Scrapping your old car may fetch more soon

  Owners of old and polluting automobiles may get additional benefits to scrap them in the near future, two people familiar with the matter said, with the government reviewing the existing scrappage policy that has found few takers so far. The road transport ministry is discussing additional benefits to encourage scrapping, and the prime minister’s office (PMO) will greenlight the final policy, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity. The policy may be rolled out by the new government that takes office after the next general elections. The head of BMW Group Designworks steered his car into a rest stop, highway traffic whizzing by in the background, and then dialed into his meeting. “I can’t concentrate on driving if I’m talking," says Holger Hampf, whose unit is internally known as “architects of the future." This pit stop, he says, happens to be an excellent example of what will change in the future. One day when cars can eventually drive themselves, executives will be able to sit back and work just as if they were in the office.   

Joy e-bike reaches electric two-wheeler sales milestone of 100,000 units

Joy e-bike, the electric two-wheeler brand of Gujarat-based Wardwizard Innovations & Mobility Ltd, has reached the cumulative sales milestone of 100,000 units. The company rolled out 100,000th unit, the Mihos, from its manufacturing facility in Vadodara.Wardwizard introduced its first low-speed electric scooter, the Butterfly, in 2018. At present, the company's product portfolio comprises of 10 models, including low-speed and high-speed variants. It has a network of over 750 touchpoints. Celebrating the sales milestone, Wardwizard has introduced several exclusive offers for customers, including discounts of up to Rs 30,000. The company is also offering free insurance on products like the Mihos, Wolf+ and Gen Next Nanu+.The offers will remain valid at all authorised Joy e-bike dealerships across India until March 31, 2024. "We are deeply grateful to our customers and stakeholders for their unwavering support, which has propelled Wardwizard to its position as a leading electric two-wheeler brand in the country. This milestone of 100,000 sales underscores the quality of our diverse product range and underscores our steadfast dedication to a sustainable future and meeting customer demands," said Yatin Gupte, Chairman and Managing Director, Wardwizard. "As we continue to innovate and empower communities through our Joy e-bike brand, we are driven by a collective vision of a greener, more sustainable mobility landscape. Our rapid growth trajectory sets our sights on reaching the 200,000 milestone by 2026," he added.  

Hyundai Creta reaches sales milestone of 1,000,000 units

The Hyundai Creta has reached the sales milestone of 1,000,000 units in India since its launch here in 2015. According to Hyundai Motor India, one Creta is sold every five minutes in the domestic market.Apart from being the largest-selling mid-size SUV in the domestic market, the Hyundai Creta has also recorded exports of 280,000 units from India. "The Hyundai Creta has been a brand that has captured the hearts of Indian customers and made India 'Live the SUV life'. With over 1 million Creta SUVs on Indian roads, the 'Creta' brand has reaffirmed its legacy of being the Undisputed SUV," said Tarun Garg, COO, Hyundai Motor India."We are extremely grateful for the love and trust our customers have shown for Creta. As frontrunners in the introduction of revolutionary technologies, we shall continue to establish new milestones and redefine benchmarks across segments in the industry," he added. The Hyundai Creta is now priced between 10,99,900 and Rs 20,14,900 (ex-showroom). It rivals the Kia Seltos, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Honda Elevate, Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Taigun and MG Astor. So far as engine options are concerned, the Creta has three -- 1.5-litre MPi petrol (115PS and 144Nm), 1.5-litre Kappa Turbo GDi petrol (160PS and 253Nm) and 1.5-litre U2 CRDi diesel (116PS and 250Nm). There are four transmission options -- 6-speed MT, IVT automatic, 7-speed DCT automatic and 6-speed AT.  

