MotorBeam Daily News Roundup – 8th October

Audi – The German luxury carmaker has announced the launch date of the Audi Q2 in India. It will be introduced on 16th October. Bookings have already commenced. The baby Q will be positioned as an entry-level SUV in their portfolio. Powered by a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine producing 190 HP and 320 Nm. It is a CBU model and the price is expected to be upwards of Rs. 35 lakhs (ex-showroom).

Toyota – In a bid to expand their subscription service in India, Toyota has partnered with Myles. It is available in Delhi (NCR), Mumbai and Bangalore. Customers can choose flexible subscription tenures of 12, 18, 24, 36 or 48 months and annual running kilometre usage for a fixed monthly rental. It is available for all Toyota cars including Glanza, Urban Cruiser, Yaris, Innova Crysta and Fortuner.

Hyundai – The Kona EV has been recalled in South Korea over fire risk. The electric car has been recalled for a possible short circuit due to faulty battery cell manufacturing. The cars will get software update and battery inspection in South Korea. 25,564 units built between September 2017 and March 2020 are affected. It is yet to be known if the recall will be done in India as well.

HSRP – The Delhi Transport Department recently issued a notice for car owners to affix colour-coded stickers and high security registration plates from 1st October. However, the proper system for carrying out the procedure is not in place yet and notice has been put on hold for now. There are some glitches in the system which will take time to rectify.

Motor Trivia – Did you know, Urus is the first Lamborghini with a V8 turbocharged engine.

Comment of the day – Manu Mathew – “Finally the prices have come down to sane levels. Guess BMW didn’t get the response they expected from our value sensitive market. BMW should also consider reducing the maintenance costs to match the rivals to be competitive enough to take on KTM.”