Automotive Updates - 20th July 2014

• The Indian auto components industry has come of age. This was clearly reflected in the fact that the industry recorded a 16.7pc growth at Rs 61,487 crore (US $ 10.2 billion) for the year 2013-14 as compared to Rs 52,690 crore (US $ 9.7 billion) in 2012-13.  Europe accounted for 38 pc of exports followed by Asia at 25 pc, North America at 21 pc. Exports to Europe increased by 14.5 pc over the previous fiscal, while exports to Latin America and Asia registered a growth of 16.5 pc and 5.4 pc respectively. The key export items included engine parts, transmission parts, brake system and components, body parts, exhaust systems, turbochargers etc. (motown.com)

• Japan will offer at least 2 million yen ($19,700) in subsidies for fuel-cell vehicles, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said according to media, as the government and Japanese carmakers including Toyota Motor Corp join forces to speed up the introduction the vehicles.(ETAUTO.com)

• German luxury car maker Audi is betting big on its upcoming sedan A3 to stretch its leadership in the Indian market and has started local production of the model from VW group firm Skoda's Aurangabad plant. Read more (economictimes.indiatimes.com) 

• Federal-Mogul Holdings Corporation has announced the next step in its ongoing strategy to drive the global growth of its premium products and leading brands, and the company’s Vehicle Components Division has been renamed Federal-Mogul Motorparts with immediate effect. (www.motorindiaonline.in)

• Bhutan has lifted a ban on import of vehicles imposed a year ago, with dealers saying that most clients were interested in India made vehicles.The department of trade officially lifted the ban Saturday, Kuensel reported."Now that the new taxation is in place, the ban will be lifted with immediate effect," Bhutan's Economic Affairs Minister Norbu Wangchuk said. (ETAUTO.com)

• Tech Mahindra will collaborate with WSU and its National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), the largest academic aviation R&D institution in US, on multiple areas of engineering including composites, advanced materials and structural testing, it said in a statement. http://post.jagran.com/tech-mahindra-partners-wsu-for-aerospace-engineering-automotive-testing-1405591590

• The Indian automaker TATA will be initiating the Tata Motors Service Application (TMSA) which replaces the idea of physically filling up every service detail on the paper job card with an Android tablet at the time of service. Basically, customers who walk in to service their vehicles or need to get repairs done will no longer have to go through the tedious process of filling up the job card. Instead, a service advisor will use the VTAB Android device to create a digital job card, thereby reducing the time period very effectively.Read more at http://www.motorbeam.com/cars/tata-motors/tata-to-improve-customer-experience-with-new-vtab-app/#8AjhmPCfF3tmcFJR.99

• Bajaj Finance has decided to walk out of the construction equipment (CE) financing business due to muted profitability prospects, a top official has said."We have been very cautious about the business for over 18 months. Now, we have decided to exit it fully, looking at it from the profitability perspective," the Pune- headquartered company's chief executive Rajeev Jain told PTI. (ETAUTO.com)

•  image from www.executivechase.in

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Automotive Updates - 19th july 2014

• The Toyota Etios Xclusive limited edition has been launched at INR 5.98 lakhs and INR 7.10 lakhs for the petrol and diesel variants respectively (ex-showroom Delhi). Recall that Toyota had for the first time introduced the Xclusive edition last year on the Etios.Read more: http://indianautosblog.com/2014/07/oyota-etios-xclusive-limited-edition-t135803#ixzz37vjaUlOY 

• BMW R nineT Launched In India, Priced At Rs. 23.5 LakhRead more at http://www.motorbeam.com/bikes/bmw-motorrad/bmw-r-ninet-launched-in-india-priced-at-rs-23-5-lakhs/#oteEr03qcefEjjiR.99

• After BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota, Japanese car maker, Mitsubishi has also recalled its vehicles installed with Takata airbags. This recall has been initiated after finding out that Takata made use of faulty propellant which may cause the bags to rip and spray the occupants of the car with shrapnel.(Motoroid.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 .(ETauto)

• Tata has started the pre-launch bookings for the Zest through its website. Interested customers can pre-book the car online by paying INR 21,000 through debit/credit cards or other online means of payment.Read more: http://indianautosblog.com/2014/07/tata-zest-bookings-start-138037#ixzz37vj5Dqhh 

