Weekend Rewind: All The Car News That Mattered Last Week

With Auto Expo 2023 just around the corner, the car scene is abuzz with news about upcoming models and carmakers’ future plans. Two cars were introduced in the Indian automotive market last week and many more are expected to make an appearance at the Expo. 

For that other important news from last week, read on: 

Hyundai Ioniq 5 unveiled 

Is it a hatchback? Is it an SUV? It may be hard to put the Ioniq 5 into a conventional segment, but it’s Hyundai’s new flagship offering in India. It gets a 217PS rear-wheel drivetrain and a healthy 480km range according to WLTP tests (631km according to ARAI tests). We expect the EV to be reasonably priced as it’ll be locally assembled in India.

• Top 5 Funky Features Of Hyundai Ioniq 5 Electric Vehicle

Lexus LX launched in India 

Toyota’s luxury arm silently launched the 2022 Lexus LX SUV in India, its new flagship SUV that’s based on the Land Cruiser LC 300. While the LC 300 still evades us, its Lexus counterpart is here in its diesel avatar, the LX 500d. We also took a dive into Lexus’s expected lineup for Auto Expo 2023.

• Toyota At Auto Expo 2023: To Display Existing Lineup Including Innova Hycross, Three Cars We Wished That Made It

Mahindra Thar 2WD in the works

It seems that Mahindra is working on a new version of the Thar without four-wheel drive, one of the major selling points of the lifestyle SUV. The two-wheel drive Thar will get a smaller 1.5-litre diesel engine, selling alongside the existing 4x4-equipped 2.2-litre diesel and 2-litre petrol engine options. While this loss of capability isn’t exactly music to petrolheads’ ears, the price should be – with these changes the Thar would qualify as a sub-4m SUV, which should bring down its price to around Rs 11 lakh (ex-showroom).

Maruti Jimny 5-door first look 

A new spy sighting gave us a preview of the upcoming five-door Maruti Jimny ahead of its expected unveiling at Auto Expo 2023. Reassuringly, the long-wheelbase Jimny looks as cute as the three-door model and has the same fluorescent yellow paint shade.

• Maruti Suzuki Jimny vs Gypsy: Which Name Would You Want For Maruti’s Upcoming Offroader?

Maruti’s Auto Expo 2023 highlights 

Alongside the Jimny, Maruti has a slew of interesting vehicles lined up for the Expo. These include the Baleno-based crossover that’s been spied previously and a new concept electric SUV. It’s expected to be around the size of the Grand Vitara, which would make it a Mahindra XUV400 EV and Tata Nexon EV rival. Later in 2023, we’ll get to see Maruti’s version of the Toyota Innova Hycross MPV.

• Maruti Suzuki To Debut Three New SUVs At Auto Expo 2023

• All-electric Tata Punch EV Confirmed, In The Works

International roundup

Korean carmaker Hyundai unveiled a new-generation Kona SUV that’ll also be offered with an EV powertrain overseas. The carmaker also has another micro SUV in the works, which was spotted testing overseas.

Jimny image Source