric motor. It gets a range of 470 km. The long-range version can do 0-100 km/h in just 7.6 seconds with a top speed of 167 km/h. It takes around 9 hours to get fully charged. Hyundai also offers fast charging set-up with both the versions of the car. It can charge up to 80 per cent in less than an hour.

With the lack of charging facilities for cars India, the launch of the long-range version will be more practical but it will also increase the price of the vehicle. The launch of Kona and the market response to the electric SUV will path the way for the launch of future electric vehicles in the Indian market.

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Also Read: Tata Motors & BSNL Tie Up To Make Cars Smarter

Indian car Manufacturer Tata Motors has promoted their Head of Design Pratap Bose to Vice President, Global Design. Bose has confirmed the same news on social networking platform Twitter.

https://t.co/pPcPmGpDBp

— Pratap Bose (@BosePratap) January 26, 2019

Pratap’s journey with Tata Motors started in 2007. Later he worked his way up and was appointed as the Head of Design in 2011. He is responsible for the design of passenger cars and commercial vehicles and leads the design of many multiple award-winning cars and commercial vehicles. In 2018 Pratap Bose bagged the ‘Top Chief Designer Officer’ award at the second World Industrial Design held in China.

Pratap has worked across all the three in-house design centres in Pune, Turin (Italy) and European Technical centre in the UK where he leads a team of 180 people. He and his team have been one of the major driving forces behind Tata Motors’ new design language in commercial vehicles and passenger cars segment.

Building on the Impact Design philosophy, Impact 2.0, introduced in January 2018, is a sharper, more contemporary expression of the now recognizable Tata Motors’ eye-catching design language that can be seen on cars like Tata Nexon or the recently launched Tata Harrier.

Before Tata Motors, Pratap worked for global automakers such as Piaggio in Italy, Mitsubishi in Japan and Mercedes Benz in Japan. He holds a master’s degree in vehicle design from Royal College Art, London U.K and a graduate degree from National Institute of Design. He is also the visiting professor at the Vehicle Design Department in Royal College of Art.

At Cartoq, we think that this is a well deserved promotion that Pratap has received. A decade ago Tata was a manufacturer which made cars that can’t be called great in terms of design and quality. But after 2011 things started to change a bit with the arrival of cars like Bolt, Zest ,Tiago, Tigor, radical looking Nexon and the recently launched Tata harrier. Snazzy Vehicle design in the recent past has helped Tata Motors increase not only its popularity and sales, but also its market share.

Also Read: Tata Motors & BSNL Tie Up To Make Cars Smarter

Tata Motors and Indian state-owned telecommunications company BSNL has teamed up to make ‘smart cars’. This is first-of-its-kind machine-to-machine (M2M) communication deal in which BSNL will supply embedded SIM cards to Tata Motors to transform their vehicles into smart cars.

According to ET, BSNL anticipates sales of 50 million M2M SIM cards with future-ready 5G capability over next year, predominantly for the automobile and home automation sectors

BSNL Chairman Anupam Shrivastava said

We have already partnered with Tata Motors for embedded SIM functionality. Five lakh SIM cards were already provided while another 10 lakh will be supplied in an year’s time.

M2M technology enables communication between wired and wireless devices using sensors and applications that can be deployed in new-age infrastructure projects such as smart transportation, smart cities, smart grids, smart homes and smart healthcare.

Machine-to-Machine communication is slated help created a vibrant internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem, where cars, machines and home appliances can be plugged to internet, providing the perfect springboard for fifth-generation networks to rapidly gain traction.

BSNL,with over 113 million mobile subscribers, has been exploring new enterprise business opportunities in wake of heightened rivalry in the telecom sector. With this tie up in place BSNL will enable Tata Motors to convert their existing models like Tiago, Hexa and recently launched SUV Harrier into smart cars within an year.

BSNL chairman Mr. Shrivastava estimates the telco’s entry into M2M  is likely to garner at least Rs 20 a month from a SIM card, which would potentially translate into a sizeable Rs 1,200 crore revenue opportunity annually.

Indian passenger vehicle segment is dominated by brands like Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Hyundai India and Mahindra and Mahindra. They collectively have a market share of abount 85 percent. The arrival of smart cars in the market will allow car manufacturers to step up their game and offer superior consumer experience by unveiling new-age products with real-time connected features over a wireless network for traffic information, weather forecast and even facial recognition.

Car companies are also looking forward for ultra-fast mobile data delivered over 5G networks to evolve, build and improve features.

Also Read: Tata Motors & BSNL Tie Up To Make Cars Smarter

A day after launching the facelifted, 2019 version of the Baleno premium hatchback, Maruti Suzuki has revealed the  Baleno RS – the high performance iteration of the car. The car starts from Rs. 8.76 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi. This  represents a Rs. 29,000 price increase over the pre-facelift version.

The Baleno RS gets the same changes as the top-end version of the regular model. This means it gets a refresh on the outside, which includes a new bumper, revised grille, new alloy wheels and so on. On the inside, the car gets a new colour scheme while the overall design remains unchanged.

