A few days ago, Mumbai Police arrested famous car designer Dilip Chhabria for frauds and various other charges. The crime branch unit of Mumbai Police seized 14 DC Avanti cars from the brand’s manufacturing unit in Pune, Maharashtra. The team also seized about 40 units of the imported engines. Police have also launched a manhunt for Dilip’s son Bonito and his sister.

Mumbai Police team on Sunday said that they found documents on import of the engines, manufacture of the number of cars including the customised or modified ones and dual registration papers of several vehicles. All the cars seized from DC’s Pune facility have dual registration.

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According to the police, the Dilip Chhabria Designs Pvt Ltd have documents that show that they imported 400 engines to use in the Avanti. However, only 127 units of the Avanti were ever manufactured and sold. Out of these, sixty-eight cars are used by himself and his family and all these cars had dual registration numbers. Many of these cars were also used for fraudulent financing by taking loans from non-banking financial companies.

The Mumbai crime branch’s criminal intelligence unit or CIU is currently probing the fraud case against the ace car designer. After the raids at his factory, the cops found 19 other high-end cars and bikes that were parked inside the premises. The exact ownership details of these vehicles are not known yet.

Chhabria’s custody extended

The court has granted police custody till 7 January after the initial date of 3rd January. Until now, the police have found that Chhabria and his company availed loans from several non-financial banking companies by posing as customers wanting to buy DC Avanti. The NBFC released loans averaging around Rs 42 lakh per car on around 90 cars out of a total of 127 units sold by the company. In a few cases, the company also availed loans after selling the vehicles to the customers.

100 crore scam

Initial probe shows that the scam is massive and fraud of about Rs 100 crore has been done. Dilip Chhabria’s son Bonito and his sister Kanchan and company directors Choclingam Kathiravan and Setharaman Selvara are currently wanted for the forgery and the frauds. Dilip and his company also allegedly cheated an Indian cricketer and a Bollywood actress but police will investigate these cases separately as stated by the police in the remand application.

After conducting raids at the Dilip’s workshop at MIDC, the police found out that an Avanti car with engine and chassis number was also registered in Haryana. Police are on looking for his son Bonito Chhabria but his whereabouts are not known.

How did the police unearth the scam?

Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze of criminal intelligence unit (CIU) received a tip-off that a DC Avanti was spotted with a fake registration number. After receiving the information, the team of the police officers laid a trap to catch the car. The vehicle was caught on December 18 and was immediately seized by the police. After the initial investigation, the cops found out that a car with similar engine number and the chassis number is registered under a different number in Haryana.

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French carmaker Citroen has been planning to enter Indian market for some time. Citroen showcased their first product C5 Aircross SUV in a media event back in 2019. The brand was supposed to make their debut in 2020 but, due to COVID-19 pandemic, the launched had to be postponed. Now, Citroen has officially announced the reveal date of their upcoming SUV in the Indian market. Citroen will be revealing their first product on 1 February 2021. C5 Aircross is expected to be launched in the market in the first quarter of 2021. The soon-to-be-launched SUV will compete with cars like Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Tata Harrier and MG Hector in the market. It is a premium mid-size SUV and might also compete with Jeep Compass and Hyundai Tucson.

Citroen C5 Aircross has a very unique looking design to it. it is entirely different from what we have seen so far in our market. It has a split front grille with Citroen logo on it. The logo is actually a part of the design of the front grille. It get LED DRLs, dual projector headlamps and a muscular looking front bumper with red accents on it. The red accents are seen on the roof rails, side cladding and rear bumper as well. The side profile gets thick cladding, machine cut dual tone alloy wheels and the rear gets split LED tail lamps too. All these elements add to the premium look of the SUV.

Just like the exterior, interior of the new C5 Aircross also has a unique design to it. It gets split AC vents, dual tone cabin and several other features. It has a three-spoke multi-function steering wheel, digital instrument cluster, touchscreen infotainment screen that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, panoramic sunroof, wireless phone charging, dual zone climate control AC. International version of the SUV also offer massage, heating and cooling function on seats. It is not known whether we would be getting the same here in India.

Also read: All-new SUVs launching in India during 2021

In terms of safety features, Citroen will offers airbags, ABS and EBD and rear parking sensors as standard with C5 Aircross. Higher variants will also get the front parking sensors and reverse parking camera with it. There is even a possibility that Citroen might only launch a fully loaded version which will offer all these features. The SUV will be revealed next month and will be assembled locally in Citroen’s Thiruvallur plant in Tamil Nadu.

Citroen is expected to launch C5 Aircross with a diesel engine. It looks like Citroen won’t be launching a petrol engine version in Aircross initially. The diesel version of the SUV will be powered by a 2.0 litre turbocharged unit that will generate a maximum of 177 Ps and 400 Nm of peak torque. This engine will be offered with both manual and automatic transmission option.

Citroen has several plans for Indian market. It will be launching a variety of cars in our market after they officially make their debut in Indian market. As the Citroen C5 Aircross is a CKD product, it expected to have a higher price tag than other cars in the segment that are completely manufactured in India.

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Jeep has just announced that they are working on 4 new SUVs for India. They will be expanding their line-up for the Indian market. FCA Group has announced that they are working on localization and will be investing $250 million or Rs. 1,850 crore towards the production of four new Jeep SUVs that will be produced locally. This is a big step for the SUV, this shows that FCA is taking the Indian market seriously and they are here to stay. Currently, only the Jeep Compass is the only SUV that is manufactured locally in India. However, this is soon expected to be changed with new plans from Jeep. They will be launching 4 new SUVs that will be locally assembled in India. This will help in bringing the cost of the SUVs down and will attract more buyers.

Commenting on today’s announcement, FCA India Managing Director, Dr. Partha Datta said,

Our new investment of $250 million will give us a competitive edge in multiple segments with our new Jeep SUVs rolling out of Ranjangaon. This investment is in addition to $450 million we have already committed to our Indian operations over the past five years. We are delighted to announce our exciting new products, coupled with our continued commitment to India in Jeep brand’s 80th anniversary year

Also read: Jeep”s 3 new SUVs for India: What each one will look like!

Jeep Compass Facelift

The facelift of the Jeep Compass was due for quite some time now. The new Compass will be launching on January 7th. The new SUV was spied without any camouflage and even the interiors of the new SUV was showcased. You can read more about the spied images by clicking here. The SUV will get tweaked exterior with new LED headlamps with LED Daytime Running Lamps and LED foglamps. The new grille and headlamps are sleeker than the outgoing version. We can also see a revamped bumper which is now more aggressive. At the side, there is a new set of diamond-cut alloy wheels. There is no major change at the rear. The SUV continues to get LED tail lamps and there is a new chrome garnish that runs beneath the rear glass. The interiors of the SUV will see a big step up in quality. The SUV will be using tan and black coloured upholstery. There will soft-touch elements throughout the cabin. Jeep is offering a new infotainment system, steering wheel, multi-information display, gear selector and a lot more. It will continue to get the 1.4-litre turbo petrol producing 163 PS and 2.0-litre Multijet diesel engine producing 170 PS. The SUV will be offered with a manual or an automatic gearbox.

