Mercedes-Benz E-Class facelift to launch in India on 16th March

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March 12, 2021

Mercedes-Benz E-Class is getting a facelift that is launching in India on 16th March 2021.

Here are some highlights of the upcoming E-Class

The E-Class LWB comes with a 140mm longer wheelbase when compared to the standard car
There are design changes that are near identical to the standard E-Class facelift
The E-Class would also get the sporty AMG-line trim in India

The E-Class is updated with a long-wheelbase guise that actually made its debut at the Beijing Motor show last year. The newer 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class would get a new headlight, grille, and bumper design, that would be much wider than the chrome-laden grille. There would also be additional chrome bezels for the fog lamp inserts.

At the back, the new E-Class comes with a pair of thin tail-lights that look very much like the new S-Class and the C-Class. These styling refreshes align the refreshed E-Class with the more up-to-date vehicle range from the German brand that additionally comes with the A-Class Limousine, which will likewise come to India on March 25, 2021.

For the powertrain options now, it is expected that there would be the same set of engine options as the standard car. This includes the E 200 that is powered by a 197hp, 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol, the diesel E 220d that comes with a 194hp, 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel; and the E 350d that uses the company’s 3.0-litre straight-six diesel.

Well with that said, do let us know your opinion on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class facelift by dropping a comment down below.

Audi E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback to launch in the first-half of this year in India

By

Madhav Banka

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March 11, 2021

Audi E-Tron SUV and the E-Tron Sportback would soon be arriving in India by the first half of this year. This is a confirmed development and also Audi has released a teaser video of the upcoming luxury EVs.

Audi E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback can also get two electric motors that would make a combined 408hp
There would be a 95kWh battery pack that would deliver over 400km on the WLTP cycle
To rival the Mercedes-Benz EQC and Jaguar I-Pace, Volvo XC40 Recharge

Now for the powertrain options, both of these are expected to get an electric motor on each axle, which makes a combined 360hp and 561Nm of peak torque in standard Drive mode, which helps achieve a claimed 0-100kph time of 6.6sec. Whereas in the Sport mode, the electric motors develop 408hp and 664Nm, reducing the time at 0-100kph sprint time to 5.7sec.

It packs in a 95kWh battery pack that weighs around 700kg and comes with a range of over 400km on the WLTP cycle. Audi says a 150kW DC fast charger would charge the battery to 80 percent in just 30 minutes, while using a standard 11kW wall charger would take 8.5 hours to charge to full. Audi says a 150kW DC quick charger would charge the battery to 80 percent in only 30 minutes while the standard 11kW divider charger would require 8.5 hours to charge fully.

The highlights list for the E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback gets two touchscreens – an upper 10.1-inch screen and a lower 8.8-inch screen which is associated with a vehicle tech, grid LED headlights, a bunch of driver help frameworks.

Speaking of the rivals, there is the Mercedes-Benz EQC (priced at Rs 1.04 crore), the Jaguar I-Pace and Volvo XC40 Recharge which is yet to launch. We can expect the E-Tron SUV to be priced somewhere similar to the range while the Sportback would be costing a bit more.

Well with that said, do let us know your opinions on the new Audi E-Tron by dropping a comment down below.

Tata Motors launches Wheels of Love program to support parenthood

By

Madhav Banka

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March 11, 2021

Tata Motors has announced the launch of Wheels of Love, which is a holistic program that would help support new parents.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Ravindra Kumar G.P., Chief Human Resources Officer, Tata Motors, said, “At Tata Motors, we have embraced diversity and inclusion at all levels as a strategy to success. Over the years, we have strived to cultivate a gender diverse workspace, which is both sensitive and inclusive. It’s built on the foundation of creating an ecosystem that is attractive and supportive to women professionals at various stages of their life and career. ‘Wheels of Love’ takes this thinking forward by creating a cohesive network of connect, warmth and support for new and expectant parents to enjoy the bliss of parenthood.”

Alongside this, there is also a special book named, ‘Wheels of Love’ that would help enable new parents to successfully manage the need to focus on their growing family while also fulfilling their career goals. In addition to guiding parents, the books also provide valuable insights for managers to support their team members as they progress through the various stages of parenthood.

Some key points have been mentioned below, for readers to have a better overview-

Announcing pregnancy at the workplace, understanding the manager’s dilemma, effective management of work deliverables, job handover, maternity leave management, and transition back to work
Mother and Manager guide to help navigate through the various phases of maternity, becoming a parent, and transitioning back to work
Dedicated Counselling Sessions for new parents to address emotional and psychological challenges that may arise
One-to-one coaching sessions for pregnant/new mothers and their managers to manage work transitions
Assigning a Buddy to the new mothers to keep in touch with her workplace during the maternity break
Employee Resource Groups, a special community of new parents, to engage, share learnings and experiences
Webinars on relevant topics, including guidance on preparing for newborns, childcare responsibilities for dual-career couples, and much more

Well with that said, do let us know your opinions on this new Wheels of Love program by Tata by dropping a comment down below.