The key selling point of the Maruti Baleno RS continues to be the 1 liter BoosterJet turbocharged petrol engine it’s  powered by. This engine makes 101 Bhp-150 Nm, which is a lot higher than the regular Baleno’s 82 Bhp-113 Nm outputs. The Baleno RS is sold with a 5 speed manual gearbox as standard, and there’s not automatic transmission even as an option. The car also gets disc brakes on all four wheels, as another key enhancement over the regular version.

As for safety features, the Maruti Baleno RS packs in twin airbags and ABS+EBD as standard safety features.  Reverse parking sensors, a reverse parking camera, a seatbelt reminder and ISOFIX child seat mounts are other safety  features that are standard on the car.

Keyless entry, push button start, automatic climate control, electrically folding wing mirrors, steering adjustable  for tilt and reach, front driver’s seat with a height adjust function, automatic headlamps with follow-me-home function and a new SmartPlay infotainment unit with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are the various creature comforts on offer.

The Maruti Baleno RS is one of India’s best selling high-performance cars. The hatchback takes on the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI. The Polo GT TSI is more powerful though, and is powered by a 1.2 liter-4 cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with 104 Bhp-175 Nm.

The gearbox on the Polo GT TSI is a 7 speed twin clutch automatic unit. Prices of the car start from Rs. 9.58 lakhs, which makes it more expensive than the Baleno RS. The Polo’s solid build and the automatic transmission on offer does make it a compelling alternative to the Baleno RS though.

Coming to the other affordable high performance hatchbacks on sale in India, the recently launched Tata Tiago JTP  offers tremendous value while the Fiat Punto Abarth sits right at the very top of India’s hot hatchback category.  Priced at just Rs. 6.39 lakhs, the Tiago JTP offers more power than both the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI and the Maruti Baleno RS.

The car is powered by a 1.2 liter turbocharged petrol engine that pushes out 112 Bhp-150 Nm. The gearbox is a 5 speed unit with revised ratios for better grunt across the rev range. The Fiat Punto Abarth on the other hand, is the most powerful version in this list, with its 1.4 liter turbo petrol motor putting out 145 Bhp-211 Nm. The car’s priced at Rs. 9.74 lakhs.

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Mahindra will soon launch the all-new XUV300 in the Indian market. While Mahindra has revealed a lot of details officially about the upcoming XUV300, mechanical details like the engine, fuel efficiency are not known yet. However, leaked documents reveal the fuel efficiency of the upcoming SUV.

The ARAI documents accessed by ACI reveals that the petrol variants of the XUV300 will return a maximum fuel efficiency of 17 km/l. The diesel variants would return a maximum of 20 km/l. The petrol fuel efficiency matches exactly the same to the Tata Nexon and the Ford EcoSport. However, the diesel fuel efficiency of 20 km/l in the XUV300 is lower than all the rivals. The Tata Nexon diesel returns a maximum of 21.5 km/l, the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza returns a maximum of 24.3 km/l and the Ford EcoSport diesel returns a maximum of 23 km/l. All these figures are official ARAI figures, which have been tested under a suitable condition.

Mahindra is yet to reveal the engine details of the upcoming XUV300. However, Mahindra revealed that the upcoming XUV300 will get the highest torque engines in the segment. The petrol engine that will power the upcoming XUV300 is believed to be the 1.2-litre, turbocharged petrol engine that will churn out a maximum of around 200 Nm. The diesel engine powering the all-new XUV300 is expected to be the same as the 1.5-litre unit that powers the Mahindra Marazzo. Both the diesel and the petrol versions are expected to get only manual transmission at the time of the launch. But at a later stage, we can expect an automatic transmission available with the XUV300.

The Mahindra XUV300 is all set to launch on 14th February 2019. It will get a long list of features including several segment-first. The all-new XUV300 gets features like dual-zone climate control system, disc brakes on all the four-wheels, 7-airbags, front parking sensors, the longest wheelbase in the segment and most torque-rich engines in the segment. The XUV300 also gets features like a sunroof, cruise control, steering settings, ABS+EBD, rear parking sensors, ESP, Hill Hold assist, speed alert system, seatbelt reminder system, and more.

Because it will be extremely feature-rich, Mahindra is expected to put a premium price tag on it. The base price of the upcoming XUV300 is expected to be around Rs. 8 lakhs while the top-end version will come with a price tag of around Rs. 12 lakhs.

The all-new Mahindra XUV300 is based on the SsangYong Tivoli platform. However, Mahindra has ensured that it looks like a car from Mahindra family with an updated grille and other parts of the vehicle. Mahindra is also planning to launch an extended wheelbase version of the XUV300 later this year which will get 3-row seating for 7 adults.

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Tata launched the much-awaited Tiago and Tigor JTP in the Indian market last year. Both the JTP twins became the most powerful affordable cars in their respective segments after the launch. While Tata has already started the deliveries of the Tiago JTP around India, the Tigor JTP has started arriving in the showrooms too. The new Tigor JTP sedan is available for test drives at many Tata dealerships in the Indian market. The Tigor JTP is priced at Rs. 7.49 lakhs and is the most powerful car in its segment.

