
Auto recap, June 14: Mahindra Scorpio N Z4 AT launched, Skoda Kushaq sales expected to rebound soon
The automotive industry is experiencing rapid changes, which makes it difficult to stay informed about all the latest advancements. At HT Auto, we are dedicated to delivering the most relevant and current information as it becomes available. Below is a concise overview of the key highlights from Saturday, June 14.
Mahindra Scorpio N Z4 AT launched
Mahindra has silently added a new variant to the lineup of the Scorpio N. Now, customers can get the automatic transmission in the Z4 variant of the Scorpio N. The Petrol AT is priced at ₹ 17.39 lakh, whereas the Diesel AT costs ₹ 17.86 lakh. Both prices are ex-showroom.
Before this, the automatic transmission was available with theZ6 Diesel, which is priced at ₹ 18.91 lakh ex-showroom, whereas the petrol engine with automatic transmission is available with the Z8 Select variant, which costs ₹ 19.06 lakh ex-showroom.
Also Read : Mahindra Scorpio N automatic becomes affordable. Here's how Kushaq Sales to Rebound in 1-2 Months: Skoda India Chief
The Skoda Kushaq has experienced a decline in sales in recent months, largely due to the cannibalisation by the newly launched Kylaq, which shares similar underpinnings and features. Since its launch in March, the Kylaq has seen impressive growth, drawing customers away from its elder sibling. But Skoda Auto India Managing Director Ashish Gupta is confident that Kushaq will recapture its sales momentum in the next one or two months.
Gupta credited the slump to dealers getting accustomed to a new customer base brought about by the Kylaq. He stated that demand for the Kushaq is still high, but the dealers are on a learning curve to deal with two different buyer profiles. With this adjustment happening quickly under sales pressure, Gupta expressed confidence in the Kushaq's recovery in the near future.
Also Read : Confident of Kushaq sales bouncing back in 1-2 months: New Skoda India boss Mercedes-AMG Collector's Edition delivery timeline revealed
Mercedes-Benz recently launched the G 63 Collector's Edition in the Indian market. It is priced at ₹ 4.3 crore ex-showroom, and the brand has revealed that the deliveries of the SUV will begin by the end of this year. The bookings are already open, but it is important to note that not everyone can go and buy it out. Mercedes-Benz has reserved the G 63 Collector's Edition for the top Mercedes-Benz owners. Only 30 units of the Collector's Edition will be made by the luxury manufacturer.
Also Read : Mercedes-AMG Collector's Edition delivery timeline revealed, is limited to just 30 units
Get insights into Upcoming Cars In India, Electric Vehicles, Upcoming Bikes in India and cutting-edge technology transforming the automotive landscape.
First Published Date: 15 Jun 2025, 08:59 AM IST
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And yet there have been at least four accidents on the same spot since then.'' Also turning the highway into a death trap is very poor concretisation work, which has left the stretch pockmarked and cratered. Lulania, who has been working hard to improve road conditions on the highway, said, 'The concretising is haphazard and sometimes ad hoc, which is shocking for a stretch that connects two major cities.' He added, 'Often, the NHAI authorities randomly place barricades across the carriageway, leaving only one lane for traffic movement. The NHAI authorities claim they have positioned sufficient traffic marshalls on this stretch, but in reality there are only a handful. If a vehicle breaks down, there is barely any towing provision.' Borivali resident, J S Shah, a factory owner in Vapi, concurs. 'Till two years ago, I used to regularly drive to Vapi and back. I was pleased when the NHAI concretised the entire highway. But the stretch soon turned into a death trap as the concrete cracked and cratered, ruining my car's suspension. After spending ₹2 lakh in repairs, I gave up driving on this highway and now I take the train.' Dr Anand Kapse at M L Dhawle Hospital situated along the highway said, 'Ambulances are often delayed in reaching us, endangering lives.' He added that the condition of the highway is so bad that many have switched to travelling by train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. 'We are hoping the Mumbai Vadodara Expressway opens soon, so that there is an alternative route available.'' Honouring his son's memory Lulania operates two WhatsApp groups for motorists, flagging traffic issues in real time on the NH-48. His son Owez died on the highway a few years ago while returning to Ahmedabad from Mumbai. The SUV he was travelling in skid and crashed near Silent Valley Resort. The railings at the site were broken and Owez died on the spot. His father has since made it his mission to campaign to improve road safety on the highway so that others don't meet his son's fate. Among his many public service initiatives, Lulania and a group of 12 others offer a free ambulance service to accident victims on the NH-48. Despite efforts to get the NHAI to commit to improving the highway, little seems to have changed. Former Mumbai mayor and Sena UBT deputy leader, Vishakha Raut said, 'I travel to my village in Boisar by road every fortnight. I see only labourers on site when the highway is being upgraded, but I have never seen engineers or government employees. This is shocking for a highway that connects two business hubs like Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Why don't the local MLAs raise this issue in the assembly?'' NHAI manager (technical) in charge of the Thane unit, Dipendra Singh told HT, 'We have done many improvements to the NH-48 and continue to do so. We have got ₹20 crore sanctioned to fix black spots on priority. The road is bad in some places, but this is because state government agencies had dug up the road to lay pipes and then handed us the site late for upgradation.'' Bal Malkit Singh, advisor and former president of the All India Motor Transport Congress, makes a pertinent point. 'We pay a heavy toll and, despite this, a truck that needs three days on the Surat-Mumbai-Surat run now takes five days. Traffic jams cost us diesel and maintenance, not to mention the back problems drivers are developing from navigating the highway's cratered surface.' No trauma care The 100-km stretch from Vasai to Vapi did not have a major hospital that could treat serious accident cases until August 2019, when the state health department started constructing a trauma-care centre at Manor. Soon after the death of Cyrus Mistry in 2022, the state decided to speed it up. HT visited the site on August 5, but the work was far from complete. The superstructure was leaking in many places and there were no beds or equipment. The operation theatre too was not complete. Dr Ramdas Marad, a civil surgeon in Palghar district, said the work had stopped completely during the Covid-19 pandemic and restarted only after Mistry's accident. Three years later, it is nowhere near complete. 'There is a great paucity of funds to complete the work. It will take another eight to ten months to complete the hospital,' he said.