Ford Introduces New EcoSport SE Featuring Global Design Cues at INR 10.49 Lakh

By

Madhav Banka

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March 10, 2021

empty brick platform with shanghai city in the background at sunrise/sunset

Ford India today has introduced a brand-new variant to the EcoSport lineup, which is priced at Rs. 10.49 Lakh for petrol while the diesel variant is priced at Rs. 10.99 lakh.

Commenting on this launch, Vinay Raina, executive director, Marketing, Sales & Service at Ford India said, “Customers increasingly follow global benchmarks in design and look for things that are unique and distinctive, just like the new EcoSport SE,” further adding, “The SE carries forward EcoSport’s fun to drive credentials as well as its rich legacy of outstanding safety and best-in-segment technologies like SYNC 3.”

The new EcoSport SE comes with the brand’s 1.5L three-cylinder TiVCT petrol engine that delivers segment-best 122 PS of power & 149 Nm of torque. Whereas for the diesel variant, the EcoSport SE is paired with a 1.5L TDCi diesel engine, that delivers a peak power of 100 PS and peak torque of 215 Nm. Both the engines will be paired to Ford’s responsive and agile five-speed manual gearbox.

The car comes with up to six airbags for protection for the driver and for passengers as well. It comes with the best-in-segment SYNC 3 infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility on EcoSport SE and top-of-the-line S variant. Ford has also included driver assistance features like automatic HID headlamps, daytime running lights, electrochromic mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, push-button start, and scores of other intuitive features.

Well with that said, do let us know your opinions on the new Ford Ecosport SE by dropping a comment down below.

Kia has revealed the first official images of the #EV6 – its first dedicated battery electric vehicle

By

Madhav Banka

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March 9, 2021

According to some reports, Kia is ready for electric vehicles to be sold globally and it has also announced new names for these new cars. More like, they have announced a new naming strategy for them.

Some main highlights have been mentioned below, for the reader to have a better overview-

The new Kia EV6 would be their first dedicated EV.
It will be based on the Hyundai Ioniq5.
More Kia models could be having a similar naming scheme.

Kia’s first electric vehicles would be seeing a world debut in the coming weeks. The new model saw in 2019 by the strong Imagine idea, will be known as the EV6. Each bespoke electric Kia will receive the EV prefix and a number that compares to its size. As a component of the wide-arriving at Plan S change methodology. The brand will move its concentrate away from ICE vehicles to EVs, seven of which it will dispatch by 2027.

The EV6 will be the principal Kia model to utilize the new E-GMP stage, which additionally supports sister brand Hyundai’s new Ioniq 5 hybrid. Furnished with 800V charging usefulness and lightweight batteries, the secluded engineering offers the greatest scope of more than 498km.

Well with that said, do let us know your opinions on the new Kia EV6 by dropping a comment down below.

Front passenger airbag made mandatory for all new cars from April 1

By

Madhav Banka

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March 9, 2021

The provision of a front passenger airbag has been mandated for all passenger vehicles in the country. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has now issued a notification that tells to make the dual airbags compulsory.

Some of the main highlights have been mentioned below, for readers to have a better overview-

Existing cars which are on sale have time till August 31, while newer models to change until April 1.
All the entry-level models from Maruti, Hyundai, Mahindra, Renault, and Datsun would be affected.
The prices of these budget cars are expected to go up by Rs 5,000-8,000.

Firstly, the new models that are being dispatched in the market will have two airbags as standard. Every one of the vehicles, similar to the Maruti Suzuki Eeco, Alto, S-Presso, Celerio, Wagon R, Hyundai Santro, Renault Kwid, Datsun Redigo, and the Mahindra Bolero, which are as yet being retailed either without a traveler airbag through and through, or with one offered as a paid choice.

Following the most recent guideline, at that point, the list of compulsory security equipment in vehicles is currently more, and furthermore incorporates ABS, back leaving sensors, front inhabitant safety belt updates, and a rapid ready framework. Pushing ahead, the public authority is pondering the presentation of more dynamic security gadgets, as AEB (self-sufficient crisis slowing down) and ESC (electronic soundness control), that can help forestall mishaps.

Well with that said, do let us know your opinions on this new mandatory rule by dropping a comment down below.

New BattRE Electric Scooter Plant would help to double the production

By

Madhav Banka

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March 9, 2021

BattRE will soon start its new manufacturing facility in Jaipur through which accordingly would help to double the rate of production. Currently, the facility of Jaipur has a production capacity of 1,000 units per month, so we can expect it to be around 2000 units a month due to this.

This new facility is expected to commence operations from June this year which would help the brand’s upcoming flurry of new electric motorcycle launches. The startup was built with the vision of providing sustainable mobility for short-distance commutes, especially for daily travelers.

The company is the first one to manufacture India’s first LFP powered electric scooter with up to 42ah capacity and 110 km of single-charge and is capable of 2000 recharge cycles. They were launched in June of 2019 but now it boasts more than 120 dealerships and over 100 charging stations across the country.

