- Hindustan Motors has informed the exchange that
the company's board of directors, at its meeting held on May 10, 2014, has
appointed Mr Uttam Bose as additional director, Mr. Moloy Chowdhury as manager,
Mr Tarun Kumar Kabra as company secretary and Mr Aniruddha Sarkar as chief
financial officer with effect from May 10, 2014.
- This apart, the company has also decided to hire a
consultant to get a perspective on the challenges and possible solutions for
its Uttarpara plant in West Bengal. The move is part of the company's overall
endeavour to restructure Hindustan Motors.
- Indian automobile major Mahindra & Mahindra expanding its footprint in the
United States opened Mahindra GenZe electric two-wheeler facility and the North
American Technical Center in Southeast Michigan.
- According to a Business Standard report, Mahindra Two
Wheelers will bring to the market several new products and variants over the
next 12 months.The company, now under the watch of industry veteran Dr. Pawan
Goenka who assumed the role of the president this year, is targeting annual
sales of one million units with a 10 percent contribution from exports.
- Audi has beaten fellow German competitor BMW (and its i8
supercar) to the market with the launch of the first production car with laser
headlamps. Only 99 units of the limtied edition Audi L8 LMX Coupe will be
manufactured. The R8 was the first production vehicle to debut full-LED
headlamps in 2008.
- SGL Automotive Carbon
Fibers (ACF), a joint venture between the BMW Group and SGL Group is tripling
the capacity of carbon fiber plant in Moses Lake, USA, with an investment of
$200 million, in addition to the previously invested $100 million.The expansion
is expected to be complete by early 2015 to make the plant world's largest
carbon fiber plant. With the anticipated creation of 120 new jobs, the
headcount at the joint venture in Moses Lake is going to rise from currently 80
to about 200 people.
- Automobile production in Brazil rose 1.6 percent and sales
climbed 21.8 percent in April from March, the national automakers' association
said on Friday.Automakers in Brazil produced 277,100 new cars and trucks last
month, while sales totaled 293,200 vehicles, according to data released by
industry group Anfavea. Compared to April 2013, auto output fell 21.4 percent
and sales dropped 12.1 percent.
- Venezuelans, who enjoy free highways and dirt-cheap gas, are
struggling to buy cars as production falters thanks to a lack of foreign
currency to pay for imported parts.Vehicle assembly plants are facing their
worst year in the oil-rich OPEC nation, producing five times fewer vehicles
than last year due to the lack of imported supplies amid an economic crisis
that began last year.
- IBM and Robert Bosch GmbH have announced a collaborative
partnership to create a new, data-driven model to more efficiently and
accurately develop intelligent, interconnected automotive products.
- In a bid to consolidate its presence in the Rs 14,000 crore
car servicing industry, Mahindra First Choice Services, the multi-brand car
service division of the Mahindra Group, said it plans to set up 450 outlets in
the country in next three years.
- Rane TRW Steering Systems Ltd (RTSSL), the 50:50 joint
venture between Rane Investments and TRW, has expanded operations to
manufacture TRW airbags and the latest generation of seatbelt systems.
- Audi yesterday unveiled a new 3.0 TDI V6 engine at the
Vienna Motor Symposium. The Clean Diesel engine is Euro 6 compliant with a
displacement of 2,967 cc and a cylinder bank angle of 90 degrees.Audi have not
listed out the models the engine would go into, but the current 3.0-liter motor
is used right from the A4 till the Q7, covering a wide spectrum of Audi sedans
and SUVs. Skoda and Volkswagen share this engine for their bigger vehicles.
- Eicher Motors Ltd today posted a 42 per cent increase in
consolidated net profit to Rs 139.12 crore in the first quarter ended March 31.The
company had posted a profit of Rs 97.94 crore in the same period of 2012-13.
- German automotive and industrial supplier Stabilus is
planning to sell shares worth up to 292 million euros ($401 million) in its
market debut on May 23.
