Automotive Updates - 18th September 2015

• Kalyani Technoforge, a part of Kalyani Group has acquired the Indian operations of Bodycote, a leader in thermal processing services worldwide.Amit Kalyani, executive director, Kalyani Group said, "Kalyani Group with its highest repository of metallurgical knowledge, proficiency & intensive metallurgical expertise in combination with sophisticated tools and technology of Bodycote shall turn out to be one of the strongest synergies ever".(ETauto)

• Talking to media on the sidelines of Frankfurt Motor Show 2015, Toshihiro Suzuki, the newly appointed president and COO of Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), confirmed that there are as many as 15 new Maruti Suzuki products lined up for the next five years.The top official added that 13 out of the 15 products will include replacements and upgrades of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.’s (MSIL) existing product portfolio. The aim is to gradually make a shift from small to bigger cars.(rushlane)

•  Two wheeler manufacturer Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India's work at new Gujarat plant will get over by January next year and most likely the operations will start by then. The company started construction of the plant during last year October.The plant at Vithalapur is the company's fourth production facility in India, and the only scooter manufacturing unit of the country."The work in the Gujarat plant is projected to get over by January and most likely the operations will start by then. This will be a complete scooter plant with a capacity of 1.2 million units," stated a company official, on terms of anonymity.(Etauto)

• Honda Cars India today announced that it will voluntarily replace airbag inflators of 223,578 cars of previous generation models of the CR-V, Civic, City and Jazz as part of Honda’s preventive global recall campaign concerning airbag inflators. This latest recall by Honda Cars India has become the single largest recall in the history of the Indian automotive industry, beating the recall of 155,000 cars announced by GM India on July 13 this year for faulty keyless entry systems on the Chevrolet Spark, Beat and Enjoy models. - See more at: http://www.autocarpro.in/news-national/honda-cars-india-recalls-223-578-units-replace-airbag-inflators-9325#sthash.RN67SWa4.dpuf

• Mahindra Auto Steel, a subsidiary of Mahindra Intertrade, has announced the opening of its automotive steel processing facility in the auto belt of Chakan, near Pune, Maharashtra. This plant is the seventh steel service centre in the Mahindra Intertrade family, its third in the Pune region and its third automotive steel processing facility.This facility is a joint venture with China Steel Global Trading Corporation, Taiwan and Mitsui & Co. (Asia Pacific) Pte. Ltd., Singapore. Mahindra Intertrade holds a 51% stake in the JV and the other partners hold 24.5% each.(team-bhp)

• German auto major Volkswagen plans to launch the new generation of its most popular sports utility vehicle Tiguan in India next year. Unveiling the new Tiguan here at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess said the vehicle is a “proof of the strength of the Volkswagen” brand. Since the launch of the model in 2007, the Tiguan has sold 2.6 million units so far, he said, adding it is the company’s third most popular brand after the Golf and Polo.(cartrade)