Skoda India has taken the charge of Volkswagen Group’s Indian operations. Soon, we will get to see scores of all-new vehicles from the brand in the Indian market and one of them would be the all-new Skoda SUV that will take on the likes of Hyundai Creta in the Indian market. Skoda’s upcoming SUV will be based on the Kamiq SUV, which has been revealed officially through sketches.

The all-new Kamiq will be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show, which will take place in March 2019. The Kamiq is based on the Skoda Vision-X concept model and gets a sharp design. It will be based on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB-A0 platform, which will also underpin a lot of India-bound vehicles of the group. From the sketches, we can make out that the Skoda Kamiq looks like a scaled-down version of the Skoda Kodiaq. It will be the third SUV in the Skoda’a line-up and follows the same naming strategy of Skoda that starts the names of the SUV with “K” and ends with “Q”. The Kamiq will join the Kodiaq and the Karoq in the SUV line-up of the brand.

The sketch of the Kamiq shows a wide and upright grille in the front with chrome inserts around its border. It gets a single deep crease on the side body that starts from the LED DRL and merges into the tail lamps. It adds a sense of character to the Kamiq. The front of the Kamiq gets a furturistic design. The LED DRLs are housed separately while the headlamp cluster is positioned below in the vehicle. The set-up is similar to the Tata Harrier. Skoda calls it the two-part design and the DRLs also operate as the turn indicators.

From the rear, the Kamiq gets a sculpted look with a raked windscreen. There are C-Shaped taillamps, which highlight the whole rear-end of the vehicle. The Kamiq gets a lot of sporty parts like a large diffuser in the front and a roof-integrated spoiler.

The engine details for the Indian market are not known yet but Skoda will offer 3 engine options in the international markets. The Kamiq will get both petrol and diesel engine options. Skoda is also planning to launch the Scala sedan in the Indian market in the coming times and it will be powered by 1.5-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel engine option. Both the engine options are likely to power the upcoming Kamiq in the Indian market too. Skoda is also planning to go big on the CNG vehicles and we may see CNG powered hybrid vehicles in the Indian market too.

Skoda already offers the Kamiq SUV in the Chinese market. However, the Chinese-spec Kamiq is based on the PQ-Series platform and is very different from the all-new Kamiq that will be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show.

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Hyundai Santro made a grand comeback to the Indian market last year. The all-new Santro has received an extremely good response from the market. With the arrival of all-new Maruti Suzuki WagonR in the Indian market, the old rivalries between the two have freshened up. Both the cars will lock horns against each other in the Indian market. Here is how both of them look like in the real world against each other.

Maruti WagonR Vs Hyundai Santro

Maruti Suzuki WagonR and Hyundai Santro both have the tall-boy design. From the front, the WagonR looks more intimidating due to the new headlamps that are quite big in size. As per the dimensions, the all-new WagonR is slightly taller and longer than the Santro but the Santro is about 25mm wider than the WagonR. There is not much impact of the dimensions visually. Both the vehicles look good in their own ways.

From the side, the Maruti Suzuki WagonR gets 45mm of extra length and 35mm of extra wheelbase. It does not make the WagonR look very big in the front of the Santro but it sure gets an advantage. Also, the WagonR is 15mm taller than the Hyundai Santro, which adds a towering appearance to it. The WagonR also gets a floating roof effect while the Santro gets a regular design. Also, the WagonR offers much boxy design language and has more straight lines on it than the Hyundai Santro.

At the rear, the Maruti Suzuki WagonR looks much more premium when compared to the Hyundai Santro. The tall tail lamp design of the WagonR attracts a lot of eyes. The whole C-Pillar of the Maruti Suzuki WagonR is shrouded in the tail lamp and looks quite good while the Hyundai Santro offers the regular looking tail lamp in the rear and there is nothing much special about it.

The Maruti Suzuki WagonR is an upgrade from a previous design. It still carries the DNA of the previous-generation car and the design can be easily accepted. The Hyundai Santro, on the other hand, gets an all-new design from the grounds-up. It gets a wide front family grille which looks very wide on the Santro. The design of the WagonR looks much more appealing than the Hyundai Santro’s design. The Hyundai Santro takes time to grow on as it is an all-new car, which has no connection to the previous Santro that was available in India. The big wraparound dual-barrel headlamps of the WagonR gives it an exciting look.

The Maruti Suzuki WagonR is expected to sell in good numbers in the market. The Hyundai Santro is slowly picking up steam in the market and the sales number is expected to settle at around 8,000 units per month. The WagonR is expected to sell a lot more than the Santro. Both the vehicles are powered by only petrol engine options and both of them get AMT automatic transmission. The Maruti Suzuki WagonR is not available with the CNG option yet but it is soon expected in the market. The Santro comes with factory-fitted CNG kit.

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Royal Enfield bikes are among the best selling motorcycles in the country now. This is becasue of the old world charm they possess along with the thumping exhaust noise. Also, they are quite famous for their mod friendly nature. This is the reason why there are so many examples of modified Royal Enfield bikes everywhere. Joining the list is this new chopper, which is based on a Royal Enfield Classic 500. However, what sets this one apart from the others is that it has been fitted with probably the fattest tire on any bike in India. The video below by Vampvideo shows the bike in full glory. Check out his Instagram channel here.

The rear tire is a 300 mm tire, which is huge in capital letters. Normally, thick tires on bikes mean 180 or 200 mm tires. This extends to 240 mm or 250 mm when talking of extra thick tires. However, a 300 mm rear tire is quite unheard of and is certainly min blowing. We wonder what effect it would have on the handling and fuel efficiency of the bike. Nonetheless, let’s now move on to the other details of this modified Royal Enfield Classic 500.

The front end of the bike gets completely new forks which are wider and are stretched out to give the bike a typical chopper look. The front fender is a chopped unit and the front tire comes equipped with a disc brake. The headlamps are enclosed in a circular unit and are LED projector units. The instrument cluster is a single piece unit which displays all basic information. All the body panels on the bike are custom made which includes thee tank and rear fender among others. The saddle is a thick and comfortable unit which matches the chopper personality  of the motorcycle. The handle bar is a custom stretched out unit with bar end mounted indicators.

