Market leader Maruti Suzuki is putting finishing touches to its plan of finding its feet in what is being hailed as a battle of epic proportions in India's fastest-growing passenger vehicle segment, reports Arindam Majumder.

Rajesh Karkera and Hitesh Harisinghani set out to test drive the new CNG versions of Tata Tiago and Tigor, and come away impressed.

Suspension that has fully acclimatised to Indian roads and handles potholes and bumps with ease, plush interiors that feel premium beyond just surface level, and aggressive and imposing design cues give this SUV a presence and profile that has little competition, says Pavan Lall.

So what's special about the Kaziranga range? Rajesh Karkera and Hitesh Harisinghani find out.

The all-new ZS EV will be available in two variants -- Excite and Exclusive, priced at Rs 21.99 lakh and Rs 25.88 lakh, respectively.The company said it has initiated bookings for the Exclusive variant, while bookings for the Excite trim will commence from July 2022.The model comes with the largest in-segment 50.3-kWh (kilowatt-hour) battery with advanced technology, offering a 461-km certified range in a single charge.

High ground clearance, a wide cabin and tall stance all mean that the Carens glides over bad roads with ease and comfort and an engine performance that is adequate in terms of the power of this vehicle, says Pavan Lall.

While the Slavia comes in eight different variants, it's the base model that starts at around Rs 10.7 lakh that is most likely to take a bite out of the market share of its competitors, says Pavan Lall.

Japanese auto major Honda Cars on Thursday unveiled its new offering for the Indian market -- City e:HEV sedan, marking its foray into the mainstream strong hybrid electric vehicle segment in the country.The company, which is present in India through a wholly-owned subsidiary, has commenced the bookings of the model and plans to introduce it in the market next month.As per the company, the model, an extension of its City model range, would feature self-charging two-motor strong hybrid system connected to a 1.5 litre petrol engine, entailing a peak power of 126 PS and fuel efficiency of 26.5 km per litre.

The move points to a growing need to cater to a younger customer base, one that wants designer clothes not just for big occasions but also wishes to make them a part of their day-to-day lives by interpreting individual pieces in individualistic manners.

Jeep India, a part of automotive group Stellantis, on Tuesday announced the opening of bookings for its upcoming SUV Meridian, the production of which has also commenced from its joint venture manufacturing facility at Ranjangaon, Maharashtra.Customers can book the Meridian either at Jeep India dealership network or through the company's website with a down payment of Rs 50,000.Deliveries of the vehicle will start in June, it said in a statement.

Recently, TPEM's first born electric concept, Avinya broke cover.The model promises a minimum range of 500 kilometres and advanced technology features, aimed at buyers in India and outside.TPEM, the newly formed entity may also consider a separate dedicated sales channel for the EVs with a distinctive corporate identity once the volumes reach a critical mass and throughput is large enough for the dealers to be profitable, said Chandra.Elaborating further on the hiring strategy he said, "We will hire from everywhere-wherever the talent of the required competency is available."

Tata Motors on Wednesday expanded its electric vehicle range in the country with the launch of Nexon EV MAX, priced between Rs 17.74-19.24 lakh (ex-showroom).Equipped with a 40.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the Nexon EV Max offers 33 per cent higher battery capacity than the Nexon EV, delivering ARAI certified range of 437 km (under standard testing conditions), ensuring uninterrupted inter-city travel.ARAI refers to Automotive Research Association of India.The model produces 105 kW (143 PS) of power and delivers a torque of 250 Nm, resulting in 0 to 100 sprint times in under 9 seconds.

If you thought the Tata Nexon EV was it, wait till you drive the new Tata Nexon EV Max with more battery power, says Rajesh Karkera. Photographs and video: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com.

The carmaker is set to redefine SUVs with the all-new Scorpio N. Rajesh Karkera offers a peak.

Billionaire Gautam Adani on Tuesday did an hour-long session of yoga exercises in the open air as he led corporate India to join the International Day of Yoga celebrations.Several public and private sector companies held yoga sessions at their offices to promote the adoption of exercise in daily routines to stay fit and healthy.Adani, chairman of logistics-to-energy conglomerate Adani Group, and his wife Priti, who heads the Adani Foundation, "participated with more than 1,000 members of the Adani Parivaar team to celebrate health, mindfulness and meditation," the group said in a statement.The session was held at a football ground at Adani Shantigram in Ahmedabad.Several other business leaders tweeted pictures of their yoga sessions.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman performed yoga during a mass yoga session at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to celebrate the eighth edition of the International Day of Yoga, June 21, 2022.

The Meridian feels comfortable and upright with the quality of gadgetry, interiors and plastics expected from an international brand car.However, it lacks the overall premium-ness that may come with a top-end Japanese car or even a mid-range German car, says Pavan Lall.

