Why is the Mini the only "lifestyle" auto badge that seems to be growing and staying strong? Pavan Lall finds out.

As a tech services company, Ola has never been in hardcore manufacturing.And unlike in ride hailing, which is a two-player market (Uber is the only other competitor), in two-wheelers it faces many entrenched players.But most of all, rivals say Ola's targets are out of sync with most, even ambitious, projecti­ons.

Smooth engine, plush interiors, great suspension that handle dodgy roads with ease, futuristic design elements that have little by way of competition in the market -- it's all there, says Pavan Lall.

Step on the gas and the power that propels the compact four-seater will take you by surprise as it hurtles to­wards the 80 kmph like a racing thoroughbred, never compromising any stability thanks to its rigid chassis and solid 1,600-kg kerb weight that gives it a well-planted feel along straights, corners and tricky lanes and roads, says Pavan Lall.

India has the third highest number of billionaires in the world after the US and China, according to a new list by the prestigious Forbes magazine, which said Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani reclaimed his spot as Asia's richest person, dethroning Chinese business tycoon Jack Ma who was the richest person in the region a year ago.

Citroen drives in its SUV late, but it's worth the wait, says Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com.

The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India on Tuesday said its models Swift, Baleno, WagonR, Alto and Dzire have emerged as best selling cars in 2020-21 and the top five models have come from its stable for the fourth consecutive year.Swift with over 1.72 lakh units was at the number one position followed by Baleno with 1.63 lakh units, the company said in a statement.Maruti Suzuki India's (MSI) tall boy WagonR was in the third spot with 1.60 lakh units while Alto and Dzire were at fourth and fifth with 1.59 lakh units and 1.28 lakh units respectively, it added.

The start-up mentors debated if they could drive the price further down, but feared an even lower price would raise doubts about its quality, as was the case with the Tata Nano, reports Amrita Singh.

While the latest, fourth-generation Swift makes no pretence of being a performance car or the last word in luxury, what it does stand for is amply evident, notes Pavan Lall.

What will it take for Tesla to plug and play in India? Sector pundits say it's a mix of strategy, getting the price right, timing, the right talent, and above all, patience.

The new car market is estimated at around 30,000 units a year in sales in a good year, whereas the used car market for luxury vehicles is estimated at around 60,000 cars annually.

'Our strategy is intact and our important pillars for India -- the SUV roll-out and the focus on the cost of ownership of a car -- remain in focus'

The Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC is the first-ever SUV offering in the company's ultra-luxurious 'Mercedes-Maybach' range. It is the only second Maybach model to be rolled out in the Indian market, following the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.

Maruti is not an online outlier, of course; other heavyweights have rolled out similar services. But as an analyst pointed out, Maruti's all-India roll-out has significant impact given that it accounts for over half of all cars sold, reports, reports Pavan Lall.

The Navi Mumbai international airport will boast three interconnect­ed multi-level terminals with a lotus-inspired design, according to the master plan prepared by its outgoing developer.The GVK group, which completed 15 years of airport business, shared the first look of the Navi Mumbai airport.The group in 2018 had comm­iss­ioned British firm Zaha Hadid Architects to design the main terminal and air traffic control tower.The master plan of the airport was approved by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) in 2019.

German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz India on Thursday launched the imported version of its new generation flagship sedan S-Class with a price starting at Rs 2.17 crore while it prepares to introduce a locally-produced variety of the model in the fourth quarter this year.The new 7th generation S-Class comes in two variants -- diesel S 400d 4MATIC priced at Rs 2.17 crore and petrol S 450 4MATIC tagged at Rs 2.19 crore.

Close to half a dozen more three-row premium mid-size models are expected to hit the road over the next two years.

'It says, we are not just an overseas player -- we are Kia India and here for good'

Czech automaker Skoda on Monday forayed into the midsize SUV segment in India with the launch of its new offering Kushaq, priced between Rs 10.5 lakh and Rs 17.6 lakh (ex showroom Delhi).

Tata Motors recently announced the launch of 'Dark' edition models of the Harrier, the Nexon, the Nexon EV and its premium hatchback, the Altroz.The 'Dark' editions add a premium touch to its existing models.In 2019, Tata Motors launched the Harrier in its 'Dark' avatar to customers looking for a bold, sophisticated and stylish SUV.

The Thar. A vehicle that has always been a capable off-roader with its go-anywhere attitude.One which hated being on the tarmac as a lifestyle vehicle, as the second car in your parking space. But this new generation Thar -- can it change that? Can it be one's first car? Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com finds out.

