Automotive Updates - 8th and 9th August 2015

• Japanese auto giant Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) on Tuesday announced that its 'only scooter' manufacturing facility in Vithalapur in Mandal taluka will be operational by early 2016.Speaking on the sidelines on Honda Revfest event here on Tuesday, V Shridhar, group vice president and director, HMSI said, "The progress is going well. The factory will be operational by the last quarter of the current financial year."(Etauto.com)

• In a bid to reposition itself as a significant player in the premium car segment in India, Maruti Suzuki yesterday launched its all-new crossover, the S-Cross. The company is targeting sales of around 4,000-5,000 units of the car every month, senior company officials told Autocar Professional in Mumbai today. The S-Cross is the first car to be rolled out from the company’s recently unveiled premium Nexa dealerships.  See more at: http://www.autocarpro.in/news-national/maruti-suzuki-targets-sales-cross-units-9025#sthash.u6JA4STw.dpuf

• Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corp has named its premium hatchback as Baleno, which will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month.The company’s Indian arm Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) is expected to launch the model in the domestic market around the festive season this year.(financial express)

• Facing a demand slump on account of slowdown in motorcycle sales in rural India, country's largest two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp expects sales to bounce back in the second half of the ongoing fiscal.The company plans to launch an upgraded version of its flagship Splendor Pro and two new scooters by the second half to increase sales. (Etauto.com)

• Homegrown auto firm Tata Motors on Friday reported a 48.7 per cent fall in consolidated net profit at Rs 2,768.91 crore for the first quarter ended June 30, mainly due to dip in sales of its British-arm Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).The company had reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 5,398.21 crore in the same quarter of previous fiscal.(businesstoday)

• Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) is planning to have 100 exclusive NEXA showrooms across the country by the end of this financial year, a senior official said here today. NEXA, Maruti's new premium sales channel, would go beyond selling premium cars in a bid to transform the company from "budget car manufacturers" to a crucial player in the premium car market in India, senior Vice President (New channel) Marketing & Sales Maruti Suzuki Partho Banerjee said here.Banerjee was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of MSIL's premium crossover vehicle S-Cross here with an introductory price range of Rs 8.34 lakh and Rs 14.37 lakh (ex-showroom Kolkata). "NEXA provides a new experience of hospitality from Maruti Suzuki. Currently, we have 35 NEXA Premium showrooms operational in different cities and the numbers are expected to go beyond 100 outlets by the end of this financial year," Banerjee said.(cartrade)