The engine has not been tweaked with and still is the same 500 cc unit. However,a secondary engine case has been added to make the bike look better. The frame of the bike has been stretched to give it the chopper look. A kick start lever has also been added to help if the auto ignition fails. Another notable inclusion is the dual canister wrapped exhaust pipe, which gives out a decent exhaust note. However, it is actually a single piece unit and the second pipe is just for aesthetic purposes. The seating position of the bike is very relaxed with custom footpegs giving a stretched out feel while riding the bike.

Overall, the bike looks good and has a typical chopper profile to it. The game changer here though is the massive 300 mm tire which makes it look like a mammoth when placed next to other bikes. Like we said earlier, it will hamper the handling and deficiency of the bike negatively but the aesthetic appeal due to it is way too good to ignore.

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Mahindra is working on the all-new generation of the Thar and it is expected to be launched in the Indian market next year. The all-new Thar has been caught testing several times on the Indian roads and this time the vehicle has been caught on the video.

The all-new Mahindra Thar has been posted by Himanshu Shandliya in 4X4 Group and was caught testing in Zirakpur, Punjab. it seems like the vehicle is heading to the mountains for cold weather testing. The vehicle was seen cruising on the highway at a good speed. The all-new Thar will be based on a new platform. It is the Gen3 platform that underpins the Mahindra Scorpio and the Mahindra TUV 300 in the Indian market. The all-new Thar is being tested under heavy camouflage but there is actually no lines or deep creases on the body that will make the vehicle look different without the camouflage.

The all-new Thar’s body is extremely wide but the overall length seems to be shorter than the current generation Thar. It is quite possible that Mahindra is currently the testing the new chassis of the Thar with a modified body and the final product will be quite different from the vehicle caught on the test. The all-new Mahindra Thar is expected to become much more premium and comfortable than the current version. It will likely to carry the same iconic design forward but Mahindra may change a few things to keep the model fresh in the market.

The upcoming SUV will be compliant with the upcoming Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assesment Program (BNVSAP). The new rules will be in place from next year and the all-new Thar is expected to be launched just before that. Mahindra engineers are spending a lot of time on the all-new Thar as the new platform does not allow much articulation, which may hamper the off-roading capabilities of the all-new Thar.

The all-new Thar is also expected to get more comfortable seats and it will be more stable on the open highways too. Inside, the Thar will get a complete revamp and we can expect modern-age gadgets including a touchscreen infotainment system. However, we expect the brand to offer a stripped-down, bare-bones version of the Thar for the hard-core off-roaders too.

Mahindra Thar competes with the Force Gurkha in the Indian market and in current states of tune, the Thar offers a lower power output than the Gurkha. Mahindra is also working on an all-new 2.0-litre diesel engine, which will replace the current 2.5-litre engine from the Thar. The all-new engine is expected to produce around 140 Bhp and 300 Nm of peak torque. It will continue to offer the 4X4 set-up and the low-ratio transfer case, which increases the off-roading capability of the vehicle. The same engine is also expected to power the new Scorpio and the upcoming Mahindra XUV 500 in the future.

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App based cab and ride sharing company Uber has decided to launch the UberBoat in India. The company had previously launched similar boat services in many countries including France and Croatia among others. Uber has chosen Mumbai as their first city to launch the unique boat service and the rides will be starting from the Gateway of India.

The booking procedure will be app based and done in a similar manner as for regular cabs. This will mark the start of Uber’s boat service in India and how well it performs in Mumbai will decide whether the company will expand it to new cities or not.

The UberBoat will start from the 1st of February. There are two main routes that are on focus. currently. The first route is the Gateway of India to Mandwa Jetty route while the other one is the Gateway of India to Elephanta. The pricing for the boat service will be between Rs 5,700 and 9,500 per boat.

To be more precise, the service will cost Rs 5,700 for UberBOAT  and Rs 9,500 for UberBOAT XL across all routes. The UberBOAT is designed to carry 6-8 passengers while the UberBOAT XL can carry 10 plus passengers.

The rides can be booked around 15 minutes before travel time. Also, the company has not confirmed if the rides could attract dynamic or ‘surge’ pricing at a later date. However, if the demand of the UberBoat continues to be on surge, it is expected that the company will bring in the surge pricing rule too. Also, there are plans to expend the operation network to other locations in Mumbai if this location yields good result. Navi Mumbai seems to be the next planned stop for this boat service but nothing is confirmed as of now.

This service will be launched by the Mumbai Port Trust chairman Sanjay Bhatia on Wednesday, 1st February. Reports suggest that the demand for water transport service is high in Navi Mumbai areas especially from Nerul, Belapur to south Mumbai. The boat service would also be helpful in establishing a link between two cities and help commuters from far suburbs reach south Mumbai for daily work. Future plans on the state of water transport in Mumbai are to beautify the routes and to encourage the water tourism industry.

Coming to the issue of safety on the UberBoat, all boats will be equipped with necessary equipment including lifejackets, emergency contact details and printed collaterals along with a manual that highlights safety instructions. While boat services have been launched in many other places by independent players, this is the first case of a planned and well developed boat service. Now whether or not it will be a hit is something that should be left unanswered for now. What we can do instead is to wait and see how the public reacts to this unique boat hailing service by Uber.

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Automobiles have seen a lot of change in the past one year. And no, we are not talking about changes in comfort, performance etc. Instead, we today are focusing on the ‘auto’ part of automobiles. Fantasy writers and scientists have long been predicting of a time when vehicles would be able to drive themselves and we are currently living in that time. Though not completely legal in most parts of the world, autonomous driving is something that has been here since some time now. Down below is a video which showcases the same.

A Mercedes-Benz car (C63 AMG to be precise) is shown in the first part of the video. The driver of the vehicle sets the vehicle to auto park, a feature now available with a lot of luxury cars. The plot is made interesting by the presence of two Lamborghini Aventadors, both of which are the SV (Super Veloce) model. The test is to check whether the Mercedes would be able to park itself in this tight spot between the two Lambos without damaging any of them. As seen in the video, the AMG tuned Mercedes does that easily.

