Taxi Service in Ernakulam

Best Classic Car Patina Seen at the 2019 Woodward Dream Cruise Although the dictionary describes patina as "a green or brown film on the surface of bronze or similar metals, produced by oxidation over a long period," MotorTrend sees it differently. Every August, during the annual Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise north of Detroit, MotorTrend describes patina as an awesome ode to  au naturel  classic cars and trucks and the people who appreciate them. Anyone who has worked on a car knows the paint job is painstaking and expensive. Some cars might not be worth it. In Michigan it's not hard to find early-model vehicles where oxidation has robbed them of color and left them basking in a form of their birthday suit. A good sealer can preserve that. But rust takes its toll on a lot of Midwest vehicles. One trend today is to take a vehicle with a body still in good shape and add a little faux patina using a chemical spray or maybe just a vinyl wrap depicting p

Isuzu D-Max V-Cross 1.9 diesel-automatic launched, priced at Rs 19.99 lakh Isuzu has launched the  D-Max V-Cross  with a diesel-automatic combination in India. The new configuration comes with a 1.9-litre diesel engine linked to a 6-speed automatic gearbox, in 'Prestige' grade. It is priced at 19.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Isuzu V-Cross Z-Prestige's new 1.9 litre diesel engine develops 150 PS of maximum power and 350 Nm of peak torque. Its maximum power is 16 PS higher than that of the old, 2.5-litre diesel unit. At present, the new 1.9-litre diesel engine is BS-IV complaint but it will understandably be updated to the higher, BS-VI standards before the 1 April 2020 deadline. In addition to the more powerful engine and an automatic transmission, the Z-Prestige variant flaunts a bigger safety kit which includes six airbags and a brake override system (BOS). In terms of interiors, it gets a dual-tone brown-black interior with perforated leather upholstery,

2020 Triumph Street Triple under development - Report Triumph Motorcycles is working on the 2020 iteration of the Street Triple range. Documents from California Air Research Board (CARB) suggest that the 2020 Triumph Street Triple R and Street Triple RS will receive an additional three-way catalytic converter. This will bring the total number of catalytic converters to two. The updated hardware cuts the hydrocarbon output to half, (0.2g/km to 0.1g/km). The combined hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxides levels have also witnessed a drop (0.3g/km to 0.2g/km). The evaporative emissions on the 2020 models are rated at 0.3g as against 0.5g on the 2019 iteration. The Type Approval documents of the Euro-spec model reveals more details. According to the source report, the European documents only list the range-topping RS model. The performance numbers revealed by the European documents indicate that the Euro-V compliant Street Triple RS will not suffer from performance reduction due to

Bengaluru: Debt-ridden Ola cab driver ends life Bengaluru:  A debt-ridden Ola cab driver allegedly committed suicide by slitting his throat inside his car in Maruthinagar in BDA Layout on Monday night. The deceased has been identified as Manjunath (26), a resident of Nagarabhavi. According to police, Manjunath had taken loans of over Rs. 15 lakh from his friends and private lenders. As his earning was not sufficient to repay the loan, he was demanding money from his parents to clear off the loan for the last one year. While his parents had cleared most of his loan amount, Manjunath kept asking for Rs.10 lakh from them. Manjunath and his parents had a fight over the same issue a year ago after which he left his house and started living separately. Since then, he drove a cab for a living and to clear off the debts but he couldn't manage to earn enough money.Manjunath decided to take the extreme step on Monday as he was unable to repay the loan following repeated harassment

Upcoming 300-400 cc motorcycles in India Thanks to the growing popularity of the existing 300-400 cc KTM and Royal Enfield models in India, companies are seeing a lot of potential in this segment now. Here are five upcoming new entry-level performance motorcycles with engines in the displacement range of 300-400 cc: Yes, the KTM 390 Adventure has been a long time coming. Based on the KTM Duke 390, it is expected to be unveiled at EICMA 2019. The bike  will be launched in India first . The KTM 390 Adventure will be suspended over upside-down fork up front sourced from WP and a monoshock in the rear. The former will be spruced up with extra travel. The KTM 390 Adventure will have a 19-inch front wheel and a 17-inch rear wheel. Tyres will be on and off-road biased. Besides that, expect top-level spec features in the KTM 390 Adventure. This will include LED headlamp, coloured TFT display and optional Bluetooth connectivity as seen in the Duke 390. Other features like ride-by-wir

