Mr. Automobile

Seasonality, year-end shutdowns and inventory management in the runup to BS-VI transition will likely result in another tepid month for auto companies when they report their monthly sales numbers for December on January 1, 2020. The numbers are likely to suggest that the slowdown that has engulfed the sector for almost a year now is not over yet, analysts said.  On a year-on-year basis, the picture isn’t good. Passenger vehicle (PV) sales are likely to be tepid. While Nomura estimates a marginal 2 per cent year-on-year increase in PV sales, Prabhudas Lilladher has projected a 5-6 per cent drop.  Two-wheeler (2W) sales may decline 2 per cent. However, the fall in sales of commercial vehicles is projected to be the higher at 30 per cent.  “With the impending price hikes of 13-15 per cent for BS-VI models coming in from April, 2020, demand headwinds should continue in FY21F for the two-wheeler segment,” Nomura said in a report.  Brokerage Prabhudas Lilladher sees some pre-buy

- Yaris BS6 priced between Rs 8.76-14.18 lakhs (ex-showroom) - Prices have gone up by Rs 11,000 across variants Toyota  is set to introduce the BS6 compliant version of the  Yaris  mid-size sedan in India in the weeks to come. The  Toyota Yaris  BS6 has been listed at Rs 8.76 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi) for the base variant on its official website. The prices have gone up by Rs 11,000 across variants. The BS6 Toyota Yaris continues to be available with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder, Dual VVT-i petrol motor that is offered with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-step CVT. The motor produces 105bhp and 140Nm. The BS6 compliance hasn't resulted in any detune in power figures of sorts, and the fuel economy too is unchanged at 17.1 and 17.8 kmpl for the manual and automatic transmissions. Besides the mechanical updates, the Toyota Yaris doesn't receive any changes whatsoever. It continues to feature best-in-segment seven airbags as standard, while the top variant als

The  Mercedes-Benz GLA  made its debut five years ago and by now it has seen over a million homes worldwide. There's a comprehensive update coming in and this new  GLA  is expected to be launched in India sometime next year. The carmaker says it is better in every aspect and gets improved safety, convenience and efficiency than before. Here's a picture gallery of this updated SUV which is not only more powerful but comes with new features as well and rivals the  Volvo XC40  and  BMW X1 . The dual ‘power domes’ on the bonnet, slim LED tail-lights and elements of the ‘predator’ front fascia shared by many of the Benz’s recent compact cars uphold this image of aggressive dynamism. This sporty version also benefits from the additional sporty design touches that include a unique front fascia trim, Panamericana front grille, dual exhaust tips and a rear lip spoiler.  the interior is a balanced mixture between sportiness and luxury. The dashboard is dominated by two touchscre

With a little over three months left for the BS6 regulations to kick in, most automakers have started the process of making the switch to the cleaner emission norms and the latest model to join the fray is the Yaris. Toyota will upgrade the mid-size sedan for BS6 compliance soon and we have got the complete details about what to expect from the updated model. In BS6 guise, the Yaris will use a tweaked iteration of its current 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine. Though a drop in performance is generally expected with the switch to the cleaner technology, Toyota seems to have overcome the limitation as the powertrain will continue to put out 107hp at 6000rpm, the same as the BS4-spec mill. Moreover, transmission options including the 6-speed manual and 7-step CVT auto will also continue unchanged. The current petrol engine returns an ARAI-rated mileage of 17.1kpl in the manual version and 17.8kpl in the CVT version. It remains to be seen if these figures see a drop with the upg

More than 1.2 lakh  Maruti Suzuki Dzire  sold between April-November 2019 - Over 2 Million units sold  - Holds over 60 per cent market share in compact sedan segment    Maruti Suzuki Dzire, a popular name in the compact sedan segment and a best seller for over a decade continues with its legacy. The  Dzire  has emerged as the best-selling car in the first eight months of 2019-20 with more than 1.2 lakh units sold between April and November 2019. The company claims that the Dzire holds over 60 per cent market share in the compact sedan segment and has recently crossed a record milestone with a sale of 2 million units. 

