AutoQ is our weekly round-up of stories from the automobile industry.
1. Ford Aspire Now Available in a CNG Variant at Rs 6.27 Lakh
Ford India has launched a CNG variant of its compact sedan, Ford Aspire, which is available at Rs 6.27 lakh. There is another Trend Plus variant which has been priced at Rs 7.12 lakh. The company has said that the CNG kits will be fitted to the 1.2-litre petrol variant.
Ford had upgraded the Aspire last year with an all-new 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and a few cosmetics updates. The Ford Aspire has held the reputation of being one of the most spacious cars in its segment. Some of its strong suites are the ride quality and driving feel.
Read the full story here.
2. 2019 Honda Civic Review: 5 Questions to Ask Before You Buy One
The Honda Civic is a car that’s not really new to the Indian market. It had been on sale in India since 2006, but it was discontinued in 2012 due to poor demand. Five years later, the car is back.
However, the segment in which it will compete – the Rs 18 lakh to Rs 24 lakh price segment – has rivals such as the Toyota Corolla Altis, Skoda Octavia and the Hyundai Elantra that have been struggling to get their cars out of the showroom.
The segment is shrinking, with the segment best-seller the Toyota Corolla Altis managing to sell an average of 230 cars a month. This is primarily because of the availability of SUVs in the same price bracket that have caught the fancy of Indian buyers.
Read the full story here.
3. Sub-Compact King of the Hill: Mahindra XUV300 or Maruti Brezza?
Ever since the launch of the new Mahindra XUV300, the compact SUV segment in India which has been dominated by the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and the Ford EcoSport has suddenly been jolted.
Yes, the Mahindra TUV300 is there, but it hasn’t been able to set the cat amongst the pigeons. So, what the ‘cat’ failed to achieve, can the cheetah try to conquer?
The XUV300 does carry a strong feature list as compared to its competitors. But, does that really make it a better bargain or is all of the glitter just a means to lure the customer?
Have a look at the comparison between the Mahindra XUV300 and the Maruti Suzuki Brezza here.
4. KTM Duke 390 vs Honda CB300R: Which Bike is Worth Rs 2.4 lakh?
Honda has entered the ever-growing 300cc segment with the CB300R and for Rs 2.41 lakh (ex-showroom), it doesn’t come cheap. In this segment, you have intense competition brewing between brands like Bajaj, TVS and now Honda is the latest to put itself in the ring.
The king of the pack is undoubtedly Royal Enfield with its Classic 350 ruling the sales charts but it’s hard to ignore the lure of KTM’s Duke 390, which is also priced around Rs 2.44 lakh in the country.
Now, the big question worth asking is, should you pick the 300cc CB300R in this price range or go for the tried and tested Duke 390. We’ll give you all the details in this comparison to make the decision making easier.
Read the full comparison here.
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