Top 5 Car News Of The Week: New Cars From 2019 LA Auto Show And MG And Hyundai’s Upcoming Vehicles

The last week had us staying up all night to watch eye-candy on the other side of the world. But things were hardly calm in our neighbourhood -- Tata has been testing the Nexon electric vehicle (EV) and Maruti Suzuki was constantly boasting about its sales triumphs. Just one international border away, the most expensive Mercedes SUV joined the ranks of other very expensive utes. Sounds like a lot? Wait till you read the rest:

2019 Los Angeles Auto Show

This year’s LA Auto Show saw 65 car debuts. It was the epicentre of new car launches, of which there were many. We’re not used to seeing 2020 cars in India in 2019, but ‘tis the season for such launches around the world. We drooled over some pretty cars and pretended to comprehend concepts at LA. The bigger picture here was this -- there will be greater choice for electric vehicle (EV) buyers with each passing year, and hybrids are a second lease of life for internal combustion.

Hyundai Aura Engines and Xcent's Future Revealed

Remember when we didn’t get the new Swift for nearly a year after the new Dzire was launched? Thankfully Hyundai isn’t doing that. The Grand i10 Nios hatchback came first, and just four months later, the carmaker is about to unveil its compact sedan avatar, the Aura. That’s not it, because just last week, Hyundai confirmed that apart from the usual 1.2-litre petrol and diesel the Aura will also get the 1.0-litre turbo petrol from the Venue. Could this mean the Nios could get that engine, too? Find out about it by reading this story. 

MG ZS EV Bookings

We got an exclusive slice of the MG pie last week when we found out that some dealerships are accepting bookings for the electric sport utility vehicle (SUV). We hope to see it in the flesh in a couple of weeks, but until then, feel free to put in your order before anyone else. Don’t worry if you don’t live in one of the five cities where MG will launch the EV. Until a public charging station opens up near you, MG’s AC charger will do just fine. Is your nearest dealership too far away? Watch out for a big black trailer with glass windows. 

Honda City BS6 Details Leaked

The City is one of Honda’s most popular models in India, though sales have been on a slow but steady decline. Perhaps because some buyers are afraid that the National Green Tribunal will force them to compost their million-rupee purchase after the new emission norms kick in. But worry no more, because the BS6 Honda City will be here soon. It’ll be only a bit more expensive, between Rs 10,000 to 16,000 depending on variant. If that doesn’t put the City back on the charts, Honda’s got a new one which we’ll talk about next weekend. 

Tata Altroz Teased

We first saw the production-spec Altroz at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, and we’ve been giddy with excitement since. We’ll have to pop a Valium pill and wait another month, though, because the Altroz has been delayed until January 2020. Tata showed us almost the entire front-three quarters in a shop window in its latest teaser. Go read the story here.