Suzuki Ignis Crash Test Results In A 3-Star Safety Rating; Honda Amaze Gets 4-Stars

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May 30, 2019

Indian-make of Maruti Suzuki Ignis has received its safety ratings recently as Global NCAP conducted the crash tests on the car. Manufactured in India, the Ignis received the same result as its European make, i.e. a total of 3-stars for the adult occupant protection. The ratings were inferred from a frontal crash test of the car.

The Ignis model under the scanner this time was the African-spec version that comes with two airbags at the front and ABS as standard. The one sold in India further complements these safety features with ABS with EBD, reverse parking sensors, co-driver seat belt reminder, seat belt pre-tensioners with force limiters and ISOFIX child seat mount and high-speed alert system as a standard across all variants.

Maruti Suzuki Ignis Crash Test (Global NCAP)

Upon the frontal crash test at 64 kmph and at an offset of 40%, the Global NCAP team declared the vehicle structure as unstable, offering weak chest protection for the driver. As for the safety of the child occupant, Ignis scored a single star safety rating. This was also because Suzuki did not recommend a child restraint system for the test. The result – the child seat was declared as not good enough to protect the chest area of a three year old child dummy.

Meanwhile, Honda Amaze also underwent the crash tests and received a 4-star safety rating for adult occupant protection and a 1-star rating for the protection of child occupants.

With these scores, do you feel the Suzuki Ignis and the Honda Amaze meet your expectations of safety standards in Indian vehicles, or not? Let us know in the comment section below.

Honda Activa 5G, CB Shine Limited Edition Launched At A Starting Price Of Rs 55,032

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May 29, 2019

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. has increased the offerings on two of its flagship vehicles – Activa 5G and CB Shine by launching new Limited Edition variants of the two. With the new unveilings, the Activa 5G will now come in 10 new premium style additions while the CB Shine will be offered in 5 new premium styles.

As for the Limited Edition Activa 5G, the Honda scooter will be available in two new dual-colour options among the 10 new options. These dual tone colour variants include Pearl Precious White with Matte Selene Silver and Strontium Silver Metallic with Pearl Igenous Black.

Similar options will be seen on the CB Shine, as the five new stylings will include two new dual-tone colours- Black with Imperial red metallic and Black with Spear silver metallic.

In addition to the new colours, the Activa 5G limited edition will also come with a completely blacked out engine, black rims and a chrome muffler cover. Contrasting colours will be found on the grab rail, inner of the interior cover and the seat of the scooter. The new limited edition of the scooter will starts retailing at Rs. 55,032 (ex-showroom Delhi).

As for the Honda CB Shine Limited Edition, the 125-cc motorcycle is the market leader in its segment and the second highest selling two-wheeler, only next to Activa, in the country. With no other changes than the styling, the Honda bike will now come with new graphics, at a starting price of Rs. 59,083 (ex-showroom Delhi) for the drum brakes variant, while the disc brake variant will retail for Rs 63,743, a minimal of Rs 300 hike over the standard bikes.

Hyundai Venue Launched Starting At Rs 6.5 Lakh: Here Is All You Need To Know

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May 21, 2019

Hyundai India has launched its much awaited sub-4-metre compact SUV, the Hyundai Venue. Making its entry as India’s first connected SUV, the new offering from the South Korean automaker comes with a starting price tag of Rs 6.50 lakh (ex-showroom) and will be available in a total of 13 options, combining 8 petrol and 5 diesel variants.

These 13 variants of the Venue come in 5 trims – E, S, SX, SX(O), and SX+ and are segregated on the basis of their engine and transmission. The three engine options available are: 1.2-litre petrol, 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol and 1.4-litre diesel. Similarly, the three transmission options include 5-speed manual, a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed DCT (Automatic).

As for the performance numbers, the 1.4-litre diesel engine is able to produce 90 PS and 220 Nm of torque with its 6-speed manual. The 1.2-litre petrol engine churns out 83 PS and 115 Nm torque on a 5-speed manual for the base variants of the Venue. The highlight, however, is the 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine which delivers 120 PS of power and 172 Nm of torque through a 7-speed DCT.

