Automotive Updates - 10th October 2014

• Hubli, located in Northern Karnataka had recently missed on luring Hero MotoCorp set-up to lucrative offer from Andhra Pradesh is now wooing Hyundai Motor India Ltd to set up a production plant there. If successful, the benefits would be mutual as the localities would get employment opportunities, whereas Hyundai Motor, second largest automobile brand in India shall get low cost production benefits. An approximate investment of about Rs 1,000-1,500 crore shall provide about 5,000 job opportunities.(carkhabri.com)

• Interbrand, the world’s leading brand consultancy firm, recently voted Nissan as one of the world’s best brands for 2014. Nissan ranked 53, compared to the previous year’s 65 in Interbrand’s Best Global Brands Study. According to the study conducted by the firm, the contributing factors for the vote were aspects such as Nissan’s strong financial performance, vast and diverse product portfolio and current market leadership for its electric cars. (motoroids.com)

•  The government today said it is taking various steps, including help start-ups to get easy loans and opening 500 incubation centres in the country, for boosting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector."We have decided that we will run 500 incubation centres in the country. At present there are only 84 centres. I request the corporate sector to encourage people to open these centres. It will help in providing skills and employment to youths," MSME MinisterKalraj Mishra said here at a CII function.(ETauto.com)

• In an initiative to bring commercial vehicle manufacturers’ technologies and buyers’ aspiration together and introduce new trends in the industry, the three-day International Commercial Vehicle Fair (TICVF) kicked off at the Chennai Trade Center today. The aim is to provide a platform for fleet owners, logistics operators, transport companies, state transport undertaking (STUs) and transport associations across the country. Overall, 55 participants inclusive of truck OEMs, tyremakers, components manufacturers, lubricant makers, vehicle tracking and telematics providers and finance companies have put up stalls at the venue. (autocarpro.in)

• General Motors announced today that worldwide sales of the Chevrolet Beat (Chevrolet Spark in international markets) crossed the 1 million figure. The small car was introduced to India in 2010, and at the Auto Expo this year, the facelift was launched. GM India has sold over 178,000 units of the Beat in India since its inception. Recently, the company started exporting the Talegaon-made Beat to Chile in South America, and going forth, more export markets are under consideration including Africa.(indianautoblogs.com)

• Trying to find ground in the premium space of the auto market, Maruti Suzuki took its first step with the recently launched Ciaz sedan and will soon introduce new products in the Rs. 8 lakh and above segments. While the S-Cross is lined up next for launch in 2015, the Indian auto giant will bring the all new Vitara to India by 2017. The crossover was officially unveiled at the last week’s 2014 Paris Motor Show and will be rivalling the likes of the Nissan Qashqai, Honda CR-V and Hyundai Santa Fe internationally, while the Skoda Yeti is perceived as its main rival in the country.(motorbeam.com)

• Ford India, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, has announced its first Automotive Student Service Educational Training (ASSET) Centre in collaboration with Social Welfare Technical School, ITI Cochin. This program aims to create a pool of talented and skilled professionals for the automobile industry. The first Ford ASSET Centre was inaugurated by P.K. Umashankar, vice-president, Customer Service Operations, Ford India. (motoroids.com)

• The world’s largest two wheeler maker (by volume), Hero Motocorp has filed to trademark its upcoming flagship offering, the HX250R in Europe, as per reports by various international media. The new quarter litre sportsbike which premiered ahead of the Auto Expo this year has been developed with inputs from the company’s US-based technical partner EBR. It is to be noted that Hero Motocorp holds nearly 50% stake in the American superbike maker. (indianautoblogs.com)

• Hyundai today made global debut of its India bound ix25 compact SUV in China, after revealing the concept version at 2014 Beijing Motor Show followed by showcasing the production version at Chengdu Motor Show couple of months later. Prices in China starts from 119,800 RMB (approximately Rs. 11.95 lakh) to 179,800 RMB (nearly Rs. 17.93 lakh).(cardekho.com)