Hyundai Venue Bharat NCAP Rating: What Safety Features Are In The Base Variant?

BMW India Leads Sales Race, Plans More Launches Despite Slowdown

Somnath Chatterjee — Wed, 8 Apr 2026 19:13:42 +0530

Are luxury car owners holding back their purchases due to current situation? In India, with 70 percent of luxury car owners being self employed/businessmen etc the current uncertainty has meant that overall luxury segment without BMW has shrunk.

BMW Defies Market Slowdown

However, BMW particularly with its volume sellers like the iX1 and the X1/5 Series/ 3 Series has posted a growth in the first quarter of 2026. Between Jan and March 2026 the German luxury carmaker has climbed to the No 1 position with sales of 4567 units which are its best quarterly sales.

BMW is also the leader in the luxury EV segment with 70 percent market share. That is due to the X1 LWB which has been its best seller and also the best selling luxury EV in India. It has also strong demand for its SUVs plus LWB or long wheelbase models.

Muted Sentiment, Aggressive Plans

However, CEO, Hardeep Singh Brar, pointed out that current uncertainties has meant buyer sentiment is low with stock market/economy plus other factors playing a role in many potential buyers holding back. That said, the luxury segment has witnessed more growth but for 2026 Q1, the rest of the luxury car industry has seen a decline.

BMW meanwhile is aggressive with its product expansion and will bring 23 new launches all throughout the year including six new cars. It will focus on EVs too. We expect new models like the i5 in LWB form to come this year as well amongst other models.

For BMW, despite the slowing segment growth, the sales outcome looks positive as the carmaker becomes more aggressive with new launches.

Jetour T2 Hybrid And MG Majestor Set To Rival Fortuner

Somnath Chatterjee — Wed, 8 Apr 2026 12:32:14 +0530

The Toyota Fortuner will get some competition in the form of JSW MG and JSW coming on its own with its own brand of cars. These two cars will rival the Fortuner while being the toughest competition to this best-selling SUV.

The first launch is the MG Majestor, which is coming before the Jetour T2-based SUV, which JSW will be launching. The Majestor will come on April 20th, and we will know the prices.

MG Majestor: Bigger, Tougher, Feature-Loaded

The massive Majestor will be bigger than the Fortuner and will come with a diesel engine, while coming with new features too. It will be a proper old school SUV, focused on off-road ability, but also have more features as well.

The big USP of the Majestor is the size and the sheer appeal of the car. It will be sold via standard MG showrooms.

JSW’s Jetour T2-Based SUV: Hybrid Power Meets Rugged Design

The other launch is also the much-anticipated JSW Motors, which will come with its own car with the JSW logo. This will be, of course, based on the Jetour T2, while it will be coming with some changes.

The Jetour T2-based SUV will have a plug-in hybrid configuration with more than 1000km range, plus a large battery too. The i-DM plug-in hybrid SUV will have a 1.5L turbo petrol plus a dual electric motor set-up, which means it will be a plug-in hybrid.

Total power is upwards of 300bhp- more than other SUVs, while having an electric-only range of 139km. The design is butch, aggressive, and the T2 has a spare wheel at the back, as an old school SUV as well.

The size of Jetour T2 would be smaller than the Majestor, though also ample at 4785mm. Like the Majestor, the T2 would be well equipped with a lot of luxury features. Interestingly, both these SUVs would be aimed at the Toyota Fortuner, while the T2 would be priced lower than the larger Majestor.

Volkswagen Taigun Facelift Goes Premium With Tiguan-Like Design

Somnath Chatterjee — Tue, 7 Apr 2026 14:34:53 +0530

The new Taigun has been revealed as production has started for the car. The new look Taigun facelift gets a revised frontend with new LED headlamps and the look is slimmer plus sharper while sharing a similar look to the Tiguan R-Line.

Design and Feature Updates

The Taigun facelift is expected to have the same length as the earlier model but gets a new look with connected lighting along with a new bumper with greater blackened elements. There are new look black alloys as well with red brake calipers. The rear styling too would be revised while we can expect new colours.

The interiors would be new too with a revised touchscreen and a new infotainment system. The digital instrument cluster would also be new. The panoramic sunroof too would be added and that's important considering all of the other SUVs have this feature. Like the Kushaq facelift the new Taigun will also get a rear massager and more features vs the current model.

Powertrain and Launch Timeline

Mechanically the new Taigun will get a new 8 speed automatic gearbox which is a torque converter automatic with the 1.0 TSI. The 1.5 TSI with a DSG will also be there although it could also be having a manual.

The new Taigun will be slightly more expensive while prices would be revealed soon as the car would be unveiled on the 9th of this month.

400 To 350cc: Should You Buy These Downsize Triumph Bikes?

Somnath Chatterjee — Mon, 6 Apr 2026 23:14:30 +0530

Downsizing is the current mantra these days and the much awaited 350cc Triumph bikes have been revealed. The name has been retained but the 400cc engines have not been downsized to 350cc for the obvious lower tax benefits with an 18 percent GST rate. The 349cc single cylinder liquid cooled engine has some changes while having less power now but the difference is not huge. The Speed T4 develops 29hp at 7,500rpm and 31Nm at 5,500rpm while in the Scrambler 400 and 400 XC, the power is now 37hp at 8,500rpm and 32Nm at 7,000rpm. Within the 350cc engine family, the Thruxton 400 and Tracker get around 40hp at 8,750rpm and 32Nm at 7,500rpm.

