AutoQ: Electric SUV, Hyundai’s New Car Tech, New Porsche & More
Here’s a look at the top car and bike stories of the week
AutoQ is a weekly round-up of stories from the world of automobiles.
MG Motor To Launch eZS Electric SUV in India by December 2019
MG Motor India has announced the launch of its first electric SUV in India. The MG eZS SUV will be launched in December 2019 according to a release from the company. The MG eZS will follow the launch of the MG Hector in June this year.
The MG eZS will go head-to-head with Hyundai’s Kona electric SUV, which has also been spotted testing in India. The Hyundai Kona SUV is likely to also be launched in the second half of the year, and is being locally made at the company’s plant in Chennai.
Read more about MG’s new SUV here.
Porsche Launches New 911 Range, Prices Start at Rs 1.82 Crore
The more things change, the more they stay the same is a saying that can be applied to the iconic Porsche 911 – a car whose overall design hasn’t changed much since 1963. Porsche India has just launched the 8th generation 911 in India.
The Porsche 911 Carrera S is priced at Rs 1.82 crore ex-showroom and the convertible variant, the Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet is priced at Rs 1.99 lakh ex-showroom.
Read the full story here.
BMW Launches New Z4 Roadster in India, Priced at Rs 64.9 Lakh
German luxury carmaker BMW Monday launched a new version of its convertible coupe, the Z4 Roadster in India, at a price of Rs 64.9 lakh (ex-showroom).
The model comes in two engine variants -- the BMW Z4 sDrive20i and the BMW M Performance model, the BMW Z4 M40i, the company said in a statement.
The Z4 sDrive20i variant is priced at Rs 64.9 lakh, while the Z4 M40i trim is tagged at Rs 78.9 lakh.
Read the full story here.
Car Sales Slow Down in FY19, But the Road Ahead Looks Worse
It hasn’t been a good year for passenger car sales in the country, but that’s not all. It’s likely to get worse according to data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). The passenger car market grew just 2.7 percent in the entire financial year from April 2018 to March this year.
SIAM predicts that the year ahead will also see passenger car sales grow between 3 to 5 percent and two wheeler sales growing by only 5 to 7 percent. This is a far cry from the double digit growth the industry was used to a few years ago.
Read the full story here.
More Connected Cars: Hyundai Showcases Bluelink in Upcoming Venue
Connected cars will be a trend for the next few years, as car makers move towards integrating cars with smartphone connectivity, allowing users more convenience while also adding a layer of safety and surveillance to the vehicle. Hyundai India has just showcased its Bluelink connected car solution in its upcoming compact SUV, the Hyundai Venue.
A couple of weeks ago MG Motor showcased its connected car tech for the upcoming MG Hector. Maruti Suzuki, Nissan and Honda have also shown their connected tech at various points in the past year.
Read the full story here.
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