Automotive Updates - 16th and 17th August 2014

• India's ambitious plan to become a global hub for small car exports has taken a hit due to falling shipments to Europe, while unfavourable environment in the neighbourhood has led to lost opportunities to the tune of $2 billion. According to the latest Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) data for the April-July period this fiscal, car exports were down 5.02 per cent to 1,71,274 units as against 1,80,332 units in the year-ago period. 9economicstimes.com)

• After months of negotiations and intermittent unrest impacting production, Pune-based Bajaj Auto and its Chakan plant unions have finally reached a wage agreement under which the management has agreed to hike the wages by up to Rs 10,000 per month.As per the revised wage agreement, permanent employees having been with the company for five or more years will get a wage hike of Rs 10,000 a month while those having spent three years or more will be given Rs 9,500 a month. (ETauto.com)

• The SX4 S-Cross is the first jointly developed product from MSI and SMC.A report on the Economic Times states that Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) will pay lesser royalty to parent Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) starting with the upcoming compact crossover, the SX4 S-Cross. The reason is that MSI’s engineers will enhance their role in the development of products henceforth. (indianautoblogs.com)

•  Yamaha Motor India Limited, the Indian subsidiary of Japanese two-wheeler maker, will focus on increasing sales of the deluxe motorbike (150cc) and scooters in big cities under a new "top-down" approach as it seeks to double market share in the country to 10% over the next three years, a top executive said. (ETauto.com)

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• As reported earlier German luxurious car maker BMW will launch the refreshed version of its luxurious compact SUV X3 showcased during Geneva Motor Show 2014, in Indian car market during the month of August this year. It is now reported that the car maker is going to launch the refreshed version on August 28, 2014.(carkhabri.com)

• Utility vehicle major Mahindra & Mahindra will stop production for up to four days this month across its automotive plants in the wake of weak demand.Aligning production with sales requirements, the company would be observing no production days at the automotive plants for up to four days during the remaining period of August, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) said.(ETauto.com)

• Austrian bike manufacturer KTM, which works in India along with Bajaj Auto, is going to be really occupied in the month of September. After successfully launching and promoting the Duke series in India, KTM is set to launch the RC set of bikes, namely 390 and 200. While the launch of KTM RC390 was sure, it was unclear as to whether the firm would also introduce the RC200. However, sources and various automobile tabloids claim that come 9th September, KTM RC200 shall see the light of the Indian market.(cartrade.com)

• In an attempt to have a go at small car giants Maruti and Hyundai, Honda is reportedly working on a new hatchback to be positioned below its current entry level Indian model, the Honda Brio.The Honda mini car would be powered by a new 1.0-litre petrol engine that is also on the anvil, reports Financial Express. The newspaper’s sources say that the motor in question would be available in both guises – naturally aspirated and turbocharged. (indianautoblogs.com)

• General Motors Co will invest 6.5 billion reais ($2.8 billion) in Brazil over the next five years, Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra said on Thursday, reaffirming the automaker's long-term plans despite a sharp downturn in the local market. (ETauto.com)

• Honda Cars India have updated Indian Autos Blog that the Mobilio has received over 13,800 bookings so far. The MPV which was launched on July 23, recorded sales of 3,365 units last month, giving the Japanese car maker a domestic tally of 15,709 units. (indianautoblogs.com)

• Maruti Suzuki comes at the top position in the Indian auto market. It has captured most segments like entry-level hatchbacks, premium hatchbacks, compact sedans and compact MPVs very well. The company has a C-segment sedan Ciaz coming up next month with the SX4 S-Cross is due for launch early next year. Maruti pays some amount of royalty to Suzuki every quarter because even though the vehicles are manufactured in India, their development takes place in Japan. Now, top officials from Maruti have stated that they are aiming to launch new SUVs and MPVs in India in full force and implementation of this plan will take place as early as next year.(motorbeam.com)

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