It shares the 649cc, twin-cylinder engine with the Ninja, Versys and Z650; expected price of around Rs 6.5 lakh.

Kawasaki’s new teaser image on its official India website clearly lets us know of the company’s plans to enter the Indian cruiser segment with the Vulcan S. This parallel-twin-engine cruiser will go head-on against Harley-Davidson’s Street 750/Street Rod and Royal Enfield’s upcoming 650cc Interceptor; but the Enfield will be priced considerably lower. The Vulcan S should be priced between the Ninja 650 and Versys 650 at around 6.5 lakh (ex-showroom).

The Vulcan S is powered by the 649cc, twin-cylinder, DOHC, liquid-cooled engine which is mated to the six-speed gearbox equipped with a positive neutral finder. The engine is tuned to make 61hp at 7,500rpm and 63Nm of torque at 6,600rpm. These different figures are due to the cruiser-oriented tuning tweaks in the form of revised cam profiles, a modified intake tract, exhaust, and ECU.

One of the biggest features of this upcoming cruiser is what Kawasaki call, ‘ERGO-FIT’ – a three-way adjustment position of the seat, footpegs and handlebar to suit riders of different heights. The motorcycle is equipped with a single 300mm disc with the twin-piston caliper on the front and there’s a single 250mm disc with a single-piston caliper at the back. The bike will also come with a dual-channel ABS system.

The Vulcan S is expected to be locally-assembled alongside rest of the 650 family at the Chakan plant. The 6.5 lakh ex-showroom price can only be expected if Kawasaki launches it without accessories, unlike what they did with the Versys-X 300. The accessories on Versys-X 300 bumped up the price, considerably. We were expecting Kawasaki to launch the Vulcan S at the Auto Expo 2018, but the newest teaser could hint at an earlier date.

Courtesy : Autocar

Honda has released the first images for its all-new Insight hybrid ahead of its world debut at the 2018 North American International Motor Show (NAIAS) in Detroit in January 2018.

The Insight nameplate has been revived after a four-year break, with Honda discontinuing the previous generation model in 2014 in international markets. The model is expected to launch in the US in the summer of 2018. However, the new Insight is not expected to launch in the UK, while info about its India-entry is unknown.

However, Honda’s IMA - Integrated Motor Assist – hybrid system is expected to be used on other models in Honda’s line-up, such as the new CR-V for European markets. While the new CR-V will launch in India next year, it is unlikely to be offered in hybrid trim at launch.

Based on the images, the new Insight is less concept-like than its predecessor, and takes on a more conventional sedan-like shape. In fact, plenty of styling bits like the long hood, headlamps and tail-lamps seem to be inspired by the new Accord.

The first generation Insight was launched in 1999 internationally. It rivaled the Toyota Prius and was the first hybrid on sale in North America. The second-gen Honda Insight followed in 2009.

The new Insight is part of Honda’s goal of having electrified vehicles comprising two-thirds of its global sales by 2030. As part of its plans for India, which includes launching six new models in the next three years, Honda will concentrate on introducing hybrids in the near future rather than Battery Electric Vehicles, despite the lack of any incentives provided by India’s new Goods and Service Tax (GST). With this in mind, the new Insight could come to India, though there is no official word regarding a launch.   

 Courtesy : Autocar

Land Rover has introduced the 2018 model year Discovery Sport in India. The car receives new connectivity features and updates to the infotainment system.

New for 2018 is a Wi-Fi Hotspot that can provide in-car access to the internet for up to eight devices. The functionality of the infotainment system has also been advanced with the introduction of InControl Pro Services. On offer is a downloadable route-planning app, a commute mode (it learns your regular route and suggests faster alternatives) and an app that allows passengers to share their ETA via SMS with contacts. These apps are available on the Apple Store and Google Play Store, and sync with the car’s own navigation system.

With the new update, Land Rover has also rejigged the Discovery Sport line-up. Land Rover has withdrawn the model’s petrol engine for the time being, suggesting the new Ingenium petrol engine may launch sooner, rather than later. For the moment, the Discovery Sport is being offered with the same 150hp and 190hp, 2.0-litre diesel variants, as before. The SUV-maker has also removed the five-seater option for the mid-spec SE trim and the top-spec HSE Luxury trim – it will now only offer a five-seater model on the base pure variant. The three other trims will come in a 5 + 2 seater configuration.

The 2018 Discovery Sport range starts at Rs 42.48 lakh (ex-showroom, India) and tops off at Rs 57.46 lakh. Spec-to-spec, the new model is pricier by Rs 30,000-40,000.

Courtesy : Autocar

Royal Enfield had announced an online sale of 15 limited-edition 'Stealth Black' Classic 500 motorcycles that were part of National Security Guards’ motorcycle expedition ‘Fight Against Terror’. This sale received interest from more than 2,000 buyers who stood an opportunity to purchase one of the 15 bikes. All 15 of of these motorcycles were sold out within 15 seconds of going on sale at 12pm on December 13, 2017.

Priced at Rs 1.90 lakh (ex-showroom), these motorcycles are decorated with unique NSG insignia and the entire proceeds from the sale will go to Prerna – a not-for-profit initiative supported by NSG for differently-abled children. The Classic 500s on sale were part of NSG's 40-day motorcycle expedition in which the Black Cat NSG Commandos covered over 8,000km, across India. They did this to spread the message of citizens' awareness of their collective responsibility toward fighting terror.

These limited-edition motorcycles are based on the matte-black Classic 500 that was launched, back in September. It has a matte-black finish on the body and the exhaust, along with black-spoke wheels. Powering it will be the same 499cc single-cylinder engine that makes 27.2hp and 41.3Nm of peak torque, mated to a five-speed transmission.

The 15 buyers who managed to reserve their limited-edition Stealth Black 500 motorcycles will be handed over their respective purchases at a local dealership on the payment of the full amount.

Courtesy : Autocar

With three engines on offer, choosing a Scorpio can be quite a task. In all, the 75hp Scorpio is available in a single variant, the 120hp version is offered in three, while the new 140hp model is offered in the top two, namely S7 and S11 trims, with four-wheel drive in fully-loaded form. Also, lower trims can be optioned with nine seats while the top-spec version can be had with a captain’s chair in the middle row.

The base Scorpio S3 (Rs 9.96 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi) only gets the bare essentials like power steering, air conditioning, central locking and tilt adjust for the steering. Vinyl seats and the absence of ABS and airbags make this version hard to recommend.

The S5 version (Rs 11.6 lakh) with its full wheel covers and body-coloured bumpers looks far nicer on the outside and also comes with basic safety kit like dual airbags and ABS as standard. The S7 (120hp for Rs 12.69 lakh; 140hp for Rs 12.99 lakh) model sees the inclusion of projector headlamps, driver’s seat height adjust, a 2-DIN audio system, reverse parking sensors, rear wipers and a defogger, among other upgrades.

Alloy wheels and daytime-running LEDs are elements only the top-spec S11 version (120hp for Rs 14.78 lakh and 140hp 4x4 for Rs 16.01 lakh) get. Other additions include faux leather seats, a 6.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, a reverse camera, auto headlights and wipers and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

The S11s offer the most kit but also make the Scorpio very expensive. If you don’t mind compromising on a few goodies and 4x4, the 140hp S7 comes across as the best value in the range, offering added punch from the more powerful engine and a reasonable level of kit. 

Courtesy : Autocar