• A new report from Australia’s Drive publication states that the Tata Nexon will be underpinned by an all new platform. This is certainly contrary to what was previously reported that the Nexon is based on the Vista’s platform.Read more: http://indianautosblog.com/2014/07/tata-nexon-platform-could-be-used-on-future-jlr-models-137980#ixzz37vjv9XXM

• Rejecting criticism over the hike in FDI cap in defence sector to 49 per cent, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley today said the step was necessary for boosting domestic industry of a country which imports up to 70 per cent of its military hardware.Justifying the decision to raise the cap from 26 per cent, he said the country is dependent to a large extent on foreign sources for meeting its defence requirements and they can "stop supplies" during times of war. (ETauto)

• The upcoming Tata Kite hatchback continues to be spied. Multiple sources have come up with spyshots of camouflaged test mules, revealing more details about its exterior and interior.(motoroid.com)

• Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE) Ahmednagar, a unit of Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has inaugurated its new ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) testing facility which is jointly funded by the ministries of Defense and Heavy Industries.The new test track which can be accessed by OEMs, auto component and tyre manufacturers, simulates the varied conditions that a vehicle encounters during its lifetime.Read more: http://indianautosblog.com/2014/07/abs-test-facility-vrde-drdo-ahmednagar-138032#ixzz37vjMQXWg 

• Last month, Hyundai revealed the 2015 Verna facelift which is known as the Solaris in the Russian market. Now, according to reports, the facelifted model will be launched in the Indian market towards the end of this year. The 2015 Verna facelift gets new headlamps, new grille and a new bumper. The car gets new fog lamps with integrated LED daytime running lamps.(motoroid.com)

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• image from finsys.in and desighnvboom.com

Automotive Updates - 18th July 2014

• Ramesh Suri, Chairman of Subros Limited will be elevated as the new president of Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA). He will replace Harish Lakshman of the Rane Group. (ETauto.com)

• Clocking a growth of about 12 per cent in June after a slide, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), is expecting a growth of six to seven per cent during 2014, a top official said today. The company, which registered a decline in sales in January-April this year, witnessed a marginal increase in May last and expects sales to grow by six to seven per cent this year, N Raja, Director and senior Vice-President, TKM, told reporters here. (Economics times)

• The Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (VRDE), a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), unveiled a new anti-lock braking system (ABS)test facility in Ahmednagar. This facility will be jointly funded by the Defence Ministry and the Ministry of Heavy Industries.(teambhp)

• 3M has appointed Dr Ashish K Khandpur as senior vice-president, Research and Development and Chief Technology Officer, effective immediately. He replaces Dr Frederick J Palensky, who is retiring after a successful 37-year career with the company. “Ashish is a highly accomplished and respected leader with a proven track record of success across multiple 3M businesses and geographic regions," said Inge G Thulin, 3M’s chairman, president and CEO. - See more at: http://www.autocarpro.in/news-international/3m-appoints-dr-ashish-khandpur-senior-vp-cto-6032#sthash.mEDZBzsM.dpuf

• A report on the Economic Times says that Mahindra 2 Wheelers have discontinued the Pantero commuter motorcycle owing to poor sales performance of the product. Launched in early 2013, the Pantero has failed to make any sort of dent in its segment, and according to sales data published by the newspaper, the Pantero’s monthly sales were averaging only 200 units.Read more: http://indianautosblog.com/2014/07/mahindra-pantero-discontinued-137821#ixzz37qRoU5P1 

• South Korean car maker, Hyundai revealed Verna facelift in Russia last month as Solaris. Featuring an even more fluidic design, India launch of Verna facelift will take place later this year, after the launch of new i20.(rushlane)

• Mahindra First Choice Wheels Ltd, a leading multi-brand certified used car company, today said it would touch 500 outlets in the next two years from the present 368 dealerships. The company, which has its footfalls in 210 cities across country, has expanded its presence by opening its first authorised dealership in nearby Tirupur, in a sprawling 4,000 sq.ft area in GTC Cars, last evening, a company release said today. (Economics times)

