By: HT Auto Desk | Updated on: 03 Mar 2024, 16:31 PM
Sales of passenger vehicles and two-wheelers posted a strong growth in February 2024.
Sales of passenger vehicles and two-wheelers posted a strong growth in February 2024.
The inordinately long waiting periods for passenger vehicles may be ending as the carmakers continued to produce a record number of vehicles in February 2024, building up stock in their respective dealerships, claimed a report by LiveMint. The increasing retail demand has been playing a crucial role for the automakers to push for higher vehicle production.
The report further stated that the carmakers in India are keeping a close watch on market demand, as inventories, which have already reached 26 days, are likely to pile up in the dealerships with the OEMs having been able to cater to the pending orders and incremental sales depending solely on the pace of fresh demand.
Passenger vehicles to see lower waiting period
The report quoted India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki’s Senior Executive Director Shashank Srivastava revealing that the Indian passenger vehicle industry expects to finish the current financial year with an 8.1 per cent growth rate at 42 lakh units.
In February 2024, the passenger vehicle segment in India recorded wholesales of 373,177 units as opposed to 335,324 units registered in February 2023, marking an 11.3 per cent year-on-year growth, Srivastava said. However, the retail numbers are lower than the wholesale figure, estimated to be around 335,900 units registered last month as compared to 301,900 units recorded in February 2023, which also registered an 11.3 per cent growth. However, the difference between wholesale and retail numbers was about 40,000 units, which have been added to the stock, revealed the Maruti Suzuki top official.
He also said that the stock level is now at 300,000 units, which is around 25-26 days of stock in the industry. “So far since July of last year, we have seen pending bookings significantly come down and stock in the channel had come down. But not only is it pretty high again, the luxury for OEMs to push wholesale against retail is not there anymore,” Srivastava reportedly said, further adding, “We saw that rural growth cumulatively was at 11.7 per cent between April and February, higher than growth in urban sales at eight per cent.”
SUVs driving growth in PV segment
SUVs have been driving demand and sales in the Indian passenger vehicle market, just like the rest of the global market. In February 2024 as well, SUVs accounted for more than 50 per cent of all passenger vehicle sales in India. Industry experts reportedly expect the SUV segment to contribute more than half of total passenger vehicle sales in the current financial year.
The launch of a host of new models in the last few months, and improved availability on the back of the eased supply chain have helped the automakers to post a strong growth in this segment.
Two-wheelers clock strong double-digit growth
Major two-wheeler manufacturers such as Hero MotoCorp, TVS Motor Company and Bajaj Auto have clocked a strong double-digit growth in February 2024, compared to the same month a year ago. However, registrations of two-wheelers grew at a much slower pace in February this year, at 13.2 per cent, claimed the report. This resulted in inventory addition at showrooms. The report also claimed that in the premium segment, higher demand helped Royal Enfield post a wholesale growth of a mere five per cent, whereas retail registrations shrank 1.3 per cent last month, compared to February 2023.
In the electric two-wheeler segment, sales remained flat in February 2024, reflecting a stagnation in demand. The report claimed that registrations of high-speed electric two-wheelers were up by 24 per cent on a year-on-year basis in February 2024. This was due to the extra day in February because 2024 is a leap year. However, the registrations in this category were flat last month compared to January at 81,963 units.
By: HT Auto Desk | Updated on: 03 Mar 2024, 13:18 PM
Modern car interiors are increasingly becoming more digitalised and smart, connected and feature-packed, essentially becoming an extension of the cons
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Modern car interiors are increasingly becoming more digitalised and smart, connected and feature-packed, essentially becoming an extension of the consumers’ living room.
Modern car interiors are increasingly becoming more digitalised and smart, connected feature-packed, essentially becoming an extension of the consumers’ living room.
A decade ago, visitors to an auto show would have seen cars with dashboards loaded with dials, knobs and mechanical buttons. Interactive engagement between the occupants and the car’s onboard system was still a futuristic idea. However, a decade later, the situation has gone through a massive evolution. Human-machine interfaces (HMI) are now taking over the car interiors with the auto OEMs implementing smart digital interfaces built on advanced technology platforms. This gradual and drastic transformation from mechanical to electronic HMI controls promises to revolutionize the driving experience of drivers and vehicle users.
The mechanical interfaces in passenger vehicles are increasingly being replaced by voice controls, touch-sensitive panels, digital surfaces, wireless communications etc. With the advent of advanced technology-aided features that are focused on the convenience and comfort of the driver as well as driving safety, technologies such as windshields being used as heads-up displays, showing traffic updates, weather reports and other information may become a reality shortly. Overall, the HMI capabilities in modern cars are growing increasingly sophisticated, propelling massive growth in the segment of the in-car electronics market.
what’s more interesting is that, with the rise of advanced technology-aided features ensuring better creature comforts, car interiors are increasingly becoming living rooms on wheels.
Modern consumers are engrossed with the convenience of smart devices and the internet of things, which have become ubiquitous. While the consumers enjoy the convenience and advantage of such devices, they expect the same experience in their cars. OEMs too are increasingly focusing on providing the same to their car buyers. This is a key reason behind the rapid growth of connected cars and so many in-car features.
In an attempt to meet the market and consumer expectations as well as to remain competitive, car manufacturers have started connecting cars to the internet and providing smart user interfaces in these vehicles like those available on consumers’ smart devices, in their homes and at work. This strategy ensures seamless connectivity across the consumers’ devices irrespective of the place. In a nutshell, a car interior is increasingly becoming an extension of a vehicle owner’s living room or office.
The rapid growth of capacitive user interfaces including touchscreen that can be customised for various functions like infotainment, navigation and comfort settings, instead of the traditional mechanical knobs and buttons simply testify to this shift of consumer focus.
Flexibility of design
The growth of use in capacitive user interfaces has brought a revolution in car interior design as well, ensuring maximum physical comfort through ergonomic layout. This strategy is resulting in the contemporary cars’ interiors becoming sleek with cutting-edge aesthetics, even in the lower price categories.
The use of digitalized and sleeker HMI is maximising not only physical comfort for the vehicle occupants but offering greater design flexibility to the manufacturers as well. Modern cars are increasingly focusing on spacious interiors to ensure better creature comfort, while at the same time offering enriched experiences with features such as wireless communication, superior lighting and sound systems, internet or cloud connectivity etc.
Sainz pulled off some spirited overtakes to finish third for Ferrari.
The 2024 F1 season opener in Bahrain proved one thing – that reigning world champion Max Verstappen still remains the driver to beat. The Red Bull driver cruised to victory, 22 seconds clear of teammate Sergio Perez. Carlos Sainz defeated his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc to secure the final spot on the podium.
Verstappen wins, 22.457 secs ahead of Perez
Sainz P3, Leclerc P4 for Ferrari
Verstappen takes dominant Bahrain GP
Starting from pole position, Verstappen held the lead into Turn 1 and there was no looking back throughout the 57-lap race. It was complete domination out at front – he pitted both times with sufficient gaps, crossed the chequered flag over 22 seconds clear of Perez and even secured a bonus point for setting the fastest lap.
“I think today went even better than expected. I think the car was really nice to drive, on every [tyre] compound I think we had a lot of pace. It was just super enjoyable to drive today, we really stayed out of trouble and it’s a great start to the year – it couldn’t have been better,” said Verstappen.