- Atuo major Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) Ltd today said
a section of its employees who were not reporting to duties at the company's
tractor manufacturing plants at Mohali, Punjab, have resumed their work with
effect from May 8.
- Domestic giant Tata Steel has said despite a tough year for automobile sector,
FY 14 saw sales of its special grade steel used in vehicles jump 15 per cent.
The player which is counted among top 10 steel producers in the world, in a
latest publication has said that despite a negative growth of 16 per cent and
five per cent in commercial vehicles and and passenger cars it could achieve
growth in automative sales mainly on the back of replacing imports.
- Ford is recalling more than 692,000 Escape small SUVs and C-Max
gas-electric hybrids in North America to fix two safety problems.The recalls
cover vehicles from the 2013 and 2014 model years. Most of the Escapes have
both problems.
- India's popular motorcycle marque, Royal Enfield, has
started the New Year on a thumping note. For Eicher Motors Ltd, which is the
parent company of Royal Enfield, has reported its highest ever total income
from operations at Rs 1924.2 crores, highest ever EBIT at Rs 174.2 crores and
highest ever PAT at Rs 156.2 crores for the quarter ending March 31, 2014.
Image source-
http://www.enidhi.net/2011/06/royal-enfield-bullet-factory-visit.html
- Tata Motorshas raised $300 million (about Rs 1,800 crore)
through an issue of debt securities carrying a fixed interest rate.TML Holdings
Pte Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the company, issued and allotted $ 300
million in principal amount of 5.75 per cent senior fixed rate notes due 2021,
Tata Motors said today in a filing to the BSE.
- Harman International Industries, the global audio and
infotainment group, has received the 2014 Global Product Leadership of the Year
Award for high-end car audio by industry analyst Frost & Sullivan.
- Japanese auto major Nissan will start selling its Datsun brand from exclusive
showrooms within this fiscal as it plans to have in three years' time totally
independent outlets of its two brands in India.
- Tata has silently launched the updated Aria in three
variants with prices starting from INR 9.95 lakhs (ex-Showroom, New Delhi).On
the outside, the refreshed Aria gets side body decals, dual barrel headlights
with projector lights, clear lens for the taillight clusters and a black bezel
for the headlamp cluster (available only on the top-end model)
- Bosch is betting big on the two-wheeler segment as one of
the growth markets of the future. It expects worldwide sales of motorcycles to
reach around 150 million units in 2020, more than the equivalent figure for
cars. Just as it is for cars, Asia will be the driver of growth in the
two-wheeler segment.
- The man behind the booming alliance - Renault-Nissan JV;
chief operating officer of Renault and Nissan and chairman of the Russian auto
group AvtoVAZ (better known as Lada automobiles) – Carlos Ghosn re-elected as
chairman CEO of Reanult till 2017. Renault group has anounced that the Carlos
Ghosn will be the CEO for the forthcoming 4-years. The decision was taken by
the General Assembly and approved by 81.17% of the members. Ghosn extented his
contract till decenber 2017. Renault, Nissan and their subsidiaries Dacia and
Datsun all the four companies are doing wonders under one man - Carlos Ghosn.
- German luxury carmaker Audi said on Thursday that global
deliveries rose 11.6 per cent in April to 149,050 autos, helped by demand for
the A3 compact and the A6 station wagon.
- Bharat Forge’s German subsidiary Bharat Forge Aluminumtechnik
GmbH & Co KG (BFAT) has won a multi-year contract worth euro 250 million
(Rs 2,086 crore) from a German OEM. The order is for the supply of suspension
components based on unique technology industrialised by BFAT over the past few
years and puts the company at the forefront of the aluminium component industry
which is witnessing huge demand globally, thanks to growing global OEM demand
for vehicle lightweighting.
- Defiance Technologies, the engineering company that is
helping Nissan develop Datsun products, might be partly be sold off to Nissan.A
report on the Economic Times states that Nissan is considering picking up a 20
to 40 percent stake in the engineering firm. The Chennai-based firm is at
present owned by a clutch of companies that are part of the Hinduja Group.