• Nissan India have silently launched an updated Evalia with minor design changes. A company spokesperson told Indian Autos Blog that the updated MPV has reached dealer showrooms as well, and that deliveries have commenced.Read more: http://indianautosblog.com/2014/07/nissan-evalia-facelift-launched-137768#ixzz37qRwOD6q 

• Japan's Mitsubishi Motors Corp is recalling older model Lancer sedans made with Takata Corp air bags, increasing to nine the number of automakers that have said they will recall vehicles with Takata air bags sold in the United States.(ETauto.com)

• Kia is recalling nearly 52,000 Soul small SUVs to fix a problem that can cause steering failure.The recall covers vehicles from the 2014 model year built from July 21, 2013, through Jan. 17, 2014. (ETauto.com)

• Giant Bicycles, a Taiwanese brand, has launched the Giant Propel Advanced SL 0, the world’s fastest bicycle (certified by VeloLab), in India at a whopping INR 10.59 lakhs! Mr Pravin V Patil, MD, Starkenn Sports Pvt. Ltd., unveils the Giant Propel Advanced SL 0 The brand has also announced its entry into India through its exclusive distributor Starkenn Sports Pvt. Ltd.Read more: http://indianautosblog.com/page/2#ixzz37qS8NPxV 

• Toyota has launched India-made Etios Cross in South Africa for a price of 159,800 Rand (approximately Rs 8.99lakh). The car will join the Etios hatchback and the sedan in the South African range of cars.(carwale.com)

•  image from cardekho.com

Automotive Updates - 17th July 2014

• Maruti Suzuki India Ltd has extended its engine-sourcing agreement with the local unit of Italian carmaker Fiat SpA for three years, according to four people familiar with the development. The agreement for sourcing the 1.3 litre multijet diesel engine, which powers various models of Maruti Suzuki including the Swift and Dzire, ends in April 2015, said one of the four people who all spoke on condition of anonymity. Spokespersons for both Maruti and Fiat declined to comment. (livemint.com)

• Scania Commercial Vehicles India (SCVI) is all set to open a new bus manufacturing facility at Narasapura, near Bangalore, in August. The company will start production of Metrolink coaches with an annual capacity of 1,000 buses. Following the launch of the coach in February this year, SCVI has till now sold 35 units thus far and expects to close CY 2014 with sales of 150 buses in the Indian market, 50 percent of them manufactured at the new plant. The company, which says its Metrolink buses are designed for Indian road conditions and offer ultra-luxury features and comfort coupled with adequate safety measures, is confident about selling 500 units by 2015. Autocarpro.in)

• Former CEO of Ford Motor Company, Alan Mulally who retired from this position on July 1, 2014 has joined Google’s board as of July 9, 2014. It was earlier rumored that Mulally would be joining Microsoft but instead he has become the 11th member of Google board.(rushlane)

•  Volkswagen AG will increase the amount of locally-made parts in the cars it sells in India to cut costs and lift falling salesin a competitive market dominated by cheap compacts. Five years after entering India, VW has captured just 2.1 per cent of the market because its cars are seen as relatively expensive and it lacks a diverse mass-market product range. VW is the market leader in China, yet it has struggled in India against competition from compact carmakers like Hyundai Motor Co and Maruti Suzuki Ltd, and mid-market offerings from carmakers like Toyota Motor Corp . .(etauto)

• Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) has announced that it will replace the passenger side airbag inflator in 1,085 units of the Accord saloon and 253 units of the CR-V SUV manufactured in 2003 (including one in 2002) as a preventive measure. The carmaker says a problem during the propellant forming process may damage the casing of the inflator when the airbag is deployed, in the event of an accident or in any other situation, thereby injuring passengers.(Autocarpro.in)

• Nissan Motor Company has shown interest in getting their best-selling electric car, the Leaf, to India. In order to achieve this, the Japanese manufacturer is open to collaborate with local manufacturers to provide charging facilities for this vehicle.(carwale.com)

• Royal Enfield today announced the Corbeta Group as their exclusive distributor for Colombia. The Corbeta group will be responsible for supplying, marketing, reselling, distribution and servicing of Royal Enfield products in the Colombian market.Commenting on the partnership with the Corbeta Group, Lal said, "Royal Enfield has had a great run in the recent past with a 50% year- on- year for the last three years and aims to become a leading player in the global mid-sized motorcycle segment.(etauto)

