About Cyrus Dhabhar
Cyrus DhabharConnect with this authorCyrus Dhabhar was born and brought up in a motorsport family and cars run deep in his blood. As a passionate founder and head of a classic car club in Mumbai and an avid part of the vintage and classic car scene in the country, Cyrus prefers his cars older and simpler. That said, he loves everything on four wheels and the occasional two-wheeler as well. Cyrus currently is the Assistant Editor - AUTO for the NDTV Group.
Articles of Cyrus Dhabhar
Mercedes-Benz India Sets Luxury Car Sales Record For 2018
Mercedes-Benz India has been the largest luxury automaker in India for the last few years now and has set a new record for luxury car sales in India at 15,538 units in 2018. The automaker had a fair few launches in 2018, in both the luxury segment with the facelifted Mercedes-Benz C-Class and in the performance segment with the likes of the Mercedes-AMG E63s sedan and the iconic Mercedes-AMG G63 SUV. This is the highest ever sales figure for Mercedes-Benz India and is the second year in succession with sales topping the 15,000 unit mark. 2018 was also the 4th year that Mercedes-Benz India beat out its closest rivals BMW and Audi to retain the number 1 spot amongst luxury automakers in India.
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126 Car Burnout Sets New Guinness World Record In Australia
The Guinness World record for the maximum number of cars doing burnouts at the same time has been set in Australia. The record, which originally stood at 119 cars and was set in Saudi Arabia has been beaten by the Aussies at a new record of 126 cars. This means a total of 252 tyres getting a proper belting and doing what they do best! The event was held as a part of the legendary Summernats automotive gathering that takes place in Canberra and attracts close to 1 lakh people and over 2500 cars. Cars taking part in the record ranged from classic Aussie muscle cars like the Ford Falcon and its archrival, the Holden Commodore to the likes of burnout likely Mustangs, pickups, etc.
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Oracle's Larry Ellison Invests $1 Billion In Tesla
Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle Corp. and the 9th richest man in the world has invested $1 Billion in Tesla. Ellison has also joined the board of directors of the electric car maker in December. Larry Ellison has been a long term friend of Tesla founder Elon Musk and officially filed the investment and stake details with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission earlier today. He is now the second largest individual investor in Tesla and owns nearly 3 Million Tesla shares through the Lawrence J. Ellison Revocable Trust. His stake in Tesla is worth 1.75 per cent of the overall value of the electric automaker.
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Lexus Might Showcase An All-Electric SUV Soon
Toyota has possibly one of the widest range of Hybrid cars available on the market today and for the longest time, Toyota management has stuck to its guns saying it's buyers and dealers do not need an electric car and are happier with hybrid tech. That said, with the world moving swiftly towards electric mobility, the automaker does need to make its presence felt. And with most automakers, Toyota might be looking at a top down approach. Lexus, the luxury arm of the Toyota Group has recently filed a patent for the name 'UX300e' hinting at the first ever all-electric model from the carmaker.
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Hyundai To Introduce Fingerprint Recognition In Its Cars And SUVs
Hyundai has announced that it will soon have fingerprint recognition technology that will allow drivers to unlock their cars and also start their vehicles! The first car to get the Hyundai fingerprint scanner will be the upcoming 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe (for global markets) and will most likely come down the stream and find itself on a range of vehicles in the coming few years. Considering the fact that secure and effective fingerprint scanning technology can be found on cheap android phones too, we would not be surprised if the next generation Hyundai i20 or an even smaller and more affordable car will have this technology. In fact, Hyundai India should seriously consider this for the likes of the upcoming subcompact sub 4-metre SUV, codenamed QXi, that it will be launching in India next year.
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Suzuki Showcases Retro Themed Jimny Pickup With Woody Styling
The Suzuki Jimny has been one of the most popular cars on the internet in 2018 due to its lovable dimensions, upright SUV stance and retro styling. While it looks like a Mini Defender or a Mini G-Class, the Suzuki Jimny with its 4-wheel-drive layout does manage to out handle much larger SUVs off the road too. And now, to add to the Jimny family, Suzuki has showcased a new concept pickup version of the likable little subcompact SUV. The new concept, called the Jimny Safari, will be showcased at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2019 in January, one of the only shows in the world that match the likes of the SEMA show in Las Vegas in terms of aftermarket solutions for cars. While there is certainly a large number of people in India who would love to get their hands on a Jimny, Maruti Suzuki has already said that there are no plans to launch the small subcompact SUV in India anytime soon.
