Automotive Update - 10th September 2014

• Suzuki Motorcycle India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation, plans to double its production capacity to 1 million units in three years and launch new scooters to tap fast-growing demand in the segment, a top company executive said.(ETauto.com)

• Rajkot-based three-wheel manufacturer Atul Auto is in process of acquiring land to build a greenfield facility near Ahmedabad. The company has informed the Bombay Stock Exchange in a filing that it is ‘looking at the upward movement of business growth and exploring various options for capacity expansion’. As part of expansion strategy, it has identified approximately 70 acres of agriculture land near Bavla, of which it has acquired 35 acres. (autocarpro.in)

• Updating its SUV for the 2014 model year, Skoda has launched the 2014 Yeti facelift in India, priced from Rs. 18.99 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi), making it much more expensive than the outgoing model (around Rs. 2 lakhs dearer). The very capable crossover gets a cosmetic makeover on the outside, while the cabin is now loaded with much more equipment that makes this SUV a bit more fun. (motorbeam.com)

• Valvoline Cummins Ltd. (VCL), a joint venture between Ashland Inc. and Cummins India Limited, today announced the opening of its new laboratories for R&D and Product Development along with a training facility, at its Ambernath plant, close to Mumbai.The new R&D facility is integrated with the Valvoline Global R&D facility at Lexington, Kentucky, USA. This facility will undertake research and development for futuristic products and technologies. (ETauto.com)

• Chung Mong-koo, Global Chief of Hyundai Motors Group is on a three day visit to India. Chung Mong-koo arrived in India on Saturday night and was accompanied by a 14 member group from the Korean company that consists largely of technical experts.(rushlane.com)

• Renault India Pvt. Ltd. today announced the appointment of Rafael Treguer, as Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Renault India. Treguer brings with him more than 20 years of international experience within the Renault group.(motortrend.com)

• According to a report in Economic Times, the country’s UV leader Mahindra is preparing itself to launch three sub-4 metre SUVs in the 18-24 months. It’s already known that the Ford EcoSport rivaling Mahindra S101 which is testing extensively is due next year. The second product would be the next gen Bolero codenamed U301 which also has been spotted on test quite a number of times in Chennai. ET reports that the third mini SUV is the facelifted Quanto codenamed U215 which is currently undergoing a design overhaul at the company’s Italian design centre.(indianautoblogs.com)

• Two-wheeler maker TVS Motor Company has appointed Sudarshan Venu as its joint managing director with immediate effect.24-year-old Sudarshan Venu is the only son of Venu Srinivasan, chairman and managing director of TVS Motor, and Mallika Srinivasan. He was a whole time director with the company. (ETauto.com)