Automotive Updates - 9th and 10th August 2014

• Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, the world's biggest tractor maker by volume, has cut its forecast for demand in its home market of India, partly due to delayed monsoon rains. The automaker said on Friday it now expected the tractor sector in India, where it is the dominant player, to grow by 5 per cent in the financial year that started April 1, down from its previous forecast of 8 per cent.(business today)

• Ruia Group chairman Pawan Ruia today expressed hope that his company Dunlop would reopen soon before Durga Pujas as meetings with the concerned parties have been "very positive". "I was hoping that Dunlop will open before Jessop. There have been three meetings that were very positive. The government too is very eager to open Dunlop. The ice has melted in those meetings. It might be that before Durga Pujas Dunlop will reopen too," Ruia said at the sidelines of the reopening of Jessop factory. (ETauto.com)

• Talking to ET Auto, Mr. Prasan Firodia, MD Force Motors, stated that the company will invest INR 1,000 cr over the course of 4 years in new product development, technology advancement and a dedicated engine plant for BMW in Chennai. This investment is in addition to the INR 1,000 cr announced in 2012.He also added that Force Motors is currently working on a “completely new van” which will be ready in a few years. Force Motors had been testing the old Mercedes Vito/Viano people carrier but it remains to be seen what the new product is. The new model in question is expected to join the popular Traveller series of vans.(indianautoblogs,com)

• Maruti Suzuki has stopped production of its aging sedan offering, the SX4. It will soon be replaced by the upcoming Ciaz, which was previewed at the 2014 Auto Expo as a concept. The SX4, at the fag end of its innings could only manage less than 250 cars on an average, every month in 2014. Newer and better equipped competition in the form of the Honda City, The Hyundai Verna and compact SUV’s like the Ford Ecosport and the Renault Duster made a huge dent in the sales figures of Maruti’s mid-size offering.(motoroid.com)

• Tata Steel Ltd has shut down one of its ferro alloys plants in Odisha due to a raw material shortage linked to the suspension of a mining license, the company said in a statement late on Friday. Tata Steel sourced ore for the 50,000 tonne-per-year Bamnipal plant from its captive chromite mine in Sukinda, operations of which were suspended in May.(livemint.com)

• A new Hero MotoCorp motorcycle plant in Argentina is underway. Financial Express reports Hero MotoCorp VP Pawan Munjal, and VP Global Business Deepak Mokashi have visited Argentina and met with Debora Giorgi, Argentina’s Minister for Industry. This new plant will not only benefit the country but the entire region in a big way. However no details on investment and when the plant will be completed have been revealed.(rushlane.com)

• After 30 years of selling cars and revolutionising personal transportation in India, Maruti Suzuki is embarking on its next phase of journey with an eye on selling three million vehicles annually.Spelling out the road map for the next 30 years -- Maruti 2.0 -- Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) Chairman RC Bhargava said the company would be at the forefront of the efforts to make India a significant player in the global market place. (economicstimes.com)

• Focusing on its three core brands, Kolbenschmidt, Pierburg and Motorservice, Rheinmetall affiliate KSPG Group is launching a new brand identity starting from July. Rolled out in 2011, the corporate logo acts as an umbrella or roof covering the three traditional brands with which KSPG, whose history goes back over a century, will in future ensure a uniform and group-wide presentation to its customers.(motorindiaonline.com)

• Mahindra & Mahindra, which announced unaudited financial results for Q1 of the current fiscal year today, said gross revenues for M&M and its 100 percent arm, Mahindra Vehicle Manufacturers, was Rs 10,823.3 crore as against Rs 10,942.7 crore in Q1 of the previous year. Net profits before tax for Q1 were Rs 1202.1 crore as against Rs 1138.6 crore in Q1 of the previous year. After providing for tax, the same was Rs 896.4 crore as against Rs 859.8 crore in Q1 of the previous year – a growth of 4.3 percent. The operating margins for the current quarter were 14.3 percent as compared to 13.8 percent in Q1 of the previous year. (Autocarpro.in)

• Volkswagen of America is recalling 151,389 Tiguan SUVs due to the possibility of stalling.No accidents or injuries have been reported. The problem is with fuel pumps on some models from 2009 to 2014. Gas bubbles may form in the fuel system when winterized fuel is used in warmer months or warmer areas, which could lead to the car stalling.(ETauto.com)

