Author: Advait Berde

Largely Mini: Meet the MINI Convertible Sidewalk Edition

MINI India has introduced a special edition of its best-selling convertible, the MINI Convertible Sidewalk Edition. MINI has a long history of creating special models with high-quality features and distinct designs. The new MINI Convertible Sidewalk Edition is based on the first special edition of this line which was launched in 2007.

The MINI Convertible Sidewalk Edition combines iconic with contemporary to create aesthetically compelling contrasts. The Deep Laguna Metallic exterior colour that it comes with is specially developed for this edition, while the striking geometric pattern of the soft-top electric roof (that opens within 20 seconds, by the way) makes a lasting impression. The specially designed 43.18 cm/17″ light-alloy wheel Scissor Spoke 2-tone, individual side scuttles in the Sidewalk design, door sill finishers made of brushed aluminum also in Sidewalk design, and the striking bonnet stripes with delicate pinstripes further complement and enhance its unique look.

 

The interior features a design that is premium as well as harmonious and offers the finest workmanship in every small detail. MINI Yours Leather Lounge Sidewalk leather seats in Anthracite with braided piping in Dark Petrol and accent seams in Energetic Yellow. The new illuminated interior surface features a decorative cockpit and door trim with a Petrol finish. The multi-function Sport Leather steering wheel with a discreet Sidewalk logo and contrast seams in Petrol add touches of individual styling.

Mr. Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India said, “MINI was born out of a crisis. It’s a brave and daring brand that is authentic, inventive, and optimistic by nature. It brings people and communities together, offering them unique and unfiltered experiences even in the most extraordinary times. The MINI Convertible Sidewalk Edition is a perfect tribute to the MINI philosophy and the challenges of the current time. MINI has once again created an unmatched combination of the legendary go-kart feeling and open-top driving experience. It celebrates a rich heritage of unfiltered excitement and driving fun. The exclusively crafted elements of this limited edition create moments of pure emotion with unbridled energy. If you’re spontaneous, outgoing, and like to live life unfiltered, this is the car for you.”

At the heart of the new MINI Convertible is a 2-litre, 4-cylinder engine with TwinPower Turbo Technology. It gives a peak output of 192 hp/ 141 kW and a maximum torque of 280 Nm. It is mated to a newly developed 7-speed Steptronic Sport transmission with double clutch and steering wheel paddles. This propels the car from 0-100 km/hr in 7.1 seconds, while the top speed is limited to 230 km/hr.


The MINI Driving Modes enable an individualized vehicle set-up focusing on either ride comfort, sportiness, or efficiency, according to preference. In addition to the standard MID mode, the Sport mode is geared towards active driving fun while the Green mode supports fuel-efficient driving.

The new MINI Convertible Sidewalk Edition is stacked with a range of intuitive safety technologies. The standard safety equipment comprises of Front and Passenger Airbags, Brake Assist, 3-Point Seat Belts, Dynamic Stability Control, Crash Sensor, Anti-lock Braking System, Cornering Brake Control, and Run-flat Indicator.

The standard MINIMALISM technology includes an auto start/stop function, brake energy recuperation, shift point display, and electromechanical power steering. Another cool feature is the MINI Excitement Package, which comprises LED interior and ambient lighting as well as a projection of the MINI logo on the ground on the driver’s side when the door is opened.

Offered as a Completely Built-Up unit (CBU), only 15 units are available and can be booked exclusively on its official website. The new MINI Convertible Sidewalk Edition is available in Deep Laguna metallic exterior colour at an ex-showroom price of ₹ 44,90,000.

Love a personalized SUV? Lamborghini’s Graphite Capsule is for you!

Lamborghini has always been known for offering its customers a chance to personalize their cars. Be it the paint scheme or even the stitching on the seats, there are options for every detail. Now, the Italian supercar manufacturer has introduced the Urus Graphite Capsule, creating distinctive new opportunities for expression in color and trim on the Lamborghini Super SUV.
The four new exterior matt colors are on-trend yet subtle, including the white Bianco Monocerus, black Nero Noctis, and grey Grigio Nimbus and Grigio Keres. The lower parts of the car around the front, rear, and side sills are all finished in the matte body color. Four shiny accent colors are offered, that include orange Arancio Leonis and Arancio Dryope, yellow Giallo Taurus, and green Verde Scandal, picking out the distinctive lines of the Urus on the front splitter, door inserts, and rear spoiler and making a bold statement. The 23” Taigete rims, dedicated to the Graphite Capsule, also sport the accent color while on the rear, the exhaust features a new, dedicated black chrome finish. The Urus Graphite Capsule elevates the potential for customization to a higher level with more than 16 different color combinations to delight even the most demanding customers.