Ola S1 electric scooter range gets significant price cuts, check details here

The country's leading electric two-wheeler manfacturer, Ola Electric, has slashed the prices of its S1 electric scooter range by up to Rs 25,000. The company offers S1 X+, S1 Air and S1 Pro.The price cut comes following the softening of battery cell prices in the international markets. A battery makes up nearly 40% of the cost of an electric vehicle (EV). Ola Electric's retail sales increased 75.73% to 32,252 units in January 2024 from 18,353 units in the same month last year, according to data from the industry body Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA). The company sold 30,263 units in December 2023. The industry-wide electric two-wheeler sales rose 26.14% to 81,608 units in January 2024 from 64,694 units in the year-ago month. The retail sales stood at 75,522 units in December 2023.In the passenger vehicle (PV) segment, Tata Motors recently reduced the prices of the Nexon.ev by up to Rs 1.2 lakh and that of the Tiago.ev by up to Rs 70,000. MG Motor India also slashed the prices of the Comet EV and the ZS EV earlier this month    

Aston Martin Vantage facelift revealed, gains new look, more power

British luxury car maker Aston Martin has taken the wraps off the new Vantage. This is a mid-life update for the car, which includes changes to the exterior, interior, as well as engineering bits, especially the motor which now puts out more power. The brand launched the DB12 Super Tourer in India recently. Visually the new Aston Martin Vantage has grown in size, with a 30mm bump in width, which helps with a meaner stance. The front end now comes with a huge grille, which is 38 per cent larger and offers 29 per cent more airflow to the engine bay. There are additional cooling intakes as well a splitter, all aiding the aero. There are larger fully matrix LED headlamps with LED DRLs which brings in the Aston Martin Light Signature. The iconic Aston Martin side strake has returned, while the car rides on larger 21-inch forged alloy wheels. Other elements of the new Vantage include a wider bumper, wider wheel arches, frameless door mirrors and flush door handles. Like the new Aston Martin DB12, the new Vantage too brings in a heavily revamped cabin. This includes a new 10.25-inch infotainment display which runs in-house developed user interface, allowing a number of connectivity options. The brand continues with its physical buttons on the central console and other areas, with the surfaces covered in carbon fibre or a number of bespoke materials which can be custom-made for each customer.has Aston Martin has continued with the Mercedes-AMG sourced 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 which now produces 665bhp and 800Nm of torque. This means that the V8 Vantage now has matching performance to the older V12 Vantage, dispatching 0 to 100kmph sprint in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 325kmph. The engine has new cam profiles, compression ratios, better cooling, while the turbochargers are larger than before. This works in tune with the recalibrated 8-speed transmission, helping the Vantage with acceleration and quicker shifts.  

Tata Motors ties up with LeadIT for greener future

Tata Motors on Monday said it has tied up with the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT), a global alliance launched by governments of Sweden and India at the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019. As a member of LeadIT, the auto major will be able to harness the power of global best practices, influence policy-making, and together with other members strengthen climate action plans, thereby accelerating transition towards net-zero emissions. "Our pledge to attain net-zero emissions across our Passenger Vehicles (PV) business by 2040, and our Commercial Vehicles (CV) business by 2045, is a testament to our commitment to a greener future," Tata Motors Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer SJR Kutty said in a statement. Joining forces with LeadIT propels the automaker closer to these ambitious goals, facilitating a journey towards sustainable transformation, he added. "Our pledge to attain net-zero emissions across our Passenger Vehicles (PV) business by 2040, and our Commercial Vehicles (CV) business by 2045, is a testament to our commitment to a greener future," Tata Motors Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer SJR Kutty said in a statement.Joining forces with LeadIT propels the automaker closer to these ambitious goals, facilitating a journey towards sustainable transformation, he added.   

