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Car review

Honda ZR-V

The Honda ZR-V, set to arrive in the UK in September, shares many technical features with the Civic. In Europe, it is exclusively available with a hybrid powertrain.

Powering the ZR-V is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder Atkinson-cycle petrol engine that produces 141bhp. However, the engine primarily acts as a generator, either powering the 181bhp electric motor or storing energy in the 1.05kWh battery. While the engine does not directly drive the wheels for the most part, there is a clutch in the transaxle that can connect the engine to the front wheels through an overdrive gear during motorway cruising.

With the engine not being constantly connected to the wheels, the software has more control over its performance. This means that the engine can be shut off, simulate being connected to a CVT or eight-speed automatic gearbox, or maintain a specific RPM to charge the battery, depending on the load.

While much of the ZR-V’s interior design is consistent with the Civic, it does have some unique features. The dashboard features a horizontal strip of air vents and convenient clicky buttons for the climate control. The 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, though not the sharpest, offers shortcut buttons and wireless smartphone mirroring for ease of use. The materials used in the ZR-V have been slightly upgraded compared to the Civic, with more soft-touch surfaces on the doors and a sculpted center console with storage space underneath.

Unlike the Civic, the ZR-V does not offer a manual version. As a result, the driving experience is slightly different, positioned slightly higher than the Civic. While the Civic places you low with plenty of legroom and comfortable seating, the ZR-V adopts a more upright seating position, which may appeal to hatchback enthusiasts but potentially disappoint those seeking a true SUV experience.

Notably, the ZR-V is equipped with metal paddles, a feature not seen in Honda vehicles since the iconic NSX. These paddles are used to adjust brake regeneration levels.

News

Hero MotoCorp Releases New Colors For The Vida V1 Electric Scooter

In January 2023, Hero Motocorp started delivering its first electric two-wheeler, the Vida V1 scooter. This scooter was launched as part of the Vida brand’s electric spinoff. It entered a competitive market in India, competing against other electric scooters like the TVS iQube, Ather 450, and Ola S1. After six months of being on the market, Hero has made some updates to the V1 scooter. Let’s take a closer look.

The updated Vida V1 now comes in two new paint options: Cyan and Black. These options join the existing colors of white, orange, and red, providing customers with a total of five vibrant choices. The scooter’s overall appearance remains the same with a modern and dynamic bodywork design. It features apron-mounted LED headlights and a two-tone finish for a sophisticated and energetic look. The scooter also retains its step-up saddle, which allows for comfortable two-up riding with space for two riders.

Notably, the Vida V1 offers a premium and convenient experience for riders with its high-end features. These include a seven-inch full-color TFT display with touchscreen capabilities, keyless operation, and cruise control. The scooter also has OTA (Over-The-Air) capability, enabling remote software updates for ongoing improvements.

In terms of power, the 2023 Vida V1 is equipped with a rear hub electric motor that has a maximum output of 6 kilowatts (around 8 horsepower). With an output of 25 Newton-meters (around 17.5 pound-feet) of torque, the scooter accelerates quickly from 0 to 25 miles per hour in just 3.2 seconds. It has a top speed of 50 mph, making it suitable for commuting in urban areas. The Vida V1 also offers four ride modes (Eco, Ride, Sport, and User) for riders to customize their performance settings according to their preferences.

The 2023 Vida V1 features 12-inch alloy wheels, which not only enhance its sporty appearance but also contribute to better stability and handling on the road. The suspension system consists of standard telescopic front forks and a single rear shock absorber. The scooter is equipped with a combined braking system (CBS) that combines a front disc brake with a rear drum brake, providing more evenly distributed and controlled stopping power.

The Vida V1 comes with an outstanding warranty, offering a five-year or 50,000-kilometer warranty on the scooter itself, ensuring customers have peace of mind regarding its durability and reliability. The battery is also covered by an impressive three-year or 300,000-kilometer warranty, reflecting the manufacturer’s confidence in its performance and longevity. Priced at Rs 145,900 (approximately $1,822 USD), the Vida V1 offers a premium yet attractive option in the Indian electric scooter market.

Featured

Hyundai Exter Had Garnered Over 10,000 Bookings Before Launch


Deliveries of the Hyundai Exter will start from 11 July

Hyundai Exter

  • Prices for the Exter start from Rs 5.99 lakh (introductory, ex-showroom)

  • Bookings for the micro-SUV have been open for a while.

  • Comes with a 1.2-litre petrol engine and a CNG powertrain as well.

  • Features an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a voice-enabled single-pane sunroof, cruise control and wireless phone charging.

