Automotive updates - 8th June

• Automobile dealers' body Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) has honoured Tata group Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata with Life Time Contribution Award. Tata received the award for his invaluable contribution to the growth, development and success of the domestic auto industry, FADA said in a statement here.

• JSW Steel today reported 5.43 per cent growth in crude steel production at 10.68 lakh tonnes (LT) in May over the same month last year.The Sajjan Jindal-led steel maker had produced 10.13 LT steel in May last year, it said in a statement.

• In a bid to save on fuel cost and promote water transport, the Shipping Ministry is preparing a blue-print on the ambitious plan to ship vehicles made in Chennai to Gujarat via sea route and from there to Delhi via road.

• UK based iconic motorcycle manufacturer Triumph Motorcycles has sold 450 units in the country through its six dealerships in the country in the first six months of its operation.

• apanese auto major Honda Motor Co. Ltd plans to hire around 1,000 people in India as it looks to start a second production shift at its plant by the end of this fiscal.

• The company’s wholly-owned subsidiary Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) is targeting an almost 50% jump in sales to 2 lakh units in 2014-15. “When we will start the second shift at the Tapukara facility, we will require more manpower. We think we will add 800-1,000 people in our overall headcount in India by the end of this fiscal,” HCIL senior vice-president (marketing and sales) Jnaneswar Sen told PTI.

• General Motor is preparing to launch Chevrolet Corvette Z06, tagged as the fastest car produced ever by the company. According to a recent report, the company could roll out the vehicle in the US market in 2015. GM is likely to roll out the vehicle in coupe and convertible body styles.

• Rising popularity of SUVs across the globe has led the German auto maker, Volkswagen to add more SUVs to its global portfolio. Currently, the car maker has only two products under this segment, including Tiguan and Touareg. If media reports are to be believed, the company is contemplating to increase its SUV range to six vehicles by launching four more SUVs in coming time.

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