Weekly news roundup: Ertiga 1.5L diesel and TUV300 facelift launched, Venue bookings open

Last week there were a couple of important launches while the Hyundai opened bookings for the impending Venue. Honda, on the other hand, might be bringing in the much-anticipated HR-V in India sooner than we know. And some rumours around the Vitara Brezza also surfaced in the course of last week. So here is everything to get you up to speed with the weekly dose of car news:

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga 1.5L diesel launched in India, priced from Rs 9.86 lakhs

Maruti Suzuki launched the Ertiga 1.5L diesel at a starting price of Rs 9.86 lakhs for the VDI while the ZDI and ZDI+ trim cost Rs 10.69 lakhs and Rs 11.20 lakhs, respectively (all prices ex-showroom Delhi). Which means that the 1.5L Ertiga diesel is Rs 29,311 costlier than the 1.3L diesel. The new E15A DDiS 225 motor generates a maximum power of 94bhp at 4000rpm and a peak torque of 225Nm between 1500-2500rpm. It is available with a six-speed manual transmission and returns a fuel efficiency of 24.20kmpl.

Hyundai Venue bookings open; available in seven colours

Bookings for the Hyundai Venue have commenced for a token amount of Rs 21,000 and the carmaker has already garnered over 2000 bookings in a single day. The Venue will be launched in India on 21 May and will be available in 13 variants that are spread across four trim levels – E, S, SX and SX(O). The SUV will get three powertrain options – 1.2L and 1.0L petrol engines and a 1.4L diesel motor. However, there’s no diesel automatic on offer. And only the 1.0L turbocharged petrol gets the 7-speed DCT, that too in the S and SX+ trims.

Honda HR-V India launch expected later this year

Honda is likely to bring in the much anticipated HR-V to India later this year, perhaps around the festive season. The HR-V will be positioned above the slow-moving BR-V in Honda India's lineup and will rival the likes of Hyundai Creta, Nissan Kicks, and Renault Duster. Honda has been mulling over the introduction of HR-V in India for quite some time now. When it arrives, the HR-V will take the CKD route in India and will come fitted with BS-VI compliant engine options.

Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza petrol likely to launch in India in September 2019

Maruti Suzuki is readying a petrol variant for its high-selling compact SUV, the Vitara Brezza. The company recently announced its plan to stop selling diesel cars from 1 April 2020. Word on the street is that Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza petrol is scheduled for a market launch in September.

Also read: Maruti Suzuki may entirely shift Vitara Brezza production to Toyota's plant

Mahindra TUV300 facelift launched at Rs 8.38 lakhs

Mahindra has launched the TUV300 facelift in India for a price of Rs 8.38 lakhs (ex-showroom, Mumbai). The new model gets bolder and more muscular styling highlight over its predecessor. The updated TUV300 is available across T4+, T6+, T8 and T10 and a new T10 (O) variants. The new model is available in seven colour options, which includes two new colours. The powertrain remains unchanged albeit it misses out on the AMT transmission.