Top Car News Of The Week: New Maruti Alto K10 Leaked And Launch Timelines Of Upcoming EVs Revealed

The last week gave us glimpses of upcoming electric vehicles (EVs), as well as two upcoming vehicles from India’s largest carmaker, Maruti. New developments in the EV industry give us a lot to look forward to further down the line and, meanwhile, in the near future, car safety is set to get a boost from forthcoming government regulations. 

New details about Citroen C3-based EV revealed

The first Citroen EV in India will debut in December. It’ll be based on the C3 hatchback’s CMP platform that supports electrified powertrains. We aren’t sure about the electric C3’s specs, but it should be good for up to 350km of range – similar to other electric vehicles sold overseas that are based on Stellantis’s shared EV platform. 

Maruti Alto K10 leaked 

This is what the new Maruti Alto K10 will look like. Ahead of its launch, a new leak has given us several details about the 2022 Alto. It’ll get a 7-inch touchscreen and a digitised driver display, alongside an array of optional accessories and two trim packages. Similar to the Celerio and S-Presso, the new Alto K10 will be powered by a 1-litre K10C Dual Jet petrol engine that’s expected to deliver stellar fuel economy. 

Mahindra Born EVs teased 

Mahindra’s clutch of five SUVs will break cover on Independence Day and a new teaser has detailed some of the Born EVs’ features. It hints at the SUVs’ new infotainment system that controls other functions in the vehicle such as heating and ventilation and even the seat recline! The new SUVs will span across different segments and are expected to share powertrain and battery components. 

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Ola Electric Cars got a reveal date

Bhavish Aggarwal, CEO of Ola Electric, teased the arrival of Ola’s electric car concepts on August 15. Ola Electric will also reveal the details about its upcoming Battery Innovation Centre (BIC) as well as the FutureFactory where the EVs and their batteries will be produced. 

Kia Seltos with six airbags launched

In a win for compact SUVs, the Kia Seltos received six airbags as standard on all variants. It’s the only SUV in its segment to offer side and curtain airbags right from the base level. That said, six airbags will soon become the new normal for all cars sold in India. 

Tata Tiago NRG XT variant launched 

The Tiago NRG cross-hatch got a new, more affordable mid-spec XT variant. The Tiago NRG XT comes with 14-inch steel wheels with Hyperstyle wheel covers, fog lamps, steering-mounted audio controls and height adjustment for the driver seat. It lacks a touchscreen, but you can get that at a small premium with the ‘Rhythm’ pack. 

Maruti Baleno-based SUV spied

A new Maruti sub-compact crossover SUV was spied for the first time and it had styling cues derived from the Baleno and the new Grand Vitara. It’ll slot between the two vehicles in Maruti’s NEXA lineup and bring back the marque’s 1-litre Boosterjet turbo-petrol engine, possibly paired with a mild-hybrid system. 

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International round-up 

Ferrari took the wraps off the 296 GT3 – a screaming V6 race car built to tackle the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Meanwhile, Porsche unveiled the 911 GT3 R based on the 992 generation 911 that won’t race until 2023.