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Alongside the debut of the all-new GLC EV, Mercedes-Benz also provided the first glimpse at the upcoming all-electric C-Class. The new C-Class with EQ Tech will share its underpinnings with the GLC EV, meaning it will sit on the dedicated MB.EA platform, different from the platform used by the existing internal combustion sedan. This should also result in a difference in the overall dimensions, with the electric C likely to feature a longer wheelbase to maximise cabin space.
The sole teaser image confirms that the new GLC EV’s large illuminated grille with the oversized three-point star logo at the centre and three horizontal slats. The headlamps also get the same three-point star LED signatures as seen on the new CLA and GLC EV.
Other noticeable elements include softer, more rounded bodylines, as against sharp cuts and creases, along with a noticeable flare above the rear haunch. The C-Class EV also look to feature flush-sitting door handles as with the new GLC EV.
New C-Class EV is expected to share all the tech that debuted in the new GLC Electric.
On the powertrain and tech front, expect all the bells and whistles from the SUV to be offered on the sedan, including the widescreen 39.1-inch MBUX Hyperscreen in fully kitted-out spec. Lower variants could replace the co-driver touchscreen with a simpler digital display panel - as on the GLC EV, or could simply make use of illuminated graphics on the vertical surface.
As for motive power, the C-Class EV should inherit the same 94 kWh battery as the new GLC EV with the drivetrain also expected to offer up to 483 bhp in range-topping spec. Mercedes has said that the new C-Class EV will do up to 800 km on a single charge.
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Maharashtra is set to reintroduce and strictly enforce the “No PUC, No Fuel” policy across the state, requiring all vehicles to have a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate to refuel. A similar rule was first imposed in 2019, but struggled due to poor enforcement and loopholes, which allowed many vehicles without valid certificates to continue refuelling. The announcement comes from Maharashtra transport minister Pratap Sarnaik on his X (formerly Twitter) handle.
“To provide a pollution-free environment to future generations, it is essential for the current generation to impose certain environmentally friendly restrictions on themselves,” Sarnaik said. He highlighted the need to stop the production of illegal PUC certificates, which undermine efforts to control pollution.
Under this new policy, every vehicle’s registration number will be scanned via CCTV cameras at petrol pumps to verify the validity of its PUC certificate. Vehicles found without a valid certificate will be denied fuel. Petrol stations, which already have designated areas for issuing PUC certificates, will continue to provide these certificates on the spot as well.
The PUC certificates will feature a Unique Identity (UID), allowing periodic verification of their authenticity. Additionally, the Transport Department plans to launch a campaign targeting illegal certificate issuing gangs to crack down on fraudulent activities.
In India, new car or bike owners are exempt from needing a PUC certificate for at least one year from the date of purchase. Additionally, BS3 vehicles receive a PUC certificate valid for six months, whereas BS4 and BS6 models are issued a certificate valid for a full year.
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The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has published the latest edition of the Road Accidents in India report, providing an insight into the road accidents reported in 2023. Highlight figures included a growth in road accidents and fatalities on Indian roads. Reported accidents rose from 4,61,312 in 2022 to 4,80,583 in 2023, while total fatalities grew from 1,68,491 to 1,72,890. One small positive was that the rate of growth of accidents slowed from double digits in the previous two years, i.e. 10.8 per cent year-on-year in 2021 and 11.9 per cent in 2022, to 4.2 per cent in 2023. Similarly, road accident fatalities also only grew 2.6 per cent year-on-year.
Worryingly, while the total number of road accidents and resulting injuries has remained below its peak levels reported almost a decade ago, the number of fatal accidents continues to grow year-on-year. 2023 marked a new high for fatal road accidents in the country.
Two-Wheelers: The Most Dangerous Mode Of Road Transport
The report revealed that two-wheelers remained the most dangerous mode of road transport on Indian roads, accounting for the highest percentage of accidents and fatalities. Two-wheelers also held the highest share as the vehicle causing fatal accidents.
Based on the report data, two-wheelers, as the crime vehicle, were the cause of 48,818 fatalities in accidents in 2023, followed by cars & LMVs with 42,067 and trucks with 33,997. The crime vehicle is refers to the vehicle that caused the accident. Two-wheeler to two-wheeler accidents additionally resulted in 27,539 fatalities compared to 17,787 in accidents with cars and 14,229 deaths in collisions with trucks. Cumulatively, two-wheeler riders suffered 77,539 fatalities in accidents - almost 45 per cent of all deaths due to road accidents, with pedestrians a distant second with 35,221 deaths due to road accidents (about 20 per cent of all road accident deaths.)
The report also revealed that 54,568 two-wheeler casualties in road accidents was due to not wearing a helmet.
