Jeep India has introduced the MY2025 Meridian with an aggressive pricing strategy and new features. A facelift, its prices start at INR 2,500,000 ex-showroom and climb up to INR 3,649,000 ex-showroom for the top trim ‘Overland’ variant.    
Available in four – Longitudinal, Longitude Plus, Limited (O) and Overland – trims, the new luxury SUV offers sophistication, cutting-edge safety, advanced technology and unparalleled comfort, according to the company. 
It repositioning in the seven-seat SUV segment that has the Toyota Fortuner commanding the space with roughly 96 percent of the market, the new Meridian isn’t a far cry in terms of appearance when compared to the one it replaces. 
Along with the familiar exterior comes a familiar interior that is spacious, comfortable and adorned with vegan leather (vinyl fabric in Longitude) and suede/vegan leather accents. There’s visible copper stitching that adds a touch of craftsmanship. 
Available with a seven-seat or five-seat configuration, the luxury SUV offers 824-litre of boot space with the middle and third row seats folded; 481-litre of storage space with the third-row seat folded, and 170-litre with all three seat rows in place. 
Based on the extended Compass SUV platform with an appearance that seems to have been inspired by the Cherokee rather than the Compass, the Meridian in its MY2025 avatar comes with ‘Uconnect’ connected services with GSDP 2.0 connectivity protocol. The key features of this include Automatic SOS Call, Remote Engine Start/Stop with AC Preconditioning, Alexa Home to Vehicle, Smartwatch Extension, Vehicle Health Report with alert, Connected One-Box Navigation Search with live traffic, weather and incident updates, and over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates
Equipped with a customisable 10.25-inch fully digital cluster and a 10.1-inch fully HD touchscreen media centre (with built-in navigation and wireless mirroring for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), the vehicle also comes with wireless smartphone charging and multiple USB ports across the cabin, dual-zone automatic climate control, electric-adjustable front seats, panoramic sunroof and ADAS Level 2 system. 
This system – found on the top-spec Overland variant – is tuned to 
Indian road and traffic conditions. It includes a front radar and camera and offers adaptive cruise control with stop and go, intelligent speed assist, full speed forward collision warning with collision mitigation braking, lane departure warning and lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition, surround view monitor, smart beam assist, blind spot detection and driver attention alert among others.
Powered by a 174 bhp 2-litre turbodiesel engine, the Meridian could be had with a six-speed manual or a nine-speed auto transmission. 
“The Jeep Meridian was born from our understanding of the growing demand for a premium model for customers who have progressed through Jeep’s lineup. The Meridian will usher in a new phase for Jeep in India, offering a distinctive personality with imposing and sophisticated design, premium finishes, and cutting-edge technology, all while retaining the legendary adventure capabilities expected from a Jeep. With the additional variants, we’re excited to cater to a diverse audience, staying true to our commitment to making Jeep more accessible to enthusiasts in India,” said Kumar Priyesh, Brand Director, Jeep India.
The first Jeep model that was developed specifically for India with a global vision, the Meridian is exported to markets like Japan among others as the Jeep Commander. It is necessary to note, that Jeep India has not explained if these prices are relevant for 2WD or 4Wd models in its statement. From a brand point of view, the omission about a model's off-roading capability is very surprising. 

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Japanese automotive major Honda Motor Co has announced the cancellation of three electric vehicle (EV) models intended for production in North America.

The decision affects the Honda 0 SUV, Honda 0 Saloon and the Acura RSX, which the company stated is due to the changes in the business environment and a reassessment of its electrification strategy.

The company identified several developments impacting its automotive operations:

• Market Demand: A slowdown in the expansion of the US EV market linked to changes in fuel regulations and revisions to incentives.
• Trade Policy: The impact of US tariff policies on the profitability of petrol and hybrid vehicle segments.
• Regional Competition: A decline in product competitiveness in China, where newer manufacturers lead in software-defined vehicle (SDV) technologies and development cycles.
• Resource Allocation: Challenges in delivering value for money in Asia due to the concentration of resources on EV development.

Honda expects to record write-offs, impairment losses on assets, and expenses related to the cancellation of these models. Total losses associated with the strategy reassessment are estimated to reach a maximum of USD 18.5 billion (YEN 2.5 trillion) in the coming years.