Tata developed the JTP twins with Jayem Engineering of Coimbatore. The JTP acronym stands for Jayem Tata Performance and more cars in the future are expected from the partnership. It is a 50:50 partnership venture between the two companies and is similar to what Abarth is for Fiat and AMG is for Mercedes-Benz.

The Tata Tigor JTP looks very different from the regular version of the sedan. Living up to its hot-sedan tagline, it gets a body kit all around. Starting from the huge scoop in the hood to the side skirts, the Tigor JTP looks very different and much more aggressive than the regular Tigor in the market. It also gets red highlights on the headlamps, ORVMs and boot lid to give it a more aggressive stance. Other additional features include front lip underbody spoiler and blacked-out roof.

On the inside, the Tata Tigor gets red highlights all over. The seats are dual-tone with red and black colours and also get double-stitching all along. The dashboard also gets red highlights around the AC vents, which adds a sporty look to the hot-sedan. It gets aluminium drilled pedals and an 8-speaker system with voice commands and navigation supported infotainment system.

As of now, the Tigor JTP is available in only one variant. It gets powered by the same engine that also powers the Tiago JTP. The regular version of the Tigor sedan is powered by a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine whereas the JTP version gets the 1.2-litre turbocharged engine that can also be found in the Tata Nexon.

The three-cylinder engine develops a maximum power of 114 PS at 5,000 rpm and a peak torque of 150 Nm between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm. It gets a 5-speed manual transmission. The gear ratios have been changed to make it accelerate quicker. The Tigor JTP can do 0-100 km/h in just 10.38 seconds.

The Tigor JTP is one of the most powerful compact sedans in the country, and also one of the best priced ones. The car, despite its boosted performance, is actually cheaper than the likes of the Maruti Dzire and Honda Amaze – two of India’s top selling compact sedans.

Tata will initially offer the JTP twins at 11 major cities in the country. These major cities are Kolkata, Delhi, Gurgaon, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Chennai, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Kannur, Thrissur, Mumbai and Ernakulam/Chennai. Later this year, Tata is also expected to launch the JTP version of the Nexon in the Indian market.

Picture source

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There are many well-maintained, restored and resto-modded examples of the Nissan Jonga in the Indian market. This Nissan Jonga has been restored excellently by WS Design and it is known as the Arctic Edition because of the white colour it dons. This gorgeous example can be yours for Rs. 7 lakhs, which makes it cheaper than a brand new Maruti Gypsy (priced at Rs. 7.1 lakhs, on-road Delhi for the soft top version)

This Nissan Jonga is registered in Punjab and is for sale. The asking price is Rs. 7 lakhs with all the modifications in place. For further information, you can contact WS Design, Mumbai directly at +91-9833136614.

Nissan Jonga is a rare and mysterious car in India. The Jonga was designed in the 1960s and was available in many international markets. It got the name JONGA after getting inducted in the Indian army. It stands of Jabalpur Ordinance and Gun carriage Assembly. The Jonga remained the truster Army car for a long time and it was also sold to the civilians for a short period of time in India before it was discontinued from the Indian market.

According to the information shared with us, this Nissan Jonga is from 1993 and the original engine of the vehicle has been replaced with a more reliable and modern diesel engine. The Nissan Jonga now gets power from the 2017 Mahindra Di turbo-diesel engine that powers many Mahindra vehicles including the Thar and the Bolero.

It gets a 5-speed manual transmission and there is no 4X4 set-up in it. The Mahindra DI engines are known for their easy maintenance and are extremely reliable. In the Mahindra Thar DI, it produces a maximum power of 63 Bhp and a peak torque of 195 Nm. This engine has a very simple construction and can be mended by almost all the roadside mechanics.

With the new aftermarket paint job on its body, the Jonga also gets aftermarket LED headlamps, LED tail lamps and off-road spec tyres on the outside. The steel rims are painted in white that looks quite interesting and matches up with the body of the SUV perfectly. The vehicle gets aftermarket bumpers, which has been painted in the body colour too. It looks very nice and can give competition to most of the modern-day SUVs in the market.

The interior of the Nissan Jonga has been completely stripped off and renovated. It gets premium interiors with aftermarket camouflaged seats, waterproof camouflaged outer soft-top roof with diamond stitched inner roof lining, the flooring is also made up of diamond-stitched fabric that gives a very premium feeling inside the cabin.

Even the rear trims of the vehicle get the same camouflaged fabric that makes it look quite good from the inside. The Nissan Jonga also gets a new dashboard with a new instrument console. There are new gauges in the instrument cluster that show the information of various readings in the vehicle.

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South Korean car manufacturer Kia is all set to launch its first product in India. The first product will be an SUV which will be launched in the second half this year. Kia has just commenced trial production of Kia SP SUV in its $1 billion greenfield plant in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.