Sainz beats Leclerc to P3
Sainz may be out of a drive for next year, with Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari in 2025. The news may just a fueled a fire, with the Spaniard pulling off feisty overtakes on teammate Leclerc to grab third place.
Leclerc struggled with tyre degradation and locked up on several occasions, complaining about a brake issue. However, he did pick off George Russell in the closing stages to finish fourth.
Over at Mercedes, both Russell and Hamilton encountered battery issues. Hamilton at one point even reported a broken seat. As a result, Russell had to settle for fifth place, while Hamilton finished seventh.
Both McLaren drivers finished in the points, with Lando Norris separating the two Mercedes drivers in P6 and Oscar Piastri in P8. The last two points-scoring spots were taken by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. The latter had to climb his way up the field after being spun around by Nico Hulkenberg on the opening lap.
F1 now heads to Jeddah for the Saudi Arabian GP on March 7-9. Just like Bahrain, the Saudi Arabia race will also be held on a Saturday.
By: HT Auto Desk | Updated on: 02 Mar 2024, 18:08 PM
Upon launch on March 11, Creta will become the third model from Hyundai in India to also have an N Line version, after i20 and Venue.
Hyundai Creta N Line is based on the latest Creta that was launched early 2024 in the Indian car market.
Hyundai Creta N Line is all set for its official India launch on March 11. The Creta N Line from Hyundai will be the company’s third N Line model, after i20 and Venue. The N Line, essentially, refers to models that are sportier versions of the original model with several visual enhancements on the inside as well as outer body while having minor technical updates as well.
HT Auto has learnt that HyundaiCreta N Line will be offered in two trims – N8 and N10, and with only the 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine that was introduced in the 2024 Creta. This engine is paired with both a manual gearbox as well as a DCT unit. The Creta N Line colour options include three monotone shades – White, Black and Grey Matte, as well as three dual-tone hues – Blue with Black roof, Grey with Black roof and White with Black roof.
How to book a Hyundai Creta N Line?
Hyundai opened bookings for Creta N Line from Thursday onwards and there are two ways to reserve a unit. The first is by simply walking into any company-authorised dealership in the country and paying a reservation amount of ₹25,000 which is refundable if the booking is cancelled.
The other option is to make a booking online. An interested customer can follow the steps below:
Log on to Hyundai Motor India’s Click2Buy online platform.
Choose the model. In this particular case, it would be the Creta N Line. Next select the fuel type which in this case, would be petrol only.
Next, select one from the eight available variants of Hyundai Creta N Line. Follow up by opting for the body colour option.
Now comes the most important part about selecting the preferred dealership. For this, select your state, city and the dealer name. The dealer name, on obvious lines, usually is the one closest to your location.
Click on ‘Proceed’ and complete the transaction for the ₹25,000 that is charged as the token booking amount.
Do note that there is a likely waiting period of six to eight weeks that is expected on delivery of Hyundai Creta N Line from the date of launch and then from the date of bookings.
TVS Motor Company’s sales grow by 33% in February 2024
By: HT Auto Desk | Updated on: 02 Mar 2024, 18:08 PM
TVS sold 3,57,810 units of two-wherein February 2024
Image of TVS Raider used for representational purposes only.
TVS Motor Company has announced that they recorded monthly sales of 3,68,424 units in February 2024 with a growth of 33 per cent as against 2,76,150 units they sold in February 2023. The electric vehicle sales grew by 16 per cent as the sales units increased from 15,522 units in February 2023 to 17,959 units in February 2024.
The two-wheelers registered a growth of 34 per cent with sales increasing from 2,67,026 units in February 2023 to 3,57,810 units in February 2024. Domestic two-wheeler registered growth of 21 per cent with sales increasing from 2,21,402 units in February 2023 to 2,67,502 units in February 2024.
Motorcycles registered a growth of 46 per cent with sales increasing from 1,26,243 units in February 2023 to 1,84,023 units in February 2024. Scooter registered a growth of 26 per cent with sales increasing from 1,04,825 units in February 2023 to 1,32,152 units in February 2024.
The Company’s total exports grew by 85 percent, increasing from 53,405 units registered in February 2023 to 98,856 units in February 2024. Two-wheeler exports registered a growth of 98 percent with sales increasing from 45,624 units registered in February 2023 to 90,308 units in February 2024. Three-wheelers registered a growth of 16 percent, with sales increasing from 9,124 units in February 2023 to 10,614 units in February 2024.
TVS Motor Company is committed to investing ₹5,000 for the design, development and deployment of future technologies across products. The homegrown automaker is present in both the two and three-wheeler segments and the investment will be made in both these categories.
Speaking about the vehicle manufacturer’s commitment to invest ₹5,000 crore towards designing, developing, and deploying future technologies across products, TVS Motor Company’s Managing Director Sudarshan Venu said in a statement that the company’s core is engineering and research and development. “Our core is engineering and R&D, and this is driven by over 2,000 engineers backed by solid design and development capability. Our vision is to transform the quality of life of our customers, and redefine the future of mobility with technology, connectivity, and cutting-edge design,” he reportedly said.
A few days ago we broke the news of Maruti’s plans to introduce its series hybrid technology in India in more affordable offerings like the Fronx, next-gen Baleno and next-gen Swift, among others. And here’s why I think this technology is going to be a game changer in the truest sense.
Series hybrid vehicles, also referred to as range-extenders or self-charging electric vehicles, work in a manner that’s similar to an electric vehicle (EV). The battery-powered electric motor directly drives the wheels, with the only difference being that the battery doesn’t need to be plugged in; instead the models are fitted with on-board generators to recharge the battery. This generator is run by a petrol engine. A point to note is that its petrol engine never drives the wheels directly.
Where things get really interesting is that according to the Department of Revenue, an EV “that runs solely on electrical energy derived from an external source or from electrical batteries” qualifies under the 5 percent GST bracket.
Further, even the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), 1989 (amended in 2002) defines an EV “as a vehicle intended for road use, powered exclusively by an electric motor whose traction energy is supplied exclusively by a traction battery installed in the vehicle”.
There’s no mention of tailpipe emissions having been referenced or considered as a factor to define an EV. Which could technically define Maruti’s upcoming range-extenders as EVs, thus qualifying them for the lower GST slab.
This could give these upcoming Marutis a significant price advantage over other ICE cars in the market, including strong hybrids. Not only are these likely to be incredibly efficient, but their on-board generators will eliminate range anxiety associated with EVs, which could make this tech ideal for our market, where charging infrastructure remains at a nascent stage. The question is, will Maruti Suzuki be able to reap the benefits of this grey area in the rulebook and convince authorities to levy a lower GST rate? We’ll know very soon.
Baleno and Swift continue to power Maruti Suzuki through February
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By: HT Auto Desk | Updated on: 01 Mar 2024, 16:47 PM
Maruti Suzuki is currently preparing to launch the new-gen Swift in the Indian market.
Image used for representational purposes only. (Image courtesy: X/@HQ_DG_NCC)
India’s largest four-wheeler manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, has announced sales figures for February. Maruti Suzuki sold a total of 1,97,471 units, which consists of domestic sales of 163,397 units, sales to other OEMs of 5,147 units and exports of 28,927 units.