This Week’s Hottest Two-Wheeler News Stories

The upcoming KTM 390 Adventure, based on the all-new KTM 390 Duke, has been spied testing on Indian roads for the second time. It gets an aggressive looking front-end with a beak-like high-rise fender and a sleek looking rear-end. The instrument console mounted high above the handlebar, like the consoles seen on rally bikes.The iconic Luna finally made its comeback this week as Kinetic Green launched the all-new Kinetic E-Luna in two variants: X1 and X2. It has a range of upto 100km and a top speed of 50kmph with a payload capacity of 150kg. The upcoming Ather Rizta’s seat was teased by the EV maker’s CEO, Tarun Mehta, this week. The seat is quite long and wide, an indicator of the family-oriented approach from Ather Energy with the Rizta electric scooter.The Yamaha FZ-X got updated this week but only with new colour schemes. The 150cc naked got new Chrome and Metallic Black colour options on top of the Matte Titan, Dark Matte Blue and Matte Copper already available. Bajaj launched the updated Bajaj Pulsar N160 and N150 this week. The bikes get all-new LCD instrument consoles with smartphone connectivity via Bajaj Ride Connect app and the switchgears are updated too.It seems like, in addition to the upcoming 350cc ADV, Honda might also be working on a scrambler based on the CB350’s platform. Some of the details spotted in the images were that the bike will get a split-seat setup, fork gaiters, upswept exhaust and alloy wheels.    

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga achieves fastest 10 lakh sales milestone in India

Maruti Suzuki's Ertiga has achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the fastest MPV to reach 10 lakh sales in India, reported PTI. The three-row MPV, a strong contender against rivals like Renault Triber and Kia Carens, currently holds the title of the best-selling model in its category, boasting more than one-third of the market share among all multi-purpose vehicles sold in the country. Launched in 2012 and receiving its latest facelift in 2022, the Ertiga has played a pivotal role in driving Maruti Suzuki's sales in the utility vehicle segment. With an average monthly sale of over 10,000 units, the Ertiga, along with the XL6 and Invicto, completes Maruti's offering in the three-row MPV segment. The inclusion of a CNG version has contributed to the Ertiga's higher volume sales as the more entry-level MPV from Maruti. Reaching the 10-lakh sales milestone in just 12 years since its debut, the Ertiga has garnered praise for its modern appeal and technological advancements. Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Officer of Marketing & Sales at Maruti Suzuki India Limited, noted the Ertiga's ability to attract first-time customers, particularly younger urban buyers, with 41 percent of customers falling into this category. Furthermore, 66 percent of Ertiga buyers consider it a pre-determined choice, solidifying its reputation as a lifestyle family vehicle. As per HT Auto, Maruti Suzuki highlights the Ertiga's equal popularity in both urban and rural markets, holding an impressive 37.5 percent market share in the segment. The MPV is offered in four trims and 11 variants, featuring three automatic options (VXi, Zxi, and ZXi+) and two CNG variants, including the top-of-the-line ZXi variant. With a starting price of ₹8.69 lakh and reaching up to ₹13.03 lakh (ex-showroom) for the top-end variant, the Ertiga is powered by a K-series 1.5-litre Dual VVT engine, enhancing fuel efficiency. The engine is paired with a five-speed gearbox, and a six-speed automatic unit replaces the previous four-speed automatic, with the added convenience of paddle shifters on certain models. Maruti Suzuki's Ertiga continues to make waves in the MPV segment, setting new benchmarks for sales and customer satisfaction.      

Tata Tiago, Tigor CNG AMT launched

Tata Motors has announced prices for the CNG and AMT-equipped Tiago hatchback and Tigor compact sedan. The Tiago iCNG AMT is priced from Rs 7.90 lakh, while the Tigor iCNG AMT’s price range starts at Rs 8.85 lakh. The launch of the AMT-equipped Tata iCNG models marks an Indian industry-first – the first automatic CNG passenger vehicle.Meanwhile, the Tigor iCNG AMT is available in XZA AND XZA+ form only. The brand claims that the 1.2-litre engine, shared between the hatchback and compact sedan, will deliver 28.06km per kg of CNG. In addition, the brand has introduced a new Tornado Blue colour for the Tiago, Grassland Beige for the Tiago NRG, and Meteor Bronze for the Tigor. Other than the addition of the 5-speed AMT, and the above mentioned new exterior finishes, the Tiago and Tigor are unchanged. Tata Motors is aiming to up the ante in terms of safety of its future products. Speaking to our sister publication Autocar Professional on the sidelines of last week’s Bharat Mobility Global Expo, Mohan Savarkar, chief product officer, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, said, “Our main aim is to ensure safe mobility for our customers, and it is not a journey that we have embarked on only recently. In 1997, we set up our in-house crash test lab in Pune even before the Indica was launched. It is one of the most advanced private crash-test laboratories in India till date. Savarkar further said that while a higher-than-regulation structural safety is already built into Tata Motors' cars – with all its products having received some crash test rating or the other by agencies like the Global NCAP – the company is closely watching the space about augmenting passive safety features like six airbags, and offering them as standard.  