There comes a time while reversing when it seems that the black AMG will hit the Lambo for sure. However, the on board systems detect the collision distance and brake accordingly, just inches away from the bumper of the Lamborghini Aventador at the back. The car then parks itself perfectly, even better than what some people would have done. The video then proceeds to show several clips which showcase a similar scenario. In each of the clip, a car has been set on to auto parking mode and it maneuvers itself into the parking safely. The auto park function works well even with oncoming traffic.

Auto manufacturers and tech companies around the word have developed the technology of self driving and have attained near perfection in it. Companies like Tesla provide auto pilot function which can control the whole car and run it quite efficiently with the supervision of a human. The BMW 7 series can come to you from the place where it is parked just by the touch of a button on the key fob. For functions like auto parking, the on-board computer uses an array of sensors and cameras to detect the size, distance, shape of the obstructions around and choose the best spot accordingly.

However, for those of you thinking why the auto pilot function is not yet available on all cars, it is not yet legal in most parts of the world to own or use a autonomous vehicle. This is because of various fundamental and ethical reasons. The basic reason is that the whole autonomous thing needs a infrastructure in order to function properly. Roads need to be tweaked, signals need to be tailored up apart from a developed internet of things. A sole fully autonomous car running on road without the needed changes and infrastructure can prove to be fatal for fellow road users. Also, security concerns (hacking etc) regarding such cars needs to be addressed and beefed up.

For the time being, it is good to see that the technology has made such advancements and things which were thought of as superficial just a decade back are present everywhere. In the coming years, we would see such simple autonomous functions like self park etc come on more affordable cars as well.

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The Tata Sumo is one of India’s most loved vehicles. It has been around for a long time in the market now and is extremely popular among the Tier-II and Tier-III users who appreciate the Tata Sumo for its rugged build quality. While Tata offers only the 2WD version of the Sumo in the market, there is a 4X4 version of the vehicle that is supplied only to the Army and paramilitary forces of India. This fact is known by only a few. Here is one such Tata Sumo which was bought from an army vehicle auction and has been modified beautifully.

The Sumo 4X4 belongs to Mr Parikshit Singh Deora, which has a Safari Camp in Rajasthan. The vehicle was modified for safari purposes and it looks as good as it can be. The engine of the Sumo remains stock. It is still powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine that gets indirect fuel injection and is turbocharged with an intercooler. The motor develops a maximum power of 90 Bhp and a maximum power of 190 Nm. It gets a Borg-Warner 4X4 transfer case with an electric shifter. The transfer case also gets high-ratio and low-ratio settings that can be shifted on the fly.

It has been modified subtly but gets functional features. It gets standard suspension system, a power steering system, air conditioning and independent front suspension. The set-up makes it an exemplary daily driver and is very comfortable to drive regularly. It has become much more comfortable than the stock version of the MUV. The modification list consists of front steel bumper, rear steel bumper, custom built wheel arches, which are much wider than the stock, snorkel and huge 33*12.5 inch heavy duty tyres mounted on the 15-inch alloy wheels. The Sumo looks like a humble MUV in its stock form but after the modifications, it gets the aggressive 4X4 stance and looks. The aftermarket 33-inch tyres also increase the ground clearance and keep the driver at an authoritative position on the road. However, we not sure how often it takes on public roads. The Sumo also gets larger Outside Rearview Mirrors from a bigger Tata truck, which gives the MUV a butch look.

The Sumo also gets modified completely on the inside too. It gets aftermarket leather seating with cup holders in the middle and central console along with a navigator lamp. It also gets a mini 14-litre Topicool fridge inside the cabin that keeps the drinks and refreshments chilled during the long safaris. To supply the power to the mini fridge, a small 0.5kVa inverter with 5 amp power socket has been installed too. Saving the exterior of the vehicle are rock sliders. There are bright LED headlamps and auxiliary lamps on the vehicle.

This set-up on the Tata Sumo returns a maximum fuel efficiency of 9-10 km/l depending on the road surface but with its capabilities, it will be able to do a cross country trip without much problem.

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Korean automaker Kia is all set to begin its Indian innings this year. The first car to be launched by the company will be the SP2i SUV, which has been spotted testing a couple of times already. Following the launch of the SP2i, the second model to be launched by the company will be the Kia Carnival MPV, which will compete with the Toyota Innova Crysta in India.

The MPV will be brought in via the CKD route to India. It will be assembled at the new Anantapur plant, which was inaugurated yesterday by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu.

The Carnival MPV is larger than the Innova Crysta and will be placed higher than the latter. This is because of the fact that it will not be made in India. CKD kits attract a higher tax and therefore, expect the pricing to cross Rs. 20 lakh mark.

The Indian-spec Kia Carnival measures 5,155 mm in length, 1,985 mm in width, 1,740 mm in height and has a wheelbase of 2,060 mm. In the international markets, the Grand Carnival is available in various seating configurations that includes 7-seater, 8-seater, 9-seater and 11-seater. However, the Indian market is expected to get only the 7-seater version with captain sits in the middle.

The Kia Carnival MPV will be powered by a R 2.2 E-VGT diesel engine that produces 199 Bhp of power at 3,800 rpm along with 441 Nm of torque at 1,750-2,750 rpm. The engine will come mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission that will send power to the front wheels. The Innova Crysta, on the other hand, comes with three engine options. There is 2.4-litre and 2.8-litre diesel engines and a 2.7-litre petrol engine too. However, all the engines have lower power output than Kia’s 2.2 litre diesel engine. However, performance won’t be higher thanthat of the Innova because of the Carnival’s larger size and greater weight.

With the Carnival MPV, Kia will try to get a good traction of a segment which is largely ruled by a single vehicle. The Toyota Innova Crysta is currently the only option in India if you want to buy a MPV around Rs. 20 lakhs. The Innova Crysta is a pretty solid seller too with average monthly sales figures touching 7000 units. The Kia Carnival makes sense to customers looking for an MPV bigger and more sophisticated than the Toyota Innova Crysta.