Jeep H6

Earlier, it was rumoured that Jeep will be using the Compass branding in some way for the upcoming 7-seater version of it. However, Jeep says that they will not be using the Compass name for the new SUV. This is being done so that the new 7-seater SUV has its own unique identity in the portfolio and the market. The new SUV will be underpinned by the same monocoque platform as the Compass. However, it will be slightly tweaked to accommodate the third-row seats. This means that the new SUV will be longer than the Compass. We are also expecting a longer wheelbase which will result in more cabin space when compared to the Compass. It will have larger rear doors, aggressive stance and design language. It will get a similar interior to the Compass Facelift. Powering the Jeep H6 will be the same 2.0-litre Multijet diesel engine but will be in a more powerful state of tune. So, it will be producing around 200 PS. The higher variants of the SUV will also be offering all-wheel-drive system. It will be competing against the MG Gloster, Ford Endeavour and the Toyota Fortuner.

Jeep Wrangler

Jeep currently sells the Wrangler as a CBU or Completely Built Unit in India. Jeep will be working on the local assembly of the Wrangler so that it can be a CKD or Completely Knocked Down unit. This will help in lowering the price of the Wrangler as currently, the Wrangler is very expensive as it starts from Rs. 63. 94 lakhs ex-showroom and the more off-road focused Rubicon variant starts from Rs. 68.94 lakhs ex-showroom. Currently, Wrangler is offered with a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that produces 268PS and 400 Nm of peak torque. It is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission that drives all the four wheels through 4×4 system.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

The Grand Cherokee was the flagship SUV from Jeep for India. It was a CBU or Completely Built Unit that was sold in India. However, now the SUV is discontinued in India but it will be making a comeback in its latest avatar as a CKD or a Completely Knocked Down unit. Earlier, the SUV was sold in three variants. There was the Limited variant that came with a 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine that produced 243 PS and 570 Nm. Then there was the Summit variant which was offered with a 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 petrol engine producing 290 PS and 347 Nm. The top-end variant was known as SRT which was powered by a Hemi V8 petrol engine that made 477 PS of power and 624 Nm of torque. The SUV used to start from Rs. 75.15 lakhs ex-showroom and competed with the likes of Mercedes-Benz GLE, BMW X5 and the Audi Q7.

Also read: All-new 2021 Mahindra XUV500: What it”ll look like

French car manufacturer Renault was working on a sub-4 meter SUV for quite some time. It is known as Kiger and has been spotted testing on our roads several times. A month ago, Renault officially revealed the showcar or concept version of the almost production ready Kiger. Renault has now officially announced the launch date for the upcoming compact SUV. Renault will be globally premiering the eagerly awaited Kiger in India on January 28, 2021. The upcoming Kiger will compete with cars like Maruti Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, Kia Sonet, Nissan Magnite and Ford EcoSport.

Renault Kiger as mentioned above is a global product which will be launched in India first. It will be the third global car from Groupe Renault to be launched in India first, followed by other markets. The concept or the showcar that was revealed a month ago looks very promising. Renault KIGER has already made a strong impression for its distinctive styling, which is sporty, masculine and modern. It is based on CMFA+ platform which is the same that we have seen in Renault Kwid and Triber. The very same platform has been used in Nissan Magnite as well. It will be produced at Renault-Nissan joint manufacturing facility at Oragadam, Chennai.

Also read: New sedans launching in 2021

Nissan Magnite and upcoming Renault Kiger will have some similarities in terms of design and the list of features that it will offer. Renault Kiger has a front that is similar to what we have seen in the facelifted Kwid and Triber MPV. The LED DRLs are placed on either ends of the grille while headlamps are placed on the bumper. There is also a faux skid plate that adds muscle to the vehicle. The headlamps and expected to be all LED in the top-end trims.

Moving to the side profile, Kiger gets thick cladding around the wheel arches and the lower part of the door. A silver colour functional roof rail is also expected to be seen. Just like Nissan Magnite, a Kiger badge is also expected on the side fender. The top-end trim would get a dual tone alloy wheel. The roof of the Kiger starts to slope as it moves towards the rear. A sporty looking roof mounted spoiler will also be there in the SUV.

At the rear, Kiger will come with a split tail lamp set up with halogen bulbs. Kiger branding on the boot along with Renault logo will also be seen. The rear bumper will have a muscular design with a silver coloured faux skid plate here as well. On the inside, Renault is expected to offer features like a touchscreen infotainment screen, multi function steering wheel, cruise control, digital instrument cluster, rear AC vents and may be even the wireless charging and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay feature.

In terms of engine, Renault Kiger will be available with two petrol engine options. There will be a 1.0 litre, three cylinder naturally aspirated engine that generates 72 Ps and 96 Nm of torque. This will come with a manual gearbox, The second petrol engine will be a 1.0 litre turbocharged unit that generates 100 Ps and 160 Nm of torque. This will be available with a manual and a CVT gearbox option. Just like Nissan Magnite, Renault is also expected to come with a very competitive price tag for the all-new Kiger SUV.

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After the success of the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso, Hyundai is also working on their micro-SUV code-named AX1. Recently, some new spy shots of the AX1 have surfaced the internet. This is not the first time that the new small SUV has been spotted. However, the new spy shots are much closer and do reveal new details about the Hyundai micro-SUV. Some websites have even already rendered how the new car might look like. The AX1 will be the most affordable SUV inspired vehicle in the Hyundai’s line-up that will sit below the Hyundai Venue.

This time we do have some closeups of the new vehicle. The SUV is currently being tested on the International roads. The AX1 boasts squarish elements throughout the bodywork. The grille seems to be huge when compared to the overall size of the front of the car. It gets split headlamp design just like we have seen on the Venue. The turn indicator strip sits above and the headlamp sits in the lower half of the bumper.

In the spy shots, we can see that Hyundai is using a halogen bulb for the headlamp. We assume that on the higher variants the turn indicator strip might also double as an LED Daytime Running Lamps. If not, then the LED Daytime Running Lamp should be available as an official accessory just like Maruti Suzuki offers with the S-Presso.

Also read: New sedans launching in 2021

The vehicle gets a flat bonnet, an upright grille and a steep windshield. From the side profile, we can clearly see the tall boy design of the AX1. It is still not clear if Hyundai is using a stylized wheel cover or alloy wheels. Considering the price point, the manufacturer should use a stylized wheel cover. We can see the squarish windows. The side profile of the micro-SUV does resemble the Maruti Suzuki Ignis which is also marketed as an ‘Urban SUV’. The front door handle is placed at its conventional place, but the rear door handle has been placed between the C-pillar and the rear window. This gives a two-door effect to the car. Manufacturers like Tata and Maruti Suzuki are already using this design for their Altroz premium hatchback and the Swift hatchback.

We can also see that Hyundai is not offering a shark-fin antenna with the AX1. From the rear, we can see tail lamps that are covered and high mounted stop light. While the interior is not yet revealed, we expect it to offer a dual-tone cabin, a good audio system, a touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay on higher variants, automatic climate control, all four power windows, rear defogger and much more.

Hyundai AX1 is expected to get a 1.1-litre engine that will be derived from the Santro. It will be mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed AMT. The engine is capable of producing 69 PS of max power and 99 Nm of peak torque. Hyundai might also offer the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine with the higher variants. We have seen the engine on the Hyundai Grand i10, Aura, i20 and the Venue. The engine produces 83 PS of max power and a peak torque output of 113 Nm. It will also be offered with a 5-speed manual gearbox or an AMT. Once launched, the Hyundai AX1 will be rivalling the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso and the production version of the Tata HBX.

Source: Autospy

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Hyundai is the second largest car manufacturer in India after Maruti Suzuki. They offer hatchback, sedan and SUV category vehicles in the market. In SUV they have sub-4 meter compact, mid-size and premium SUV in their portfolio. In Sub-4 meter they have Venue and the mid-size has the all-new Creta which was launched earlier this year. Both vehicles are popular in their own segments and are a common sight on our roads. We have seen several drag race videos of cars and bikes in the past and here we have a drag race video between the now discontinued 1.4 litre diesel version of Hyundai Venue and 1.5 litre Hyundai Creta. Who wins the race? Let’s have a look at the video to find out.

