KIA showcased the first images of its new dedicated battery electric vehicle EV6 ahead of its world premiere event in March. The released images showcase the car's design that follows its 'Opposites United' design philosophy.

The new design takes inspiration from the contrasts in nature and humanity with new visual identity evoking positive forces and natural energy, with contrasting combinations of sharp stylistic elements and sculptural shapes.

The design philosophy consists of five key pillars:

1)         Bold for Nature: Clear and simple lines with bold, ever-changing surfaces characterise exterior design while organic yet technical structures and finishes embodies the vehicle interiors.

2)         Joy for Reason: Vehicle feel and ambience will influence the passenger's mood by adopting new organic materials and more daring colours, expressing a sense of youth and playfulness.

3)         Power to Progress: Future designs will evolve by drawing on and developing the skills and expertise learned throughout the brand's recent era of design-led transformation.

4)         Technology for Life: New generation in-car user experience with advancements in lighting, feel and in-car connectivity.

5)         Tension for Serenity: Design concepts use sharp, highly technical details to create surface tension – and realise a harmonised, future-oriented design vision.

The exterior of the EV6 sports a distinctive crossover-inspired design that embodies the 'Power to Progress' philosophy. The front is characterised by sleek DRLs that form a part of the Digital Tiger Face, the Tiger Nose Grille for the electric era. The low air intake at the front widens the car's visual appeal while channelling the airflow under the car's flat floor to improve aerodynamics.

The sleek and aerodynamic side profile with a contrast of sharp lines and high-tech details showcases the 'Tension for Serenity' philosophy. The character line running along the bottom of the door adds a visual elongating profile to the vehicle. The sloping C-pillar, along with the muscular rear haunches, add width at the rear. The rear also sports a roof-mounted spoiler that channels air towards a raised lower spoiler, which sits atop the car's unique rear light cluster.

The most striking visual element of the EV6's interiors is the seamless high-tech curved high-definition audio-visual and navigation (AVN) screen. The screen, along with the slim dashboard, adds a sense of space and an open feel; this is further enhanced by the dedicated E-GMP platform's increased interior space. The car features minimum physical buttons as most controls feature a haptic button on the dashboard that slopes away towards the front of the vehicle, creating a sense of space and openness for the front seat passengers.

The slim, lightweight seats are created using recycled plastics, making them modern and visually appealing. (MT)

Mumbai-based automotive major Mahindra & Mahindra has announced its wholesales for April 2025 at 84,170 vehicles, a growth of 19 percent, including exports.

The auto major sold a total of 52,330 SUVs in the domestic market, which was 28 percent higher than 41,008 SUVs sold for the same period last year. Commercial vehicle sales in the domestic market came at 22,989 units, which was 4 percent YoY. 

Veejay Nakra, President, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “Building on the strong momentum of last year's performance, we began the year on a strong note in April by achieving SUV sales of 52,330 units, a growth of 28 percent and total vehicle sales of 84,170 units, a 19 percent growth over the same month last year. These numbers indicate the strength of our portfolio and customer offerings.”

JSW MG Motor India, a leading passenger vehicles manufacturer, has announced its wholesales for April 2025.

The company reported sales of 5,829 units, which was 23 percent higher over April 2024, when it sold 4,725 vehicles.

Interestingly, the automaker's popular offering, the Windsor EV, has continued to be the top-selling electric passenger vehicle for the seventh month in a row.

JSW MG Motor India's Windsor EV has now gone home to over 20,000 customers.

Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest carmaker, has reported its wholesales of 179,791 units in April 2025, marking a 7 percent increase compared to 168,089 units sold in April 2024. The growth was primarily propelled by strong performance in utility vehicles and a sharp rise in export volumes.

Domestic sales, including passenger and light commercial vehicles, remained flat with 142,053 units, as compared to 140,448 units in April 2024. Within this, light commercial vehicles (LCVs) like the Super Carry saw a significant jump of 34.2 percent, with sales rising to 3,349 units from 2,496 units last year.

In the passenger vehicle segment, SUVs such as the Brezza, Ertiga, Grand Vitara and others recorded a 4.4 percent increase, selling 59,022 units compared to 56,553 in the previous year. However, sales for Eeco declined by 5.2 percent, while the mini segment (Alto, S-Presso) saw a sharp 45 percent drop, falling to 6,332 units from 11,519 units. The compact segment, which includes high-volume models like the Baleno and Swift, grew by 8.1 percent, reaching 61,591 units.

Sales to Toyota Kirloskar Motor rose sharply by 79.2 percent, from 5,481 units to 9,827 units, indicating a growing demand for cross-badged products.

The standout performer was the export segment, which surged 26 percent to 27,911 units from 22,160 units in April 2024. This strong export growth helped bolster the company’s overall numbers despite weaknesses in domestic sub-segments.

While some product lines such as the mid-size sedan Ciaz (-63 percent) continue to struggle.

Tata Motors reported total wholesales of 72,753 units for April 2025, reflecting a 6 percent year-on-year decline from 77,521 units in April 2024.

The passenger vehicle (PV) segment, including electric vehicles, accounted for 45,532 units, down 5 percent from 47,983 units in the same month last year. Within this, domestic PV sales dropped 6 percent to 45,199 units, while international business (IB) sales rose significantly to 333 units, up from 100 units. Electric vehicle sales (domestic + IB) declined 16 percent year-on-year to 5,318 units.

Commercial vehicle (CV) sales stood at 27,221 units, marking an 8 percent YoY drop from 29,538 units in April 2024. Domestic CV sales contracted 10 percent to 25,764 units, while CV exports (IB) grew 43 percent to 1,457 units. Key sub-segments like Small Commercial Vehicles (SCV) and pickups saw a steep 23 percent decline.

Despite growth in certain categories like ILMCV trucks and passenger carriers, overall sales momentum was tempered across both PV and CV segments.