Whether the Carnival will be hit or not that is a question best left unanswered for now. The MPV segment in India is seeing some changes of lately with the launch of the Mahindra Marazzo, Maruti  Suzuki Ertiga and more recently, the Mercedes Benz V-Class. However, the Toyota Innova still does not have any real competition and it will be good to see it go head to head with the Carnival when it gets launched here.

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India has become one of the largest automobile markets in the world. However, most of the vehicles sold in the market are mass-segment cars and SUVs and not the exotic brands like Land Rover Range Rover. Such high-end vehicles remain out of budget for many buyers, primarily because of the high import taxes. But many enthusiasts modify their cars to look like exotic vehicles. Here are five such SUVs that have taken the Land Rover Range Rover as inspiration to modify their cars.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza Evoque

This modification is one of the most interesting ones in recent times. Apart from regular grille-swap exercises, many go to great lengths to make their vehicles look like the original vehicle. Apart from the aftermarket custom grille, it gets Range Rover Evoque inspired custom headlamps too. The original bumper has been replaced with a custom bumper inspired by the Evoque. To give it a proper Range Rover Evoque look, even the boot lid has been modified.

It gets aftermarket low-profile tyres on multi-spoke alloy wheels. The rear gets Evoque-inspired tail lamps. The rear bumper and the tailgate also get some reshaping to give the proper Evoque look.

Tata Safari Range Rover

This modification job was done way before Tata took over the Jaguar Land Rover. It has been done with great details and looks close to the original Land Rover Range Rover. Big Daddy customs have done the modification job. The vehicle gets Range Rover Evoque-shaped customised headlamps, Range Rover inspired grille and LED DRLs that mimic the original Range Rover lamps. The SUV also gets altered front fenders that are now flared and adds a muscular look to the vehicle. The modder has named it as the Tata Moon Rover.

Hyundai Creta Range Rover

Hyundai Creta is an extremely popular SUV in the Indian market, and it has been around for a long time now. Here is a Range Rover modification based on the Hyundai Creta. The vehicle gets aftermarket headlamps with custom DRLs inside. It also receives the Range Rover inspired grille to complete the look. The original Range Rover SUV also inspires the Range Rover moniker on the boot lid. Apart from these changes, the Hyundai Creta also gets blacked-out alloy wheels with low-profile tyres, smoked tail lamps and Range Rover badges at the rear. To add a muscular look, the Creta even gets faux air intakes on the side.

Hyundai Creta-rangie

This is not exactly an outstanding modification job, but the intention of the owner is clear – get the Range Rover-look for the Hyundai Creta. The compact SUV gets a wrong looking replica grille in the front that will loosely remind you of the Land Rover Range Rover. Apart from that, it gets a wide LED bar placed above the front number plate. The vehicle also gets a lot of chrome-dipped parts including the front grille and fog lamp inserts. The body also gets a dual paint job with contrasting red colour painted on the A-Pillar, ORVMs and the lower front bumper.

Hyundai Creta Royal Rover

This Hyundai Creta wanted to look like Range Rover Evoque. The SUV gets aftermarket headlamps with bright angel eye DRLs. Nothing much has been changed in the vehicle except for the front grille that looks like a second-copy of Range Rover Evoque’s grille and a boot lid-wide moniker that says ‘Royal Ranger’. Nothing else has changed in the vehicle.

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The Indian automotive market has seen a lot of imported and rebadged products in the past. Standard 2000 was one such vehicle. It was the rebadged version of the Rover SD1. It was first launched in 1985, and after three years of production, Standard 2000 went out of production.

The Standard 2000 was launched after lengthy talks with the British manufacturer and was launched in the Indian market as an exclusive product. What if the car makes a comeback in the modern day market? Well, it is what it will look like in the recent day form. Cartoq’s in-house rendering artist, Vipin Vathoopan has made the image.

The Standard 2000 was way ahead of its time in terms of design. When it was launched in the market, no other vehicle could compete with it concerning looks. The notch-back design of the Standard 2000 attracted a lot of eyes, mainly because of its sleek body design and extremely raked front and rear windshield. The vehicle carried quite a few resemblances to the Ferrari 365GTB Daytona, which is known as one of the best looking Ferraris till date.

The modern-day iteration of the Standard 2000 looks exceptionally futuristic. It carries almost the same design as the 1985 Standard 2000, but it gets modern-day set-up. The front of the vehicle receives modern LED lamps with bright LED DRLs forming the signature of the modern day Standard 2000. The headlamps are joined with the help of a thin LED strip that is as wide as the body of the Standard 2000. The shape of the headlamps remains sleek reminding us of the good old Standard 2000.

In keeping with the changing times, the bumper of the Standard has been given a modern look too. It gets angular fog lamp housings that have been placed smartly on the side on the air dam. Moving to the side, it gets big 17-inch wheels with low profile tyres and a flowing body line. It retains the notchback design even in its modern form that adds a lot of glass area to the vehicle. The rendered design indeed shows what the Standard 2000 could have looked like in the modern day the vehicle remained in production.

The Standard 2000 was the best-looking car in its time, and the rendered modern avatar can take the same credit. Well, it will never become a reality, but we now know how it would have looked like today.

In 1985, the Standard 2000 came with a price tag of Rs. 2.12 lakh. A total of 12,000 sets of Rover SD1 body panels were to be supplied to Standard in India. The car came with a 2.0-litre engine that also powered the Standard Vanguard model. The four-cylinder diesel engine produced a maximum power of 83 Bhp at 4,250 rpm and came with a 4-speed manual transmission. It was quick too and could reach a maximum of 145 km/h.

The Standard 2000 came with higher ground clearance when compared to the Rover SD1 but the premium price tag and unreliable engine did not help the vehicle to gain much popularity in the market. Eventually, it was discontinued. There are a handful of immaculately maintained Standard 2000 models in India owned by the enthusiasts.

