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    2024 Chevy Blazer EV Will Have an SS Performance Variant

    Chevrolet released a teaser video for the Blazer SS, a performance variant of the Blazer EV due next year.The teaser video shows little beyond the charging port and an SS badge affixed to the six-spoke wheels.The Blazer SS will be revealed later this year before going on sale in the spring of 2023.Chevrolet’s Blazer crossover is going electric for the 2024 model year with the launch of the Blazer EV and a teaser video released today indicates a performance-oriented SS trim will be part of the lineup. The Blazer follows an onslaught of other electric vehicle announcements from General Motors, including the GMC Hummer EV and Chevy Silverado EV pickup trucks, all of which use the company’s Ultium battery technology.

    Earlier this year, Chevrolet revealed the first images of the Equinox EV, an electric SUV sharing the name of the company’s popular compact crossover. Sporting a distinct design, the Equinox EV will go on sale in fall 2023. At the time, Chevy also mentioned a Blazer EV arriving in 2023, and now the automaker has given the first visual taste of the Blazer EV, which will arrive with a performance SS model.

    The gas-powered 2023 Blazer.
    Chevrolet

    Unfortunately, the teaser video doesn’t show much. The video opens with a shot of a charger being removed from a port behind the front left wheel, with a second shot of the charging port also showing black plastic cladding around the wheel well and what appears to be a sharply raked hood. We also catch a glimpse of an SS badge at the base of one of the wheel’s six spokes.

    Chevy says that the Blazer will be the company’s first EV to gain a performance SS badge when it debuts later this year. Although Chevy didn’t explicitly say this, we assume the Blazer EV will be offered in tamer, more comfort-oriented trims as well. The Blazer SS will go on sale in spring of 2023, and we expect it to also make use of the Ultium battery platform.
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    2022 Jeep Cherokee Adds X Off-Road Trim, Drops Base Engine

    The 2022 Jeep Cherokee adds a new trim level called X that features off-road appearance tweaks.The base 2.4-liter inline-four is gone, and the starting price rises significantly, to $35,590 for either the X or the Latitude Lux.The Cherokee X will be available later this spring and comes standard with all-wheel drive and the 3.2-liter V-6 engine.The 2022 Jeep Cherokee gains a new trim level that’s less off-road-capable than the Trailhawk but comes with a similar look. The Cherokee X you see here has a tweaked front fascia and visuals including an “X” badge on the sides, a hood graphic, and retro “Four Wheel Drive” text on the rear, while also benefiting from a 1.0-inch suspension lift and all-terrain tires.The Cherokee X starts at $35,590 and comes standard with a 271-hp 3.2-liter V-6 and all-wheel drive, although not the Cherokee Trailhawk’s more sophisticated Active Drive II system with a transfer case.

    Jeep

    Jeep

    Due to other changes to the Cherokee lineup for 2022, the Cherokee X is now the cheapest model you can buy. It has the same starting price as the front-wheel drive Latitude Lux, which also comes standard with the V-6 but unlike the X offers a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four as a $695 option. The base Altitude and Latitude trims from last year are no more, and we won’t miss their underpowered base 2.4-liter inline-four with only 180 horsepower. But this does mean the Cherokee gets a significant price hike, as the X and Latitude Lux are $6105 more expensive than the 2021 Cherokee Altitude FWD.The 2022 Cherokee Trailhawk starts at $38,640 and the Limited starts at $40,340. Jeep says the Cherokee X will be available later than other 2022 models and that it should start arriving at dealerships sometime in spring.
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    Honda CB350, RS New Colours Launch – Blue And Grey