The interior highlights the elegant and stylish persona of the Urus Graphite Capsule, introducing dark, anodized aluminum trim on the dashboard and door panels, with new matt-finish carbon fiber inserts. The exterior accent colors are carried over into the Graphite Capsule Urus’ interior, enriching the upholstery with the contrast color featuring in the central tunnel leather trim, seat bolster inserts, Q-citura stitching, and the embroidered Lamborghini logo on the headrests. The ventilated Alcantara seats are an exclusive option only available on the Urus Graphite Capsule and the recently launched Pearl Capsule.

“The new Graphite Capsule endorses the inimitable versatility of the Lamborghini Urus as the original Super SUV: its color and styling is as adaptable and versatile as its presence in every high-performance and lifestyle environment,” said Automobili Lamborghini Chief Commercial Officer Giovanni Perosino. “The inherent design of the Lamborghini Urus, with the DNA of our super sports heritage, lends itself to virtually limitless potential for personalizing color and trim. The Urus Graphite Capsule is the latest collection to offer our growing clientele the opportunity to stamp their individuality and way of life on their Lamborghini.”
The Urus Graphite Capsule is available on the Urus model year 2021.

Ducati Scrambler launched in India. Avengers! Scramble!

Luxury motorcycle brand, Ducati today announced the launch of the all-new Scrambler 1100 Pro and the 1100 Sport Pro for the Indian market. Created for those who love to ride motorcycles even outside the city, perhaps also with a passenger, these new models are a further evolution of the bike that identifies with the Ducati Scrambler “Land of Joy”.

With a complete range of accessories available, the bike comes in two distinct versions – 1100 Pro and 1100 Sport Pro. Both are the ideal choice for those who want to ride a motorcycle with generous torque available right from the bottom of the rev-range. The Scrambler 1100 Pro also features a 15-litre steel tank that, combined with an all-new comfortable seat, ensures that even the longest rides are enjoyed in comfort.

The 1100cc L-twin two-valve engine inside the motorcycle 86 bhp of maximum power at 7,500 rpm and 88.4 Nm of peak torque at 4,750 rpm. It is equipped with a 6-speed gearbox and a servo-assisted slipper function that limits rear-wheel destabilization during down-shifts. Designed to be simple and accessible, this twin-cylinder engine features competitive 12,000 km maintenance intervals.

Mr. Bipul Chandra, Managing Director of Ducati India said, “Scrambler is one of the most characterful, free-spirited, and powerful entry-level Ducati in our portfolio. The new Scrambler 1100 Pro range takes those qualities a notch higher allowing riders to explore endless possibilities on their rides. It’s a mix of style, comfort, and performance that makes Scrambler 1100 Pro versatile and adaptive to everyone’s individual and demanding riding style. The meticulously thought Scrambler 1100 Pro and Sport Pro are designed to provide complete Scrambler experience as soon as you swing a leg over it. Both experienced and new riders will be able to extract the maximum out of this motorcycle considering its friendly nature and we expect them to have a lot of fun!”

The Ducati Scrambler 1100 Pro stands out for its new two-tone “Ocean Drive” colour scheme, combined with a steel trellis frame and a rear aluminum subframe, which are both black. A new right-side dual tailpipe and low-slung number plate holder ensure distinctive rear-end styling and, together with the new livery, give the bike a coiled, compact look. Another hallmark is the framed headlight; inspired by the protective adhesive tape used back in the ‘70s, a black metal ‘X’ has been incorporated inside the headlight: a detail that makes the bike instantly identifiable, even with the lights off. The 1100 Sport Pro also features a Matt Black paint scheme, complemented by side panels sporting a painted 1100 logo.

At the rear, a full-LED taillight assembly emits a soft light, making use of technology unique within the motorcycling world. LED indicators positioned alongside the headlight assembly and the rear mudguard, complete the Ducati Scrambler 1100 Pro-style to perfection.

