The Week’s Top News Highlights (January 8–12)

New Launches

The Week’s Top News The four-wheeler sector is experiencing a number of fresh developments as 2024 gets underway. New automobile releases, model year revisions, and unveilings have all occurred in the last week. The main events of the previous week in the automotive industry are included in this weekly wrapup – The Week’s Top News

Kia Sonet: The redesigned Kia Sonet debuted at the end of the previous year, bringing with it additional creature comforts, a more angular look, and enhanced safety thanks to ADAS capabilities. Kia has already released the 2024 Sonet, with starting costs of Rs 7.99 lakh and going up to Rs 15.69 lakh (ex-showroom, introduction).

Mercedes-Benz GLS: The facelifted Mercedes-Benz GLS was unveiled this week. The opulent SUV’s exterior now has a more rough appearance, while the interior has undergone some small adjustments. The carmaker has increased the price of the model from Rs 1.32 crore to Rs 1.37 crore (ex-showroom) after making significant changes to its feature list. Here is more information about the new GLS.

Model Year Updates

Mahindra XUV400 Pro: At the beginning of 2024, the Mahindra XUV400 underwent a significant makeover. The interior of the electric SUV has been totally revamped with a new center console, dashboard, and dual-tone black and grey theme. It now has wireless phone charging, dual-zone climate control, a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, and a touchscreen infotainment system.

2024 MG Astor: MG made significant updates to its small SUV for 2024, making it the most reasonably priced model available. The MG Astor now has wireless phone charging, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, ventilated front seats, and an updated infotainment system UI. The Astor’s exterior and internal design remain the same, but the cost has somewhat altered.

Models from Renault

Kiger, Triber, and Kwid are the three models that Renault currently sells in India; all three have the MY2024 update. With this update, several models gain additional features like an auto-dimming IRVM for the Kiger and a wireless phone charger for the Triber. A less expensive automated version of the Kwid is added, and the prices of all three variants have been lowered. You may get more information on each of the three Renault models here.

Hyundai Creta 2024: The exterior of the updated Creta was formally unveiled. A revised front profile featuring design cues reminiscent of the Hyundai Venue is carried by the upgraded compact SUV. Alloy wheels have been updated for the side profile, and an integrated LED tail light arrangement has been added to the back.

Tata Punch EV Interior: In the first week of 2024, Tata unveiled the Punch EV’s external design. The following week, we got our first peek at the vehicle’s interior. It has a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a touch-based temperature control panel, and the new Tata steering wheel with the illuminated logo.

Maruti eVX Confirmed For 2024: Maruti said at the Vibrant Gujarat summit 2024 that the Maruti eVX, the company’s first electric vehicle in India, will go on sale by the end of 2024. The eVX made its debut at the 2023 Auto Expo. It is anticipated to have a battery pack that can hold up to 60 kWh and a stated range of 550 km.

Honda Increased Prices

Many automakers increased the price of their vehicles at the beginning of 2024, with Honda being the most recent to do so. The Honda Elevate’s initial pricing have ended as the Japanese automaker raised the costs of the Elevate and the City.

The Explanation Of The  Mahindra XUV400 EV now has the suffix “Pro” after it, and it is still offered in the same range of variants, EC and EL. A fully digital driver’s display, a larger touchscreen, and an improved dashboard design are some of the notable modifications. We have covered the top-spec EL Pro version of the XUV400 EV in 15 pictures in this post. With the release of the Pro model, Mahindra hasn’t significantly altered the exterior design of the XUV400 EV. The projector headlights with LED DRLs and the closed-off grille with copper inlays are still present on the fascia.

This new variation has no discernible alterations to its profile. It still has the same LED tail lamps on the back. The shark-fin antenna and the EV emblem on the tailgate are the only external modifications.

Mahindra has significantly updated the electric SUV’s interior. The dashboard’s appearance has been modified to include a flat-bottom steering wheel covered in leather and a new center console with the AC vents moved to the center. A piano black inlay has taken the place of the storage area on the co-driver’s side of the dashboard. There is now a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system available on the XUV400 EV EL Pro model. With its recent update, the climate control panel now features dual-zone capability.

There are two charging connections and a wireless smartphone charger behind the climate control panel. There are two cup holders behind the drive mode selector lever, which is still the same as it was.

The new 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, which is derived from the Mahindra XUV700, is another noteworthy modification. The infotainment system and this driver’s display can be synchronized for the purpose of playing the map feed through Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Additionally, the upholstery has been changed from having an all-black theme to one that is black and beige. Features such as a driver’s seat with height adjustment and a sunroof have remained. In addition to the current adjustable headrests, the backseat now has AC vents. When the second row is folded down, the XUV400 EV has 378 liters of cargo capacity. For more room, the chairs can easily be divided into a 60:40 ratio.

The Explanation Of The XUV400 EV EL Pro model has two battery pack options: 34.5 kWh and 39.4 kWh, having claimed range of 375 km and 456 km, respectively. A single 150 PS and 310 Nm electric motor is connected to these batteries.