Manohar Bhat, Head Sales and Marketing, Kia Motors India, said

The company has managed to set up the plant in record time couple of months ahead of schedule after we begun work in October-November of 2017.

Kia had earlier confirmed in an event held in Puducherry that it has plans to Introduce new cars every six months after the launch of their first product. Kia’s SUV is based on a concept car that was showcased at 2018 Indian Auto Expo. Kia has confirmed that the upcoming SUV will be equipped with power packed performance and world class quality.

Talking about the engine, it is likely to be a 1.4L turbo petrol engine producing 140 Bhp. A 1.5L petrol and diesel engine is also expected. Kia will also bring a sportier version of the SP SUV in 2020. An all wheel drive variant is unlikely to be launched.

Kia even has plans to introduce EVs in India. Testing on these EVs is under progress. Mahesh Bhat also said that Kia has EVs which can run for about 450 km for a single charge and they will offer them when the market demand picks up. He also added concerted efforts are required to develop EV support infrastructure to promote electric vehicles in India.

The SP SUV has been caught testing several times on Indian roads. The Production version of the Kia SUV looks similar to the concept showcased at the Auto Expo. It has a sharp looking LED DRL above the headlamps just like the one seen on Tata Harrier, a large front grille and the tail lights are also likely to remain same as that of SP Concept SUV.

Kia is Hyundai’s premium brand and the upcoming SUV is likely to be placed slightly above Hyundai Creta. The Kia SUV will compete with cars like the Hyundai Creta and the recently launched Tata Harrier. The Kia SP SUV is likely to offer more features than the Hyundai Creta. However, it will share the platform with the Hyundai Creta, and a lot of parts are also expected to be shared in order to keep costs low.

Apart from India, Kia Motors has manufacturing plants located in South Korea, Slovakia, China, USA and Mexico. Kia also has plans to be ranked among the top five automobile manufacturers in country in three years.

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Yamaha’s current most awaited bike in India, the MT-15, will be launched by the end of February of early in March. Now, the latest inputs suggest that the Japanese company has started taking pre bookings of the bike at select dealerships. The amount to be paid for booking is Rs. 5,000, which has been confirmed by various dealers. Also, deliveries will start taking place in April, which will be the same time from when test rides will be offered too.

Talking of the bike, the MT-15 is in fact a street fighter (read naked) version of the popular Yamaha YZ R15 motorcycle. It gets similar radical styling sans the cowling. Another major attraction point of its design is the unique predator style headlamp casing, which is quite different from any other bike on sale in India.

The version sold in India will be a watered down bike as compared to the international version, the main difference being the switch to telescopic front forks and box section swingarm. The international variants get a upside down fork along with an aluminium swingarm. This is similar to the spec that the Yamaha R15 is available in India.

The bike has been caught testing several times, which has largely revealed the design of the Indian version. It gets a more relaxed seating position than the Yamaha R15 along with a short tail section. It will come with disc brakes at both the ends and will likely come equipped with a dual channel ABS.

The Yamaha R15 was also recently updated with a dual channel ABS system and the same is expected for the MT-15 also. THe naked bike will specially appeal to those who want a stylish and powerful bike which is easy to ride for city commutes. The MT-15 fits the bill perfectly and offers good amount of power along with a more relaxed riding position than the R15.

As already mentioned, the MT-15 will share a lot of parts with the Yamaha R15 V3 including the engine, suspension, exhaust setup and others. The MT-15 is powered by a 155cc, single cylinder, liquid cooled engine, that produces 19.2 Bhp of power and 15 Nm of torque. The bike will be mated to a 6-speed gearbox and a slipper clutch. The engine is supported by variable valve action (VVA) which improves fuel efficiency. We already know this engine

As of now, nothing is confirmed by the company on how will they price the bike. Going by estimates, we think the company will price the bike around the Rs. 1.2 to 1.3 lakhs. Since naked bikes are usually positioned lower than their fully faired counterparts, this seems the likely price range. The bike will face its main competitors in the form of Bajaj NS200 and the TVS Apache 4V, both of which offer excellent value for money.

Source

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Maruti Suzuki launched the 2019 Baleno yesterday. The brand has released a new TV featuring the actor Ranveer Singh, who is also the brand ambassador Maruti Suzuki Ciaz. Ranveer can be seen driving the Baleno around and enjoying the new features of the vehicle. The new Maruti Suzuki Baleno gets a number of new cosmetic updates on the outside and the inside of the vehicle.

The 2019 Maruti Suzuki Baleno is priced from Rs. 5.45 lakhs and the top-end version is priced at Rs. 8.77 lakhs. It is available in 11 variants. This is the mid-life update for the Baleno and the changes will keep it fresh in the market for a few more years. Talking about the changes on the outside, the 2019 Baleno gets a new bumper with larger air dams and a new 3D grille. It also gets new 16-inch dual-tone precision cut alloy wheels. Everything else remains the same in the rear. There are no changes in the rear of the Baleno too.