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•  images from motoroids.com and wikipedia

Automotive Updates - 8th August 2014

• After laying the foundation stone for a manufacturing plant in Colombia last month, India’s leading two wheeler maker is finalizing plans for a facility in Argentina, says a Financial Express report.According to the newspaper’s “official sources”, the top management of Hero Motorcorp met with Argentinian government officials last month to firm up plans. The Argentinian plant is likely to have a local partner.(indianautoblogs.com)

• Force Motors plans to invest around Rs 1,000 crore over the next four years on various activities, including product development and setting up of a dedicated facility for assembling engines for BMW vehicles. "We are looking to invest around Rs 1,000 crore in the next four years on technology advancement, new vehicle development and also on a dedicated engine assembly facility for BMW in Chennai," Force Motors Managing Director Prasan Firodia told here .(economics times)

•  Home grown utility vehicle manufacturer, Mahindra & Mahindra is expected to launch the facelift Scorpio around the festival time. A source close to the development said, "We expect it to be launched around October.(ETauto.com)

• Yamaha Motor Corporation (YMC) of Japan has made some key personnel announcements in India as part of its corporate restructuring exercise. Yamaha Motor India (YMI) will now be the regional control company for India operations and will function as the regional headquarters and corporate control body of India business operations for YMC. Hiroyuki Suzuki, currently CEO and MD of India Yamaha Motor, has been appointed managing director of YMI. He will also be the chairman of the other Yamaha Group companies in India – India Yamaha Motor (IYM), Yamaha Motor India Sales (YMIS) and Yamaha Motor Research & Development India (YMRI). Further, Takashi Terabayashi, deputy MD of IYM, is to be the new managing director of IYM. The appointments are effective from August 15. (autocarpro.in)

• Tata Sons, the promoter of the major operating companies of the Tata group, today said it has been appointed by the Ministry of Labour and Employment as knowledge partner for work in employability and entrepreneurship.(ETauto.com)

• In a bid to reduce the number of accidents on our roads caused due to over-speeding trucks and buses, the Government of India is planning to make it mandatory for new commercial vehicles to be fitted with speed limiting devices. The limiter will restrict the vehicles' speed to less than 80 kph.(teambhp.com)

• KTM will finally launch the RC 390 in India on the 9th of September, 2014. The RC series from KTM has been long awaited and although many believed the RC 200 would come first, we were quite sure that KTM would bring the RC 390 first. The RC 200 will be launched in the subsequent months, mostly in October. Bookings have now opened and reports of bookings being opened a few weeks back were untrue as most dealers refused to take bookings as they had no idea about the launch date of the bike.(motorbeam.com)

• Tata Group’s Chairman Emeritus Ratan N. Tata said in Kolkata on Wednesday that the steps taken in 2008 with regard to the shifting of Nano plant from Singur, West Bengal to Sanand in Gujarat, affected its marketability.(rushlane.com)

• Honda Cars India has announced that its Amaze sedan has crossed the 100,000-unit sales mark in the domestic market. The popular compact sedan has been the game-changer for Honda in India. Launched in April 2013, the 100,000 landmark has come up in just 16 months – the fastest in the company’s history in India. It was with the Amaze – the first car to get Honda’s 1.5-litre diesel engine – that the Japanese company entered the diesel market in India. The same diesel motor now powers the new City sedan and the recently launched Mobilio MPV. The petrol Amaze is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol motor. (autocarpro.in)

• Magna International Inc, one of the world's largest auto parts makers, reported a higher second-quarter profit bolstered by robust demand in North America and continued recovery in Europe.Net income attributable to the company rose $510 million, or $2.32 per share, in the quarter ended June 30, from $415 million, or $1.78 per share, from a year earlier. (ETauto.com)

images from rediff.com and rushlane.com

Automotive Updates - 7th August 2014

• Audi has finally launched the much-talked about A3 in India at Rs 22.95 lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi). The A3 is Audi's cheapest and most compact offering till date.Based on the Volkswagen’s (parent brand) popular MQB platform, the over-all design of the A3 is very much similar to what we've already seen on its elder siblings of the 'A' family. It measures 4456mm in length, 1796mm in width and has a wheel base of 2637mm. Having a kerb weight of 1270 kilograms, the baby saloon boasts a boot space of good 425-litres. (cardekho.com)