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Suzuki will unveil the all-new, next-generation Alto in October this year. This is not the Indian-spec Alto that will be launched in India at a later date but the global spec Alto, which will be sold in the international markets including Japan. The generation update comes after six years as the current Alto was launched in 2014 in the global markets.

The international spec Alto is entirely different from the Indian model. Maruti Suzuki launches Indian-spec models that suit the Indian road conditions rather than launching the global models as is. The all-new WagonR is the perfect example that shows the stark difference between the Indian-spec model and the international-spec car.

The all-new Alto will get the Suzuki’s HEARTECT platform that underpins almost all the Maruti Suzuki hatchbacks in India now. The use of the all-new platform will make the Alto lighter in weight and much safer too. Even visually, the international version of the Alto is different from the Indian model. The all-new Alto is expected to get a sporty design with new headlamps, bumpers and body design.

However, the overall silhouette is expected to remain similar to the current version of the car. The Alto in the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) looks very aggressive and the all-new version of the hatchback is expected to offer the same design philosophy. Apart from the regular model, the all-new Alto will continue to get the “Works” version, which is the sporty version of the car. It is not available in the Indian market though. Suzuki is expected to continue with the 660cc engine in the all-new Alto. The same engine also powers the all-new Jimny SUV too.

Back in India, the all-new Alto is expected to get a full model change. The Indian market will get the Bharat New Vehicle Assesment Program (BNVSAP) safety rules from 1st October 2019 and the current version of the Alto would not meet the upcoming safety norms. The Indian version of the Alto is expected to be launched in the coming months but there is no confirmed date.

The all-new Maruti Suzuki Alto in India is expected to get the new HEARTECT platform just like the all-new WagonR. It is also expected to grow in size but not by much. In India, the Alto gets powered by two engine options and both of them are expected to be available in the all-new Alto too. The Indian-spec car will become much safer with the new platform and will shed a lot of weight too. With the lighter weight, the performance and fuel economy will become better.

The new safety rules also make it mandatory for the cars to offer a driver-side airbag, ABS+EBD, rear parking sensors, driver seat-belt reminder and speed warning. The all-new Alto for the Indian market will get all these features as standard across the variants. Look-wise, the Indian-spec Alto will draw inspiration from the JDM-spec Alto but it would not be as aggressive when it comes to styling.

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The infamous ‘thak thak’ gang of Delhi NCR is in news again for obvious reason. The notorious gang of thieves targeted a Mercedes-Benz GLS this time and used a new technique to dupe the innocents. The gang fled with a bag containing Rs. 5 lakhs along with other documents and personal items. The driver was present in the car at the time this incident took place.

The victim is a Meerut businessman named Narendra Chauhan, who had come for a meeting with bank officials in Ghaziabad’s Raj Nagar district centre (RDC). He was being driven in a Mercedes-Benz GLS by his driver and told him to look after the vehicle before going to the meeting. The white coloured Mercedes SUV was probably already spotted by the thak thak gang operatives and they waited for the right moment before striking.

How it was done?

The gang operatives have used various method of duping in other cases. This time they used a new method to make away with the cash. According to the businessman who is into road construction, he had left his bag and other documents in the car which were being guarded by the driver. In between his meeting, he received a call from his driver who then told him about the theft. As per the driver, three men came near the Mercedes and knocked on the window. They told the him that the tyre of the car was punctured. When the driver unlocked the car and stepped out, one of the men opened the door on the other side and fled with the bag. The driver said he also spotted a motorcycle rider who seemed to be an accomplice of the three men.

Apart from Rs. 5 lakh cash, the bag contained the owner’s credit card, identification and other business related documents. A complaint has been filed with the police already and the officials said that they are scanning CCTV footage to identify the culprits. The police reached the crime scene after the information was received but as usual, there were no trace of the culprits. They have deployed a team who is scanning footage from the nearby CCTVs. The area where the incident took place has a lot of CCTV cameras and the Police hopes to get a substantial lead soon. An FIR has also been registered in the case under sections of theft.

A similar incident took place in December last year which was caught on camera. The thak thak gang members used Rs. 40 to get away with an amount of Rs. 4 lakh in that case. One of the gang member intentionally threw Rs. 40 on the ground near the front tire of the vehicle. Another member then told the driver that some money was lying on the ground and the driver got off the car to pick it up. In the meantime, another gang member opened the tailgate and went off with a bag containing money and other valuables. The video below shows how the incident took place.

Since such cases are getting common nowadays, one should keep their senses open while on road. You never know when you may be targeted. Such incidents can be easily be avoided by not falling into the trap. Avoid taking any advise from strangers while in a parked car. Also, if you are having valuables with you, stash them away from prying eyes. The best place to do it is either in the glove box or in the footwell. As it is said, it is better to take precaution than being sorry, take these steps to get away from such incidents.

Source

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Under the Indian motor vehicle laws, using a cellphone while driving is illegal. Just like using the cell, many other distractions can happen while driving and are as dangerous as using the phone. Hyderabad Traffic Police is now planning to address the issue and come up with statutory warning messages at the movie theatres.

The number of people smoking while driving has increased in the recent past as per the cops. The movies will now screen the ‘smoking kills and ‘speed kills’ warning for the audience besides the ‘smoking is injurious to health’ and ‘alcohol consumption is injurious to health’ warnings before the start of the movies in theatres.

A senior traffic police official said,

“Like talking over phone while driving, smoking also distracts motorists. Cell phone driving is a violation of traffic rules and fines too are imposed. Smoking while driving is yet to be categorised as a violation and yet to be included in the law books,”

Using cell phones while driving is known for causing distractions and it is banned globally. According to the cops, smoking is also highly distractive while driving and can lead to accidents. But there are no researches or studies to show how distractive smoking while driving is compared to the using a mobile phone while driving. The Hyderabad Police say that smoking while driving is multi-tasking, which is a dangerous affair to do while keeping control of the car.

The Traffic Police team from Hyderabad is also planning to create awareness regarding traffic rules among the school children. As many as 5 lakh children and youths are targetted through various camps in schools and colleges. The teams also go to various other educational institutes to ensure that the traffic rules awareness is created at the ground level.

