Car News That Mattered: New Launches, An Important Government Update, Price Hikes, And More

Last week, we saw Tata launch its first CNG models, a crucial car safety announcement by the government, and a much anticipated Dark edition of a Tata SUV

To say this past week was action-packed would be an understatement. We had as many as five car launches (three of which were CNGs), Toyota's unveiling of the India-spec Hilux, and some price hikes. 

Here's the low-down:

Phew...An All-black Safari, Finally: Of all the premium Tata SUVs, the Safari was the only model without a Dark edition until now. But thankfully, the carmaker has finally introduced the Safari Dark, and it is available in four variants.

2022 Tata Tiago And Tigor Arrive: The 2022 iterations of the Tiago and Tigor brought these two a revised features list and some cosmetic enhancements, including two new colours. But the most important part of this update was the introduction of the duo's factory-fitted CNG kits.

BMW Brings The Facelifted X3 To India: BMW has launched the facelifted X3 in India. It is offered in two variants and packs design- and feature-related upgrades. However, it only gets one engine option for now.

Second-gen Maruti Celerio Gets A CNG Variant: It was during the second-gen Celerio's launch that Maruti confirmed a CNG version of the hatchback. It has now followed through on its word, introducing the Celerio CNG. However, the cleaner fuel is limited to the mid-spec trim.

India-spec Toyota Hilux Revealed: Toyota has unveiled the India-spec Hilux. The pickup truck -- a platform sibling of the Fortuner -- will be offered in two trims and be powered by the SUV's diesel heart.

Skoda Starts Production Of The Slavia: The Slavia will be Skoda's new compact sedan, replacing the ageing Rapid. The carmaker has now started production of the new sedan at its Pune facility ahead of a possible launch in the coming months.

Another Round Of Price Hikes

We got to see price revisions from more carmakers like Tata, MG, and Maruti (for both its Arena and NEXA cars). Between the three, the steepest hike on any model is over a lakh.

Crucial Car Safety Announcement: In a welcome move, the government has issued a notice mandating six airbags for a certain class of vehicles. It will come into effect around the last quarter of this year, and it is expected to make cars in this category costlier.

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