AutoQ is our weekly round-up of the automotive stories that matter.
Tesla Asked to Suspend Operations of Factory to Fight Coronavirus
San Francisco Bay Area's new coronavirus shelter-in-place order that requires all “non-essential businesses” shut down for three weeks will also impact Elon Musk-led electric carmaker Tesla's California factory, according to county officials and the local sheriff's office.
The Alameda County Sheriff's Office tweeted late Tuesday that Tesla is “not an essential business as defined in the Alameda County Health Order,” and said “Tesla can maintain minimum basic operations” per the order, The Verge reported.
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Volkswagen T-Roc Launched in India, Priced at Rs 19.99 Lakh
Volkswagen India launched its second SUV this year, the Volkswagen T-Roc at an introductory price of Rs 19.99 lakh. The launch was a virtual one owing to social distancing measures in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Volkswagen T-Roc will be imported as a completely built unit. Bookings had opened at the time of Auto Expo in February 2020. At this price-point, the Volkswagen T-Roc competes with the likes of the Jeep Compass and positioned above the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos.
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Pros & Cons Of Steam-Cleaning Your Car to Get Rid Of Germs
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has made the world sit up and reconsider its hygiene habits. Of course, like every trend that's grabbing the headlines, people will try and cash in on it.
In the last few days, my social media timelines have been filled with ads for car-detailing services offering to "steam-clean" the car for a "germ-free" or "coronavirus-free" interior. Think about it. The car's door handles, steering, gear-lever, and seats are hotbeds for all sorts of germs.
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Facelifted Maruti Suzuki Dzire Launched, Prices Increase a Little
Maruti Suzuki has launched the 2020 face-lifted Dzire with prices start at Rs 5.89 lakh ex-showroom. The new Dzire now only comes as a petrol-only variant with a 1.2-litre "dual-jet" four-cylinder engine. It comes in a total of seven variants including three with automated manual transmissions (AMT).
The facelifted Maruti Suzuki Dzire is about Rs 6,000 to Rs 22,000 more expensive than the outgoing model, variant for variant. The Dzire competes with the Honda Amaze, Hyundai Aura and Ford Aspire. While it is competitive when it comes to features and performance, the Dzire loses out on the diesel market as the other three have diesel variants on offer.
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Ola & Uber Suspends Ride-Sharing Feature Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
Ride-hailing platforms Ola and Uber have suspended their respective ‘Shared Ride’ feature in India amid the coronavirus pandemic. This temporary move can be expected to last till 31 March as all efforts are being put in place to stop the spread of the virus which has caused the death of more than 10,000 people globally.
The ‘Ola Share’ option has been taken off the app completely while you will be able to see the “Uber Pool” option but it is marked as “temporarily unavailable.”
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