On the inside, the 2019 Maruti Baleno gets dual-tone fabric seat covers. The interior gets a blue and black theme, which looks refreshing. Even the trims on the doors get a blue shade. The central console has been updated too. The touchscreen infotainment system has been updated to a new one. It gets new Smartplay Studio UI, which first debuted with the Maruti Suzuki WagonR in the Indian market. It comes with bigger screen icons and is easier to operate while driving the vehicle. Unlike the Maruti Suzuki WagonR, the Baleno gets Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity too.

It also gets a new display for the AC. It is round in shape and looks quite good. Everything else remains the same, including the feature-list. All the variants of the Baleno get standard features like rear parking sensors, front seat belt reminder, dual front airbags, seatbelt reminder, ISOFIX child seat restraining hooks, pre-tensioner and pre-load seatbelt and a speed warning alert system. This is in accordance to the upcoming safety rules that will make all a certain features standard across all the variants of the car in India.

The new Baleno has also increased in price. The lowest price increase is in the base Sigma variant, which is now Rs. 7,000 more expensive while the Zeta CVT is now Rs. 43,000 more expensive than the previous model of the Baleno.

The engine and transmission options remain the same in the new Baleno. It gets powered by both petrol and diesel engine options. The petrol version gets the 1.2-litre petrol engine that generates a maximum power of 82 Bhp and a peak torque of 115 Nm. The diesel variants are powered by 1.3-litre, four-cylinder engine that generates a maximum of 74 Bhp and a peak torque of 190 Nm. Both the petrol and diesel variants get a manual transmission while Maruti also offers CVT automatic transmission with the petrol version of the Baleno.

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Gone are the days when we Indian were least bothered about the safety features in our cars. Buyers nowadays are very much keen to know about the safety features on offer and with the new crash test norms coming up even manufacturers have started offering some safety features like ABS and Airbags as standard in their models. Mercedes Benz has now confirmed that they are working on a new version of an Experimental Safety Vehicle (ESF) concept that they will debut later this year.

Mercedes is making lofty claim that the cutting-edge technology used in this concept car will make this ESF an uncrashable car.  In an interview to an Australian media Mercedes’ R&D head Ola Kalennius hinted something about the upcoming machine.

He said,

Things like autonomous driving an d sophisticated driver assistance are all enablers to reduce traffic accidents. Because virtually all traffic accidents are human error”

He also added that some off the tech features in the upcoming new ESF is nearly production ready and is likely to arrive in some of Mercedes-Benz’s vehicles in future. One of the key features likely to be seen on the ESF is the artificial intelligence. The vehicle would collect driving data and share it with the central server to learn to how to control the driver assistance system better. If something goes wrong, the concept would also have a cutting-edge occupant protection tech. So, if an accident does happen, a person would not sustain serious injuries.

Mercedes is planning to reveal this Experimental Safety Vehicle in the middle of this year which means that they might possibly unveil their ESF in the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show in September this year. The timing seems right, and Germany’s biggest automotive industry event would have the right prestige for such a major debut.

The last Mercedes ESF Concept debuted in 2009. Mercedes had used the then upcoming S400 Hybrid. It had lots of extra safety feature tech. In an accident the metal structures would inflate to provide extra protection. In a side impact, the seats moved towards the centre of the vehicle to increase the crush space.

Also Read: Land Rover Discovery Sport Special Landmark Edition launched

We are in Udaipur to drive the all-new Maruti WagonR that was launched recently. While there is an embargo on our reviews and opinions till the morning of 31st January, here is a quick video of how the speedometer console and the touchscreen audio interface looks like.

As seen in the video above, this is the top spec ZXI versions and only this trim gets a tachometer. Other lower variants do without that. The round theme of the analogue speedometer and digital second dial looks nice. The earlier WagonR did not offer such a comprehensive display. This one however has a lot of information on offer including gear indicator, clock, fuel level, two tripmeters, average fuel economy, instantaneous fuel economy and tank range. The back light also looks great.

The second feature shown in the video is the 17.78cm touch-screen interface that Maruti calls the SmartPlay set-up. This is only offered in the top end ZXI trim. Do note that the earlier WagonR did not have this feature. This supports Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and even Maruti’s SmartPlay studio app that also helps navigation with real time traffic updates. We have also tried to make you listen to the audio quality. Apart from this, the screen has a display for reverser parking sensors, no camera on this one. Lastly, we like the fuel economy display on the screen itself (picture below) that also shows fuel economy achieved for the last few trips.

The new WagonR is priced from Rs 4.19 lakh onwards and is available with both 1.0-litre and 1.2-litre engine options. The latter is the same unit that also powers the Baleno, Swift, Ignis and the Dzire. Both the engine options are offered with an optional AGS (automatic) gearbox. The new WagonR is based on the fifth generation Heartec platform and offers more space than ever before. It will lock horns with arch rival Hyundai Santro as well as other products like the Tata Tiago.