Revised Forecast for Fiscal Year Ending 31 March 2026

Estimates are preliminary as of 12 March 2026.

Despite the revised earnings, Honda will maintain its dividend forecast based on its dividend on equity (DOE) ratio indicator.

Going forward, Honda will reorganise its framework to focus on hybrid models in the US and Japan. The company intends to expand its model lineup and cost competitiveness in India, where market growth is anticipated.

In response to the financial revisions, executive compensation will be reduced:

• President and Vice-President: 30 percent reduction of monthly compensation for three months and forfeiture of performance-linked bonuses.
• Executive Officers: 20 percent reduction of monthly compensation for three months.

Total annual compensation for representative executive officers will decrease by 25 percent to 30 percent.

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Mumbai-based JSW Motors has further strengthened its management team with the onboarding of Rajan Sharma as the Head of Strategy & Planning.

Sharma comes with close to two decades of experience in the automotive industry and experience across sales and strategy.

Prior to joining JSW Motors, Sharma spent two years at Tata Motors as the Head – Sales Planning and was part of the company’s key product launches.

He begin his automotive career at Hyundai Motor India in 2004 and spent over nine years at the South Korean automaker, growing to the rank of Regional Manager for Rajasthan region.

Sharma then went on to have a two-year stint at Cardekho, before joining MG Motor India as the Field Sales Head for South and West Zone.

In his new role, Sharma will focus on accelerating JSW Motors presence in the Indian automotive market as the company gears up to launch a slew of new energy vehicles.

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Italian supercar manufacturer Ferrari held its India premiere of the 849 Testarossa at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai on 15 March 2026. The event, led by CEO Benedetto Vigna and Chief Marketing & Commercial Officer Enrico Galliera, marked the first national reveal for the manufacturer in its history in India.

The 849 Testarossa is a plug-in hybrid sports berlinetta that replaces the SF90 Stradale at the top of the Ferrari range.

Ferrari reaffirmed its commitment to the Indian market, which it views as a component of its global strategy. The Italian supercar manufacturer operates retail locations in Mumbai and New Delhi, supported by a service point in Bengaluru. Data from the company indicates that Indian owners are among the youngest globally.

“India is a country that offers a lot of opportunities. It is a young country with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and that energy resonates deeply with Ferrari’s own philosophy of innovation and passion,” said Benedetto Vigna, CEO, Ferrari.

The 849 Testarossa features a mid-rear twin-turbo V8 engine paired with three electric motors. The architecture includes a twin-tail rear design and active spoiler systems.

The supercar integrates electronic control systems, including SSC 9.0, eDiff and ABS Evo. It also features the FIVE vehicle dynamics estimator. The design blends references to Ferrari heritage with the return of the Testarossa name.

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Kia India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has introduced the Model Year 2026 (MY26) edition of the Kia Sonet, increasing the availability of automatic transmissions across its diesel and turbo petrol variants.

The update introduces the 1.5-litre Diesel 6-speed Automatic and the 1.0-litre Turbo Petrol 7-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission (7DCT) in lower trim levels, with prices starting from INR 977,900 and INR 989,900, respectively. This move makes the Sonet the first SUV in its segment to offer both automatic technologies at a price point below INR 1 million.

The diesel automatic option has been expanded to the HTE(O), HTK(O), HTK+ and HTK+(O) variants. The turbo petrol 7DCT is now available in HTK(O) and HTK+(O) trims. These additions are intended to address the increasing demand for automatic vehicles in urban traffic conditions. The Sonet portfolio now includes five powertrain options, 70 connected car features and 10 Level 1 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

Standard safety equipment across the Sonet range includes 15 features. The vehicle recently reached a sales milestone of 5 lakh units in the Indian market since its launch in 2020. Alongside the mechanical updates, Kia has added a new exterior colour option, Magma Red, to the palette. The model continues to feature a cabin equipped with a range of technologies designed for the compact SUV segment.

Atul Sood, Senior Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, Kia India, said, “We have been closely listening to evolving customer needs, particularly the growing preference for the convenience of automatic driving in everyday conditions. With the model year 2026 update, we are expanding our automatic line-up with Diesel Automatic and Turbo Petrol 7DCT options at highly competitive price points, enabling more customers to experience the ease of automatic mobility while further strengthening Sonet’s leadership in the segment.”

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