The video has been uploaded by Mayank Chaudhary on his youtube channel. The vlogger starts by showing Venue and Creta parked next to each other on a straight road. An empty stretch of road was chosen to conduct the race. Both vehicles are powered by diesel engines and the race is conducted in two rounds.

Also read: All-new Hyundai Creta: How does it perform off the road? (Video)

As soon as the race starts both the cars move off the line at almost the same time. There is fair amount of wheel spin and for a moment it felt like the Venue was going to take the lead because it is light in weight in comparison to Creta. Within seconds, things changed when Creta finally found grip and started gaining speed. Creta Overtakes Venue smoothly and takes the pole position. It maintains the lead throughput the race and wins the first round.

Before starting the second round, the drivers switch cars. The second round starts and unlike the first round, Creta took the lead instantly and maintained it till the end. There was wheel spin this time as well but, it was less in comparison to the first round. The Creta won both the rounds and was also declared as the winner of this drag race.

Venue lost in this race but, it does not mean that Venue is a bad SUV. They are both great SUVs in their own segment. Another thing that should be noticed here is that the Venue that was used in the race is an older 1.4 litre diesel engine version which was discontinued last year as it was not BS6 compliant. Current BS6 version of Venue is available with a 1.4 litre turbo diesel engine with a manual gearbox option. If 1.5 litre diesel engine version was used in this race, the result might have been different.

The 1.5 litre turbocharged diesel engine in the all-new Creta generates 115 Ps and 250 Nm of peak torque. This is available with a manual and 6-speed automatic transmission option. The version used in the race was with a manual gearbox. The 1.4 litre diesel engine in Venue generates 89 Bhp and 220 Nm of torque. The current 1.5 litre unit generates 100 Ps and 240 Nm of torque. The main benefit that Creta had in this race was the power itself. The SUV had 25 Ps more power and generated 20 Nm more torque. To match this power, the lightweight body of the Venue was not enough in this race.

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Toyota Fortuner is one of the popular SUV in the segment. It has been present in the market for over a decade and ever since its launch, it has grabbed attention from SUV buyers. Like any other vehicle from Toyota Fortuner also became popular for its reliability and low cost of maintenance. It is a capable SUV and competes with cars like Ford Endeavour in the segment. We currently have the new gen Fortuner in India which will receive a facelift. We have seen several modified Toyota Fortuners in the past and here we have a video that shows an old gen Fortuner completely restored inside out.

The video has been uploaded by BROTOMOTIV on their youtube channel. The video starts by showing the condition of the SUV. It is an older generation Fortuner 3.0 and it was in white colour. The condition of the SUV was not that bad but, the owner was a bit bored with the way it looked and wanted to repaint it completely. Brotomotiv then takes the vehicle to their garage and start correcting all the small dents and scratches that the SUV.

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It had several minor dents and once that was corrected, a thin coat of filler or putty was applied on the SUV. After that, all the panels, doors, front grille, headlamps were all removed. The after the putty had dried, a coat of primer was sprayed and later a black primer was also applied on the Fortuner to find out even surfaces on the body. Once that was done, all the panels inside the cabin (dashboard, door pads, centre console, armrest) were all removed.

The Fortuner was then taken to a paint booth. The Fortuner was once again getting a white paint job but, it was different from the one that was there before. It is bit more bright than the older paint job. This is gloss white pearl paint which is seen in Kia Seltos. This is a three stage paint job. The first coat is the paint, then they spray the pearls and finally a coat of clear coat to give it a gloss finish.

After painting the body, all four doors, bonnet and the boot were painted. Side fenders were also painted separately to achieve factory finish. Once the exterior work was done, they start working on the interiors. It had a beige colour interior and the owner wanted something different here as well. The whole cabin as mentioned above was taken down and the panels were individually painted in black. This gave it a much more sporty look on the inside.

Along with the dashboard, grab handles, centre console and armrest, the front grille, chrome strip on the boot and the hood scoop were also painted in gloss black. The silver coloured alloy wheels are also painted black. Apart from this, the seats are all redone and they now get black upholstery with red stitching.  Overall, the SUV looks pretty good and the new paint job has definitely given it a fresh look without any doubt. The cost of painting an SUV of this segment would cost around Rs 75,000, excluding taxes. The price mentioned here is a basic price and would vary depending upon the demand and need of the customer.

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Lamborghini is an Italian car manufacturer known for their expensive sports cars and SUVs . Lamborghini must have been bedroom poster car for many who are reading this article. Some of them would have also dreamt of owning it one day. Only a few have turned this dream of their into reality because of various reasons. We all are aware of the fact that Indian are good when it comes to finding alternate ways to fulfill our dreams and here we have a man from Kerala who built a Lamborghini Huracan Sports car that too using scrap materials.

The video has been uploaded by Arun Smoki on his youtube channel. We have seen several Lamborghini replicas in India and we have even featured some of them on our website. The main reason why this Lamborghini is different from them is because it is totally made from scrapped materials. This a miniature replica and by looking at the exterior, we can say that it is not the best looking replica that we have seen so far.

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The body lacks the smoothness and finishing that we normally see in a Lamborghini or even a replica. All the exterior panels on this replica are made from flex banners. The headlight, air ducts all are hand made and that is clearly visible when we look at the car. The whole car has been made by Anas from Kerala’s Idukki district. Anas as a child itself was interested in cars and as has been planning for building a car for a very long time.

The main motive behind building this Lamborghini replica was to utilise things that normally people throw away. All the materials used in the car is something that was thrown away by people. The frame and the alloy wheels were fabricated from a nearby garage. Once the frame was done, he also fabricated alloy wheels from the garage and installed old Maruti 800 tyres on it. The rims were so wide that a single tyre was not enough. so, he extended the width by attaching another piece of rubber from another tyre.

Just like Lamborghini, the engine is placed at the rear and it even gets a glass top. The engine used in this replica is from a Hero Glamour motorcycle. The The fuel filler cap is made from old plastic can. The wiring, lights, everything has been done by Anas. He learned how to make all these things by looking online. The nose of the car can also be lifted to avoid hitting the ground using the jack under the bonnet.

On the inside, it has power window switches, music system, reverse and front view camera, smartphone which acts as a speedometer. There is a decent sounding speaker system installed as well. It has dashboard made from scrapped materials with lights and switches made from old electronic items. The car gets a flat bottom steering with functioning paddle shifters. It gets 4 gears and a reverse gear. There is a sunroof and the exhaust note is quite throaty because it uses an underbelly silencer from KTM.

As mentioned above, this is not the best looking replica of a Lamborghini Huracan but, the initiative that Anas took to make this replica out of scrap materials is worth appreciating. We are sure that, if he had used proper resources, the final product would have been a good looking replica.

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The facelift of the Fortuner is all-set to launch today. Just before the launch, the pictures of both the variants have been leaked. Toyota will be offering the Fortuner in two variants. There will be the Standard and the Legender. Pictures of both the variants have been leaked. There is quite a bit of difference between both the variants.

While both the variants get a new front fascia, it is the Legender that looks more aggressive due to its Lexus inspired front grille that is finished in piano black. The grille also gets piano-black surrounds that go up the headlamps. The Legender also gets Bi-projector LED headlamps with LED Daytime Running Lamps, a sharper grille, sequential turn indicators and vertical housing for the LED fog lamps.

