logo
#

Latest news with #SX

International rush to join Indian Supercross Racing League amid 50 pc spike in rider numbers
International rush to join Indian Supercross Racing League amid 50 pc spike in rider numbers

India Gazette

time3 days ago

  • Sport
  • India Gazette

International rush to join Indian Supercross Racing League amid 50 pc spike in rider numbers

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], June 19 (ANI): The Indian Supercross Racing League (ISRL), the world's first franchise-based Supercross league, has officially closed rider registrations for its much-anticipated Season 2 mega auction, set to take place in August 2025. This year, ISRL has attracted a record-breaking 155 riders, registering over 50 per cent growth from Season 1 and establishing itself as a serious international platform for elite Supercross athletes. With riders hailing from 21 countries from across six continents, the 2025 roster showcases a powerful blend of world champions, rising stars, and homegrown Indian talent. The league's exponential growth signals a pivotal moment in the evolution of motorsports in India. Joining the league for the first time are globally renowned Supercross athletes such as: - Greg Aranda (France) - 6X German Supercross Champion - Anthony Bourdon (France) - Vice Champion, French SX1 - Maxime Desprey (France) - French MX & SX Champion - Justin Starling (USA) - AMA SX veteran with 106 main events - Alexander Fedortsov (USA) - 2025 SMX Next AMA National Champion - Luke Clout (Australia) - AMA SX top 5, World Supercross Championship rider They will be racing alongside returning international stars including: - Matt Moss (Australia) - 9X Australian Champion, ISRL Season 1 450cc Champion - Jordi Tixier (France) - MXON World Champion - Reid Taylor (Australia) - ISRL Season 1 250cc International Champion - Lorenzo Camporese (Italy) - 5x Italian SX/MX Champion From India, top performers like Ikshan Shanbhag and Rugved Barguje, who stood out in Season 1, reaffirm ISRL's commitment to nurturing Indian racing talent Eeshan Lokhande, Co-founder of ISRL, said, 'Supercross in India is clearly on a sharp growth trajectory, and this year's volume and quality of rider registrations reflect that momentum. The fact that we've attracted some of the most respected international names alongside every major Indian Supercross rider is a reflection of the trust we've built globally. ISRL is becoming a world-class racing platform that riders see as a credible and competitive destination. The amazing response received pushes us to raise the bar even further.' John Short, USA (Top 10 AMA SX) who will be racing at ISRL for the first time, shared, 'I've competed in leagues in various countries, and when I saw what the ISRL accomplished in Season 1, I knew I wanted to be part of it. I'm excited to race in India, and connect with fans and athletes from around the globe. The ISRL is growing fast, and being part of that momentum is something I'm really looking forward to. Back home in the U.S., we do a lot of Supercross, so I feel like my skills are polished and I'm ready to see how I stack up against some of the best international talent.' With actor Salman Khan as Brand Ambassador, Season 2 is set to be bigger, bolder, and faster. The league will feature multiple rounds in Indian cities from October to December 2025, across three competitive categories- 450cc International, 250cc International and 250cc India-Asia Mix. The final list of registered riders will now be reviewed by team owners ahead of the Season 2 Mega Auction, which will determine franchise rider line-ups. As ISRL continues to redefine the motorsport landscape, it remains focused on delivering world-class racing experiences, growing Indian motorsports, and becoming a platform where global icons and Indian talent thrive side by side. (ANI)

Kia wants an even cheaper Sportage Hybrid to take on the Toyota RAV4 in Australia
Kia wants an even cheaper Sportage Hybrid to take on the Toyota RAV4 in Australia

The Advertiser

time06-06-2025

  • Automotive
  • The Advertiser

Kia wants an even cheaper Sportage Hybrid to take on the Toyota RAV4 in Australia