They currently retail four things; Batt:RE ONE; Batt: Re LO: EV; Batt: RE IOT; Batt: RE GPS: ie and Batt: RE E-Cycles, e-scooters, and one electric bicycle as well. Commenting on this occasion of development, Nishchal Chaudhary, Founder of BattRE said that, The brand envisions building more efficient and powerful vehicles going forward.

Well with that said, do let us know your opinions on this new BattRE Electric Scooter Plant by dropping a comment down below.

Isuzu D-Max Price Increased By Rs 1 Lakh – BS6 V-Cross SUV Launch Expected In April

By

Madhav Banka

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March 6, 2021

Isuzu had to discontinue all of their cars in India until March of 2020 as none of their cars met BS6 norms. That coupled with the COVID 19 crisis, lockdown and stuff, the launch of vehicles that met BS6 took some time to launch in India. But finally in Oct of 2020, Isuzu did launch their first BS6 vehicle which was the D-Max and the S-Cab.

Both the D-Max and and the S-Cab are pick up trucks that were launched from Rs 7.84 lakh onwards (Ex-Showroom). Unfortunately, in Jan of this year, the prices were increased by Rs 10k, and now, gain in March of 2021, Isuzu has announced that the prices will be increased yet again. This time, however the prices would be increased by Rs 1 lakh which is quite a lot of money. This new price change will be taking effect from the 1st April of this year.

Alonside this, Isuzu is also planning to bring back the V-Cross in India. However, Isuzu won’t be bringing in the third generation pick-up truck in the near future. Instead of which, they would be planning to continue with the second generation V-Cross for the Indian market.

Isuzu offered the V-Cross with 2 different diesel engine options, one with a 2.5L diesel and the other one with a 1.9 litre diesel motor. Whereas the larger engine came with a Manual Transmission and the 1.9 litre diesel came to a AT setup.

There isn’t much info on the price, but we expect the pricing of the V Cross to go up a by a little, due to the BS6 upgrade. The pricing should most probably be around the Rs. 20 lakh mark. In the pre BS 6 period, the base variant of the V-Cross was priced at Rs. 16.5 lakhs while the first in class Z Prestige trim was priced at Rs. 19.9 lakhs (ex-showroom price). Because of its exceptional suggestion, the V Cross doesn’t see many direct adversaries in the Indian market.

Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo revealed

By

Madhav Banka

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March 6, 2021

Porsche has finally unveiled its new and much-awaited Taycan Cross Turismo. It actually is a wagon-shaped, off-road-ready version of the Porsche Taycan, which was launched back in 2020.

Some of the highlights have been mentioned below, for readers to have a better overview of the topic-

The Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo is actually a production unit of the Mission E Cross Turismo concept
It gets four power outputs
It comes with a standard air suspension and also an off-road-inspired body kit as well.

The Cross Turismo also gets a protective body kit with debris-deflecting winglets at each corner and rides 20mm higher than the Taycan sedan. It is designed to use on “gravel tracks of muddy road surfaces,” as this function also offers the settings for the throttle, suspension management, traction control, and torque-vectoring systems to provide maximum traction. There is also air suspension present as a standard across the Cross Turismo range, and it can also be set to automatically raise and lower the car.

Moving towards its powertrain, it gets a top-rung 93.4kWh Performance Battery Plus which is a standard on all Cross Turismo models. It gives a range between 387 to 455km, which depends on the car’s specification. It packs in the same 380hp motor as the entry-level rear-wheel-drive Taycan sedan and matches the 5.1sec 0-100kph time while falling 10kph short at the top end with a maximum speed of just 220kph.

Well with that said, do let us know your opinions on the new Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo, by dropping a comment down below.

Tata Motors launches the Tiago XTA variant. Now has 4 vehicles with AMT as an option

By

Madhav Banka

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March 5, 2021

Tata Motors has announced the launch of the new XTA variant of the Tata Tiago, it starts at a price of Rs. 5.99 Lakhs (Ex. Showroom Delhi). With this new launch, the maker is making its automatic lineup better with 4 AMT options, also adding an AMT variant to the XT trim of the existing Tata Tiago. Also read, Tata Motors delivers 100 units all-new Safari in Delhi-NCR in one day

Commenting on this, Mr. Vivek Srivatsa, Head Marketing, Passenger Vehicle Business Unit (PVBU), Tata Motors said, “Fulfilling our brand promise of staying New Forever, we are constantly listening and gathering feedback from the market. The Tiago has received a tremendous market response from across regions. Furthermore, the automatic transmission (AT) segment in India is booming and the same has been proven in the sales of Tiago as well. Acknowledging the increasing preference for ATs we are excited to introduce the XTA version to the range and are confident that this new variant will not only give us a competitive edge in the mid-hatch segment but will also provide customers with accessible options to choose from at every price point.”

The Tiago has been very successful in its segment since its launch. The Tiago’s BS6 version was introduced back in 2020 and it had also received a 4-star safety rating by GNCAP at launch, making it the safest in its segment. It comes with a variety of exciting features such as the 7-inch Infotainment Touchscreen by Harman, 15-inch Alloy Wheels, Automatic Climate Control, and a Digital Instrument Custer.

Well with that said, do let us know your opinions on the new Tata Tiago XTA, by dropping a comment down below.