Toyota Kirloskar Motor has concluded the 24-hour Toyota Hackathon 2025 in Mumbai engineered to empower young innovators to drive road safety solutions. It has been a part of the automaker’s commitment to education and road safety. 
Held at Vidyalankar Institute, Wadala (East), Mumbai, and coinciding with ‘Road Safety Month’ (January 18 – February 17, 2025), the event brought together over 400 talented students from over 100 schools across Mumbai, turning in turn into an effective platform to develop actionable solutions to critical road safety challenges.
Attracting the presence of Atul Moreshwar Save, Minister for OBC Welfare, Dairy Development, and Renewable Energy, Government of Maharashtra; Arprit Save, President Chamber of Marathawada Industries and Agriculture, and Senior leadership from TKM (including Vikram Gulati, Country Head and Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Governance, TKM, and Sudeep Dalvi, Chief Communication Officer, Senior Vice President and Head State Affairs, TKM), the event – a key pillar of TKM’s comprehensive Road Safety Initiative designed to address this critical issue by integrating road safety education into school and college curriculums – began with team selection and idea submissions, progressed through a boot camp, culminated in a 24-hour final hackathon, and concluded with incubation support for the top one winner per city. 
Fostering critical thinking, innovation and a sense of responsibility, the Hackathon – structured in five phases – saw participants tackle key road safety themes such as ‘Road Safety Awareness and Education’, ‘Community Engagement for Safety’, ‘School Zone Safety’, ‘Road Infrastructure and Pollution’, ‘IoT/ICT in Road Safety’, ‘Traffic Easement’ and ‘Making Roads Inclusive’. 
Out of 100 initial teams, 28 advanced to post- boot camp, 10 teams completed in the final hackathon out of which 3 emerged as winners, earning continued support to bring their innovative ideas to life.
Following the success in Mumbai, the Toyota Hackathon 2025 will move to Bangalore on 14 February 2025. For the 2024-25 academic year, TKM aims to expand the initiative to 300 institutions across key cities, with over 400 innovative concepts already submitted.
Speaking at the event, Vikram Gulati, Country Head and Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Governance, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “At Toyota Kirloskar Motor, we are driven by the belief that empowering the younger generation with the right tools, mentorship, and opportunities can lead to transformative change. The Toyota Hackathon 2025 serves as a testament to our unwavering commitment to road safety and innovation, as it brings together young minds to ideate, collaborate, and develop solutions for safer roads. This initiative reflects our holistic approach to fostering a culture of safety and sustainability, aligning with Toyota’s global vision of zero traffic fatalities.”
 

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Nissan Motor India (NMIPL), a leading manufacturer of passenger vehicles in the country, is observing World Quality Month across its network of 315 sales and service touchpoints during November 2026.

The campaign operates under the theme 'Unmistakable Quality. Every Customer. Every Vehicle. Every Time.' and centres on the operational principle of 'Fix It Right the First Time' to standardise repair processes and aftersales support across dealerships.

The programme is structured around four weekly pillars covering environment, personnel, customer experience and repair quality.

Activities throughout the month include workshop standard audits, technical training programmes for service personnel, customer education workshops, vehicle health check-up camps and feedback collection mechanisms aimed at verifying service quality across the network.

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Cars24 has published its festive performance report covering the period from Navratri through Diwali, reporting 19,039 pre-owned vehicle sales, a 44 percent increase compared to the previous festive period.

The company disbursed over INR 3 billion in vehicle loans during the period, with financing penetration reaching 55 percent of total sales. First-time buyers represented 72 percent of customers, while rural buyers accounted for 40 percent of sales and women buyers formed 36 per cent of the customer base. Maruti Suzuki India, Hyundai Motor India and Tata Motors were the top-selling manufacturers on the platform, with Tata vehicle sales growing 85 percent YoY.

Hatchbacks accounted for over 50 percent of total sales, while SUVs recorded the highest category growth rate. Demand for petrol vehicles reached 65 percent against 58 percent of supply listings, while CNG and electric vehicles combined represented over 15 percent of bookings against 10 percent of supply listings.

The platform recorded 52 million unique users and processed over 700,000 ownership-related transactions, with peak volume reaching one transaction per second. Inspection and verification services saw 40,000 vehicle health report bookings, 660,000 pre-delivery inspection searches, 10,000 completed vehicle inspections and 30,000 vehicle history checks for external purchases.

Vikram Chopra, Founder, Cars24, said, "Festivals have always been a special time for families to bring home a car. But what we are seeing is that the relationship with a vehicle begins well before the purchase and continues long after it. People are researching more, checking vehicle histories, arranging inspections, taking finance and using digital services to manage everyday ownership. Buying and selling are important moments, but ownership is a much longer journey. Our focus at Cars24 is to make that entire experience simpler, more transparent and more convenient, like a trusted family member you can always turn to for guidance on every vehicle-related decision."