BS-VI TVS Apache RTR 160 4V spotted ahead of imminent launch The revised front-end of the BS-VI Apache RTR 160 4V features bigger pilot lamps, along with a LED headlight setup. The redesigned headlight mask (in a dual-tone finish) adds a refreshed look to the front fascia of the Apache RTR 160 4V. Another set of clear spy images from CarToq reveal the rest of the design, which is identical to the current (BS-IV) version. Thus, you can see a muscular fuel tank with an asymmetrically mounted filler cap, a single-piece step-up seat, a boxy exhaust design, an engine cowl and a split-style pillion grab rail. The saddle appears to feature a dual-tone finish for a premium look. The cockpit retains the digital instrument console along with switchgear, bar-end weights, grips and levers from the current model. Apart from the regular ride-related information, the feature-rich display includes a gear position indicator and a lap timer. A single-piece handlebar will continue to perform the

Scoop: Honda Breeze (Honda CR-V twin) exterior leaked The Chinese market is one of the core markets for the automakers considering 25% of the world's new cars are sold in China. In order to make the best out of it, companies often sell the same cars with two different names and styling in order to grow the volumes and maximize profits. In the latest, Honda has created a twin model of the CR-V, called 'Breeze'. Honda has been selling  a number of twin models in China  under two joint ventures, namely GAC-Honda and Dongfeng-Honda. While the original Honda CR-V is sold by Dongfeng Honda, the Honda Breeze will be sold by Guangzhou Honda. The Honda Breeze has more stylish front and rear fascias, but its interior is likely to be almost identical. At the front, it incorporates the latest iteration of the brand's design language, apparently with inspiration from the tenth-gen Honda Accord. With a large chrome bar on the front grille that mates with the “jewel eye” hi

Hyundai rolls out first unit of Grand i10 Nios from Chennai plant Following the Venue and Kona Electric, Hyundai is about to come up with its third all-new model for 2019 in the form of Grand i10 Nios, on 20 August 2019. The company has already started rolling out the car out of its Chennai plant. Hyundai has already commenced the  pre-bookings of the Grand i10 Nios  from 7th of this month for a token amount of INR 11,000. When launched, it will be slotted between the Grand i10 and the Elite i20. The Hyundai Grand i10 Nios measures 3,805 mm in length, 1,680 mm in width and 1,520 mm in height. It is 40 mm longer and 20 mm wider in comparison to the outgoing model but the same in terms of height. Its wheelbase measures 2,450 mm, which is 25 mm longer. The 2019 Hyundai Grand i10 is available in 10 variants, including four engine-gearbox combinations. There are two BS-VI engine options. The first one is a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol unit delivering 81 BH

2019 Yamaha V-Ixion and V-Ixion R launched in Indonesia Yamaha Indonesia has updated the  ageing Yamaha V-Ixion and Yamaha V-Ixion R  with new styling. The entry trim 2019 Yamaha V-Ixion carries an unchanged sticker price of IDR 26.95 million (INR 1.35 lakh), while the 2019 V-Ixion R is priced at IDR 30.55 million (INR 1.53 lakh). The Japanese manufacturer has also introduced the new 2019 Yamaha V-Ixion Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP edition at IDR 27.65 million (INR 1.38 lakh). The 2019 Yamaha V-Ixion is offered in Matte Black, Metallic Blue and Metallic Red colours. The tank extensions of the new model have updated, sharper decals. When specified in the Matte Black colour, the motorcycle comes with golden coloured alloy wheels. The suspension system includes conventional telescopic fork up front and a monoshock in the rear. Also, the frame is the deltabox unit from the R15 v2.0, while the swingarm is a relatively accessible box-type unit. Powering the V-Ixion is the same 149

US EPA reveals Ducati Scrambler 1100 Pro and Scrambler 1100 Pro Sport variant names After the  Multistrada 1260 Grand Tour and the Scrambler Icon Dark , the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has revealed names of two more upcoming Ducati models - Ducati Scrambler 1100 Pro and Scrambler 1100 Pro Sport. The details are very limited right now, but we assume that the new motorcycles will carry off-road biased styling and hardware. The  existing Scrambler 1100 range  comprises three variants – 1100, 1100 Special and 1100 Sport. Between the three models, only one packs a rugged persona with wire-spoke wheels – 1100 Special. The upcoming Scrambler 1100 Pro and Scrambler 1100 Pro Sport may have more off-road focused genes with a tall-set front fender, a headlight grille and a longer travel suspension setup. The Scrambler 1100 Pro Sport could benefit from more premium feature list comprising Ohlins-sourced suspension setup (likely with the electronically adjustable Ducati S

