Tesla Model Y L – Exterior Design

The Model Y Long Wheelbase measures 4967 mm in length, 1982 mm in width, and 1668 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3040 mm, which is 150 mm longer than the standard model. Despite the increase in dimensions, the overall design language remains unchanged and continues to follow Tesla’s clean and minimalistic approach.

At the front, the SUV features sleek headlamps integrated with a connected LED daytime running light signature, while the rear is characterised by connected tail lamps with a distinctive backlit appearance. To accommodate the third row of seating, the roofline has been subtly raised towards the rear, giving the vehicle a slightly more upright stance without disrupting its aerodynamic profile. The Model Y L rides on 19 inch aero optimised alloy wheels as standard.

Tesla Model Y L – Interior Design and Features

Inside, the cabin retains Tesla’s signature minimalist layout, dominated by a centrally mounted 16 inch touchscreen that controls nearly all vehicle functions, including climate settings, seat adjustments, and lighting. The absence of physical buttons continues to be a defining trait, with even essential controls integrated into the touchscreen interface.

The steering wheel features a clean design with limited tactile controls. Rear passengers benefit from an additional 8 inch touchscreen mounted for the second row, allowing independent control over media and HVAC functions.

A key highlight of the Model Y Long Wheelbase is its three row seating configuration in a 2 plus 2 plus 2 layout. The second row features individual captain seats equipped with ventilation, heating, powered armrests, and one touch folding functions. The third row offers power recline, folding capability, and dedicated climate control, enhancing usability for occupants. Acoustic glass has also been incorporated to improve cabin insulation and reduce external noise.

Tesla Model Y L – Battery Pack, Range, Charging Infrastructure

The Model Y L is powered by an 85 kWh battery pack, paired with a dual motor all wheel drive setup. It produces an estimated 456 horsepower and 590 Nm of torque, making it the most powerful Tesla currently on sale in India.

Performance figures include a 0 to 100 kmph acceleration time of 5.0 seconds and a top speed of 201 kmph. Tesla claims a driving range of up to 681 kilometres on a single charge, positioning it strongly within the premium electric SUV segment.

Tesla continues to expand its charging footprint in India alongside the launch of the Model Y Long Wheelbase. At present, the company operates 20 Superchargers and 14 Wall Connectors across key locations in the country. Plans are underway to introduce seven additional Supercharger stations along major highway corridors connecting cities such as Delhi, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai.

Tesla has also initiated its home charging program for customers in India, aimed at improving convenience and accessibility for daily usage. The company claims that using its Supercharger network, the Model Y Long Wheelbase can add up to 288 kilometres of range in just 15 minutes of fast charging.

Tesla Model Y L – Safety Features

In terms of safety, the Model Y L comes equipped with a comprehensive suite of features. It includes nine airbags, which is an increase over the standard model, along with advanced driver assistance systems such as automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, blind spot assist, and lane departure avoidance.

Tesla’s Full Self Driving capability is offered as an optional package priced at Rs 6 lakh. However, the availability and activation of several autonomous features remain subject to regulatory approvals in India, which may limit their real world functionality at present..

Tesla Model Y L – Price and Rivals

Priced at Rs 61.99 lakh ex showroom, the Model Y Long Wheelbase competes in the growing premium electric SUV space. Key rivals include the BMW iX1 Long Wheelbase, BYD Sealion 7 and Volvo EX40, all of which cater to a similar audience looking for luxury, performance, and electric mobility.

With the addition of a longer wheelbase, three row seating, and all wheel drive capability, the Model Y Long Wheelbase strengthens Tesla’s position in India by offering a more versatile and performance oriented package within its lineup.

The post Tesla Model Y L Launched at Rs 61.99 Lakh: A Complete Look at the BMW iX1 LWB Rival first appeared on Shutterdrives.

The latest iteration marks the return of one of Renault’s most iconic SUVs after a gap of four years. At the time of its reveal, Renault executives had stated that the new platform and engineering focus would enable the SUV to achieve top safety scores. With the official results now out, the Duster has delivered on that claim.

Renault Duster – Adult Occupant Protection

In the adult occupant protection category, the Renault Duster scored an impressive 30.49 out of 32 points. During the frontal offset deformable barrier test, the SUV demonstrated adequate protection for the driver’s chest, knees, and feet. Protection levels for the head, neck, and tibia were rated as good. For the front passenger, the Duster offered good protection across all tested areas. The vehicle scored 14.49 out of 16 in this specific test.

In the side deformable barrier test, the SUV achieved a full score of 16 out of 16, indicating strong side impact protection. It also successfully passed the side pole impact test with good ratings, further reinforcing its safety credentials in real world crash scenarios.

Renault Duster – Child Occupant Protection

In the child occupant protection category, the Duster recorded a total score of 45 out of 49 points. This places it on par with key rivals in terms of safety performance.