Kia Australia's product boss wants a more affordable, entry-level Sportage Hybrid (HEV) variant to better compete with the top-selling Toyota RAV4, but he can't confirm exactly when such an option will become available. Speaking with CarExpert at the Australian media launch of the facelifted Sportage, Kia Australia's general manager for product Roland Rivero said his team's next priority for the upgraded mid-size SUV range is adding a cheaper hybrid grade, but getting it here could be an uphill battle. "What we need to monitor first is this trim and powertrain strategy [the new all-wheel drive HEV variants in SX and GT-Line trims]. We want to see how this goes in the marketplace," Mr Rivero told CarExpert. "On top of that, we have to marry it up to how much supply we can get. Hybrid production [for Australia] is shared with the United States, so we sometimes don't get the lion's share of hybrids." Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. "We're quite happy that… we've got enough supply to do SX and GT-Line across [Hybrid] all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive, and to ask for another variant means we're going to need more supply. "If the stars do align, we can bring [entry-level Sportage S HEV variants] in. It's easy to create the variant, but not necessarily easy to get the supply of it. So we've got to juggle that right now and see how we go – timing wise… I don't know," Mr Rivero added. Notwithstanding his desire for a cheaper S-spec version of the Sportage hybrid, Mr Rivero said supply of petrol-electric Sportage vehicles has improved slightly for the model's mid-life facelift, and currently sits somewhere between 400 and 500 units per month compared to the 300/month total for the pre-facelift model. During the Sportage media conference, Mr Rivero also indicated that initial orders are showing a 60:40 split between AWD and front-wheel drive Sportage Hybrid variants, which is unsurprising given AWD hybrids have previously been unavailable in Australia. The most affordable Sportage HEV in Australia is the SX FWD, which starts from $46,450 plus on-road costs. A cheaper front-drive Sportage S hybrid would likely drop that figure to around $42,000. Australia's favourite SUV, the hybrid-only Toyota RAV4, is currently priced from $42,260 plus on-road costs for the cheapest GX 2WD variant. The Kia Sportage lineup is currently the fourth best-selling mid-size SUV in Australia based on VFACTS new-vehicle sales data, with 8723 units registered between January 1 and May 31 this year. Its 9.4 per cent share of the nation's largest auto market segment is bested by the aforementioned RAV4 (with 21,613 sales in the same period), as well as the Mitsubishi Outlander (10,203) and Mazda CX-5 (9409). For the 2024 calendar year, the Sportage line notched up 22,210 registrations (up 41.0 per cent year-on-year), again placing it fourth behind the same rivals in the same order. Interestingly, the related Hyundai Tucson lineup (7940 sales YTD) trails the Sportage in terms of popularity, despite offering double the number of hybrid variants – eight versus just four for the updated Sportage. Stay tuned to CarExpert for our first Australian drive of the facelifted Sportage on July 13. MORE: 2025 Kia Sportage price and specsMORE: Everything Kia Sportage Content originally sourced from: Kia Australia's product boss wants a more affordable, entry-level Sportage Hybrid (HEV) variant to better compete with the top-selling Toyota RAV4, but he can't confirm exactly when such an option will become available. Speaking with CarExpert at the Australian media launch of the facelifted Sportage, Kia Australia's general manager for product Roland Rivero said his team's next priority for the upgraded mid-size SUV range is adding a cheaper hybrid grade, but getting it here could be an uphill battle. "What we need to monitor first is this trim and powertrain strategy [the new all-wheel drive HEV variants in SX and GT-Line trims]. We want to see how this goes in the marketplace," Mr Rivero told CarExpert. "On top of that, we have to marry it up to how much supply we can get. Hybrid production [for Australia] is shared with the United States, so we sometimes don't get the lion's share of hybrids." Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. "We're quite happy that… we've got enough supply to do SX and GT-Line across [Hybrid] all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive, and to ask for another variant means we're going to need more supply. "If the stars do align, we can bring [entry-level Sportage S HEV variants] in. It's easy to create the variant, but not necessarily easy to get the supply of it. So we've got to juggle that right now and see how we go – timing wise… I don't know," Mr Rivero added. Notwithstanding his desire for a cheaper S-spec version of the Sportage hybrid, Mr Rivero said supply of petrol-electric Sportage vehicles has improved slightly for the model's mid-life facelift, and currently sits somewhere between 400 and 500 units per month compared to the 300/month total for the pre-facelift model. During the Sportage media conference, Mr Rivero also indicated that initial orders are showing a 60:40 split between AWD and front-wheel drive Sportage Hybrid variants, which is unsurprising given AWD hybrids have previously been unavailable in Australia. The most affordable Sportage HEV in Australia is the SX FWD, which starts from $46,450 plus on-road costs. A cheaper front-drive Sportage S hybrid would likely drop that figure to around $42,000. Australia's favourite SUV, the hybrid-only Toyota RAV4, is currently priced from $42,260 plus on-road costs for the cheapest GX 2WD variant. The Kia Sportage lineup is currently the fourth best-selling mid-size SUV in Australia based on VFACTS new-vehicle sales data, with 8723 units registered between January 1 and May 31 this year. Its 9.4 per cent share of the nation's largest auto market segment is bested by the aforementioned RAV4 (with 21,613 sales in the same period), as well as the Mitsubishi Outlander (10,203) and Mazda CX-5 (9409). For the 2024 calendar year, the Sportage line notched up 22,210 registrations (up 41.0 per cent year-on-year), again placing it fourth behind the same rivals in the same order. Interestingly, the related Hyundai Tucson lineup (7940 sales YTD) trails the Sportage in terms of popularity, despite offering double the number of hybrid variants – eight versus just four for the updated Sportage. Stay tuned to CarExpert for our first Australian drive of the facelifted Sportage on July 13. MORE: 2025 Kia Sportage price and specsMORE: Everything Kia Sportage Content originally sourced from: Kia Australia's product boss wants a more affordable, entry-level Sportage Hybrid (HEV) variant to better compete with the top-selling Toyota RAV4, but he can't confirm exactly when such an option will become available. Speaking with CarExpert at the Australian media launch of the facelifted Sportage, Kia Australia's general manager for product Roland Rivero said his team's next priority for the upgraded mid-size SUV range is adding a cheaper hybrid grade, but getting it here could be an uphill battle. "What we need to monitor first is this trim and powertrain strategy [the new all-wheel drive HEV variants in SX and GT-Line trims]. We want to see how this goes in the marketplace," Mr Rivero told CarExpert. "On top of that, we have to marry it up to how much supply we can get. Hybrid production [for Australia] is shared with the United States, so we sometimes don't get the lion's share of hybrids." Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. "We're quite happy that… we've got enough supply to do SX and GT-Line across [Hybrid] all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive, and to ask for another variant means we're going to need more supply. "If the stars do align, we can bring [entry-level Sportage S HEV variants] in. It's easy to create the variant, but not necessarily easy to get the supply of it. So we've got to juggle that right now and see how we go – timing wise… I don't know," Mr Rivero added. Notwithstanding his desire for a cheaper S-spec version of the Sportage hybrid, Mr Rivero said supply of petrol-electric Sportage vehicles has improved slightly for the model's mid-life facelift, and currently sits somewhere between 400 and 500 units per month compared to the 300/month total for the pre-facelift model. During the Sportage media conference, Mr Rivero also indicated that initial orders are showing a 60:40 split between AWD and front-wheel drive Sportage Hybrid variants, which is unsurprising given AWD hybrids have previously been unavailable in Australia. The most affordable Sportage HEV in Australia is the SX FWD, which starts from $46,450 plus on-road costs. A cheaper front-drive Sportage S hybrid would likely drop that figure to around $42,000. Australia's favourite SUV, the hybrid-only Toyota RAV4, is currently priced from $42,260 plus on-road costs for the cheapest GX 2WD variant. The Kia Sportage lineup is currently the fourth best-selling mid-size SUV in Australia based on VFACTS new-vehicle sales data, with 8723 units registered between January 1 and May 31 this year. Its 9.4 per cent share of the nation's largest auto market segment is bested by the aforementioned RAV4 (with 21,613 sales in the same period), as well as the Mitsubishi Outlander (10,203) and Mazda CX-5 (9409). For the 2024 calendar year, the Sportage line notched up 22,210 registrations (up 41.0 per cent year-on-year), again placing it fourth behind the same rivals in the same order. Interestingly, the related Hyundai Tucson lineup (7940 sales YTD) trails the Sportage in terms of popularity, despite offering double the number of hybrid variants – eight versus just four for the updated Sportage. Stay tuned to CarExpert for our first Australian drive of the facelifted Sportage on July 13. MORE: 2025 Kia Sportage price and specsMORE: Everything Kia Sportage Content originally sourced from: Kia Australia's product boss wants a more affordable, entry-level Sportage Hybrid (HEV) variant to better compete with the top-selling Toyota RAV4, but he can't confirm exactly when such an option will become available. Speaking with CarExpert at the Australian media launch of the facelifted Sportage, Kia Australia's general manager for product Roland Rivero said his team's next priority for the upgraded mid-size SUV range is adding a cheaper hybrid grade, but getting it here could be an uphill battle. "What we need to monitor first is this trim and powertrain strategy [the new all-wheel drive HEV variants in SX and GT-Line trims]. We want to see how this goes in the marketplace," Mr Rivero told CarExpert. "On top of that, we have to marry it up to how much supply we can get. Hybrid production [for Australia] is shared with the United States, so we sometimes don't get the lion's share of hybrids." Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. "We're quite happy that… we've got enough supply to do SX and GT-Line across [Hybrid] all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive, and to ask for another variant means we're going to need more supply. "If the stars do align, we can bring [entry-level Sportage S HEV variants] in. It's easy to create the variant, but not necessarily easy to get the supply of it. So we've got to juggle that right now and see how we go – timing wise… I don't know," Mr Rivero added. Notwithstanding his desire for a cheaper S-spec version of the Sportage hybrid, Mr Rivero said supply of petrol-electric Sportage vehicles has improved slightly for the model's mid-life facelift, and currently sits somewhere between 400 and 500 units per month compared to the 300/month total for the pre-facelift model. During the Sportage media conference, Mr Rivero also indicated that initial orders are showing a 60:40 split between AWD and front-wheel drive Sportage Hybrid variants, which is unsurprising given AWD hybrids have previously been unavailable in Australia. The most affordable Sportage HEV in Australia is the SX FWD, which starts from $46,450 plus on-road costs. A cheaper front-drive Sportage S hybrid would likely drop that figure to around $42,000. Australia's favourite SUV, the hybrid-only Toyota RAV4, is currently priced from $42,260 plus on-road costs for the cheapest GX 2WD variant. The Kia Sportage lineup is currently the fourth best-selling mid-size SUV in Australia based on VFACTS new-vehicle sales data, with 8723 units registered between January 1 and May 31 this year. Its 9.4 per cent share of the nation's largest auto market segment is bested by the aforementioned RAV4 (with 21,613 sales in the same period), as well as the Mitsubishi Outlander (10,203) and Mazda CX-5 (9409). For the 2024 calendar year, the Sportage line notched up 22,210 registrations (up 41.0 per cent year-on-year), again placing it fourth behind the same rivals in the same order. Interestingly, the related Hyundai Tucson lineup (7940 sales YTD) trails the Sportage in terms of popularity, despite offering double the number of hybrid variants – eight versus just four for the updated Sportage. Stay tuned to CarExpert for our first Australian drive of the facelifted Sportage on July 13. MORE: 2025 Kia Sportage price and specsMORE: Everything Kia Sportage Content originally sourced from:

