Mahindra Evaluates Hybrid Options Across ICE & EV Platforms Amid Shifting Market Trends

Mahindra explores hybrid tech across ICE and EVs amid EV adoption slowdown

Mahindra is shifting gears to adapt to evolving consumer preferences and market conditions by exploring hybrid powertrains for both its internal combustion engine and born-electric vehicle platforms. The move marks a strategic deviation from the automaker’s earlier position of pursuing an EV-only future and aligns with a broader industry trend where hybrids are gaining traction amid infrastructure challenges and cost considerations.

As EV adoption in India has not accelerated at the anticipated pace, Mahindra is now actively developing hybrid technology to complement its current ICE and electric offerings. In May 2025, the company sold 2604 electric vehicles—primarily from its born-EV range. However, with a goal of reaching 5000 monthly EV sales, Mahindra is supplementing its strategy with hybrid alternatives to close the gap.

For its ICE models, Mahindra is reportedly working on a series-hybrid system, which relies on an internal combustion engine to generate electricity, powering electric motors that drive the wheels. Meanwhile, the company is also considering a range-extender hybrid setup for its EVs. This system employs a small petrol engine—likely a 1.2-litre unit—as a generator to charge the battery, thus extending the vehicle’s range without directly powering the wheels.

A notable development within Mahindra’s hybrid roadmap is the introduction of a strong hybrid version of the XUV 3XO. Unlike the range-extender format being considered for BEVs, the XUV 3XO will feature a series-parallel hybrid layout. This allows both the combustion engine and electric motor to operate either independently or together, optimising fuel efficiency and performance.

The increased interest in hybrids isn’t limited to Mahindra. Maruti Suzuki is also developing affordable range-extender hybrid systems for models such as the Fronx, Baleno, Swift and an upcoming MPV. Other automakers, including Hyundai, Skoda-Volkswagen and JSW MG, are also preparing hybrid entries for the Indian market.

The push toward hybridisation comes at a time when the Indian government is offering incentives such as road tax exemptions for hybrid vehicles in select states. While EVs slightly outpaced hybrids in annual sales last year—with a market share of 2.4% compared to hybrids’ 2.1%—the growing hybrid sales figures and ongoing infrastructure limitations suggest a more balanced mix of powertrain technologies in the near future.

Globally, electrification targets are also being reassessed. The EU’s 2035 zero-emission mandate is facing reconsideration, and in the U.S., shifting political dynamics signal continued support for ICE vehicles. These factors contribute to the industry’s collective reassessment of the transition timeline toward full electrification.

As Mahindra adapts its strategy, the company positions itself to meet customer demands more effectively while navigating the evolving regulatory and market landscape.

Source

The post Mahindra Evaluates Hybrid Options Across ICE & EV Platforms Amid Shifting Market Trends appeared first on MotorBeam.

from Car News | MotorBeam - Indian Car Bike News & Reviews https://ift.tt/bCrzGL3

Renault Kiger & Triber Facelift Spotted Ahead of Launch

Renault’s Kiger and Triber facelifts bring design upgrades, launch due this year

Renault is preparing to launch refreshed versions of Kiger and Triber later this year. Recent spy shots suggest that both models are set to receive significant visual updates, including redesigned front and rear styling elements, new alloy wheel designs and reworked tail lamps. These changes are part of Renault’s broader strategy to update its lineup, which includes the introduction of five new models over the next two years.

Inside the cabin, both vehicles are expected to see substantial upgrades, possibly drawing inspiration from its international siblings. While the Triber continues with its familiar 5+2 seating layout, a notable revision is the apparent removal of the middle occupant’s headrest.

Mechanically, both models will retain their existing powertrains. The 1.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine will continue to serve both the Kiger and Triber, while the Kiger will also retain its 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol option. Transmission options remain the same: a 5-speed manual for both, with an AMT for the NA petrol and a CVT for the turbo petrol variant.

These facelifts are expected to lay the groundwork for the arrival of the next-generation Duster, slated for early 2026. Renault’s future plans also include launching a new three-row vehicle and a premium electric vehicle by 2027.