After a wait of close to three months, the Hyundai Exter has entered the market at a starting price of Rs 5.99 lakh (introductory, ex-showroom). The Exter is a direct rival to the Tata Punch and Maruti Ignis and has already garnered a good amount of bookings. Here are its bookings and delivery details:

Bookings & Delivery

Hyundai Exter

Bookings for the Exter have been open for over 2 months for a token amount of Rs 11,000 and at the time of its launch, it had received over 10,000 bookings. Hyundai has also revealed its deliveries will start from 11 July.

Powertrain

Hyundai Exter Engine

The Exter comes with a 1.2-litre petrol engine which produces 82PS and 113Nm. This engine is paired with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT. It also has a CNG powertrain that uses the same engine, but with a lower output of 69PS and 95Nm. The CNG variants only come with a 5-speed manual transmission.

Features & Safety

Hyundai Exter Dashboard

Hyundai has equipped the Exter with features such as an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a semi-digital instrument cluster, single-pane sunroof with voice commands, automatic climate control, cruise control, a wireless phone charger, and a dash cam with two cameras.

Also Read: Hyundai Exter Has These 5 Additional Features Over The Grand i10 Nios

Its standard safety features include six airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control (ESC), vehicle stability management (VSM), and 3-point seatbelts for all passengers. Higher variants of the micro-SUV also get features like a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), day & night IRVM, ISOFIX child seat anchors, and a rearview camera.

Price & Rivals

Hyundai Exter

Its entire price list has not been revealed yet, and prices of only the manual variants are available, ranging from Rs 5.99 lakh to Rs 10 lakh (introductory, ex-showroom). The Exter is a direct rival to the Tata Punch and Maruti Ignis but can also be considered an alternative to the Citroen C3, Renault Kiger, Nissan Magnite, and Maruti Fronx.

Read More on : Exter AMT

Motorsport

2024 Ford Mustang Buyers Prefer Drift Brake and Automatic Transmissions

The delivery of the highly anticipated 2024 Ford Mustang is just around the corner. Despite being equipped with pure internal-combustion power, the seventh-generation pony car still offers a manual transmission for those who love shifting gears manually. Ford has recently updated its online Mustang configurator, providing more details and fresh photos of the car. This update also sheds light on the configuration choices made by early buyers.

The configurator was made available earlier this year, allowing customers to customize their 2024 Mustang. It was revealed that the top-tier configuration of the 2024 Mustang could cost up to $80,000. Now, with better descriptions and visuals of the available options, Ford has shared the percentages of equipment and features chosen by customers from January to June.

50 Percent Drift

One popular feature, especially among those who choose the four-cylinder EcoBoost models, is the new electronic drift brake. This feature is included with the High Performance Package, which has a 50 percent take rate. It’s important to note that the only transmission option for the 2024 Mustang EcoBoost is the 10-speed automatic. The manual transmission has been discontinued due to its low popularity, with only a 10 percent take rate in previous models.

27 Percent Shift

While the six-speed manual is still available for V8 Mustangs, its popularity has decreased in the seventh-generation model. Currently, 27 percent of early GT and Dark Horse orders opt for the manual transmission, while the remaining 73 percent choose the automatic transmission. Previous reports indicated that the manual transmission had a take rate of over 40 percent for the GT, but it seems the preference is shifting towards automatic transmissions in the new model.

Packages And Paint

Delving deeper into the statistics, Ford reveals that the Performance and Nite Pony packages are popular choices among 2024 Mustang buyers. The Performance package, which costs $4,995, has a 22 percent take rate among GT buyers. It adds several performance-enhancing features such as Brembo brakes, a Torsen differential, and various chassis and electronic system upgrades. On the other hand, the $1,195 Nite Pony package, which adds black exterior trims, is preferred by 26 percent of buyers.

As for color preferences, Shadow Black is the top choice for GT and EcoBoost models, with a take rate of 17 percent. Oxford White follows with 13 percent, while Rapid Red stands at 11 percent. The high-output Mustang Dark Horse sees Blue Ember as the most popular color, chosen by 39 percent of buyers. Vapor Blue and Shadow Black come in at 18 percent and 16 percent, respectively.

News

BYD Dolphin: Affordable Electric Car with Impressive Range

Chinese automaker BYD has revealed the UK pricing for its new small electric car, the BYD Dolphin. With deliveries expected to begin later this year, the Dolphin is priced at £25,490 in the UK and €29,990 in mainland Europe. This makes it one of the most affordable electric cars currently available, undercutting rivals like the MG 4 EV by approximately £500.