    2022 Honda CB 350 RS New ColourHonda offers same engine and cycle parts on both CB350 H’Ness and CB350RS, however, styling and riding ergonomics are slightly differentLaunch of the Honda CB350 range- H’Ness followed by RS, opened doors of the modern classic segment of motorcycles for the Japanese brand in India. The space which is largely dominated by Royal Enfield soon saw a worthy rival to bikes such as Bullet 350 and Classic 350.The CB350 range has been raking decent monthly volume on a regular basis despite its limited availability. It should be noted that both H’Ness and RS are retailed through Honda’s premium chain of dealerships called BigWing not available in every corner of the country. Meanwhile, Honda has recently made some updates to the CB350 lineup.Honda CB350 – New Colour OptionsHonda has launched one new colour option on H’Ness and RS each. Although these new paint schemes haven’t been listed on Honda’s official BigWing website for India, they have appeared on units dispatched to dealerships. For instance, H’Ness is now available in a new Matte Grey paint scheme as per the latest spy images.This new colour option joins pre-existing single-tone shades like pearl night-black metallic, precious red metallic and matte marshal green metallic. Other than these, H’Ness is also offered in dual-tone paint options like Matte Steel Black Metallic With Matte Massive Grey Metallic, Blue Metallic with Virtuous White and Night Star Black with Silver Metallic.2022 Honda CB 350 New ColourComing to CB350RS, the bike will be offered in a new monotone blue shade. It joins the pre-existing colour palette comprising colour options including Black with Pearl Sports Yellow and Radiant Red Metallic colour options. Apart from additional colour schemes, no other changes from either of the motorcycles have been reported.CB3050 Engine SpecsBoth H’Ness and RS share the same mechanicals and underpinnings. They are powered by the same 348.3cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled, fuel-injected engine that kicks out 20.8 bhp at 5500rpm and a peak torque of 30 Nm at 3000 rpm. This motor is paired with a 5-speed gearbox. Both bikes feature telescopic forks upfront and twin shock absorbers at rear.Recently, Honda announced that the CB350 range will now be available for sale in select Canteen Store Department (CSD) stores under the Ministry of Defence. The bikes will be priced Rs 26,000 less than their corresponding regular prices in the market. CSD beneficiaries will be able to purchase these Honda motorcycles by registering themselves on the official CSD website.Honda ScramblersIn other developments, it was recently reported that Honda will be developing two new entry-level scrambler motorcycles based on Rebel 250 and Rebel 500. It is yet to be confirmed if these bikes will be launching in India. If launched, these bikes will be positioned on either end of the upcoming Royal Enfield Hunter 350.Source More

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    Ather Electric Scooter Parts Production – Partners With Foxconn’s Bharat FIH

    Ather Electric ScooterAther Energy announces partnership with Bharat FIH (A Foxconn Technology Group Company)Ather Energy reports strong response for 450X and 450 Plus electric scooters. In a year’s time, MoM sales improved by 20 percent. The manufacturer expects this trend to continue in the months to come.To meet growing demand, Ather has partnered with Bharat FIH for parts manufacturing. The alliance caters to developing and manufacturing key components for Ather scooters. Enhancing the manufacturing ecosystem will help meet demand for Ather 450X and the 450 Plus.Ather Energy has made strategic investments to foster an EV ecosystem. This boosts mass adoption of EVs and helps cater to rising demand. In February 2022, Ather sales crossed the 2k mark, a decline from sales in January 2022.    Ather Electric Scooter Production expansionIn growing its business, Ather Energy has created a strong local supplier base. 99 percent of products are indigenously built and sourced for manufacturing. When it comes to supplying and manufacturing components for Ather scooters, the manufacturer is focused on finding the right vendor to ensure quality.Ather Electric Scooter Production PlantIn order to address growing demand over time, Ather Energy is scaling up production from 120,000 to 400,000 units per annum at its Hosur facility. More land has been acquired to do the same. In the next three years, Ather aims to increase annual production capacity to a million scooters.During this time, 5,000 fast chargers are to be setup. Other areas of focus are new product development, and network expansion to 600 stores. At present, Ather operates out of 30 experience centres (retail outlets) in India.  Raw material procurementBharat FIH offers a range of manufacturing services. This includes Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Assemblies for Battery Management Systems, Dashboard Assembly, Peripheral Controlling Units, and Drive Control Modules. To be manufactured on a ‘Turn-Key” model, supply chain logistics and raw material procurement for Ather Energy will also be managed. Production of parts for Ather scooters at the Bharat FIH facility have begun.Tarun Mehta, Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer, Ather Energy said “The EV industry continues to witness growth at an unprecedented rate with strong demand across segments. Ather Energy also finds itself in the midst of phenomenal growth as we continue to expand our retail footprint across the country. We are working towards strengthening our supply chain to cater to the rising demand for our scooters.Towards this, we are delighted to partner with Bharat FIH to provide us with the capacity, supply chain capability, and process expertise to achieve our volumes and projections. Bharat FIH has demonstrated incredible capability over the last few months by ramping up very quickly to meet our requirements. This partnership also reflects the opportunities that large auto component manufacturers today recognise in the EV industry.” More