The SUV achieved a perfect 24 out of 24 in the dynamic performance assessment, highlighting excellent protection for child occupants during crash simulations. It also scored a full 12 out of 12 in the child restraint system installation category, indicating ease and reliability of child seat fitment.

In the overall vehicle assessment, the Duster received 9 out of 13 points. The tests were conducted using 18 month old and 3 year old child dummies, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation across different age groups.

Renault Duster – Safety Features

The Duster is equipped with a wide range of safety features. These include six airbags, electronic stability control, and a level 2 advanced driver assistance system suite. Additional features include a 360 degree camera, hill assist, electronic parking brake, auto hold function, and all wheel disc brakes. The SUV also comes with ISOFIX child seat mounts, ensuring better safety for younger passengers.

Renault Duster – Design and Interior Highlights

The new Duster features a completely redesigned exterior with LED headlamps and eyebrow shaped LED daytime running lights. It measures 4346 mm in length, 1815 mm in width, and 1703 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2657 mm.

The SUV gets squared off wheel arches, giving it a robust stance. At the rear, it features connected tail lamps, while the front grille carries Duster branding instead of the traditional Renault logo. The Renault badge is positioned at the rear. Ground clearance stands at 212 mm.

Inside the cabin, the Duster offers a 10.1 inch touchscreen and a 10.25 inch digital instrument cluster. Physical buttons for essential controls such as HVAC are retained. The steering wheel gets contrast stitching and integrated controls, while the dashboard features carbon fiber accents.

Other highlights include an electric tailgate, power adjustable driver seat with ventilation for both front occupants, panoramic sunroof, and built in Google Assistant.

Renault Duster – Engine Options and Pricing

The Duster is currently offered with two petrol engine options, a 1.0 litre turbo petrol and a 1.3 litre turbo petrol. Deliveries for both variants have already begun, with the first unit handed over in Chennai recently.Renault has also confirmed that a hybrid version will be introduced around Diwali this year, with bookings and pricing expected to be announced closer to launch. In terms of pricing, the Duster starts at Rs 10.49 lakh and goes up to Rs 18.49 lakh for the top variant.

Renault Duster – Market Positioning and Rivals

The Duster competes in the mid size SUV segment against models such as the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Tata Sierra, Volkswagen Taigun, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Maruti Grand Vitara and Victoris, Skoda Kushaq, and Honda Elevate. With a 5 star safety rating now confirmed, the Duster strengthens its position as a strong contender in this competitive segment.

The post Renault Duster Earns 5 Star Bharat NCAP Rating, A First for Renault in India first appeared on Shutterdrives.

Suzuki Burgman – Expected Design

The teaser images reveal some noticeable design updates. The new Burgman is expected to feature a twin split headlamp setup with LED lighting. This should give it a sharper and more premium look compared to the outgoing model. The centrally placed Suzuki logo remains, but the front apron appears more sculpted.

Suzuki is likely to draw inspiration from its global lineup. The Burgman 200 and Burgman 400 have a more mature maxi scooter stance, and some of those design elements could trickle down to this new model. Expect cleaner lines, a more refined front profile, and possibly new colour options aimed at younger buyers.

Suzuki Burgman – Expected Powertrain

Under the skin, the new Burgman is expected to borrow heavily from the updated Access 125. The Access received a major update last year with a new chassis and several engine improvements. These included a revised camshaft, crankshaft, and crankcase.

The same 125cc engine is expected to power the new Burgman. In its current form, this motor produces 8.4 hp and 10.2 Nm of torque. It will continue to be paired with a CVT automatic transmission. While outright performance may remain similar, refinement and efficiency could see improvements.

Suzuki Burgman – Expected Features 

The outgoing Burgman already offered a decent feature list, but it has started to feel dated compared to rivals. With this update, Suzuki is expected to add modern features. LED lighting all around, a refreshed instrument cluster, and possibly Bluetooth connectivity could be on offer.

The Street EX variant introduced in 2022 brought features like engine start stop and a larger 12 inch rear wheel. These are expected to continue, along with further refinements to ride quality and comfort.

Suzuki Burgman – Expected Pricing 

Currently, the Burgman range starts at Rs 93,676 and goes up to Rs 1.08 lakh for the Street EX variant. With a generation update, a slight price increase is expected. However, Suzuki is likely to keep it competitive to maintain its position in the 125cc scooter segment.

The post 2026 Suzuki Burgman Teased Ahead of April Launch: New Updates Coming first appeared on Shutterdrives.

MG Majestor vs MG Gloster – Exterior Design

While the overall stance of the Majestor remains similar to the Gloster, there are clear dimensional differences between the two vehicles. The Majestor measures 5046 mm in length, 2016 mm in width, and 1876 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2950 mm.