When compared the Standard variant gets LED projector headlamps, a slightly redesigned grille than the current one, regular fog lamp housing and a bigger faux skid plate. However, it is Legender that looks more sleek and muscular than the Standard variant. While the Standard model looks like a facelift of the current generation, the Legender looks like a whole new beast from the front. What also helps in favour of the Legender is, the less use of the chrome which gives it a more stealthy and muscular look.

Also read: 450 bhp Mercedes CLA 45 AMG sportscar for sale at a price cheaper than Fortuner

The side profile is more or less the same except for the fact that the Legender gets 18-inch 5-spoke diamond-cut alloy wheels as compared to 6-spoke regular alloy wheels of the Standard variant. The rear of both the SUVs is very similar with an aggressive bumper and new slightly redesigned LED tail lamps. The interior of the SUV is not yet revealed. What we do know is the Legender will get a dual-tone upholstery with stitching for a more premium look, ambient lighting, wireless phone charger and a kick sensor for the tailgate. The Standard variant will be getting Black leather interiors, ventilated seats, front parking sensors and connected car features. Toyota will also be offering a new 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that will offer Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and it will be connected to 11 speakers sourced from JBL.

Powering the 2021 Toyota Fortuner will be the set of engines that we have seen on the outgoing Fortuner. So, there will be a 2.7-litre petrol engine that produces 164 Bhp of max power and 245 Nm of peak torque. Then there is the tried and tested 2.8-litre V-GD diesel engine which has been retuned to produce more power and torque. With the Fortuner, as confirmed by Toyota, the engine will be producing 204 bhp of max power and 500 Nm of peak torque. It will only be offered with a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. This will make the Fortuner the more torque producing SUV in the Indian market.

The lower variants will get a rear-wheel-drive option only. Whereas, the all-wheel-drive power train will be offered on the higher variants which will come with lockable differentials, limited-slip differential, 4×4 system and a low range gearbox. The prices of the new SUV are expected to go up by 5 percent. Whereas the Legender variant is expected to get priced around Rs. 40 lakhs ex-showroom. Toyota Fortuner will continue rivalling the Ford Endeavour, Mahindra Alturas G4 and the MG Gloster.

Via Zigwheels

Also read: Mahindra Alturas gets much cheaper than the Toyota Fortuner thanks to 3 lakh discount

After Mumbai Police unearthed the Rs 100 crore scam done by Dilip Chhabria and his associates by tracking a fake number plate, they have now seized a BMW with a forged registration. Mumbai Police have seized the BMW with forged registration number and shockingly, the owner of the car chose a registration number that belongs to the notable industrialist Ratan Tata. The police have also lodged relevant cases against the woman.

As per the woman, who was caught with the forged registration number, she did it for numerological reasons. She told the police that she did not realise that the registration number belongs to Ratan Tata. The cops have also said that Ratan Tata received a few challans that were done by this BMW too. Mumbai Police took action after receiving a complaint on the fake registration number. The original number belongs to Ratan Tata’s Corvette.

Also read: All-new 2021 Mahindra XUV500: What it”ll look like

To catch the BMW with forged registration number, Mumbai Police tracked the car using several CCTV footage. The woman owner’s name is withheld but the cops have revealed that she is a director in a private firm. While scanning through the CCTV footage, the cops also found out several violations done by the vehicle. The Mumbai Police have registered a case under various sections. The woman is held of cheating under section 420 and forgery under 465 of the Indian Penal Code and the Motor Vehicle Act. The police will further investigate the matter to see if this is some kind of racket to evade the tax.

Tampering with registration number can invite jail time

It is a major offence to tamper the registration number in India and change it as per convenience. Each motor vehicle including cars, trucks, buses, two-wheelers, and everything else gets a unique registration number from the RTO or the Regional Transport Office. This allows the police to track the vehicle in case of a theft or a crime. The registration number of a vehicle is linked to its chassis number and engine number. No two vehicles can have the same chassis number, engine number and registration number in India. Changing the registration number is a criminal offence and the vehicle gets seized immediately.

This is why the Indian government has introduced the High-Security Registration Plate or HSRP. Currently, the Delhi-NCR authorities have mandated the use of HSRP and any vehicle without these high-security plates get challans. These registration plates are tamper-proof and are screwed to the vehicle using a single-use bolt that cannot be opened again.

In the past, the cops have seized many vehicles for using tampered registration plate. However, this is the first instance when someone has used the registration number that belongs to a popular personality.

Customised registration numbers in India?

Unlike many foreign countries where you can choose customised registration for the vehicle by paying the extra amount, there is no such provision in India. Here the RTO release a list of special VIP numbers that are then sold for a premium price. The most popular registration numbers even get bids against them. In India, the most expensive registration number ever sold is about Rs 32 lakh. However, in many foreign countries including UAE, such auctions can go up to multi-crores.

Also read: Upcoming Tata Hornbill HBX micro SUV front & rear in new spy shots

Toyota has launched the much-awaited Fortuner in India. With the new model, Toyota now offers two categories of the best-selling SUV in the segment. There is a slew of changes in the new Fortuner and it is more powerful and looks much different from the outgoing version.

The prices of the new Fortuner is listed below (ex-showroom Delhi)

Petrol:

4X2 Manual: 29.98 lakh

4X2 Auto: 31.57 lakh

Diesel:

4X2 manual: 33.48 lakh

4X2 auto: 34.84 lakh

4X4 manual: 35.14 lakh

4×4 auto: 37.43 lakh

Fortuner Legender 4X2 auto: Rs 37.58 lakh

Toyota offers the new Fortuner is a regular version and a Legender version, which is much more aggressive-looking. The standard version of the Fortuner gets sleeker headlamps, new grille, a new bumper, and new bumper splitter. The new Fortuner definitely looks much more commanding than the outgoing version.

Also read: Mahindra Alturas gets much cheaper than the Toyota Fortuner thanks to 3 lakh discount

The new Fortuner gets LED projector headlamps, a new redesigned grille, halogen fog lamp and bigger skid plate. Comparing the Legender’s front, it looks much more aggressive with its Lexus-inspired styling. The front gets a piano-black boundary around the grille. The Legender also offers bi-projector LED headlamps with LED daytime running lamps. The grille’s design is also sharper and it gets sequential dynamic indicators. The fog lamps are mounted horizontally.

From the side, the new Fortuner looks very similar to the outgoing version. However, there are a few updates that make it look fresh. The Legender version offers 18-inch 5-spoke sporty-l0oking alloy wheels. The standard version offers 6-spoke alloy wheels but the size of the rim remains the same. Toyota has also updated the rear of the vehicle with an aggressive bumper design and new LED tail lamps.

On the inside, there are no design changes however, there are a lot of new additions. There is Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, 11-speaker system from JBL, connected features to track the vehicle and more. Toyota has also added ventilated front seats for added convenience. However, Toyota is yet to offer a sunroof that is available with rivals like Ford Endeavour and the recently-launched MG Gloster. The sunroof and the panoramic sunroof is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after features in this segment and many others.

In Legender, Toyota has added wireless charging system, powered tailgate with a sweep feature. The Legender also gets dual-tone paint job that makes it look sportier.

More powerful engines

Toyota has upgraded the engine of the Fortuner and has made it more powerful. There will be both petrol and diesel engine options. The petrol variants offer the 2.7-litre petrol engine that produces a maximum power of 164 Bhp and peak torque of 245 Nm. The diesel variants get the 2.8-litre V-GD engine that generates a maximum power of 204 Bhp and 500 Nm of peak torque. The Legender is only available with automatic transmission. There is also an optional 4X4 system available with the select variants of the standard Fortuner but is not available with the Legender. Toyota has added more response to the driving modes and even the steering weight now varies according to the mode selected by the driver. Fortuner diesel has become the most powerful vehicle in the segment. Ford Endeavour and the MG Gloster do not offer a petrol engine yet.

