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    Suzuki Intruder 150cc Cruiser Discontinued – 0 Units Sold In 2022

    Going forward, Suzuki will focus on naked, faired and ADV segments that have much higher demand in comparison to entry-level cruisersSuzuki Intruder 150cc DiscontinuedLaunched in 2017, Suzuki Intruder aimed at offering a unique experience to enthusiasts. It did manage to create a niche fan following, but not something that could be valued from a business perspective. The bike’s prospects hit rock-bottom in 2022, as not even a single unit was sold in the domestic market from Dec 2021 to May 2022. This has prompted the company to discontinue Intruder 155.Why Suzuki Intruder failedThere are multiple reasons that may explain why Intruder 155 did not meet expectations. Starting with the design, the radical bodywork may have been deemed as an overkill by many enthusiasts. While the curvy panelling seems attractive, it is too bulky for a 155cc bike. The fairing is essentially there to hide the relatively small sized engine.Design of Intruder 155 is difficult to interpret, as it appears to have a lot of clutter. There’s the triangular headlamp, angular twin exhaust and broad rear section, all of which contribute to design contradictions inherent in the bike. It doesn’t give the confidence and sense of reliability that people usually look for in a bike.Another worry for enthusiasts could have been the extensive use of plastic panels. These could come loose with time, creating vibrations and rattling sounds. The sheen is also likely to be lost overtime, as the panels are exposed to the elements. Such doubts may have prevented people from choosing Intruder 155.Suzuki Intruder Discontinued – Sales 0 UnitsAvailability of a decent, affordable alternative in the form of Bajaj Avenger is another factor that could have worked against Intruder 155. Avenger has a bare bones structure, which helps create a more rugged look and feel for the bike.Based on user reviews, there’s evidence that Avenger has better control and handling than Intruder. This is especially true when these bikes are used in an urban environment. For cruising on highways, Intruder is likely to work better, owing to its aerodynamic design.High pricingLast known price of Suzuki Avenger 155 was Rs 1,28,900 (ex-showroom Delhi). In comparison, Bajaj Avenger 160 is available at a starting price of Rs 1.12 lakh. If users can increase their budget by Rs 10k, they could go for Avenger 220 model that is available at Rs 1.38 lakh.With Intruder 155 discontinued, it puts a question mark on the possibility of Intruder 250. The bigger sibling was registered in 2019 and was expected to debut in 2021. It would have borrowed much of its hardware from Gixxer 250. However, the possibilities look pretty remote now.Entry-level cruisers may not be as popular as other bikes, but this segment has generated consistent numbers for Bajaj. In May 2022, sales of Avenger Street 160 were at 1,824 units. Suzuki Intruder 155 with nil sales demonstrates the problems inherent in the bike and not with the segment per se. More

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    2022 Rivian R1S SUV Deliveries Delayed by Months

    Rivian R1S order holders were notified by email of delayed delivery dates.The new dates range as far as December 2022.Delivery dates are based on pre-order date, customer location, and pre-order configuration.Preorders for the Rivian R1S are facing further delays that the company states are a result of ongoing supply-chain and service-infrastructure issues. Autoevolution reported earlier this week that order holders had been notified of the delay via email. The original email, which appears to differ slightly from person to person based on “preorder date, delivery location and current configuration,” was posted to a Rivian owner forum. Rivian said it is prioritizing delivery areas where service infrastructure is already in place, in order to “provide the full ownership experience to Rivian owners from day one.” With delivery dates jumping around so much, and with the company previously being under fire for raising prices during the preorder period, it isn’t a huge shock to hear about one more delay. Forum posters have listed expected delivery dates of their R1S between August and December 2022, with Rivian seemingly holding out that it can get all preorders delivered by the end of the year.

    Rivian

    The R1S will be the second production model from the company and is its first SUV. It will start at $84,500 and, like the R1T EV pickup, uses a 128.9-kWh battery pack, which the EPA estimates is good for 316 miles of range. The 2022 model is offered only as a quad-motor Launch Edition. Cheaper trim levels, including Explore and Adventure models, are expected to be added for the 2023 model year. A larger Max battery pack, with a claimed 400-plus miles of range, also has been delayed until 2023, the company previously announced.
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    2023 Ford Escape Caught Undisguised, Shows Off New Light Bar

    Ford is preparing a refresh for the 2023 Escape, and the updated crossover was spied sans camouflage near its production facility in Louisville, Kentucky.The front end is heavily revised, with pointier headlights, a boxier grille, and an LED light bar.The taillights have also been redesigned, and the Escape facelift is expected to debut this fall.Just five years ago, Ford was selling more than 300,000 units of its Escape compact crossover. But the fourth-generation model, which went on sale starting with the 2020 model year, hasn’t proved as popular, with around 178,000 sold in 2020. Sales dipped by a further 33,000 units last year as the rugged Bronco Sport arrived as internal competition. In an attempt to halt the Escape’s downward spiral, Ford is preparing a facelift, and the updated crossover has now been spotted completely undisguised near its production facility in Louisville, Kentucky.