The post Renault Kiger & Triber Facelift Spotted Ahead of Launch appeared first on MotorBeam.

from Car News | MotorBeam - Indian Car Bike News & Reviews https://ift.tt/6PHYcrf

6 New Car Launches Happening This Year From Top 6 Car Brands

GaadiWaadi -

Here we have brought you a rundown of the 6 new car launches from top 6 brands in India as competition will intensify in various segments

Indian auto market’s top 6 carmakers, Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Mahindra, Tata, Toyota and Kia, are all set to introduce new models this financial year and here we have explained about them:

1. Maruti Suzuki e Vitara:

The first-ever zero-emission vehicle from Maruti Suzuki, the e Vitara, will go on sale around September. To be rolled out of SMC’s Gujarat facility, the five-seater midsize electric SUV will take on Mahindra XEV 9e, Tata Harrier EV, Hyundai Creta Electric, etc and it will be sold through Nexa premium outlets.

2. New-Gen Hyundai Venue:

Rendering

The new generation Hyundai Venue will hit the market this festive season with a host of revisions inside and out and it has already been caught testing multiple times. The features list will also be upgraded, however, the 1.2L petrol, 1.0L turbo petrol and 1.5L diesel engines will likely stay put.

Also Read: 6 Upcoming Hybrid SUVs From Maruti Suzuki & Hyundai In India

3. New-Gen Mahindra Bolero Neo:

Spy Source: Motowagon

On August 15, 2025 Mahindra is expected to bring in the new generation Bolero Neo to India with a reinforced ladder frame chassis, evolved exterior with modern design elements and a more premium interior.

4. Tata Sierra EV:

Before the end of this fiscal, Tata Motors will introduce the all-new Sierra range, utilising a fully-electric drivetrain. It will arrive before the Sierra ICE and will have a lot in common with the recently introduced Harrier EV as the real-world range could be set at 500 km mark.

Also Read: Toyota Hyryder Beats Grand Vitara In May 2025 Sales With 94% Growth

5. Toyota Urban Cruiser BEV:

Based on the same platform as the e Vitara, the Urban Cruiser BEV will share electric drivetrains and other internals too. It will be available in both FWD and AWD configurations and the claimed driving range could be well over 500 km per charge.

6. Kia Clavis EV:

kia carens clavis ice

Set to go on sale in July 2025, the Clavis EV will be based on the recently launched ICE Carens Clavis and we expect minor cosmetic differences between them. It will be sold with two battery packs, borrowed from Creta Electric and expect the driving range to be over 460 km.

The post 6 New Car Launches Happening This Year From Top 6 Car Brands appeared first on Gaadiwaadi.com - Latest Car & Bike News by Surendhar M.

from Gaadiwaadi.com – Latest Car & Bike News https://ift.tt/coReHVf

Top 10 Sedans May 2025 – Dzire, Aura, Amaze, Slavia, City, Camry

GaadiWaadi -

In May 2025, the top 10 sedans sales chart witnessed Maruti Suzuki Dzire retaining its lead ahead of Hyundai Aura, Honda Amaze and VW Virtus

In a month marked by uneven fortunes for sedans in India, May 2025 saw the Maruti Suzuki Dzire comfortably holding onto its crown in the segment, even as several others tumbled under the weight of shrinking demand. The overall outlook is certainly grim barring a few bright spots which offered brief resistance to a clear year-on-year decline trend.

At the top of the chart, the Dzire remained in a league of its own, recording a 13 per cent year-on-year increase and moving 18,084 units in May compared to 16,061 during the same period last year. It was also the most sold passenger vehicle in India last month as the arrival of the new generation late last year certainly helped pump up volumes.

In second place, Hyundai’s Aura showed healthy traction with an 18 per cent climb, ending the month at 5,225 units – up from 4,433. Meanwhile, Honda’s Amaze continued to be in third but not without a dip of 10 per cent over the previous year, closing at 1,998 units despite receiving a brand new model around the same time as the Dzire.

Top 10 Sedans May 2025 (YoY)	Sales in April 2025	Sales in April 2024
1. Maruti Suzuki Dzire (13%)	18,084	16,061
2. Hyundai Aura (18%)	5,225	4,433
3. Honda Amaze (-10%)	1,998	2,215
4. Volkswagen Virtus (10%)	1,707	1,610
5. Tata Tigor (-49%)	1,076	2,098
8. Skoda Slavia (-16%)	937	1,538
6. Hyundai Verna (-33%)	930	1,381
9. Honda City (-53%)	491	1,054
7. Maruti Suzuki Ciaz (-37%)	458	730
10. Toyota Camry (62%)	198	122

The Volkswagen Virtus followed next, and although volumes remained modest, the midsize sedan registered a 10 per cent gain over last year, reaching 1,707 units in May. The decline deepened from there as Tata’s Tigor, which once sat higher in the sub-four-metre sedan space, saw its numbers nearly halved with a sharp 49 per cent drop, moving only 1,076 units compared to 2,098 in May 2024.

