The popular performance version of the Octavia- the RS has a new version- the RS 245 and straight away, it has some striking numbers. Starting with the price- at 35.99 Lakhs, the introductory price tag is quite brave to be honest. But again, only 200 units of this car will be available in India so yes, it does have that special touch to it.

Talking of more numbers- the RS 245 is equipped with the 2.0 Litre TSI petrol unit that churns out 245 PS and 370 NM of torque. Connected to a 7 Speed automatic Dual Clutch Gearbox compared to

the earlier version that had a 6- speed unit, the RS 245 is expected to leave behind its predecessor in terms of acceleration as it now crossed 100 Kmph in 6.6 seconds. Power is also 15 PS more compared to the older model. Skoda claims that the top speed of the Rs 245 is limited to 250 kmph. We told you, these are some really striking numbers.

While the performance has changed, the exterior remains the same mostly. A sports butterfly grille, gloss black touches, projector headlamps, LED DRLs, LED tail lights, sporty tailpipes, the sport vRS badging, 18- inch glossy Black Dual Tone alloy wheels make this car very appealing to look at. We the like the way it looks like a normal sedan but has some prominent highlights to it that don’t scream performance but when you need it, it is all at your disposal. So much, that it will surprise many!

The interior does look like a normal Skoda Octavia apart from some exception like RS seats with perforated leather and red stitching, 3- spoke flat bottom steering wheel with paddle shift. LED ambient lighting, an 8 –inch touch screen infotainment system with Apple Car Play and Android Auto, digital instrument panel, dual-zone Climatronic air conditioning suggest that comfort and convenience is in no way compromised for the sake of performance. Some optional features include Black Alcantara sport seats and a 12- way electrically adjustable driver and passenger seats.

The Skoda Octavia RS 245 also comes with loads of safety tech like ABS, ESC, Mechanical brake assist (MBA), multi- collision brake (MCB), adaptive front- light system (AFS), Anti- slip regulation (ASR) and Electronic differential lock (ESR). So, this car then does add a lot to the confidence.

Available in five colours like Race Blue, Magic Black, Rallye Green, Corrida Red, and Candy White. The Skoda Octavia RS 245 is a highly desirable performance car for enthusiasts who want to drive tastefully.

Toyota India launched its new subcompact SUV, the Urban Cruiser. This is essentially the rebadged version of the best-selling Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza with Toyota specific cosmetic changes.

Exterior:

    The Urban Cruiser borrows its front grille from the Fortuner but carries forward the LED headlamps from the Vitara Brezza without any changes. The front bumper however is completely redesigned to give the Urban Cruiser a unique look. The sides and rear, however, don't have any changes except for the Toyota and Urban Cruiser branding on the tailgate. The 16” alloy wheels to are the same as on the Vitara Brezza.

Interior:

    The interior of

the Urban Cruiser gets even fewer changes when compared to the Brezza. The design, layout and materials are exactly the same and the only differentiation will be Brown colour seat upholstery.

Variants:

Similar to the Vitara Brezza, the Urban Cruiser will be available in three variants; Mid, High and Premium.

    Based on the Vitara Brezza, the new Urban Cruiser MID variant offers the following standard features:

• LED headlamps with DRLs
• LED tail lamps
• Auto climate control
• Tilt-adjustable steering wheel
• Push-button start with the smart key
• 2DIN audio system
• Steering mounted audio controls
• Power windows
• Electric ORVMs
• Reverse sensors

Apart from these, the HIGH variant will include the following additional features:

• 16” alloy wheels
• Auto folding ORVMs
• Roof rails
• 7” touchscreen system
• Android Auto & Apple car play
• Reverse camera
• Cruise control
• Rear wiper & defogger

Additional features on the top-spec PREMIUM variant will include:

• LED fog lamps
• 16” diamond cut alloys
• Auto headlamps & wipers
• Auto-dimming IRVM
• Front and rear armrests

Safety:

       Safety features on the Toyota Urban Cruiser BS6 include:

• ABS with EBD
• Dual airbags
• ISOFIX child seat mounts
• Pretensioner seatbelts
• Engine immobilizer
• Hill hold on AT variants

Powertrains:

       The Urban Cruiser will carry forward the same 1.5L K-series petrol engine from the Vitara Brezza producing 105bhp power & 138nm torque through either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed Torque converter automatic gearbox. The Automatic variants will also receive mild hybrid system with auto engine start/stop and regenerative braking.

Launch & price (Ex-showroom):

• Toyota Urban Cruiser Mid Variant MT - Rs 8.4 lakhs
• Toyota Urban Cruiser Mid Variant AT – 9.8 lakhs
• Toyota Urban Cruiser High Variant – MT – Rs 9.15 lakhs
• Toyota Urban Cruiser High Variant AT 10.65 lakhs
• Toyota Urban Cruiser Premium MT - Rs 9.8 lakhs
• Toyota Urban Cruiser Premium AT - Rs 11.3 lakhs

The new Toyota Urban Cruiser will be priced at a slight premium over the Vitara Brezza and it will compete against the Tata Nexon, Ford Ecosport, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Mahindra XUV300 and the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza itself.

The Nissan Magnite was launched on the 2nd of December and is expected to challenge rival sub-compact SUVs with Pricing, features and space as it's Trump cards. In just 5 days, the newest compact SUV has received 5,000 bookings, apart from over 50,000 enquiries. This is no mean feat given the meagre number of dealerships in India. 

The Nissan Magnite was launched with an introductory starting price of Rs 4.99 lakh (ex-showroom) for the entry-level variant. However, 60% of the bookings are for the top XV and XV premium variants.

This introductory pricing though is valid till December 31 only, after which

the entry-level XE variant will be priced at Rs 5.59 lakh (ex-showroom).

The Magnite offers a whole lot of features and creature comforts; with all Variants excluding the entry-level XE being available with two engine options including a turbo engine and a CVT transmission option. The top-of-the-line XV Premium is loaded with features such as 360-degree monitor, Digital instrument cluster, rear AC vents, 16” alloys, all-LED lamps, etc. The XV premium is also available with a Dual Tone roof option which makes the topmost CVT version available for Rs 9.59 lakh (ex-showroom).

The Magnite offers a spacious cabin with comforts like rear-seat armrest available from the Turbo XL Variant itself. The entry-level XE variant offers quite a list of standard features including all power windows, Rear wiper, washer, defogger, 16” wheels and fabric padding on the doors.

All Variants are available with a 1.0L naturally aspirated 3 cylinder petrol engine which produces 72PS of Max Power through a 5-speed manual gearbox. However, the 100PS turbo petrol engine is available only from the XL Variant onwards. All turbo variants get ESP, traction control, Hill holds assist and Hydraulic brake assist as standard. The turbo variants also can be had with the Xtronic CVT automatic gearbox.

Nissan is also offering a Tech Pack for an additional Rs 38,698 on the XV and XV premium Variants. The Tech Pack includes more features like an air purifier, puddle lamps, ambient light, wireless car charging, premium JBL speakers and LED scuff plates.

NISSAN India is not only targeting the CSUV segment with the Magnite; The non-turbo variants are aimed at the hatchback segment buyers who would want additional space, comfort and SUV appeal. For sure the Magnite will be a great success and will help rebuild the image of the almost forgotten Japanese car market in India. However, Nissan will have to put more effort to expand its sales and post-sales network, which is essentially the key to gain the trust of customers.