German luxury car maker Audi on Thursday launched three all-electric SUVs under its e-tron range with prices starting from Rs 99.99 lakh kicking off its electrification journey in the country.The three all-electric SUVs -- e-tron 50, e-tron 55 and e-tron Sportback 55 -- are priced at Rs 99.99 lakh, Rs 1.16 crore and Rs 1.18 crore respectively (all prices ex-showroom), Audi India said in a statement.Commenting on the launch of the e-tron brand in India, Audi India Head Balbir Singh Dhillon said, "we are launching not one, but three electric SUVs that begin our electrification journey."The three electric SUVs are "the perfect confluence of luxury, zero emissions, performance and everyday usability", he added.

The car is built in a manner that stands tall and rugged on the city streets, without ever being uncomfortable, says Pavan Lall.

Fancy your chops are a designer? Skoda Auto India has a challenge for you. Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com brings us the lowdown.

Hyundai Motor India expects its SUV range to gain further traction in the domestic market with demand for personal mobility gaining momentum post the second wave of COVID-19, according to a senior company official.The company, which already leads the SUV space with models like Venue, Creta, Tucson and recently launched Alcazar, is looking to maintain its lead in the segment which is growing with each passing month.

The Battista hyper GT delivers a unique dynamic experience that can be tailored to suit every journey and the pure-electric model will accelerate from 0-100 km/h in less than two seconds - faster than a current Formula 1 car.

However, it has an auditory feature that throws up a soft but audible whirring sound like a spaceship while driving as well as a different tone on the outside to let bystanders know a car is on its way, says Pavan Lall.

The Tiago NRG is available in a single fully loaded variant that has all the features from a start-stop button to a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, says Rajesh Karkera.

A new XUV, a new logo, and a big bang at the launch! Mahindra revealed its keenly-awaited XUV700 in Chennai on Saturday.

It has get-up-and-go and is possessed of immense agility, observes Pavan Lall.

Is the XUV700 just a facelifted XUV500 or is it a completely new breed in the vast range of SUVs available today? Rajesh Karkera takes the latest offering from the Mahindra stable for a spin to find out.

Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini are some marquee badges that have introduced track cars to excite hard-core customers who want to push their cars to the limit, says Pavan Lall.

Zippy and comfortable, the Mini Convertible is a perfect car for short jaunts, but this isn't the ride you'd choose to take your entire family to the airport or pick for a long family excursion, says Pavan Lall.

The MG Motor India management is focused on scaling up and launching smaller cars to play the long game in the country, says Pavan Lall.

At a time when fuel prices across the country are going through the roof with no sign of it moderating, electric vehicles seem the likely choice for car buyers who are looking at saving fuel costs.And add to it the negligible maintenance of electric vehicles.Continuing with this revolution with their 2nd offering in the EV segment, Tata Motors now offers the 2021 Tigor EV to its customers.Tigor petrol with its style-back design has always been a stunner since its launch and it still is.

The wait for the new iPhone is over as the tech giant Apple officially launched its new iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro on September 14.

The Gurkha 2021 is built on a ground-up modular architecture platform with an all-new wider and longer body, full new interiors, a new crash-compliant, high-strength chassis, new coil spring suspension on all four wheels fine-tuned to achieve the right balance and offer the best in class ride quality on multiple surfaces -- tarmac, rough rural roads and off the road, the Pune-based company said.

Volkswagen's new SUV is set to lock horns with half a dozen rivals, says Pavan Lall.

This SUV will look as cool in 2030 as it might have in 2010 and ultimately that's what drives the core appeal of Mercedes-Benz and its products -- being classic, says Pavan Lall.

The Punch's pricing will be revealed only on October 20, the day of its launch.

For the longest time the Polo GT had no real competition in terms of its build quality and product positioning. Until now, says Pavan Lall.

Four XUV700s entered the challenge and all four recorded over 4000 km in 24 hours, says Rajesh Karkera.

I was not expecting to be impressed by the Tata Punch. But my drive proved me wrong, says Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com.

Every M&M car shares a certain DNA which is rugged, with an off-roading quality and built for hard wear and tear.The XUV is all those, but also has a smoother edge for those who want city comfort now offered in competitor vehicles such as the MG Hector, Hyundai Creta, Volkswagen Tiguan and Tata's Harrier, says Pavan Lall.

'The global semiconductor shortage has inadvertently provided an imm­ense fillip to the pre-owned car market'

While the Q5 is a light driving car that feels like you can easily fling it over and around brooks and brushes and hills and plains, it's also versatile in that its rear seat is as comfy and spacious as you'd expect, says Pavan Lall.

Stylish, sleek, a coupe-like sedan with generous amount of space is what the Slavia is all about.

It takes a while to get used to the constant and instant supply of power that is the case with EVs, and handling the S1 Pro when it takes a corner or makes a turn can be tricky, says Pavan Lall.

And it feels entirely different when compared to all its earlier avatars, observes Pavan Lall.

It's a zippy, well-engineered ride that offers comfort, quality, low cost of ownership and fuel efficiency at affordable prices, says Pavan Lall.