All the three cars are powered by BS-VI compliant Turbocharged Stratified Injection (TSI) engines. The Rapid will have the new 1.0 TSI petrol engine with a power output of 110 PS (81 kW) and a fuel efficiency of 18.97 kmpl. The Superb range, Laurin & Klement and SportLine, get the new 190 PS (140 kW) 2.0 TSI petrol engine that accelerates from a standstill to a 100 km/h in 7.7 seconds and has a top speed of 239 km/h. The all-new Karoq is powered by 150 PS (110 kW) 1.5 TSI petrol engine mated with an automatic seven-speed DSG gearbox delivering a fuel efficiency figure of 16.95 kmpl (high phase WLTP) and a top speed of 202 km/h.

The company set the precedence in the contactless automotive purchase ecosystem with the market introduction of the Octavia RS 245 over its centralized booking platform early this year. The overwhelming response from automobile enthusiasts and brand loyalists from across the nation prompted the Czech marque, celebrating 125 years of its rich history and heritage, to broaden the scope of its digital endeavours. Under the 'India 2.0' project, the company will expand its geographical presence in the subcontinent, from 80 dealership facilities across 65 cities, today, to over 200 touchpoints across 150 cities, by 2025.

Talking about the unique features of the cars Zac Hollis, Brand Director, Skoda Auto India, said TSI technology offers blistering power delivery without compromising on fuel efficiency and reduction of harmful CO2 emissions in line with BS-VI norms. It manages to straddle these extremes by combining direct petrol injection with turbocharging, an elegant, ingenious solution that satisfies not just technical and legal requirements, but driving thrill and fuel efficiency expectations.

There are five main elements that come together to create the magic known as TSI. Turbo charging increases the density of air pumped into the chamber. This ensures that combustion is particularly efficient, while at the same time helps raise the power output of TSI engines substantially as compared to conventional, naturally aspirated engines. It is designed to deliver maximum torque from engine speeds as low as 1500 or 1,750 revs per minute, delivering responsiveness and drivability. Acceleration is virtually instantaneous across gear ratios, allowing for safe, overtaking smoother climbs uphill. And, of course, to get the adrenaline pumping.

The Intercooler, working in tandem with the Turbo, lowers the temperature of the air that is fed into the engine. This more dense, oxygen-rich air helps improve the combustion, while also increasing reliability and reducing the possibility of detonation or engine knocking.

Compact construction; in the past, it used to be said that there was no replacement for displacement. It is not anymore as the TSI engine features a cast aluminum alloy block and dye forged steel crankshaft for strength. Of course, turbocharging helps in extracting more power from a smaller engine. While fewer moving parts translate to a significant reduction in power loss caused by friction, the compact construction also means a lighter weight for the vehicle to shift, on the move.

Fuel stratified injection is a direct outcome of development in a high position technology and material sciences in the TSI range of engines. Fuel is injected into the combustion chamber directly. The new state-of-the-art injector, with six valves for electronic direct injection, has been designed to further optimize an efficient distribution of fuel mixture or automisation. It is the leaner fuel mixture that helps the TSI engine offer exceptional fuel economy. At the same time, power delivery is much more linear and there are no unpleasant bumps or peaks in the middle of the red band.

Finally, an active cylinder management helped the company to move ahead in its quest for offering better fuel economy, depending on the power requirement.

The new Karoq comes with 1.5 TSI petrol engine, mated with an automatic seven-speed DSG gearbox, delivering 150 PS of power and a peak torque output of 250 Nm, while delivering a fuel efficiency figure of 16.95 kmpl (high phase WLTP) and a top speed of 202 km/h. With Active Cylinder Technology, to further boost the fuel economy, two of the four cylinders in the TSI powertrain are deactivated, in view of the power requirement.

The new version of Superb comes in two trim options - the Sportline and L&K variants. It gets a 2-litre, four-cylinder TSI petrol motor with a seven-speed DSG gearbox delivering 190 PS of power and a peak torque output of 320 Nm while delivering a fuel efficiency figure of 15.10 kmpl. It accelerates from a standstill to a 100 km/h in mere 7.7 seconds and has a top speed of 239 km/h.

The mid-size sedan Skoda Rapid is the economical one of all three of them. The diesel variants of the Rapid have been discontinued and the new one comes with a 1-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol motor that puts out 110 PS of power at 5,000 rpm and 175 Nm of torque at 1,750 rpm. Mated with the six-speed manual transmission it offers 18.97 kmpl under standard test conditions. When compared with the outgoing 1.6 MPI engine, the new car offers a five percent upsurge in power and a 14 percent rise in torque output. At the same time it offers a 23% increase in fuel efficiency against the previous motor.

“2020 is a special year for us; it’s our 125th anniversary and Skoda will leave no stone unturned for the success of these three new vehicles. We are already receiving encouraging numbers of bookings for the three new models and Skoda is also accepting online booking as the portal integrates 80 dealerships online. The entire contact less experience will make sure that our customer is safe. We are offering 100 percent ex-showroom funding plus you can buy a car now and pay only somewhere near Diwali. We have low EMI and also offer​​ loyalty benefits too,” Hollis said. (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.