Ashok Leyland owns 29 percent of Defiance Technologies and around 35 percent is
held by Ashley Holdings.
- Car market leader Maruti Suzuki has told its dealers to
target around 15% growth this fiscal as it looks for a 300 basis point jump in
its market share in the country’s 25 lakh unit passenger vehicle market to 45%.
The encouraging outlook for FY15, which incidentally is a sharp contrast from
the lower 5-6% growth expectations for FY15, announced during the Q4FY14
results last month, was presented to the dealers at an annual meet in Italy
earlier this month.
- Image source - http://www.google.co.in/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rokemneedlearts.com%2Fcarsindepth%2Fwordpressblog%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F12%2FCH4F225carlos-ghosn.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rokemneedlearts.com%2Fcarsindepth%2Fwordpressblog%2F%3Fp%3D5960&h=450&w=343&tbnid=fWJU9jmLOG8pcM%3A&zoom=1&docid=1Tm3XYmteL-SdM&ei=KMxrU9rFLtKxuATYooHYBA&tbm=isch&ved=0CJMBEDMoIzAj&iact=rc&uact=3&dur=1212&page=3&start=33&ndsp=24
- Hero Motocorp has launched the 2014 Hero Glamour and 2014 Hero Glamour FI this week. The refreshed models were part of the showcase held in October last year.
- Indo-Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota Kirloskar Motor Wednesday launched Etios Cross -- its first cross-over between a sports utility vehicle (SUV) and a hatchback -- priced between Rs.5.76 lakh and Rs.7.40 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
- Nissan India has sold over 5,000 units of the Datsun Go since the car’s launch in March this year. While the company sells the low-cost car from existing Nissan dealerships, the first exclusive Datsun dealerships will commence operations in the next six months.
- Italian-American auto major Fiat Chrysler plans to launch 12 models in India in the next five years and will start producing models from the Jeep brand in the country by 2015.
- Power management company Eaton today announced appointment of Krishnakumar Srinivasan as president, Vehicle Group, Asia-Pacific. He will be reporting to Ken Davis, president, Vehicle Group.
- Japanese two-wheeler maker Suzuki Motorcycle aims to sell five lakh units in 2014-15, a top company official said today.
- Increasing operational synergy between Mahindra and Mahindra and its arm SsangYong, the group will jointly develop six new engines for use in future products of both companies.
- Italian auto giant Fiat Chrysler announced Tuesday that it will invest around $7 billion through 2018 to relaunch the high-end and sporty Alfa Romeo line with eight new models expected.
- The proposal for a national rubber policy submitted by Automotive Tyre Manufacturers' Association (ATMA) is likely to come up for discussion at the meeting of various stakeholders of rubber industry slated to be held by Rubber Board on May 9 in Kottayam.
- The Indian arm of Dana Holding Corporation, the Ohio, USA-based supplier of automotive drivelines, sealing and thermal management components, is currently collaborating with some leading international as well as local Indian OEMs to optimise the weight of their vehicles.
- The company plans to localise some axles from its line of innovative Spicer AdvanTEK axles, which are popularly known for providing best-in-class noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) performance and greater power density in a lightweight and compact package.
- As entry-level car buyers seek more in terms of features and power, and Maruti Suzuki’s Alto 800 witnessing a lacklustre demand even after a complete re-design in 2012, the car maker is now gearing up to launch a completely new Alto K10 compact hatchback this fiscal to boost volumes.
- Picture from Indianautoblog.com
- Tata Motors on Tuesday launched the all-new utility vehicle
'Movus' in the country, with price starting at Rs 6.99 lakh (ex-showroom,
Delhi). Powered by 2.2 Litre Varicor engine, the vehicle is engineered to
deliver optimal performance in both city and highway conditions, Tata Motors
said in a statement.