Toyota will soon start offering the test drive of the new Fortuner. The bookings are open and the customers can book the vehicle at the nearest Toyota dealership or online.

Also read: Upcoming Tata Hornbill HBX micro SUV front & rear in new spy shots

Tata Safari has been an iconic name for the homegrown manufacturer, but the SUV was killed because it was not upgraded to the BS6 emission norms. Tata Motors has now decided to bring back the Safari badge for its upcoming flagship that was called the Gravitas until now. The Safari will be the new 7-seater SUV from Tata Motors and will sit above the Harrier. The bookings for the SUV will start in January 2021 and the SUV is expected to launch on 26th January. The Gravitas was already showcased to us at the Auto Expo 2020. Before that, it was showcased at the Geneva motor show in 2019 as Buzzard. So, it has been in development for quite some time. Tata Motors has also launched a teaser video which shows us all the generations of the Safari.

Mr. Shailesh Chandra – President of Passenger Vehicles Business Unit (PVBU) of Tata Motors said “We are proud and elated to re-introduce our flagship SUV–Safari. The Safari, an iconic brand with a strong following, has been the most sought after SUV on Indian roads for well over two decades. In its new avatar, the Safari will appeal to the socially active, fun loving customers who seek out unique experiences and adventure. Its design, performance, versatility, features, and long lasting build quality, reinforce the SUV lifestyle to provide unending pleasure. We are confident that the launch of the Safari will once again re-energise the market, amplifying its cult status.”

Also read: Tata releases TVC of 6-seater Gravitas SUV

The new Safari will be based on the Harrier but it will be longer and taller. To be precise, it will be 63 mm longer and 80 mm taller than the Harrier. This has been done so that the rear overhang could accommodate the third-row seats. The roofline from the rear has been increased to offer better headroom to the third-row occupants. However, the width of 1894 mm and the wheelbase of 2741 mm will remain unchanged. The front of the SUV is expected to stay the same as the Harrier. From the side, the Safari will look longer and might get a different set of alloy wheels. From the rear, the Safari 2021 gets a steep boot and sleek looking LED tail lamps.

The interior of the SUV will also be changed and will be given a premium look. It will get a lighter beige upholstery and cabin to open up a sense of airiness. Whereas, the Harrier gets oak brown colour for the interior. Other then that, the interior will stay more or less the same. So, there will be a floating touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, TFT screen for the instrument cluster, multi-function steering wheel, wood finish on the dashboard, soft-touch dashboard, electric adjustment for driver seat, JBL sourced speakers, auto-dimming IRVM, tilt and telescopic adjustment for the steering, automatic climate control and much more. The Gravitas that was showcased at the Auto Expo 2020 came with captain seats for the second-row seats. However, we expect that Tata will be offering a bench seat for the second-row that will seat three people at once.

Powering the Gravitas will be the same 2.0-litre Fiat-sourced Kyrotec diesel engine that we have seen on the Harrier and some other SUVs. It will produce 170 bhp of max power and a peak torque output of 350 Nm. It will be mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. We expect that Tata will also offer a 4×4 powertrain as they themselves say that the OMEGARC is an adaptive architecture that allows for further drive train enhancements including all-wheel drive and possibilities of electrification in future. OMEGARC architecture was originally derived from Land Rover S8 platform so it makes sense that the platform is capable of housing a 4×4 all-wheel-drive system in future.

Mahindra confirmed the launch of the all-new Scorpio and all-new XUV500 this year. The XUV500 will be launched first followed by the Scorpio. Mahindra is currently testing both these upcoming vehicles relentlessly but the Scorpio was caught in almost production-ready guise. Here is a rendering image that shows what the all-new Scorpio will look like when launched later this year.

The rendering image is made by SRK Designs for IAB. It is based on the latest test mule of the Mahindra Scorpio. The rendering image removes the camouflage and shows what the all-new vehicle will look like exactly. The all-new Scorpio will be based on an all-new platform and will be launched by the middle of this year.

Now starting with the looks, the new Mahindra Scorpio will offer a bold stance. The front gets vertically slated grille that is similar to the Mahindra’s design language. The headlamps are neatly tucked on the side. The headlamps will offer projector lens with likely LED bulbs. There rendering image also shows sharp LED DRL that will add character to the SUV and will also become the Scorpio’s identity. The shape of the DRL is somewhat similar to the current version of the Scorpio.

Also read: All-new 2021 Mahindra XUV500: What it”ll look like

Down below, the all-new Scorpio gets a chunky-looking bumper with integrated foglamps. The Scorpio will continue to offer the side-hinged tailgate. However, there are brand-new LED tail lamps, bumper and skid plate that makes the car look extremely modern and sophisticated. The all-new Scorpio will offer 17-inch tyres and Mahindra and bigger doors for easier access. Overall, the size of the all-new Mahindra Scorpio will be much bigger than the current version.

2021 Mahindra Scorpio

The all-new Scorpio will get two engine options just like the Thar. There will be a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine from the mStallion family and the new 2.2-litre mHawk diesel. The petrol engine is likely to produce around 152 PS of maximum power and around 300 Nm of peak torque. The diesel engine will produce a similar 132 PS and peak torque of around 320 Nm. While Mahindra is yet to say anything on the powertrain options, the all-new Scorpio will get automatic transmission option with both the fuel types.

Mahindra will also ensure that the all-new Scorpio is much more premium than the current version. That will include modern technologies like massive touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, electrically adjustable front seats, multiple airbags, digital-analogue instrument cluster, cruise control system and vehicle telematics. Mahindra will offer phone connectivity with the new Scorpio and will allow the owners to control several features of the vehicle through an app.

The all-new Scorpio is also likely to offer more comfortable seats. Mahindra will position the all-new Scorpio against the likes of Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos in the Indian market. However, with the added benefit of 4X4, the Scorpio will be much more capable. The price of the all-new Scorpio will increase too. The base version may carry a price tag of around Rs 10 lakh while the top-end version will exceed Rs 15 lakh mark.

Also read: Upcoming Tata Hornbill HBX micro SUV front & rear in new spy shots

Tata Altroz Turbo has become one of the most anticipated launches of 2021. Recently, the feature list of the Altroz Turbo has been leaked. It reveals a lot of stuff to us. For instance, the Altroz with the turbo petrol engine will be called the Altroz iTurbo. It will only be available with top three variants namely XT, XZ and XZ+. Tata Motors has also discontinued the Silver colour and now they will be offering a new Blue exterior colour from XM+ variant onwards. The interior will be finished in a light grey colour for all the variants.

The Altroz is the best selling car in Tata’s portfolio. This is pretty impressive considering that the Altroz was launched in January 2020. Tata has also taken this opportunity to re-shuffle some of the features in the variants.

XE

Also read: Tata Altroz 3-door hot hatchback version looks gorgeous

The XE is the base variant of the Altroz. It gets features like front power windows, adjustable front headrests, drive modes named as Eco and City, outside rearview mirror finished in piano black, a power outlet in front, tilt-adjustable steering and 14-inch steel wheels. In terms of safety, it gets rear parking sensors, ABS with EBD, central locking and ISOFIX mounts.

XM

XM sits above the base XE variant. It adds rear power windows, ambient lighting for the footwell, rear parcel shelf, 14-inch half caps for the steel wheels, and electric adjustable and folding outside rearview mirrors. The biggest addition is the 8.89 cm floating infotainment system that is connected to two speakers.