Apart from the drivetrains, the Venue comes with a rather aggressive price tag, considering the fact that the company is claiming it to be the country’s first connected car. The term basically entitles the connectivity features offered by the SUV, thanks to the embedded BlueLink technology. The features offered through this include remote AC on/ off, remote car lock/ unlock, remote start, climate control, Find my car, vehicle diagnostics and more. There are a total of 33 such features in the Venue.

These features are enabled by an eSIM that comes embedded in the car. Hyundai has partnered with Vodafone/ Idea for this and is promising a 3-year free data subscription for the purpose.

As for the the colour options, the Venue comes in 7 monotone colours, including Fiery Red, Star Dust, Polar White, Typhoon Silver, Deep Forest, Lava Orange and Denim Blue. Meanwhile, the dual-tone colour combinations include White with Black roof, Blue with White roof and Orange with Black roof.

At its price, it will be interesting to see the Venue take on the likes of Tata Nexon and the Mahindra XUV300. With almost similar performance numbers, the Venue will have an edge in terms of its connectivity features. Though keep in mind that not all of the variants offer these connected car features.

Pre-bookings of the Hyundai Venue will begin from May 2, 2019.

Suzuki Gixxer SF 250, Gixxer SF 150 Launched At A Starting Price Of Rs 1.10 Lakh

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May 20, 2019

Suzuki India has now entered the highly competitive segment of the 250cc engine offerings in the market by launching its Gixxer SF 250 in the country. The new sport bike was launched alongside its lighter counterpart, namely the Gixxer SF 150. The two new bikes from the house of Suzuki will be available at a starting price of Rs 1,70,655 and Rs 1,09,870 (ex-showroom, Delhi) respectively.

Suzuki Gixxer SF 250

The all-new Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 will be competing against the likes of Honda CBR 250 and the KTM Duke 250 and for this, Suzuki has tried an all new design on the sport bike. The Gixxer SF 250 boasts of an all-LED headlamp and a fairing that manage to deliver a sharp and sporty look to the bike. In addition, the bike gets split seats, clip-on handlebars, a new instrument cluster with white backlight, multi-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels, telescopic forks at the front and a monoshock suspension at the rear. The bikes also offers a dual-channel ABS.

As for its performance, the Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 will come with a 249 cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine that is able to generate 26hp and 22.6 Nm of torque. The motorcycle carries a 6-speed transmission for its 161 kg kerb weight.

Suzuki Gixxer SF 150

As an update to the existing model, the new Gixxer SF 150 comes at a Rs 12,000 higher price tag than the older model which had a starting price of Rs 98,076 (ex-showroom, Delhi). It is powered by the same 154.9 cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine though, churning out 14.8hp and 14 Nm of torque. More similarities can be found in the suspensions, dual disc brakes and the single channel ABS system of the motorcycle.

The new model proves to be costlier due to the strengthened frame with a thicker centre tube and a retuned suspension, as per Suzuki. Design changes can also be observed in the new Gixxer SF 150’s revised fairing, sharper LED headlamps, split seats and the tweaked instrument cluster.

The closest competition for the motorcycle will be the newly launched Xtreme 200S, priced at Rs 98,500.

MG Motor Hector Unveiled As India’s First Internet Car; To Take On Compass, Harrier

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May 15, 2019

MG Hector has been unveiled as India's first internet car.

MG (Morris Garages) is finally on its way to mark its entry to India with the launch of its first SUV in the country. The British auto maker has unveiled the Hector, which, it is terming as India’s first internet car, offering 50+ connected features.

In addition, the Hector also comes as India’s first 48V hybrid SUV, a mild hybrid technology that is meant to reduce the emissions from the SUV’s petrol engine. A 48-volt lithium ion battery helps store energy and provide extra torque assistance of up to 20 Nm when required, resulting in a more efficient drive. The 48V mild hybrid will come with select petrol manual trims and will enable three key functions – Engine Auto Start Stop, Regenerative Braking and E-Boost. MG says that the technology will be able to reduce the emissions on Hector by as much as 12%.

However, the connected features on the MG Hector steal the showlight. India’s first connected car comes with i-SMART technology that enables the users to remotely monitor as well as control several of the car’s functions. These functions include remote AC on/off, sunroof open/ close, door lock/ unlock as well as features like vehicle tracking, vehicle status check, multiple vehicle tracking and much more. MG says that the Hector comes with 19 such exclusive features.