Taycan facelift now Porsche’s most powerful road car

Porsche has facelifted the Taycan for the first time since it went into production in 2019, but unlike most facelifts where updates are largely cosmetic, in true Porsche fashion, the Taycan gets a ton of electrical upgrades – it's more powerful, gets better electric hardware, is more efficient, and naturally, has better performance as well. Porsche hasn’t revealed the detailed specs of all the variants, but says every single model in the line-up is now more powerful, and faster. The most significant updates are to the rear axle motor, which now produces up to 109hp more than before, depending on the model. All motors are lighter, and get revised internals for better efficiency and more power. In its top-rung Turbo S guise, the Taycan now produces 952hp when using launch control – up from 761hp of the outgoing model. This now makes the Taycan the most powerful Porsche ever, taking over from the 887hp 918 Spyder hypercar. 0-100kph sprint time has also resultingly come down from 2.8 seconds to just 2.4 seconds, again making it the fastest accelerating Porsche ever. However, it’s the base rear-wheel drive model that sees the biggest jump in off-the-line performance, accelerating from 0-100kph in 4.5 seconds – up 0.6 seconds from the outgoing version. The base now produces 483hp, up from 326hp of the outgoing model. Additionally, variants equipped with the Sport Chrono package get a ‘push to pass’ button that offers a temporary boost of 95hp for a maximum of 10 seconds at a time. Sheer performance aside, Porsche has also improved the battery and range, especially since the range has never been a strong suit of the outgoing Taycan. There’s a new battery with revised cell chemistry, gross capacity for the larger Performance Battery Plus has gone up from 93.4kWh to 105kWh, and the 800V architecture will now be able to recuperate energy at up to 320kW, up by 50. Meanwhile, base models get their battery upgraded to 89kWh, up from 79.2kWh.  

Car and SUV users in Bengaluru and Pune took over 27 minutes to travel 10km in CY2023

Traffic remains a challenge worldwide as life returns to pre-pandemic levels. Four Indian cities are among the 80 cities in the 2023 TomTom Traffic Index study, which found that drivers took more than 20 minutes to complete a 10-kilometre trip. The findings of the 2023 TomTom Traffic Index are out and four Indian cities – Bengaluru, Pune, Delhi and Mumbai – are among the 387 cities in 55 countries on six continents surveyed for their traffic trends. The latest and 13th edition of the global study covers metrics such as congestion, average travel time, the impact of rush-hour traffic on vehicle users and the environmental impact. What’s more, it also tracks the cost of driving which, in a world impacted by inflation, is eating into motorists’ income. Bengaluru and Pune, ranked No. 6 and No. 7 respectively have the dubious distinction to be among the Top 10 cities with the slowest traffic globally. The average travel time for a typical 10km-long-journey in Bengaluru in CY2023 was 28 minutes and 10 seconds, one minute less than it did in CY2022 – if that is of any solace to motorists in that city. As per the TomTom Traffic Index for 2023, London continues to be the world’s slowest city – average travel time for a 10km drive there was 37 minutes and 20 seconds. That’s a minute more than in 2022 and nearly two minutes more than in 2021, which indicates a gradual return to the pre-Covid-19 trend of consistently increasing traffic. It’s the same in the four Indian cities named in this survey.Dublin (Ireland), Toronto (Canada), Milan (Italy) and Lima (Peru) are ranked second, third, fourth and fifth respectively, just above Bengaluru and Pune. Meanwhile, motorists in New Delhi (ranked No. 44) took 21 minutes and 40 seconds to cover the same distance, clocking 24kph average speed in rush-hour and losing a cumulative 81 hours last year. Compared to 2022, Delhi car users saved 30 seconds on each trip. Compared to 2022, Delhi car users saved 30 seconds on each trip, owing to the rapid improvement in the national capital’s road infrastructure that is now brimming with flyovers, roundabouts, and now tunnels that aim to eliminate long snarls. New Delhi is also benefiting from other traffic-smoothening initiatives. As part of the Zero Fatality Corridor (ZFC) initiative in New Delhi, the SaveLIFE Foundation tests temporary urban design interventions through Tactical Urbanism Trials. An essential component of these trials is road space redistribution to ensure modal equity, road geometrics modification, traffic channelisation, vehicular speed reduction, and addition of pedestrian and cyclist safety infrastructure. India’s financial capital Mumbai, which has an estimated vehicle population of 4.5 million units and over 1.3 million privately owned passenger vehicles, remains traffic gridlocked. The slow-traffic scenario is also exacerbated by the major road construction work underway across different parts of the city which is seeing multiple projects being implemented to reduce traffic intensity in the near future.  