    Brian Williams

    The most noticeable change for the 2023 Ford Escape is the trendy light bar running across the top of the grille and linking the headlights. The headlights themselves are revised, with a less rounded shape that is reminiscent of the headlights on the Jaguar I-Pace. The grille has also been redesigned, sitting higher in the front fascia and with a boxier outline, and the Ford logo has migrated into the middle of the grille. While it’s not as chunky-looking as the Bronco Sport, the Escape’s facelift definitely adds a degree of toughness with a faux skid plate in the front bumper.

    The changes to the rear of the Escape are more subtle, with the taillights sporting a new upside-down-U LED lighting signature. The rear bumper is unchanged, and this example eschews black plastic cladding along the side of the vehicle for body-colored trim. The facelifted Escape is expected to continue to offer gas, hybrid, and plug-in variants, and it should be revealed in the fall before starting production late this year.
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    NHTSA Report Connects Hundreds of Crashes with Driver-Assistance Tech

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a report listing hundreds of vehicle crashes in cars equipped with Level 2 driver-assistance tech, the agency announced today.NHTSA started requiring automakers to submit the information in June of last year, and its initial findings are based on about 10 months of data.Its first report says there have been 392 vehicle crashes in the U.S. involving a Level 2 driver-assist system, six of which had fatalities. However, it’s not possible to draw many conclusions from this data, even whether the driver-assist systems are making things worse or better.Over the past 10 months, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has collected data reported by automakers on crashes involving vehicles equipped with driver-assist features. The U.S. agency today published the initial results of that data collection, which reveals hundreds of crashes with vehicles using Level 2 driver-assistance technology.Based on a new requirement called a “Standing General Order on Crash Reporting for Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems,” NHTSA has required automakers to report an accident if “Level 2 ADAS was in use at any time within 30 seconds of the crash and the crash involved a vulnerable road user or resulted in a fatality, a vehicle tow-away, an airbag deployment, or any individual being transported to a hospital for medical treatment.” Of course, these reports are likely imperfect because there may be issues such as access to the crash data or incomplete data from the incident report, among other issues.Of crashes reported by manufacturers, Tesla had the most with 272 reports. Honda (90 incidents) and Subaru (10 incidents) reported the second and third most crashes involving a Level 2 system. NHTSA also revealed that among the 98 crashes where an injury was reported, five were serious and six involved fatalities.

    NHTSA

    NHTSA said that prior to issuing its order in June 2021, it had relied on vehicle owner questionnaires, media reports, and direct outreach from automakers to get this kind of data and called that process “generally inconsistent.” Now that the agency has better standards in place to collect the data, it can better respond and raise awareness regarding accidents that involve driver-assistance technology.Still, as NHTSA administrator Steven Cliff told the New York Times before today’s announcement, it’s too early to draw conclusions from these initial findings. Cliff said that NHTSA will continue collecting data on driver-assistance-related crashes to help guide requirements around how the technology is designed and functions, according to the article in the New York Times.
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    Royal Enfield 650cc RoyalSERIES Modify Kits – Scrambler, Cafe Racer