The Ducati Scrambler 1100 PRO twins are also at the forefront of electronics. They are equipped with Ducati Traction Control (DTC), regulated specifically for these models, and Cornering ABS, which ensures safety on every bend. The three standard riding modes (Active, Journey, and City) help even less experienced riders to find the right balance in the use of electronic components by choosing their riding style. Also, both the models mount a Pirelli MT60 RS 120/80 ZR 18 tyre at the front and the 180/55 ZR17 tyre at the rear, which have been specially developed for the Scrambler.

The Ducati Scrambler 1100 Pro instrument panel has two elements. Like the other bikes in the range, the main one has a round design. Positioned above and to the right of the headlight, this unit is fully digital. It features new multi-function switchgear that lets riders select Riding Modes and modify them. A Ride by Wire throttle is accompanied by hydraulically operated brake pumps and clutch, making the controls modern yet faithful to the classic Scrambler style.

In perfect Scrambler style, the 1100 Pro comes with the new two-tone “Ocean Drive” livery and 1100 Sport Pro in its sporty attitude comes in a “Matt Black” paint scheme. The all-new Scrambler 1100 Pro and the 1100 Sport Pro, priced at ₹ 11.95 lacs and ₹ 13.74 lacs respectively (Ex-Showroom Pan India). Bookings are now open across all Ducati dealerships in Delhi – NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Kolkata & Chennai and deliveries will begin immediately.

Spin for the win! Acer Spin 5 reviewed

I have always been a fan of convertibles. Be it cars or gadgets, anything that has a 2-in-1 quality always catches my attention. Among those is the Acer Spin 5 laptop, which I recently reviewed. Now, I wouldn’t be talking about this laptop if it was just a run-of-the-mill laptop. But, there are certain elements of this laptop that I could not miss out on. So, without further ado, here is what I think about the Acer Spin 5.

First Impressions:

The highlight of the laptop is obviously its 360-degree hinge that converts the laptop to a tablet seamlessly. This gives the user a great deal of versatility and that will definitely help graphic designers, students, and even tablet lovers!  It also comes with an inbuilt stylus that further increases the usability of the laptop.

Display and screen:

Talking about the screen, it gets a 13.5-inch touchscreen display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, which can be a little discouraging for someone who likes a widespread screen, but it is not too dissuasive. Unfortunately, its wide aspect ratio meant every time I tried to watch a 16:9 video, it was accompanied by two giant black bars at the top and bottom, which were rather intrusive. This was the only dissuasion in the otherwise crystal clear video experience.

Stylus:

Its stylus too does not actually feel like a pen and feels more like a long and thick needle. That it would, considering it is not even five inches long (12.53 cm, to be exact) and is only 5.3 mm in diameter, but it does the job. It uses the Wacom AES 1.0 technology, which gives it an accurate response rate. Add to it 4,096 pressure levels and you can easily get surgical precision from the stylus. It can be easy to forget that the stylus can run out of charge too, but Acer has an easy fix for that. Just plug it back in the laptop for 15 or 20 seconds and its ultra-fast charging will juice up the battery for 90 minutes worth of charge in that duration. The only discomfort is that you have to lift the laptop to toggle it out of the charging unit, and it’s the same place where it will be resting all the time. Unlike the earlier version of Spin 5 which was loosely attached.

Keyboard:

Well, though the stylus and the touchscreen are sufficient and tempting enough to forget about the keyboard, it is required to complete the feel of a laptop. The chicklet keys, while responsive, are rather cramped and would cause hindrance to someone who is used to a bigger and wider keyboard. Nevertheless, it is more about habit and I was able to adapt to it eventually. One feature that I truly appreciated was the fingerprint sensor, which is integrated into the smooth, responsive, and intuitive trackpad. The fingerprint sensor added a much-needed security feature to the laptop, immediately encouraging me to trust it more. It is also quite responsive and hardly caused a delay while unlocking the Spin 5.

Hardware performance:

With 16GB of RAM, the Spin 5 ran smoothly and did not trouble me while using it for everyday basics. Emailing, internet surfing, and video binge-watching worked flawlessly. However, it did start to lag when playing heavy, full HD games, or using video editing software for large files. Also, the Intel i5 10th Gen processor clocks in at 1.10 GHz with a maximum speed of 1.50 GHz. That, combined with Intel’s new Iris Plus integrated GPU, means that the Spin 5 can run a decent variety of games, but is far below the requirements of AAA games (Those fancy high definition ones on Steam)

Camera:

Considering the new normal, most of my meetings and discussions happened virtually. Naturally, I had extensive use of the front camera (Webcam for all you geeks!). Now, obviously this is not a camera oriented device and neither do I intend to compare it with one, but as these are Zoom days, I can conclude that the front camera is not comparable to that of a Macbook.