The X4 offers an imposing presence that you cannot miss even in a crowd of other cars, says Pavan Lall.

The Carens is a warning for cars such as the Tata Safari, Hyundai Alcazar, Maruti Ertiga, Toyota Innova Crista and Mahindra XUV 700, because Kia punches much harder than others in its weight category.

The first all electric Mercedes AMG launched in India

Tata Motors on Wednesday launched its Tiago EV with introductory prices for first 10,000 customers ranging between Rs 8.49-11.79 lakh

Google's premium smartphone series Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will be around 15-21 per cent costlier in India compared to other countries, according to the prices revealed by the company.The company has started pre-booking the Pixel 7 at Rs 59,999 ($729.36) and Pixel 7 Pro at Rs 84,999 ($1033.27) on the e-commerce portal Flipkart.The devices would be available from October 13.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Friday inaugurate the Terminal 2 of the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru that has been built at a cost of around Rs 5,000 crore, according to officials.

'La Nuova Dolce Vita' is the tagline of Ferrari's Roma which translates into 'The New Good Life'.The Roma is a Ferrari GT (Grand Touring) sports car and is also part of their entry-level lineup but it is everything but entry-level.This Rs 4.5 crore (on-road, Mumbai) performance machine is an all-new Prancing Horse that is visually striking, high on tech and being a Ferrari, offers thrilling performance that will excite your senses.

According to Siam data, Indian auto companies sold 982,456 units of utility vehicles in the first half of FY23, a 50.29 per cent growth over the corresponding period last year.

Innovation ranging from exterior designs of vehicles to EV charger locks grabbed eyeballs at the expo

That means a manufacturer looking at a market like India needs to decide whether small, cheap cars or small, expensive cars or both will work better for them, says Pavan Lall.

To come up with first EV by 2025, expects market to grow two to three-fold in the next ten years.

Both versions come up with the dynamic island feature that first debuted on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max and the USB-C type charging.As per The Verge, an American technology-based website, the iPhone 15 also has an OLED Super Retina display, which supports Dolby Vision content with 1,600 nits of brightness.The peak brightness of this display is 2,000 nits in sunlight, double that of the iPhone 14.Apart from this, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus also has an improved camera system.

Internet major Google will make the Pixel series of smartphones in India and they will become available from 2024 onward, a senior company official said on Thursday.Google senior vice president for devices and services, Rick Osterloh, said the company will partner with international contract manufacturers to make the phones in India.

Making the Pixel 8 in India will not necessarily bring the price down -- witness iPhones made in India that are more expensive than those in the US and Dubai.

Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com takes the latest offering from the Mahindra stable for a spin.

'The plan is to assemble most of the new phones in India within three years.'

This is the first deal by an Indian startup after the sector was opened to private companies in 2020.

The final rites of renowned industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata were performed with full state honours at a central Mumbai crematorium on Thursday evening.The Mumbai police paid tribute to Tata with a gun salute.

Despite being's Malayalam superstar, Mohanlal's only son, Pranav chose to live a quiet life and believes in maintaining a work-life balance. He's loving the life of a labourer at a farm and taking care of pigs and other animals

He was serving as Special Secretary in the Agricultural Department in Kerala government until his suspension on Monday.

Suriya's Kanguva could pose a big threat to Thalapathy Vijay's GOAT and Sivakarthikeyan's Amaran at the global box office.

IND vs SA Dream 11 Team - Check My Dream11 Team, Best Player's list for 3rd T20I between South Africa and India.

Rupali Ganguly's stepdaughter Esha Verma has deleted the defamatory post about the actress, and her lawyer reacted to the moral victory they secured.

The Rohit Shetty-directed Singham Again has crossed the domestic net collections of Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone-starrer Fighter at the box office.

Dhoni filed a criminal complaint against his former partners on January 5 in Ranchi, alleging that they have cheated him.

As per reports, the Ministry of Sex also recommends covering expenses for first dates, up to £40.

Shiv Sena (UBT) posted a video of the poll authorities' act on its X handle.

In the latest episode of Bigg Boss 18, arch rivals Vivian Dsena and Chahat Pandey turned 'frenemies' for coffee.

Once ranked as the world's sixth-richest, this man is now facing financial challenges but continues a lavish lifestyle in Mumbai with his family.

India will face South Africa in the third T20I of the series at SuperSport Park today (November 13).

The top court had said it would lay down pan-India guidelines.

The young left-arm quick has been slowly making waves in the shortest format of cricket, but now one can feel the impact of his performances.

Polling for the first phase of Jharkhand assembly elections, bypolls in 33 assembly seats across 11 states and the Wayanad Parliamentary seat in Kerala began today, i.e., November 13.