    These styling kits by Crooked Motorcycles for Royal Enfield 650 INT comes in two different flavours – Street and ScramblerRoyal Enfield 650cc Modify Kits – Scrambler. Image – BikeExifEven though the company has ‘Crooked’ in its name, the products are far from it. Take this German company’s new styling kits for the Royal Enfield 650 INT for example, and you’ll appreciate how soothing they are to look at. Not crooked at all.Crooked Motorcycles is a custom motorcycle company based out of Germany. Run by Jakob Muller and Dominikus Braun, Crooked Motorcycles creates custom plug-and-play body parts for motorcycles. After the very difficult and isolated lifestyle the world faced during Covid-19 pandemic, Crooked Motorcycles has created ‘RoyalSERIES’ of body kits.Crooked Motorcycles Gravel vs StreetThis custom kit comes in two different flavours using Royal Enfield’s Interceptor 650 as the donor bike. One is called ‘Gravel’ and is designed to mimic a scrambler-style motorcycle. The other one is called ‘Street’ and is designed to look like a custom cafe racer.The reason why this custom motorcycle company created two different versions of the same motorcycle is that they wanted to offer outright fun to their customers looking at two different types of terrain. Street variant is designed to be very sporty both visually and in function. It also promises this sportiness both in city and on long highway stretches.Royal Enfield 650 Cafe Racer Kit – StreetRoyal Enfield 650 Cafe Racer Kit – Street variant gets a 3D printed cowl made of reinforced fiber plastics. It also gets a snazzy-looking seat which is draped with a beautiful Alcantara finish. The slim LED indicators also double up as tail-lights. To retain the shape, proportions and lines of a cafe racer, Crooked has given it a new headlight sourced from Gazzini along with a custom aluminium nacelle. It also gets Continental TKC80 tyres.Royal Enfield 650 Scrambler Kit – GravelRoyal Enfield 650 Scrambler Kit – Gravel variant gets more goodies though. For starters, Gravel’s rear loop includes attachment points for a pair of multi-purpose bags capable of holding a 750 ml water bottle, a Snickers bar and a rain jacket. Gravel also gets a custom number plate holder with integrated LED indicators sourced from Motogadget.To round off the scrambler look, it gets an LED Bates-style headlight up front, custom fork covers and gators, Renthal handlebars and Biltwell grips. It comes with Pirelli Scorpion Trail tyres. The company is confident that Gravel is capable to kick off lot of gravel along its trail.Royal Enfield 650 – Modifying Kits LaunchedPrice & LaunchDespite the differences in styling, both motorcycles get YSS rear shocks with an extra lift on the Gravel. Both get a custom exhaust system integrating Hattech mufflers. They also get marble inserts on the fuel tank accompanied by custom pinstriping and liveries along with a hand-painted Crooked logo.Despite being custom bikes, Crooked hasn’t altered the sub-frame of stock Interceptor 650. Crooked Motorcycles also went great length in custom designing electrical interfaces for custom speedo from Motogadget. The company particularly chose a Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 because they have been immensely impressed with it after personally owning and riding it for over 18 months. They also believe that despite being sub 50 bhp, it has great potential to be a fun motorcycle.Royal Enfield 650 – Modifying Kits LaunchedAs they’re manufactured in India and exported, Royal Enfield’s 650 twins cost a lot in European and North American markets. On top of it, custom bikes cost a lot. RoyalSERIES Street costs EUR 17,500 (approx Rs. 14.32 lakh) and Gravel costs EUR 16,500 (approx Rs. 13.5 lakh). The prices include the cost of a motorcycle and custom parts over it. Customers can also choose individual pieces too. Of all custom builds based on Royal Enfield’s 650 platform, these are among the most expensive.Source More

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    New Yamaha R125 Sport Pack Launched – Official Accessories Detailed

    This new sport pack will benefit everyone that wants a little more oomph from their R125 on their favourite race track2022 Yamaha R125 Sport PackYamaha’s YZF-R series of motorcycles are very popular here in India and around the world. Of the lot, we only get one YZF-R series motorcycle in India, the rest of the series is quite impressive. Starting from the bottom, we have YZF-R125, YZF-R15, YZF-R25, YZF-R3, YZF-R6 and the creme de la creme YZF-R1 and YZF-R1M.Even though India only gets YZF-R15, it is one of the most sought after sports motorcycles in the country. With a huge fan following, Yamaha YZF-R15 is currently in its 4th gen model and is going strong with consistent sales figures. But India never got the YZF-R125 that is on sale globally. In Europe, it is very popular too and to keep the popularity, Yamaha has launched a Sport Pack for the motorcycle.2022 Yamaha R125 Sport PackIt’s a known fact by now that Yamaha’s YZF-R series of motorcycles have a sporty pedigree. The baby YZF-R is no exception at all. R125 is a commendable track bike and competes well with KTM RC 125.To aid the rider on his track day, Yamaha has thrown in a Sport Pack. Yamaha already sold track specific accessories like an optional Akrapovic exhaust. Coupled with the Sport Pack, R125 is expected to be a completely different animal.[embedded content][embedded content]As part of the package, it gets a new windscreen with a larger bubble that aids the rider in deflecting wind over his/her helmet when ducked. It also gets new frame sliders which have a carbon fibre finish, a tank pad with a carbon fibre finish, new stickers on wheels and new LED indicators. R125 gets some weight saving in terms of a new tail tidy unit too.Yamaha’s R125 which is on sale in Europe, is not based on the YZF-R15 V4 that is on sale in India. Instead, it is based on R15 Gen 3 which is now sold as YZF-R15S in India. It is powered by a 124.7 cc single-cylinder engine that is liquid cooled and is mated to a 6-speed gearbox with a slip and assist clutch. This entry level sports bike makes 14.96 PS and 11.5 Nm. When compared to its main rival, RC 125 from KTM, R125 makes 0.4 PS more power but makes 0.5 Nm less torque.Price & LaunchThe price of this 2022 Yamaha R125 Sport Pack is around GBP 391 (approx Rs. 37,000) and for everything that it comes with, is quite justifiable. But what isn’t even remotely justifiable is the price of the motorcycle. In Europe, YZF-R125 costs around GBP 5,000 (approx Rs. 4.73 lakh) and the Sport Pack adds GBP 391 more. This takes the overall price to GBP 5391 (approx Rs. 5.10 lakh). It gets two attractive colour options Icon Blue and Yamaha Black.Fully loaded 2022 Yamaha R125 Sport PackYamaha is highly unlikely to launch the R125 in India. We don’t see it happening at all as the 125 cc category is often compared to a commuter in India. No matter what equipment it gets, the Indian track scene is still immature and the craze for a low-capacity super sports machine is very thin. More

