After teasing it with a digital sketch a few months ago, Honda Car India has now confirmed what its upcoming model will be called. Elevate. It’s a compact SUV that will compete against multiple potent products in India. Details are scarce, but reports suggest that Honda will pin the Elevate on the fifth-gen City’s platform. Furthermore, it’ll be a petrol-only affair, starting the innings with the proven 1.5-litre i-Vtec engine from the City. Honda will lift the covers off the Elevate next month, June 6, 2023, to be precise. For the Japanese automaker, the Elevate is a global model. So, after launching it in India, the SUV will also be exported to other markets.

Owners of Citroen cars in India, listen up. The brand has commenced a month-long ‘Summer Camp’, ending on May 31, 2023. During this period, all Citroen India service touchpoints will offer several benefits. The list includes a free 40-point vehicle health checkup, a 30 per cent discount on AC disinfection treatment and 10 per cent off on labour for body & paint cash jobs. Also, customers will get a 15 per cent discount on select accessories and car-care treatments. 

To reach a wider audience, Audi India has opened a new 3S (sales, service, spares) facility in Raipur (Ring Road No. 1, Sarona). Spread over 30,000 sq. ft. and four floors, it has a ten-car display area and a five-bay workshop. Also, there’s a 22kW electric car charger that e-tron owners can make use of. In addition, there’s an ‘Audi Approved: plus’ section on the same premises. It is the brand’s 23rd pre-owned car facility in the country.

At a recent Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction, the first retail specimen, with VIN 001, of the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray raised USD 1.1 million for an education nonprofit – DonorsChoose. The funds will be utilised to combat inequality in school funding. As for the vehicle, the E-Ray is the first electrified Corvette and the first to offer an all-wheel-drive system. That forms using a 6.2-litre V8 that powers the rear wheels and an electric motor at the front axle. Jointly producing 655hp, the hybrid powerplant helps the Corvette E-Ray claim the title of being the fastest in the model’s 70-year history, completing the 0-97kmph sprint in 2.5 seconds. In the past, General Motors and Chevrolet have also auctioned the first retail production models of the 2020 Corvette Stingray and the 2023 Corvette Z06. The sum raised by the eighth-gen Corvette range at Barrett-Jackson auctions is USD 9.1 million.

Czech carmaker Skoda has confirmed that fourth-gen Superb and the second-gen Kodiaq models will make their world premieres in 2023. And the announcement came with the first sketches of the upcoming next-gen cars. Combi estate and hatchback derivatives will remain in the case of the Superb. On the other hand, the Kodiaq will offer seating for up to seven people. Both models will be available with petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid and mild-hybrid powertrains.

Come April 27, 2023, Citroen India will unveil its next new offering – the C3 Aircross. Destined to compete with multiple compact SUVs, the Citroen C3 Aircross is tipped to house the turbocharged petrol engine that debuted with the C3 hatchback. Engineered and built in India, the newcomer could become the second model for Citroen India to be exported to international markets. 

The Tata Altroz CNG debuted at the 2023 Auto Expo and is now up for grabs. The minimum token amount has been set at INR 21,000, with deliveries starting in May 2023. Tata Motors has created four CNG variants of the Altroz – XE, XM+, XZ and XZ+. All will feature the naturally-aspirated 1.2-litre engine, which, when fed with petrol, offers 88hp/115Nm. Switching to CNG will reduce the output to 77hp/97Nm. There are four colours to choose from – Opera Blue, Downtown Red, Arcade Grey and Avenue White.

This calendar year’s first quarter – January to March – brought good news to Audi India. Over the three months, it retailed 1,950 cars, which, compared to the 862 it sold over the same period last year, translates to a 126 per cent growth. The SUV range accounted for over 60 per cent of the sales in Q1 2023. In addition, Audi says the Q3 siblings – SUV and Sportback – are witnessing strong demand across India. Audi Approved: plus, the brand’s pre-owned car business, also clocked a 50 per cent growth in sales in Q1 2023. Its outlet tally will increase from 22 to 25 by the end of the year.

Boosted by a record-breaking 2022, during which it grew 64 per cent over the previous year, Porsche India has inaugurated five showrooms in one week (April 10-15, 2023). The outlets, located at Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai, will serve the brand to further its reach to prospective customers. The Bengaluru and Chennai facilities are brand-new, whereas the Mumbai and Ahmedabad outlets received significant upgrades. With these facilities now live, Porsche now has eight showrooms across India.