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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Jeep India has launched Jeep Confidence 7, a long-term ownership and care package for its Compass and Meridian models with prices starting at INR 41,926 and INR 47,024, respectively.

The programme provides coverage for up to seven years, incorporating warranty, maintenance and roadside assistance to manage ownership costs and vehicle value.

The scheme includes an Assured Buyback (ABB) option, offered through authorised dealers, which guarantees a resale value of up to 60 percent of the ex-showroom price, depending on the vehicle's age and mileage. To manage service expenses, the programme offers an Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) with costs starting from approximately INR 38 per day. According to the company, this can result in savings of up to 33 percent on scheduled service parts and labour.

The package features several service-oriented benefits, including Priority Ownership and an Express Service designed to complete specific tasks within 90 minutes. A Courtesy Edge provision ensures that if general repairs or services exceed two days, customers are provided with a loaner vehicle or taxi support to maintain mobility.

Additional components of the programme include Roadside Assistance (RSA) for the full seven-year duration and a INR 2,000 voucher for Jeep lifestyle merchandise. The extended warranty is transferable to subsequent owners, which is intended to support the vehicle's resale market value.

Kumar Priyesh, Business Head and Director – Automotive Brands, Stellantis India, said, “Jeep Confidence 7 reflects our unwavering promise to our customers—an elevated, dependable ownership experience that stands true to the Jeep brand’s heritage of trust. Customers today seek transparency, long-term value, and effortless service engagement. With Jeep Confidence 7, we are amplifying assurance, convenience, and peace of mind, ensuring that every Jeep customer feels supported throughout their entire journey.”

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Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has started exports of its premium made-in-India Victoris SUV.

Launched in September 2025, the Victoris SUV is available in multiple powertrain options, including petrol with strong hybrid, Allgrip Select (4x4) and factory-fitted S-CNG with an underbody tank design. The SUV can be had with a 1.5-litre hybrid powertrain with EV mode and e-CVT transmission, a multi-terrain 4x4 system with four drive modes and a CNG variant with dual ECUs.

To begin with, the company has earmarked over 450 vehicles to ship from Mundra and Pipavav ports for global markets.

Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “Maruti Suzuki’s export journey is guided by the vision of Make in India, Make for the World. In calendar year 2025, with exports of over 3.9 lakh vehicles, we emerged as India’s number one passenger vehicle exporter for the fifth year in a row. The year also marked our re-entry into Europe with the start of exports of our first battery electric vehicle, e Vitara.”

He added, “If we look at growth of India’s passenger vehicle exports in the past five years from CY2020 to CY2025, while the rest of industry grew by 1.43 times, Maruti Suzuki exports grew by 4.67 times. The addition of Victoris will further support our export ambitions, and we are hopeful it will be well received in international markets.”

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Kia India has expanded its Syros SUV range with the addition of the HTK (EX) variant at prices starting INR 989,000 (ex-showroom) for the petrol version, while the diesel model can be had for INR 1.06 million. With this the Kia Syros now has seven variants.

The HTK(EX) is based on the HTK(O) trim and includes LED daytime running lights, headlamps and tail-lamps. It features R16 alloy wheels and an electric sunroof. Technology updates include a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, electrically adjustable and foldable outside rearview mirrors and a rear parking camera with sensors.

The Syros is built on the K1 platform and holds a 5-star BNCAP safety rating. The HTK(EX) trim includes a safety suite consisting of six airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) and Hill Start Assist. The SUV also features ABS with EBD as part of its standard safety package, which contains over 20 functions.

Atul Sood, Sr. VP and National Head, Sales and Marketing, Kia India, said, “At Kia, customer insights guide every product decision we make. The introduction of the HTK(EX) trim for Syros reflects our constant focus on responding to customer feedback and delivering meaningful value. By expanding the lineup at an attractive price point, we aim to make our SUV more accessible while continuing to offer the features and quality that customers expect from Kia.”

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Kia India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has announced the addition of the HTE(EX) trim to its Carens Clavis (ICE) range at prices starting INR 1.25 million for the G1.5 petrol, INR 1.34 million for the G1.5 turbo-petrol and INR 1.45 million for the D1.5 diesel model (all ex-showroom). This introduction aims to provide features across various powertrains while maintaining affordability.

The variant is available exclusively in a 7-seater configuration across all internal combustion engine options. Notably, the HTE(EX) trim introduces a sunroof to the G1.5 petrol powertrain of the Carens Clavis for the first time.

Positioned above the HTE(O) trim, the HTE(EX) includes several comfort and convenience updates. These features comprise a skylight electric sunroof, fully automatic temperature control (FATC) and LED daytime running lights (DRLs) with position lamps. Interior updates include LED cabin lamps and an auto up/down function for the driver-side power window. These additions are intended to increase the accessibility of such features to a broader customer base.

Atul Sood, Senior Vice-President – Marketing & Sales, Kia India, said, “The introduction of the HTE (EX) trim for Carens Clavis (ICE) range is a direct outcome of listening closely to our customers and understanding what they value most. By incorporating comfort and convenience features that they have actively want, including the first-ever skylight sunroof in the G1.5 powertrain of Carens Clavis – and offering them across all powertrains, we are making our Carens Clavis lineup an even more compelling choice for families. This move underlines our strong customer-centric approach and our commitment to strengthening Kia’s presence in the highly competitive Indian automotive market.”

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