automobile news

Italian bike maker Benelli is finally readying its middleweight successor to the TNT600 and the model could be called the SRK600 or the SR600K, which was recently spied. The leaked images come from what appears to be a factory floor and reveals the new Benelli SRK600 completely in the production-spec guise. This also suggests that the new offering is closer to its global debut than we earlier thought given the Coronavirus pandemic and an official announcement is just weeks away. The new SRK600, as the badging goes, is also likely to make its way to India in the future, replacing the aged TNT600 in the segment. Other bits that we do know is that the new Benelli SRK600 will get LED lighting including the headlamp, indicators and the taillight. There will be daytime running lights too, while a fuel tank mounted console hints at keyless ignition as one of the fancier tech on the street-naked motorcycle. The leaked images of the Benelli SRK600 reveal a great deal about the new Benelli SRK60...

President Ram Nath Kovind was expected to get a new Mercedes-Benz S 600 Pullman Maybach Guard in time for the next Republic Day; savings generated by this and other cost-cutting measures will aid the poor affected by the COVID-19 crisis. In a bid to cut costs during this trying time, the President of India’s office has adopted several measures, one of which is said to be Ram Nath Kovind’s new Mercedes-Benz S 600 Pullman Maybach Guard will not be bought. Before these initiatives were put in place, our President was expected to be seen in his new high-security limousine at the 2021 Republic Day celebrations. The latest Mercedes-Benz S-class Pullman Maybach Guard was unveiled for international markets in 2018. It is a formidable yet extremely comfortable vehicle. It easily costs upwards of Rs 15 crore (on-road, including options) and is fitted with ERV (Explosive Resistant Vehicles) 2010-level and VR9-level protection for its occupants. The former means it can withstand up to 15kg of ...

TIGUAN 5-seat Tiguan will sell alongside 7-seat Allspace Will be a petrol-only model to start with Expected to cost in the Rs 23-26 lakh Volkswagen recently launched the 7-seat Tiguan Allspace 2.0 TSI in India which, in effect, replaces the regular 5-seat Tiguan. The smaller Tiguan came only with a 2.0 TDI diesel engine and was discontinued with VW phasing out all its diesel models in the industry-wide move to BS6 emission norms. The big news, however, is that the 5-seat Tiguan will return to a showroom near you, in the not-too-distant future. VW's plan is to launch the smaller Tiguan later this year but the disruptions thrown up by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic could delay the reintroduction. The re-launched 5-seat variant will be substantially different from the outgoing model, and, in fact, will be the facelifted 2020 model. VW plans to locally assemble the new Tiguan to save on import taxes and offer it to Indian customers at a more affordable price. There will suf...

Mahindra has readied the next-gen Thar and it has been spied yet again ahead of launch later this year. The spotted SUV has been covered with white plastic sheets which is generally applied to newly manufactured units before being dispatched to dealership yards. At the same time, chances are that the all-new Thar will soon make spy debut completely undisguised as the launch inches near. With the generation change, Thar will grow into a more aggressive and butch looking SUV. It will use an evolutionary design with the similar front round headlamps, wide and flat bonnet, brick-shaped tail lights. Also, it will come with a hard-top option as well. The latest image reveals that the SUV will also feature front bumper located fog lamps, also the 18-inch black-painted alloy wheel design seems to be new. While its final appearance is yet to be revealed, overall the all-new Thar seems to connect to its original design. Inside, changes will be major. It will use a different layout for the dashbo...

Range-topping V8 model expected to develop around 500hp Development undertaken by JLR’s Defender engineering operation Likely to debut by late-2021 Having debuted the Defender globally last year, Land Rover is now working on a new rang-topping V8-powered iteration of the rugged SUV. Images of an undisguised Defender test mule with quad tailpipes – usually reserved for JLR’s V8 models – have surfaced online, hinting at the development of the V8 model. Sources close to the firm have confirmed to our sister publication Autocar UK the project’s existence, but the official JLR response is: “We are unable to comment on the specific nature of these [technology development] programmes.” Autocar UK obtained registration data for the SUV that shows it has a 4,999cc petrol engine, suggesting it’s powered by the ‘AJ’ 5.0-litre supercharged V8 used in the Range Rover Sport SVR and Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography. However, production of the long-serving AJ will come to an end before this year is o...