Kia wants an even cheaper Sportage Hybrid to take on the Toyota RAV4 in Australia
Kia wants an even cheaper Sportage Hybrid to take on the Toyota RAV4 in Australia

West Australian

time06-06-2025

  • Automotive
  • West Australian

Kia wants an even cheaper Sportage Hybrid to take on the Toyota RAV4 in Australia

Kia Australia's product boss wants a more affordable, entry-level Sportage Hybrid (HEV) variant to better compete with the top-selling Toyota RAV4 , but he can't confirm exactly when such an option will become available. Speaking with CarExpert at the Australian media launch of the facelifted Sportage, Kia Australia's general manager for product Roland Rivero said his team's next priority for the upgraded mid-size SUV range is adding a cheaper hybrid grade, but getting it here could be an uphill battle. 'What we need to monitor first is this trim and powertrain strategy [the new all-wheel drive HEV variants in SX and GT-Line trims]. We want to see how this goes in the marketplace,' Mr Rivero told CarExpert. 'On top of that, we have to marry it up to how much supply we can get. Hybrid production [for Australia] is shared with the United States, so we sometimes don't get the lion's share of hybrids.' Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now . 'We're quite happy that… we've got enough supply to do SX and GT-Line across [Hybrid] all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive, and to ask for another variant means we're going to need more supply. 'If the stars do align, we can bring [entry-level Sportage S HEV variants] in. It's easy to create the variant, but not necessarily easy to get the supply of it. So we've got to juggle that right now and see how we go – timing wise… I don't know,' Mr Rivero added. Notwithstanding his desire for a cheaper S-spec version of the Sportage hybrid, Mr Rivero said supply of petrol-electric Sportage vehicles has improved slightly for the model's mid-life facelift, and currently sits somewhere between 400 and 500 units per month compared to the 300/month total for the pre-facelift model. During the Sportage media conference, Mr Rivero also indicated that initial orders are showing a 60:40 split between AWD and front-wheel drive Sportage Hybrid variants, which is unsurprising given AWD hybrids have previously been unavailable in Australia. The most affordable Sportage HEV in Australia is the SX FWD, which starts from $46,450 plus on-road costs. A cheaper front-drive Sportage S hybrid would likely drop that figure to around $42,000. Australia's favourite SUV, the hybrid-only Toyota RAV4, is currently priced from $42,260 plus on-road costs for the cheapest GX 2WD variant. The Kia Sportage lineup is currently the fourth best-selling mid-size SUV in Australia based on VFACTS new-vehicle sales data, with 8723 units registered between January 1 and May 31 this year. Its 9.4 per cent share of the nation's largest auto market segment is bested by the aforementioned RAV4 (with 21,613 sales in the same period), as well as the Mitsubishi Outlander (10,203) and Mazda CX-5 (9409). For the 2024 calendar year, the Sportage line notched up 22,210 registrations (up 41.0 per cent year-on-year), again placing it fourth behind the same rivals in the same order. Interestingly, the related Hyundai Tucson lineup (7940 sales YTD) trails the Sportage in terms of popularity, despite offering double the number of hybrid variants – eight versus just four for the updated Sportage. Stay tuned to CarExpert for our first Australian drive of the facelifted Sportage on July 13. MORE: 2025 Kia Sportage price and specs MORE: Everything Kia Sportage