•  Auto maker Fiat Chrysler has deferred its plans to introduce global brandJEEP in the domestic market this year due to poor market conditions, according to a top company official. "No. We have deferred plans for launching JEEP in 2014. We want to see the market conditions. Next couple of months we will be making some announcements," Fiat Chrysler Automobiles President and Managing Director Nagesh Basavanhalli told reporters here. (economicstimes.com)

• General Motors has officially opened its new regional headquarters in Singapore. General Motors International will support the transformation of GM’s business in its six key markets of Africa, Australia, India, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and South Korea. (autocarpro.in)

• Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) announced that the manufacturer achieved a milestone of selling 10 lakh Dream Series motorcycles in the Indian two-wheeler market within a short span of just 26 months.(motorbeam.com)

• Daimler, the parent company of the luxury brand Mercedes-Benz, has acquired an additional one per cent share of Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. For the past few years, the German conglomerate has been slowly acquiring shares of the British manufacturer and with the latest acquisition, its total stake in Aston Martin has increased to five per cent. (carwale.com)

• A report on Gaadi Waadi states that the upcoming Maruti SX4 S-Cross will be sold with two diesel engine options and no petrol. The crossover, which is expected to launch in India early next year, will see Maruti compete with the likes of Renault Duster, Nissan Terrano and Ford EcoSport. 1.3- and 1.6-liter diesel engines are expected to be offered on the crossover.(indiaautoblogs.com)

• Bentley India has launched the Flying Spur with a V8 heart at a price of Rs. 3.10 crore; the company already sells the Spur with a W12 motor. Bentley in India is sold by 'Exclusive Motors'. Although both the W12 and V8 siblings are identical but the V8 offers subtle changes like black finished front bumper grille and red center to the Bentley wings badges. The V8 version retains the characteristics of the high W12 but packs an impressive range of 700 km on single tank of fuel.(cardekho.com)

• A few days ahead of Hyundai i20 Elite launch, it has been learnt that the production of current generation i20 has been stopped a while ago since the company does not wish to sell current model alongside new Elite variant. Hyundai India has also removed the car from its official website which reinforces the speculation. Sources have also informed that dealers are currently clearing the final stock.(cartrade.com)

• Automobile company Fiat-Chrysler is seeing a three-fold rise in the sales of petrol models compared to the diesel variants in India. This shift towards petrol cars, seems to be more evident as the subsidy on the diesel shrinks with every passing month, say company officials.(financial express)

• Ford India is gearing up to start third shift in its Chennai plant to increase the EcoSport production. Even after a year after its launch, the EcoSport still commands waiting periods of upto three months. As per reports, lower variants of the EcoSport, in particular, have been in short supply. Some dealers still quote a waiting period of up to three months for the base 1.5 Ambiente version. According to company sources, these lower-priced variants are not profitable for Ford India which is why the company is limiting their supply. But the American manufacturer claims that they are not limiting the lower variants but the demand really is for the higher variants. (carwale.com)

•  images from rediff.com and wikipedia

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Automotive Updates - 6th August 2014

• French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen on Wednesday denied media report of partnership talks with M&M to share technology and production facilities.The media report on Tuesday reported, citing unnamed sources, that Mahindra was in talks with Peugeot on a strategic alliance that would involve technology sourcing, mutual sharing of production capacity in France and India, as well as "significant investments".(ETauto)

• Royal Enfield, the world’s oldest motorcycle brand in continuous production and the world’s fastest growing motorcycle manufacturer, has named industry-veteran Rod Copes as President, North America. Rod will be responsible for driving Royal Enfield’s businesses in the United States and Canada. By naming Copes to a top-level executive position, Royal Enfield has firmly stated its intentions to rapidly expand the brand in the United States of America, its top export market.(motoroid.com)

• With the government all set to increase the speed limits on our road, it is important that our vehicles get equally safer to counter any unfortunate high speed crashes. The government has announced that it will make safety features like ABS and airbags mandatory on all cars by 2017. The government will also make crash tests mandatory for new vehicles and this would mean a lot of old cars being scrapped from the Indian market on account of non-compliance with the new safety norms.(motorbeam.com)

• speaking about the new Punto Evo, it comes with a heavy localization content of 95%. This has made it possible for Fiat to launch the car at an aggressive starting price of Rs 4.55 lakhs (ex-Delhi) for the base petrol variant. Same goes with their next car in-line for India launch. Avventura too is expected to have a 95% localization level.(rushlane.com)