Over Speeding Still The Leading Culprit; Wrong Side Driving Cases Growing
Overspeeding still remained the leading cause of accidents and fatalities on Indian roads, accounting for 3,28,727 accidents and 1,17,682 fatalities - roughly 68 per cent of all accidents and deaths. The interesting details, however, are that the number of incidents and fatalities was marginally lower than in 2022, where 3,33,323 accidents were reported along with 1,19,904 fatalities due to these accidents. Incidentally, the report also marked how straight sections of roads were the leading locations for accidents and fatalities, with 3,22,005 accidents reported and 1,14,447 resulting fatalities.
Similarly, reported accidents and fatalities due to drunken driving and use of mobile phones also witnessed a year-on-year decline, though wrong-side driving accidents were on the rise. Wrong-side driving accidents rose from 22,586 in 2022 to 25,242 in 2023, while the resulting fatalities grew from 9,094 to 9,432.
Valid License Holders Account For 71 Per Cent Of Accidents
Further digging into the report has also called into question the driver training involved in gaining a license to operate a particular type of vehicle. The road accident report revealed that almost 71 per cent of all reported accidents, or 3,40,960 accidents, happened at the hands of valid license holders. This marked a 6.5 per cent growth over 2022.
Incidents with learner permit holders or unlicensed individuals behind the wheel, however, were down year-on-year over the past two years. Accidents by unknown parties, meanwhile, accounted for an almost 19 per cent share of all accidents.
New Vehicles More Prone To Serious Accidents; Overloading Only Accounts For 6 Per Cent Of Accidents
Other notable findings of the report showed that newer vehicles - particularly those less than 10 years old made up the lion's share of road accidents. They also accounted for the major chunk of fatalities. As per the government data, vehicles less than 5 years old were involved in 1,42,463 accidents with 49,647 fatalities reported or about 30 per cent of all road accidents and 29 per cent of total fatalities.
Vehicles between 5 and 10 years old accounted for 1,35,594 road accidents and 46,832 fatalities, or about 28 per cent of accidents and 27 per cent of deaths. Vehicles between 10 and 15 years old accounted for about 13 per cent of all road accidents and deaths, while older vehicles accounted for about 11 per cent of accidents and 13 per cent of all deaths. Vehicles of unknown age accounted for the remaining 18 per cent of accidents and deaths.
Further details revealed that 60 per cent of all reported accidents included vehicles operating within permissible weight limits - ie, not overloaded. These same vehicles also accounted for about 56 per cent of all fatalities on the road. Overloaded vehicles, meanwhile, only accounted for about 6 per cent of all accidents and 7 per cent of all deaths.
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Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India has announced that it will pass on the full benefits of the recent GST rate cut to its customers across its range of scooters and motorcycles up to 350 cc. Following the GST Council’s decision to reduce the tax rate on two-wheelers from 28 per cent to 18 per cent, HMSI models will see ex-showroom price reductions of up to Rs 18,887, varying by model.
In the scooter lineup, the Activa 110 gets a benefit of up to Rs 7,874, while the Dio 110 offers savings of up to Rs 7,157. The Activa 125 and Dio 125 now come with reductions of up to Rs 8,259 and Rs 8,042, respectively.
In the commuter motorcycle range, the Shine 100 sees a price cut of up to Rs 5,672, and the Shine 100 DX gets up to Rs 6,256 off. The Livo 110 offers savings up to Rs 7,165, while the Shine 125 sees a reduction of up to Rs 7,443. The SP125 is now available with a benefit of up to Rs 8,447, and the CB125 Hornet with up to Rs 9,229 off.
The Unicorn gets a price cut of up to Rs 9,948, and the SP160 offers up to Rs 10,635 in savings. The Hornet 2.0 and NX200 now come with reductions of up to Rs 13,026 and Rs 13,978, respectively.
In the 350 cc category, the CB350 H’ness sees a benefit of up to Rs 18,598, the CB350RS up to Rs 18,857, and the latest addition to the lineup, the CB350, gets the highest price reduction of up to Rs 18,887.
However, while welcoming the lower GST for models up to 350 cc, Honda is also closely evaluating the impact of the higher 40 per cent GST rate on motorcycles above that threshold. This change is expected to affect much of its premium BigWing lineup, except for the CB350 series.