The compact segment was the most popular as the brand sold 71,627 units in February 2024. It consists of vehicles like Baleno, Celerio, Dzire, Ignis, Swift, Tour S and WagonR. Then there were the utility vehicles, which consisted of Brezza, Ertiga, Fronx, Grand Vitara, Invicto, Jimny, S-Cross and XL6. The sales figures stood at 61,234 units. Ciaz and Eeco sold 481 and 12,147 units, respectively.
Affordable compact vehicles such as Alto and S-Presso are still very popular as the brand sold a combined 14,782 units of those. The rest of the sales numbers come from Super Carry, which is a light commercial vehicle and sales to other OEMs.
From April to February, the most popular models for Maruti Suzuki were WagonR, Baleno and Swift. SUVs accounted for 51.5 per cent of overall sales for Maruti Suzuki.
The brand is currently preparing to launch a new generation of Swift in the Indian market. The hatchback has already been revealed in Japan and will soon be making its way to Indian shores. The hatchback will not only get some major cosmetic upgrades but it would also get an all-new engine.
The new engine is a three-cylinder unit as compared to the four-cylinder unit that we currently get in the Indian market. Suzuki says that this change has been done in favour of more low-end torque and more fuel efficiency. In the global market, the new engine comes mated to a CVT automatic transmission. It is expected that the Indian market will still get a 5-speed manual gearbox and an AMT transmission.
Maruti Suzuki ended February as India’s second largest SUV manufacturer behind segment leader Mahindra and Mahindra.
Maruti Suzuki’s dominance in the SUV market has been buoyed by vehicles such as Fronx, Grand Vitara, Brezza and Jimny. The carmaker is currently close second to Mahindra in the SUV segment in terms of sales.
Maruti Suzuki continues to benefit from its sport utility vehicles (SUVs) as it remains one of the largest manufacturers in the segment for the Financial Year 2023-24. From April last year to February 2024, Maruti has sold more than four lakh SUVs, which include the likes of Brezza, Grand Vitara, Fronx, Jimny and S-Cross. Though the carmaker had briefly become India’s largest SUV manufacturer last year, the crown has been retaken by Mahindra and Mahindra, the maker of Scorpio-N, Thar and XUV700 among others. However, Maruti Suzuki plans to continue with its SUV offensive and aims to increase its sales in the coming days.
From small and compact cars to small and compact SUVs – Maruti Suzuki’s shift towards the more popular body-type in passenger vehicle segment has been rapid. In the last two years, the carmaker has driven in as many as four models, including the Grand Vitara, Fronx and Jimny. Maruti Suzuki said that it has sold 4,04,114 units of sport utility vehicles in the ongoing financial year. However, it admitted that it is likely to fail in meeting estimates of selling around 4.50 lakh SUVs within the same fiscal.
In February, Maruti Suzuki delivered 41,256 units of SUVs. Brezza, Fronx and Grand Vitara contributed the bulk of the sales in the segment. Currently, Maruti Suzuki has a little more than 20 per cent market share. The Jimny, one of the most anticipated launches that took place last year, has not been as successful as some of its siblings. However, it managed to increase its sales to 514 last month from the low of 163 units in January this year.
Compared to its rival Mahindra and Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki ended February just short by nearly 1,200 SUVs. Mahindra sold 42,401 units last month, mostly through its popular Scorpio brand which is available in Scorpio-N and Scorpio Classic versions. Jimny’s sales performance could be one of the factors why Maruti Suzuki may not hit the 4.50-lakh unit sales in the segment by March-end. Its performance could also be the reason why Maruti is currently lagging behind Mahindra in terms of market share in the SUV segment.
Third edition of the Red Bull Soapbox race to take place on March 3 in Hyderabad.
The Red Bull Soapbox race returns to India this Sunday after an eight year gap. The third edition of the event will be at Hyderabad on March 3, 2024, with the race starting at 5pm. Team registrations for the race had opened last year and ended on November 15, 2023.
12 teams will participate in this year’s event
Judges include Harith Noah and few others
Red Bull Soapbox Race: What exactly is it?
As reported by us earlier, Red Bull describes its soapbox race as the “pinnacle of non-motor-racing”, in typical tongue-in-cheek manner. These races are global events held on mainly city courses with the same concept.
Participants are local amateur entrants that need to build vehicles powered by gravity and leg muscles. The brakes and steering, however, need to be fully functional. The teams will have to build their racer, go to the top of a slope, and let gravity do its thing.
The event will be hosted by some of the popular comedians like Jordanian, Sahiba Bali, Rohan Joshi and Aaditya Kulshreshth among others.
Twelve teams are participating in this year’s event that will see six judges in total. These include Harith Noah, Tara Sachdev, Ankit Panth, Manpreet Singh, Lalremsiami and Ocean Sharma.
By: HT Auto Desk | Updated on: 29 Feb 2024, 16:59 PM
Honda Elevate is offered only with a petrol engine. It comes mated to a manual gearbox or an automatic transmission.
The Honda Elevate is offered in a single-engine option but with two transmission choices.
Honda has announced that they will be selling their Elevate SUV through Canteen Stores Department (CSD) across the country for the Indian Armed Forces. The Elevate is the third model from Honda to be sold through Canteen Stores Department as Honda is already selling the City and the Amaze.
Honda Elevate shares its underpinnings with the 5th Gen City. So, it is powered by a 1.5-litre, naturally aspirated petrol engine that produces 119 bhp of max power at 6,600 rpm and a peak torque output of 145 Nm at 4,300 rpm. It comes mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox or a CVT automatic transmission with 7-steps.
The fuel efficiency figure for the manual gearbox is 15.31 kmpl whereas the automatic transmission delivers 16.92 kmpl of fuel efficiency. The manufacturer will not sell the Elevate with a diesel engine. Instead, they will launch an all-electric version of the Elevate within the next two years.
The Elevate is currently one of the most affordable mid-size SUVs in the Indian market. It is priced between ₹11.58 lakh and ₹16.20 lakh. Both prices are ex-showroom. There are four variants on offer – SV, V, VX, and ZX. Apart from the SV variant, the automatic transmission is available in all variants.
Honda Elevate competes against the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Citroen C3 Aircross, MG Astor, Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun.
The Elevate comes standard with features such as LED projector headlamps with Daytime Running Lamps, multi-function steering wheel, push button to start/stop engine, power adjustable ORVMs, automatic climate control, rear AC vents, PM2.5 air filter and front armrest.
The top-end variant is also equipped with Honda Sensing Technology which is essentially a suite of ADAS features. Honda offers Collision Mitigation Braking System, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist, Lead Car Departure System, Road Departure Mitigation and auto-dimming IRVM.
By: HT Auto Desk | Updated on: 29 Feb 2024, 15:07 PM
In the last few years, from Sony to Huawei, Apple to Xiaomi; traditional technology giants have been making major headlines with their automotive vent
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In the last few years, from Sony to Huawei, Apple to Xiaomi; traditional technology giants have been making major headlines with their automotive ventures throwing challenges to conventional auto OEMs. What’s the current status of such tech companies’ automotive projects?
In the last few years, from Sony to Huawei, Apple to Xiaomi; traditional technology giants have been making major headlines with their automotive ventures throwing challenges to conventional auto OEMs.
The automobile industry around the world is going through a rapid and multi-dimensional transformation over the last few years. With the advent of new technologies including connectivity, electric propulsion technology, autonomous driving etc, the industry is witnessing a lot of changes. One such change is the emergence of conventional technology companies as automakers.