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    1996 Audi RS2 Avant Is Our Bring a Trailer Auction Pick of the Day

    • The RS2 Avant was a limited-production, high-performance station wagon. • With a turbocharged five-cylinder engine making 311 horsepower, it had a top speed of 163 mph.• The auction for this car ends on June 18.If you’re an Audi fan, the RS2 Avant is enshrined in the pantheon of Audi greats. If you’re not, it’s merely one of the most intriguing and unusual performance machines of the 1990s. As the mid-size Audi 80 neared the end of its production run, a special version of the 80 Avant was co-developed with Porsche (and was assembled at Porsche’s Zuffenhausen factory). Its turbocharged 2.2-liter inline-five engine made 311 horsepower and was paired with a six-speed manual gearbox, sending power to all four corners via a Quattro all-wheel-drive system with a Torsen center differential.

    Bring a Trailer

    Although fewer than 3000 were built, the RS2 (RS for Rennsport or “racing sport”) presaged a whole line of special RS models that continues to this day. This example, up for auction on Bring a Trailer, which like Car and Driver is part of Hearst Autos, is finished in the model’s signature color of Nogaro Blue. The black interior features Recaro bucket seats, carbon-fiber trim, and white gauges.

    Bring a Trailer

    Bring a Trailer

    With approximately 115,000 km (71,000 miles) on the clock, this car has had a bunch of recent mechanical work, including replacement of the timing belt, water pump, alternator, valve cover gasket, front outer CV boots, front anti-roll-bar links, and brake fluid. The A/C, however, is inoperable.

    Bring a Trailer

    Although never sold in the United States, the RS2 is now legal to import under the 25-year exemption rule. They remain thin on the ground in North America, however. This car, which is in Canada, was purchased on BaT by the seller last year. Commenters on that auction thought the selling price, $61,000, was a bargain. That appears to be the case, as the bidding as this writing is just shy of $70,000 with five days still to go.

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    Ather Electric Scooter New Plant To Be Their Largest – 15 Lakh Production Capacity

    Ather plans on its third factory to keep competition from Ola, Chetak and TVS in checkAther Electric ScooterAther has been one of the most successful EV startups in India. The company strives to make the Indian scooter market eco-friendly and be a part of the green revolution. In that regard, they only manufacture electric vehicles and plan to stay that way.But as more EV startups are entering the electric scooter market, more are the no of EVs on road with cheap and lower quality parts. This has resulted in dangerous electric scooter fire instances. Making EVs is not the hardest part. Making good EVs is. In this regard, Ather has come off as a solid performer and a consistent at that too.Ather Electric Scooter New Third PlantAther currently has two models on sale in India, 450X and 450 Plus. Both of them are manufactured at Ather’s manufacturing facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu. It has a production capacity of 1.2 lakh vehicles annually. Ather is also working on its second manufacturing facility in Hosur itself.Production at the 2nd plant has not started yet. When up and running, this second factory is capable of taking Ather’s total production up to 4 lakh units per annum. But with increasing competition in the Indian electric scooter space with prominent new entrants like Ola and Simple Energy and mainstream manufacturers like TVS, more production is always better.Existing Ather Electric Scooter Production Plant at HosurAdding to the competition, Bajaj’s subsidiary Chetak recently inaugurated its EV production facility at Akurdi. So, Ather has to ramp up its production and invest in new products to stay relevant in the game. Ather is reportedly in the final rounds of talks with various state governments like Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.Ather is looking for land up to 100 acres for its third manufacturing facility. This new plant will have production capacity of 15 lakh units annually, making it the largest Ather Energy plant yet. The EV startup is expected to finalize a location among the above-mentioned states by the end of next month.Ather Energy Fund Raising CampaignAther has been backed by Hero MotoCorp since early stages. Hero has been consistently supporting Ather since 2016 and currently holds a 35% stake in Ather Energy. With positive growth and consistent monthly sales, Ather has been doing really good in the EV market. It also recorded its highest-ever monthly sales in May 2022.Ather Energy, with its consistent growth, has attracted a lot of funds. Last month, it raised around Rs. 990 crores from National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Ltd’s Strategic Opportunities Fund, Hero MotoCorp and some other investors. With 38 Experience centers across 32 cities, Ather is one of the prominent electric scooter manufacturers in India. With new fundraisers and two more manufacturing facilities, Ather is on its way to a new level.Source More