Model
Maximum GST Benefit
Activa 110
Up to Rs 7,874
Dio 110
Up to Rs 7,157
Activa 125
Up to Rs 8,259
Dio 125
Up to Rs 8,042
Shine 100
Up to Rs 5,672
Shine 100 DX
Up to Rs 6,256
Livo 110
Up to Rs 7,165
Shine 125
Up to Rs 7,443
SP125
Up to Rs 8,447
CB125 Hornet
Up to Rs 9,229
Unicorn
Up to Rs 9,948
SP160
Up to Rs 10,635
Hornet 2.0
Up to Rs 13,026
NX200
Up to Rs 13,978
CB350 H’ness
Up to Rs 18,598
CB350RS
Up to Rs 18,857
CB350
Up to Rs 18,887
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Honda Cars India has joined several other automakers in updating the prices of its vehicles. From September 22, 2025, the company will pass on the full benefits of the new GST reforms announced earlier this month directly to customers.
Honda is reducing prices on its entire portfolio. The second-generation Honda Amaze will get a price cut of up to Rs 72,800, while the third-generation Amaze will see a reduction of up to Rs 95,500. The Honda Elevate’s price is expected to decrease by up to Rs 58,400, and the Honda City's by up to Rs 57,500. Variant-wise post-GST reduction price details will be available at authorised Honda dealerships.
Along with the price slash, which is effective post September 22, Honda is currently offering discounts across several of its models. The Elevate compact SUV has discounts up to Rs 1.22 lakh, while the new third-generation Amaze comes with benefits of up to Rs 77,200. The Honda City is available with benefits up to Rs 1,07,300, and the second-generation Amaze offers benefits up to Rs 97,200.
Under the new GST rules, cars that are under 4 meters in length and powered by petrol engines up to 1200 cc or diesel engines up to 1500 cc will now attract a GST rate of 18 per cent, down from the previous 28 per cent. For all other cars and SUVs exceeding these engine sizes and length limits, a flat GST rate of 40 per cent will apply. However, these vehicles will no longer be subject to the additional cess that was previously charged, resulting in an effective GST reduction of 6-10 per cent, depending on the model.
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Citroen India has announced a complete revision of its price list, passing on the full benefit of the GST 2.0 reduction across its entire portfolio. The updated pricing will take effect from September 22, 2025.
The GST effect brings substantial savings across segments as the C3 and C3X hatchbacks now start at just Rs 4.80 lakh (ex-showroom), with benefits of up to Rs 84,000. Meanwhile, the bigger Aircross C-SUV range sees up to Rs 50,000 off. And the recently launched Basalt and Basalt X begin at Rs 7.95 lakh post-GST adjustment
At the premium end of things, the C5 Aircross is now more attainable, with the Shine variant seeing a reduction of nearly Rs 2.7 lakh, bringing its new starting price to Rs 37.32 lakh (ex-showroom). Also, the eC3 continues with the 5% GST slab and sees no changes in its pricing. With GST 2.0 aligning closely with Onam, Navratri, Eid, and Diwali, Citroen expects the revised prices to spur interest among new buyers and strengthen sales momentum in the forthcoming festive season.
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Tata Motors has updated the Nexon EV 45 with the addition of ADAS functions and a new DARK edition. The Nexon EV 45 is now offered in a new Empowered+ A trim priced at Rs 17.29 lakh (ex-showroom), about Rs 30,000 more than the standard Empowered+ (Rs 16.99 lakh ex-showroom), which now gets the active safety tech.
Nexon EV 45 gets Level 1 ADAS tech on top variant.
The ADAS tech on offer includes traffic sign recognition, lane centring assist, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking. That aside, the new variant also gets some additional features, including ambient lighting and sun blinds for the rear door windows.
New features include ambient lighting and rear door sunshades.
The other notable update is the addition of a DARK edition to the Nexon EV line-up, offering buyers the option of a blacked-out exterior and interior. The EV was previously offered with the RED DARK edition that paired a blacked-out exterior with a red interior, which continues to be offered. Both editions are offered with the new Empowered+ A trim level and cost an additional Rs 20,000 over the standard variant.
Buyers now offered a DARK edition alongside a RED DARK edition.
Mechanically, there are no updates to the Nexon EV 45’s powertrain, with the subcompact SUV continuing to offer a claimed real-world range of up to 370 km on a full charge.
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Hero MotoCorp has announced a price cut across its portfolio of internal combustion scooters and motorcycles effective from September 22. The two-wheeler manufacturer has revealed that prices of its offerings will be reduced by up to Rs 16,000 depending on the model and variant. Note that the price reduction does not affect the Harley Davidson X440 that is also marketed by Hero. The motorcycle, instead, is set to become more expensive come September 22.
As per the recent GST reforms, two-wheelers under 350 cc now attract 18 per cent GST, down from 28 per cent, while larger displacement models will now be priced at 40 per cent - higher than before.