In the industry’s massive shift to electric vehicles, legacy automakers and mobility startups are not the only ones trying their luck with vehicles powered by electric propulsion systems. Several global technology companies have been bringing their respective electric vehicles. In the last few years, from Sony to Huawei, Apple to Xiaomi – traditional technology giants have made major headlines with their automotive ventures.
The technology giants’ association with the mobility industry is nothing new. However, to date, the technology companies used to be suppliers for auto manufacturers. But, in the last couple of years, they have evolved drastically and to become new-age mobility companies as well as automobile manufacturers.
However, things have not been a cakewalk for these tech giants in their desired path in the automotive world. Here is the status report about the present scenario of these technology companies’ automotive projects.
Apple
Despite promising a lot through its Project Titan, Apple met little success and the project finally reached a make-or-break point recently due to rising costs and delays. This finally compelled the company to call off its fully autonomous electric car project after a decade since it started sometime in 2014, which was dubbed as one of the most ambitious projects in the history of the tech giant known for its products like iPhone, iPad and Macbook.
Xiaomi
While a tech company on the east side of the Pacific Ocean failed to materialise its dream of making an autonomous electric car, on the west side of the ocean, Chinese tech giant Xiaomi stunned the world with its first EV SU7. A suave all-electric sedan, the Xiaomi SU7 was showcased in the flesh at the Mobile World Congress 2024 in Barcelona. Xiaomi announced the development of the SU7 in 2023. It gets power from a 101 kWh battery pack capable of providing more than 800 kilometres of range on a single charge, significantly higher than the majority of EVs currently on sale.
Sony
Sony joined hands with Honda to make its dream of building an electric car true. Christened Afeela, the tech brand has already showcased a real prototype at the CES 2023. which will spawn the production model in 2026. Before being renamed Afeela, the electric sedan was previously christened Vision S. Sony has claimed that this upcoming EV will not only be a car but will act as a testbed for a wide range of futuristic advanced technologies including autonomous driving and other digital systems.
Huawei
Another Chinese tech giant Huawei too has shown its seriousness about smart electric cars. The company had set up an EV brand called Aito in 2021 in association with Seres Group. Under the Aito brand, already three electric cars have been launched: M5, M7 and M9; while a fourth model M8 is under development. Besides that, Huawei also rolled out two new vehicles in China, including its first electric sedan, the Luxeed S7, which is designed to take on Tesla models. Just a few weeks ago, Huawei set up a separate smart car unit, in another stride forward in the Chinese tech giant’s automotive ambitions.
F1 fans in India now have a more affordable alternative to F1TV Pro.
Indian sports streaming platform FanCode has acquired the rights to stream F1 in India. This is part of a two-year deal that will cover the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
F1’s broadcasting agreement with Sport Sports, which also included streaming on Hotstar, expired at the end of the 2022 season, leaving the sport without any TV broadcast in India. Instead, F1TV was made available for a hefty annual fee of Rs 2,999. The new deal with FanCode now gives Indian fans a far more affordable alternative.
FanCode to stream F1, F2 and F3
FanCode will stream all F1 practice, qualifying and sprint events, along with the main Grands Prix. Along with this, the platform will also stream F2 and F3 here.
“I am delighted to announce that fans in India will be able to watch F1 on FanCode for the next two seasons. We have found a strong broadcast partner in them with expert knowledge on how we can best serve our 60 million existing fans and reach new audiences in India. Together, we will take our combined expertise to produce premium content that showcases the sporting spectacle that is F1.,” said Ian Holmes, director of media rights and content creation at Formula 1.
FanCode F1 price, subscription plans
FanCode offers multiple packages for those interested. There first of these is a race weekend pass, covering all the sessions for one round, for a price of Rs 49. The subscription for one full season costs Rs 599.
There’s also an unlimited live stream pass (covering other sports like cricket, football and more) for Rs 999 annually and Rs 199 monthly.
All the races will be streamed with Sky Sports F1 commentary.
Where can you watch FanCode?
Subscribers can watch the races live on FanCode’s website, as well their Android and iOS apps. For TV streaming, apps are available for Android TV, JioTV and Amazon Fire TV.
Streaming is allowed on four devices simultaneously per account.
Is F1TV still available in India?
F1TV is still available in India for the time being, but subscription prices for that are a lot more costly at USD 29.99 (about Rs 2,480) for a year or $3.99 (approximately Rs 330) for a month.
But that subscription does come with the added benefit of live timing data, watching F1’s pre- and post-race analysis, all driver onboard cameras and even archival content.
By: HT Auto Desk | Updated on: 28 Feb 2024, 16:49 PM
Hyundai plans to invest ₹32,000 crore for expansion of car and SUV platforms including electric vehicle range and charging infrastructure development
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Hyundai plans to invest ₹32,000 crore for expansion of car and SUV platforms including electric vehicle range and charging infrastructure development.
Hyundai plans to invest ₹32,000 crore for expansion of car and SUV platforms including electric vehicle range and charging infrastructure development.
Hyundai Motor India aims to reach the RE100 benchmark by 2025. To achieve this target, the South Korean auto giant aims to use 100 per cent renewable energy for its operations in India. The carmaker has announced in an official release that it has been strategically purchasing green electricity from the Indian Energy Exchange to increase its RE portfolio of 64 per cent. The OEM also claimed that it has conserved energy equivalent to about 19,200 tonnes of oil through key energy management projects till now in India.
Hyundai also claimed that it has achieved 80 per cent water neutrality by utilising recycled RO water and rainwater from harvesting ponds with a capacity of 350,000 tonnes. Besides that, the auto OEM claimed to have reduced hazardous waste by 19.4 per cent and non-hazardous waste by 14.3 per cent over the last five years.
The development and launch of electric vehicles and the setting up of EV charging infrastructure are also a key part of the brand’s strategy to reach carbon neutrality. For this, the OEM has announced to invest more than ₹32,000 crores in the next 10 years. This investment will be made for the expansion of car and SUV platforms including electric vehicle range and charging infrastructure development.
Speaking on Hyundai’s aim to reach the RE100 benchmark, Gopala Krishnan CS, Chief Manufacturing Officer at HMIL said that the automaker’s operations are driven by a strong sense of responsibility towards the environment and communities. “Our operations are driven by a strong sense of responsibility towards the environment and our communities. We view this proactive role as an opportunity to contribute to long-term sustainable development goals. Our sustainability initiatives are focused towards carbon neutrality and energy transition, circularity, clean tech products and services, operational eco-efficiency, and natural capital conservation. Our ‘Integrated Solutions to Climate Change’ initiative aims for carbon neutrality by 2045, with a sustainable operating system for future generations,” he added.
By: Paarth Khatri | Updated on: 28 Feb 2024, 16:25 PM
BYD Seal has a claimed range of up to 570 km on a single charge.
BYD Seal EV was also showcased at Auto Expo 2023.
BYD India has announced that they have started accepting bookings for their upcoming electric vehicle, Seal. The electric sedan will be unveiled officially to the Indian market on March 5th. Customers who book the BYD Seal by April 30, 2024, stand a chance of receiving a complimentary UEFA match ticket and round-trip flight ticket from India to the match city.
It is expected that the Seal will be the new flagship electric vehicle for BYD. As of now, the brand only sells the e6 MPV and the Atto3 crossover SUV. They are priced at ₹29.15 lakh and ₹33.99 lakh respectively. Both prices are ex-showroom.