• BMW has issued a worldwide recall for 3 Series models to replace passenger-side front airbags. The recall has been announced over a concern that the front-seat passenger could be injured by metal shards being deployed by a faulty component from inside the airbag, in the event of a crash. It will cover upto 16 lakh cars worldwide, manufactured between May 1999 and August 2006.(carwale.com)

• Rocket science long dismissed as too impractical and expensive for everyday cars is getting a push into the mainstream by Toyota, the world's top-selling automaker.Buoyed by its success with electric-gasoline hybrid vehicles, Toyota is betting that drivers will embrace hydrogen fuel cells, an even cleaner technology that runs on the energy created by an electrochemical reaction when oxygen in the air combines with hydrogen stored as fuel.(ETAUTO)

• On the sidelines of delivering the first Scania Metrolink multi-axle luxury coach in Chennai, Mr. Anders Grundstromer, Managing Director, Scania India and Senior VP, Scania Group, told Indian Autos Blog that the bio-gas powered Scania vehicles could be seen plying on Indian roads as early as next year.He added that the ethanol powered Scania city buses would commence testing in Nagpur next month. All Scania engines are capable of running on 95% ethanol. (Indian auto blog)

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  image from burnyourfuel.com; nissanusa.com

Automotive Updates - 16th July 2014

• Volvo-Eicher Commercial Vehicles (VECV) Tuesday rolled out light and medium trucks here with higher power and durability to meet the needs of the emerging mid-premium market segment."The new trucks (Eicher Pro 1000 and 3000) come with value-added features at economical cost," VECV vice president for sales and marketing Shyam Maller told reporters.(Etauto.com)

• SAIC-GM-Wuling has broken ground for its new R&D centre and proving ground in Liuzhou, Guangxi. The facilities, which are adjacent to the joint venture’s Baojun passenger car production base, will support the development of new vehicles for China. The 376,000-square-metre R&D centre is being built in four phases. Phase I will include an advanced noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) lab and environmental simulation lab. Phase II will have experimental facilities for parts, materials and structures for electrical devices. Phase III will feature testing facilities for engines, emission systems, safety systems and new energy vehicles. Phase IV will have testing facilities for complete vehicles and a modeling centre. The R&D centre is scheduled to open in December 2018. (autocarpro.in)

• British luxury carmaker, Jaguar will unveil its new sedan, the XE at London on September 8, 2014.The XE will be Jaguar's smallest sedan, slotting in below the XF. From the teasers that the company has released, it is apparent that the car bears resemblance to it bigger siblings - the XF and XJ.(Teambhp.com)

• SML Isuzu Limited (formerly Swaraj Mazda), manufacturer of trucks and buses, is eyeing a 15 per cent market share in the commercial vehicles segment over the next four years, a company official said."Presently, our market share in the commercial vehicles category is 7.5 per cent. We want to take it to 15 per cent over the next four years", T Otsubo, Sr VP (marketing), SML Isuzu, told . (Etauto.com)

• VW India is working on a facelift for the mid-size Vento sedan, and it is expected in showrooms in the festive season period this year.Speaking to Indian Autos Blog at the sidelines of the VW Polo facelift launch, Mahesh Kodumudi, VW India president and managing director, confirmed that the updated Vento will see a more localized design, one that is executed taking more Indian inputs onboard.(indianautoblog.com)

• Ashok Leyland, a market leader in staff transport solutions category in Saudi Arabia, is launching the 2015 models this month.A company statement said it has established itself as the primary choice for commercial transport not only at the construction sites but also in school and staff transport segments. (Etauto.com)

• In a bid to strengthen market share and bring in yet another success story into the country, Honda Cars India will be launching the Honda Mobilio MPV in India on July 23, 2014. Prelaunch bookings have already commenced at a down payment of INR 50,000 across India, strengthened by active campaigning and strong advertising.(rushlane.com)

• Mercedes-Benz will launch the GLA crossover in India later this year during the festive season, and the CLA will be launched this month through the CLA 45 AMG. The regular variants of the CLA will be introduced next year. (indianautoblog.com)

