Automotive Update - 8th June 2015

• Volkswagen India is now working to further localise its popular 1.5-litre diesel powertrain at its Chakan (Pune) plant. Under phase two of its engine localisation program, VW India’s corporate purchase department plans to select a few more local suppliers to source another set of 15 crucial engine components for the 1.5 TDI engine. It is known that under phase one of the local assembly operations of its 1.5 TDI, the company currently sources 25 different high-value components such as turbocharger, connecting rods, vacuum lines, flywheels, engine brackets, oil sumps and others from 18 different local suppliers, of which some are already existing suppliers to the company. To finalise these 18 local vendors, VW India had considered close to 35 different component suppliers in the bidding process. - See more at: http://www.autocarpro.in/news-national/vw-india-phase-diesel-engine-localisation-program-8581#sthash.puZCsfEC.dpuf

• A report on Rushlane suggests that the first product from the Eicher-Polaris joint venture could be hitting the market this month. The Eicher-Polaris Flexituff small commercial vehicle is reported to launch on June 18th. The SCV will be manufactured in the joint venture’s manufacturing facility that has been set up near Jaipur. Just under 3 years after the partnership was signed, the first jointly developed project is expected to be the Flexituff that will be launching in both a cargo and a passenger carrying capacity. With payloads of around 300 kg and 400 kg, the Flexituff will appeal to the market segment that finds itself in the initial rungs of the commercial vehicle market.Read more: http://indianautosblog.com/2015/06/eicher-polaris-flexituff-launch-june-18-180865#ixzz3cZYqFIEj 

• The much-awaited Maruti Suzuki S-Cross that has recently been unveiled at the 2015 IIFA Awards Ceremony in Malaysia, will be launched in the Indian market in July 2015. In fact, the company has started production of the crossover at its Gurgaon-based manufacturing facility.Coming to the design, the S-Cross crossover will feature a new dual-slat chrome grille, projector headlights, daytime running LEDs and 16-inches alloy wheels. According to reports, the crossover will initially be introduced with two Fiat-sourced Multijet diesel engine options – a 1.3-litre and a 1.6-litre. While the former will churn out a maximum power of 90bhp, the latter one with a 6-speed manual transmission will offer 120bhp.(cartrade.com)

• Starlit Power Systems has signed a Joint Venture with China's motorcycle and UPS battery manufacturing company Guangdong Dynavolt Technologies to locally manufacture batteries. Post Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China and the emphasis on 'Make in India', the Joint Venture marks the first Chinese investment in the secondary power sector in an Indian manufacturing Company. (Etauto.com)

• DSK Motowheels has postponed its plans of developing a new plant at Greenfield as of now. Earlier, the company was planning to produce its few models at the said facility. Sources close to the development process have revealed that the auto maker has rather made its mind to start the operations at the Brownfield unit in Pune. DSK Motowheels seems in a full swing to expand its production capacity. Presently, the company can assemble 25 bikes/shift every day from its Wai facility.(catrade.com)

• Hyundai is gearing up to launch its new product, the Creta compact SUV,  for the Indian market on July 21st. The Korean manufacturer has advanced its launch plan to take advantage of the following festive season.The company has realigned its production line for this vehicle and the production of the Creta is expected to begin on June 20th, which the ET reports,  is almost two months ahead of its previous plans. The company is expecting a monthly sales of 4,000 units to 5,000 units for the Creta and also a gain of 10 per cent share in the utility vehicle segment in a short span. In order to achieve this, the company also plans to launch an automatic variant of the Creta at around Rs 12 lakh, which will change the game because the next automatic SUV comes only at Rs 23 lakh.(carwale)

• With Hero MotoCorp lining up a slew of scooter launches, including an all-new full metal body unisex scooter brand called 'Duet' in the coming months, the stage is set for another bruising battle between the homegrown market leader and its erstwhile partner Honda Motor Company.Hero MotoCorp, which leads the motorcycle market in India with more than 50% market share, is ready to take the battle to Honda's home turf -- the scooter segment -- with the launch of two scooters, the Duet and the new Maestro variant, Maestro Edge, at the company's National Dealers Convention held at Rome in Italy last week.(Etauto.com)