“I began to be part of Hyundai Motor India just when I was becoming an actor in Mumbai. At that time I don’t think there was anything like an ambassadorship or modelling for a car. To be a brand ambassador of Santro at that time was a moment of bigness for me, a great honour as Hyundai was well known in the world. In India the foreign car companies were just coming in so when I was asked to be the ambassador it was very confidence invoking.

I was also a little worried not knowing how it was going to pan out; this was in 1997. An international brand was coming to India with me. I was thinking whether I was good enough to be its ambassador. One never expected that even after 23 years we will be working together. It has been a good journey so far.

Handling Relationships

I listen to her (wife). To be honest, I have had many long associations in branding. I have been very clear that when a brand signs me on, it should be something that would go long-term. It can be long-term only if the brand is doing well. Being a brand ambassador might be fashionable and very cool but I think a brand ambassador cannot help if the product is not good. I speak from experience. I started branding and advertising as far as cinema is concerned for two products. I think I must have been the first person to do it in India on such a large scale.

Unless Hyundai is doing well I have no voice. I have been with them for 23 years because they have been able to do something good with their cars. When people say, “I’ve signed a new brand and am moving on,” I think you don’t move on unless your brand or product is not good enough. I have had discussions with a lot of people who want to bring in fresh blood but your product has to be good. Fresh blood in a brand ambassador can never do anything for a product that’s not doing well; that’s my belief. Unless you bring in something new these shifting and signing of brands is no big deal.

Cars Are Different

I remember when Y S Kim handed me the keys to the car I felt it was very technical. We used to talk about 1.6 litre engines, BHP etc, it was very different. Normally, most of the brands at that time were more lifestyle and fun so when a car came along; I think we did 5 films over 5 days for a long stretch. Everybody was going in for advertising; it was very different. Kim was very sweet. He would give me the keys and land up wherever I went. By the last ad he gave me the keys before going back to Korea saying, “Now you handle it.” Apart from that part the rest of it was very tough. To be honest I didn’t know where it was going.

From Santro To Creta

I tell everybody that I’m a Santro walla. Since I’m now the corporate brand ambassador I talk about Creta also but for me the all-time favourite is Santro; 3-4 years ago I requested the whole office to give me one. The reason for this is because I love the name. I think certain things have a great name and Santro just had one; it had a ring to it. The advertising with ‘Santrowale and Santrowala’ was very nice. Two years ago they made a special one for me

I’ll be honest in saying that I’m not a very big car person. For me cars have always meant more of transportation. Other than an extension of fashion, manhood or macho I have never been a big car fiend. Actually I have about 700 cars (miniature models) like this one in my house. I like these much better. For me it’s never been that I should get one if my friends have it. It’s a misnomer that I have a lot of luxury cars. I just use one car, which I believe should get you from one place to the other.

Liking Hyundai Cars

The finish is very nice and the cars have very clean lines; the inside is also very clean. Creta is robust and straightforward. It doesn’t have too many entanglements, looks basic and uncomplicated but at the same time sporty enough. It looks like an SUV with a minimal look without any clutter. Hyundai is quite minimalistic; the simplicity is a plus point.

I love driving. All the stunts in the films I have done myself with Hyundai cars. Now I don’t drive that much but at night I have to take my kids out for a drive. Of course I love that but there is too much traffic today, even at night. I have come here to Delhi a year and a half ago; wanted to show the kids my old house. I like the manual cars more.

Mobility As A Service

I was told that they are going into sharing and leasing. What I notice is that there was a time when people thought that learning how to drive was essential and necessary but today you don’t really need to learn to drive a car anymore, as sad as it may sound, especially to those who love driving. So how do you get around? I think you are going to utilize these services and it is fantastic for the car manufacturer to start doing this because essentially this business goes back to the people who are making the product. They are in the business of mobility so that is very good. The concept is not just to sell the car anymore but to highlight functionalities of safety, security, cleanliness, etc. It’s also as essential as selling the product. So I find my role getting more into that. As and when new things come in, like the new model Aura, my role would go more towards that. We would have to talk more on all the innovations than just the cars.” (MT)

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JSW MG Motor India has introduced the all-new MG Hector SUV featuring a revised exterior with new front and rear bumper designs, a new grille design and new alloy wheels at prices starting INR 1.19 million (ex-showroom) for limited units. The SUV comes in two new colours – Celadon Blue and Pearl White.

The interiors feature a Dual Tone Ice Grey Theme in the 5-seater trim and Dual Tone Urban Tan for the 6 and 7-seater trims. Exterior details include the new Aura Hex Grille, a hexagonal structure that symbolises strength and precision. New Aura Sculpt Bumpers at the front and rear deliver a muscular, assertive stance and also the Aura Bolt Alloy Wheels.