Starting with the scooters, the Destini 125 will receive a price reduction of up to Rs 7,197 with the Pleasure+ set to receive a price reduction of up to Rs 6,417. Moving to the Xoom family, it’s the Xoom 160 that will receive the most notable benefits, with prices set to be slashed by Rs 11,602. The Xoom 110 and 125 will receive a price reduction of Rs 6,597 and Rs 7,291, respectively.
Moving to motorcycles, the Karizma 210 is set to see prices slashed by up to Rs 15,743, followed closely by the Xpulse 210 and Xtreme 250R with price reductions of up to Rs 14,516 and Rs 14,055, respectively. The Xtreme 160R and 125R will receive a price reduction of up to Rs 10,985 and Rs 8,010, respectively.
On the commuter motorcycle side, the new Glamour X will see prices slashed by up to Rs 7,813. The Splendor+ and Super Splendor will see downward price revisions of up to Rs 6,820 and Rs 7,254, respectively. The HF Deluxe and Passion+, meanwhile, will be more affordable by up to Rs 5,805 and Rs 6,500, respectively.
Hero’s Vida range of EVs are not affected.
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Skoda has announced that prices of the Kyaq subcompact SUV will be slashed by up to Rs 1.19 lakh with effect from September 22, 2025. This follows a similar announcement made by the company earlier in the week, in which it announced a price cut of up to Rs 3.28 lakh on the Slavia, Kushaq, and Kodiaq.
The revisions come as the Indian government announced new GST tax slab rates for automobiles as part of its new GST reforms. Previously, all vehicles were charged at 28 per cent GST along with an additional cess depending on the engine displacement, vehicle category and size, taking the effective rate up to 50 per cent. Now vehicles measuring under 4 metres in length and with petrol engines smaller than 1200 cc and diesel engines smaller than 1500 cc are taxed at 18 per cent. All other internal combustion vehicles are taxed at 40 per cent while EVs continue to attract 5 per cent GST. Cess has been discontinued.
Launched late last year, the Kylaq has proven pivotal in boosting Skoda’s sales, with the brand on course to have its best-ever year in India. The company sold 36,194 units in the first half of calendar year 2025, registering a significant 134 per cent growth over the same time period in 2024. The Kylaq is offered with the company’s tried and tested 1.0 TSI turbo-petrol engine paired with manual and automatic gearbox options spread across four trim levels.
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Audi India has announced revised prices for its range of internal combustion vehicles following the rollout of GST 2.0. The carmaker has slashed prices of its range of internal combustion models, starting from the A4 sedan and Q3 SUV, all the way up to the Q7 and Q8 SUVs.
Starting with the most accessible models, the Q3 range’s starting price has been reduced to Rs 43.07 lakh as against Rs 46.14 lakh prior to the implementation of GST 2.0. Similarly, the A4 sedan is now priced from Rs 46.25 lakh - down from Rs 48.89 lakh.
Similarly, the prices for the Q5 SUV and A6 sedan have also been revised, with the former now priced from Rs 63.75 lakh and the latter from Rs 63.74 lakh. Meanwhile, moving to the brand’s flagship SUVs, the prices for the Q7 now start from Rs 86.14 lakh while the Q8 is now priced from Rs 1.10 crore - down from Rs 92.29 lakh and Rs 1.17 crore, respectively.
The revision in pricing follows the central government’s announcement of new GST slab rates for passenger cars, MPV and SUVs under two broad rates - 18 per cent for subcompact models with petrol engines under 1.2 litres and diesel engines under 1.5 litres and 40 per cent for the rest. The additional cess was dropped while EVs continue to attract 5 per cent GST.
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Hyundai has unveiled Concept THREE, its first compact EV under the Ioniq sub-brand, at IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich. Not only does this concept mark the Korean carmaker’s entry into Europe’s most competitive EV segment, but it also sets down a new “Art of Steel” design language, which will be seen in future electrified models.
Built to meet Europe’s growing demand for compact, space-efficient EVs, the Concept THREE combines aerodynamic design with expressive details, including Parametric Pixel lighting and an anodised-effect finish. The cabin focuses on modern and intuitive layouts with a heavy focus on the customisable “Bring Your Own Lifestyle” modules, while sustainable materials — from ocean-waste textiles to aluminium foam — reinforce Hyundai’s eco push.
Appearance-wise, it bears an unmistakable resemblance to one of the Ioniq models. Firstly, it’s sharp in every panel and has sleek lines and creases. The shape could be reminiscent of many older JDM hatchbacks, but the modernised design set down by the Ioniq 6 is present.
Concept THREE also comes as a flagbearer for Hyundai’s wider electrification strategy, especially for the European market. Hyundai plans that every model in Europe will get an electrified version by 2027, with 21 EVs planned globally by 2030.
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