In comparison, the Gloster measures 4985 mm in length, 1926 mm in width, and 1867 mm in height, while retaining the same 2950 mm wheelbase. This makes the Majestor 61 mm longer, 90 mm wider, and 9 mm taller than the Gloster, with the wheelbase remaining unchanged. The increase in size enhances its road presence, especially when viewed from the front.

The front fascia is where the biggest visual change can be seen. The MG Majestor features a redesigned grille along with new tri beam projector headlamps. The lighting signature looks sharper than before, and the bumper has been reworked with new air intake elements and a revised skid plate design.

From the side, the body profile remains largely identical to the Gloster, but the Majestor now rides on newly designed 19 inch alloy wheels, which add to its updated stance.

At the rear, the most noticeable change is the introduction of connected LED tail lamps. A connected DRL strip now runs across the width of the tailgate, giving the SUV a more modern appearance. The rear bumper has also been redesigned to match the updated styling theme.

MG Majestor vs MG Gloster – Interior Design and Features

Inside, the cabin layout remains familiar but gets meaningful upgrades. The Majestor introduces a new all black interior theme, whereas the Gloster was offered with a dual tone tan and black interior finish.

Both models continue to offer a large 12.3 inch touch screen infotainment system and a fully digital instrument cluster. However, the Majestor benefits from updated software and interface improvements.

A major functional change is the gear selector layout. In the Gloster, the gear shifter is floor mounted on the centre console. In the Majestor, the gear selector is now column mounted behind the steering wheel. This frees up space in the centre console and improves storage options.

The MG Majestor also adds several new features over the Gloster. These include heating and massaging functions for the powered and ventilated front seats, a 12 speaker JBL audio system, and two wireless phone charging pads.. Other features such as ventilated seats, panoramic sunroof, three zone climate control continue to be included

MG Majestor vs MG Gloster – Safety Features

Both the MG Majestor and the MG Gloster come equipped with a similar suite of safety technologies, including Level 2 ADAS features such as Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control and Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), aimed at enhancing driver assistance on highways and in varying traffic conditions. In addition to these active safety systems, both SUVs offer essential passive safety equipment such as six airbags, ISOFIX child seat mounts, Hill Hold Assist and Hill Descent Control.

MG Majestor vs MG Gloster – Engine Options and 4×4 Capability

The Majestor carries over the 2.0 litre twin turbo diesel engine from the Gloster. This unit produces 215 hp and 478 Nm of torque and is mated to an 8 speed automatic transmission. It is available in both 4×2 and 4×4 drive layouts. The Gloster’s lower variants, however, are also offered with the option of a 2.0 litre turbo diesel engine delivering 161 hp and 374 Nm of torque.

The four wheel drive system continues to be offered on higher variants. However, with the addition of low range gearing, crawl mode, and a segment first triple differential locks, the MG Majestor offers more advanced off road capability compared to the outgoing Gloster.

MG Majestor vs MG Gloster – Pricing 

The Gloster is currently priced in India starting from ₹38 lakh for the base variant and goes up to ₹43.74 for the top of the line variant. Prices for the MG Majestor have not been officially announced yet, but they are expected to be positioned higher than the outgoing Gloster.

Pre reservations for the Majestor were opened yesterday at a price of ₹41,000, and customers interested can reserve their vehicles online via the official MG Motor India website. The price announcement for the Majestor is scheduled for April 2026, with deliveries of the SUV set to begin from May 2026.

The post MG Majestor and MG Gloster Differences Explained: What Has Changed first appeared on Shutterdrives.

Kia’s most recent launch prior to the Carens CNG was the Carens Clavis EV which debuted a few a months ago.

Kia Carens CNG – Exterior Design 

The exterior of Kia Carens CNG remains unchanged and continues with the same design as its Petrol and Diesel counterparts. The front fascia follows a split headlight design, the grille remains sealed off and gets a piano black finish with a chrome strip running through its length.

The rear also remains unchanged, the Carens gets connected taillamps , high mounted stop lamp and even a shark fin antenna. Buyers can choose from six exterior colour options – Clear White, Sparkling Silver, Gravity Grey, Aurora Black Pearl, Imperial Blue, and Pewter Olive. However there are no badges or clear distinctions on the exterior to tell this apart from the standard petrol and diesel variants. 

Kia Carens – Interior Design and Features

Feature-wise, the Premium (O) trim doesn’t skimp on equipment. It comes loaded with an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, semi-leatherette upholstery, a reverse parking camera, and a 12.5-inch instrument display. Safety and convenience features include six airbags, ESC, ABS, rear parking sensors, TPMS, rear AC vents, one-touch electric tumble for the second-row seats, keyless entry with a burglar alarm, and five USB Type-C charging ports.

