Automotive updates - 12th MAy 2014

• Diesel prices may be hiked by up to one rupee a litre after Election Commission rejected the Oil Ministry's proposal made on the eve of elections to shelve the monthly increases in rates.

• Fiat is taking another run at getting things right in India as part of the wider strategy that the company, now Fiat Chrysler, has for the Asia-Pacific region in its 2018 plan.

• Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) today reported 30 per cent increase in global sales for April at 37,171 units. The company's sales were up 72 per cent in the China region, 19 per cent in North America, 25 per cent in Asia Pacific and 27 per cent in Europe, JLR said in a statement.

• The net sales of SRF Limited, a multi-business entity engaged in the manufacture of chemical-based industrial intermediates, increased by 8% to Rs 884 crore for the last quarter of 2013-14 over the corresponding period last year.

• Harley-Davidson entered the Indian two-wheeler market in 2009 and currently the company holds the top position in the premium motorcycle segment. While the manufacturer brought down its bikes via the CBU route earlier, it was only in 2011 when Harley-Davidson India started importing their products as CKD units. The main reason for this was that CKD kits attract lesser tax than CBUs. These CKD kits are assembled at the company’s plant in Bawal, Haryana. Along with bikes, the company also offers spare parts and service, accessories as well as riding gear in India.

• Internal competition at Ford Motor is likely to rob its Indian unit an opportunity to export the EcoSport to North America, where the US automaker plans to launch the compact sport-utility vehicle in the first half of 2016, people familiar with the matter said.

• Suzuki India has silently updated the Swish 125 automatic scooter with a host of changes in order to counter the attack from the newly launched Honda Activa 125. With the Activa 125 launched earlier this month, the 125cc segment is surely facing the heat with India’s best selling scooter getting a bigger engine. Moreover, the Activa 125 has turned out be a more complete package with the bigger motor and updated exteriors which makes the Swish look dated. The Activa 125 is also more feature rich making the Swish seem basic in comparison.

• As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), initiative, Arvind Saxena, president and MD, General Motors India, recently handed over a cheque for Rs 150,000 to the school authorities at Sankalp School, Gurgaon for the education, meals and hygiene of One Class in the presence of other GM India senior leadership. Apart from financial assistance, GM India has committed full support to the school in the future as well.

• The Karnataka government has stopped operation of interstate luxury coach buses that have failed to comply with the latest rules and regulation in connection with emergency exit door norms. The state government has prevented such buses from entering into Karnataka since the past week.

• The Mercedes-Benz GLA has arrived on Indian shores for homologation purposes and is mere months away from its launch. Mercedes-Benz showcased the production-version of the Mercedes GLA at the Auto Expo 2014. A report from Import & Export data website Zauba.com says that two models of the compact SUV have been shipped over from Mercedes’ production facility in Germany.

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