The BYD Dolphin offers customers a choice of four trim levels: Active, Boost, Comfort, and Design. The Active and Boost trims are equipped with a 44.9kWh battery, providing a range of around 211 miles and 188 miles, respectively. The Comfort and range-topping Design models feature a larger 60.4kWh battery, offering an impressive range of 265 miles. These models also boast a more powerful 201bhp electric motor, capable of accelerating from 0 to 62mph in approximately 7.0 seconds.

The BYD Dolphin is equipped with fast-charging capabilities, allowing it to charge at speeds of up to 88kW. This enables the battery to reach 80% capacity in just 29 minutes. The car also offers four driving modes: Sport, Normal, Economy, and Snow.

BYD Dolphin

Standard equipment in the BYD Dolphin includes a 12.3-inch touchscreen display, a heat pump, and a suite of safety features like emergency braking, traffic alerts, lane assist, and adaptive cruise control. The car also features a 360-degree camera.

For those opting for the range-topping Comfort trim, additional features include a panoramic sunroof, a vehicle-to-load power strip, rear privacy glass, and wireless phone charging. Prices for this model start from £30,990.

With a length of 4290mm, the BYD Dolphin falls between the Peugeot e-208 and the Volkswagen ID 3 in terms of size. It shares the same e-Platform 3.0 as the BYD Atto 3 family hatchback, which was launched in the UK earlier this year.

Motorsport

Honda Announces New Jet For 2028 That Can Fly Non-Stop Across The US

The HondaJet began deliveries in 2015, and now Honda announced a significant expansion to the range by introducing a new, larger aircraft in 2028. The plane maker doesn’t yet have a name for the new offering, but it’s targeting the ability to fly non-stop across the United States.

The new plane will be a production version of the HondaJet 2600 Concept (pictured below) from 2021. The company will sell the larger aircraft alongside the existing HondaJet Elite II. Like other offerings, Honda mounts the engines on pylons above each wing, which is an unconventional design for business jets.

HondaJet 2600 Concept Flying Front

Honda intends the new jet to have 20 percent better fuel efficiency than other planes in this segment. It would have 40 percent better economy over larger, medium-sized business jets.

The plane can over 2,625 nautical miles (3,021 miles) with four passengers and a pilot on board. This is significantly more than the HondaJet Elite II that can go 1,547 nautical miles (1,780 miles) in the same configuration.

The upcoming jet would fit up to 11 occupants, and a single pilot can fly it. In comparison, the HondaJet Elite II fits seven or eight, depending on the configuration.

The aircraft would cruise at 450 knots (518 miles per hour) and an altitude as high as 47,000 feet. The HondaJet Elite II cruises at 422 knots (486 mph) at up to 43,000 feet.

“The new aircraft will surpass the performance, comfort, and efficiency of typical light jets by providing a medium-sized jet experience,” the Honda Aircraft Company said in the announcement.

The table below shows what we know about Honda’s new plane and compares the specs to the HondaJet Elite II:

  Upcoming Honda Aircraft HondaJet Elite II
Engine Williams International FJ44-4C GE Honda HF120
Avionics Garmin G3000 Garmin G3000
Passenger Capacity

1 Pilot, 10 Passengers

2 Pilots, 9 Passengers

1 Pilot, 6 Passengers

2 Pilots, 5 Passengers

OR

1 Pilot, 7 Passengers

2 Pilots, 6 Passengers
Range With Pilot And Four Passengers 3,021 Miles 1,780 Miles
Maximum Cruising Speed 518 MPH 486 MPH
Maximum Cruising Altitude 47,000 Feet 43,000 Feet

The HondaJet 2600 Concept debuted in Las Vegas in 2021. Even then, the company touted the aircraft’s ability to perform non-stop, coast-to-coast flights. The business also projected 120 cubic feet of baggage capacity versus 62 feet from the HondaJet Elite II.

The video below is from the 2600 Concept’s debut and provides a glimpse at the interior.

Motorsport

Aston Martin DB12 Arrives in North America at Q New York Location

The Aston Martin DB12 has made its official debut in North America, but unfortunately it is not yet available for purchase. The company will begin deliveries of the new GT car later this year. However, you can view it right now at Aston Martin’s new ultra-exclusive location in New York City called Q New York.

Q New York is not just a dealership but is in fact Aston Martin’s “ultra-luxury flagship location” for those customers who want to create their dream car using the company’s bespoke service called Q by Aston Martin. Its location on Park Avenue in Manhattan places it in the heart of New York’s luxury row, making it a perfect spot for special events, product launches, and even an overnight hotel for Aston Martin’s most distinguished customers.