Kia Carens – Powertrain

Powering the Kia Carens CNG is the familiar 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, producing 115 hp and 144 Nm of torque, paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. The MPV continues to offer a seven-seat layout, just like the standard petrol model. While Kia hasn’t shared specific performance or efficiency figures for the CNG version, it’s expected to prioritise economy over outright performance. Kia is offering the CNG configuration as a dealer-level fitment, ensuring that customers can opt for it without affecting the vehicle’s factory warranty or mechanical integrity.

Kia Carens – Market Positioning and Rivals

Kia’s move to introduce a CNG version of the Carens positions it squarely between the value-driven Ertiga CNG which is priced at ₹10.76 lakhs and the slightly pricier Toyota Rumion CNG. Priced at ₹11.77 lakh (ex-showroom). It’s aimed at buyers who want the fuel savings of CNG without giving up on space or features. With its dealer-fitted Lovato kit and full warranty support, Kia is pitching the Carens CNG as a more refined, feature-rich take on the practical family MPV formula.

The post Kia Carens CNG launched in India at Rs 11.77 lakh: Check Efficiency, Variants and More first appeared on Shutterdrives.

Variants and Pricing

The 2025 MG Astor is available in five variants:
• Sprint – Rs 9.99 lakh
• Shine – Rs 12.47 lakh
• Select – Rs 13.81 lakh
• Sharp Pro – Rs 15.2 lakh
• Savvy Pro – Rs 17.45 lakh (Ivory) / Rs 17.55 lakh (Sangaria Red)

The Shine variant now comes equipped with a panoramic sunroof and a 6-speaker sound system. Additionally, the Select variant now includes six airbags and leatherette seat upholstery.

Feature Highlights

The 2025 Astor offers a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, a 6-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, and automatic climate control. The infotainment system has also been upgraded with i-SMART 2.0, featuring a new user interface. Other connected car features include over 80+ connected functions, Jio voice recognition, and a digital key.

Safety and Driver Assistance

Safety features include six airbags, electronic stability control, hill ascent and descent control, heated ORVMs, and a 360-degree camera. The SUV is also equipped with an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) that offers adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping/departure assist.

Powertrain Options

The 2025 Astor continues with the same engine options:
• 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine – Produces 110 PS and 144 Nm of torque, paired with either a 5-speed manual transmission or a CVT automatic.
• 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine – Generates 140 PS and 220 Nm of torque, mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.

The post 2025 MG Astor launched at Rs 9.99 lakh: New variants, features, engine options first appeared on Shutterdrives.

Pros

• Larger dimensions than rivals
• AMT adds convenience
• Feature loaded

Cons

• Ageing design
• Build quality can be improved
• Not the smoothest of automatics

Nissan launched the Magnite in 2020 and the SUV has been carrying the weight of the company on itself single-handedly since. Initially it tasted a decent amount of success due to great positioning and pricing. It has sold steady numbers since then, though newer rivals have come along which has made the fight more intense. To counter it, Nissan has now introduced an AMT transmission on the 1.0L NA engine to bring along a more affordable automatic option below the CVT on the turbo-engined variants.

Nissan Magnite Exterior

The Magnite has always been the most “SUV” of its segment with a tall stance, wide hips and an imposing presence. The large grille at the front makes sure you get noticed as do the L shaped DRLs. It does not have curvy features like some of its rivals and the styling overall makes uses of straight and sharp cuts overall. However, over the years the design has surely aged and it does look like it. It might be imposing but not the most modern. That said, the good bits don’t here. You also have the chunky alloy wheels, thick cladding and proper roof rails keep it relevant. A small change Nissan has made with the Magnite is that the Vivid Blue colour now gets a dual tone roof option of Onyx Black instead of the White offered till now. Not to forget, the larger than life ground clearance of 205 mm means one less thing to worry about when driving through unprecedented terrains.

Nissan Magnite Interior

Climb inside the Magnite and you’re treated to a generous amount of space. The large-ish proportions on the outside have surely been utilised well on the inside. There is a good amount of legroom and the width is more than acceptable as well. The dashboard follows a similar design language as the exteriors with sharp and clean lines with minimal curves. The Lamborghini-esque AC vents add to the charm of the design. That said, the plastic quality leaves a lot to be desired. Fit and finish, though not as bad as some other cars could also be improved.

In terms of features, the Magnite gets loaded with stuff such a digital instrument cluster, Wireless Android Auto/Apple Carplay functionality, 360 view parking camera, LED headlamps, Keyless entry and more. Additionally, Nissan now also offers safety features such as TPMS, Rear wiper, ESP, Traction Control, Hill Start Assist as standard with all variants.