Maruti has yet to launch a CNG version of the vehicle but going forward, it will hit the market soon. The new WagonR will continue to be among the top 5 selling cars in the Indian car market. Do come back on 31st January to see our detailed review of this new tall boy hatchback.

Also Read: Land Rover Discovery Sport Special Landmark Edition launched

Land Rover has just launched a new special edition variant of its entry level offering – the Discovery Sport. The Discovery Sport Special Landmark Edition is essentially an aesthetic makeover for the luxury SUV. It’s priced at Rs. 53.77 lakhs, ex-showroom, and is available in three colours – Narvik Black, Yulong White and Corris Grey.

Talking of the significant changes on the Special Landmark Edition of the Land Rover Discovery Sport, the luxury SUV gets a Carpathian Grey contrast roof, a revised front bumper that’s designed to look sportier than the one on the regular model, Graphite Atlas exterior accents and 18 inch 5 Split Spoke 511 wheels in gloss dark grey.

On the inside, the SUV features Ebony grained leather seats, an Ebony headliner and dark grey aluminium finishers around the centre console. Apart from these aesthetic changes, the SUV remains stock mechanically. The special edition model will be available only with the diesel engine.

The engine in question is a 2 liter-4 cylinder turbocharged unit with 177 Bhp of peak power and 430 Nm of peak torque. A 9 speed torque converter automatic gearbox handles torque transmission to all four wheels. The same engine is also available in a lower state of tune – 148 Bhp-382 Nm. The transmission remains the same 9 speeder though, and the four wheel drive layout is also retained in true Land Rover style.

The Discovery Sport is also available with a 2 liter turbocharged Ingenium petrol engine that puts out 237 Bhp of peak power and 340 Nm of peak torque. Like the diesel motor, the petrol engine uses a 9 speed automatic gearbox and drives all four wheels of the SUV.

Rohit Suri, the President & Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover India Ltd. (JLRIL), said:

The introduction of the Landmark Edition for Model Year 2019 Discovery Sport further enhances the Discovery Sport portfolio. This special edition variant introduces remarkable features to the vehicle that fortify its exceptional capability, versatility and spirit of adventure.

The Land Rover Discovery Sport is available in a slew of variants – from the relatively affordable Pure to the top of the line HSE trim. While the Pure Diesel variant starts from Rs. 44.67 lakh rupees, the HSE Diesel model is priced at Rs. 61.2 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi.

All variants of the Discovery Sport offer a 5 seat configuration. The luxury SUV competes with the likes of the BMW X3, the Audi Q5 and the Mercedes Benz GLE. It’s assembled through the completely knocked down (CKD) kit route at Jaguar Land Rover’s Chikali factory, off Pune.

Also Read: Land Rover Discovery Sport Special Landmark Edition launched

Hyundai will soon launch the all-new Creta in the Indian market and here are the pictures of the upcoming model. The all-new Hyundai Creta was caught testing for the first time under heavy camouflage in Beijing, China. Hyundai sells the Creta in the Chinese market as ix25 and the same updates are expected in the Indian version too.

The new pictures have been put by AutoHome. The all-new Creta will get the design inspiration from the new-generation Hyundai cars. The front grille of the vehicle is expected to be inspired by the all-new Santa Fe and will be hexagonal in shape. The cascading grille is finding its way to the many new Hyundai cars. The headlamps are expected to get updated with a new sleeker design. Hyundai may follow the separate housing for the DRLs and headlamp cluster with the all-new Creta in the market. The camouflage gets opening at the lower front part of the vehicle, which is expected to be the position of the main headlamps cluster.

The rear of the all-new Hyundai Creta will be updated with a more sleeker design language. It is expected to get sleeker tail lamps and a newly designed boot lid. From the side, the all-new Hyundai Creta will become longer and it also gets machined alloy wheels with aggressive design.

The all-new Creta will be launched in the international markets by mid-2019 but the Indian launch is expected to happen later this year. Hyundai may launch a seven-seater version of the Creta in the Indian market to take on the vehicles like H7X and the XUV 500 but the development is not clear yet. The South Korean brand will launch an all-new sub-4meter compact SUV in the Indian market that will take on the likes of Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport and more. To give space to the all-new vehicle and to offer an affordable 7-seater, Hyundai may just launch a 7-seater variant of the Creta.

There would not be many changes in the 7-seater version of the Creta. The body of the vehicle will be stretched to accommodate the extra row of seats in the vehicle. The Creta is an immensely popular SUV in India and it remains in the top-10 selling cars list in the market. Changing the whole set-up may go against Hyundai but with the new SUV like Tata Harrier arriving in the market, the Creta 7-seater can become a choice of many as it will provide 7-seats with a competitive price tag.

The all-new Creta will be powered by a set of new engines that will be BS-VI compliant. The engine details are not known yet. Hyundai is likely to offer both petrol and diesel engine options with the all-new Creta just like the current version. The upcoming Creta is expected to be launched by the mid-2019 in the Indian market. The price of the all-new Creta will also increase due to new features.