• Volvo Buses has supplied the first lot of its Volvo 8400 city buses (UBS II) to the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) and the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT), the company said in a statement today. While 18 units were delivered to the APSRTC, 30 units were delivered to NMMT as part of the fleet augmentation process. These deliveries follow that of orders from Pondicherry and Solapur in June, the first time that Volvo Buses will ply in these locations. (Autocarpro.in)

• Auto parts maker Visteon Corp reported a 11 percent rise in quarterly revenue as higher vehicle production boosted sales of its climate control products.Total sales rose to $1.78 billion in the second quarter ended June 30, from $1.61 billion a year earlier. (ETauto)

• Apollo Tyres, whose deal for the acquisition of Cooper Tire & Rubber, fell through last December, has decided to establish a new greenfield plant in Eastern Europe, expand capacity at the Chennai plant, and re-jig the product mix of its facility in Kalamassery, Kerala. The company, as reported earlier this year, will spend Euro 500 million (Rs 4,086 crore) for its East European facility that will be funded by accruals and debt of the company’s European subsidiary. (autocarpro.in)

• New crossover from Maruti Suzuki S Cross will supposedly be powered by diesel engines only, with option of 1.3 litre and 1.6 litre units. Reason for not offering petrol engine as option is given as relatively low sales compared to variants with diesel hearts in compact SUV segment.(rushlane.com)

• Due to change in emission norms such as Tier 4 final emission limits and Euro 6 the demand for exhaust-gas treatment systems for trucks, diggers, and other mobile machinery has increased rapidly. To meet the robust demand, Bosch emission systems (BESG) is now bringing new production facilities online in Neunkirchen, in Germany's Saarland. At 3,500 square meters, the existing production halls reached the limit of their capacity some time ago. (ETauto)

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Automotive Updates - 5th August 2014

• Italian carmaker, Fiat has launched the Punto Evo in India at prices starting from of Rs. 4.55 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). The Punto Evo replaces the Punto hatchback in the market.(teambhp.com)

• According to a newspaper report, Mahindra & Mahindra and Peugeot are looking to enter into a strategic alliance which could see both the brands benefiting from several synergies.According to top industry sources, a high level management team from Mahindra has already visited Peugeot’s head quarters in Paris to hold talks regarding the alliance. While Mahindra has not issued a statement in this regard, Peugeot stated that the Indian market remains to be in its focus but no discussions are underway for a rapid return to the sub-continent.( indianautosblog.com)

• Honda Cars India Limited (HCIL) does not want its customers to wait for long durations to receive their vehicles. So, the company has decided to shift the entire production of the new City to its Tapukara plant Rajasthan. Honda has decided that there will be no production of the Honda City in the month of August 2014. The production of Honda City will resume in first week of September 2014.(motoroid.com)

• Country's largest two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp on Tuesday reported 2.58 per cent increase in its net profit at Rs 562.76 crore for the first quarter ended June 30, 2014.The company had posted a net profit of Rs 548.58 crore during the same period of previous fiscal.(businesstoday.in)

• Hall Visteon Climate Control Corp (HVCC), a full-line automotive supplier of climate systems and components and a 70-percent owned subsidiary of Visteon Corporation, has completed the acquisition of the automotive thermal and emissions product line of Cooper-Standard Automotive Inc, a subsidiary of Cooper-Standard Holdings, in a cash transaction valued at $46 million (Rs 280 crore). The acquisition plan was first announced on June 30. (autocarpro.in)

• Few months after the launch of refreshed Linea, Fiat has now brought in the facelifted Punto a.k.a Punto Evo in India today. While talking to Cardekho, the Italian automaker revealed that over the last seven months, the company has sold about 7,000 units of Punto and Linea in combined. Therefore, concluding the tally to an average sale of about 1,000 a month.“We have a lot of expectations from Punto Evo, and hope for a major sales boost in the near future, and right now, we are retailing about 1000 cars in a month,” the official said. (Cardekho.com)

• Pawan Munjal, currently managing director and CEO of Hero MotoCorp, has been elevated to a newly-created position of vice-chairman of the company. With the board of directors of the country’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer giving its approval at its meeting in New Delhi today, he will now hold the position of vice-chairman and managing director. (autocarpro.in)

