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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Redseer Strategy Consultants has released a new report stating that India is on track to become one of the world’s most attractive used-car markets. The analysis focuses on retail transactions of passenger vehicles. Market value is projected to double from approximately USD 35 billion in fiscal year 2026 to nearly USD 70 billion by fiscal year 2031.

Currently ranked fifth largest globally, India is forecast to rise to third place by the end of the decade, behind only United States and China. Unlike mature markets, India remains the fastest-growing among leading used-car economies. Structural advantages such as rising household incomes and a rapidly expanding car parc – expected to exceed 50 million vehicles by 2031 – support this trajectory.

A major structural shift is the compression of the car replacement cycle, which has fallen from seven to eight years in fiscal year 2021 to an expected four to five years by fiscal year 2031. Metros and Tier 1 cities are leading this transition. Shorter ownership cycles, driven by technology upgrades and evolving consumer preferences, are expected to significantly boost supply circulation.

Annual retail used-car sales are expected to reach 9–10 million units by 2031, while average selling prices will rise to between INR 650,000 and 690,000. Around 280 million households are predicted to be financially capable of buying a used car by 2031. About 65 percent of buyers are first-time owners. Financing penetration is projected to increase to 30 to 40 percent. Nevertheless, nearly 80 percent of transactions remain unorganised.

India’s used-to-new car ratio, projected to reach 1.6 to 1.7 by 2031, remains below mature market levels. Approximately 50,000 fragmented local dealers move only four to six cars per month using visual-only inspections and negotiation-led pricing. The formats serving most buyers score poorly on quality, transparency and post-sale support.

Full-stack players are addressing the trust deficit through end-to-end control over sourcing, inspection, refurbishment, technology-based pricing and value-added services. These platforms are projected to capture five to six percent market share by 2031, translating to roughly USD 4 billion in gross merchandise value. Globally, this model has proven profitable at scale, and India’s leading firms are following the same path.

Kushal Bhatnagar, Associate Partner, Redseer Strategy Consultants, said, “India’s used-car market is undergoing a fundamental transition from an informal, price-led space to a far more structured and trust-oriented mobility ecosystem. Shorter replacement cycles, rising incomes and improved access to financing are collectively expanding both supply and demand in a sustained manner. What is particularly significant is the shift in consumer mindset. Used cars are no longer being chosen merely as an economical alternative born out of compulsion but are increasingly being preferred for value optimisation, assured quality and the convenience offered by organised platforms. As these organised models, led by full-stack players, continue to scale and gradually eliminate the longstanding trust deficit, the used-car market is well positioned to establish itself as a central pillar of India’s personal mobility landscape.”

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Ferrari has introduced the Handling Speciale, a new optional configuration for the Purosangue model, aimed at further sharpening the sporting character of the marque’s first four-door, four-seat vehicle. This setup enhances mechanical and electronic responses for a more dynamic driving experience while preserving the everyday usability that defines the Purosangue. It targets customers seeking a stronger focus on sportiness without sacrificing daily use in any context.

The core attributes of the Purosangue remain unchanged, including the full four-seat accommodation, elevated yet sporty driving position and overall cabin practicality. The underlying architecture continues with a front-mid mounted naturally aspirated V12 engine and rear mounted gearbox, complemented by latest generation vehicle dynamics systems. The new setup revises active suspension calibration, reducing body movements by 10 percent for a more compact driving feel.

As a result, the Handling Speciale delivers more direct driver inputs, improving control through successive corners and rapid direction changes. Shift strategies have been reworked for quicker response times and more decisive gear changes, especially in Race and ESC Off modes. The effect is most noticeable during acceleration, where a sharper thrust sensation is prioritised, while manual mode shifts become more sporting above 5,500 rpm.

The cabin sound has been optimised with a dedicated setting more pronounced at start up and under acceleration, highlighting the V12’s character. Exclusive styling elements include wheels with a dedicated diamond cut finish, carbon fibre side shields, matt black exhaust tips, a black rear Prancing Horse emblem, a satin finish Ferrari script and a dedicated interior plaque.

This configuration enhances the sporting spirit of a project that has transformed the luxury high riding sports car segment while preserving the Purosangue’s identity as a versatile four-seater with typical Ferrari front mid-engine dynamics. Ferrari’s quality standards underpin the extended seven-year maintenance programme offered with this configuration, covering all regular maintenance for the first seven years.

The Genuine Maintenance programme, available across the Ferrari range and to pre-owned Ferrari owners, includes service intervals of 20,000 kilometres or once a year with no mileage restrictions, original spares and checks by factory trained staff. This service is offered worldwide through all dealerships on the Official Dealer Network.

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Stellantis India has started exporting the Citroen Basalt from its Chennai plant to South Africa. This shipment brings the total number of Citroen vehicles exported from India to South Africa to 10,000 units.

The Basalt is built on a platform developed in India by local teams for domestic and international markets featuring a 95 percent localisation level. This export programme is part of a strategy to use India as a hub for manufacturing and sourcing within the global Stellantis network.

The company stated that the increase in export volumes reflects the quality and cost competitiveness of its Indian operations. The growth in exports supports employment and the development of the local automotive sector.

Shailesh Hazela, CEO and Managing Director, Stellantis India, said, “Commencing Citroen Basalt exports to South Africa strengthens Stellantis India’s position as a competitive manufacturing, quality‑driven and sourcing base. As our export volumes grow, our focus remains on building a resilient and integrated ecosystem, from vehicles to components, delivered through a consistent and high‑quality supply cadence. This milestone reinforces India’s expanding contribution to our global operations.”

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SAIC Motor-owned British marquee brand Morris Garages (MG) presented its developments in electric mobility and driving systems at the Beijing Auto Show 2026. The OEM showcased the 2026 MG4, the MG 4X and the MG 07 as part of its transition to new energy vehicles.

Interestingly, MG Motor launched the 2026 MG4 with six variants. The model includes exterior colours such as Ice Crystal Blue and Almond Beige, a black roof and 17-inch alloy wheels. MG worked with artist Jacky Tsai and the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts to provide customisation options.

On the inside, MG4 features front seats with heating, ventilation, massage and memory functions. The technology suite consists of an 8-inch driver display and a 15.6-inch touchscreen with wireless CarPlay. Driver assistance systems were updated to include nose-in, custom, and dead-end parking functions. The MG4 utilises cell-to-body integration and a semi-solid battery.

Furthermore, the MG 4X SUV is scheduled for a debut in May, which will feature a semi-solid battery and rear-wheel drive with five-link suspension as standard.

MG also displayed the MG 07, a coupe built on a new energy platform. It will be available as a battery electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid. Through a partnership with Momenta, the MG 07 will use the R7 solution and the XHEART X7 chip to provide urban Navigate on Autopilot. This system uses a world model to understand scenes and predict risks.

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