Verdict:

Since the Acer Spin 5 is more of a jack of all trades, I did not wish to pinpoint its flaws as such. However, I did find the sound a little lacking in spite of its front-facing speakers. The bloatware (unwanted software included on a new computer or mobile device by the manufacturer) is definitely a bummer and the laptop would have done much better sans that. With a price tag around Rs 90,000, this one is definitely a hard-hitter on the pocket. But what you get for burning a hole in your pocket is a sleek, stylish and comfortable laptop. All in all, the Acer Spin 5 is a well-rounded, (well folded, to be cheeky) laptop and can cater to a wide audience. It’s super light to carry and you actually don’t need an iPad when you have this with you. The battery lasts you a good 6 hours of continuous usage though claimed is 11 hours and I assume this means putting the ignition on and not really driving forward.

Wished to play with the Lamborghini Huracán EVO? Here’s your chance!

It is highly unlikely for somebody to get a chance to use the Lamborghini Huracán EVO as a toy. After all, who dares mess with an angry bull? Luckily, there is a much safer and easier way to fulfill your childhood fantasy. A new collaboration between Automobili Lamborghini and Ravensburger, a leading games and recreation brand has led to a 3D jigsaw puzzle, creating the Lamborghini Huracán EVO super sports car.

The 3D puzzle allows Lamborghini enthusiasts to faithfully recreate the Huracán EVO V10 car in a 1:18 scale, replicating its dynamic lines and sophisticated aerodynamic styling through 108 numbered plastic pieces plus accessories.

Mounted onto a replica chassis, every detail is faithful to the real car, from the Y-style front bumper and Y-shape in the headlights, to the hexagonal details found throughout the car and the original Arancio Xanto orange color of Lamborghini cars. The finished model, with the distinctive Lamborghini design DNA evident in its low-slung profile, measures 26 cm in length. Distinctive finishing touches are realized by the 32 high-quality feature accessories, such as the axles and four rotating wheels that faithfully replicate the Aesir rims found on the real car, along with the front splitter and rear diffuser.

The Ravensburger 3D Puzzle Lamborghini Huracán EVO recreates the emotion of Lamborghini in a fun-to-build puzzle and model to be admired in the living room, for adults and children of eight years and older. In stores for (RRP) EUR €34.99.

Kia Motors reveals its electrification plans!

Kia Motors Corporation has shared a glimpse of its global electric vehicle (EV) business strategy today, revealing an early sketch of several of the brand’s future dedicated Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). Details of Kia’s future EV product strategy were announced by Kia President and CEO Ho Sung Song during an event at the brand’s Hwasung plant in Korea.

Kia will establish a leadership position in the global EV market by responding to fast-growing global consumer demand for EVs. The brand will launch a diverse range of dedicated BEVs and partner with EV charging companies worldwide to achieve this.

“Kia has sold more than 100,000 BEVs worldwide since the introduction of our first mass-produced BEV in 2011, the Kia Ray EV, ” said CEO Song. “Since then, we have started to introduce a range of new BEVs for global markets and announced plans to accelerate this process in the years ahead. By refocusing our business on electrification, we are aiming for BEVs to account for 25 percent of our total worldwide sales by 2029.”

Under Kia’s ‘Plan S’ strategy, announced at the start of 2020, the brand plans to expand its BEV line-up to 11 models by 2025. Over the same period, Kia is aiming for BEVs to account for 20 percent of the brand’s total vehicle sales in advanced markets, including Korea, North America, and Europe. Seven dedicated BEVs in the sketch revealed today will be launched by 2027.

The first of these BEVs, code-named CV, will be revealed in 2021 as the brand’s first dedicated BEV, destined for many regions globally. The new model will offer the same competitive product quality and eye-catching design as Kia’s other vehicles, with high-performance driving and recharging characteristics.

Kia Motors is undergoing a company-wide transformation in order to realize ‘Plan S’. The CV model, due to launch in 2021, will encapsulate the brand’s attitude towards innovation and change, presenting a new design direction that signifies Kia’s transition to an EV-focused business strategy. Kia’s new design philosophy embraces progress, diversity, and a rich composition of contrasting elements.

