Automotive Updates - 18th September 2014

• Maruti Suzuki  India today said voting by minority shareholders over its move to let parent Suzuki Motor Corp own and invest in Gujarat plant will likely happen in November instead of October as earlier envisaged. "It is a long procedure and we have not been able to put all the things in place. So we won't be able to do it in October. It is highly probable that the voting will be in November," Maruti Suzuki India Chairman R C Bhargava said on the sidelines of a conference on Public Affairs here.(economicstimes.com)

• Following the resignation of Mr. Mayank Pareek, Senior Executive Officer (Marketing and Sales), Maruti Suzuki India Limited today announced that Mr R S Kalsi will take over as head of Domestic Marketing & Sales.Mr Kalsi is currently Executive Director, heading the Parts, Accessories and Outbound Logistics divisions of the Company. Mr Shashank Srivastava, Executive Director, will continue to head International Marketing for the Company. Both, Mr Kalsi and Mr Srivastava, will report to Managing Director.(motoroids.com)

• Triumph Motorcycles India Private Limited today launched the Thunderbird LT (light-touring) at Rs 15,75 Lakh (ex-showroom). The company expects Thunderbird LT will further strengthen the product portfolio. (ETauto.com)

• Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI), India’s second largest two-wheeler maker, has confirmed its plan of rolling out the 160cc premium commuter motorcycle by the end of the ongoing calendar year. The said commuter bike is expected to play a crucial role for Honda in terms of finding a hold in the 150cc segment, wherein it will compete with segment bestsellers such as Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTS-i and Yamaha’s FZ bikes. (Autocarpro.in)

• India Made Duster Has Corrosion Issues But Renault Won’t Recall . Dacia has admitted to having inconsistencies in the paint process at the Renault-Nissan plant in Chennai that could cause surface corrosion on the Duster’s door sills and bonnet. This is one of the reasons as to why the Duster is no longer exported from India to the UK.(Motorbeam.com)   

• The local unit of Toyota Motor is planning to expand marketing focus on rural India to shore up sales of its sluggish compact models, following the successful strategy of rivals Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motor which sell a sizeable number of their small cars in the hinterlands.(ETauto.com)

• Apollo Tyres will set up its first international Greenfield facility in Hungary. The confirmation has come after receiving the necessary approval from its Board of Directors. Hungary was chosen after a consideration of various factors over some of the neighbouring Central Eastern European and Asian countries. (motoroids.com)

•  China and India will sign a $6.8 billion deal to establish two industrial parks aimed at reducing trade imbalances, Wang Hejun, economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese embassy in India said on Wednesday. (ETauto.com)

• Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Punjab National Bank for attractive retail finance to its customers. Mr. S. S Bhatia (General Manager – Retail Assets Division) and Mr. Yadvinder S. Guleria (Vice President – Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd.) were present to sign the MoU.(rushlane.com)

• To further reinstate its hold in the compact-SUV segment, Renault India is preparing to launch a 4x4 version of the popular Renault Duster.The Duster, till now was only available in front wheel drive version, and to make it more versatile Renault is introducing an all-wheel-drive variant of the SUV called 'Renault Duster AWD' on September 24. (ETauto.com)

• Magna International announced today that it is supplying two innovative, industry-first systems on the BMW i8 plug-in electric sports car: outside mirrors with hidden turn signals and SmartLatch an electronic side-door latch system. The unique design of the outside mirrors includes a hidden turn signal that is fully integrated so that the mirror housing and turn-signal lens are one and the same. The signal is invisible when not in operation, which allows for styling improvements and improved aerodynamics with no additional gaps or incremental wind noise. (Autocarpro.in)

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