• To launch sometime in 2015 is yet another small car from the stables of Tata Motors. Named Tata Kite, a prototype of which was spied testing, appears to be smaller than Bolt hatchback but larger than world’s cheapest car, Nano. Rushlane spotted it in recent time. (rushlane.com)

• Panasonic, the multinational electronics corporation, is looking actively at the automotive industry to drive its Toughbook brand of laptops.  On July 11, in Pune, in association with Autocar Professional, it held the first edition of an industry focussed session called ‘Drive Ahead – Preparing for Tough Bends’ in Pune. The three-hour session was attended by select industry officials, which included decision makers from Tata Motors, Voith Industrial Services and DSK Hyosung, among others. (autocarpro.in)

• A Low-Cost Celerio MPV could be the next product from Maruti-Suzuki’s stables. This no-frills MPV based on the Celerio entry-level hatchback could give the Datsun GO+ and Honda Mobilio a run for their money.(Motoroids.com)

image from hindubusinessline.com , livemint.com

Automotive Updates - 15th July 2014

• Maruti Suzuki India has announced that its Ertiga MPV has crossed the milestone of 150,000 unit sales since the car’s launch in April 2012. In Q1 2014-15 (April-June 2014), the Ertiga has sold over 14,000 units. To commemorate this milestone, the OEM has introduced an Ertiga Limited Edition model in petrol (Rs 676,836), CNG (Rs 734,872) and Diesel (Rs 805,677, ex-showroom Delhi) variants, available in a new pearl blaze blue colour (in addition to Superior White and Silky Silver Metallic) with what the company says are factory-fitted high-end features is attractively priced. (autocarpro.in)

• German carmaker, Volkswagen has launched the Polo facelift in India at prices starting from Rs. 4.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).(Teambhp.com)

• Jaguar XE To Be Officially Unveiled On 8th September. (Motorbeam.com)

• German car major Volkswagen plans to invest Rs 1,500 crore in India by 2020. The investment could include an engine and transmission manufacturing facility as well as some plant upgrades. "We are maintaining it as a conservative figure," Mahesh Kodumudi, president and managing director, Volkswagen India, told Autocar Professional. (autocarpro.in)

• Honda Cars India will launch the Honda Mobilio on July 23 after pre-launch bookings started last week. Honda dealers have started bookings for an amount of INR 50,000.(indianautoblog)

• Maruti Suzuki India today signed an MoU with Muthoot Vehicle and Asset Finance (MVFL) to enable customers avail 100 per cent finance for Maruti cars.The MoU was signed between Tarun Garg, Vice-President (Sales), Maruti Suzuki and George Alexander Muthoot, Managing Director, Muthoot Group.(ETauto)

• VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), the joint venture between the Volvo Group and Eicher Motors, says it expects to cross 40,000 unit sales in 2014. Speaking to Autocar Professional today in Bangalore, Shyam Maller, senior VP (Sales and Marketing), VECV, said the company expects to outperform the industry growth in the CV sector this year .(Autocarpro.in)

• Toyota Motor Corp. subsidiary Primearth EV Energy Co. Tuesday said it will increase its production capacity for nickel metal hydride batteries used in hybrid cars.To meet increasing demand for fuel-efficient cars, the Shizuoka-based subsidiary will expand its production capacity at its plant in Miyagi Prefecture in northeastern Japan, to 500,000 cars worth of rechargeable batteries from the current 300,000. (ETauto)

• India’s fourth largest two wheeler maker TVS will launch a new product every quarter for the next three years, Mr. Venu Srinivasan, Chairman and MD, TVS Motor Company, has said. (indianautoblog)

• Global automotive supplier Continental’s new turbocharger with water-cooled aluminium turbine housing has entered series production in the three-cylinder petrol engine of the Mini hatchback. This turbocharger is the first of its kind worldwide to be used in a car and enables a significant weight reduction of nearly 30 percent (1.2kg) while also providing cost and system benefits. –(Autocarpro.in).

• Mahindra Racing has announced that Jorge Martinez's Aspar team will use their bike -- the MGP3O -- in the 2015 Moto3 World Championship.The team will also run two riders on the Mahindra bike in the FIM CEV International Championship. (ETauto)

• It may soon be mandatory for auto companies to install air bags and anti-lock braking systems, besides ensuring that vehicles undergo a crash test before plying on Indian roads. (ETauto)

image from hindubusinessline.com

Automotive Updates - 14th July 2014

• Ford Motor Company has announced the Alan Mulally Leadership in Engineering Scholarship, a $1 million (Rs 6 crore) program that honors the company’s former CEO by providing financial assistance to outstanding students pursuing degrees in the field of automotive engineering.