As for its make, the company says that the Hector’s character lines are defined by geometric shapes, horizontal flow and symmetry. MG has tested the Hector over one million kilometers in India to test out the car’s durability in Indian conditions.

Performance of the Hector is backed by a 1.5 litre turbo-charged engine for the petrol variants delivering 143 PS power at a peak torque of 250 Nm. The 2.0 litre engine i9n the diesel variant will put out 170 PS at a peak torque of 350 Nm. The vehicle uses MG’s ingenious DCT transmission for the AT variants.

With 120 outlets across 50 cities, the Hector will be available in both diesel and petrol variants post its launch in the country next month.

Top 5 Performance Hatchbacks in India Under Rs 10 Lakh

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May 14, 2019

Volkswagen Polo GT (Image: Volkswagen India)

Being a price sensitive market, Indian automotive industry has since long been ruled by the hatchback segment, especially those within a budget. The success story for hatchbacks has been seen replicated by various auto makers over the years, from the likes of Alto, WagonR, Santro to Baleno, i20 and like in the recent years. Taking our picks from all those priced below Rs 10 lakh, here is a list of top 5 hatchbacks available in India.

1. Tata Tiago JTP

Tiago can unofficially be credited with bringing back Tata Motor’s hold in the Indian hatchback market post the decline of the company’s Indica. With its success, however, Tata Motors took a step further and launched the Tiago JTP, a performance vehicle as a mark of its partnership with Jayem Auto.

And true to its existence, the Tiago JTP does everything in its power to not be any regular hatchbacks you get to drive. The car is powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine that is able to produce a cool 114 HP and 150 Nm of torque. It comes with a 5-speed automatic transmission and everything you would need to call it a sports ride, from custom upholstery to racing pedals.

2. Volkswagen Polo GT

Just like Tata Motors, Volkswagen also aimed at a performance-dedicated iteration for its hatchback Polo. The result is the Polo GT, a machine which is as mean as it sounds. The Polo GT is available in two engine variants – a 1.2-litre TSI Petrol and a 1.5-litre TDI Diesel. While the petrol variant is able to put out a 103hp alongside 175 Nm of torque, the latter delivers 108hp with 250 Nm of torque.

Along with this, it comes with a 7-speed DSG Automatic transmission, cruise control and an astonishing economy of 17.21 km/l and 19.91 km/l as claimed by the company.

3. Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS

Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS (Image: Maruti Suzuki)

The performance variant of one of the top grossing hatchbacks in the recent years, the Baleno RS comes with an improved 1.0L Boosterjet Direct Injection Turbo VVT Petrol engine that churns out 100 hp and 150 Nm of torque. To pull this, a 5-speed manual transmission has been used in the car. The claimed mileage is 21.1 km/l.

4. Honda Jazz

Honda has been comparatively new in the hatchback segment with respect to others on the list. The Jazz, however, is the perfect personification of Honda’s engineering trust, with its 1.2L i-VTEC petrol or 1.5L i-DTEC diesel engine, that deliver 90 and 100 hp and 110 and 200 Nm of torque respectively. The petrol variant also comes with a 7-speed CVT transmission option, while that on the diesel variant is limited to a 7-speed manual transmission. With Android Auto, Apple Carplay, ABS with EBD and more, Honda Jazz is easily one of the most feature loaded cars on this list.

5. Hyundai Elite i20

Hyundai Elite i20 (Image: Hyundai India)

Hyundai has upped the performance quotient of its latest iteration of the i20. The new variant comes with 1.2L petrol or 1.4 L diesel options with 83 hp, 90 hp and 11.7 Nm and 22.4 Nm of torque respectively. While the diesel option comes with a 6-speed manual transmission, the petrol variant also has a CVT on option. Other features of the hatchback include projector headlamps with auto control, smart pedals, 6 airbags system and more.

Hero Maestro Edge 125 Launched As India’s First Scooter With Fuel Injection Alongside Pleasure+ 100

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May 13, 2019

Hero MotoCorp has added two new scooters in its international portfolio. Maestro Edge 125 and Pleasure+ 110 are the two new unveils by the company, with starting prices of Rs 58,500 and Rs 47,300 (ex-showroom) respectively. With their sales set to commence over the coming weeks, here is all you need to know about their variants and what they have to offer.