The Puma ST will get sporty cosmetic updates. It will likely share the Fiesta ST’s 1.5-litre, three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. The model has not been confirmed for our market yet. Ford has confirmed that a hot, performance-focused ST version of its new Puma crossover will be revealed later this year. For context, the  PUMA   sits above the EcoSport in Ford’s international line-up and it shares its underpinnings with the Fiesta hatchback. A preview image – the first official acknowledgement of the model’s existence – suggests the crossover SUV’s performance-inspired bodywork will bear a strong resemblance to recently spotted prototypes of the model. The image gives little away as to how the Puma ST will be told apart from the standard car. However, the wheels are of a similar design to those of the Fiesta ST, with which it will likely share its powertrain. This 1.5-cylinder three-cylinder engine puts out 200hp and 290Nm of torque, enough to send the hot supermini from 0...

Hyundai has teased a sportier N derivative of the all-new i20 premium hatchback. Expected to debut later this year, the hot hatchback made a brief appearance in a video of the standard hatchback followed by the words ‘to be continued’. What’s evident from the teaser is that the i20 N will wear larger alloy wheels, along with featuring a prominent roof-mounted spoiler and sporty side sills with red accents. It’s also safe to expect a different bumper design on both ends to give it a more aggressive look to go with its character. Expect the cabin to also feature sporty touches, while still carrying over most of the bits from the standard hatchback. On the mechanical front, the i20 N is expected to get lower to the ground, along with featuring stiffer suspension, uprated brakes and tweaks to the steering ratio to enhance handling. Under the hood, the N is expected to get a larger, more powerful engine as compared to the standard hatchback. The engine in question is likely to b...

Car manufacturers in India are gradually warming up to the idea of practical hatchbacks that can be fun to drive. Volkswagen was the one to start the trend in India with the Polo GT range and Fiat followed with the Abarth Punto. Now though, the country's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki has decide to enter this small yet growing segment with the Baleno RS. The company is all set to launch its most powerful hatchback early March. The Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS though, will have tough comeptition in the form of the Fiat Abarth Punto and Volkswagen Polo GT TSI, especially the latter. While one may expect this to be another cakewalk for Maruti Suzuki, the waters ain't that calm. We pit these cars against each other to find out which one offers the maximum bang for each buck. Powertrain: The Upcoming Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS will be powered by a 1.0 litre three cylinder Boosterjet petrol engine that will generate about 100 hp of power at 5,500 rpm and 150 Nm of torque between 1,700 ...

Meet the eighth generation of the Rolls-Royce Phantom which comes 14 years after the previous one to, once again, stake claim to the ‘world’s best car’ title. That it has come after so long makes the arrival of the Rolls-Royce’s flagship an even more momentous occasion, like the coronation of a new king and with it, the continuity of a royal bloodline. If there is any car that can claim to be the king of the car world, it’s the Phantom. It has been around since 1925 and is the longest running nameplate on a car ever. But what has really distinguished this Rolls-Royce model over eight generations and 92 years is that it has stood to represent the pinnacle of automotive luxury.  “A Phantom is a Phantom is a Phantom,” said Rolls-Royce CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, to drive home the point that it’s the ultimate benchmark and there’s nothing quite like it. In fact, Rolls-Royce likes to refer to the Phantom as a ‘luxury good’ that many of its super-rich owners would buy, just...

Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Clark Kent in his fancy blue suit, meet the epitome of alter ego, meet the new India-spec Fiat Abarth Punto. While this car can be regarded as a ‘souped-up’ version of the Fiat Punto Evo, its manufacturer, quite apparently, doesn’t want you to believe it’s a Fiat – You’ll be quick to realize that the Fiat badge is conspicuous by its absence on this car.  This is simply because of the fact that Abarth boasts of a fine racing heritage and while it has been under the ownership of Fiat Auto since 1971, and its cars almost always have been heavily modified Fiats, Fiat has always deemed it appropriate to let these performance versions have their own distinct identity. Read our Fiat Abarth Punto review here to find out how this performance-tuned mot Turn on the ignition and the engine   roars   purrs to life. We expected the car to have a relatively loud exhaust, with decibel level almost flirting with the p...