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• Maruti Suzuki has launched a limited of the Ritz in India. Called Ritz Elate, the car is equipped with new decals and extra kit and will be available only in mid-level VXI and VDI variants. The limited edition has been priced at Rs 19,990 over the standard car and being a limited edition

• Government will make necessary changes in law and bring it on par with international standards to enable cars, especially those running on bio-fuels, to ply on Indian roads, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari today said. 

• He said the government will try to introduce the changes in the next session of Parliament. 

• The Renault Group is driving for aggressive growth in the India market and is already chalking out a new, geographical game-plan. As of September 1, 2014, the Group is changing its international structure. To support growth during Phase 2 of its medium-term ‘Renault Drive the Change’ strategic plan, the current Asia-Pacific region will be split into two new regions. While the new Middle-East India region will include the Middle East, the Gulf countries and the Indian sub-continent, the Asia-Pacific region will include China, ASEAN countries, Korea, Japan, Australia and Oceania.

• Japanese car-maker Toyota will halt some production at its South African assembly plant from Tuesday due to a strike at companies supplying car components, a company spokeswoman said on Monday."Toyota will close two production lines from Tuesday at our Durban plant," spokeswoman Mary Willemse said.

• Magyar Suzuki of Hungary is the only car manufacturing subsidiary for the Japanese automaker in Europe. On the 9th of July, the 23-year old facility rolled out its 2.5 millionth vehicle.The milestone car is a facelifted Suzuki Swift GL 5-door variant in a white body color which is powered by the 1.2-litre K-Series petrol engine, equipped with a manual transmission. The car will be sold to a customer in Hungary.

•  American motor company Ford said on Monday it has temporarily suspended production at one of its South African plants due to a strike at some of its suppliers."Production at our Silverton assembly plant has been temporarily suspended due to the strike," spokeswoman Alicia Chetty said.

• Volkswagen AG will invest a three-digit million euro amount at its Tennessee assembly plant to build a new seven-seater crossover SUV starting in 2016, a person familiar with the plans told Reuters on Monday.The German automaker chose to build the three-row sports utility vehicle at its plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, instead of at its facility in Puebla, Mexico, which had also been a contender.

• The KPIT team is busy developing solutions that could lead to more efficient battery-powered or fuel-cell powered electric vehicles for use in India and other similar markets. One solution it is working on is a low-cost version of the concentrated photo-voltaic technology which will charge the vehicle while parked, “but not at an exorbitant cost”. The target for the team is to reduce the payback period of cost in the technology from around eight years to 2-3 years.

• The designers at BASF’s Coatings division, which develops, produces and markets innovative automotive coatings, automotive refinishes and industrial coatings, have published their automotive colour trends for 2014 and 2015. As per their collection titled ‘Under the Radar’, new colour ranges are appearing on the trend radar.

• International automotive supplier Continental is presenting a new evolutionary stage of its head-up display (HUD). The Augmented Reality HUD supplements the exterior view of the traffic conditions in front of the vehicle with virtual information (augmentations) for the driver.

image from forbes.com

Automotive Updates - 13th July 2014

• India’s industrial production growth accelerated at the fastest pace in 19 months in May, official data released on Friday showed—heartening news for a government that got down to the business of fixing the economy with its first budget one day ago. Factory output, as measured by the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), grew by a faster-than-expected 4.7% in May, up from 3.4% in April. The growth, led by a robust recovery in manufacturing, compares with a contraction of 2.5% recorded in May 2013. Industrial output growth beat a forecast of a 3.8% rise in a Reuters poll of economists.

• Tata group's flagship Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is developing much smarter cars that will offer a completely personalised driving experience and help prevent accidents by reducing driver distraction.

• Using the latest machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques, JLR's proposed car will offer a comprehensive array of services to the driver, owing to a new learning algorithm that recognises who the driver is and learns their preferences and driving style. 