•  Hindustan Motors today posted a net profit of Rs 12.44 crore for the quarter ended March 31. The company had posted a net loss of Rs 1.16 crore for the same period of previous fiscal.(ETauto.com)

• Renault Duster 4×4 gets a festive launch in October 2014. The new Duster 4×4 will be launched in only one variant and will come in with an all wheel drive system similar to that used by Nissan on their SUVs. This model is already on sale in International markets badged as a Dacia. (www.rushlane.com)

• Ultra-luxury auto maker Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is working to develop a new model, which is expected to hit the market by mid-2016. The new car would further build on the success of company's existing product portfolio including Phantom, Ghost and Wraith. (economicstimes.com)

•  Subaru of America said it is recalling about 5,000 older model cars with passenger-side air bag inflators made by Takata Corp that may rupture and break into metal fragments that could harm passengers, the automaker and US safety regulators said on Tuesday. .(ETauto.com)

•  images from topgear.com and rediff.com

Two wheeler Sales analysis - July 2014

As most of the 2 wheeler manufacture declare their result for July 2014, Sign is very clear that strong sales in 2 wheeler and scooter is continue .

We have collected information and figure for all major two wheeler and scooter manufactures except Suzuki  and all two wheeler manufacture reported growth on YOY basis other than Mahindra and Mahindra which sales down by 7 % but still the dark horse in two wheeler is Honda which again reported growth of over 30% . Royal Enfield reported highest growth of 79% for this month.

As expected Hero is still on top of sales chart with over  5 lakh sales in a month.

Here is the summary of sales and analysis

Key Trend

Ø  Hero is growing constantly in this FY , this month also it has growth of 8 %.

Ø  Honda is keeping its momentum and this month also recorded around 1 lakh increase in sales number compare to last year due to strong scooter sales.

Ø  Bajaj is back on track thanks to increase in exports, the organization seems to overcome its labor issues and as new launches in their kitty , it is expected to perform better in coming months.

Ø  TVS again shows its sprit and reported 32 % growth in July 2014.

Ø  Royal Enfield is returning with Bang as continuously having growth of over 70% in recent months. Definitely it is leader in its segment.

Ø  Mahindra has one bad month in recent time, but with their plan and realigned sales strategy and upcoming models may place them in better position in coming month.

Automotive Updates – 4th August 2014

• Next week is going to be very very exciting as two of the most important cars are being launched, on 11th August Hyundai will launch the second generation i20 while the very next day Tata Motors will launch the Zest. Yes, Tata Motors has just announced the launch date of the Zest, which will go on sale on the 12th of August. The Zest is the first new car for Tata Motors is a long long time as the automaker was concentrating too heavily on the Nano. The Zest has high hopes riding on it and is crucial for Tata Motors future in the country.(motorbeam.com)

• Korean car major Hyundai is looking to tap new customers in rural areas and corporate segment to increase its market share in the Indian automobile market. The company's wholly-owned arm Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), which will make the global launch of its all new premium hatchback Elite i20 this month, also plans to introduce a new model each year in the segment where it is not present. (economicstimes.com)

• Specialty chemicals maker Alent Plc reported a 3.7 percent rise in half-year pretax profit, helped by increased volumes in automotive products and improved consumer sentiment elevating electronic products demand.The company, which demerged from life sciences firm Cookson Plc in 2012, said foreign exchange rates remained a headwind.(ETauto.com)

• Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India which has enjoyed a huge success and gained major share of the scooter market because of its successful product, Activa, is now planning to set up its largest scooter plant in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. With this upcoming plant, Honda’s production capacity will rise by 12 lakh units annually. Honda will invest Rs 1,100 crore on this new plant. After the commencement of this plant, Honda’s total production capacity is expected to reach 58 lakh units.(motoroid.com)

• Honda Cars India will launch the new 2014 Honda Jazz in March next year, the company’s President and CEO, Hiroshi Kanayama, told Autocar. The timeline is consistent with what Honda officials told Indian Autos Blog earlier on, that the new hatchback will launch by the end of this financial year, but not before January 2015.(indianautoblogs.com)

• Startups in the skills space are not just helping blue-collar professionals enter the industry, but also helping companies reduce training costs.Startups, such as Skillsonics, and LabourNet, are reducing costs for manufacturing companies in the large and medium industries by helping them pick trained blue-collar workers, who can hit the ground running. Also, with the National skill Development Corporation emphasising on skill training, this market is set to boom. (ETauto.com)