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Motor Vehicle Department (MVD), Kerala will soon start a crackdown on vehicles fitted with aftermarket High-Intensity Discharge (HIDs) lamps. The MVD gave the deadline till 31st January to remove any HIDs from the vehicles. The crackdown will begin from 1st February in the state.

As per the transport commissioner K Padmakumar, the registration certificates of such modified vehicles will be cancelled and the driver’s driving license will be suspended.

K Padmakumar, Traffic Commissioner, Kerala told the New Indian Express,

I have issued a direction to all the deputy transport commissioners in the state to constitute a team under each Regional Transport Officer. The team will conduct a drive from January 31, the date that we have given as a deadline. Since we have already served a public notification, an individual notice will be served to the owner. If they failed to remove it a show-cause notice will be served and the department will take the necessary steps to cancel the RC. The HID lamps are causing several accidents. The high-intensity light emitted from such headlights blinds the motorists coming from the opposite side, causing mishaps. I have directed all Deputy Transport Commissioners and RTOs to take stringent action,

After the Supreme Court ruled that any kind of modification on the cars, SUVs and two-wheelers is illegal, the owners of modified vehicles have protested against the ruling. Kerala sees one of the highest numbers of modifications in India. However, the traffic commissioner had issued the warning against the use of HIDs much before the Supreme Court ruling.

HID headlamps are extremely bright and they can temporarily blind people. Many of these aftermarket HID lamps are not set properly and they throw beam directly into the eyes of the driver of opposite side vehicles. This can lead to accidents. Many manufacturers offer HID lamps in the vehicles but such lamps are properly set-up and get projector lamps to ensure that they do not throw powerful beams in the eyes of oncoming vehicles.

Last year, the MVD decided to buy lux meters to measure the intensity of the headlamps of the cars. Such lux meters measure the intensity scientifically and accurately. The MVD had distributed the light-meters to as many as 14 districts of the state and the policemen went through proper training with the lux meter devices. The device works by generating electricity proportionate to the intensity of light falling on them. This is how it gives an accurate reading in lumens.

It should be noted that the police are planning to catch drivers at night and check their vehicles by using lux meters. The drive is expected to affect a large number of people who have modified the headlamps to see better at night. Aftermarket auxiliary lamps mounted above the bonnet are also illegal in India. Any aftermarket lamp installed should be below the bonnet and should be covered when the vehicle is on public roads. Such aftermarket lamps are meant for only off-roading use and are illegal to use on the public roads. With the supreme court ruling, we can expect many of such drives in the future in Kerala and other states.

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Bajaj will soon launch the new Bajaj Dominar 400 in the Indian market. The production of the new Dominar has already started and new pictures show the upcoming bike with a mean green paint job, just like we see on the Kawasaki bikes. The bike has been spotted on the production line, which makes it certain that the colour will be offered in the market with the 2019 model of the Dominar.

The upcoming Bajaj Dominar 400 has been revealed through a new TVC released officially by Bajaj. The new 2019 Bajaj Dominar 400 has also started arriving at the dealerships and the launch is expected to happen very soon. The new Bajaj Dominar gets a host of changes in terms of features but the overall bike remains similar to the current model.

The new Dominar gets upside down front forks, a twin barrel exhaust, new instrument cluster, a larger radiator grille and new rearview mirrors. The exhaust design has been updated and it looks much chunkier and muscular than the current model. The new instrument cluster looks similar to the current model but displays much information than the current version of the Dominar 400. Also, the secondary instrument panel mounted on the tank of the Dominar has been updated and shows new information like gear positioning.

The new Bajaj Dominar is expected to be available in only one variant. As the new upcoming rules will make all the bikes above 125cc to have mandatory ABS from 1st April 2019, Bajaj may not launch the non-ABS version of the bike. Also, the price of the bike will rise slightly due to the addition of new features and equipment. The dual-channel ABS version will become standard in the 2019 Dominar and it is expected to get a price tag of around Rs. 1.65 lakhs.

All the other features like the full-LED headlamps, full-LED tail lamps, adjustable rear mono shock and alloy wheels will be carried forward from the current model. The bike will also get the same engine as the current model. The Bajaj Dominar is powered by the 373cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine derived from the KTM 390 Duke’s engine. It is expected to produce the same 35 Bhp and 35 Nm in the new Dominar too. The fuel-injected engine gets a 6-speed transmission that makes it perfect for long-distance highway riding. The transmission gets a slipper clutch, which makes the gearshift quick, smooth and effortless.

For long, Bajaj has targetted the Royal Enfield bikes with the Dominar and has even released TVCs targetting the Royal Enfields. Bajaj claims that the Dominar is for long distance touring and is much better than the Royal Enfield bikes. With the new updates, Bajaj is expected to gather a lot of attention in the market. However, we are not yet sure if it will surpass the sales of the Royal Enfield bikes in the Indian market. Royal Enfield has a different set of customers who like retro styling which is something that the Dominar does not offers.