The infotainment system is easy to use and the JBL speakers throw out good quality sound. However, the speakers sound a bit too bright when you turn up the volume to higher levels. The instrument cluster has a very good resolution and the MID shows a lot of information including the TPMS readouts but honestly the graphics were overkill even back then in 2021. Nissan could have put some effort in modernising them to adapt to the elegant option from the rivals. Some features that are evident by their absence include a sunroof, auto-dimming IRVM and height-adjustable seatbelts at the front.

The Nissan Magnite gets a 336-litre boot space that is enough to keep luggage for four people. The rear seats also get 60:40 split just in case more room for luggage is needed.

Performance: Powering the Nissan Magnite is a choice of two petrol engines: 1.0-litre NA unit and a1.0-litre turbocharged motor. The 1.0-litre NA engine produces 71bhp and 96Nm of peak torque and is mated to a standard five-speed manual transmission apart from the AMT offered in the test drive vehicle.  The 1.0-litre turbo-petrol unit, on the other hand, churns out 99bhp of power and 160Nm of peak torque. Apart from the 7-speed CVT,  there is also a five-speed manual gearbox on offer, producing the same engine and power figures.

The engine has a decent mid-range and top-end and because of that, but it takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r to reach triple-digit speeds, since the turbo duties are not assigned in the AMT counterpart. At lower speeds the cabin stays pretty quiet, thanks to the good NVH levels, but post 80 km/h you will hear the engine noise continuously, which can get too much sometimes.

AMT

This AMT transmission drives relatively well while in and around the city. At slower speeds, it does a peaceful job and there isn’t too much room to complain. Step on the accelerator a bit and it’s a whole different story. What’s surprising is it actually takes longer than you think.  Even after that, the power delivery doesn’t feel very smooth.  The engine feels especially underpowered when travelling uphill. We noticed that even while moving from a standstill this AMT gearbox struggles a bit to get it going. That said, since Nissan already had the relatively better CVT doing its job in the Turbocharged variant, the AMT is purely intended to up the ante in terms of sales figures for the Japanese brand as this combination remains really affordable in the automotive spectrum.

Ride and Handling:

The handling is not that precise, and the steering isnt the best in terms of the weight it offers, but once you reach closer to the triple digit mark it tries its best to contribute to a fun and engaging driving experience (considering the fact that Nissan’s weren’t known to be enthusiast friendly, of late)

The ride quality of Magnite is compliant, though on a slightly firmer side, especially when you are reminded how competent the Terrano was in this department. It is better at higher speeds. However, going over uneven surfaces at low speeds do unsettle it to an extent  and there is a prominent thud sound heard from the suspension when going over large potholes or bumps.  The firm suspension gives it good straight line stability though. Coming to the handling, throw the Magnite into corners and it starts getting nervous with evident body roll. The steering also feels vague and requires more input at times. Feedback could definitely have been better. The Magnite surely doesn’t like going around corners.

Conclusion: The Nissan Magnite is a strong contender in the highly competitive compact SUV market. It combines an eye-catching design, a comfortable and well-appointed interior, decent performance, and the fact that the Automatic transmission is available from the base variant makes it very aspirational, all at an attractive price point starting just 6.49 lakhs ex-Showroom. While it may not be the absolute best in every category (especially the void of sunroof will trigger the GenZ folks), it offers a well-rounded package that should appeal to a wide range of buyers looking for a practical and stylish urban crossover.

The post Nissan Magnite EZ Shift – Affordable and No-Nonsense first appeared on Shutterdrives.

The Porsche Taycan is a groundbreaking electric vehicle that combines timeless elegance and performance of a Porsche with the innovation of electric power. As the first all-electric model from Porsche, the Taycan has captured the attention of car enthusiasts and while still being kinder to hardcore environmentalists, Let’s take a sneak peak into the impressive features and driving experience that make the Porsche Taycan a true pioneer in the electric vehicle market.

Porsche Taycan reviewed:

What we absolutely loved!

+ The best EV I’ve ever driven. Period. 326 hp and 408 hp on demand with a thrilling stint to 100 kmph in 5.4s
+ The realistic range is a li’ll north of 300 km when driven sedately, that’s a Bangalore-Goa with just one charging stop
+ 1.6 cr on road (without customisation) doesn’t seem like buckets of money for the German craftsmanship and competition
+ Lift mode is very very useful in Indian driving conditions. Did not scrape the breakers even once with 30mm lift
+ Electric sport sound is the only ray of hope for it to come even closer to the experience of normal cars
+ Futuristic dash, swipe to open charging port, sports crono package, extendable door handles etc in the kitty make it a very desirable and irresistible EV

What could be better!

– Might not be a convincing factor to pay additionally for kitties like front camera(2 lakhs) and ventilated seats (1.5 lakh) I guess they are better off as a part of standard equipment. 1.5 cr ain’t no small money
– Touch controls for AC vent adjustment feels like an overkill 🥹 challenging to operate it during the move
– You would end up depending on DC charging for your road trips. That won’t come cheap. A superfast 120 kw DC charging will set you back by 7rs per km of running cost since time > money on trips.