BYD Seal: Range, battery and performance
BYD Seal is offered with single and dual-motor options. Depending on the version that the customer opts for, the electric sedan will be able to produce 308 bhp and 360 Nm or 522 bhp and 670 Nm. The rear-wheel drive powertrain has a WLTP-claimed range of 570 km whereas the dual-motor setup has a WLTP-claimed range of 520 km. These specs are for the larger 82.5 kWh battery pack.
There will also be a smaller 61.4 kWh battery pack that has a WLTP-claimed range of 460 km. The electric motor puts out 201 bhp of max power and a peak torque output of 310 Nm. The smaller battery pack can be DC fast-charged up to speeds of 110 kW whereas the larger battery pack supports 150 kW.
The Seal is one of the safest electric vehicles that a customer can buy in the Indian market. It passed the Euro NCAP crash test with 5-star safety rating last year. The Seal EV scored 89 per cent for adult occupants, 87 per cent for child occupants, 82 per cent for Vulnerable Road Users and 76 per cent in Safety Assist. The Seal EV that was tested was equipped with dual front airbags, belt pre-tensioners, belt load limiters, side airbags and a centre airbag. There were also ISOFIX child seat mounts, airbag cut-off switch and seatbelt reminders. Other features on offer are Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Assist System and Fatigue / Distraction Detection.
McLaren’s first PHEV drop-top gets upgrades that are destined for coupé; weighs just 1,457kg.
McLaren has revealed the Artura Spider as its first drop-top hybrid, ushering in more power and a raft of chassis and aerodynamic upgrades that will also be used on an updated version of the coupé.
Artura Spider claimed to be the lightest convertible supercar in its class
3.0-litre V6 engine makes 19hp more
o-100kph time matches the coupe’s 3.0 seconds
McLaren Artura Spider weighs only 1,457kg
The Artura Spider is claimed to be the lightest convertible supercar in its class “by as much as 83kg”, with its 1457kg kerb weight giving it the edge over the Maserati MC20 Cielo and Ferrari 296 GTS.
Extensive use of lightweight materials – such as carbonfibre for the folding hard-top – means it is just 62kg heavier than the current coupé version. The Ricardo-developed 120-degree 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine has been carried over but an ECU remap – which can be performed on the existing McLaren Artura – has given it a 19hp boost to 604hp.
Together with the 94hp axial flux motor in the gearbox, the total system output is now 699hp. That gives a power-to-weight ratio of 480hp per tonne and a 0-100kph time that matches the existing coupé’s, at 3.0sec. McLaren Artura Spider top speed is 330kph but McLaren chief engineer Andy Beale said the firm is “keen to do a chunk more than that”. The engine drives through an enhanced version of the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which now shifts 25 percent faster. It is also equipped with a new function that allows the driver to spin the rear tyres up when planting the throttle from a standstill.
The Artura’s ‘emotional’ credentials are enhanced here by the addition of an electrically folding hard-top – framed in carbonfibre or with an electrochromic glass panel.
The roof can be operated at vehicle speeds of up to 50kph and deploys in as little as eight seconds, making it one of the fastest-folding of any convertible on sale. Because the roof mechanism sits where the engine cooling vent is on the coupé, air is extracted via new ducts. Particular attention has been paid to aerodynamics, with an 8mm foil on the windscreen smoothing airflow over the cabin. International deliveries of the Artura Spider and updated coupé will begin in the middle of this year, hot on the heels of the lightly refreshed GT and new 750S, which replaces the 720S.
McLaren India line-up
In our country, the Woking-based supercar maker retails the GT, the Artura and 750S. The Artura Spider is also expected to arrive in India, though it’s launch timeline is yet unknown.
In this 2023 Honda City facelift petrol review, we’ll examine the exterior, interior, drive performance and mileage of the latest C2-segment sedan. We hope this information helps you make an informed decision about buying Honda’s latest sedan. Let’s start with the exterior details of the Honda City 2023.
Note: If you prefer watching the review in Hindi instead of reading it in English, then you can play the following video:
Honda City Facelift Petrol – Exterior Review
In terms of dimensions, there is not much difference between the pre-facelift and facelift versions of the City. However, in the 2023 model’s ZX variant, the front and rear bumpers are significantly restyled, making it slightly longer than the older City.
The front bumper has a carbon fibre-type trim on its lip, and the fog lamp housing also gets minor styling changes. Due to the criss-cross pattern of the lower grille, the chequered flag-type upper grille and the sharp bumper design, the face of the car looks sportier. The City now also comes with auto wipers, which were not available before.
There is only one change on the side of the car – the design of the alloy wheels. These look sporty from certain angles, but the City still looks under-tyred. It deserves wider tyres to match the car’s size and length, if not bigger alloy wheels.
The changes around the rear are as subtle as those at the front, but somehow the styling of its rear diffusers is more striking. These also get carbon fibre detailing, like at the front, which makes the car look sporty. The car also has a rear spoiler on its boot lid, which complements its design.
The boot space of the City remains the same as before, so it is 506L for the petrol version and 306L for the hybrid.
2023 Honda City Petrol – Interior Review
Moving inside the cabin, there are not many changes here either. You still get the dual-tone beige-black interior with glossy wooden accents in the petrol model and ivory cabin with glossy carbon-fibre trim in hybrid variants. The design of the dashboard and interior space remains the same. The cabin now also has a wireless phone charger just ahead of the front armrest in the hybrid version. In the petrol version, it is a removable accessory, which draws power from the front 12V power outlet.
In addition, there is also wireless phone pairing available, which complements the wireless phone charging. Furthermore, ambient lighting is also available in the door latches and door pockets.
If you want to understand the interior space of the City in detail, you can watch our Sensible review of the pre-facelift. Now, let’s see how it drives.
2023 Honda City Petrol and Hybrid – Engine Performance And Drive Review
The City still comes with a 1.5L petrol engine, which produces a maximum power of 121PS and peak torque of 145Nm. The power output of the City hybrid is 126PS and peak torque is 253Nm. Both powertrains were also present in the pre-facelift City with the same performance figures.
Regarding the manual transmission in the City, it is only available with the normal petrol engine. It’s a 6-speed gearbox and ADAS is available with this transmission from the V variant onwards.
CITY HYBRID vs CITY PETROL | SPECS
City Hybrid
Difference
City Petrol
Engine
1.5L + Motor
–
1.5L
Power
126PS
5PS
121PS
Power:Weight
98PS/t
7PS/t
105PS/t
Torque
253Nm
108Nm
145Nm
Torque:Weight
198Nm/t
72Nm/t
126Nm/t
Manual
–
–
6MT
Manual FE
–
–
17.8kmpl
Automatic
CVT
CVT
Auto FE
27.13kmpl
8.73kmpl
18.4kmpl
*expected
This engine also comes with a CVT type automatic transmission. In this case, the engine output is the same, but its claimed fuel efficiency is higher than the petrol-manual powertrain. If you want to see a detailed review of the City normal petrol, you can watch the following video of the pre-facelift City:
To know how the City hybrid performs, you can watch the following video of the pre-facelift City:
Honda City Facelift Petrol And Hybrid – Prices
The prices of the new City start from Rs. 11.49 lakh. The ZX top model with a petrol-manual powertrain costs Rs. 14.72 lakh. The V, VX, and ZX variants come with an automatic transmission option with an incremental cost of Rs. 1.25 lakh for all three higher variants.
