WionDrive News Desk 
As each year draws to a close, it becomes a natural inclination to reflect upon the multitude of peculiar and remarkable events that have shaped the preceding 12 months. These recollections serve as a collective tapestry of experiences, capturing the essence of the year gone by. From unexpected global phenomena to wonky launches, here are a few moments that made us laugh, think, or simply pause in bafflement.
Biplab’s choice
Wonderful: India surpasses Japan in auto sales, becomes third largest auto market
In a notable milestone, India outpaced Japan in auto sales in January, securing its position as the third-largest auto market globally. The total sales of new vehicles in India exceeded 4.25 million units, surpassing the 4.2 million units sold in Japan.
Preliminary results indicate that India’s new vehicle sales reached a minimum of 4.25 million units, making a substantial leap ahead of Japan’s figures.
Weird: Lamborghini bids farewell to V12 era with one-off supercars and unveils Revuelto Hybrid
Marking the conclusion of Lamborghini’s era of naturally aspirated V12 engines, the Italian automaker introduces two one-off supercars, the Invencible coupe and Autentica roadster. These models are described as a “unique farewell” to Lamborghini’s iconic 12-cylinder powertrain.
The Invencible coupe and Autentica roadster serve as a poignant farewell, leading up to the highly anticipated reveal of the Lamborghini Revuelto. Representing a shift towards hybrid power, the Revuelto is positioned as the successor to the Lamborghini Aventador, signalling a significant evolution for the renowned automaker.
Amit’s choice
Wonderful: The Ferrari Purosangue
An SUV rolling out from Maranello is a wonderful event, even though the Prancing Horse carmaker is reluctant to admit that it has built an SUV, arguably the best SUV on sale today. Apart from the razor-sharp design and suicide doors, the biggest highlight of the Purosangue is its fire-breathing naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 engine.
When carmakers like Lamborghini and Porsche are finding ways to keep their V8 engines alive with some sort of hybridisation, here comes Ferrari with a nat-asp V12 plonked in an SUV! It may lack the urgency of a twin-turbo configuration but the spine-tingling sound it makes is something to relish for a lifetime. After all, it is the last hurrah of unadulterated naturally-aspirated V12 engines.
Weird: Toyota Rumion
It’s not that rebadging is new to Toyota; models like the Glanza and now-discontinued Urban Cruiser are prime examples. However, both the Glanza and Urban Cruiser had a few subtle differences over the respective Maruti Suzuki counterparts they were based on, either in terms of feature segregation or visual and price differentiation.
The Rumion, on the other hand, is nothing but a rebadged Ertiga from Indonesia. Save from the Toyota badging, the Rumion doesn’t carry a single change over the Ertiga, while carrying a considerable premium. This lazy and blatant effort to bring sales without any differentiation or customer benefit is bizarre, especially when you consider it’s from the house of the largest carmaker on the planet Earth.
Deepika’s choice
Wonderful: All-time high Indian auto sales in November
In November of 2023, the Indian auto industry witnessed a YoY growth of 18 percent and MoM growth of 35 percent. Segments like two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and passenger vehicles showed growth of 21 percent, 23 percent, and 17 percent, respectively. The month witnessed an all-time auto sale, beating the previous best of March 2020. The sector has shown a tremendous growth and healing after seeing a low side during the coronavirus pandemic and supply-side hiccups.
Weird: Launch of Maruti Fronx
Maruti Suzuki launched the Fronx coupe crossover in April of this year, after first showcasing it in the Auto Expo in January. The Baleno-based vehicle has been marketed as a compact SUV and was heavily hyped. But a close look at it will make one realise that it is just a beefed-up Baleno with design cues borrowed from Grand Vitara. It clearly fits the bill as a pseudo-SUV, which has become a market trend lately.
Fronx has a sloping roofline, a rising waistline, a prominent hunch over the rear wheels – which are suggestive of its resemblance to Baleno. However, the launch of the model seems to me like Maruti’s desperate need to fit into the SUV landscape.
Diksha’s choice
Wonderful: MotoGP Bharat
In 2023, India’s inaugural MotoGP in Noida marked a pivotal moment for the auto industry. Held from September 21 to 24, the event not only attracted racing luminaries but also boosted the local economy.
Following its stint as an F1 venue from 2011 to 2013, Noida’s embrace of MotoGP showcased a significant leap for Indian motorsports. Undoubtedly, the first MotoGP in India stood out as a wonderful highlight of 2023, shaping a new chapter in the nation’s automotive landscape.
Weird: End of an era: Kaali-Peeli Taxis
The streets of Mumbai bade farewell to the Iconic ‘Kaali-Peeli’ Taxis. These taxis, which have been an integral part of Mumbai’s identity for generations, reached the end of the road due to the city’s regulations.
According to these rules, cabs cannot be older than 20 years, which means that the last Premier Padmini taxi is now officially off the streets. The retirement of these taxis follows the recent phasing out of diesel-powered double-decker buses, leaving many residents with a sense of nostalgia and prompting calls for the preservation of at least one ‘Kaali-Peeli’ taxi.
Divyank’s choice
Wonderful: India’s very own new car safety assessment program comes to life
The Bharat New Car Assessment Program, or B-NCAP, was launched by Union Minister for Road, Transport, and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, in August 2023. This made India only the fifth country in the world to have its dedicated new car safety assessment program. Under B-NCAP, carmakers can either voluntarily get their cars tested as per the Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 197, or the testing agency can pick a vehicle from any showroom, at random.
In B-NCAP’s inaugural round, Tata Motors was the first manufacturer to undergo testing. Its SUV models, the Harrier and Safari, managed to secure a five-star safety rating. Both SUVs already hold Global NCAP’s five-star safety rating andgiven that B-NCAP’s testing protocol is aligned with global crash test protocols, the results were not surprising.
B-NCAP is not only beneficial for Indian carmakers from an economic standpoint, but it will also allow them to increase the export-worthiness of Indian vehicles.
Weird: Why are consumer electronic giants gunning to enter the EV race?
In 2020, Sony stunned the world by unveiling its first-ever electric vehicle in the form of the Vision-S Concept. In 2022, they followed it up with the Vision-S 02 SUV Concept and announced a partnership with Honda to plan, develop, and sell battery-electric vehicles starting in 2025.
This year, the Chinese consumer electronics giant Xiaomi also took the plunge and unveiled its first electric vehicle, the SU7, with the hopes of becoming a global automotive powerhouse.
Are EVs really that lucrative to make? Or is it just a matter of doing what everyone else seems to be doing? As if there already aren’t enough local/small-scale EV manufacturers mushrooming all over the place. And what about doing what you do best? I’m sure I’d be quite flabbergasted if Lamborghini announced venturing into the low-cost smartphone business, or Maruti Suzuki announced the next rival to the Sony PlayStation!