Exterior

The LED headlamps light up the road like a stadium and what’s kind of astonishing is you would have to shell out a couple of lakh rupees to possess the front camera in the car, not something to convince your mistress, that said, the frunk doubles up as a utilitarian factor as the boot is sparingly usable, courtesy the full sized spare wheel which eats up good chunk of space, airport transfers? don’t even dream! The Taycan has a small front boot of 84 litres, which is almost full by the time you’ve packed the charging cables in there, so you’ll have to rely on the 407 litre boot to pack your luggage. Aside from a slightly intrusive loading lip, the boot is wide, and the rear seats can be folded down in a 60/40 split (or 40/20/40 split with the 4+1 seating option) to provide a flat loading area.

The rear looks absolutely smashing in my opinion with the elegance and classic-timeless design of Taycan gelling along well with a typical Porsche, the rear camera is neatly tucked in and what’s important is the clever features of boot release which does not let you literally bend down to access the boot. The alloys which are large enough at 21 inches are absolutely top notch in terms of the design they offer. not just that, they are aerodynamic too, which is recipe for the fact that the car sprints to 100 kmph in 5.4 seconds flat-out.

Interiors

Stepping inside the Taycan, you are greeted by a luxurious cabin that seamlessly combines high-quality materials, advanced technology, and ergonomic comfort. The driver-focused cockpit offers an intuitive layout, with a customizable digital instrument cluster and a centrally-mounted infotainment display. The quality of the materials used, including premium leather, carbon fiber accents, and optional wood trims, elevates the overall ambience.

The cutting-edge technology in the Taycan is truly impressive. The infotainment system is intuitive to use and offers seamless connectivity options, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The digital displays provide vital information and can be customized to suit individual preferences. Additionally, the Taycan features advanced driver-assistance systems, making it a safe and reliable companion on the road.

In this case it does without a gear lever in the centre console and the driver’s display is a full 16.8-inch digital unit – no analogue rev-counter here.  All pertinent driver info is displayed here, configurable to your needs, and the sharp graphics do a great job of mimicking analogue dials, too. That said, die-hard Porsche fans will surely miss the OG analogues that the Porsche stable is known for.

Although the Taycan has a touchscreen for the climate controls below the main infotainment unit. The lack of physical buttons for the heating and ventilation can be frustrating though, and you’ll have to dig through the menus to change the direction of the air vents.

The infotainment touchscreen looks slick and is intuitive to use. It also allows for wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity (but no Android Auto) if you prefer using your own navigation or music apps. A 10-speaker 150-watt sound system is standard, and you can upgrade to a 710-watt Bose unit or 1,455-watt Burmester 3D surround sound system on top-end trims.

Once you move to the rear, things are not that disappointing and you will be puzzled with the kind of space and practicality the car tends to offer. The AC vents do help you in calming things down. However what’s kind of too modern is they too need to be operated through touch panels which is a serious eyesore considering that its going to be challenging to fiddle with them every single time. Even though the rear window is pretty narrow, rearward visibility is perfectly fine. And it’s even better out front thanks to the thin windshield pillars. The door-mounted mirrors ensure objects don’t get obscured when you’re turning.. That said the practicality of extra 2 doors will play a huge role in convincing someone to pick this over its arch rivals with limited practicality.

Ride and Handling

he Battery has a gross capacity of 79.2kWh and can charge at up to 225kW. We charged it using a 120 kw charger and it took about 45 minutes to juice it up from 8% to 95%. The practical range can be expected north of 300 km when driven sedately. The handling too is magical and grips itself quite well in a straight line. The 2-speed gearbox is focussed on optimising initial acceleration, and takes about 5 seconds, to go from zero to 100 kmph, which is brisk.

The ride quality is remarkably better than what one would expect from a car like the Taycan thanks to the adaptive air suspension that also lets you raise the ride height by a 30 millimetres helping protect the underside while driving over nasty speed bumps. Where the Taycan truly shines and proves itself to be every bit a Porsche is through corners. The steering wheel is spot-on in terms of weight and response, which helps the Taycan  do some real justice to Porsche brand name. The brakes feel and perform amazingly, offering ample stopping power and none of the artificialness that’s common among today’s EVs and hybrids. The Taycan does casual cruising well too, with the exception of its lack of automatic regenerative braking. Some EVs provide enough regen when you lift off the accelerator that you often don’t need to touch the brake pedal. Do check out the MG Comet which has different regen levels and is offered as a lucrative proposition as an urban dweller.