Triumph Scrambler and Thruxton 400 get fresh styling, strong performance and improved value with new engines.

Other than the Speed T4, prices of the other motorcycles including the Thruxton, Scrambler and Speed have also seen a minor reduction now. There is no change in terms of the design either with the same badging and nothing apart from the engines have been changed. On the Speed 400, the power drop is 3bhp and 5.5Nm while on the Speed T4, it is 2bhp and 5Nm.

The Tracker 400 is the new addition of the line-up. With these smaller capacity engines, the pricing is better which is good news and power hasn't dropped alarmingly which makes these motorcycles slightly better value without losing the core DNA of these bikes.

March 2026 SUV Sales: Punch Leads, Seltos, And Venue Surge

Somnath Chatterjee — Mon, 6 Apr 2026 13:39:51 +0530

In terms of March 2026 sales, new Tata Punch post its facelift launch has overtaken the Nexon. The new Punch sold nearly 21,000 units with sales of 20,977 units which is more than the Nexon at 19,810 units. The Nexon still is the third largest selling car in India but the Punch has now become the best selling SUV in India right now.

Strong Competition Across the Segment

Following the Punch and Nexon is the Creta which remains a strong seller while volumes have just dropped a bit but still remain very strong and is of course the best selling 4m plus SUV again which means it still holds onto the crown.

Maruti Suzuki isn't far behind with its Brezza and Fronx continuing to get 16,000/15,000 plus sales each. Then we have the Scorpio N which continues to hold fort with sales of 14.5k units plus.

Then the Kia Sonet holds a strong 12,000 plus sales but then you have a long list of SUVs entering the club. The 11,000 plus sales club now has the Venue, Victoris and the Seltos which being new SUVs has resulted in strong sales.

SUV Demand Remains Strong

All these SUVs have been launched recently and have been accepted well into the market with Seltos gaining volumes month on month. For now, the Punch has been the new SUV champion and while below that, various new SUVs are gaining in with strong volumes. The SUV market still remains the most increasing and sought after.

MG Windsor Long Term Review: No Worry For Fuel Prices?

Somnath Chatterjee — Sun, 5 Apr 2026 13:08:23 +0530

The Windsor is currently one of the most popular EVs and we also gave it our EV of the year award. However, how good is it to live with? We spent a couple of months with the car and came away impressed with its usability plus the range while it only had a few quirks. The Windsor that we tested was the standard version with a 38kWh battery while there is a Pro version which gets a larger one. Anyways, let's talk about our review.

What's The Range?

Let's get straight to the talking point and with a claimed 332km per charge, we got around 280km with a mix of highway plus city with all modes including eco+ which is the best mode for getting the max change. Eco+ is not very slow too and for low speed traffic, it makes sense. The real world range hence, is near the claimed range while we only had to charge it once a week at our office while the per km cost of running the car is a fraction of a petrol or diesel car. That is the big USP for an EV.

How Is The Power?

Power delivery is smooth, quick enough and perfect for city use with a light steering along with great visibility. It is not very big and neither is it too small but perfect for city use. There are drive modes and regen braking on offer while I used the highest regen. The ride though is firm and that's a bother when it crashes over potholes but other than that, the light controls, smooth performance and the compact size enables it to be perfect for city use. We also like how the camera stays on at low speeds when driving while at night, the LED headlamps illuminate the road ahead quite well.

What About The Interior?

The interior is impressive and simply put, offers more space than other 5 seater rivals. The rear seat is huge on space and you can recline too while three passengers can easily fit along with a flat floor. Even the boot easily swallowed my entire family of 5's luggage. The seats are comfortable for long distance use and the other best bit is the huge number of storage options with plenty all around the cabin. There were some issues though and mainly with the touchscreen having too many functions. There are not many physical controls which means you need to get into the touchscreen to adjust the sunroof or even mirrors and even after a week or two, it was confusing. The screen works very well though and it never did hang in two months while the resolution is good too including for the 360 degree camera.

That said, we did notice how the screen is a bit too bright at times at night and we had to lower the brightness. We did find it interesting that you can scroll down as far as you want the sunroof to be lowered but all of it requires too much attention given to the screen and not to the road ahead. There are a few shortcut buttons on the steering which we did use for some of the functions.

Other things? The voice command worked well and I used it a lot while the audio system is decent too while the inbuilt app helps you pick from many songs on the go.

Would You Recommend It?

The Windsor is easy to recommend as a spacious EV which offers a lot of tech, compact size but inside it is much more spacious than rivals while range is good too for mostly city use. Yes, it has its own fair share of quirks like the gimmicks including too many touchscreen oriented tasks but beyond that, the Windsor is very good value for what it gives.

