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    2022 Suzuki GSX250R Debuts – With New Blue Colour, ABS

    2022 Suzuki GSX250REarlier colour options for Suzuki GSX250R have been retained; it may vary based on the specific regionAs part of its portfolio update strategy, Suzuki has introduced changes to several of its products. One of the bikes that has received its 2022 update is GSX250R. A fully-faired sports bike, GSX250R is among the popular options in several overseas markets.Suzuki GSX250R 2022 new colourFor 2022 GSX250R, Suzuki has introduced a new dual-tone colour option of Metallic Crystal Blue / Pearl Nebular Black. The dual-tone colour theme is applied horizontally, with most of the blue bits covering top sections of the bike. It can be seen on the front cowl, fuel tank and tail assembly.Layers below are all black including side fairing and engine cowl. Most of the components have been blacked-out including the front fender, suspension, chassis and engine. Exhaust is blacked-out as well and gets a metallic heat shield and top cover. Graphics used on the bike is bare minimum, which helps reduce clutter and retain focus exclusively on the dual-tone colour theme.New blue colour for Suzuki GSX250R 2022 looks sportier, as compared to other colour options available for the bike. In the US market, earlier 2018 and 2020 models are sold alongside. 2018 GSX250R is offered in dual-tone colour theme of Candy Cardinal Red / Pearl Nebular Black. In this case, the primary colour red works to highlight front sections such as headlamp cowl, fender and fuel tank. The bike also has multi-coloured graphics on side panels.2022 Suzuki GSX250RGSX250R 2020 model is offered in two colour options. One is Metallic Diamond Red whereas the other is a dual-tone theme of Pearl Glacier White No. 2 / Pearl Nebular Black. Body paint scheme for the latter is almost the same as the new blue colour theme.Blue is a popular choice for motorcycles and cars alike and it’s good to see GSX250R getting it. Blue easily gets you noticed on the streets without creating any sense of overt dominance. Bajaj has also recently introduced blue colour option for Pulsar 250. Yamaha too has a special focus on blue.Suzuki GSX250R 2022 functional updatesMuch of the hardware for GSX250R will be same as earlier. Among the exceptions is dual-channel ABS, which has been introduced in US market for 2022 model. 2022 GSX250R comes with Nissin, 2-piston calliper, single disc at front and 1-piston calliper, single disc at rear.2022 Suzuki GSX250RThe bike has telescopic front forks and monoshock rear suspension. Both ends have 17-inch wheels, shod with 110/80 front and 140/55 rear tubeless tyres. Fuel tank capacity is 15 litres. Powering the bike is a 248cc, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, SOHC, parallel-twin motor that makes 24 hp of max power and 22 Nm of peak torque. It is mated to a 6-speed constant mesh transmission.In US, 2022 Suzuki GSX250R is available at a starting price of $4,999. This is approximately INR 3.82 lakh. Launch in India is unlikely, as Suzuki already has the Gixxer SF250 here. More

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    Two Wheeler Retail Sales Feb 2022 – TVS, Bajaj, RE, Hero Electric, Ola, Jawa, Yezdi