In a nutshell, If I had to pick one EV today it would undoubtedly be the Tacan, not just about the Porsche brand, but it has everything you want under the sun plus the green badge

Verdict

The Taycan represents Porsche’s entry into the electric vehicle space, and it does not disappoint. The Taycan is a technological masterpiece that manages to deliver incredible comfort and effortless driving one moment and then, with the twist of a knob, world-beating performance the next. How one car can do both so well is a little baffling. But all that technology and capability comes at a high price. The Taycan is not cheap at 1.6 crores, especially when you realise that you have to shell extra lakhs for necessities like ventilated seats and the front cameras, and we found some of Porsche’s touchscreen tech to be needlessly complicated .

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Hyundai has a historic legacy of introducing some of the most polarising designs in India, while designs were slightly conservative when we had the new Creta introduced to our shores, but seems like the Korean car maker went overboard with the Verna in terms of the aggressive styling cues, nevertheless, keeping the design critics aside, can the strong claims by Hyundai which associate the new Verna to double up the sales hold true? We drove the car on the newly laid Delhi-Mumbai expressway to find that out.

Hyundai elevated the sedan portfolio 2006 by launching the Verna. Though it lacked the fineness of its rivals, Hyundai was in no mood to give up. In 2011, Hyundai flattered the shoppers with its jaw-dropping fluidic design of the successor and Verna captured the market, big time! It was the original disruptor and now the all-new avatar is here to raise the bar further.

A brilliant overall package, esp the lovely 1.5 Turbo mated to either of the gearbox, sprints to glory on an expressway

Pros:

+ Top notch quality of materials used, doesn’t feel diluted in any way, the stalks, plastics, etc

+ Typical Hyundai in features: ADAS L2, diverse charging options, front cam, ventilated/heated seats etc. Rear sunshades are lovely

+ Steering actually weighs up at triple digit speeds, so unlike Hyundai and this is a great thing to instil confidence

+ Superb practicality with enormous rear legroom, huge boot& multiple door pockets makes it feel like a D segment sedan more than a C segment car. Exactly whay Hyundai wanted

+ Good composition of ride and handling dynamics, miles ahead of the fluidic Verna in terms of handling. Ride is settled too

+ Very comfy rear seats by sedan standards, at par with the best and this will be a big + point

+ Upto 7 years of total warranty is just fantastic for the peace of mind, absolute-must if you are picking the turbo-DCT

Cons :

– Extremely polarising front design, fainted memory of the last car which gathered such criticism, Hyundai could have played safe for a mass market car like this

– The acclaimed and ‘glorified’ 8 speaker music system is just mediocre to Bose standards, same issue as KIA

– lacks the punch in low frequencies (high bass). Have seen other cars without any fancy badges sound much, much better. Dilutes the Bose brand name too

– Absence of diesel mill is a disappointment for mile munchers. The 1.5 NA was displaying a mileage of 8-9 kmpl in the MID on expressway with ambitious throttle

– Weird variant and features’ matrix. NA gets paddle shifters which make less sense but misses out on crucial rear discs. Electric park brake and rear discs are omitted in turbo manual and are offered only in turbo DCT. Why though?

– At 21 lakhs on road BLR for the top spec, no electric height adjustment for driver seat, also misses out on the crowd-fav wireless auto and apple CarPlay which should have OTA update sometime, shockingly auto wipers too are omitted.

Exteriors

Blame it on the ambitious design team or the Korean car maker’s perspective to visualise India as one of the most matured car market, the Verna has a polarised design. Period. The front seems slightly more aggressive with a huge DRL running across the front fascia of the car. There’s a lot going on here. It is different alright and will stand out. The DRL lights up like a charm and executes it’s duty of enlightening the premium sedan with all the glitz and glam! The erstwhile Verna was notoriously known to have sub standard illumination from its projectors, to an extent that the consumers heavily relied on after-market headlights on their cars. The LEDs had a lot more responsibility on their shoulders this time, than just to do their job for the sake of it. Hyundais and modern tech are unparalleled, the ADAS sensors with all the available functions of the Tucson made it to occupy a strategic portion of real estate in neighbouring the front bumper. A bold, hexagonal grille bids farewell to the front elements.

While the prime competitor of the Verna, the new Honda City gets passenger side request sensors, the Korean competitor unfortunately misses out on it. The superb and striking alloys do compensate for the missing kit on the side profile. If you have seen the Ioniq 5 before, then the bold cuts and creases on this car will seem familiar.

Thankfully, the rear of the Verna seems rather tastefully done compared to the aggressive, on-your-face design of the front profile of the car. The connected tail lamps look very striking and LEDs barrelled inside the tail lamps are neatly tucked inside giving the rear of the car a rich and plush experience on the outside.

The 528 litres of boot space is considerate enough to let you stuff in 2 big bags with a couple of duffles on either sides of it, cozily nestling in the paddings of the boot. That said, Hyundai has seriously messed up the feature packaging for the variants as the turbo-DCT is the only variant to get the smart boot feature, another over-rated feature in modern cars that lets you open the boot of car by swiping your foot below the boot.