The Hyderabad Police is also planning to advertise as much as possible. The Hyderabad Traffic Training Institute will also take steps to spread awareness about distractive driving which will also include the smoking while driving. The cops are yet to comment on formulating new rules to ban such dangerous activity while driving.

While there is no rule in the book that can be used to book the drivers who smoke while driving yet, cops can issue a fine the car’s occupants for smoking in public place if the vehicle is on the public roads or parked at public parking. However, most of the traffic cops do not have the authority to fine for smoking. We believe that only the civilian police can issue fines against smoking in the public place.

Making new rules take a lot of time in India and instead of introducing a new law against smoking while driving, the Hyderabad cops are issuing statutory warnings. It may not be as effective as issuing fines to the culprits, but it sure will bring down the number of people who do it on the roads.

Source

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Hyundai recently revised the pricing of its popular Creta compact SUV. The variant of the car now comes with an ex-showroom sticker price of Rs. 9.60 lakhs, which is an increment of Rs. 10,000 from the 2018 model. Along with the price update, the company has added some features to the SUV as well. The video below by Car Duniya gives a glimpse of the new features added on the E Plus variant of the Creta. Take a look at the video before we talk about the changes made on the SUV.

As seen in the video, there are no visual changes made on the 2019 model of the Creta. The additions made on the E Plus variant include rear parking sensors, speed alerts and seat belt reminder along with an  eco coating. These features have been made standard across all variants of the Creta. The addition of safety feature has been done in order to comply with the Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program (BNVSAP) norms are just about to kick in. All variants of the Creta already came with ABS and twin airbags as standard, and this continues even with the 2019 edition of the SUV. The Hyundai Creta is quite a feature rich SUV and gets features like wireless charging for the top end models.

The Hyundai Creta gets three engine options, two of which are diesels and one petrol. The 1.4 liter diesel motor churns out 89 Bhp of power along with 220 Nm of torque. This engine is paired with a 6 speed manual gearbox. Then comes the more powerful 1.6 liter petrol engine that puts out a good 121 Bhp of power along with 151 Nm of torque. This motor gets 6 speed manual and automatic gearbox options. The top-end diesel variants of the Creta get powered by an even more powerful 1.6 liter turbocharged motor which produces 126 Bhp of power along with 260 Nm of torque. This engine gets 6 speed manual and automatic gearboxes. In terms of engine and gearbox options, the Creta is among the most balanced SUVs out there.

The Hyundai Creta is the best selling vehicle in the compact SUV segment. However, it now sees new challenges in the form of the Nissan Kicks and the Tata Harrier. While the Harrier starts at Rs. 12.69 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) and might not pose a direct threat to the lower variants of Creta, the Nissan Kicks definitely comes as a good rival to the SUV. It is larger in size and offers better ride quality than the Creta apart from many other differences. Hyundai has planned to give the Creta a big update but that is still some time away. It will now be interesting to see how the Creta fares against the new rivals, which will see the addition of the new Renault Duster before the end of this year.

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Indian two-wheeler manufacturer Royal Enfield has surpassed local unit of Japanese manufacturer India Yamaha Motor (IYM) to achieve the fifth place in local market for the year 2018. With the entry of Royal Enfield in the list, four spots among the top five is shared among Indian manufacturers.

Eicher Motors-owned Royal Enfield sold 8,37,669 units in 2018 compared to the 7,52,880 units last year. Royal Enfield has seen a growth of 11 percent. However, for the last few months, Royal Enfield has been facing the heat from newly launched Jawa Motorcycles.

Jawa Motorcycles owned by Classic Legends have launched two of their retro models Jawa or Jawa Classic and Jawa 42 in Indian market. After the launch of Jawas, RE sold 65,026 units in November and in December they managed to sell only 56,026 units which is way below their average monthly sales.

While RE managed to grow 11 percent, India Yamaha Motors grew marginally by one percent only. They sold 7,96,234 units compared to 7,86,787 units last year. Yamaha in India has partially exited 110-cc market and is now focusing on performance and premium motorcycles like FZ25, Yamaha YZF-R15 etc, along with the scooter range to take on the competition.

In terms of market share, Royal Enfield claimed 3.9 percent of the Indian two-wheeler market and India Yamaha Motor recorded a 3.7 percent market share in the calendar year 2018. One of the fact that makes this feat even more interesting is that Royal Enfield has managed to achieve this without any mass product or scooters which almost contributes half of Yamaha’s sales.

Price of a Royal Enfield motorcycle starts from Rs 1,20,000 while Yamaha India product prices start from Rs 50,000 including scooters and mass motorcycles The Wwrld’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp stood at the first position followed by Honda Motorcycles Scooters India Ltd., TVS Motors, Bajaj Auto at fourth and finally Royal Enfield at fifth position.

The year 2018 has not been favourable for the two-wheeler industry, especially in the second half with rise in fuel prices and hike in insurance costs. However, the overall two-wheeler market saw a growth of 12.83 percent with 2,16,45,160 units in 2018, compared to 1,91,82,574 units last year.

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Bajaj launched the all-new Pulsar 220F in the market recently. The all-new Pulsar 220F borrows the design from the Pulsar 220F but is powered by the 180cc engine. It is priced at Rs. 86,500, ex-showroom, Mumbai, which is much less than the price of Bajaj Pulsar 220F’s price, which stands at Rs. 1.05 lakh.

Dino’s Vault says that the Bajaj 180F gets the same body, features, body panels, instrument cluster, brakes and only the engine of the bike is from the Bajaj Pulsar 180. Looks-wise, the Bajaj Pulsar 180F is identical to the Bajaj Pulsar 220F. It gets red highlights all over. There are red highlights on the semi-fairing, rear panel, fuel tank and even the monikers of Pulsar and 180F are red. The highlights can also be seen on the alloy wheels of the bike. Bajaj Pulsar 220F gets a slightly longer wheelbase than the Bajaj Pulsar 180, but it seems like the new 180F receives a similar, extended wheelbase platform.