• Back in 2010, Japanese auto major, Nissan had moved the production of the Euro-spec Micra hatchback to Chennai from its plant in Sunderland, UK. This was done so that the production lines could be used for the production of the Juke crossover. However, this arrangement will continue only till the end of 2016, when the next-generation Micra (for European markets) arrives. According to the company's plans, the new Micra will be rolled out from Nissan's plant in France instead of Chennai.(teambhp.com)

• For the Paris Motor Show, which will be held from October 4-19, 2014, at the Porte de Versailles exhibition grounds in Paris (France), Faurecia will unveil its latest innovations, technologies and products, under the ‘Less is More’ theme. The global automotive supplier will, at its 290 square metre stand (Hall 1, Booth D521), exhibit numerous products illustrating the role which Faurecia will play in fuel economy, in particular in weight reduction, within the frame of the Group’s participation in the French initiative for affordable vehicles offering mileage in excess of 117.6 mpg (US)/50kpl. Faurecia will be part of the concept vehicles to be unveiled by French automakers and to which it will have largely contributed, mainly in terms of lightweighting and energy efficiency. (autocarpro.in)

• Bosch is to present a host of innovations, with the focus on sustainability of the workshop, at Automechanika Frankfurt 2014 to be held from September 16-20, The company’s 2,300 square-metre stand in Hall 9 will showcase a broad range of spare parts, diagnostics and workshop equipment as well as service activities and workshop concepts. A highlight is the technological refinement of the workshop business wherein Bosch will debut new technologies for the ‘connected workshop’. An interesting module is the use of Augmented Reality for motor vehicle repairs and training. On the stand, visitors will have an opportunity to try out Augmented Reality themselves at numerous stations using their own smartphone . (autocarpro.in)

•  images from motoroids.com and bikeadvice.in

Automotive Updates - 2nd and 3rd August 2014

• Auto component major Motherson Sumi Systems Ltd (MSSL) has completed a USD 65.7-million deal for acquiring wiring harness business of US-based Stoneridge Inc. Commenting on the development Samvardhana Motherson Group Chairman VC Sehgal said: "This acquisition reaffirms our commitment to our customers and reiterates our vision of being a globally preferred solutions provider. (economicstimes.com)

• Japanese auto major Suzuki Motor Corporation's (SMC) chairman and chief executive Osamu Suzuki called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.The meeting was described as a courtesy call by the Prime Minister's Office.(financialexpress.com)

• Suzuki is in India to attend the Board meeting of SMC's Indian subsidiary Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL), which announced 20.69-per cent increase in net profit to Rs 762.28 crore for the first quarter.(businesstoday.in)

• On the back of its new cars Honda Cars India Ltd has toppled India’s largest UV maker Mahindra & Mahindra from its third spot by outnumbering the latter in July sales at 15,709 units as against Mahindra’s 12,472 units sold last month. Honda’s Amaze, City and newly launched MPV Mobilio proved to be the major driving force behind this achievement. Honda India registered 40 per cent growth last month at 15,709 units including domestic sales and exports. Reigning mid-sized sedan segment, City contributed around 7,705 unit sales last month, Amaze on the hand garnered 4507 unit sales.(cartrade.com)

• Korean car major Hyundai is looking to tap new customers in rural areas and corporate segment to increase its market share in the Indian automobile market. The company's wholly-owned arm Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), which will make the global launch of its all new premium hatchback Elite i20 this month, also plans to introduce a new model each year in the segment where it is not present. (economicstimes.com)

• Jnaneswar Sen, Sr. Vice President – Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India Ltd.elaborated on ongoing progress. Recently launched Honda Mobilio has been received well with over 10,000 bookings since launch. Honda Amaze and all new City are in strong favour and are expected to continue to do well in respective segments.(rushlane.com)

• The Indian premium hatchback segment is witnessing a lot of action as several new and refreshed hatchbacks are being launched. Economic Times reports that the Maruti Swift facelift will be here in November to take on the refreshed VW Polo, Fiat Punto Evo and the upcoming new Hyundai Elite i20 and Tata Bolt. (indianautoblogs.com)