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    2022 Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS Red Colour Gets New Black Alloys

    2022 Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS. Image – AUTOHOLIC MANISHIt is likely that Bajaj will replace white alloys with black ones for other bikes such as RS200 as well; NS160 already updatedManufacturers often introduce unique styling for their bikes to differentiate it from rival offerings. However, as the look and feel of a bike is a subjective matter, opinions vary based on users’ individual tastes and preferences. Auto companies do try to choose features that would appeal to majority of users. However, sometimes things may not work out as planned.2022 Pulsar 200 NS black alloysIn its current form, Pulsar bikes like NS200 and RS200 are offered with white alloys in specific colour variants. White alloys have their own charm and may actually be liked by enthusiasts. They come across as something fresh, especially in comparison to the standard black coloured ones used in most bikes.However, scope for coloured alloys depends a lot on the overall design and styling of the bike. For example, orange coloured wheels used for KTM 390 Duke work to enhance the bike’s visual appeal. There are various other examples where bikes have used coloured alloys such as golden, red, blue, etc.In case of Bajaj Pulsar NS200, white coloured alloys don’t seem to enhance the bike’s overall look and feel. They are actually increasing the clutter, which kind of takes away the focus from the bike’s sporty design. NS200 is a good-looking bike, but white coloured alloys don’t seem to fit there. It is certainly more noticeable, but not necessarily something that suits the bike’s overall profile.[embedded content][embedded content]It is possible that quite a few negative feedback about the white alloys may have prompted the company to shift to black alloys. NS200 is available in four colour options of Burnt Red, Metallic Pearl White, Satin Blue and Pewter Grey. Excluding the latter, all three colour options come with white alloys. Black alloys will do a much better job for all these three colour variants of NS200.Bajaj Motorcycle Prices March 2022Pulsar NS200 new priceBajaj Pulsar NS200 prices have been increased by up to Rs 2,000. However, this may be a general price hike coming from increase in input costs. It is not linked to the black alloys, as rest of the bike is same as earlier. New prices will vary based on the location. The current model is available at a starting price of Rs 1.36 lakh in Delhi (ex-showroom).Powering the bike is a 199.5cc, liquid cooled, triple spark motor that generates 24.5 ps of max power at 9,750 rpm and 18.5 Nm of peak torque at 8,000 rpm. It is mated to a 6-speed gearbox. The bike has Perimeter frame with standard telescopic forks at front and Nitrox based monoshock unit at rear.NS200 has 17-inch wheels at both ends, shod with 100/80 front and 130/70 rear tubeless tyres. Fuel tank capacity is 12 litres whereas ground clearance is 168 mm. It has disc brakes at both ends with single channel ABS. More

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    2023 Ram ProMaster Gets a Redesigned Face and New Features

    The 2023 Ram ProMaster receives revised front-end styling and new optional features.Ram’s full-size commercial van now offers a third, higher roof option and a roll-up-style rear door.The ProMaster also now offers a park-assist feature for parallel and perpendicular maneuvers.The most notable change to the 2023 Ram ProMaster lineup of full-size commercial vans is that they all have prettier faces. That’s because Ram replaced the ugly old headlights with a pair of brighter and sleeker ones. Along with the new front-end design, the ProMaster benefits from a handful of new options and appearance upgrades.