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Hyundai i20 Global Sales Cross 1.3 Million Units Milestone
The Hyundai i20 is the current benchmark in the premium hatchback segment in India. Introduced 10 years ago, the Hyundai i20 has been one of the best selling hatchbacks in recent times and sold over 8.5 lakh units since its launch in India. And now the premium hatch has crossed the 1.3 million unit sales milestone globally. The Hyundai i20 globally has been available in different body styles, mainly a 2-door hatch and a 4-door hatch. In India, the car has been sold mainly in the 4-door hatch body style with the last gen also offered in a 2-door hatch version for a very very limited run.
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New Maruti Suzuki Wagon R Launch Date Revealed
Maruti Suzuki will launch the new Wagon R in India on January 23, 2019. The new car is slated to go up against the likes of the Tata Tiago and the recently launched Hyundai Santro. Prices for the new Maruti Suzuki Wagon R are expected to be between Rs 4-5 lakh (ex-showroom) with the new car set to be offered with more features, more space and of course, more safety than ever before. Maruti Suzuki will also be launching an all-electric version of the Wagon R in India in 2020 but while the two cars will wear a similar badge, they will be very different in terms of the way they look and the overall features they offer.
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Maruti Suzuki Will Target Fleet, Shared Mobility Buyers With Its Upcoming Electric Car
With a price tag which puts in in the same range as premium hatchbacks like the Maruti Suzuki Baleno and the Hyundai i20, Maruti is not expecting a big sales figure
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Decided Not To Allow Driverless Cars In India: Nitin Gadkari
With the global automotive universe moving towards autonomous vehicles - be in semi autonomous with the likes of Tesla's autopilot or fully autonomous Level 5 cars that are expected in the near future, India is a ways away. While Indian road conditions are absolutely non-conducive for autonomous driving, government policy too is taking a similar direction. Speaking at a corporate event Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said, "for the driverless cars, I have a hesitation. We have decided not to allow driverless cars in India. I am sorry." He went on to say, "Presently, there are 30 lakh people who are getting employment (through the automotive and related industries). And in our economy, the most important thing is how to create more employment potential as our country's population is very high."
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All-New Toyota Camry Hybrid Launch Date Revealed
The all-new Toyota Camry will be launched in India on January 18, 2019. The new Toyota Camry will be the eight generation of the car globally and the 4thgeneration for the entry level luxury sedan in the country. The all-new Toyota Camry will only be offered with a hybrid powertrain at the time of launch and will go up against the likes of the Skoda Superb and the Honda Accord Hybrid. The Camry will also take on competition from smaller luxury sedans like the Mercedes-Benz CLA and the Audi A3 amongst others. The new Camry Hybrid is expected to cost close to Rs 40 lakh (ex-showroom) due to the high 48 per cent GST that is applicable to Hybrid cars in India.
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Electric Car Charging Infrastructure And Guidelines Announced By Government
The Indian Government has finally announced a policy for the rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. In an official document that was sent out by the Ministry Of Power on December 14, 2018, the government has outlined several key facts, figures and a plan to support the expansion of electric vehicles in the country. The push for electric mobility charging stations will first be rolled out in cities with a population of greater than 4 million residents i.e. Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Surat and Pune. The rollout means that after much waiting and uncertainty, India will finally have public electric charging stations as a reality rather than just a pipe dream.
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2019 Honda Civic Spied In India, To Be Launched Soon
The new Honda Civic will be launched in India in February 2019 and will mark the return of the popular sedan back to the Indian market after a gap of nearly 7 years! The car will be priced between about Rs 15-20 lakh (ex-showroom) and will take on the likes of the Toyota Corolla, Skoda Octavia, Hyundai Elantra and the upcoming rebadged Maruti Suzuki version of the Corolla too. And now, the new Honda Civic has been spied undergoing some urban usage condition testing in Mumbai. A pair of Civics was recently spotted by a reader at the Mumbai airport in tell-tale test car camouflage hiding some of the more intricate details on the India spec model.