Why should I buy it? Good range for an EV, easy to charge, supports long distance travel Why should I avoid it? Sophisticated electronics and battery could make repairs expensive What is it? The  MG ZS EV  is an all-electric SUV based on the popular  MG  ZS that is sold abroad. We, however, will get the EV variant only. So, let's take a look at this second product from the British carmaker for the Indian market. The exterior appearance of this pure EV is similar to the regular ZS crossover available globally save for some ‘Electric’ badges. The car's fascia has a signature MG look and features a diamond-studded grille pattern with chrome surround identical to the ones we had seen on some Mercs. This grille also houses the car's charging point that can be accessed by lifting the illuminated logo. And it’s flanked by sharp LED headlamps and gets a front bumper featuring a wide central air-dam. Apart from the silver roof rails, large windows and ORVMs with turn

After launching the  Seltos  with various fuel-powered powertrain options, Kia might add an electric powertrain to the suite. Yes, a recent report suggests that Kia Motors might be working on an electric prototype of the Seltos, which will debut in Asia followed much by Europe and America. Codenamed the SP2 EV, it is likely to derive its powertrain from the  Hyundai Kona EV  and the  Kia Soul  EV. Expect it to get either a 64kWh battery pack unit or a 39.2kWh unit. Kia Seltos EV concept in the works primarily for Asian markets. Expected to be offered with two battery options: 39.2kWh and 64kWh, same as the Kona Electric. Should get as many features as the Seltos such as an air purifier, heads-up display, and sunroof.  India launch timeline not yet disclosed. As per the report, the Seltos Electric will primarily target Asian markets including India. However,  Kia India maintains that it won’t be focusing on electric cars  for our market anytime soon. So the chances

Kia is new to India, and so is MG. The  Seltos  is Kia’s first offering for India, so is the  Hector  for MG. They both pack connected car features and are loaded to the roof with technology. They are also priced closely together. But they both go about doing their jobs as an ‘SUV’ in different ways.  In our first video comparison of these two, we asked you to decide the powertrain you’d want to see compared. Hence, on popular demand, both cars in the picture are running their turbo-petrol engines along with a DCT transmission. The selection makes sense too, as these SUVs will predominantly be used for city driving. And because we have already compared the features, space, comfort and their value for money aspect in our last comparison, this one will focus primarily on how different the two are to drive in the urban setting. Cars Tested Kia Seltos  Variant: GTX+ DCT Price: Rs 16.99 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) MG Hector Variant: Sharp AT Price: Rs 17.18 lakh (ex-s

 First Drive review: Tata Altroz The Tata Altroz is Tata Motors' answer to the Maruti Suzuki Baleno, the Hyundai Elite i20 and the Honda Jazz. This premium hatchback is the first car to be built on the company's new Alfa platform that will underpin all its smaller vehicles in the future It promises space, comfort, safety, features and practicality to rival the best, but can it deliver? Hormazd Sorabjee drives the Tata Altroz in Rajasthan to find out. Although our team has selected ALTROZ as  one of the  best concept in hathback segment for Tata company. Design The production-spec Altroz’s design remains similar to that of the 45X Concept, which was shown at the 2018 Auto Expo. The hatchback uses Tata’s new Impact 2.0 design language, which is evident from the shark nose-like front end, the sleek grille finished in black, and the large and swept-back headlights that are lined by a band of chrome. The fog lamp housings are positioned high up on the front bumper an

Hyundai India has finally taken the wraps off its latest sub-4m sedan, the  Aura . As we had reported earlier, the Aura is based on the recently introduced  Grand i10 Nios  and a successor to the Xcent sub-4m sedan. The new model flaunts Hyundai’s new ‘Sensuous Sportiness’ design philosophy. Like the Nios, the Aura gets the same design elements including the blacked-out trapezoidal grille with integrated boomerang-shaped LED DRLs, projector fog lamps and headlamps, and prominent air dams. On the sides, the roofline resembles that of the Nios, while the rear gets a completely revised look. The Aura also gets a glossy black applique on the C-pillar, which lends the roof a floating effect. This also suggests that it will come with dual-tone colour options. At the rear, it gets C-shaped tail lamps with LED inserts, a shark fin antenna, and a number plate holder placed in the bumper. Hyundai will be offering the Aura with its 15-inch diamond-cut alloys . As we already know, Hyun