    Ram says the redesigned standard halogen headlights are 29 percent brighter and provide 15 percent more range than the ones they replace. Likewise, the optional LED headlights are 70 percent brighter with 50 percent more range. Below the main lighting elements is a revised front fascia that looks more modern. It also incorporates a modular bumper that now includes a built-in step that’s meant to make cleaning the windshield and changing the wiper blades easier.
    Along with the new face, the ProMaster lineup adds more appearance options. Paint choices now include Ceramic Gray and Spitfire Orange, and there are newly optional wheels that come in silver or black. For the most sinister look, the new Black Appearance package includes dark trim for the exterior badges, grille, and rims. The 2023 ProMaster lineup also now offers a third roof height that’s taller than the existing low and high options. Dubbed the super high configuration and only available on the 13-foot cargo van, Ram says it provides the most cargo volume and headroom in the segment. Last year, Ram enhanced its full-size vans with a plethora of new modern safety features. The list of available upgrades ran the gamut from a 360-degree camera system to adaptive cruise control to lane-keeping assist. For 2023, the ProMaster can new be equipped with a park-assist feature that helps the driver execute parallel and perpendicular parking maneuvers.
    The 2023 ProMaster is still only offered with front-wheel drive. A 3.6-liter V-6 with 276 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque continues to pair with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The ProMaster’s hauling capacities also remain the same as last year, with a maximum towing capacity of 6910 pounds and a payload rating of up to 4680 pounds. The addition of an optional aluminum roll-up-style rear door is intended to make the process of loading and unloading payload more efficient.The 2023 Ram ProMaster will be available starting in the third quarter of this year. While Ram hasn’t yet announced pricing, we don’t expect a significant increase compared with the 2022 lineup. For context, the ProMaster 1500 cargo van with the standard low roof and short 118.0-inch wheelbase started at $38,320; the 3500 passenger van with the high roof and 159.0-inch wheelbase started at $47,315.
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    What I Learned Reading Road & Track's 'Big & Fast Cars' Book for Kids, by a Kid

    Road & Track has just published a book for kids, and I got a special advance copy. Big & Fast Cars was interesting, and I learned a lot. Like that you can’t have a gorilla in the back seat of your car in Massachusetts, or that Porsche’s headquarters are in Stuttgart, Germany, and built on the grounds of a horse farm, or that there’s a bucket loader that can dig a swimming pool in three scoops. This is a big book, so I also found out about some cars I hadn’t heard of, like the Sherpa off-roader and the Citroën 19_19 concept car.It’s not all about cars, either. It’s got roller coasters, Mars rovers, tanks, a jet-powered school bus, monster trucks and a life-sized Mario Kart (that would be so fun).

    Road & Track Crew’s Big & Fast Cars: 701 Totally Amazing Facts!

    amazon.com

    $25.00

    $21.06 (16% off)

    And it’s funny. I liked the chart where you figure out what kind of space traveler you’d be, or the fill-in-the-blanks about a top-secret spy mission. The chart where you figure out which type of paint job matches your personality told me I’m a wild custom hot rod. I think that’s right.Finn Dyer is 10 but already owns an impressive fleet of cars (in Forza Horizon 5). In real life, he likes going fast and getting big air on his bike, or skis, or pogo stick. His dream car, right now, is a Ford Bronco Raptor.

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    Lotus Type 132 Electric SUV Previewed in Patent Images

    Patent images of the Lotus Type 132, the company’s first SUV and second EV, were submitted to IP Australia, revealing the car’s design, as first reported by Motor1.The Type 132 will feature active aerodynamics and prominent lidar sensors affixed to the front and rear of the roof.The Lotus Type 132 will be revealed in full on March 29.While Lotus is best known for lithe, lightweight sports cars, the British automaker is approaching a major inflection point. The Emira is the final gas-powered Lotus and a lineup of electric vehicles is now on the way. New patent images submitted by Lotus to IP Australia have given us our first glimpse of Lotus’ electric future, showing the Type 132 SUV that’s due to be revealed on March 29.

    IP Australia

    The Type 132 will be Lotus’ first SUV and it appears to be fairly compact. It will likely sit somewhere between the Porsche Macan and Cayenne in size. It takes advantage of its electric architecture with a short, sloping hood and stretched cabin and appears to have a surprisingly long rear overhang for an EV. The crossover appears to have eschewed traditional sideview mirrors for cameras—although this setup still isn’t legal in the United States—and a lidar sensor is prominently mounted above the windshield.

    IP Australia

    IP Australia

    We can also pick out details that Lotus has teased over the last couple of months. The Type 132 will feature advanced aerodynamics—the snazzy triangular pattern in the lower front bumper is actually a bank of active grille shutters which work in conjunction with air ducts in the hood. Lotus is following current design trends with flush, pop-out door handles and a full-width taillight bar. More unconventionally, the rear wing is split in two, with another lidar sensor emerging from the roof in between.

    The Type 132 will ride on a platform that can house batteries ranging from 92.0 to 120.0 kWh and promises rapid charging thanks to an 800-volt electrical system. We also expect the new SUV to become the heaviest Lotus ever, superseding Lotus’ first electric vehicle, the 3,700-pound, 1972-hp Evija supercar. More details will come when the Lotus Type 132 is revealed later this month.
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