The Bajaj 180F can be identified by its smaller exhaust, which is different from the one we in the Pulsar 220F. Apart from that, all the things remain identical in both the bikes. They both get the same steel-braided brake lines, 260mm disc at front and 230mm in the rear. The Pulsar 180F does not get ABS like the Bajaj Pulsar 220F, but with the new rules coming up soon, we are sure that Bajaj will launch a new ABS-equipped version of the Bajaj Pulsar 180F. Even the instrument cluster remains the same with the carbon fibre texture inserts on the surroundings. It also gets the same 165mm ground clearance, and the length of the bike is a copy of the Bajaj Pulsar 220F. The engine cowl mounted at the bottom of the bike is also identical to the new Pulsar 220F ABS version.

Bajaj is yet to officially announce the bike in the market, which is why the specifications are not out too. The all-new Bajaj Pulsar 180F is expected to get the same engine without any changes done to it. The 180cc engine of the Bajaj is not oil-cooled like the 220cc engine. The single-cylinder engine produces a maximum power of 17 Bhp and a peak torque of 14 Nm. It gets a 5-speed transmission.

After riding the bike, Dino’s Vault commented that the Pulsar 180F is extremely smooth. He also feels that the seat is much more comfortable and it is quite possible that Bajaj has made the seat that way to give extra comfort to the riders. It is possible that Bajaj has tuned all the mechanical parts of the bike as even the clutch pull action has become smoother than before as per the review. The throttle response is also sharp and precise.

Bajaj is expected to launch the all-new range of Bajaj Pulsar next year in the Indian market. The all-new Pulsar range is expected to be based on the all-new platform. Bajaj will also launch the all-new Husqvarna bikes later this year.

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Indian two-wheeler manufacturer giant Hero MotoCorp has recently announced setting up of its first Research and Development (R&D) Centre at a global location. This new R&D Centre is located near Munich in Germany. It will operate in tandem with Hero’s Global R&D hub, the centre for innovation and Technology (CIT) in Rajasthan’s Jaipur. The Hero Tech Centre in Germany will be a source of modern technologies with a focus on the global customer. This will also allow Hero MotoCorp to easily tap into the huge pool of resources available across Europe.

Commenting on the new facility, Dr. Pawan Munjal, chairman, Hero MotoCorp said “Setting up of the Hero Tech Centre Germany is a realisation of our aspiration to build an R&D eco-system that is spread across global geographies. Ever since Hero began its solo journey in 2011, we had a clear and focussed plan to enhance and strengthen our technological know-how and product development capabilities. We set up the centre of innovation and Technology (CIT) in Jaipur in 2016 and since then, this facility has been designing and developing a range of new mobility solutions for customers across the globe.”

The Tech Centre in Germany will initially be under the direct supervision of Hero’s Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Markus Braunsperger. It will focus on development of new vehicle concepts and future technologies in close cooperation with the teams at CIT in Jaipur.

Munjal also added that the new technology centre will also be the epicentre for Hero’s Motorsport team and facilitate all rally participation activities, including new product development for the team. The Hero MotorSports Rally team has put India on the global map of motorsports in a short span of time.

Hero MotoCorp is world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturing company and Hero Splendor is the largest selling motorcycle. Splendor is an extremely popular among people because of its fuel efficiency and reliability. It is a typical “Fill it, shut it, forget it” kind of a bike. There are three engine options available in Splendor. These are 98.2cc, 110cc and 125cc engine options. Hero also offers an iSmart system in some of their bikes and recently launched Duet 125 automatic scooter.

One of the most anticipated launches from the brand is Adventure bike Hero Xpulse 200. It’ll be India’s least priced adventure motorcycle with a price tag of under Rs. 1 lakh, and is expected to be launched later this. The XPulse 200 will borrow the 200cc, air cooled single cylinder engine from the Xtreme 200, and will get a 5 speed manual gearbox. High travel front and rear suspension, a high ground clearance, an instrument cluster with smartphone pairing for navigation and a single channel ABS will be prominent features of the XPulse.

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One of the largest automakers in the world, Fiat will soon pull the plug from its Indian operations. Currently, Fiat only offers the Linea, Grand Punto, Avventura and Abarth Punto in the Indian market and none of these vehicles complies with the future safety and emission rules.

All the Fiat vehicles are not popular in the Indian market, and the sales chart show us the same picture. From December 2017 to November 2018, Fiat sold only 101 units of its vehicles in India and the brand is not planning to launch upgraded versions of the cars that will comply with the expected norms. The Fiat Linea and the Punto have been on sale in India for a long time now, and both the vehicles have not received any major update to keep them fresh in the market. Even the derivatives of the Fiat Punto in the form of the Abarth Punto, Urban Cross and the Avventura are quite outdated.

Fiat-Chrysler launched the all-new Jeep brand in the Indian market in 2016 with the CBU models like the Wrangler and Cherokee in India. In 2017, the all-new Jeep Compass was launched, which became instantly famous in the Indian market. Going forward, Fiat-Chrysler is expected to concentrate only on the Jeep brand in India while the Fiat vehicles will be phased out.

India will get the new Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assesment Program (BNVSAP) from October 2019. According to the ACI report, none of the Fiat vehicles can meet the minimum safety requirement. Also, in 2020, the more stringent BS-VI emission norms will be implemented in the Indian market.

The popular 1.3-litre Multijet engine, which is known as the “National Engine of India” is not BS-VI ready and to turn it into more emission norm compliant a large sum would be needed. Even if Fiat bring in new cars, the company will have to invest a large amount of sum to upgrade the production line and bring in new technology.

Instead, the brand has decided to focus only on the Jeep brand in the coming years and discontinue the Fiat brand from the market. This is the second major brand that is exiting from the Indian market in a short time. From 1st January 2018, General Motors’ Chevrolet brand ceased the sales of its vehicles in the Indian market due to extremely low popularity.

Fiat also supplies the 1.3-litre Multijet engine to numerous manufacturers in the Indian market. As the engine is not BS-VI ready, they would not be useful after the upgraded emission norms are implemented in the country. This would bring the revenue of Fiat India considerably in the future.