Interior

The two-spoke steering wheel looks just fine, and it’s absolutely nestled with controls possible for cruise control, volume, scroller, mode, phone, voice-activation, ADAS controls etc. The digital instrument cluster is crisp and easily readable but its too long in the tooth now and deserves a retirement or at least a differentiating form factors for such crucial products, the  AC vents are integrated nicely into the dashboard, with an ambient lighting strip running across the plasticky dash. The 10.25-inch infotainment screen has all the features you would expect – Bluelink tech, (wired) Android Auto and Apple CarPlay – and the 8-speaker Bose audio system is just about average at best. Hyundai has seriously focussed on saving the pennys here and sourced the cheapest possible variant of Bose just for the sake of it. The climate control panel can also be switched to an infotainment one with the press of a button, which is a neat and first in segment feature. However, the AC seems to be a lot more refreshing than its counterparts, especially when you consider the tropical summers. Air purifier makes it too, just like in most of the cars we have seen from the Korean siblings. Yes, there’s also a sunroof, but it’s not panoramic. Not that every sunroof needs to be a panoramic though.  The seats offer good amount of bolstering, and there’s generous amounts of leg and shoulder room too. Six airbags are standard. For the most part, this is a cabin that will go down well with most buyers.

The rear is where the Verna excels and Hyundai deserves all the praises in the World for this. Given the fact that good chunk of buyers would still prefer the rear bench over front, Hyundai decided to furnish this part of the car with all bells and whistles. More importantly, a seat that can take you from source to the destination in maximum comfort. The sweet leather wrapped seats hug you with their sheer opulence. Juicing up your smartphone should not be a concern as the type c charging ports will not disappoint you.

Tech and Safety

The Hyundai Verna offers Level 2 ADAS hardware. There’s the usual lane assist, front collision assist, blind-spot warning, adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic assist, and high-beam assist. Except for the high-beam assist and adaptive cruise control, we got to sample the rest on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and the Verna came out with flying colours. However, we are not very optimistic about the Exter being loaded in terms of features to this extent.

Driving Dynamics

Go heavy on the throttle, and the engine gets evidently vocal. The acceleration that follows isn’t brisk by any standard, but that’s not what this engine is meant for. It’s rather smooth and laidback and provides decent everyday usability. There are three drive modes here – Eco, Normal and Sport – altering the throttle response. I have never been a fan of the sport mode in these cars as they are seldom calibrated according to standards to churn out the most ideal performance. Eco is conservative and the normal mode offers the right blend of other driving modes.

As for the steering, it’s well-weighted and isn’t as light as older Hyundai models which is a huge welcoming change. It is comfortable to manoeuvre with a smooth and progressive movement. It need not be continuously worked with when driving, thus reducing the chances of fatigue. Gearshifts gelt just as adequate you would feel in a conventional AT gearbox. The lag is minimum, yet evident especially on the lower gears. That said, the non-DCT variant would account for most of the sales for this ferocious piece of metal and ninety percent of the buyers might just not bother to worry about the minimum cons of the way this car drives as Verna was never a contender at all for someone looking to drive enthusiastically.

Ride and Handling

A new suspension setup comprising of stiffer springs and dampers results in a pliant ride experience on the Verna. Considering the fact that good prospect of the audience will be looking forward to this, it should aid as a feather in the cap for car and its value proposition. At high speeds too, this makes the car feel stable and well-planted. The newly constructed expressway opened avenues to push the car to its tolerant limits and needless to say the high speed dynamics clearly drifted away from being badged as a Hyundai, in a nicer way. The previous generation was a comfortable to drive but the soft suspension led to high front-end dive and you’d often end up scraping the front bumper across speed breakers or entry ramps. That is thankfully not the case any longer and this will be largely appreciated by owners, especially in Bengaluru which is home to the widest array of unscientific speed breakers.

Verdict

Can the Hyundai Verna sell twice as much as before as claimed by Hyundai? It is a very impressive sedan and worth every rupee at the current pricing. It’s better than everything else available in the sedan shopping space. So if your heart craves for a sedan, then the Verna is easily the best choice.  Not that the Hyundai Verna is going to be the ultimate choice of arsenal for petrolheads in the country, but the fact that its a solid proposition in the form of jack of all and master of none, makes it one of the most desirable choices out there. That said, I would have really appreciated had Hyundai gone slightly timid with respect to the audacious design language, owing to the fact that this car is going to play a pivotal role in the arsenal of the Korean carmaker in India. As the saying goes, if you don’t look back at the car after buying it, you have bought a wrong car. Wouldn’t be surprising if the consumers decide to give it a miss after parking it in their garage.

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