The all-new Hector's infotainment system, featuring a 14-inch HD portrait touch screen, receives a performance boost through Smart Boost technology. The system features the i-SWIPE Touch Gesture Control, enabling intuitive multi-touch operations for AC, music and navigation. Further convenience is provided by the Digital Bluetooth Key and Key Sharing capability along with Predictive Maintenance Alerts, Remote AC Control. A Full Digital Cluster with a 17.78 cm Embedded LCD Screen provides a driver interface.

Anurag Mehrotra, Managing Director, JSW MG Motor India, said, “The Hector was our maiden nameplate and quickly became synonymous with the MG brand, emerging as one of India’s most loved SUVs with 150,000 customers since its debut. With the All-New MG Hector, we take this legacy a notch higher by enhancing its design, comfort, and technology, offering an unmatched value proposition. We believe truly advanced mobility should not be an exclusive luxury reserved for the few. With this superior package, The All-New MG Hector will further democratize technology while setting a new benchmark for what a premium SUV can deliver.”

The new Hector also features a 360deg HD Camera with Wheel View, offering surround visibility along with tyre-level perspective. In terms of standard it gets ABS, EBD, ESP, TCS, Hill Hold Control and Brake Assist. The SUV is powered by a 1.5L Turbocharged Petrol engine (CVT & MT) offering 143 PS Power and 250 NM Torque.

Launched in 2019 as India’s First Internet Car, the MG Hector includes features such as a dual-pane panoramic sunroof, a 35.56 cm (14-inch) HD infotainment system, 8-colour Ambient Mood Lighting, and MG’s advanced i-SMART connected technology with 70+ features, and an advanced ADAS suite. Further features include Push Button Engine Start/Stop with a Smart Key and Anti-Theft Immobilisation, automatic powered tailgate, air purifier with PM 2.5 filter, rain sensing wipers, Remote Control for Audio, AC & Mood Light in i-Smart App and front parking sensors.

The prices for the diesel variant of the all-new Hector SUV will be announced next year.

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The Tata Sierra has entered the India Book of Records for maximum fuel efficiency in 12 hours. In a certified run at NATRAX Indore, the Sierra delivered an exceptional 29.9 kmpl mileage, surpassing the previous national benchmark. The feat was executed by the Pixel Motion team, that drove the 1.5-lire Hyperion-engine powered Sierra continuously from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm on 30 November 2025 with brief halts for driver swaps. The record was officially validated the same day.
The new 1.5-litre Hyperion petrol engine, engineered to deliver high efficiency without compromising refinement, performance or drivability, has an advanced combustion system, torque-rich performance band and friction-optimised architecture. 
The compact SUV also achieved a top speed of 222 kmpg at the track under specified test conditions. 
“Setting a national efficiency record so early in the Sierra’s journey is a proud moment for us. The Hyperion engine platform was built to push the boundaries of what petrol powertrains can achieve, and this milestone validates that effort. It strengthens the Sierra’s value proposition for customers and underlines TMPV’s commitment to bringing advanced, efficient and future-ready technologies to the market," said Mohan Savarkar, Chief Product Officer, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles. 

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Matthew Bowden is concluding a successful four-year tenure as Director of Škoda UK, departing to assume the role of Head of International Sales for Škoda Auto. Under his leadership, the UK market achieved significant growth, rising to become the brand's third largest global market and consistently exceeding performance records while maintaining a market share beyond four percent.

His successor, Eric Boutin, will join the Volkswagen Group UK board of management as Director of Škoda UK in the first quarter of 2026. Boutin brings extensive international experience from pivotal markets including Canada, China and United States. He is currently responsible for Škoda Auto's global customer experience programme, with direct oversight of the worldwide retail network and omnichannel integration, and is spearheading the brand's overarching customer centricity transformation.

This strategic leadership transition aims to leverage Bowden's commercial acumen on a global scale while injecting Boutin's specialised customer-focused expertise into the UK operations.

Damien O’Sullivan, Managing Director, Volkswagen Group UK, said, “Matthew has made a significant contribution towards Škoda’s evolution and growth over the past four years. I’m grateful for all he’s done for the brand and the Group and wish him well in his new role. I’m looking forward to welcoming Eric to the UK board of management and am sure his global experience and customer focus will support the brand’s future ambitions and Human Touch proposition.”

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Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd has revealed that it will launch the XUV 7XO, which is based on the XUV 700, on 05 January 2026. A premium SUV segment vehicle, the XUV 7XO, the company claims, will be a gamechanger. Said to have been crafted to inspire and engineered to excite, combining the proven strengths of the XUV700 with superior design, technology, comfort and performance, the XUV 7XO is expected to be a feature a fascia with the new signature grille design and '7'-shape sleeker LED head lamps. 
Claimed to draw an amount of design and styling details from the new seven-seater electric SUV the company introduced recently, the XUV 7XO is expected to built on the technologies that made the XUV 700 a competitively priced tech savvy SUV with monocoque construction and an option of an AWD. As an ICE vehicle the 7XO is expected to further the gamut of features found on the XUV 700, including the ADAS Level 2 suite. 

The XUV 7XO is expected to replace the XUV 700 over a period of time if not immediately. 

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