XM+

The XM+ variant adds a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system by Harman which comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and is connected to two speakers, steering mounted controls, 16-inch wheels with full wheel covers and a remote foldable key fob.

XT

The XT variant is the cheapest variant which will be offered with a turbo petrol engine. It also adds equipment such as a rear parking camera, two tweeters, push button to start/stop, idle start-stop functionality, cruise control, LED Daytime Running Lamps, cooled glove box, fast USB charger and fully automatic climate control. Safety equipment includes the addition of perimetric alarm system, front fog lamps and follows me home lamps. If you opt for the turbo petrol engine then you get 14-inch half cap wheels and driving modes named as City and Sport.

XZ

The XZ variant sits just below the top-end variant. It adds a load of equipment to the Altroz. It gets you 16-inch alloy wheels, projector headlamps, ambient lighting on the dashboard, automatic headlamps and wipers, rear AC vents, height-adjustable driver seat, height-adjustable rear headrests and front seat belts, rear armrest, rear defogger and sunglass holder. Moreover, it also gets you a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, one-shot power window down, front sliding armrest and an optional black contrast roof. If you opt for the Turbo variant, then it adds the Turbo specific driving modes, two tweeters and a black contrast roof.

XZ+

The top-end variant gets leatherette seats, one shot up power window, Xpress cool feature for AC, rear fog lamp, roof finished in black, wearable key, what 3 words voice commands and iRA connected car features. The turbo variants add Turbo specific driving modes and two tweeters.

The Altroz Turbo will be powered by the same 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine that we have seen on the Nexon. However, it will be in a detuned state. So, it will be producing 110 PS of max power and a peak torque output of 140 Nm. The engine will be offered with a 5-speed manual gearbox with a Dual Clutch Automatic gearbox joining later on. Altroz Turbo will be launching on January 13th. The prices of the new variants are yet to be released.

Source

Also read: Hyundai receives more than 30,000 bookings in just 40 days

Also read: Hyundai receives more than 30,000 bookings in just 40 days

Also read: Hyundai receives more than 30,000 bookings in just 40 days

Also read: Hyundai receives more than 30,000 bookings in just 40 days

Also read: Hyundai receives more than 30,000 bookings in just 40 days

Also read: Hyundai receives more than 30,000 bookings in just 40 days

Also read: Hyundai receives more than 30,000 bookings in just 40 days

Also read: Hyundai receives more than 30,000 bookings in just 40 days

Also read: Hyundai receives more than 30,000 bookings in just 40 days

Toyota has finally launched the facelifted version of Fortuner in the India. Toyota has now launched regular Fortuner and a much more premium looking version Legender in the market. Toyota has made several changes in terms of design and features that Fortuner offers and it has directly reflected on the price tag too. Price for Toyota Fortuner 2021 now starts at Rs 29.98 lakh, ex-showroom and goes up to Rs 37.43 lakh, ex-showroom. The Legender version of Fortuner is based on base 4×2 diesel automatic variant and has a price tag of Rs 37.58 lakh. Let’s take a closer look at both these versions to find out what all has changed in the facelifted Toyota Fortuner.

We’ll start with the Fortuner first, Toyota has made several changes to give it an aggressive look. The front has been redesigned for this purpose. It now gets sleeker looking LED projector headlamp units with LED DRLs in it. The front grille on the SUV has also bee redesigned with chrome garnish on both ends.

Also read: 450 bhp Mercedes CLA 45 AMG sportscar for sale at a price cheaper than Fortuner

The bumper of the Fortuner has been redesigned too. It now looks a lot more muscular and it also gets LED fog lamp with honey comb design around it. The turn indicator is repositioned and is placed on the lower part of the bumper. The silver coloured skid plate adds to the butch look of the SUV. The SUV does look a lot more aggressive from the front.

The side profile of the new Fortuner retains the same old design except for some minor changes. The main change here is the new set of 18 inch alloy wheels which are finished in chrome metallic finish. This gives a premium touch to the vehicle.

Moving to the rear, Toyota has once redesigned the bumper and the updated split all LED tail lamp looks pretty good on the SUV. The rear parking sensors are also placed on the bumper and a set of reflector lamps are also placed on the bumper. The roof mounted spoiler also gets an LED light.

Now, coming to Legender, it offers a bit more sportier look than the regular Fortuner. Where Fortuner gets a single grille, Legender has a split grille with gloss black inserts. All the chrome inserts on the front grille have been blacked out in Legender.

The bumper on Legender is different from Fortuner. It misses out on honey comb pattern around the fog lamps and has a plain black garnish around it. The  turn indicators are placed on the lower part of the bumper, just like seen in Fortuner.

LED DRL in Legender has a different design and it also comes with a dual projector LED headlight unit. In comparison to the regular Fortuner, Legender is available in dual tone colour options.

No major difference is seen in terms of design in both the SUVs. Legender also gets an 18 inch alloy wheel which has a different dsign than regular Fortuner.

The Legender gets multi-layered machine cut dual tone alloy wheels.

Legender gets a redesigned bumper with ‘L’ shaped inserts on the bumper with reflector lamps. The updated split LED tail light is retained and the chrome applique between the tail lights have been blacked out too.

Legender offers powered tail gate with sweep function which is missing in regular Fortuner.

On the inside, Both Fortuner and Legender have a similar looking interiors. The Legender gets red and black upholstery which looks sportier than the single tone upholstery in Fortuner. In terms of features, Toyota has updated the touchscreen infotainment system. it now supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Other than that, it offers 11 speaker system from JBL, connected car features and so on.

It also offers ventilated seats which was missing in the earlier version. All these features a shared by both Fortuner and Legender except for wireless charging and ambient lighting which is available in Legender only. Fortuner is now offerred with a differential lock which was missing earlier. It also gets different driving modes as well.

Both Fortuner and Legender are powered by same set of engines. The Fortuner is available with both petrol and diesel engines whereas the Legender is available with diesel engine only. The petrol version is powered by a 2.7 litre engine that generates 166 Ps and 245 Nm of torque. The diesel version is powered by a 2.8 litre engine that generates more power and torque than before. It now generates 204 Ps and 500 Nm of peak torque. Both petrol and diesel are available with manual and automatic gearbox options but, the 4×4 option is available with diesel egine only.

Also read: Mahindra Alturas gets much cheaper than the Toyota Fortuner thanks to 3 lakh discount

Hyundai launched the all-new Creta SUV in the market earlier last year. Creta is a mid-size SUV that competes with cars like Kia Seltos, Tata Harrier, MG Hector in the market. Just like the older generation Creta, nee version also gained popularity very quickly and is now a common sight on our roads. We have seen several examples of modified Creta SUVs in such a short span of time. Most of the modifications are based on the base E trim where it is modified into to a top-end trim. Here we have another video of a modified Creta which gets a matrix LED tail bar and other modifications.

The video has been uploaded by VIG AUTO ACCESSORIES on their youtube channel. This is not their first modification video and they have done several similar modifications on Creta in the past. This is also a base E trim model that has been beautifully modified to look like a top-end trim. Starting with the front, the front grille has been replaced with an original top-end trim unit. The bumper gets a bumper guard kit with a red coloured lip spoiler on the bottom.

