Automotive Updates - 12th December 2014

• The Ministry of Transport, Government of India has proposed few changes in the Road Transport and Safety Bill pertaining to the stringent recall norm. Earlier, the car makers were up in arms against the tough recall norm, where Bill had provision about 100 complaints to force a recall. The revised draft of the Bill has made no mention about the number of complaints, much to the relief of the auto makers.The Bill has proposed to establish a National Authority to deal with vehicle safety issues, where it has made provision to empower the Authority to recall any faulty vehicle that could endanger the driver and the occupants and other road users. Read more: http://indianautosblog.com/2014/12/india-vehicle-recall-modified-161729#ixzz3Li2aZ900 

• Auto component firm Pricol today said it will acquire a Brazil-based auto component maker for making a foray into the Brazilian market. The company, however, did not disclose financial details of the acquisition. "Company at the meeting held on December 11, 2014, has proposed to acquire 99.99 per cent of stake in a Brazil-based auto component manufacturing company through its wholly owned subsidiary incorporated inSpain," Pricol said in a BSE filing. (ETauto.com)

• Continental, a well-established company dealing in automotive components are famous for supplying, manufacturing and developing of anti-lock braking system for bikes. It has been in this industry for the last 10 years. Finally, after extensive research, the company has introduced and enhanced the Motorcycle Integral Brake (MIB) system. A new system has been introduced by introducing a new function – the curve braking system optimised for making it more effective when the motorcycles are taking a curve.(cartrade.com)

• Tractor manufacturer Same Deutz Fahr launched its Deutz Fahr 3E tractor series to address demand in the 35-42 hp category in India. According to the vice-chairman, Same Deutz Fahr, Francesco Carozza, “India is an integral part of the global growth of the Deutz Fahr brand, both in terms of it being a global manufacturing hub, and a growing market for our tractors. With the launch of the all new 3E tractor series, we mark a new beginning in providing our cutting edge technologies to a new mass segment of buyers. These tractors will enable a whole lot of Indian farmers to access this class of technology for the first time, thereby enabling them to have better productivity.” - See more at: http://www.autocarpro.in/news-national/deutz-fahr-launches-3e-tractor-series-35-hp-segment-india-7093#sthash.kbUtpVBF.dpuf

• Powered by a new 160 cc engine. The Honda CB Unicorn 160, a make-or-break model for the manufacturer in the competitive 150-160 cc segment, will be launched on December 18. The CB Unicorn, among other features, will get a fully digital dashboard.Read more: http://indianautosblog.com/#ixzz3Li1zJURZ 

• In a bid to strengthen its position in the Indian market, Audi, part of Volkswagen group, is planning to introduce 10 new products in 2015. As of now, the Ingolstadt-based manufacturer sells 17 models in India."Next year we plan to launch around ten products in the Indian market. It is going to be an exciting and busy year for us," said Joe King, Head, Audi India.(cardekho.com)

• Tata Motors plans to almost double its dealer network in the country by 2020, targeting rural areas and cities alike, as the company looks to claw back to a dominant position in the domestic passenger car market.Tata Motors, which currently has around 500 touch points across the country, aims to add equal number of dealerships to expand its presence.(businesstoday.in)

• BASF recently broke ground on a new Innovation Campus in Navi Mumbai, India. The company will invest approximately 50 million euros (Rs 382 creore) via BASF Chemicals India, a wholly owned subsidiary of BASF SE. The facility will accommodate around 300 scientists investigating areas such as crop protection, process development and polymer research. In 2020, BASF aims to generate €30 billion of sales worldwide with products that have been introduced in the market since 2011. The basis for these innovations is effective and efficient research and development. - See more at: http://www.autocarpro.in/news-national/basf-breaks-ground-innovation-campus-mumbai-7092#sthash.y9fqLvDc.dpuf

• Snapdeal.com, the e-commerce website is back in the news. In September 2014, it began pre-bookings for the 2014 Mahindra Scorpio on its website. This time around, it will facilitate bookings of the entire vehicle range of Hero MotoCorp on its website.Prospective buyers will have to pay a fixed sum of Rs.10,000 at the time of online booking. Do remember that neither is this amount refundable nor can the booking cancelled.(teambhp.com)

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