• Within the next 24 months, Tata Motors will launch its first ever compact crossover SUV in India by way of the Nexon. Shown as a concept at the Delhi Motor Show earlier this year, the Nexon previews a Ford EcoSport rival from the Indian car maker which was once known for its stronghold of the UV segment.(indianautoblogs.com)

• Skoda India has launched a 24X7 road side assistance program for owners of their entire car range. This 2 year long programme is effective from 1st Aug 2014 and is especially developed to benefit those customers who are not covered under standard road side assistance program. (motortrend.com)

• The turnover of India's auto component sector shrank for the first time ever in the past fiscal year, with manufactures blaming increasing Chinese imports and a tough local automotive market for the drop.Local parts makers posted a turnover of Rs 2.11 lakh crore for the year ended on March 31, a 2% drop from the previous year's Rs 2.16 lakh crore, show data from the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA).(Etauto.com)

• Skoda India will launch the refreshed Yeti on September 10, according to a report on Autocar India. The 2014 Yeti facelift was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September last year, and it had its Indian debut earlier this year at the Delhi Motor Show. (indianautoblogs.com)

images from livemint.com and rediff.com

Indian Automobile sales - July 2014

Overall Sales 

- Passenger vehicle 

- Commercial Vehicle

- Two Wheeler

 

 - Three wheeler

- Group Sales

Automotive Updates - 1st August 2014

• Karnataka has offered a 70% exemption on VAT to Hero Motocorp among other incentives for its proposed two-wheeler venture in Dharwad, The cabinet sub-committee on industrial development headed by chief minister Siddaramaiah met on Thursday to discuss the incentives sought by the company.(Etauto)

• The country’s largest automaker, Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) has ambitious plans in store for this fiscal. Set to concentrate on launch of new models, extensive marketing plans and greater emphasis on Research and Development, the company has announced capital investment of INR 4,000 crores. (rushlane.com)

• Honda Cars India has halted the production of the City sedan to accommodate the recently launched Mobilio MPV.The City and the Mobilio are manufactured at Honda's plant at Greater Noida. The Mobilio is a new product and the company is trying to establish its presence in the market. But the limited production capacity of its plant could hamper its ability to manufacture enough units to meet demand.(teambhp.com)

• Mahindra silently launches Bolero Camper Gold VX. The Mahindra Bolero Camper Gold has been quietly re-branded as the Bolero Camper Gold VX. The refreshed double cab pickup has been on sale for the last couple of months. (indianautoblogs.com)

• Launched in April 2013, Honda’s compact sedan for India, Amaze is expected to cross 1 lakh unit sales this week. This is a huge milestone for them as none of their cars have touched the milestone 1 lakh figure in such a short period of 15 months.(rushlane.com)

• Reliable sources reveal to IndianAutosBlog.com that the second generation Hyundai i20 will launch in India on August 11.Designed similar to the Grand i10 and Xcent, the premium hatchback adopts a large grille, a V-Shaped crease on the bonnet, and a strong shoulder line. The headlamps are given metallic inserts, and another interesting touch, inferred from spyshots, is the stretched taillight. (indianautoblogs.com)

• Anticipating a turnaround in the domestic auto industry after a prolonged slowdown, Tata Motors have announced a capital expenditure plan of INR 3,500-4,000 crores. The company has two exciting new offerings in the form of Tata Zest and Bolt and plan to enhance their dealership networks on these optimistic predictions. (rushlane.com)

• Maruti will launch a refreshed version of its highly popular Swift hatchback in India in November 2014.The new Swift will be just a mid life refresh as compared to an all new model. As with the current car, the new Swift will be available with petrol, diesel and CNG options. (Etauto)

• The Indian automotive component industry is gunning for new avenues of growth and is eyeing the defence and aviation sectors. Having had to face tough times over the past couple of years, as a result of the market slowdown, this move by some suppliers could also be seen as a hedge against a slowdown although market sentiment has considerably improved since May. According to the the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), the turnover of the Indian auto component industry has registered a decline of 2 percent in FY2013-14 to Rs 211,765 crore. The EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) margins of about 100 listed component vendors are also down by 12-10 percent.(autocarpro.in)

• BMW India have launched a limited edition of their entry-level 1 Series hatchback. The BMW 1 Series M Performance Edition is limited to 111 units pan India, and sales of the car have already started at all dealerships.(indianautoblogs.com)

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• images from sify.com and ndtv.com