Also read: 2021 Hyundai Creta 7-seater compact SUV spied on Indian roads

The headlights now gets HID units and the a set of LED fog lamp along with original air ducts have also been installed on the car. Moving to the side profile, the Creta is installed with 16 inch original Hyundai alloy wheels. The owner was not planning to upsize the tyre and that is reason why they went for a 16 inch wheel. It is the same unit that we have seen in top-end Hyundai Venue compact SUV. A foot board has also been installed on the car along with chrome garnishes on handle, rain visors and roof rails. It also gets auto fold ORVMs with integrated turn indicators in them. Other than this, high infrared heat rejection film has also been installed on the windows.

The rear of the Creta has undergone some more changes. The tail light on the base E trim has been replaced with original top-end trim unit. Just like at the front, there is an aero diffuser installed at the rear bumper as well. This also gets twin faux exhaust tips and red accents. The main highlight here is the matrix LED bar light installed on the boot. This is installed after replacing the small LED bar on the boot and fits perfectly. A set of reflector lamps with LED turn indicators are also installed at the rear.

On the inside, the door panels have been redone and the inner door handles have been replaced with top-end trim. The seats now get ultra soft covers in ice pearl white and black finish. The steering is also wrapped in soft touch material with contrast stitching. Sunglass holder, steering mounted audio control, aftermarket touchscreen infotainment system, reverse parking camera, multi colour ambient lighting, floor mats have also been installed in the car. The overall fit and finish of the work looks pretty good on video. VIG Auto accessories is getting so popular that the owner of this vehicle drove all the way from Andhra Pradesh to Mumbai just to modify his vehicle.

Also read: All-new 2021 Mahindra XUV500: What it”ll look like

American car manufacturer Ford currently offers two SUVs in the Indian market. There is Ford EcoSport which kickstarted the whole sub-4 meter compact SUV segment and there is Endeavour which is also the flagship model from the brand in India. Ford Endeavour is one of the popular full size SUV that is available on sale in India. Ford Endeavour competes with Toyota Fortuner, Mahindra Alturas G4 and recently launched MG Gloster SUV in the segment. Ford has now released a new video that shows an Endeavour owner explaining why he chose the SUV over the others.

The video has been shared by Ford India on their official youtube channel. The video shares information regarding the features that are offered with the SUV. The owner was looking for a premium SUV with ample amount of road presence. He was looking for an SUV that commands respect and that is why the owner chose Ford Endeavour. The owner can be heard saying on the video that the none of the other competitors can match aggressive look that Endeavour offers.

Also read: Ford Ranger Raptor pickup truck to be launched in India via import route

Ford Endeavour is one of the best looking full size SUV sold in the segment. Earlier version of the Endeavour was available with a 2.2 litre and 3.2 litre turbocharged diesel engines. Both these engines were discontinued earlier last year as they were not BS6 compliant. Ford then brought in the new BS6 complaint 2.0 litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine that is paired with 10-speed automatic transmission. Ford Endeavour is the first SUV in India to get a 10-speed transmission.

Apart from that, Endeavour offers a premium looking cabin with with beige colour interiors, touchscreen infotainment screen, electrically adjustable seats, dual zone climate control AC, panoramic sunroof and many more other features. One of the reason why he chose Endeavour was because of its NVH levels. The cabin of the Endeavour is very silent in comparison to other SUVs in the segment. He also mentions about the parking assist feature which comes in handy while parking at tight spots.

The Endeavour is a very capable SUV and can handle extreme terrains easily. It is a proper SUV with a low ratio gearbox. The owner also felt that the Endeavour’s body felt more stable and the body roll was also in control in comparison to others. Another reason why he went for Endeavour was because it has the lowest service cost in the segment. Overall, Ford Endeavour is a well rounded package that offers off-road capabilities, creature comforts and a low cost of maintenance.

Ford Endeavour is available with both 4×2 and 4×4 options. The 2.0 litre diesel engine generates 170 Ps and 420 Nm of peak torque. They also launched a Sport edition of the Endeavour in the market last year. Prices for Ford Endeavour start at Rs 29.99 lakh, ex-showroom and go up to Rs 35.10 lakh, ex-showroom. Ford recently announced that few features will be deleted from Endeavour. Features like Active noise cancellation, front door steel scuff plates, 2 speakers, rear seat heater are the features that have been removed.

Also read: Mahindra Alturas gets much cheaper than the Toyota Fortuner thanks to 3 lakh discount

SUVs are a new trend in every market. Every manufacturer now has a SUV in its portfolio. Because of the SUVs, other segments such as sedans have been hit severely. We rarely see a new Hyundai Elantra on the road. A manufacturer like Honda pulled the plug on their Civic sedan. There is no stopping the SUVs, people are just buying more and more of them. So, many manufacturers are updating their SUVs or launching new ones. Today, we list down 6 SUVs that will be launching before March.

Jeep Compass Facelift

The Compass has been on sale in for quite some time now and it has not received any major updates since the launch. However, that will be changing, Jeep will be launching the facelift of the Compass on 7th January. It will get a tweaked more aggressive front fascia, full LED headlamps with LED Daytime Running Lamps and a sleeker grille. It will get newly designed diamond-cut alloy wheels and a slightly redesigned rear bumper. The interior is where we will see some of the major upgrades. It will get a new 10.1-inch floating touchscreen infotainment system that will offer Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, new upholstery which will be more premium than the current one and soft-touch materials on all the touchpoints. The engine options will stay the same. So, there will be a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 163 HP and 250 Nm and a 2.0-litre diesel engine which will produce 170 HP of max power and 350 Nm of peak torque. Both the engines will be offered with a manual or an automatic gearbox. It is expected that the Jeep Compass will get a slight price hike with the facelift. So, we expect the Compass Facelift to start from Rs. 17 lakhs ex-showroom.

Also read: Upcoming Tata Hornbill HBX micro SUV front & rear in new spy shots

Renault Kiger

The latest addition to the sub-compact SUV segment will be the Renault Kiger. It will be based on the underpinnings of the Nissan Magnite which is already doing well in the Indian market. The new SUV will be based on the CMF-A+ platform and will get the same engine options as the Magnite. So, there will be a 1.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine producing 72 PS and 96 Nm. It will only be offered with a 5-speed gearbox. Then there will be the 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine which will produce 100 PS and 160 Nm. It will be offered with a 5-speed manual gearbox or a CVT automatic gearbox. It will derive some of its design elements from the Renault Kwid. So, a flattish bonnet, split headlamp, with LED Daytime Running Lamp on the top and three projector headlamps below. At the rear, we will get C-shaped LED tail lamps. As of now, we do not know how the interior of the new SUV will look like. The Kiger will be competitively priced due to high localization level and will be revealed on January 28.

Tata Safari

Yes, you read that right, the iconic Tata Safari is making a comeback on January 26th. The SUV was previously codenamed as Gravitas, which was showcased at the Auto Expo 2020. The booking of the Safari will also start in January itself. The new SUV will be based on the Harrier but it will be 63 mm longer and 80 mm taller than the Harrier. The rear overhang will be longer and there will be a step in the roof to accommodate the third-row passengers. There will be no change to the front of the SUV, but the rear will be reworked. It will get a sleeker LED tail lamps and a steep boot. The interior will also be different as it will get a lighter themed cabin for airiness. There will be an option of getting a captain seats arrangement for the second row. The feature list is expected to stay the same as the 2020 Harrier. Powering the new SUV will be the same 2.0-litre Kyrotec diesel engine that produces 170 PS and 350 Nm. It will be offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. Tata Safari is expected to start from Rs. 14.5 lakhs ex-showroom

Citroen C5 AirCross

Citroen first showcased the C5 AirCross at a media event in 2019 but it was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, now the manufacturer is all set to launch the new SUV on 1st February. The C5 is a premium mid-size SUV. So, it will be competing from SUVs like Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos to Jeep Compass and Hyundai Tucson. There is no other SUV currently in the Indian market that looks like the C5. It has an integrated Citroen logo in its grille. There are red accents on the front and side to enhance its appeal. It gets dual LED projector headlamps with LED Daytime Running Lamps, panoramic sunroof, wireless phone charger, touchscreen infotainment system, dual-zone climate control and a lot more equipment. Citroen will be offering the C5 with only a 2.0-litre diesel engine. The engine produces 177 PS and 400 Nm. There will be a manual gearbox or an automatic gearbox on offer. Considering that the C5 AirCross will be a CKD or a Completely Knocked Down unit, it will be priced higher than many competitors.

