Top Cars News That Made Headlines From March 28 To April 3 2022

Like was the case the week before, we had quite the busy past seven days in the auto industry. Couldn’t keep up with all the action? We’ve got you covered with all the top news on ZigWheels that made the headlines:

Jeep Meridian Breaks Cover

After a long period of teasers and spy images, Jeep has officially taken the wraps off the Meridian three-row SUV in India. It’s essentially an extended derivative of the Compass, set to take on the big guns like the Toyota Fortuner, MG Gloster, and Skoda Kodiaq with a butch presence, loaded features and a 170PS 2-litre diesel engine. It’s slated for a launch in June 2022, with test drives and official bookings set to commence in May. 

Toyota Hilux Goes On Sale

 

After a couple months of waiting, Toyota's invincible pickup truck, the Hilux has been launched in India at prices starting from Rs 33.99 lakh (ex-showroom). It’s got all the makings of a desirable pickup truck, with a menacing look, plenty of features, and potent off-road cred. But here’s the catch, you can’t  buy one at the moment as bookings have been halted at the moment due to supply chain issues.

2022 Renault Kiger Launched

Renault India has updated the Kiger for the 2022 model year, and is now priced from Rs 5.84 lakh (ex-showroom). As part of the update, the Kiger gets minor styling tweaks, new feature additions, and more options for the current variants which you can read more about by clicking here.

Honda City Hybrid Gets An Unveil Date

Honda is all set to spark up the City by debuting the e:HEV trim to India on April 14. What’s special about this hybrid setup is that it's the electric motor that will do the heavy duty while the internal combustion engine provides assistance. Expect the launch of Honda’s first mass-market hybrid offering by May.

Tata Teases Mysterious EV Concept

Tata Motors has a surprise in store for April 6, as they’ll be unveiling an electric vehicle concept. While the teaser doesn’t reveal a lot, there’s a possibility that it could be an SUV coupe or a larger electric SUV, which we’ve taken a deeper analysis on right here.

SsangYong Deal Falls Through 

It looked like there was light at the end of the tunnel for Ssangyong, but there seems to be more tough times ahead. Reports suggest the Korean carmaker is looking for a new buyer after commercial electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Edison failed to make the full payment for the acquisition. Mahindra had stopped investing in Ssangyong in 2020, with the latter since then being under court conservatorship – a form of judicial assistance just short of bankruptcy.

First Volkswagen Virtus Rolls Out

Ahead of its expected launch in May, things have begun to take shape for the Volkswagen Virtus as series production has kicked off from its Chakan facility. Bookings are already open, with the Virtus set to take on its cousin, the Skoda Slavia as well as the Honda City and Hyundai Verna in the Indian market.

Innova EV Concept Revealed

 

The folks at Toyota grabbed eyeballs at the ongoing 2022 Indonesia International Motor Show by revealing an Innova that runs on all-electric propulsion. Sure, it's a concept, but it looks production-ready with enough differences to give it its own identity over the standard MPV.

Kia Sonet Set For Safety Upgrades

Our dealer sources have confirmed that the Kia Sonet is set to be bumped up in the safety department. Some of the updates include more airbags as a standard feature, as well as bits from the top-spec GTX+ trim trickling down to the second-below-top HTX.

International Updates

In markets abroad, the theme was all electric. BMW took the wraps off the i3 electric sedan, which is essentially an all-electric equivalent of the 3 Series with some key cosmetic and feature differences too.

On the other hand, Lotus kicked off its electric future by taking the wraps off its first all-electric SUV, the Eletre. It's a 600PS super SUV that may not have any direct rivals, but could give the likes of the ICE Lamborghini Urus and upcoming Ferrari Purosangue SUVs a run for their money.