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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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 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.

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.

'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.

'A long-term investor with a 4 to 5 year horizon could invest in this theme via SIPs.'

If you already hold significant amounts of equity in your portfolio, avoid MAAFs with over 60 per cent equity.

Investors should match their investment horizon with the fund's portfolio duration.

Launches smart door lock, 360 cam

It supports a range of devices including smartphones, tablets, laptops, wireless chargers and smartwatches

The XGIMI Horizon Pro is impressive, sleek, and like a TV without the physical screen

Top three reasons are battery life, sound clarity and voice quality

The new MICRO LED, Neo QLED and Lifestyle TV come with advancements in picture and sound quality with more screen size options.

A world favourite brings a new design and improvements across the board

The mixed reality headset blends both the physical and digital worlds covering from augmented reality to virtual reality.

The Urbanista Los Angeles over-ears just need some light to keep them going

This ‘Sportswatch’ tracks all the workouts you can think of plus vitals

The newly launched Fēnix 7 Series and Epix support Multi-GNSS positioning

A laser lights each little particle so you can vacuum it away into oblivion 

The device monitors heart rate and blood oxygen levels, and comes with a daily activity tracker along with 14 sports modes

The Life Note 3 has a good feature set and is reasonably priced

Packed with technology, the camera probably ticks all the boxes for the professional photographer

First impressions of the new powerhouse smartphone 

Compact ergonomics, good camera and sound, flagship processor make for a little powerhouse 

The watch is built to military standard 810 for thermal and shock resistance

This health tracker can now be considered a full-fledged smartwatch

This next generation smart clock is a simple device with a colour touchscreen

The smart TVs will be available in 32-inch and 43-inch variants for pre-booking from March 12-16

Noise leads the market with 27 per cent market share