TVS Motor announces MotoSoul for global performance motorcycle enthusiasts TVS Motor Company has announced a new global event for performance motorcycle enthusiasts – MotoSoul. The motoring event will be held in association with TVS Racing on 18 & 19 October 2019 in Vagator, Goa. With the event, TVS aims to establish a strong connect with Apache Owners Group as well as performance motorcycle enthusiasts across the world. The MotoSoul will be an annual event. Speaking about the new initiative, Meghashyam Dighole, Head - (Marketing) Premium Motorcycles, TVS Motor Company, said: MotoSoul is our flagship initiative to create a differentiated platform for our global brand – TVS Apache. The brand has built a strong community of over 3.5 million customers across the globe with our differentiated customer experience initiatives such as Apache Owners Group, Apache Racing Experience & Apache Pro Performance. MotoSoul is a culmination of the Apache Owners experience as well as a

BMW M8 Convertible spied in India for the first time The design of the bumpers of the test mule seen here clearly confirm that we are looking at the wild BMW M8 Convertible and not the regular BMW 8 Series Convertible. The BMW M8 Convertible (just like the BMW M8 Coupe) sports a high-revving 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine which delivers ground shattering 441 kW/600 PS of maximum power and 750 Nm of peak torque. This engine comes paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system. A 0-100 km/h sprint takes just 3.3 seconds, while the top speed is electronically restricted to 250 km/h. An optional M Driver's package allows a higher top speed of 305 km/h. There is even a more powerful model of the M8 Convertible, the 'Competition' model, in which the 4.4L engine develops 625 PS and 750 Nm of torque. It also gets the same standard 8-speed automatic transmission. Thanks to the higher power and other performance components, the 'Co

Tata Nexon with new steering wheel and cruise control spied The test mules seen here could be of the BS-VI Tata Nexon. Apparently, the more eco-friendly Tata Nexon will come with some interior revisions. Firstly, there will be a new steering wheel, the same unit from the upcoming Altroz. In addition, cruise control will make it to the sub-compact SUV, a feature already available in the rivals Ford EcoSport, Mahindra XUV300, Maruti Vitara Brezza and Hyundai Venue. Tata Motors will upgrade both the engines of the Nexon to BS-VI, the 1.2L Revotron petrol unit and the 1.5L Revotorq unit. The BS-IV 1.2L Revotron turbocharged petrol engine produces 110 PS and 170 Nm of torque. The BS-IV 1.5L Revotorq turbocharged diesel engine develops 110 PS and 260 Nm of torque. Both the engines are available with a standard 6-speed manual transmission and an optional 6-speed automated manual transmission. The Nexon has been quite a successful product for Tata Motors. Recently, the company rolled

MG receives 28k Hector bookings, delivers 1.5k units in June MG launched its maiden product in India, the Hector, on 27 June this year. Touted as the 'the First Internet SUV' in our market, the Hector is already off to an excellent start. MG Motor India today announced that it has received 28,000 bookings for the Hector and has delivered 1,508 units of the same in the first month Earlier reports  had said that MG had paused bookings at 21,000 units, but now the officially confirmed number is 28,000 units. With the bookings rocketing higher than the expectations, the company has been compelled to stop taking further bookings temporarily, and the Hector is now sold-out for this whole calendar year. This is certainly a bummer for the people still planning on to get their hands on the Hector, who will now have to wait until the company is ready to balance out the supply-demand chain. Commenting on the sales performance, Gaurav Gupta, Chief Commercial Officer, MG Motor In

Top 5 concepts from Auto Expo 2016 that never made it to production Even with just 6 months left for the Auto Expo 2020 (7-12 February 2020), excitement levels though seem to be on the lower side this time around. Sinking sales volumes, flawed policy-making and upcoming price hike due to soon to be implemented BS-VI are just the tip of the iceberg which is set to hit the Indian automotive industry. However, the biennial event has all our hopes pinned for a lucky charm. Auto Expo 2016 was the second time the event was held at the new venue in Greater Noida. While almost 4 years have passed since the event took place, we still have several products which allude us. Here is a list of top 5 two-wheeler concepts we are still waiting to evolve into a production model: While the  TVS Akula concept  was the showstopper for the Chennai based brand at Auto Expo 2016, one product which still had us excited about was the  TVS X21 concept . Based on the Apache RTR 200 4V, it flaunts flashy