Tata Sierra And Safari EV To Get AWD Dual Motors

Somnath Chatterjee — Sat, 4 Apr 2026 18:24:27 +0530

Both Sierra and Safari EVs will get AWD which means a dual motor layout.

The Harrier EV currently has a dual motor layout and the Sierra will now be the most affordable EV to have a dual motor layout after the Harrier.

What To Expect

The Sierra EV will have less power than the Harrier EV dual motor though.

The inclusion of a dual motor layout is necessary for the addition of AWD.

The Sierra AWD with this feature will stand out vs the standard ICE sibling.

The other EV from Tata Motors is the Safari EV which will also receive a dual motor layout while having the same power as the Harrier EV.

The Safari EV will be the largest Tata EV and will be aimed at the likes of the XEV 9s although the XEV 9s does not have a dual motor option.

The addition of a dual motor layout will mean better offroad ability and will add a layer of desirability to the new Tata EVs.

First to come would be the Sierra EV which is launching in May 2026.

The Safari EV will come in later in the year.

Both the Sierra and Safari EVs will bolster the EV sales and give competition to the likes of Mahindra electric which currently has the best selling EV title with the aggressively priced XEV 9s.

Expect to get more details regarding the Sierra EV soon for now.

2026 New Suzuki Burgman Street First Look Review

Somnath Chatterjee — Sat, 4 Apr 2026 12:38:32 +0530

The updated Burgman Street is here and there are some significant changes for sure. The maxi scooter theme remains though but the look is new with new LED headlamp, tail lamp plus a new look front. The windscreen has a darker effect and the top-end has copper highlights which adds a premium look.

The styling is radical and looks unique while now has a slightly more premium look while due to its size, the road presence is more than other premium scooters.

Features And Mechanical Updates

Elsewhere, the new Burgman Street gets more features and technology including a new 4.2-inch TFT display which includes turn-by-turn navigation plus there is keyless ignition now for the top-end variants. There is keyless remote control for the seat, fuel lid also.

While the fuel capacity is the same, the storage has been improved from 21.5 litres to 24.6 litres. Mechanically, there is a new platform which reduces weight by 500g and increases torsional rigidity. Ground clearance is 160mm.

The 8.3 bhp 124cc single-cylinder engine continues while the CVT has improved. While being expensive at Rs 1.13 lakh, the new Burgman is a good-looking premium scooter with quite a lot of features while now is slightly better value.

The scooter has been successful since its 2018 debut with more than 1.1 million units sold while this update brings some crucial changes now.

Volkswagen Taigun Facelift Revealed: How It Stacks Up Against Kushaq

Somnath Chatterjee — Fri, 3 Apr 2026 16:37:28 +0530

Volkswagen will soon launch the new Taigun facelift in India and here we will see what are the changes vs the Kushaq facelift which was launched recently. Styling wise the changes for the Taigun facelift would be different vs the Kushaq facelift.

Design and Features

The Taigun will get a revised front end and we expect Taigun lettering at the back to the illuminated as well. The styling would be sportier as well.

Inside the infotainment would be overhauled and a new look interior will be seen on the Taigun with a revised digital instrument cluster. While like the Kushaq facelift we can expect the Taigun facelift to get a panoramic sunroof as well plus features like dual powered seats.

It won't get a 360 degree camera or ADAS though. That said the rear massager for the Kushaq could be seen on the Taigun facelift as well.

Engine and Launch Details

If we talk about engine options then the facelift Taigun will get 1.0 and 1.5 TSI engines while the 1.0 TSI will get a new 8 speed automatic gearbox. The 1.0 Tsi will continue with a manual too.

The 1.5 TSI could get a manual gearbox though which could be a difference vs it's sibling. The GT 1.5 variants could be differentiated here. The 1.5 TSI will also get the 7 speed DSG automatic gearbox.

The new Taigun would be launched on the 9th of this month.

Hyundai Venue Bharat NCAP Rating: What Safety Features Are In The Base Variant?

Somnath Chatterjee — Fri, 3 Apr 2026 14:08:48 +0530

Safety ratings have become a key factor in car buying decisions, with more vehicles now achieving full 5-star rating which shows vehicle safety is now improved.

The new Venue for example has a 5 star crash safety rating from Bharat NCAP but while the structure is safe, what features in terms of safety do you get in the base variant? Let us take a look.

Base Variant Packs Essential Safety Features

The base variant of the Venue in its new generation form ISOFIX, ABS with EBD, 3 point seatbelts with reminders, 6 airbags, rear parking sensors, a tyre-pressure monitoring system, hill start assist and more.

The presence of 6 airbags as standard greatly helps matters here and safety wise, the new Venue is pretty well equipped but what about the higher variants?

Higher Variants Add Advanced Tech

If we look at that, the new Venue in terms of safety has a 360 degree camera, autohold and importantly ADAS.

Compared to the earlier generation Venue, the new one has a generation Level 2 ADAS. For ADAS, you need to get the top variant HX10 but compared to a few years back, the base variants are now safer and get more features than before especially with 6 airbags and other basic safety features being offered.

The Venue is now the second Hyundai to get a 5 star safety rating from BNCAP.