• Celebrating the extended excise duty cut relief, Chevrolet has announced special discounts of upto Rs 88,000 on its selected models. Under the scheme of ‘Blockbuster Weekend’, the company is providing offers on its hatchback Beat, Sail, Spark, Sail Sedan and Enjoy MPV. While it seems like Cruze, Tavera and Captiva are not included in this offer. This limited offer is valid on till July 14, 2014. So hurry make the most of it now. 

• Honda has recently announced a new addition to its commuter bike range, the Honda CD 110 Dream. The 110 cc motorcycle is the third member of the brand’s Dream family of commuters, following the Dream Yuga and the Dream Neo.Indian Autos Blog learns that the CD 110 Dream would be launched in a phased manner with the first lot of bikes slated to reach showrooms in select cities on July 15.

• Reports suggest that the Audi A3 sedan might be launched in India on August 7. The A3 sedan will be the most affordable car in Audi’s line-up and will compete with other entry-level luxury cars like the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and the BMW 1 Series. 

• Riding on the strategy of focusing on first time buyers and rural markets, country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) has increased its market share in passenger vehicle segment in the first quarter of the current fiscal to 42 percentage.In the April-June period, the company sold 2,41,812 units of passenger cars and utility vehicles out of an industry total of 5,73,038 units, garnering 42.19 per cent market share, according to latest SIAM data.

• Renault bringing an MPV into India has been talked for long. However, for the first time, the car major from the land of Louvre, has been caught testing its Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) Lodgy in India by a reader of Indianautosblog.com.

• JSW Steel's production rose more than eight per cent to 3.1 million tonnes (MT) in the first quarter ended June 30.The Sajjan Jindal-led firm had produced 2.86 MT crude steel in the April-June quarter of last fiscal, it said in a statement

• An environment-friendly bus is all set to ply on the roads of the city. Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari announced on Saturday that a bus that ran completely on ethanol would be handed over to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) within a fortnight.

• The announcement was made by Gadkari at a felicitation ceremony of scientist Raghunath Mashelkar organized by Vanrai Fondation. On the occasion of Guru Purnima, the renowned scientist was conferred upon the first Padma Vibhushan late Dr Mohan Dharia nation building award.
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•  image from theguardian.com

Automotive Updates - 12th July 2014

• On the sidelines of the Tata Zest media drive program, Tata officials confirmed to Indian Autos Blog that the compact sedan will be launched in August.

• Mercedes-Benz India will launch the much-awaited compact sedan CLA on July 22. This is the third new generation car to be launched in India after the A Class hatch and B Class tourer. The three-pointed star will unveil the CLA 45 AMG, the premium-priced performance variant, before introducing out the regular compact sedan at a later date. 

• In May, BMW India launched the new BMW X5 in India. According to a report, BMW India will be launching the 5 seater X5 soon.  The X5 currently on sale in India features a 7 seat arrangement in 2+3+2 configuration. Akin to the 7 seater model, the 5 seater model will also be assembled at the Chennai plant.

• After tasting great success at the box office this year, actress Alia Bhatt has bagged another endorsement in her kitty.Alia has been signed as the brand ambassador for Hero Motocorp and will be starting off her association with the company with a new ad campaign for Pleasure, one of Hero's best selling scooter targeted at women. Alisa also shot for the ad campaign in Manali last week.

• German automaker, Volkswagen is gearing up to open a second regional Parts Distribution Centre (PDC) in India. This PDC will be located at Bangalore and is expected to be fully functional by the second quarter of 2015.

• Unveiled at the 2014 Auto Expo in February this year, Hero MotoCorp has silently launched the Passion Pro TR in India. Based on the Passion Pro 100 motorcycle, the Passion Pro TR is a rugged off-roadesque version that gets subtle additions making the bike well equipped to handle rough roads. Compared to the standard version, the Passion Pro TR sports a host of upgrades such as sturdier handlebars with cross brace, a headlight grille, knuckle guards, knee pads, on-off road tyres, bash plate to shield the engine and a higher front fender with tyre hugger.

