Automotive Updates - 26th September 2014

• Automobile major Mahindra & Mahindra would continue to focus on utility vehicles segment with the launch of fresh products on new platforms, a top company official has said. "The utility vehicles (UV) segment is the core focus area of Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) where concentration will revolve around this segment," Jyoti Malhotra, VP (Sales) of the company said today. (economicstimes.com)

• Indian car major Maruti Suzuki wants to utilise the festive season to maximise its sales as the manufacturer has introduced the limited edition Maruti Celerio VXi+ to attract more consumers towards the brand.This limited edition Celerio VXi+ comes with cosmetic upgrades like body coloured ORVMs with integrated turn indicator and body coloured door handles. (ETauto.com)

•  American bike maker UM Motorcycles has agreed to form an equal joint venture with electric two-wheeler maker Lohia Auto to manufacture and market its products, starting with cruiser motorcycles."We have finalised our terms with the Indian company to start a joint facility and roll out the American bikes in the domestic market," Rajeev Mishra, director at UM Motorcycles India, told ET.(ETauto.com)

• According to Nikkei, Isuzu Motors and General Motors will jointly develop a pickup truck for emerging markets. The new pickup will be manufactured in Southeast Asia and India, and sales will start in Thailand and Indonesia as early as 2015. Nikkei did not reveal the source of this information, but said that a formal announcement will be made by the companies on Friday.(indianautoblogs.com)

• Volkswagen AG is planning to deploy SEAT into India aiming at budget car segment dominated by Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai. If the plan works well on paper, SEAT could be introduced in the country by 2018. Right now SEAT is the only brand left to be established in India from Volkswagen AG’s stable.(rushlane.com)

• Ford Motor on Friday announced that it was recalling 850,000 vehicles in North America due to a systems glitch that can stop air bags from deploying in a crash. Ford issued the recall following problems in the restraints control module, a key part of its safety system that takes information from front crash sensors and other sensors and activates air bags and seat-belt pretensioners.(livemint.com)

• Japanese auto parts maker FCC Company has purchased its Indian partner Rico Auto's 50% stake in their equal joint venture FCC Rico for Rs 495 crore, signalling continued interest among Japanese companies to invest in India's automobile sector. The transaction, valuing the two-decade old company at.Rs 990 crore, is the result of a strategic decision taken by both entities to focus on their individual strengths and capabilities to create value and drive growth, two people with direct knowledge of the deal said. (economicstimes.com)

• Ford has decided to phase out its best-seller Figo hatchback from India and will replace the model with a new-generation car also to be badged as Figo by late next year.The company will also phase out Classic' entry sedan to make way for the new mid-size car that was showcased at the Delhi Motor Show in February this year. (ETauto.com)

• COMSOL Multiphysics, a provider of simulation software for product design and research to the automotive OEMs, has setup its office in Pune in order to be closer to its customers. Pune branch being the firm’s third branch in India will work towards strengthening its support services in the western region via software sales, technical support, training sessions, workshops, user conferences and customer events. (autocarpro.in)

• Ford India, in an official communication, has informed about the change of organisational structure in the company. Mr Vinay Piparsania will now be the Director Marketing, Sales and Service operations at Ford Global Business Services.Ford’s Global Business Services (GBS) division provides support to nearly every Ford location around the world in the areas of IT, Engineering, Finance and Accounting, Automotive Financing, Marketing, Sales and Service, Analytics and Purchasing.(motorbeam.com)