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Dubai-based M Monogram Atelier has completed the first G 3.0 Iconic, a bespoke project based on the Mercedes-Benz G-Class that combines redesigned bodywork with an extensively customised interior. The vehicle is the first example of a planned worldwide series of 50 units and is currently available for sale.

The project focuses on reworking the G-Class's exterior proportions and bringing together individual design elements across the bodywork and cabin. The exterior features widened and lengthened bodywork, pronounced wheel-arch extensions, sculpted side steps and enlarged door hinges. A fine contrasting line runs along the body, visually connecting the front and rear sections.

The design draws inspiration from the expressive character of 1930s motoring, while the oversized front grille takes separate cues from automotive styling of the 1960s. M Monogram Atelier has used contrasting gloss-black upper surfaces and satin-black lower panels to emphasise the revised body contours. The side steps also feature a contrasting edge running between the wheel arches, while decorative side gills carry the atelier's emblem.

The front bumper incorporates three-pointed light modules that also house the turn indicators. The front splitter, rear diffuser and roof spoiler follow a consistent design approach, while two strobe-light sections are positioned at the outer edges of the front roofline. Completing the exterior are six-spoke sculpted wheels featuring M Monogram centre caps.

Inside, the G 3.0 Iconic adopts a Cognac Heritage colour scheme, combining warm cognac-coloured Nappa leather with black accents. The treatment extends across the seating, interior trim and luggage compartment creating a consistent finish throughout the cabin.

The rear seating features sculpted surfaces, vertical contours and detailed stitching. Individual tray tables with integrated cup holders have been incorporated for rear passengers, while an analogue clock with a circular dial adds a traditional design element to the dashboard.

Further detailing includes a combination of perforated leather and weave-textured inserts along with leather door pulls. The leather headliner features a pattern of stylised stars, accompanied by the Iconic inscription.

The same cognac finish continues into the luggage compartment through matching side panels and a luggage cover. On the rear door, a weave-textured insert surrounds a central panel bearing the M Monogram emblem. The project name and individual vehicle number are also incorporated into the interior.

M Monogram Atelier is offering three decorative treatments for the project: Black, Silver and Gold. These provide different combinations of finishes for elements such as the grille, wheels and exterior accents. Customers can also select individual colours, finishes and decorative details with the final specification agreed for each vehicle.

With the first example completed, the G 3.0 Iconic marks the beginning of the atelier's proposed 50-vehicle series. Its approach centres on combining exterior modifications with coordinated interior craftsmanship rather than limiting the customisation to individual cosmetic additions.

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French auto major Renault Group has secured a 4-star rating for adult occupant protection and a 3-star rating for child occupant protection in the latest Global NCAP Safer Cars for Africa crash tests for its popular Kiger SUV.

The results for the Indian-manufactured Renault Kiger are based on the updated rating following a voluntary submission by Renault after the SUV was initially selected for testing in its previous standard specification.

Global NCAP initially selected the Kiger when the model featured two airbags without ISOFIX anchorages or electronic stability control, resulting in a 2-star rating for adult occupant protection and a 1-star rating for child occupant protection.

Renault subsequently updated the vehicle specification to include six airbags, electronic stability control, ISOFIX anchorages, and pedestrian protection as standard equipment. In the re-assessment, the SUV demonstrated good protection for the head, abdomen, and pelvis in side impact testing, met UN127 pedestrian protection regulations, and complied with Global NCAP requirements for electronic stability control and seatbelt reminders.

Richard Woods, CEO, Global NCAP, said, “It’s satisfying to see the safety improvements Renault has introduced with the updated Kiger in South Africa. We welcome their positive engagement and hope that this approach now becomes a trend across the industry. It demonstrates what can be achieved when a manufacturer seeks to prioritise safety, and it shows why six airbags must become a standard requirement.”

Bobby Ramagwede, CEO – Automobile Association of South Africa, said, “The Automobile Association of South Africa welcomes this considerable improvement in the Global NCAP safety rating of the Renault Kiger, going from a concerning two-star rating to a commendable four-star result. This updated Indian-built Kiger proves that the #SaferCarsForAfrica program is indeed yielding real change and saving many lives on South African roads. It is also a reminder to both the manufacturer and the consumer that improving safety needn’t cost much nor affect the production of entry-level model ranges. The result, when manufacturers prioritise the safety of their customers, saves many lives and revives the image of the industry. We commend the French brand on voluntarily submitting the Kiger for testing and strongly encourage those local brands with recent poorer results to work with us on improving the safety of their affected entry-level models, ensuring that safety is prioritised over cost and proving that African lives indeed matter.”

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