2023 HONDA CITY
MANUAL VS AUTOMATIC – PRICE COMPARISON
Variant
Manual
Difference
Automatic
SV
Rs. 11,49,000
–
–
V
Rs. 12,37,000
Rs. 1,25,000
Rs. 13,62,000
VX
Rs. 13,49,000
Rs. 1,25,000
Rs. 14,74,000
ZX
Rs. 14,72,000
Rs. 1,25,000
Rs. 15,97,000
The City hybrid is now available in two variants – V and ZX. The hybrid version of V variant costs Rs. 5.27 lakh more than the petrol-automatic City, and in ZX, it costs Rs. 4.42 lakh more. The top-most variant of the City’s range is the ZX hybrid, which costs Rs. 20.39 lakh ex-showroom.
2023 HONDA CITY
PETROL VS HYBRID – PRICE COMPARISON
Variant
Petrol-Automatic
Difference
Hybrid
V
Rs. 13,62,000
Rs 5,27,000
Rs 18,89,000
ZX
Rs. 15,97,000
Rs 4,42,000
Rs 20,39,000
If you plan to buy the City petrol-manual, you should consider the V variant. It is the best value-wise. You can upgrade to the VX variant for curtain airbags or a sunroof. The ZX variant offers better value than just the SV variant. It mainly adds good-to-have functional and style-related features, so we will leave it up to you to decide if you should go for this upgrade.
HONDA CITY MANUAL
BUYING RECOMMENDATION
Variant
VFM Rank
Price
Recommendation
SV
Rank 4
Rs. 11,49,000
Gets most must-have features. Not value for money. Upgrade to V recommended.
V
Rank 1
Rs. 12,37,000
Top recommended
VX
Rank 2
Rs. 13,49,000
Can upgrade for safety & good-to-have features
ZX
Rank 3
Rs. 14,72,000
Not a compelling upgrade
In the case of City automatic also, the V variant is our top recommended variant, as it offers most of the must-have and some good-to-have features. It also offers better value than the other variants. In this case, you can upgrade to VX for added safety features or a sunroof, but upgrading to ZX doesn’t feel very compelling.
HONDA CITY AUTOMATIC
BUYING RECOMMENDATION
Variant
VFM Rank
Price
Recommendation
V
Rank 1
Rs. 13,62,000
Top recommended
VX
Rank 2
Rs. 14,74,000
Can upgrade for safety & good-to-have features
ZX
Rank 3
Rs. 15,97,000
Not a compelling upgrade
If you’re interested in the City hybrid, then you should buy the V variant. The V variant offers most of the basic features, and in ZX, all the features are available. ZX also offers slightly better value than the V variant, so upgrading for these extra features makes sense. But, to make sure that this upgrade is financially suitable, you should consider checking out our fuel cost calculator and run some numbers.
HONDA CITY HYBRID | RECOMMENDATION
Variant
VFM Rank
Price
Recommendation
V
Rank 2
Rs. 18,89,000
Top recommended
ZX
Rank 1
Rs. 20,39,000
Can upgrade for the added features
If you want to understand all the variants of City in detail, you can watch the variants explained video below:
Alternatively, you can also go through the variants explained article:
2023 Honda City Facelift Petrol and Hybrid – Verdict And Buying Recommendation
The mid-life facelift of the City brings minor cosmetic enhancements, including a new blue body colour. Its exterior design updates are sporty and we like them.
Honda didn’t make any major cosmetic changes to the City’s interior and we believe that an all-black or grey-black theme would complement its sportier exterior even more. Additionally, we feel that it should offer electrically adjustable and ventilated front seats.
Honda City First Drive Review 2024
The City is a rare car, which gets adaptive cruise control with a manual transmission. We think that its usage is limited within the city, but it’s very useful on the expressways. Overall, we believe that the Honda City is still one of the most comfortable cars in its segment, and its cabin space, seating comfort, and drivetrain refinement are its USPs.
The exterior gets an ‘Earth Edition’ badge and a new Satin Matte colour that Mahindra calls Desert Fury. The ORVMs and the grille now get body colour accents. There are also desert-themed decals and alloy wheels with Thar branding inserts. Apart from this, ‘Mahindra’ and ‘Thar’ wordmarks are in matte black. The 4×4 and Automatic badges are now in matte black with red accents.
The interior feels much more up-market than the standard version of the Thar.
The interior gets a decorative VIN plate on the dashboard. The cabin also looks more upmarket because of the leatherette seats, beige stitching and Earth branding on the seats and the headrest gets a Dune design. The door pads get accents finished in Desert Fury. Apart from all this, there are dual-tone AC vents, thematic inserts on the steering wheel, HVAC housing in piano black and dark chrome for the gear knob, centre gear console, cup holders and a twin peak logo on the steering wheel.
There are also a few accessories on offer such as customised front and rear armrests that customers have been demanding since the Thar was first launched. There are also new 7D mats and a Comfort Kit. It is important to note that the accessories are sold separately.
Thar Earth Edition Petrol MT is priced at ₹15.40 lakh whereas the AT costs ₹16.99 lakh. Then there is the Diesel MT at 16.15 lakh and its AT variant costs ₹17.40 lakh. All prices mentioned are ex-showroom.
Note: If you prefer watching the review in Hindi instead of reading it in English, then you can play the following video:
2023 Kia Seltos Facelift – Safety Features
The facelift of the Seltos primarily involves cosmetic changes and feature upgrades, with no major alterations to the platform, chassis or its build quality. If there are any changes, it’s not possible for anyone to determine whether this Seltos is any safer than the older version, solely through visual inspection or by opening and closing its doors.
As of now, no third-party agency has conducted a crash test on the India-spec new Seltos facelift. Given that there’s no significant change in its structure, we will consider the injury report of the pre-facelift Seltos. According to Global NCAP data, the pre-facelift Seltos crash test offered Adequate protection to the driver’s head, Good for the neck, and Marginal for the chest. These are the three areas where injuries can potentially be fatal. We do not consider Global NCAP’s body shell integrity as, in the end, the only thing that matters is the extent of the injury to the occupant.
If there’s no change in the construction, and the car gets more safety features – which it does – and if the car is subjected to the same test, then it’s understandable that the driver injury should not exceed that of the old Seltos.
Since there’s no weak or poor rating for the driver’s head, neck, or chest in the Seltos crash test, based on Global NCAP’s data, you can consider the Seltos from a safety perspective.