    Royal Enfield 350cc Custom By EimorTwo wheeler retail sales dipped 10.67 percent in February 2022 with Hero MotoCorp and Honda leading the segmentAs per data sourced by Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), two wheeler retail sales in February 2022 dipped to 9,83,358 units, down 10.67 percent from 11,00,754 units sold in February 2021. It was also a de-growth of 24.39 percent as against 13,00,588 units sold in February 2020, which was the last pre-Covid month.There are several factors that brought about this de-growth. Rising fuel prices have played a major part in decreased sales of petrol powered two wheelers while there is a definite shift in demand towards electric two wheelers as is evident from the table attached. Sales de-growth across the two wheeler segment has been compounded by the continued work-from-home corporate culture and the fact that several educational institutions are yet to open up after two yearlong closure due to the pandemic.Two Wheeler Retail Sales Feb 2022 – Hero LeadsHero MotoCorp led the segment with sales of 3,11,097 units in February 2022, down from 3,52,532 units sold in February 2021. Market share dipped from 32.03 percent held in February 2021 to 41.64 percent last month. Hero MotoCorp continued to see good demand for its Glamour, Splendor, Passion and HF Deluxe but has now announced its entry into the electric two wheeler segment and has unveiled its new brand ‘Vida’ with its first initiative will be the launch of an electric vehicle on July 1.Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) saw its retail sales at 2,46,504 units in February 2022 with market share at 25.07 percent. This was against 3,00,675 units sold in February 2021 when market share was higher at 27.32 percent. HMSI also plans to launch multiple new products. The Honda Activa electric will be launched in India by 2023 and will be seen as a rival to the likes of Ola S1, Bajaj Chetak, TVS iQube and upcoming Suzuki Burgman Electric.Two Wheeler Retail Sales Feb 2022 vs Feb 2021 (YoY)At No. 3 was TVS Motor Company with retail sales de-growth at 1,55,040 units in the past month, down from 1,67,112 units sold in February 2021. Market share increased from 15.18 percent to 15.77 percent YoY.Bajaj Auto posted retail sales at 1,08,682 units, down from 1,21,,052 units sold in February 2021. Apart from these 4 two wheeler OEMs, none of the others were able to surpass the 50,000 unit mark in terms of retail sales. Suzuki (44,129 units), Royal Enfield (44,010 units) and India Yamaha Motors (36,384 units) posted YoY de-growth in retail sales.Electric two wheeler OEMs Post GrowthTwo wheeler OEMs, such as Hero Electric, Okinawa and Ampere have seen significant increase in demand in recent months. Hero Ekectric retail sales increased to 7,356 units last month, up from 2,194 units retailed in February 2021. Okinawa sales stood at 5,923 units in February 2022 from 1,067 units sold in the same month of the previous year while Ampere sales were at 4,303 units from 806 units retailed in February 2021. Each of these electric two wheeler OEMs have also seen a significant increase in market share.Two Wheeler Retail Sales Feb 2022 vs Jan 2022 (MoM)Ola Electric, a newcomer to this segment registered retail sales at 3,904 units last month. Piaggio with retail sales at 3,526 units in the past month suffered a de-growth over 4,632 units retailed in February 2021 while Classic Legends Jawa and Yezdi (3,391 units), Ather Energy (2,229 units), Pur Energy (1,427 units) and Benling (1,147 units) each posted significant YoY growth in retail sales. Revolt sales also increased from 70 units in February 2021 to 1,128 units in the past month while there were other OEMs in the electric vehicle segment that have reported retails at 3,178 units, up from 1,040 units retailed in February 2021. More

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    725,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with Too-Bright Headlights Must Be Recalled

    The headlights on more than 725,000 2010–2017 GMC Terrain SUVs are apparently too bright, although to date there’s no evidence anybody has reported safety issues as a result.In 2019, GM asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to dismiss the problem because, aside from the lack of crashes, only one customer had even asked about the situation.Even so, since these headlights are measurably too bright in some instances, NHTSA denied GM’s request this week, putting the ball in GM’s court to figure out how to resolve the situation.General Motors will need to recall more than 725,000 GMC Terrains to fix a problem with the SUVs’ headlights. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been collecting information on GMC Terrains from the 2010 through 2017 model years and claims that the headlights can create “glare to other motorists driving in proximity” in certain weather conditions, including snow and fog.In a Denial of Petition document posted to the Federal Register Thursday, NHTSA said the headlights in the affected Terrains are simply too bright from some vantage points. Specifically, reflection from the headlamps’ housing illuminates two small areas high above the vehicle that, when measured according to federal motor vehicle safety standards, return a result of approximately 450 to 470 candela. That’s more than three times as bright as is allowed at these measurement points, NHTSA said.

    2013 GMC Terrain Denali.

    In 2019, the automaker asked NHTSA to consider an exemption for the Terrain headlight issue because the “reflection has no effect on vehicle safety for oncoming or surrounding vehicles.” It also said that the headlight supplier, Stanley, redesigned replacement headlamps with graining on the surfaces that inadvertently reflected the too-bright light, “which will prevent the reflections that are the cause of the issue.” GM also said that it had heard of “only a single customer inquiry associated with this condition and is not aware of any crashes or injuries,” with that one customer complaining that the “left headlamp seems to have a portion of the light that shines up in the trees at near a 45-degree angle.” That’s the extent of it. Still, NHTSA denied GM’s request Friday, and the decision now forces GM to recall the vehicles and fix the headlights at no cost to vehicle owners. NHTSA said that approximately 726,959 Terrains manufactured between May 21, 2009, and July 13, 2017, are potentially involved in this recall. GM told Reuters that some Terrains have gotten replacement headlight parts that do not cause the same sort of glare and that the problem was fixed for 2018 and later model year Terrains. The automaker said it will now “review NHTSA’s decision and explore potential next steps,” Reuters reported.
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    2022 MG ZS Electric SUV Exclusive Variant Features Leak