Hero Maestro Edge 125

Hero MotoCorp hails the Maestro Edge 125 as the first scooter in India to come with a fuel-injection system. The variant of the scooter with fuel injection has been priced at Rs 62,700. Another, i3S version with drum brakes costs Rs 58,500 while that with disc brakes comes at Rs 60,000. All prices are ex-showroom, Delhi.

The two classes, FI and i3S, differ slightly in their performance outputs. The FI variant, first (and currently the only one) in India of its class, is able to churn out 9.1 bhp @7000 rpm and a maximum torque of 10.2Nm @5000 rpm, numbers unmatched in the 125 cc scooter segment in the country for their Power to Weight ratio.

As for the i3S (Carb) variant, the 125cc Energy Boost Engine produces 8.7 bhp at 6750 rpm and maximum torque of 10.2 Nm at 5000 rpm. The i3S, or ‘Idle-stop-start system’, is able to further max the efficiency of the scooter.

A look at the design of the Maestro Edge 125 reveals several features like the diamond-cut cast wheels, textured seats, sharp front cover and apron, a sleek rear cowl, an LED signature and tail-lamp as well as frost winkers.

Hero MotoCorp has added several features for comfort as well, including a mobile charging port, remote key opening, side-stand indicator, boot lamp, external fuel port and digital-analogue meter. The scooter also lets you know when its service is due, thanks to an in-built service-due reminder.

The Maestro Edge 125 FI will be available in two colors– Pearl White with Brown inner panel & Astro Gold front forks and Panther Black with a sporty Red inner panel.

The i3S (Carb) variant will come in an all Matt finish – Matt Red, Matt Blue, Matt Brown and Matt Vernier Grey.

Hero Pleasure+ 110

The Pleasure+ 110 comes in a single variant that packs an 8 bhp output at 7500 rpm and a torque of 8.7 Nm at 5500 rpm, all through a 110cc engine. The retro design of the scooter, with elements like a dual texture seat, a retro front and a sleek rear tail lamp, is aimed to allure those with a knack for vintage in a modern avatar.

As for the convenience features in the Pleasure+ 110, the scooter comes with a USB charger located close to the front pocket for accessibility, an LED boot lamp, Integrated Braking System and a new backlit speedometer with fuel and side stand indicator.

The Pleasure+ 110 will be available in two color palettes to choose from – Sheet Metal Wheel with options like Glossy Black, Glossy Blue, Glossy White and Glossy Red and a Cast Wheel including options of Matt Red, Matt Green and Matt Vernier Grey.

Maruti Suzuki records 39.8% drop in sales of mini cars this April, Exports rise by 14.6%

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May 1, 2019

Maruti Suzuki India (MSI), the country’s largest car maker has seen a dip in its sales this year. The auto major reported its sales figure for the month of April 2019 on Wednesday, recording a decline of over 17 percent in the sales number from the same month last year.

Maruti Suzuki was able to sell 1,43,245 units in the bygone month. In comparison, the company had sold 1,72,986 units in April last year, meaning a loss of 17.2 percent of sales this time around.

The numbers account for the domestic sales as well as the units that are exported to international markets of MSI. Amongst these, the domestic sales declined by 18.7 percent as 1,64,978 vehicle units of sales in the last year dropped down to 1,34,068 units for this year’s April.

MSI reported that its sales of mini hatchbacks like the Alto stood at 22,766 units. The same number was 37,794 units for last year’s April, meaning a dip of 39.8 percent. As for the compact segment vehicles such as Swift, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno and Dzire, another loss of 13.9 percent was recorded, as 72,146 units were sold in April this year as opposed to 83,834 units in 2018.

Ciaz counted for a total sales of 2,789 units. Last year, the company had sold 5,116 units of the sedan’s units.

Vitara Brezza, S-Cross and Ertiga, however, noted a jump of 5.9 percent as MSI sold 22,0359 units in April 2018 as compared to 20,804 units in 2018.

Maruti Suzuki India also managed to record a hike of 14.6 percent in the sales numbers of its exports from the country. The 9,177 units this year stood taller than the 8,008 units sold last year

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga with 1.5-litre diesel engine launched at a starting price of Rs 9.86 lakh

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April 30, 2019

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga 1.5-litre diesel. (Image: Maruti Suzuki)

Maruti Suzuki has launched a new variant of Ertiga and this time, the MPV comes with a 1.5-litre diesel engine, just like the one found on the company’s sedan offering, the Ciaz. Following suit on the Ciaz, the 1.5-litre diesel engine option will not be available on the base variant of Ertiga. The new variant comes at an additional cost of Rs 29,000 more than the existing 1.3-litre diesel variant.

