Automotive Updates - 30th May 2014

• Renault India launched the Duster Adventure Edition at the Auto Expo in February this year. The Adventure Edition of the Duster was available only with the higher-spec 110 PS diesel engine and is priced at INR 11.79 lakhs (ex-Showroom, New Delhi).

• Japan's Isuzu Motors aims to sell 50,000 pickup vehicles in India in the next few years to gain market leadership, a top company executive has said. The company, which has a fully owned subsidiary in Chennai, has earmarked Rs 3,000 crore for a 120,000 units per year manufacturing facility close by. 

• Mahindra and Mahindra has posted a marginal increase in standalone net profit at Rs 896.88 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31.The auto major had posted a profit of Rs 889.19 crore during the same period of 2012-13.

• Japan's industrial output in April dropped a seasonally adjusted 2.5 percent from the previous month, ministry of economy, trade and industry said Friday.It also downgraded the assessment of the production, which is the first time since September 2011, saying it "appears to be flat" compared to the previous month's phrase of "showing upward momentum", reported Xinhua.

• Luxury carmaker BMW India will locally produce its new BMW X5 xDrive30d model at its Chennai plant in Tamil Nadu. Priced at Rs 70.9 lakh (ex-showroom India), it will be manufactured in diesel trim and will hit dealerships from June onwards.

• The home grown auto making company Force Motors has silently added a new variant in its 4x4 Force one all wheel drive variant in its SUV Force One with base price of Rs. 13.98 lakh (ex-showroom price in New Delhi). The seven seater SUV has been offered in top end LX variant. The new variant is equipped with 2.2 FMTECH (Force Motor Technology) engine developing the power of 139 bhp and torque of 320Nm and is capable of picking up the top speed of 160 kmph.  

• The Competition Commission has closed a case against auto maker Hyundai Motor Company and three dealers as it did not find sufficient evidence to prove cartelisation.

• TVS Motor has launched a new color on the Apache RTR 180. Called the Apache RTR 180 Matte Black Edition, the motorcycle was showcased in January this year at the India Bike Week. Sales of the RTR 180 Matte Black have now commenced, and a TV commercial featuring this bike in conjunction with the new X-Men movie is also on air.

• The Jaguar Land Rover – Chery joint venture rolled out the first China-assembled Range Rover Evoque yesterday from their yet-to-be completed factory in Changshu, Jiangsu province. 

• Fiat India launched its brand new campaign called “Hello Life” at a function in Mumbai, yesterday.It has been designed to convey the feeling of happiness and positivity around the brand FIAT. “Hello Life is inspired by the Italian way of life. 

•  Ford is recalling 1.4 million SUVs and cars in North America to fix steering, rust and floor mat problems.

• Maruti Suzuki’s plans of entering the commercial vehicle segment have been much spoken and written about over the past months. Codenamed Y9T, the new light commercial vehicle is a vital product for the company that not only marks India’s largest passenger car maker’s debut in the commercial vehicle segment, but also its first home developed diesel engine that will power the LCV and an extensive list of small cars. Now, a report states that the Y9T LCV will come with a 792cc diesel engine, mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.