The once-strong Hyundai Verna could not hold up either, settling for just 930 units, down 33 per cent year-on-year. The Skoda Slavia didn’t fare much better as its volume slipped 16 per cent to just 937 units. The Honda City, a long-standing staple in the midsize space, saw sales crash by 53 per cent, dropping to 491 units.

The Ciaz from Maruti Suzuki could only pull 458 units in May, marking a 37 per cent fall from the previous year as it is heading into discontinuation phase. Rounding out the list, however, was an outlier: the Toyota Camry. Though still very niche in its footprint, the hybrid sedan showed surprising momentum, recording a 62 per cent surge year-on-year to reach 198 units – up from 122 units.

The post Top 10 Sedans May 2025 – Dzire, Aura, Amaze, Slavia, City, Camry appeared first on Gaadiwaadi.com - Latest Car & Bike News by Surendhar M.

from Gaadiwaadi.com – Latest Car & Bike News https://ift.tt/TH1w8bV

India’s Auto Sector Faces Inventory Pile-Up Amid Slowing Retail Demand

India’s car dealerships face record inventory as retail sales growth slows

India’s passenger vehicle sector is facing a mounting inventory crisis, with car dealerships carrying unsold stock worth an estimated Rs. 51,000–52,000 crores — the highest ever in value terms. Despite a steady inflow of vehicles from manufacturers, retail sales are failing to keep pace, leading to growing concerns about the disconnect between wholesale dispatches and actual market demand.

Industry insiders report that dealerships currently hold between 34 to 38 days’ worth of stock — around 4,40,000 units — as of May 2025. Though this is slightly below last year’s festive season peak of 40 to 45 days, the overall value has surged due to higher vehicle prices and cumulative build-up over time. The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) estimates the inventory at even higher levels, around 52 to 53 days, underscoring rising financial stress on dealerships due to capital being tied up in unsold stock.

Retail sales in May dropped 3.14% year-on-year to 3,02,214 units, marking the slowest growth in the last eight months and the lowest monthly volume in 2025 so far. According to auto industry sources, vehicles are now sitting in stockyards for over 50 days — more than double the normal inventory period of 21 days — a trend that has persisted for over a year.

While dealers voice concerns over the bloated inventory, major automakers maintain that their stock levels are within manageable limits. Hyundai Motor India, for instance, stated that its network maintains a four-week inventory, consistent with industry norms and similar to last year’s levels. Maruti Suzuki echoed a similar sentiment, citing an improved inventory situation compared to the previous year, with a current stock of about 35 days.

Despite the overall slowdown, some models continue to enjoy robust demand. Select variants of Maruti’s Brezza and Ertiga, along with Mahindra’s Thar, Thar Roxx and Scorpio-N, are on waiting lists. Certain colours and versions of Toyota’s Hyryder and HyCross are also facing wait times ranging from four to ten weeks.

Hyundai’s COO Tarun Garg acknowledged the challenges in domestic demand but expressed cautious optimism. He cited the central bank’s interest rate cuts and recent income tax relief as potential catalysts for market recovery in the second half of the financial year. These measures are expected to make vehicle financing more affordable and ease working capital pressure on dealerships.

Analysts agree that macroeconomic steps such as tax reductions and rate cuts may help revive demand but their impact will likely become more visible only in the latter half of 2025. However, potential disruptions to vehicle production loom, particularly due to China’s export restrictions on rare earth magnets — components crucial not only for electric vehicles but also conventional ones.

Despite current headwinds, Nomura has maintained a 5% growth forecast for India’s passenger vehicle market for FY26, projecting a gradual recovery supported by policy tailwinds and easing financial constraints.

Source

The post India’s Auto Sector Faces Inventory Pile-Up Amid Slowing Retail Demand appeared first on MotorBeam.

from Car News | MotorBeam - Indian Car Bike News & Reviews https://ift.tt/f3hPd2z

Tata Nexon & Punch Contribute Over 60% Of Total Sales In May 2025

GaadiWaadi -

The magical duo of Nexon and Punch had an overall sales of more than 26k units in the domestic market out of Tata’s total volume of 41k+ units

Tata Motors retailed 41,557 passenger vehicles in May 2025 in the domestic market. The company faced a setback with YoY sales dipping by 11 percent as it had registered sales volumes of 46,700 units during the same month last year. Further, it was ousted from the list of country’s top three automotive brands by Hyundai which claimed the third spot behind Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra.