- Mahindra & Mahindra today launched a new variant of SsangYong's sports
utility vehicle Rexton in the country, priced at Rs 19.96 lakh (ex-showroom,
Delhi).
- Suzuki Motorcycles India, which first displayed its Let’s 110cc scooter in late
January in Mumbai and then at the Auto Expo in February has formally launched
the product in Chennai. The Let’s will compete in the very competitive 110cc
segment that is now dominated by the Honda Activa. The Let’s is Suzuki’s first
entry-level scooter offering and will cost Rs 46,925, ex-showroom, Chennai.
- Popular car models Maruti Swift, Swift Dzire and Honda Amaze
declined for the first time in years in April. While companies attributed the
fall in wholesale front to inventory correction and seasonality, analysts
pointed to increasing competition from the likes of Hyundai Xcent and Grand
- Hyundai Motor India has launched a one-litre Eon that will be sold along with
the current 800cc Eon variant. The one-litre Eon will be available in the
Magna+ variant and will retail at an ex-showroom, New Delhi of Rs 383,100.
- TVS confirmed that the company will be launching the Scooty
Zest scooter in June this year, followed by the Victor motorcycle in the next
quarter (July-September) and the new Apache set to release in the last quarter
of 2014.
- Even as the Indian passenger vehicle market is going through
a rough ride, the 4.7-billion euros European auto component maker Brose Ltd is
diverting funds to Asian markets, including India, to explore their potential.Brose,
one of the global leaders in windows regulator, door-and-latch modules, expects
the Indian market to grow in double digits, and has recently doubled the
capacity of its Pune plant.
- Nissan today inaugurated a new after-sales Parts
Distribution Centre (PDC) in India. The new PDC facility is situated at
Indospace SKCL Industrial Park in Sriperumbudur Taluk near Chennai and is built
over an extensive 4.8 lakh sq. feet (45,000 sq.metre) area. It features a daily
outbound volume of 2800 lines per day compared to the previous facility's 700
lines and has an increased dispatch rate of 90%, making it capable of
dispatching parts the same day to different parts of India.
- First unveiled at the February Auto Expo, TVS Motor has
launched its 110 cc commuter bike, the Star City+ with a retail tag of Rs
44,000, ex-showroom, New Delhi. The launch is part of four planned launches for
this fiscal, one every quarter. The next launches include the Scooty Zest
followed by the Victor and Apache.
- Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) on Monday recalled 31,226 units
of select variants of the Amaze compact sedan and Brio hatchback to inspect
them for a possible defect in the brake system.
- General Motors India has announced the completion of
one year of its Chevrolet Enjoy MPV with the launch of the 1st Anniversary
edition. GM India’s president and managing director Arvind Saxena said
“The Enjoy has given our customers a spacious multi-purpose
vehicle and a luxurious drive that is
enabling them to enjoy life with their families and friends.
- A Team BHP report states that Maruti could source 1.6-liter
diesel engines from Peugeot. The report seems to indicate that Maruti has
commenced tests of this engine as minute details such as the ‘Maruti-Suzuki’
logo on the plastic engine cover, and the location of the turbocharger, are
reported by the source.
- Two- and three-wheeler maker TVS Motor Company will start rolling out bikes for
German auto major BMW during the second half of next year, a top company
official said Monday.
- * Mahindra & Mahindra, a part of the US $ 16.7 billion
Mahindra Group, today announced the launch of a new model of the SsangYong
Rexton, the ‘RX6’ with manual transmission and a host of features at a price of
Rs 20.17 lakhs (ex-showroom, Chandigarh). The new model RX6 will be an addition
to the existing model range of Rexton which has received a very good response in
India. The Rexton is the No. 2 selling brand in the High-end SUV segment in FY
2013-14.
- Ankush Arora, senior vice president, commercial, has
resigned, Tata Motors confirmed. S
Jayaraman, a senior executive on the product planning team, has also quit, it
said.
