JSW Motors prepares to launch the plug-in hybrid SUV Combat in India, capable of driving 90 km without gasoline

The mid-size SUV segment in the Indian market is highly popular, with the Hyundai Creta standing out as one of the best-selling models. Now, Honda is introducing its SUV in a new guise—the Honda Elevate, whose facelift is scheduled for next week.

Honda first released the Elevate in 2023, but this model did not achieve the same success as the Creta. Consequently, the company is releasing an updated version that will undergo changes to both its exterior and interior design. Honda plans to unveil the Honda Elevate Facelift on October 6th.

India will be the first market where the updated Elevate will be launched. The company has also started pre-bookings for this model; a deposit of 21 thousand rupees is sufficient for reservation. Honda has announced several features of the upcoming Elevate Facelift that allow for speculation about the SUV's design.

The most significant changes will affect the front end of the SUV, which will feature a new headlight configuration. Illuminated elements, divided into three segments, will be placed between the thin daytime running lights. The grille pattern will also change, and the Honda logo will be moved to the lower part of the bumper.

Similar updates have already been seen in the Honda City Facelift. Furthermore, the rear of the car will also be modernized: a red illuminated strip connected to the central Honda logo will appear on the tailgate, making the rear more pronounced.

The interior space will also receive an update. Ambient lighting will be added. The passenger side dashboard, currently finished in wood imitation, will be replaced with light colors. Additionally, leather upholstery will be used in the cabin, details of which will also be visible on the door panels.

This means that a soft-touch surface will be widely used in the vehicle. However, the main layout of the dashboard will remain the same. There is also a possibility of a camera-based digital rearview mirror, although Honda has not yet confirmed this feature.

The Honda Elevate Facelift, launching on October 6th, will be equipped with a 1.5-liter iVTEC gasoline engine, providing 121 horsepower and 145 Nm of torque. The company will offer variants with a 6-speed manual transmission and CVT. Features will include ventilated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, and a 360-degree camera. This vehicle will directly compete with models such as the Tata Sierra, Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, and Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara.

Skoda Auto Volkswagen India has started mass production of the updated Slavia Facelift model. The production of this premium sedan takes place at the Chakkan plant located in Pune. The company plans to introduce this vehicle before the start of the festive season, and the launch date has already been announced.

Tata recently released the compact sedan Eris, and now Skoda is presenting its updated model. The Skoda Slavia Facelift is scheduled for release in the Indian market on October 6, 2026. The company has also opened pre-orders, allowing buyers to place a reservation for 15 thousand rupees.

Skoda has already unveiled the Slavia Facelift, which will feature a sharper design compared to the current model. With new headlights and taillights, the car looks more premium. Furthermore, the company has redesigned the bumpers and equipped the car with 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels.

The taillights will be equipped with sequential turn indicators. As part of the update, new paint color options will also be offered. The interior design of the car will undergo minimal changes, but the infotainment system will increase from 10 inches to 10.1 inches. The driver's dashboard will also be updated: an 8-inch display will be replaced by a 10.25-inch digital driver display.

In terms of features, the car includes a panoramic sunroof, a 360-degree camera, front passenger seats with heating and ventilation, rear seats with massage function, and support for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Additionally, Skoda has improved the performance of the air conditioning system, which was a frequent consumer complaint.

The Slavia Facelift will be available with a 1.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine, which provides 115 hp and 178 Nm of torque. A 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine, producing 150 hp and 250 Nm of torque, is also available. For the 1.0-liter engine, a 6-speed manual transmission or an 8-speed automatic is available, while the 1.5-liter engine exclusively offers a 7-speed DCT. It should be noted that the starting price of the current Slavia is 9.99 lakh rupees, and the price up to the showroom reaches 18.29 lakh rupees, while the cost of the new Slavia may be slightly higher.

According to the transport minister's statement, Toyota is preparing to launch the Innova HyCross model, capable of running on 100% ethanol and utilizing hybrid technology with an electric motor. Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, announced that this vehicle is planned for release in October.

Gadkari asserted that the operating costs of this vehicle could be comparable to gasoline consumption at a price of around 25 rupees per liter. However, it is important to understand that this figure is only an approximate estimate of operating costs, not the actual price of ethanol.

During an event in Delhi, Nitin Gadkari mentioned that he was invited to the presentation of Toyota's new Innova Flex-Fuel model, which will operate on pure ethanol, eliminating the need for gasoline. However, the official launch date from Toyota has not yet been announced.

The minister also made a statement regarding operating costs, suggesting they might be equivalent to those of a gasoline car at a price of 25 rupees per liter. He emphasized that this comparison pertains only to fuel consumption over a certain distance, not the market price of ethanol.

Gadkari has not provided detailed calculations substantiating the claim of 25 rupees per liter in fuel costs, so this figure should be viewed as a preliminary statement. In simpler terms, he believes this ethanol-hybrid Toyota vehicle can cover the same distance as a regular gasoline car but with significantly lower fuel expenses.

The main advantage lies in the combination of an ethanol engine with a complex hybrid system. Since the energy density of ethanol is lower than that of gasoline, more ethanol may be required to cover the same distance. Toyota addressed this by integrating an electric motor, allowing the vehicle to operate in electric mode in several situations.

Previously, in August 2023, Toyota demonstrated a prototype of the Innova HyCross equipped with electrified fuel and a hybrid powertrain. The company stated then that this vehicle is capable of running on a fuel mixture with an ethanol content higher than E20. Toyota clarified that before bringing this technology to the market, calibration, homologation, and certification procedures must be completed. It is assumed that most of these processes are finished, and the company is preparing to present the production version.

The key feature of the vehicle is not only its ability to run on 100% ethanol but also its power hybrid system. Here, the Flex-Fuel engine interacts with the electric motor and a small battery. The prototype used a battery capacity of about 1.3–1.5 kWh, which is significantly smaller than the large batteries used in fully electric vehicles. This allows for electric power provision without the need for a large and heavy battery.

The hybrid system distributes the load between the engine and the electric motor depending on the needs. At low speeds or under certain driving conditions, the vehicle moves using the electric motor, and the ethanol engine engages when necessary. This helps not only increase the use of ethanol instead of gasoline but also improve fuel efficiency.

Nitin Gadkari also stated that the Innova HyCross Flex-Fuel would generate 60% of the electricity during movement. However, this statement should not be interpreted as the vehicle generating 60% of its total consumed energy itself. It means the vehicle can function in electric mode to a significant extent. The existing Innova HighCross can also operate in EV mode for about 60% of the time and cover approximately 40% of the distance in electric mode under certain test conditions.

At such times, the vehicle's engine shuts down, and movement is achieved via the electric motor. Thus, the 60% figure mainly reflects the duration of the vehicle's operation in electric mode during a driving cycle, rather than it generating 60% of the required energy independently.

If Toyota launches this technology in October, it will be a significant step towards implementing hybrid and flexible fuel technologies in India. It is important to note that the vehicle will be able to run on 100% ethanol while still using an electric motor. Nevertheless, information regarding the vehicle's price, actual fuel consumption, fuel economy on 100% ethanol, and the actual calculation of operating costs at 25 rupees per liter has not yet been provided, and the full picture will become clear after the launch.