The new version appoints a new engine and a gearbox as compared to the 1.3-litre Ertiga. The performance numbers though, are similar to those found on the Ciaz, with the four cylinder 1.5-litre diesel engine churning out 95 hp at 4,000 rpm and 225 Nm of torque at 1,500-2,500 rpm. Even the 6-speed manual transmission and the dual mass flywheel in the engine are the same.

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga 1.5 (Image: Maruti Suzuki)

If we were to compare the new variant to the earlier Ertiga option with the 1.3-litre diesel engine, the Ertiga 1.5-litre will be much quicker and capable in terms of performance through the added numbers (extra 5 hp and 25 Nm of torque). It will lose out on fuel-efficiency though, by 1.27 kmpl as per the company’s numbers. The rest of the features of the two variants are the same.

Maruti Suzuki already claims the Ertiga to be the leader in its segment, with its sales numbers touching as much as 40,000 units until April 2019 for the model that was introduced in November last year. Now selling the 1.5-litre option alongside, the auto maker will aim to capitalise more on its existing money-making product.

Earlier, Maruti Suzuki had said that it will be putting a stop to its diesel engine vehicles in the country by April 2020. That is the same time when the BS-VI emission norms are set to be in place. As and when the company finally decides to pull the plug on diesel vehicles, such units will not be sold any further and hence, the new 1.5-litre Ertiga might just be one of the last of such vehicles from Maruti Suzuki’s portfolio in India.

As for the pricing of the new 1.5-litre Ertiga, the starting variant will be the Ertiga VDi, available at a price of Rs 9.86 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), followed by Ertiga ZDi at Rs 10.69 lakh and Ertiga ZDi+ at Rs 11.20 lakh.

Royal Enfield Bullet Trials Works Replica 350 And 500 Launched In India At A Starting Price Of Rs 1.62 Lakh

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March 27, 2019

Royal Enfield Bullet Trials Works Replica 350 and 500. (Image: Royal Enfield)

Royal Enfield has come up with two new motorcycle offerings in India under its ‘Bullet’ lineup. Bullet Trials Works Replica 350 and Bullet Trials Works Replica 500, have been launched at a starting price of Rs 1.62 lakh while the latter version costs Rs 2.07 lakh.

Deriving their name from the vintage Royal Enfield motorcycles of the 1950s which used to be a part of off races, the Trials Works Replicas have been designed specifically for traversing over bad or no roads. The bikes have been based on the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 and the Bullet 500 respectively and are similarly sported with a retro-scrambler design. For those planning to have more of it, a host of accessories has been made available by Royal Enfield for the same.

Royal Enfield Bullet Trials Works Replica 500. (Image: Royal Enfield)

While the chassis of both the bikes is the same, there are a few changes within the versions, including different forms of chrome and silver paint on their frames. As for the design, the bikes come with an upswept exhaust on the side of a single spring-mounted seat and a luggage rack. With the exhaust angling upwards, there is no possibility of a pillion seat and it can easily be seen that Royal Enfield has gone for an old-school scrambler look with these bikes.

Both the versions come with a 280 mm disc up front and a 240 mm disc at the rear along with dual-channel ABS. In addition, they get telescopic forks up front, wearing fork gaiters as well as twin shock absorbers at the rear. For off roading, the bikes come with short fenders as well as tube tyres complete with wire-spoked rims.

As for the performance, the Trials 350 is powered by the same 346 cc single-cylinder engine as the Bullet 350, delivering a 19.8 bhp and 28 Nm and paired to a 5-speed gearbox. Similarly, the Trials 500 goes for the Bullet 500’s 499 cc single-cylinder carbureted engine churning 26.1 bhp and 40.9 Nm of peak torque and coupled to a 5-speed gearbox as well.

It will be interesting to see how the sales of the bikes pan out as they do not have any competition in their segment within this price range. The bikes will cater to those looking for an additional off-roading capability than the Bullet 350 and 500 at around the same price range.