- olvo Car Group's vehicle sales rose 10.5 percent
year-on-year in April, the Sweden-based company said on Monday, the tenth
consecutive month of growth for the Chinese-owned firm.
- Mercedes-Benz is doing an onslaught of AMG vehicles in
India. The German automaker has brought in a big lineup of AMG cars, which are
on sale in the country. Right from the C63, E63, G63, GL63 and SLS AMGs, the
next AMG to join the Indian lineup will be the ML63 AMG later this month.
Mercedes-Benz had showcased the CLA45 AMG at the 2014 Auto Expo and we have
learned that the entry-level performance sedan will be launched in India in
July 2014. The CLA45 AMG will be brought in via the CBU route and is expected
to be priced at around Rs. 70 lakhs
- Following the unveiling of the 2014 Toyota Corolla at the
Auto Expo earlier this year, and then the official announcement of the launch
date, Toyota Kirloskar Motors have now stopped booking and sales of the
outgoing Corolla Altis. The Corolla has been a much appreciated and recognized
car, and has sold more than 88,000 units ever since its launch in India.
- German luxury carmaker Audi today rolled out the upgraded
version of its flagship model A8L, priced at Rs 1.12 crore (ex-showroom Delhi)
and Rs 1.14 crore (ex-showroom Maharashtra).
- Indraprastha Gas Ltd on Friday raised prices of CNG (gas
used as automotive fuel) by Rs 2.95 per kg and PNG (piped gas in kitchens) by
Re 1 citing rise in input costs.
- Harman International Industries Inc reported a 32 percent
rise in quarterly revenue, helped by strong sales of its infotainment systems
to luxury carmakers such as BMW and Volkswagen.
- Auto manufacturer American Honda said it would voluntarily
recall 24,889 of its 2014 Odyssey vehicles in United States to replace a
component that could prevent the deployment of the side curtain airbag during a
crash.
- General Motors Co is recalling 51,640 Buick Enclave,
Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia SUVs of the 2014 model year because faulty
software may cause the fuel gauge to read inaccurately, U.S. regulators said on
Saturday.
- Aston Martin has confirmed the development of a completely
new architecture which is set to replace its current VH platform.
- CNA Financial Corp (CNA), the insurer majority owned by
Loews Corp, fell the most since 2011 after profit missed estimates as the
company faced higher-than-expected costs tied to commercial vehicles.
- Setco Automotive Ltd (Setco) and Lingotes Especiales S.A.
(Lingotes) have announced the formation of a 30 million Euros joint venture
over 3 years called Lava Cast Pvt Ltd, focused on developing and manufacturing
fully machined ferrous casting products for the automotive & other
industries.
- Even as autorickshaw drivers protest against the transport
department's insistence on GPS devices, unions are now turning their attention
towards the department's approval to Tata Magic IRIS vehicles which have four
wheels and can run on three-wheeler scooter rickshaw (TSR) permits.
- Maruti-Suzuki have reportedly completed trial production of
the upcoming Maruti Ciaz at their Manesar facility in Haryana, India, according
to the Indian Express. The market launch of the Ciaz will take place ahead of
the festive season, most probably in July-August.
- Auto parts maker Visteon Corp said it would sell a majority of its automotive
interiors business to private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP.
- Lanxess, the global specialty chemicals company, in
partnership with its leading distributor for rubber businesses, RamCharan Co,
has effected a shift in its Tech Centre. The assets of the erstwhile Lanxess
Rubber Chemicals Technical Centre in Thane have now been relocated to the Tech
Centre of Ram Charan at Chennai. The Centre, which will serve rubber customers
across the country, will also be staffed by Ram Charan.
- Mr. Jnaneswar Sen, Senior vice-president for Marketing and
Sales, Honda Cars India, said that the company is targeting a high localization
percentage for the Mobilio. This should not be much of a challenge given that
the Mobilio is based on the Brio/Amaze’s platform, which is well localized
in the country. The localization on Honda’s current portfolio is about 90
percent.
