Automobile Updates - 20th and 21st September 2014

• Car rental firm Avis India plans to invest Rs 200 crore over the next 12-18 months to take its fleet size to over 5,000 units by March 2016. The company, which is a joint venture between the Avis Budget Group Inc and The Oberoi Group, currently has a fleet of 2,800 cars which serve two broad segments - renting car for short durations and long-term operating lease to corporates. (economicstimes.com)

• The first round of tripartite talks pertaining to the five-day old strike at Bosch's Adugodi plant here remained inconclusive today, with Additional Labour Commissioner directing contending parties to solve all issues before next hearing on September 26."I have directed the contending parties - Bosch management and workers union - to sort out all pending issues among themselves before the next hearing scheduled on September 26," Additional Labour Commissioner Narasimha Murthy told PTI here.(ETauto.com)

• India's largest car maker - Maruti Suzuki, is taking steps to build a premium brand image in India. Earlier it was reported, that the company would be investing Rs.1000 crores to set up 'Brand Centres' at several upmarket locations across India to showcase its new products and technology. This time around, The Times of India has reported that the company would be upgrading its sales force to offer buyers a premium sales experience. Maruti Suzuki is looking to recruit sales personnel from the hospitality industry such as five star hotels and also from other luxury brands; as well as hire employees specialising in soft skills; with a plan to develop a core team of 1800 sales staff to begin operations across 20 cities.(Teambhp.com)

• General Motors India might launch the facelifted Chevrolet Sail sedan and hatchback on September 24. This has been a good year for car manufacturers in India in terms of sales and in order to capitalise the start of this festive season, Chevrolet will also bring in some updates to their existing vehicles in form of facelifts.(carwale.com)

• Renault India will be launching its two major products next year which include the new entry-level hatchback as well as the Lodgy MPV that will be locking horns with the Honda Mobilio, Maruti Ertiga and the likes in the segment. With the launch still some time away, the French manufacturer has commenced testing the model in India as test mules were spotted while doing rounds in Chennai. Covered in heavy blue camouflage, the exteriors have been cleverly hidden. However if the Duster is anything to go by, the Lodgy will not be too different from the international version.(motorbeam.com)

• Honda Mobilio, the seven seater MPV has attracted more than 20,000 bookings in a span of two months of its launch. While according to the company’s sales report, the Japanese manufacturer already sold more than 8890 units in July and August, with September sales figures still to come. Honda MPV being a 7 seater family MPV is put against the likes Toyota Innova and Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. It is priced at Rs 6.49 lakh for the base petrol while the diesel model starts at Rs 7.89 lakh (Ex-Showroom, New Delhi).(cardekho.com)

• For this festive season, Maruti Suzuki has introduced limited edition variants, rather packages for best selling B-segment hatchback Swift and most preferred compact sedan Dzire, badged Swift Silver Plus and DZire Regalia respectively.(rushlane.com)

• Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Yamaha is doing its part to give upcoming designers a chance to present their designs. Yamaha Motor Japan, together with Yamaha Corporation, has announced the launch of their Graphic Design Award by Yamaha (GDAY) competition. This is a new international design award which invites innovative graphic communication ideas from both established and emerging visual communication designers or design collectives from across the world.(motoroids.com)

• With an aim to accelerate sales in the Indian market, luxury carmaker Automobili Lamborghini is all set to launch its technology-packed supercar, Huracan. The Huracan LP 610-4, which attracted over 1,000 buyers within two months of taking orders, debuts in India on September 22.Lamborghini, which is owned by Audi AG, thinks India's super-rich have an appetite for super cars, despite the high taxes. (financial express)