Kia is innovating its vehicle planning, development, and production to actively reflect diverse customer needs from the product planning stage. Kia is planning to respond to market demands by offering diversified product types, with a range of models suitable for urban centers, long-range journeys, and performance driving. Furthermore, by adapting its new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), Kia will be able to offer vehicles with best-in-class interior spaciousness.

Kia Motors is also seeking to innovate its sales practices for EVs. The brand is exploring the creation of subscription services to offer a diversified buying option for customers, as well as EV battery leasing and rental programs, and other ‘second-life’ battery-related businesses.

Apple lovers! Drool over the Watch and iPad, now with all-new features!

American tech giant Apple today unveiled Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE, two new iPad models, and the first fitness experience built for Apple Watch that brings significant developments in health and wellness features to iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.

The Apple Watch Series 6 expands the health capabilities of previous Apple Watch models with a new feature that measures the oxygen saturation of the user’s blood, so they can better understand their overall fitness and wellness. Along with that, it also gets the next-generation always-on altimeter that provides real-time elevation all day long by using a new, more power-efficient barometric altimeter, along with GPS and nearby Wi-Fi networks. This feature allows for the detection of small elevation changes above ground level, up and down to the measurement of 1 foot, and can be shown as a new watch face complication or workout metric.
Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS) starts at $399 and Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular) starts at $499.


The Apple Watch Series 6 is accompanied by the Apple watch SE, which packs the essential features of the Apple Watch into modern design customers love — all at a more affordable price. The largest and most advanced Retina display allows customers to easily see more details and the information that matters most, right on their wrist. Apple Watch SE features the same accelerometer, gyroscope, and always-on altimeter as Apple Watch Series 6, and with the latest motion sensors and microphone, it offers robust health and safety capabilities including fall detection, Emergency SOS, international emergency calling, and the Noise app. Apple Watch SE (GPS) starts at $279 and Apple Watch SE (GPS + Cellular) starts at $329.


Along with that, Apple also announced Family Setup in watchOS 7, bringing the communication, health, fitness, and safety features of Apple Watch to kids and older family members of the household who do not have an iPhone. For the first time, Apple Watch can be set up through a parent’s iPhone, so kids can connect with family and friends through phone calls and Messages, stay motivated with personalized Activity goals, and express their creativity through custom “Memoji”.


Apple Fitness+ intelligently incorporates metrics from Apple Watch for users to visualize right on their iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, offering a first-of-its-kind personalized workout experience. When a workout is selected and started on any of those devices, the correct workout type will automatically start on Apple Watch.


Coming to the iPad, Apple has introduced a brand-new chipset. The A12 Bionic chip introduces the Neural Engine for next-level machine learning capabilities, including people occlusion and motion tracking in augmented reality (AR) apps, enhanced photo editing, Siri performance, and more. The new iPad (8th generation) is available to order starting today on apple.com and in the Apple Store app in more than 25 countries and regions, including the US. iPad will be available beginning Friday, September 18, with a starting price of $329 (US) for the Wi-Fi model and $459 (US) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model, and comes in silver, space gray, and gold finishes in 32GB and 128GB configurations.


The iPad Air, on the other hand, is now available in five gorgeous finishes — including rose gold, green, and sky blue — and features an all-screen design with a larger 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, camera, and audio upgrades, a new integrated Touch ID sensor in the top button, and the powerful A14 Bionic chip for a massive boost in performance.


Apart from the new gadget launches will all the advanced tech features, Apple will also offer its own subscription plan. Called the Apple One, it will offer customers Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud, and more in one simple plan. The Apple One Individual plan offers a savings of over $6 per month, while the Family plan offers a savings of over $8 per month, and the Premier plan offers a savings of over $25 per month. Savings are based on standard monthly pricing.

Lamborghini hits the 10th ton!

Italian supercar manufacturer Automobili Lamborghini has set yet another benchmark in the automobile industry. In nine years, the company’s Sant’Agata Bolognese factory has produced 10,000 Aventadors. The car with chassis number 10,000 is an Aventador SVJ Roadster in Grigio Acheso (grey) color with Rosso Mimir (red) livery and Ad Personam interior in Rosso Alala (red) and black. The car is destined for the Thai market.