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The Iconic Maruti 800 Turns 35
Almost every single Indian has atleast one great memory of the Maruti 800. It literally put the masses in India on 4 wheels! And although there were a fair few cars to choose from before the humble 800 came along, the reliability and refinement of the 800 was unmatched. Launched in Delhi by Indira Gandhi on December 14, 1983, the first ever Maruti 800 was delivered to its owner Harpal Singh and today marks the 35th birthday of the humble commuter car that all of us have come to love and the car that laid the foundations of what Maruti Suzuki is today.
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Tesla To Showcase All-Electric Pickup Truck Concept In 2019
Through his favourite medium of dispersing Tesla based news and opinion - Twitter, Elon Musk has announced that Tesla will showcase a prototype all-electric pickup truck next year. While no other info on the project has been shared yet, considering the manufacturing challenges that have plagued the superstar tech startup in the last few years, don't expect the production ready vehicle to see market launch before 2021. While there isn't an all-electric pickup truck in the market just yet, the automaker will go up against the Rivian R1T very soon since the new tech startup is expected to come to market with its pickup and SUV in 2020.
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Exclusive: 2019 Nissan Kicks SUV Bookings Open Unofficially
The new Nissan Kicks will be launched sometime in January 2019 and we have already driven it too - read the Kicks review here! And now, certain dealers around the country have started taking unofficial bookings for the new SUV before Nissan India officially opens bookings on December 14, 2018. Nissan dealers around the country have started accepting bookings for the new Kicks at a booking amount of Rs 25,000 and have informed buyers that the final prices for the new Kicks will be between Rs 10-15 lakh (ex-showroom) when it is launched in about a month from now. Dealers have also mentioned that test drives for the new Nissan Kicks will begin in January before the launch too.
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Automobili Pininfarina Names Its PF0 Electric Hypercar 'Battista', Pays Homage To Founder
Automobili Pinifarina has finally christened its all-electric Hypercar that ran with the PF0 codename until now. The new car will be called the Battista and will pay homage to the founder of the Pininfarina design house, Battista Farina. The new car will wear the Pininfarina logo and will be the second series production car ever to wear the Pininfarina badge. The Battista will get underpinnings from the all-electric tech and hypercar maker Rimac and will make close to 1900 bhp of peak power. 0-100 kmph will be taken care of in under 2 seconds but all that is secondary since what this hypercar is really all about is purity of design! Incidentally, the Pininfarina Battista will also be the fastest and most powerful car ever made in Italy till date. Automobili Pininfarina and the Pininfarina design house are both owned by the Mahindra Group.
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Top 5 Ultra Luxury SUVs of 2018
Here is our mouthwatering list of top 5 luxury SUVs that were launched in India this year. Our list consists of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Lamborghini Urus, Range Rover Velar, Porsche Cayenne Range and Mercedes-AMG G63.
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Exclusive: New BMW 3 Series Pre-Booking Begins
BMW dealers across the country have started pre-bookings of the new generation 3 Series in India. The new car was unveiled recently at the Paris Auto Show and we have already driven it - read the review of the new BMW 3 Series - and will make it to Indian shores sometime mid-2019.
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Child Locks To Be Disabled In Cabs Next Year. Why It Is An Important Move
In a recent notification put out by the Ministry Of Road Transport And Highways, rear door child locks on all commercial passenger vehicles such as taxis - private, app based cabs or general taxis, will be disabled from July 1, 2019. The notification was sent out to state commissioners of all states and union territories across the country by the ministry on November 29, 2018 and is said to be in response to incidents that have been reported in the past where passengers have complained of doors being locked using the child lock system. Almost every single car sold in India comes with the child lock system for the rear doors that can be disabled or enabled using a small toggle switch on the door itself as seen in the pictures below and above.
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