- At a time when all the media is abuzz with rumors of SX4
Cross getting Fiat's 1.6 Mutijet engine, Maruti Suzuki is indeed planning a
surprise. The engine they are testing under the hoods of the soon to be
launched SX4 Cross is not the 1.6 Multijet from Fiat, but PSA Peugeot Citroen's
DV6 1.6 Litre CRDI Diesel engine. This is one of the diesel engines jointly
developed by Ford and PSA Peugeot Citroen and is also used by Ford.
- VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV) has launched the Eicher Pro1000 and EicherPro 3000 series of light and medium duty trucks today.
- Tata Motors’ senior VP and
head (commercial) of its passenger vehicle business unit, has put in his
papers, according to sources. It is learnt that May 31 will be Arora’s
last day in Tata Motors. He had moved to Tata Motors from General Motors in
April 2013.
- Ford Motor Co has officially
announced that Mark Fields will replace Alan Mulally as company CEO on July 1.
Mulally has served at Ford for just less than eight years. The transition is
approximately six months earlier than previously anticipated, following
Mulally’s recommendation to accelerate the timetable based on the readiness of
Ford’s leadership team .
- Letco Automotive, the Tier 1
supplier of clutches to leading CV majors, and Lingotes Especiales SA
(Lingotes) of Spain have announced the formation of a 30 million euros (Rs 250
crore) joint venture over three years called Lava Cast Pvt Ltd. The JV will focus
on developing and manufacturing fully machined ferrous casting products for the
automotive and other industries.
- The upcoming Toyota Etios Cross will be made available in four variants-two petrol and two diesel, of which the former includes two engine options while the latter is the 1.4-litre D4D unit that powers the standard Liva hatchback and Etios sedan.
- Nissan Motor India is planning to introduce a redesigned Evalia MUV in the market by the end of 2014. The company claims that the vehicle has been revamped after taking consumer feedback into consideration.
- Completing its seven year stint in the Indian C-segment space, Maruti Suzuki has officially ceased production of the SX4 sedan in the country to make way for the all new Ciaz sedan that will be launched in July this year, ahead of the festive season.
- Japanese auto major Nissan reported over four-fold jump in sales in India in April at 5,301 units.
- Leading carmaker Maruti Suzuki India has stopped production of the SX4
Sedan in April to make way for the new 'Ciaz' that is expected to be launched
in the July-September quarter this year, ahead of the festive season, sources
said.
- Ford Motor Co. is expected to announce this morning that CEO
Alan Mulally is retiring soon and will be replaced by Chief Operating Officer
Mark Fields.
- India’s largest car maker by market share, Maruti Suzuki
India Ltd, has stripped three chief operating officers (COOs) of their
executive powers, according to three people familiar with the matter. Two of
the executives were in charge during the labour strike that led to an outbreak
of violence at its Manesar plant in 2012.
- Tata Zest To Be India’s Most Affordable Diesel Automatic Car.
- The loss on sale of diesel has climbed to Rs 6.80 even as
state-owned oil companies for the second time skipped the monthly price
increase on government diktat.
- Volkswagen has agreed the concept and design of its new
budget city car, according to reports. Company officials
told Reuters at the Beijing motor show last month that the car had
been signed off, with project manager Hans Demant saying: "The concept and
design are now in place. We will produce all components in China." Approval
for the new brand has already been given by VW's higher management, with its
first appearance scheduled for 2016. The marque's first model is expected
to cost around £5,000 (Rs 5.09 lakh) and be built and sold almost exclusively
in China.
- Skoda To Re-Launch Fabia, New 7-Seater SUV In India.
- The Trident Iceni is a 6.6-litre turbo diesel V8 sports car
that promises the drive of your life, considering it does 0-60 mph run in 3.7
seconds and boasts a top speed of more than 306 kmph. These figures have also
helped it earn the tag of the world’s fastest diesel sports car and now, the
car is available for sale worldwide.
