Automotive Updates - 7th January 2015

• R C Bhargava, the chairman of Maruti Suzuki India, today strongly advocated the cause of workers who should be employed on regular basis in manufacturing units, rather than be employed on contract basis.   “If a company is carrying out manufacturing with contract workers, what is the feeling? Most of you would agree that a contract worker is going to have minimal amount of feeling or commitment to the company,'' Mr Bhargava said while delivering the first EEPC India Leadership Talks in New Delhi today.  - See more at: http://www.autocarpro.in/news-national/maruti-suzuki-chairman-pushes-workers-cause-eepc-india-leadership-talk-7280#sthash.B7pU6Wdk.dpuf

• Mercedes-Benz has announced that it is investing Rs 150 c rore over the course of 2015 at its facility in Chakan. This massive investment is mostly for adding an assembly line which will double their production capacity to 20,000 units. This step is expected to facilitate the local assembly of the CLA sedan and the GLA crossover. Bookings for the vehicle have already begun and it will be laaunched for the Indian market on January 22. (carwale.com)

• Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has launched a base variant on the Fortuner SUV with a 2.5-liter diesel engine. This engine is indeed borrowed from the Toyota Innova, but produces more power and torque on the Fortuner. It was only yesterday that TKM launched the Fortuner 4×4 AT.Read more: http://indianautosblog.com/2015/01/toyota-fortuner-2-5l-launched-163594#ixzz3OAQqnd00 

• Ford Motor Company has announced its Smart Mobility Plan and 25 Global Experiments at the ongoing CES show in Las Vegas, United States. This includes the Share-Car Project that will be initiated in India.With an aim of creating a model for easy vehicle sharing among small communities, Share-Car will be a unique project from the company that will be tested in Bangalore. Small groups including co-workers, apartment dwellers and families will be allowed to share a vehicle among multiple drivers under this project. The company's intention is to help consumers who would want to own a car but can't afford one. The company will deploy researchers to develop a model for vehicle scheduling and managing ownership.(carwale.com)

• Yamaha has secretly recalled the Alpha scooter in India due to an engine related issue. The Japanese company is replacing the engine cylinder head O-ring which is having issues, causing an oil leak. The recall is being done across all Yamaha dealerships in India and the company is contacting owners directly. The part will be replaced immediately, taking around three hours and the customer is obviously not charged anything for it.Read more at http://www.motorbeam.com/2015/01/bikes/yamaha-alpha/yamaha-recalls-alpha-scooter-in-india-for-engine-issue/#aMSYs8SUjxiRCpb2.99

• Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) will be organizing the 4th iteration of the Bus & Special Vehicle Show 2015 at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, Delhi. The show is scheduled from 15 – 17 January 2015 and is being organised by SIAM in association with Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Government of India, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India and Association of State Road Transport Undertakings (ASRTU).The show shall provide a common platform for the manufacturers and enthusiasts to connect over the booming commercial vehicles industry.(motorid.com)