Maruti Grand Vitara gets up to Rs 75,000 off on MY2023 stocks

Maruti Suzuki is offering attractive discounts and benefits on Nexa models such as the Grand Vitara, Jimny, Baleno and Ignis this February. These can be availed in the form of cash discounts and exchange offers and is available on both MY2023 and MY2024 production units. The only models not listed with any offers are the XL6 and Invicto MPVs. MY2023 units of the Grand Vitara hybrid can be had with benefits of up to Rs 75,000 which includes cash discounts and exchange offers. Meanwhile, the MY2024 units are listed with benefits of Rs 50,000 which just includes an exchange offer. Regular petrol variants of the Grand Vitara are listed with benefits of up to Rs 45,000 and Rs 30,000 for MY2023 and MY2024, respectively. This is the highest benefit the Grand Vitara has been available with in a while. The highest benefit from the Nexa lineup this February is on the Jimny. It continues to be offered with Rs 1.50 lakh cash discount on the top-spec Alpha trim while the lower Zeta trim gets Rs 50,000 off. These are, however, only applicable on MY2023 units. MY2024 units of the Jimny are not listed with any benefits currently. While the SUV is capable off-road, the high sticker price has resulted in sluggish sales. The SUV has since received multiple discounts, including a Rs 2.3 lakh discount in December. 2023 model year of the Maruti Suzuki Ignis manual get discounts of up to Rs 55,000, while automatic variants get up to Rs 50,000 off. For 2024 models, the discounts are marginally less but still substantial. Manual transmission variants made in 2024 get benefits of up to Rs 45,000, while automatic variants get discounts of up to Rs 40,000. The Ignis is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine that puts out 83hp and 113Nm. It’s available with the choice of a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed AMT. The Maruti Suzuki Baleno has been a strong performer for the Nexa brand and is available with petrol and CNG powertrains. Petrol models manufactured in 2023 are available with benefits of up to Rs 35,000 that’s inclusive of cash discount and exchange bonuses, while CNG variants get up to Rs 15,000 off as an exchange bonus. 2024 models get benefits of up to Rs 30,000 and Rs 35,000 on petrol and CNG, respectively.  The Baleno is offered with a 1.2-litre engine that produces 90hp, 113Nm and can be mated to either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed AMT. While using CNG, the engine output drops to 78hp and 98.5Nm, and it is only available with the 5-speed manual gearbox. Ciaz models manufactured in 2023 are offered with benefits of up to Rs 45,000, while models manufactured in 2024 get benefits of up to Rs 25,000 in the form of cash discount and exchange offers. The Ciaz is powered by a 105hp, 1.5-litre petrol engine and is available with either a five-speed manual or a four-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. Its interiors are dated and the petrol engine is unexciting, but its spacious cabin and smart pricing make it a level-headed buy