    2022 MG ZS EVMG Motor will be launching a new ZS EV in India with a more powerful 51kWh battery pack and a few more featuresMG Motor will soon be updating its sole electric vehicle offering in India- ZS EV, with a host of new features, redesigned exterior and updated powertrain setup. Facelifted ZS EV will be launched in India on 7 March 2022. Bookings for the updated electric crossover have already begun at a token amount of Rs 50,000, while deliveries are expected to commence later this month.2022 MG ZS Electric SUV – FeaturesLike its petrol-powered sibling- Astor, the new ZS EV is built on MG’s Car-as-a-Platform (CAAP) vision. The latest iteration of ZS EV will only be offered in Exclusive variant. Full features list has now leaked.Similar to Astor, the ZS EV was also expected to get ADAS features like lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, autonomous braking etc. But as per the leaked info, there seems to be no ADAS features on board the ZS EV 2022.It gets LED headlights and DRLs, 17 inch new alloys, roof rails, rear spoiler, 7 inch LCD cluster, leather wrapped steering wheel, PVC + PU seat, 6 airbags, 360 degree camera, TPMS, blind spot detection, pedestrian warning, front and rear seat belt reminder, etc.2022 MG ZS Electric SUV Features List2022 ZS EV also gets a new EcoTree Challenge feature on the MG i-Smart EV 2.0 connected car system. This functionality allows the owner to track his / her CO2 emissions and compare them with other owners. Other than this, the updated i-Smart technology comes with over 75 connected car features.In addition, the updated system will offer an advanced VR system that offers over 100 commands (including over 35 Hinglish commands) to control various functionalities of the car. Other features on offer include a new 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment unit compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a panoramic sunroof, a navigation system and more.Updated Powertrain SpecsThe outgoing ZS EV is equipped with a 44.7 kWh HT (Hi-tech) battery pack which is paired to a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor. This powertrain kicks out an output of 143 bhp and 353 Nm of peak torque. The automaker claims a 0-100 kmph time of 8.5 seconds. MG will likely replace the 44.5 kWh battery pack with a 51 kWh which will return the same output.2022 MG ZS EV Facelift – New 17 inch alloysHowever, after the latest update, the new ZS EV is expected to offer a range of almost 500km on a single charge as opposed to 419km offered on the previous iteration. The electric SUV will continue to be offered in FWD configuration and a single-speed automatic gearbox. There are multiple drive modes that alter its power delivery. The range is also increased by a small margin through three-level regenerative braking.Expected Price, TrimsThe upcoming ZS EV will be offered in a single fully-loaded Exclusive trim only which is expected to command a premium over the outgoing model. For reference, the current top-spec variant of the electric crossover is priced at Rs 25.18 lakh (ex-showroom). It will continue to rival Hyundai Kona upon its launch in India. MG India has plans to launch another electric SUV in the Rs 10-15 lakh price range – to rival Tata Nexon EV.Source More

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    NHTSA OKs Manufacturing of Low-Volume Turnkey Replica Cars

    Replica vehicles and kit cars have long been a way for enthusiasts to get a piece of some of the greatest examples of automotive unobtainium. Thanks to the efforts of the SEMA (formerly known as the Specialty Equipment Market Association) and its partners lobbying Congress, the replica market is about to get a lot bigger. Customers in the United States will now be able to legally purchase turnkey, factory-assembled replica vehicles, based on designs more than 25 years old, now that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has officially implemented the Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act.

    According to this new policy, low-volume vehicle manufacturers will be able to construct up to 325 replica vehicles a year—anything from old-school hot rods to midcentury muscle cars and more modern classics. These vehicles will still be required to comply with some level of federal oversight, but not at the level of modern mass-produced vehicles. This should allow small manufacturers that don’t have the resources of a legacy automaker to build limited-production replicas that comply with the new law.That said, these replica vehicles will still be required to meet current model-year emissions regulations, and all replica manufacturers must register with NHTSA, the EPA, and the California Air Resources Board in order to build and sell street-legal vehicles. The process of verification with these entities may take several months, according to SEMA. That means we still likely have a way to go before we start to see an influx of new pseudo-vintage machines powered by modern emissions-compliant engines. For those who don’t want to wait, we should note that this new policy has no impact on your ability to build a traditional kit car. It seems like automotive enthusiasts don’t catch many breaks these days, especially as our zero-emission future draws ever nearer. This is a win we can all get behind, and one that could help get some seriously cool cars on the road in the near future.