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The Indian automotive space is going to see a lot of developments and changes this year. Apart from the implementation of new safety norms among other things, new brands like Kia and MG will also mark their entry this year. Talking of which, MG recently unveiled the name of their upcoming SUV as Hector.

Now, new reports suggest that the company will equip the SUV with several class leading features that include a huge panoramic sunroof along with gigantic touchscreen infotainment screen. That said, MG is aiming towards making Hector the most feature rich SUV in its class.

To be particular, the sunroof will be an all-electric unit and will come with both pop-up and slide function. The sunroof on Hector will measure 1460 mm X 832 mm, which makes it quite larger than the Jeep Compass’s panoramic sunroof. Apart from the upcoming Hector, only the Jeep Compass is currently the only car on sale in the segment with a panoramic sunroof which measures 1278 mm X 877 mm. The demand for sunroof equipped car is on a rise since sometime and having a huge sunroof definitely gives more appeal to a vehicle.

The touch infotainment system on the Hector will also be the best in class, measuring a hefty 10.4 inches. It will be a portrait-oriented unit. The unit will be the go-to control for the infotainment system as well as the climate control. The car is also expected to come equipped with a 360-degree camera along with a Harman Infinity audio system that will comprise four speakers, four tweeters, and a subwoofer. To let you know, the MG Hector SUV is based on the SAIC Boujon 530, which is available only in the Chinese market at the moment. The Indian-spec SUV will be heavily re-engineered to ensure that it suits the Indian roads and conditions.

The all-new Hector would be powered by a 2.0-litre Multijet Fiat diesel engine that also does the duty under the Jeep Compass and Tata Harrier. The engine churns out a good 138 Bhp of power along with 350 Nm of torque in the Harrier while the Jeep Compass gets 170 Bhp of power along with 350 Nm of torque. For the MG Hector, expect the power figure to be around 170 Bhp. A dual clutch transmission will also be offered with the upcoming Hector. Also, there would be a 1.5-litre petrol engine but the specifications and the output of the engine are not known.

MG Motor has set-up an assembly plant at Halol, Gujarat and the production of the SUV will start in the second quarter of 2019. The launch of the all-new SUV is expected to happen in around the May 2019. MG Motor aimed for 75% localisation for the Hector SUV, which would allow the brand to price their first SUV very competitively. Upon launching, the SUV will rival the likes of Jeep Compass and Tata Harrier as its main rivals.

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Reuben Singh, who was in news last year for a unique 7 days challenger after an Englishman mocked his turban and called it a bandage has got six more brand new Rolls Royce cars. The London-based Entrepreneur posted pictures of his 7 different Rolls Royce while wearing a colour matching turban last year. The pictures went viral on the Internet. Reuben Singh has not stopped there, he has now posted a picture of 6 brand new Rolls Royce bought by him. He calls it the Jewels collection.

The new fleet of Rolls Royce bought by the businessman has 3 Rolls Royce Phantoms and 3 Rolls Royce Cullinans. The name Jewels Collection comes from the brilliant bespoke colours of the brand new Rolls Royce. All the cars are inspired by the colour of Rubies, Emerlands and Sapphires.

Each of the Phantom and the Cullinan gets the Ruby, Emerland and Sapphire bespoke paint job. The Ruby and the Emerald coloured Rolls Royce vehicles were delivered to him a few days back while the Phantom and the Cullinan with the Sapphire paint job was delivered to him recently. It completes his Jewel collection but Mr Singh says in a caption that “there is always a room for more”.

Mr Singh is very active on the social media websites and keeps on putting pictures of his extravagant garage. He is an entrepreneur and is also the CEO of the alldayPA and Isher Capital. Mr Singh is widely recognised in the UK for his business skills and was once called the British Bill Gates.

He started Miss Attitude firm when he was just 17 and the business became one of the most popular fashion retail store chains in the UK. Later, he was forced to sell off Miss Attitude for just £1. Mr Singh has also been invited by the former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to serve on a government advisory panel on small businesses and the Competitiveness Council. He has held several public positions in the British government in the past too.

Coming back to his garage, Mr Reuben Singh is a car enthusiast and is believed to own more than ten Rolls Royce cars before he got his hands on the Jewel Collection. With the latest addition to his garage, the total number of Rolls Royce models are about 20. Apart from the Rolls Royce, he owns several exotic sets of wheels. He also owns a Bugatti Veyron, a Porsche 918 Spyder, Pagani Huayara, Lamborghini Huracan and a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta limited edition, which is only one in the ever produced in the world. He also owns a few private jets and regularly posts pictures of them on his social media handle.

The Rolls Royce Phantom is the most expensive Rolls Royce sedan in the market while the Rolls Royce Cullinan is the only SUV produced by the British luxury car marker. When Mr Singh took the delivery of the Jewel Collection, the CEO of Rolls Royce, Torsten Muller-Otvos delivered the vehicles himself to the billionaire. Each of the Cullinan costs around £250,000 without any add-ons. The Phantom comes with a price of £360,000. With the add-ons and bespoke accessories like the paint job can increase the price by several thousand British pounds.

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