Ather 450 and 340 get a massive price cut post GST rate reduction Ather Energy has revised the prices of its 450 and 340 electric scooters post the GST rate reduction. The Ather 450 is now available at INR 1,13,715*, while the 340 retails at INR 1,02,460*. Check out the pre- and post-GST rate reduction prices* in the table below: Model Pre-GST Cut Price Post-GST Cut Price Difference Ather 450 (Bangalore) INR 1,22,647 INR 1,13,715 INR 8,932 Ather 340 (Bangalore) INR 1,10,647 INR 1,02,460 INR 8,187 Ather 450 (Chennai) INR 1,31,683 INR 1,22,224 INR 9,459 Ather 340 (Chennai) INR 1,19,091 INR 1,10,608 INR 8,483 The GST Council reduced the GST rate for electric vehicles to 5% as against the previous rate of 12%. With the GST cut, the entry-level Ather electric scooter is available at very close to INR 1 lakh (on-road) mark in Bangalore. The 4% road tax that is levied by the Tamil Nadu government is one of the reasons behind the higher price tags in Chennai. The reduc

Production ready CFMoto 300SR spied for the first time The cat is finally out of the bag. Spy shots of CFMoto’s upcoming fully-faired sports motorcycle have come up for the first time. This model was showcased first as the  CFMoto 250SR concept , in May 2019. Regular readers will remember that CFMoto will be launching its production version with a bigger, more powerful powerplant, and name it CFMoto 300SR. This model has been confirmed to be launched in India by  mid-2020 (May-August 2020) . The spy images have revealed a reworked front nose from the race track-based concept. The LED headlamp is surrounded by a C-shaped LED daytime running lights. Gone is the Akrapovic-sourced exhaust canister from the concept and in is an underbelly exhaust. This will not only help reduce costs but also make the bike road-legal. The racing cowl from the concept has been replaced with a pillion seat in the CFMoto 300SR. The sharp pseudo air ducts next to the pillion seats are reminiscent of th

New Royal Enfield motorcycle variants confirmed, to be launched soon Royal Enfield is all set to introduce new motorcycle variants soon. The Chennai-based brand has been experiencing weakened sales volumes for the past few months. Hopefully, new products will help the brand regain some volumes. Royal Enfield’s new CEO, Mr. Vinod Dasari has confirmed that the new products will widen the brand’s offering and provide greater accessibility. This gives clear hints of a more affordable version of the Royal Enfield Bullet. The company may also throw in more colour options, a trick which helped in getting favourable results in case of the Royal Enfield Thunderbird X. This will allow the brand to take on the single-cylinder competition from the Japanese as well as the Indian contingent. Indian two-wheeler market entered a slowdown just before the festive season last year due to a spike in insurance costs. Royal Enfield sales (domestic as well as exports) dropped by a whopping 19% in

Tata Tigor EV prices slashed by INR 80,000 Thanks to the recent reduction in GST on electric vehicles, the price of the all-electric Tata Tigor has been slashed by INR 80,000. Tata Motors has decided to pass on the benefit to the customers with an immediate effect. The Tigor EV was earlier priced at INR 12.35–12.71 lakh* and will now be available to customers at INR 11.58–11.92 lakh*. However, these prices do not include FAME II scheme subsidy and TCS (vehicles costing more than INR 10 lakh gets 1% tax levied on them). The FAME II subsidy would decrease the prices to INR 9.96 lakh* for the base variant and INR 10.30 lakh* for the top-of-the line XT variant. The Tata Tigor EV stays exclusive only to the fleet operators and government officials, and there are no updates if the same would be launched as a public vehicle anytime soon. It is now available in three variants including XE (Base), XM (Premium) and XT (High). The Tigor EV makes use of a 16.2 kWh battery pack which

Upcoming Bajaj Pulsar 125 to have Neon variant - Report The new  Bajaj Pulsar 125 will arrive in India very soon . While we are yet to hear any official details, the launch is expected to take place this month. Now, BikeDekho reports that the company may introduce a Neon Edition of the bike along with the standard version. he Bajaj Pulsar 125, as  suggested by earlier reports , will carry the same styling as the Bajaj Pulsar 150. In fact, the motoring portal claims that the recently spotted test mule (pictured above) of the Pulsar family was the 125 cc model, and not the BS-VI variant of the 150 cc. The Neon Edition will feature bright colour treatment for the Pulsar logo on the fuel tank and for the pillion grab rail. The 125 Neon will reportedly undercut the 150 Neon by INR 10,000. For reference, the Pulsar 150 Neon, which was launched at INR 68,250*, now retails at INR 71,200*. Thus, the Pulsar 125 Neon will cost approximately INR 61,000*. The mechanical specifications on