Kia wants an even cheaper Sportage Hybrid to take on the Toyota RAV4 in Australia
Kia wants an even cheaper Sportage Hybrid to take on the Toyota RAV4 in Australia

Perth Now

time06-06-2025

  • Automotive
  • Perth Now

Kia wants an even cheaper Sportage Hybrid to take on the Toyota RAV4 in Australia

Kia Australia's product boss wants a more affordable, entry-level Sportage Hybrid (HEV) variant to better compete with the top-selling Toyota RAV4, but he can't confirm exactly when such an option will become available. Speaking with CarExpert at the Australian media launch of the facelifted Sportage, Kia Australia's general manager for product Roland Rivero said his team's next priority for the upgraded mid-size SUV range is adding a cheaper hybrid grade, but getting it here could be an uphill battle. 'What we need to monitor first is this trim and powertrain strategy [the new all-wheel drive HEV variants in SX and GT-Line trims]. We want to see how this goes in the marketplace,' Mr Rivero told CarExpert. 'On top of that, we have to marry it up to how much supply we can get. Hybrid production [for Australia] is shared with the United States, so we sometimes don't get the lion's share of hybrids.' Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Sportage S 2.0 FWD Credit: CarExpert 'We're quite happy that… we've got enough supply to do SX and GT-Line across [Hybrid] all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive, and to ask for another variant means we're going to need more supply. 'If the stars do align, we can bring [entry-level Sportage S HEV variants] in. It's easy to create the variant, but not necessarily easy to get the supply of it. So we've got to juggle that right now and see how we go – timing wise… I don't know,' Mr Rivero added. Notwithstanding his desire for a cheaper S-spec version of the Sportage hybrid, Mr Rivero said supply of petrol-electric Sportage vehicles has improved slightly for the model's mid-life facelift, and currently sits somewhere between 400 and 500 units per month compared to the 300/month total for the pre-facelift model. During the Sportage media conference, Mr Rivero also indicated that initial orders are showing a 60:40 split between AWD and front-wheel drive Sportage Hybrid variants, which is unsurprising given AWD hybrids have previously been unavailable in Australia. Sportage S 2.0 FWD Credit: CarExpert The most affordable Sportage HEV in Australia is the SX FWD, which starts from $46,450 plus on-road costs. A cheaper front-drive Sportage S hybrid would likely drop that figure to around $42,000. Australia's favourite SUV, the hybrid-only Toyota RAV4, is currently priced from $42,260 plus on-road costs for the cheapest GX 2WD variant. The Kia Sportage lineup is currently the fourth best-selling mid-size SUV in Australia based on VFACTS new-vehicle sales data, with 8723 units registered between January 1 and May 31 this year. Its 9.4 per cent share of the nation's largest auto market segment is bested by the aforementioned RAV4 (with 21,613 sales in the same period), as well as the Mitsubishi Outlander (10,203) and Mazda CX-5 (9409). Sportage S 2.0 FWD Credit: CarExpert For the 2024 calendar year, the Sportage line notched up 22,210 registrations (up 41.0 per cent year-on-year), again placing it fourth behind the same rivals in the same order. Interestingly, the related Hyundai Tucson lineup (7940 sales YTD) trails the Sportage in terms of popularity, despite offering double the number of hybrid variants – eight versus just four for the updated Sportage. Stay tuned to CarExpert for our first Australian drive of the facelifted Sportage on July 13. MORE: 2025 Kia Sportage price and specsMORE: Everything Kia Sportage

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store