Regarding safety technology, in addition to the standard safety features, the Seltos gets the following safety features as standard:
2x front side thorax curtain airbags
2x curtain airbags
All 3-point seatbelts
Rear disc brakes
Electronic stability control (ESC)
Hill start assist (HSA)
Tyre pressure monitoring system
Automatic door lock/unlock
You can now see all the safety-related features of all variants in the following table:
2023 SELTOS | VARIANT-WISE SAFETY TECH
HTE
Std. safety features
2x front side thorax airbags
Emergency stop signal
Remote central locking*
Rear disc brakes
2x curtain airbags
Day/night inside mirror*
Electronic stability control (ESC)
Halogen projector headlamps
Hill start assist (HSA)
Impact-sensing auto door unlock
Speed-sensing auto door locks
5x 3-point seatbelts with reminder
Tyre pressure monitoring system
HTK
Rear parking camera w/ live feed
Projector fog lamps
Front parking sensors
HTK Plus
Rear washer wiper
Rear defogger
2023 SELTOS | VARIANT-WISE SAFETY TECH
HTX & HTX Plus
LED headlamps
LED projector fog lamps
LED tail lamps
ISOFIX
Traction control w/ modes (Automatic Only)
Auto-dimming inside mirror
GTX Plus & X Line
Blind-spot monitoring in instrument cluster
360-degree parking camera
Electronic parking brake with auto hold
Auto wipers
ADAS Features
Blind spot monitoring, warning and avoidance assist
Auto high beam
Rear cross traffic warning and collision avoidance
Adaptive cruise control with stop and-go
Forward collision warning and avoidance assist
Safe exit warning
It is worth noting that the Seltos GTX Plus and X Line variants now come equipped with ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) technology. During this initial drive, we tested the Seltos front collision avoidance, rear cross traffic avoidance assist and safe exit warning ADAS features and they worked satisfactorily. Now, let’s talk about the 2023 Seltos facelift exterior.
New Kia Seltos 2023 Turbo X Line – Exterior Review
Before we discuss the exterior, I believe we should talk in detail about the new key with buttons on the side — it feels nice to hold.
We drove the X Line version of the Seltos, which comes in a matte grey colour. If we compare the changes to the pre-facelift Seltos, its front grille is now larger and gets a new design for the front bumper. The honeycomb pattern of the grille is different and the new DRLs extend through the grille. Speaking of lightwork, it now includes sweeping turn indicators, front and back, and it adds a nice styling touch to the exteriors.
Moving to the front bumper, it now has extra cladding, giving it a more muscular design. Like before, it houses the LED fog lamps. As we mentioned at the beginning, the Seltos now comes with ADAS. It has a radar in the front bumper with the front camera behind the windshield.
The Seltos facelift gets alloy wheels measuring 18 inches in the top variant and with a new design. This is the most prominent visual change on the side. It’s worth pointing out that the Seltos now has glossy black trim in many places, but there’s no red or any other coloured detailing in any variant. Earlier, the GTX variant had red accents on the exterior and interior to highlight its sporty nature.
In terms of the rear design, it has significant changes. The new Seltos now has a new set of tail lamps that are sleeker and almost interconnected. The design of its rear bumper is also new, and like before, it still has thick cladding. This version also gets functional dual exhausts, and the overall rear look is simple and appealing, yet sporty.
I personally feel that the exterior design of the pre-facelift Seltos is still appealing. But with the new colour options and other design upgrades, the Seltos 2023 has a fresh approach to the exterior design compared to the predecessor. It is an obvious improvement over the already pleasing exterior of the Seltos. Now, let’s look at its interior.
2023 Kia Seltos – Interior Review
In addition to beige-black, brown-black and all-black interior themes, the Seltos X-Line variant brings a greyish green-black interior. This colour combination feels premium and it also gets a leather finish on the dashboard and upholstery with some contrast red stitching.
The interiors instantly appear tastefully done. Along with this, the roof liner is black around the large panoramic glass sunroof. The sunroof curtain is so thick that light doesn’t pass through it. For my height of 5-feet 8-inch, there’s ample headroom in front as well as rear seats.
Now, coming to another prominent change in the cabin – the dual-screen curved housing. It integrates two 10.25-inch screens, making the dashboard layout look neat and modern at the same time. The touch feedback of its infotainment system is satisfactory, and there are a lot of features available here.
For instance, the settings for the instrument cluster include a Dynamic theme that displays information with a landscape background. Other than that, there aren’t many design-related changes, but Kia have reduced some inserts from the dashboard, which also makes the dashboard design appear cleaner.
There’s a layout-related change in the air-con control panel. Just above the glovebox on the dashboard, there’s an ambient light strip, which should enhance the cabin’s ambiance during night drives. Lastly, to accommodate the electronic parking brake, its centre console has a new design.
However, the rest of the cabin and design remain more or less the same, including the rear seat space, which is suitable for 2 adults and a child. 3 adults is a squeeze but completely doable for short trips. We have no complaints as such, because the new interior theme and dashboard layout make the Seltos interior feel richer compared to before. Now we’ll talk about the performance of the new 2023 Seltos turbo petrol engine.
Kia Seltos Facelift Turbo Petrol-Automatic – Engine Performance And Drive Review
The Seltos comes with 3 engine options: a 1.5L normal petrol engine, a 1.5L turbo diesel engine and a 1.5L turbo petrol engine. The only new addition among these is the turbo-petrol engine which replaces the olde 1.35L turbo petrol engine. This engine makes 160PS of power and 253Nm of torque. You can have it with either a 6-speed auto-clutch manual transmission or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. The X Line variant, which we drove, is only available with the automatic.
It’s the most powerful engine in the Seltos line-up, and Kia claim a time of 8.9 seconds with the dual-clutch automatic transmission and 10.1 seconds with the auto-clutch manual transmission. In our brief test in Sport mode, it easily achieved 0-100kmph in around 9.5 seconds. Under ideal test conditions, we’re sure it can achieve Kia’s 8.9 seconds of claimed acceleration time. We think any mass market car accelerating to 100kmph in less than 10 seconds is pretty quick by any standards.
That said, when you drive it calmly, it doesn’t immediately feel energetic and instead it feels like it’s a heavy car. But rev it a little and you will realise how strong this engine’s mid-range is — and when you take it beyond the 2000rpm mark, it feels brisk and picks up speed rather quickly. We mainly drove it on the highway where it was cruising comfortably at 100kmph while revving around 1800rpm in the seventh gear.
So, it felt at ease doing triple digit speeds while staying in the peak torque zone for quick overtakes if necessary. Most of the time, you won’t feel the need to manually downshift, but if you want that control over gear shifts, you can do so with its gear lever or paddle shifters.
Kia Seltos Turbo Petrol First Drive Review
What we also learnt about the engine on this short drive is that its noise is audible in the cabin. It is not bothersome, but it filters through at both slow as well as higher speeds. The vibrations or harshness is not much — so like we said before — it is not bothersome. Now, talking about its ride, Kia have increased the damping force of the front suspension setup compared to the old Seltos. Thus, the front might feel a little stiff now while the damping force of the rear has been reduced — so it should feel a little softer.
From an experience standpoint, it’s difficult to say how much this has affected its ride, but what we can say with some degree of confidence is that it still feels a bit firm and handles a bit better than before. You can also feel the road surface in the car and we think this may lead to rattling noises with frequent rough road usage. We would also like to draw your attention to the fact that the Seltos we drove rode on 18-inch wheels. With a lower side wall to cushion the ride, compared to the older GTX Plus variant, it felt a bit firm.
On the other hand, it is because of this suspension setup only, that the car also feels planted, which is confidence inspiring for the driver. It also nicely complements the 160PS power output of this new turbo petrol engine. We found its handling and braking satisfactory for the performance on offer. With this new engine, the Seltos also has an auto engine start/stop tech, and so it has become more fuel efficient.
On this short drive, we couldn’t test its fuel efficiency, but the official mileage figures claim to offer 17.70kmpl with the turbo petrol-ACMT and 17.90kmpl with the turbo petrol-automatic. We will test the real-world mileage figures once we get to review it for a longer time. With the normal petrol engine, Kia suggest an ARAI-tested mileage figure of 17.0kmpl and 17.70kmpl with the manual and automatic transmission options, respectively.
