Automotive Updates - 27th January 2015

• Maruti Suzuki India, the country's largest carmaker, on Tuesday reported a 17.8 per cent increase in net profit at Rs 802.2 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, 2014.The company had posted a net profit of Rs 681.15 crore in the same period for the previous financial year, the auto major said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).(businesstoday)

• Panasonic will start an automotive acid battery factory in India and is exploring more domestic manufacturing opportunity under the Make in India campaign. The Indian arm contributes a mere 2% of global revenue, but the Japanese major is turning eyes on the Indian market, even on enterprise segment which is a booming for Panasonic globally, said Manish Sharma, managing director, India and South Asia.Read more at: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/46028654.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

• In a bid to improve their EV presence, Tata Motors will be launching an electric version of the Ace, with the arrival expected in the next fiscal year.The light truck has been well received in the commercial vehicle sector so far, but is only offered in diesel or CNG variants in India. The Ace electric will feature an all steel chassis and have a GVW of around 1600 kgs. According to the Tata Motors global commercial vehicle website, the Ace EV produces 35 BHP and 14.2 Nm of torque from its axle mounted DC motor, with the top speed coming in at 40 km/h.(teambhp)

• Maruti Suzuki has launched the Windsong edition of the Swift for a price of Rs 5.14 lakh. The new model is the revised Swift that was launched last year but comes with many changes to the exterior and interior. The Swift in its Windsong limited edition doesn't get a major makeover but cosmetic changes that differentiate it from the standard version sold. (carwale.com)

• Yamaha is one of the biggest 2 wheeler manufacturers in the country with more than a 20 percent market share in the bike segment, which is growing every year. The Japanese manufacturer entered the Indian motorcycle market quite sometime ago but in the past few years, has been enjoying a growth rate of about 20-25% every year, which is higher than the industry average. The Japanese company has developed a strong grip on the market in very less time and has been successful in not only maintaining but increasing it. The figures released by Yamaha recently showed that the Japanese manufacturer saw a 23% increase in sales in the last year. To keep the growth rate moving, Yamaha is targeting a 30% growth rate in the year 2015.(cartrade.com)

• Tata Motors is currently on a mission for a makeover to their cars’ taxi image. Thanks to the tremendous success of the Indica and Indigo in the taxi segment, the Tata badge doesn’t hold its candle well amongst private car buyers. The Indian automaker has revealed that all its future passenger cars will not be earmarked or registered as taxi henceforth. In a bid to become one of the top three car brands in India, Tata Motors promises to launch two new cars every year for the next five years.Read more at http://www.motorbeam.com/2015/01/cars/tata-motors/tata-motors-wont-register-any-future-car-as-taxi/#gLgfaXoSMGVMRoRx.99

• BorgWarner’s manufacturing plant in Manesar, has been presented with a 2014 Supplier Quality Excellence Award from GM India. The award recognizes top-performing suppliers that meet or exceed GM’s stringent quality criteria for timely delivery, high-quality products, smooth production processes and maintaining quality systems such as ISO/TS16949. - See more at: http://www.autocarpro.in/news-national/borgwarner-gm-india-2014-supplier-quality-excellence-award-7492#sthash.1zTYVPu6.dpu