Among its long list of features and technological marvels, its highlight is its “single shell” carbon fiber monocoque produced in the Sant’Agata Bolognese factory. It combines the cockpit, floor, and roof of the car in a single structure, ensuring extremely high structural rigidity and thus the maximum performance in terms of dynamic behavior and passive safety. How can we forget the iconic upward-opening doors, similar to those of the legendary Countach and the V12 models that followed it?

A new high-performance V12 engine was developed for the Aventador LP 700-4: with 700 HP (515 kW) of power at 8,250 rpm, it set a new benchmark in the world of super sports cars at the time of its introduction, enabling exceptional acceleration of 2.9 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h and a top speed of 350 km/h.

This mammoth engine is mated to an ISR robotized transmission that guarantees thrilling ultra-fast shifts, while the push-rod suspension system offers driving precision comparable to that of racing cars.

 

The Aventador range debuted in 2011 in the coupé version as Aventador LP 700-4. Thanks to the new technological solutions introduced, it immediately became a new point of reference in the world of super sports cars.

In 2019, a one-off Aventador S by Skyler Grey was unveiled, a symbol of the fusion of two concepts of art. On one hand, there is Lamborghini’s automotive art, where the unique design of the forms, always characterized by taut lines, three-dimensional volumes, geometries, and stylistic elements of the past, is joined with pioneering technological solutions. On the other hand, Skyler Grey used the main techniques of street art – airbrushing, spray guns, rollers, and stencils – to personalize the car body in his typical Pop style in orange and yellow. The car was painted in three weeks in Lamborghini’s new paint shop. Despite the high level of complexity of the work, the artist, with the support of the team, brought to life the first street-legal work of art on four wheels.

Mercedes-Benz to up the ante in India with the AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ Coupe!

Mercedes fans are in for a real treat soon! Considering the electric revolution that is taking the world by storm, the world’s oldest manufacturer has decided to step up the game in India. Mercedes-Benz is hence going to create yet another exciting chapter for all AMG fans in India- with the introduction of the first-ever ‘AMG 53’ model series in India.

Mercedes-Benz is expected to offer the GLE 53 4MATIC+ Coupe as one of the most stylish SUVs in its lineup. You can expect the AMG-specific radiator grille that will immediately set the SUV apart. The SUV should also get the Mercedes star in a double ring, flanked by slim headlamps and a striking “A-wing” in the front apron.

The rear should also get a prominent diffuser with a trim strip in silver chrome. The signature AMG exhaust system with two round twin tailpipe trim elements is bound to be present, while Mercedes-Benz will offer further individualization options in the AMG Night package. This package should offer heat-insulating dark-tinted windows, along with the front splitter, front apron trim, diffuser, and outer air inlets, mirror caps, window frames, and exhaust tailpipe trim elements in a black finish.

The new GLE 53 4MATIC+ Coupe is expected to be powered by a 3 litre, inline-6-cylinder, twin-turbocharged engine that should make 435BHP of maximum power and 520Nm of peak torque. It will be mated to a 48V hybrid electric system that, along with the EQ Boost starter-alternator,  should provide an additional boost of 22hp and 250Nm of temporary power.

The Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ Coupe will be the first AMG 53 series launched in India, strengthening the brand’s formidable GLE portfolio even more. Mercedes-Benz India will open the bookings of the all-new Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ Coupé, from 8th September  11:00 am onwards. The stylish SUV Coupe will be launched in India by Santosh Iyer, Vice-President, Sales & Marketing on 23-September, 2020.

Government of India bans PUBG Mobile along with 118 other Chinese apps

In a bid to further restrict Chinese influence over India, the Indian government has banned 118 apps along with the popular massively online battle royale game, PUBG Mobile. This move has also been taken in light of the fresh tension over China’s provocation in Ladakh.

Some reports suggest that there are close to 33 million active PUBG players in India, along with 13 million daily users. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has banned the mobile game and other apps under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act on grounds that  “they are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, the security of the state and public order.”

There are also many other popular games and apps on the list of banned apps. These include Cyber Hunter, Knives Out, LifeAfter, APUS launcher, Baidu, AppLock, and Alipay. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home Affairs has also sent an exhaustive recommendation for blocking these malicious apps. Likewise, there have been similar bipartisan concerns, flagged by various public representatives, both outside and inside the Parliament of India. There has been a strong chorus in the public space to take strict action against apps that harm India’s sovereignty as well as the privacy of citizens.

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