Interestingly, out of the total 41k+ units sold last month, the sub 4-m SUV duo of Punch and Nexon contributed to over 60 percent, which accounts to more than 26k+ units. Tata Punch has been raking in some decent sales numbers as well as moolah for the brand from the last 12-15 months.

If we talk particularly about May 2025, the Mumbai-based homegrown automaker sold 13,133 units of the micro-SUV. In April 2025, the sales of the Punch stood at 12,496 units. However, it finished FY25 on a high with 17,714 units retailed in March 2025.

Model	May 2025	May 2024
Tata Punch (-31%)	13,133	18,949
Tata Nexon (14%)	13,096	11,457

Also Read: Tata Motors To Launch 7 New Nameplates By 2030 – Details

Pic Source: Dr-Kesab Pal

As for the Nexon, it has been the best-selling model and a real savior for Tata Motors from the past few months. While the sales numbers in March 2025 were at an all-time high with 16,366 units, the April 2025 numbers were nothing short of amazing at 15,457 units. However, the sales volume dipped to 13,096 units in May 2025. Identical to the Punch, Tata Nexon is available in ICE, CNG and EV versions.

The 2026 Tata Punch has already been spotted testing on the Indian roads. The styling updates will be based on the current version of the Punch EV while it will also get new features. Mechanically, the 2026 Punch is likely to see no change as the same 1.2L petrol engine will be at the helm with 5-speed manual and 5-speed AMT gearbox options. The CNG variants will also continue without any changes in the engine.

Also Read: 5 New EVs Launching Very Soon In India – Maruti To Tata

Meanwhile, in other news, Tata Harrier EV was recently launched in the Indian market at an introductory price of Rs 21.49 lakh (ex-showroom). It will be the brand’s first all-electric SUV to boast of an all-wheel-drive system, which Tata calls the Quad-Wheel-Drive (QWD). The Harrier EV is Tata’s sixth EV model after the Tiago, Tigor, Punch, Nexon and Curvv.

The post Tata Nexon & Punch Contribute Over 60% Of Total Sales In May 2025 appeared first on Gaadiwaadi.com - Latest Car & Bike News by Team GaadiWaadi.

from Gaadiwaadi.com – Latest Car & Bike News https://ift.tt/X78rIvB

Mercedes-AMG G63 Collector’s Edition Launched In India, Priced At Rs. 4.30 Crores

Mercedes G63 AMG Collector’s Edition Launched, Limited To Just 30 Units

Mercedes has launched the G63 Collector’s Edition. It is priced at Rs. 4.3 crore and limited to just 30 units. This special edition G63 is the first Mercedes to come with India-inspired graphics. Mercedes has commenced bookings and will begin deliveries in Q4 of 2025.

Styling

The 63 AMG Collector’s Edition is inspired by Indian monsoons and gets two exclusive colours: Mid Green Magno and Red Magno. The green color draws inspiration from the lush green forests of the country, while the red hue is inspired by the iron-rich soil. There is also a ‘One of Thirty Plaque’ on the spare wheel cover, a unique side protection strip finish and 22-inch gold AMG alloy rims.

Interior

An exclusive two-tone interior theme is featured in the interior of the G63 Collector’s Edition. There is catalana beige with black nappa leather upholstery and open-pore natural walnut wood on the dashboard. Customers can engrave their names on the dashboard-mounted grab handle in this special edition.

Engine

The same 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with a 48V mild-hybrid system powers the G63 AMG Collector’s Edition. It produces 585 HP and 850 NM of torque. The mild-hybrid system adds another 22 HP.

A 9-speed DCT transmission with paddle shifters pairs with the engine. The German SUV accelerates from 0-100 Km/hr in just 4.4 seconds by sending power to all four wheels using 4Matic.

Outlook

Notably, the G63 AMG Collector’s Edition will be allocated to the brand’s existing top-end customers. The waiting period for the regular G63 AMG is 12-18 months. According to the brand, the G-class has the highest amount of Manufaktur customisations in India.

Mercedes has assured customers of more India-inspired special editions of the G-Wagon for the country.

The post Mercedes-AMG G63 Collector’s Edition Launched In India, Priced At Rs. 4.30 Crores appeared first on MotorBeam.

from Car News | MotorBeam - Indian Car Bike News & Reviews https://ift.tt/EO6rgwu