• The road transport ministry has circulated a cabinet note with the proposal to take out battery-operated vehicles with engines of up to 650W from the ambit of Motor Vehicles Act, officials told TOI. The move comes barely days after the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Centre, asking if the law regulating motor vehicles was applicable to this mode of transport.Last month, road transport minister Nitin Gadkari had promised that the government would amend the Act so that livelihood of over one lakh e-rickshaw drivers is protected and police don't harass them.

• German car parts maker ZF Friedrichshafen's takeover offer for rival TRW looks unlikely to draw rival bids for the U.S. company but could trigger further deals down the line, bankers and analysts said on Friday.Privately held ZF, a powertrain and chassis specialist, said on Thursday that it was in early talks to buy TRW in a deal that would create one of the world's biggest component makers with combined revenue of $40 billion.

• Launching the A-Class luxury hatchback in India turned out to be one of the best decisions made by Mercedes-Benz. Not only is the hatchback a success internationally, the A-Class met with aggressive demand in India as well post launch in 2013. The demand has been so overwhelming that Mercedes is having a hard time keeping up with deliveries, due to the limited number of CKD kits allocated for India. Now, taking a page from Mercedes’ success story, German auto giant Volkswagen too is planning to launch the Golf premium hatchback in the country.

• The deal would expand ZF's mechanics-heavy portfolio to include airbags, collision sensors and other electronics with possible applications in self-driving cars - an area where investment is booming to reflect potentially high returns.

• Tata Nano AMT speculated to come in August 2014

•  image from wikipedia.com

Automotive Updates - 11th July 2014

• The installation of anti-lock braking systems (ABS) will become mandatory starting April 2015, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has said. While this deadline applies to new trucks and buses, the deadline for on-road vehicles to get ABS fitted is October 2015.

• Tata Motors  today reported a 10.46 per cent decline in global sales, including that of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), to 75,623 units in June. The company had sold 84,458 units in the same month last year. 

• Prices for aluminium could climb around a third to as high as $2,500 per tonne if more U.S. automakers start producing vehicles made from the metal, said the new head of Japan's aluminium industry body.

• Homegrown auto major Mahindra & Mahindra is wooing bank employees across India with a special scheme offering Rs 25,000 discount on purchase of its passenger vehicle. The scheme is applicable to employees of all banks across the country and will be in effect for two months starting July till August 31, 2014, the company said in a statement. 

• Mahindra has launched its e2o electric car in Bermuda at 22,995 USD (INR 13.82 lakhs), ex-Showroom. The launch of the car took place in Hamilton, Bermud,The e2o’s launch in Bermuda sees Mahindra teaming up with Bermuda Engineering Company Limited and Auto Solution Limited. The trio will also work on charging infrastructure within the island and setting up of local service and maintenance works.

• The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand has won the National Energy Globe Award Germany for its holistic ‘Think Blue. Factory’ environmental program. Earning particular recognition was its eco-friendly use of resources in production. With the Austrian Energy Globe Foundation as its patron, the award allows outstanding projects from all over the world with a focus on conserving resources, energy efficiency and using renewable energies to be honored every year. The award was presented by the Austrian ambassador Dr. Ralph Scheide in Berlin.

• Automakers, white good makers and other manufacturers will not have to pay excise duty on the discounts they offer to their consumers. Finance minister Arun Jaitley has corrected a significant anomaly in the excise law created by the controversial 'Fiat judgment', as part of slew of measures to boost the country's manufacturing sector.

• Chrysler Group LLC said it would recall almost 900,000 sport utility vehicles (SUVs) to fix the wiring for vanity mirror lights in sun visors, to prevent short circuits.

• The Yamaha YZF-R25 seems in no mood of slowing down be it on the track, sales chart or even the assembly line. While the bike has proved its quickness on the tarmac, it seems to be equally fast on the assembly line as well. According to a statement made by a company official, it takes just 3 minutes to roll out an R25 off the assembly line at Yamaha’s Pulogadung plant located in East Jakarata. To put things into perspective, by the end of this article a brand new Yamaha R25 would have been rolled off the assembly line.

• The Renault Lodgy MPV is arguably the next big launch for the French car maker in India. While the Renault Duster did a brilliant job to put the company on the Indian car buyer’s radar, the Lodgy MPV, which is also a rebadged Dacia and is based on its platform, is touted to shift Renault India into a higher gear as far as market share is concerned.

image from livemint.com