Automotive Updates - 17th February 2015

• The NDA government is looking at a Rs 14,000-crore corpus to develop and support alternate green fuel vehicles, of which Rs 795 crore has already been approved to promote electric and hybrid fuel automobiles, heavy industries minister Anant Geete said on Monday. The minister, , also promised to support the commercial vehicles segment, which he said had been neglected in the past and urged industry players to suggest strategies to boost its output. (Etauto.com)

• General Motors Co.’s (GM) India unit, which has failed to report a profit since it started operations in the country in 1997, on Monday unveiled a radical new plan to turn around the local unit by increasing its focus on selling cars in overseas markets. The company, which exported at least 1,000 vehicles in 2014, aims to sell as many as 19,000 units in the current year and 40,000 in following 12 months, according to Arvind Saxena, president and managing director of General Motors India Pvt. Ltd. In comparison, its car sales in India are expected to either decline or remain at the current level.Read more at: http://www.livemint.com/Industry/LG9sk2KqLdlRC5rwPOCvqL/GM-India-takes-exports-route-in-quest-of-profits.html?utm_source=copy

• Volkswagen has just launched the facelifted Jetta at a price of Rs 13.87 Lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai). The new Jetta features a host a cosmetic alterations, along with a few feature updates, while remaining the same mechanically.(teambhp.com)

• Dynaspede, a Karnataka-based, 30-year-old company which specialises in conceptualising, designing and manufacturing electromechanical systems for a wide range of applications in the automotive R&D world, is now planning to expand its portfolio with NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) test equipment. This will include equipment related to acoustics, vibration measurement, prototype model testing and others. This home-grown company is well known for designing and developing tailor-made test rigs (for transmission testing), and has supplied the same to Tata Motors, Renault-Nissan, Mahindra & Mahindra, John Deere, Sona Group, TAFE, Escorts and others so far. - See more at: http://www.autocarpro.in/news-national/dynaspede-provide-nvh-solutions-targets-percent-yoy-growth-7705#sthash.mL2rHVd8.dpuf

• Honda is laying out a plan to streamline its product line up to offer minimal variants within the brand. Takanobu Ito , Honda’s Chief Executive Officer, said that this exercise would make the company more efficient and business will not be affected in any way. Once this plan is enforced in the next three to four years, there would be only limited cars for customers to choose from, as the company would have cut down on variety of models and variants, including engine options. Such a strategy would be beneficial for the company to cut down on developmental, production and maintenance costs, but customers would not have much options on their plates with different prices.Read more at http://www.rushlane.com/honda-to-discontinue-cars-12144378.html#icaqhZhzb1qaeuqU.99

• Swift Dzire sedan from Maruti Suzuki has been a popular choice amongst competitors like Hyundai, Honda and Tata Motors. As the new Swift Dzire face-lifted trim reaches the dealership outlets in Delhi, some of them have also reportedly begun accepting the bookings for the same. The vehicle is expected to be delivered sometime by the first week of March. Speaking on new features, the vehicle sports single chrome slat grill and Chrome laden fog lamp inserts. The headlamps have also been redesigned and compliments the redesigned bumpers. (cartrade.com)

• German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz will recall more than 127,000 vehicles in China due to a potential fire risk and steering issues, Beijing's quality watchdog said Monday.Mercedes-Benz and one of its joint ventures in China have informed the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine that they will recall 127,071 cars from March 13, the government agency said in a statement.(Etauto.com)