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    Best 1980s American Cars: Window Shopping with Car and Driver

    In a world of chaos, turmoil, and despair, there is Window Shopping. It’s not merely a Zoom call among Car and Driver’s various staff members and hangers-on, though it is that, too. It’s certainty, calm, and reassurance when it’s needed most.Heeding the call for elation once again, Window Shopping’s internet-scouring challenge this week is to find American cars from the 1980s that don’t suck and can be purchased for $30,000 or less. It’s all about moolah for malaise.Who are this week’s contestants? There’s C/D contributor Jonathon Ramsey from verdant Parts Unknown, Kentucky. Technical Something or Other K.C. Colwell, who was born during the 1980s but wasn’t eligible to be purchased during this competition. Editor-in-chief, and still redolent of that new-editor smell, Tony Quiroga. Senior editor Joey Capparella, who was born in the 1990s, and that makes his work title mostly ironic. And Road & Track’s John Pearley Huffman, who was already Midwest Regional Sales Manager for Circuit City in 1986.At least one of the gang here asserts that all cars from the 1980s suck. He makes a strong case. Choices this episode include a diarrhea-brown truck, a sedan even people who owned one forget was a reality, a yellow thing with a Kenwood stereo, another thing this writer can’t recall several minutes after the show, and, duh, a Mustang.Come along for this magical journey back to a time when the world seemed at least as screwed up as it does now. And yet, somehow, we survived.

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    1970 Jeep Wagoneer Is Our Bring a Trailer Auction Pick of the Day

    • The name “Jeep Wagoneer” has resonated through the years among those who appreciate a big, tough utility vehicle that’s also luxurious. • As much as we appreciate the 2022 Wagoneer, there’s nothing like the classics, like this 1970 Jeep Wagoneer currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer.• With the auction scheduled to end on Friday, March 11, bidding is currently at $11,000 and sure to go way up from there.The 2022 Jeep Wagoneer is a big and tech-heavy three-row SUV that seeks to blend luxury and capability. There’s much to appreciate about it. Still, there is a nostalgic call to get back and relive the days of the past. This is why this 1970 Jeep Wagoneer is today’s pick on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos. Bidding is open until March 11 for those who want to get behind the wheel of a 350-cubic-inch Dauntless V-8.

    Bring a Trailer

    The Wagoneer initially debuted in 1963. It was the high-class Jeep, featuring many amenities unlike anything at the time. Power brakes, an automatic transmission, and power steering were unthinkable for a rugged Jeep in the 1960s.

    According to the listing, this Wagoneer was listed on BaT back in December 2016. Since that purchase, work completed on the SUV includes a new aftermarket fuel-injection system, shocks, and suspension bushings and springs, as well as an oil change. According to the listing, the 350-cubic-inch Dauntless V-8 mated to a three-speed automatic transmission, and the Jeep reads 56,000 miles on the odometer.

    Bring a Trailer

    You’ll find plenty of accessories attached to this rugged 4×4. Want a roof rack? It has it. Need bumpers, rock sliders, and rear-mounted carriers? Done. [Slaps hood of Jeep.] This Jeep Wagoneer is absolutely ready for the weekend overlanding trip. Interested parties have until March 11 to bid on it.

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    Volvo XC40 Recharge Refreshed to Resemble Coupelike C40

    Volvo has facelifted the XC40 Recharge with a new front bumper and triangular headlights similar to the design found on the C40 Recharge.The C40 Recharge also adds a new single-motor, front-wheel-drive variant.Volvo won’t yet divulge the U.S.-market plans for these models, but said that more information will come in the spring.Volvo is rapidly moving towards an all-electric future, with news emerging earlier this week of five new EVs coming in the next few years, including two wagon-like “activity vehicles” and a sedan. But before those models arrive, Volvo’s first electric vehicle is getting an update, with Volvo announcing today a facelift for the XC40 Recharge that brings its styling in line with the sleeker, coupelike C40 Recharge introduced last year.

    Volvo XC40 Recharge.
    Volvo

    The facelift is subtle, with a resculpted front bumper and a frameless grille cover matching the front end of the C40 Recharge. The electric XC40 also gains the pointier headlights of its sloped-roof brother, which continues to feature Volvo’s assertive Thor’s Hammer LED lighting signature. Inside, the XC40 Recharge gains non-leather upholstery options, while new paint colors and wheel options will be available, although Volvo has yet to specify what these will be.

    Volvo C40 Recharge.
    Volvo

    Meanwhile, the C40 Recharge is also gaining a new variant. Slotting below the current dual-motor version of the C40 will be a single-motor model. The motor sends power to the front wheels and comes with a 69.0-kWh battery, versus the 78.0-kWh unit in the dual-motor C40. Volvo says this variant of the C40 Recharge will get about 270 miles of range on the more lenient European WLTP testing cycle. Volvo also claims that the C40 Recharge will be able to charge from 10 to 80 percent in around 32 minutes when plugged into a fast charger.

    Volvo would not confirm U.S. market availability for either vehicle, but a spokesperson did tell Car and Driver that more information will come in the spring. The updated XC40 Recharge is almost guaranteed to reach our shores, likely for the 2023 model year, but given that Volvo doesn’t offer the single-motor XC40 Recharge stateside, the new C40 variant could remain forbidden fruit.
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