The Italian manufacturer has asked all its dealers to sell off the non-ABS inventory as soon as possible in the market.  It should be noted that ABS will become mandatory in the cars from 1st April 2019. However, the major update will come in October 2019 when the new BNVSAP rules get implemented in the market. That’s the time when the Fiat is expected to officially cease their operations in India.

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The Mahindra Marazzo is the only MPV in India currently that is available in the range of Rs. 10-14 lakhs along with having good amount of space and a decent engine. The Toyota Innova Crysta is placed above it while the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is palced below the Marazzo. The Marazzo is also a pretty feature rich MPV with many first in class features. Recently, Viseton, which is a global automotive electronics supplier released a video which shows the infotainment and instrument cluster of the Marazzo at its full glory.

Viseton provides touchscreen to numerous renowned across the world including Land Rover. The recently launched Tata Harrier also gets a Viseton Infotainment system. Let’s now checkout the video above and see how well the MID and Infotainment on the Marazzo work.

As seen in the video, both the driver information display and the infotainment system on the Marazzo works seamlessly. The car comes equipped with a 4.2 inch TFT driver information display with purple illumination. The dial too have got purple illumination rings around them. The 7 inch touch infotainment system on the Marazzo comes with Android Auto and Apple Car Play support. Therefore, connectivity is not an issue in the MPV. The touchscreen also comes with haptic feedback, which means that it gives appropriate vibrations on the area of touch. Other notable feature includes the Ecosense technology, which is used to rank driving patterns.

Other features include USB and Bluetooth connectivity, voice activated controls, native navigation, audio with emergency calling designed to increase the driver’s safety and environmental awareness, rear view cam with dynamic guidelines. For the audio system, there is an option to adjust the balance and fade across the speakers. this means the the audio focus can be shifted from driver to rear passengers leading to interruption free driving experience for the driver.

The Mahindra Marazzo is powered by a newly developed 1.5 litre diesel engine which produces 121 Bhp of power along with 300 Nm of torque. The MPV is currently available with only a 6 speed manual gearbox. The non availability of an automatic transmission is the reason why many people are no buying the Marazzo but the company plans to launch the automatic Marazzo this year only. Also on cards is the new petrol powered Marazzo. The new petrol engine is being jointly developed by Mahindra and SsangYong and is likely the same unit that will make its debut on the XUV300.

The base M2 variant in India is priced at Rs 9.99 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi) while the top end M8 variant costs about Rs 13.9 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi. The Marazzo is among the new wave of Mahindra products that are high on quality and refinement. The company also plans to sell the MPV in various other countries. Recently, the company showcased the vehicle at the Detroit auto show and the response it received was tremendous. Therefore, it could be said that the company will start its US innings soon.

Mahindra is also working on new variants of the Marazzo. An AMT option for the MPV will be launched by early 2020, and there’s a petrol powered version in the works as well.

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Toyota launched the Innova MPV on our shores in 2005. The MPV has since then become synonymous with comfort and reliability. This is the reason why it became such a success ever since its launch. One can still see the first generation Innova plying on our roads without much issue. However, what we bring to you today is a story that speaks volumes about Toyota’s build quality. The Innova you see below has covered more than 6 lakhs kilometers (yeah, you read that right) and is still going strong without any hiccup.

The silver Innova above is the first generation model of the car, before the facelift was launched. It is owned by M V Gopinathan and the Innova was registered in July 2005. This is the same year that Toyota launched the Innova in India and therefore, it can be said that this Innova is one of the earliest models to roll out of the factory. The odometer of the car shows a reading that is greater than 6 lakh kilometers, which is a big figure for any car. The car was bought from Nippon Toyota, Kerela, and was regularly serviced there too. Apart from the high distance covered by the car, another fact to be highlighted here is the fact that the car got its first clutch replaced at 6 lakh kilometer. This again is exceptional, especially with many car owners in India needing to replace the clutch just after 50,000 kilometers.

Another point to notice here is the legendary built quality of Toyota. Mostly, it is advised to buy a car only after a year of two since its launch. This is because by that time, the manufacturer irons out the manufacturing defects or any other glitch that was present in the car. However, this Innova proves that with Toyota, that’s not the case. The company is one of the biggest auto manufacturers in the world and has taken the first place in the top selling automotive brand across the world several times. The Corolla sedan is its best selling product till date and known across the world for its tank like built quality.

However, if proper care of the vehicle is not taken, it is deemed to deteriorate over time. No matter whether it’s made by Toyota or even Oshkosh, without care and maintenance, a vehicle would not survive the test of time and tarmac. It seems like the owner of this car religiously followed the checkup and service timelines and got all the work done at the authorized service centre only. This first generation Innova was powered by a 2.5 litre turbocharged D-4D diesel engine that churned out 102 PS of power. A 2 litre petrol engine was also available along with the diesel engine.

The Innova became the best selling MPV of the country despite its high price, which is not a common phenomena in India. The reason for this was the dependable build quality, reliable engine along with spacious and comfortable interiors. It is also among the most popular vehicles of popular movie stars and politicians.

The second generation Innova on sale now, called the Innova Crysta carries on the legacy of the older generation model. It is larger, more powerful, more spacious and better equipped than the car it replaces and is also better looking. It comes with 3 engine options, one petrol and two diesels. The 2.7 litre petrol engine produces 164 Bhp of power along with 245 Nm of torque and is mated to 5 speed manual gearbox. Diesel options include a 2.4 litre engine and a 2.8 litre engine, producing 148 Bhp-343 Nm and 172 Bhp-360 Bhp power outputs respectively. While the smaller diesel gets only a 5-speed manual, the bigger diesel engines gets a 6-speed torque converter automatic gear box too.

This spectacular Innova case highlights an issue which is often neglected by vehicle owners. A car is like any other machine and it needs regular checkups and services in order to function well. If you take care of your car, go for scheduled services and don’t skip on the necessary expense, the car will run without any problem and will be your partner during many happy moments.

Source- ModsOwnCountry Whatsapp Group

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