To sum up the drive, we think that this 160PS engine completes the Seltos as a package — so you get a car that looks upmarket on the outside and inside. It also performs and rides like a more expensive car. Now, let’s look at its prices and sum up this review.
2023 Kia Seltos Facelift – Verdict And Buying Recommendation
The prices for the new Seltos start from Rs. 10.89 lakh. With the normal petrol engine, HTX is its top variant, which costs Rs. 16.59 lakh with the CVT automatic transmission. The variants available with the turbo petrol engine are HTK Plus, HTX Plus, GTX Plus and X Line. The top variant is available only with automatic transmission and costs Rs. 19.99 lakh (ex-showroom).
The Seltos was already a car with mass appeal and when we had the older version of the Seltos with us for a long-term review, we were satisfied with the car. It felt like it even matched the cabin experience of more expensive cars. With this update, the cabin experience of the Seltos has improved further and it feels even more polished now with the new colour schemes. The new screens, the larger sunroof, new cabin features, ADAS and a powerful turbo-petrol engine makes it a car that is difficult to nitpick, especially in the higher variants.
More importantly, rather, most importantly, its higher variants also carry an attractive price, prices are also attractive — so we think at this moment — THIS IS THE C-SEGMENT SUV to buy if you want that premium experience with a manageable, compact dimensions.
Here’s a look at the ex-showroom prices for the 2023 Kia Seltos facelift:
By: HT Auto Desk | Updated on: 27 Feb 2024, 15:46 PM
Volvo currently offers two electric cars in India – the C40 Recharge and the XC40 Recharge.
Volvo EX90 electric SUV (left) is the Swedish carmaker’s flagship EV based on the XC90 SUV. Volvo EX30 (right) is the smallest electric car in the Swedish carmaker’s lineup.
Swedish auto giant Volvo has confirmed that it will launch two more electric cars in India by 2025. Staying true to its commitment to go EV-only manufacturer, Volvo will drive in the EX30 and EX90 electric SUVs to India by next year. The launch of these two electric cars were confirmed by Jyoti Malhotra, Managing Director at Volvo India, on Tuesday. Volvo currently offers two electric cars in India – the XC40 Recharge and the C40 Recharge electric SUVs.
Volvo has not shared the exact launch timeline of the EX30 and EX90 electric SUVs. The carmaker has not confirmed which of these two models will hit the Indian shores first. However, Malhotra said that both the EX30 and EX90 will be brought to India as completely knocked-down (CKD) units for sale.
Volvo EX90:
Volvo EX90 electric SUV comes as the brand’s flagship EV, and it is based on the XC90 SUV. Unveiled back in November 2022, the electric SUV is powered by a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain offering two power and torque output levels. The base model churns out 408 bhp of power and 770 Nm of torque, while the higher variant generates 517 bhp power and 910 Nm of torque. Both variants are capable of running at a top speed of 180 kmph.
Volvo EX90 also comes with a Lidar system that comprises eight cameras and 16 ultrasonic sensors around the car. These allow the car to detect small objects as far as 600 feet away anytime anywhere.
In terms of looks and features, the EX90 is offered with the carmaker’s iconic Thor’s Hammer LED headlights and a blanked-off grille like the XC40 Recharge. It also gets flush-fitting door handles, 22-inch alloy wheels, C-shaped split LED tail lamp.Volvo claims that the EX90 contains 15 per cent recycled steel, 25 per cent recycled aluminium, 48 kg of recycled plastics and bio-based materials. Inside, the electric SUV gets a 14.5-inch large, vertically-oriented touchscreen infotainment system powered by Google OS. The car gets 5G connectivity as standard, enabling over-the-air (OTA) updates.
Volvo EX30:
Volvo EX30 is the smallest electric car in the Swedish carmaker’s lineup. Launched last year in global markets, the electric SUV is the quickest among all EVs in Volvo’s lineup with ability to sprint 0-100 kmph in just 3.4 seconds. The EX30 comes with a closed grille and the Volvo logo at the front. The LED headlights have the signature Thor hammer shape, while at the rear, the taillights wrap around the tailgate as well as part of the C-pillar. The interior too has a very minimalist design. Dominating the cabin are two elements – the steering wheel which is flat at the top and bottom, and the central 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
Volvo EX30 will be offered with two choices of battery pack. The basic version is with a single motor which can churn out 272 hp of power. It comes equipped with a 51 kWh battery that helps the electric SUV to offer 344 kms of range on a single charge. There is also an Extended Range version using the same motor, but has a larger 69 kWh battery pack. It promises to offer 480-km range. The top of the range Twin Motor Performance version comes with dual electric motor and generates 428 hp of power. It can sprint from 0 to 100 kmph in just 3.4 seconds, faster than any Volvo ever. It can offer 460 kms of range on a single charge.
Thar Earth Edition is based on the LX hardtop variant; available with a choice of petrol or diesel powertrains.
Mahindra has launched the Thar Earth Edition with prices ranging from Rs 15.4 lakh-17.6 lakh (ex-showroom). The special edition costs Rs 40,000 more than the LX trim on which it is based. The SUV is limited only to the 4×4 models and while it remains mechanically unchanged, read on to know what’s new.
Mahindra Thar Earth Edition prices
Variant
Price (ex-showroom)
Petrol MT 4WD
Rs 15.4 lakh
Petrol AT 4WD
Rs 16.99 lakh
Diesel MT 4WD
Rs 16.15 lakh
Diesel AT 4WD
Rs 17.6 lakh
Finished in ’Desert Fury’ matte paint finish
Available with manual and automatic transmissions
Mahindra Thar Earth Edition design and features
The Mahindra Thar Earth Edition is finished in a special shade of matte paint that the company calls ‘Desert Fury’, and also gets special ‘Earth Edition’ badges on the B-pillars and rear fenders.
The Mahindra Thar Earth Edition gets a similar colour scheme on the inside, with the leatherette upholstery finished in dual-tone shades of beige and black. Carrying on the desert-inspired theme, the SUV gets line art that replicates the shape of dunes on the headrest. There’s a dark chrome finish on elements such as the Mahindra logo on the steering wheel, cupholders, gear knob and gear console.
Mahindra has said that each Thar Earth Edition will get a vehicle identification plate on the inside, which will be numbered, starting from ‘1’. While this is a common practice for limited-edition models, Mahindra has not specified if this special edition of the Thar will be produced in limited numbers.
Mahindra Thar Earth Edition powertrain and performance
The Mahindra Thar Earth Edition is available only on the 4×4 variants, with the same choice of a petrol and diesel engines. The 2.0-litre petrol unit produces 152hp, 300Nm and can be mated to either a 6-speed auto or a 6-speed manual gearbox. The 2.2-litre diesel mill churns out 132hp, 300Nm that can also be mated to either a 6-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual gearbox.
Mahindra Thar waiting period and upcoming launches
As of February 14, 2024, Mahindra had 71,000 open bookingsfor the Thar, which included 4WD and RWD models. According to our dealer sources, since the introduction of the RWD model, the 4WD demand has dropped considerably. This is reflected in the waiting periods, with the 4WD models demanding a waiting period of 4-5 months, and the diesel RWD models, a wait of almost 1 year. The launch of the Thar Earth Edition could be seen as a move by Mahindra to increase the number of Thar 4WD sales
Mahindra also recently confirmed that the 5-door Thar will be launched this year.