MG Hector Facelift

MG Hector was the first vehicle from the manufacturer and it did pretty well in the Indian market. However, now the competition has caught up with the launch of SUVs like the Hyundai Creta, Tata 2020 Harrier and the Kia Seltos. Due to which MG Motor will be launching a facelift on 7th January. It will get some cosmetic tweaks and some added equipment. It will get new 5-spoke diamond-cut 18-inch alloy wheels and a new more aggressive grille. The interior will get a dual-tone upholstery, wireless charger and ventilated seats. There will be no mechanical changes so it will continue to get a 1.5-litre petrol engine, 1.5-litre hybrid petrol and a 2.0-litre diesel engine. The 1.5-litre petrol engine will continue to produce 143 PS and 250 Nm. Whereas, the 2.0-litre Fiat-sourced diesel engine will continue to produce 170 PS and 350 Nm. The prices of the Hector Facelift is expected to start from Rs. 13 lakhs ex-showroom.

Mahindra XUV300 AMT

Mahindra XUV300 has been on sale for quite some time and has managed to place itself in the competition by offering loads of first in segment features. Until now the XUV300 was not offered with an automatic transmission with the petrol engine. However, the AMT variant is expected to get launched sometime this month. It will continue to get the same 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine that produces 110 PS and 200 Nm. The Mahindra XUV300 Petrol AMT is expected to start from Rs. 9.5 lakhs ex-showroom.

The post 6 new SUVs launching/getting unveiled in the next 50 days first appeared on Cartoq.

A few days ago pictures of the damaged bonnet of the all-new Thar is doing rounds online. While no one knows the truth behind those pictures, another owner of the 2020 Mahindra Thar has now made a video explaining what is exactly wrong with the all-new Thar’s bonnet and how it can be extremely dangerous while driving.

The owner of the new Thar has put the video on his YouTube channel. He explains that the all-new Mahindra Thar come with two latches on the side of the bonnet that add a classy look to the design but they are not very strong to keep the hood down at high speed. The Mahindra Thar has a main latch under the hood that is similar to most of the other cars available in the market. There is a remote lever on the right side of the steering column that one can pull to unlock the hood. Then the two latches on the sides need to be opened before you can access the engine bay.

Also read: Buying a pre-owned Mahindra Thar is better than buying a new one: 5 reasons

The problem is that when you open the hood using the release lever inside the vehicle, it does not move or show any sign that it is now unlocked. You cannot lock the main latch without opening the hood and banging it back in place. However, some times, you can forget that you pulled the boot release lever and not open the boot, which means that the main lock remains unlocked.

How can that be bad?

The latches on the side do hold the hood down but they are not very strong. The person who made the video said that after he took the delivery of the vehicle from Mahindra Authorised Service Centre and was driving down the road. At about 80 km/h, the latches gave away and the bonnet opened to hit the windscreen frame. The owner said that the windshield did not break but the bonnet did get damaged. He got the bonnet repaired from a local denting and painting shop who matched the colour quite well. The owner also added that he could save the vehicle from any major accident because of his experience of over 20 years in driving. However, it could have turned very bad.

The 2020 Mahindra Thar does not have any warning sign or door ajar warning lamp in the instrument cluster. Without such a warning sign or any other way to indicate that the main latch of the bonnet is not locked, it can turn out to be a disaster sooner than later. The owner urged the other Thar owners and even Mahindra to find a solution to this problem and save others.

2020 Mahindra Thar

Launched in the Indian market last year, the all-new has become extremely popular in India. Due to the high demand for the vehicle, there is a waiting period of months on the all-new Thar. A few customers even have got the waiting period of several months. Mahindra announced that they will increase the production of the all-new Thar but no positive impact can be seen on the waiting periods yet. Instead, Mahindra posted that they have received more than 6,500 bookings on the new Thar in December 2020. Mahindra will launch all-new XUV500 and the all-new Scorpio later this year in India.

Also read: All-new 2021 Mahindra XUV500: What it”ll look like

Jeep has finally launched the facelift of the Compass, which was due for quite some time now. It was first launched way back in 2017. So, it was high time that Jeep updated the Compass. The new SUV now comes with tweaked exterior design and a new cabin. However, mechanically there are no changes. The 2021 Compass now starts from Rs. 16.49 lakhs ex-showroom and go all the way up to Rs. 24.99 lakhs ex-showroom. Currently, the Compass is the most affordable and the only locally manufactured product from Jeep.

Design-wise the Compass Facelift is more aggressive and sleek when compared to the outgoing Compass. It has a sleeker-looking grille with Jeeps’ 7-slats that are now surrounded by chrome. Jeep will now be offering full LED headlamps with LED Daytime Running Lamps and LED fog lamps. The bumper now looks more aggressive with a bigger air intake and a new faux skid plate. It also gets new 5-spoke dual-tone alloy wheels. The chrome belt line below the window now comes till the rear glass area. There are no major changes to the rear of the SUV due to which the LED tail lamps look similar to the outgoing generation of Compass.

The biggest change is in the cabin. It now gets tan-coloured padding on the dashboard with a black soft-touch pad. Jeep is using premium materials throughout the cabin. So, the cabin now feels plusher. The Compass also gets a new 3-spoke steering wheel which has multi-function buttons and a Jeep logo in it. We also get a new 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system that comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The buttons for the climate control system has also been re-arranged and now looks neater than before.

There is also a new digital instrument cluster, powered tailgate and a 360-degree parking camera. Overall, the cabin now feels and looks more premium and modern when compared to the previous version. It gets features like an auto-dimming interior rearview mirror, electronic parking brake, cornering fog lamps, push button to start/stop, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, voice commands and much more. One of the biggest addition to the Compass is the connected car technology, which offers a dedicated smartphone application through which you can geofence location, track the location of the vehicle, give theft alerts and much more.

Also read: Jeep”s 3 new SUVs for India: What each one will look like!

Mechanically, it continues to get a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine that produces 163 PS of max power and 250 Nm of peak torque output. It is offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 7-speed Dual-Clutch Automatic gearbox. The 2.0-litre Multijet 2 diesel engine offers 173 PS of max power and 350 Nm of peak torque. It is offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 9-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. Jeep Compass will take on the Hyundai Tucson, Volkswagen T-Roc, Tata Harrier and the Skoda Karoq.

Jeep is currently working on expanding its portfolio by investing over Rs. 1,800 Crores to launch 4 new SUVs in the Indian market. They have already launched the Compass Facelift. Now, they will be working on the Jeep H6 which is a new 7-seater SUV that will compete against the likes of the MG Gloster, Ford Endeavour and the Toyota Fortuner. Then they will be working on the local assembly of the Wrangler so that it can be a CKD unit instead of a CBU unit. The last SUV will be their flagship, the Grand Cherokee which will also be coming back in the Indian market as a CKD unit.

Also read: All-new 2021 Mahindra XUV500: What it”ll look like