India and United Kingdom have signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which will reduce tariff on high-end cars imported from the United Kingdom.
Currently, India levies over 100 per cent of its duties on some imported vehicles, but with the FTA in place, India will cut down the tariffs on made-in-UK cars and SUVs which will bring the tariffs down to 10 per cent under a quota.
The details of the quota have not been disclosed but the slashed tariffs are likely to be applied on a limited number of cars and SUVs. The result will be 90 per cent slash in tariffs and thus reduction in prices of these cars in the Indian market.
Addressing the FTA, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated in his social media post on X (formerly twitter), “In a historic milestone, India and the UK have successfully concluded an ambitious and mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement, along with a Double Contribution Convention. These landmark agreements will further deepen our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and catalyse trade, investment, growth, job creation, and innovation in both our economies.”
The Indian market currently has multiple car, SUV and bike models with UK origins and are sold in the country as CBU units. Brands like Bentley, Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce and Mini import select models from UK and we can expect considerable discounts with the FTA now in place.
TVS Motor Company Managing Director, Sudarshan Venu told news agency PTI that the FTA between the two countries would help its British brand ‘Norton’ to scale faster.
“Our British brand ‘Norton’ will launch later this year and this agreement will help us scale faster and leverage common supply chains. We are excited as we further progress towards Viksit Bharat,” he added.
Courtesy of the FTA is also likely to hike the exports to the UK by 2027 in terms of apparel, auto components, and chemicals.
The Honda Elevate V variants have received a price cut of Rs 32,000, bringing the new ex-showroom price to Rs 12.39 lakh for the manual variant and Rs 13.59 lakh for the CVT automatic.
The Elevate continues to be powered by a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, petrol engine that delivers 122.68PS and 145Nm of torque. Transmission duties are handled by a 6-speed manual or a CVT automatic, with no mechanical changes. In terms of dimension, the Elevate measures 4,312mm in length, 1,790mm in width and 1,650mm in height, with a 2,650mm wheelbase and 220mm of ground clearance.
The SUV rides on 16-inch wheels for lower variants, 17-inch wheels for higher trims, and the boot space stands at 458-litre. Key features of the Elevate include a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 7-inch semi-digital instrument cluster, automatic climate control, cruise control and connected car tech.
The top-spec variant also comes with Honda Sensing, an ADAS suite offering lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control and collision mitigation braking. Honda will compete with rivals such as the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara and Toyota Hyryder. The revised pricing is applicable with immediate effect across all authorized Honda dealerships.
The Honda Elevate V variants have received a price cut of Rs 32,000, bringing the new ex-showroom price to Rs 12.39 lakh for the manual variant and Rs 13.59 lakh for the CVT automatic.
The Elevate continues to be powered by a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, petrol engine that delivers 122.68PS and 145Nm of torque. Transmission duties are handled by a 6-speed manual or a CVT automatic, with no mechanical changes. In terms of dimension, the Elevate measures 4,312mm in length, 1,790mm in width and 1,650mm in height, with a 2,650mm wheelbase and 220mm of ground clearance.
The SUV rides on 16-inch wheels for lower variants, 17-inch wheels for higher trims, and the boot space stands at 458-litre. Key features of the Elevate include a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 7-inch semi-digital instrument cluster, automatic climate control, cruise control and connected car tech.
The top-spec variant also comes with Honda Sensing, an ADAS suite offering lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control and collision mitigation braking. Honda will compete with rivals such as the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara and Toyota Hyryder. The revised pricing is applicable with immediate effect across all authorized Honda dealerships.
Generally speaking, $177,000 is a ton of cash by most measures but in supercar context, that’s actually not so bad. In terms of raw performance, the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 coupe brushes up against the likes of the more exotic-seeming 2025 Aston Martin Vantage—not surprising since the two vehicles share an engine—and hotter 911s. However, we reckon the Aston Martin will have a higher price tag. We’re not sure by how much but it could make the AMG GT coupe look like a bargain by comparison. Though by the same logic, a Chevrolet Corvette has very comparable performance to the AMG with a much smaller price tag, but high-flying performance at a low price has always been the Vette’s “thing.”
Now that we know the asking price, the question is will buyers be willing to fork over near-supercar money for a more practical, comfortable AMG GT coupe? For now, we’re guessing yes. The performance is still there, it has beautiful exterior styling, and there’s no electric motors to speak of. There is hidden gem potential here, but it’s up to the market at this point.
2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE | Manufacturer image
Fans of two-door Benzes didn’t have to wait too long after the new C- and E-Classes were unveiled. Mercedes-Benz combined the two coupes into one CLE model all its own, available as both a coupe and a cabriolet. The 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupe will hit dealerships soon — by the end of March, per Mercedes — and according to freshly released pricing, it will start at $57,650 for the entry-level CLE300 variant and $66,800 for the uplevel CLE450 (all prices include $1,150 destination fee).
Related: 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupe and Cabriolet: 2 Become 1
Pricing and Specs
The new CLE Coupe has a similar footprint to the outgoing E-Class coupe and offers a choice of tried-and-true four- and six-cylinder hybrid drivetrains from the E-Class. It wears a sharp-looking evolution of the existing C- and E-Class coupes’ styling with a new front fascia and new front seats. Both the entry-level CLE300 and more powerful CLE450 offer a choice between Standard and Pinnacle trims, the latter of which is $9,150 extra for both variants.
That’s a significant jump in price, but it’s also a significant jump in power. The CLE300 gets a mild-hybrid drivetrain with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine good for 255 horsepower and 295 pounds-feet of torque, whereas the CLE450 gets a mild-hybrid drivetrain with a 3.0-liter inline-six that makes 375 hp and 369 pounds-feet of torque. A nine-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive are standard on both models.
Trim Breakdown
The base Standard trim offers the usual highlights you’d expect in a high-end car, with a 15-speaker Burmester 3D sound system with streaming music and sound personalization features, as well as speakers in the driver-seat head restraint, a panoramic sliding sunroof, wireless smartphone charging, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Its 12.3-inch driver’s display and 11.9-inch central infotainment unit run on Mercedes’ third-generation MBUX infotainment system that allows users to install third-party apps for things like music streaming or games, and also allows users to automate comfort features using its Routines feature.
Standard safety features also include blind spot assist, adaptive high beams, forward collision avoidance and a driver attention monitor.
2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE | Manufacturer image
Stepping up to the Pinnacle trim adds a parking package with a 360-degree camera system, head-up display, Guard 360 security system with picture-taking capabilities, the MBUX Entertainment Plus upgrade with access to the Mercedes Me app store, and a couple of really interesting navigational aids: The Pinnacle trim offers both MBUX’s augmented reality navigation feature that projects navigational assistance onto the head-up display, as well as a Digital Light with projection system, which highlights pedestrians in dangerous locations and projects warning and guidance signals onto the road ahead.
The Pinnacle also has the AMG Line Package as standard that includes a unique front bumper element with chrome trim and a different air intake design, larger front brake discs and a unique exhaust system with two integrated tailpipe trim elements in the rear bumper. This package is available at an additional cost on Standard trims.
The CLE Coupe has some additional optional equipment packages that will be an added cost, but pricing for each package wasn’t immediately available. The Driver Assistance Package adds additional safety equipment, including active lane change assist, Mercedes’ Distronic Plus adaptive cruise control with lane-centering and stop-and-go capabilities, and route-based speed adaptation. Further optional upgrades include a Night Package with black exterior trim and wheels, different paint colors including four new special Manufaktur colors, and wheels up to 20 inches in size.
