Car News Of The Week: Mahindra Finalises Alturas G4 Name, Budget Performance Cars, Skoda Kodiaq L&K Launched And More

Mahindra Alturas G4 Name Finalized For Seven-Seater Luxury SUV; Launch On November 24

After months of speculation, Mahindra has revealed the name of its upcoming 7-seater SUV. It will be called the Alturas G4 and will be a rebadged Ssangyong Rexton G4 that was showcased at this year’s Auto Expo. The pre-bookings for the SUV are already open and it is  expected to priced over Rs 30 lakh (ex-showroom). The SUV, which is set to be launched on November 24,  will likely be available with a diesel engine only. Read the full report here

Skoda Kodiaq L&K Launched At Rs 35.99 Lakh

Skoda has introduced the Laurin and Klement, or L&K variant, of the Kodiaq in India at a price tag of Rs 35.99 lakh (ex-showroom). It is the new top-of-the-line variant of Skoda’s flagship SUV and will be available in five colours. It also comes with the new Virtual Cockpit all-digital instrument cluster, nine airbags and rain-sensing wipers. Other features include a new ‘Power Nap Package’ that includes variable headrests for second row outer seats along with two blankets. There is, however, no change to the powertrain. It is still powered by the 2.0-litre diesel unit that produces 150PS of power and 340Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a 7-speed DSG transmission which is connected to an AWD system. Check out the full story here

Top Affordable Performance Cars To Bring Home This Diwali

With the launch of the Tata Tiago JTP and Tigor JTP, Tata has rekindled the magic of affordable performance cars that had gone missing from the Indian market. Now enthusiasts around the country have more options to choose from to fulfil their dreams of owning cars that provide all the fun without burning a hole in your pocket. From the fresh new JTP twins to the mental Skoda Octavia vRS, here's a list of cars that you can buy without worrying about selling your house in exchange. Full story here

Recommended read: Tata Tiago and Tigor JTP First Drive Review

2018 Mercedes-Benz CLS India Launch On November 16

The Mercedes-Benz CLS can be credited as the grandfather of the 4-door coupe body style. The German carmaker coined the term for the very first CLS, a sleek looking sedan that looked like a coupe but with four doors. In India too, the CLS was quite popular with the elite. The new-gen CLS is set to be launched on November 16. Now in its fourth generation, the CLS will sit right between the E-Class LWB and the Mercedes-Benz flagship, the S-Class. It will feature Merc's latest  design language inside and out complete with a sharp front end. On the inside, it will feature the 12.3-inch twin-screen display with a cabin that will be nearly on par with the S-Class. Prices are expected to be well north of the Rs 70 lakh mark. A detailed look here

Volkswagen Tarok Concept Pick-up’s Bed Extends Into The Cabin

At the 2018 Sao Paulo Motorshow, Volkswagen unveiled a unique pick-up concept called the Tarok. Measuring almost five metres in length, it is almost as long as the Isuzu D-Max V-cross. It houses a variable loading bay that extends into the cabin to increase loading capacity. As a result, it is more versatile than traditional dual-cab pick-up trucks. Inside, it features an all-digital instrument cluster along with a touchscreen infotainment system. It also previewed a petrol/ethanol engine that can run purely on ethanol as well. The Tarok will spawn a pick-up truck for the Brazilian market and will come with a diesel motor as well. Will it come to India? We sure hope so. Check out the full story here

Fiat Fastback Unveiled; Could Spawn Creta Rival

Fiat too unveiled its own SUV concept at Sao Paulo. But unlike the VW, the Fastback is a coupe SUV that will pave the way for a crossover for the Brazilian market. It is quite a stunning looking thing with its twin-tiered headlamps, a butch front end and a chiselled side profile. The roofline slopes towards the rear, which gives it a coupe-esque appeal. Currently, it exists only as an exterior design study and the final production-spec version will only hit the Brazilian market in 2020. Given its dimension and the lack of a challenger in the compact SUV segment, if launched here, the Fastback could be a worthy rival to the Hyundai Creta. Click here for full report.

Made-In-India, Africa-spec Hyundai i20 Scores 3-Star Global-NCAP Rating

Global NCAP’s latest crash test of the India-made Hyundai Elite i20 has returned some alarming results. The car was given a 3-star rating. According to the testing body, the car’s structure was unstable along with an unstable footwell. The car also got a 2-star rating in terms of child safety. This is lower than the European model which gets a 4-star rating. The rating is despite the car packing a four-channel ABS, pretensioners on the front seatbelts and dual front airbags as standard. Full report here