Toyota to introduce six new small cars in India

Indian subsidiary of the largest car maker Toyota, Toyota Kirloskar Motor yesterday announced the company's plan to introduce six new small cars in India in the next four years.

XUV500 bookings reopens from June 8

Country's largest commercial vehicle manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra will re-open bookings for XUV500 from June 8, 2012. XUV 500 received a initial bookings of about 25,000 in the first eight months of its launch, but the company could deliver only 7,200 vehicles so far.

Updated SsangYong Rexton debuted at Busan Motor Show

Mahindra & Mahindra company SsangYong has showcased an updated version of the Rexton SUV at the Busan Motor Show, dubbed the Rexton W. The new SUV sports major styling upgrades and all-new powerplants.

Honda plans Ertiga rival by 2014

As my friend Antony mentioned in our previous post, MPV segment in India is getting a real shift, in terms of work carried out, players involved in and of-course the big competition.

Chevrolet Enjoy spotted testing in Chennai and Bangalore

With Maruti Ertiga doing great on Sales, industry majors are working hard on its MPV segment. Chevrolet with its new 'Enjoy' MPV is working all over for the great launch.

We have some recent spy pics from Autocar team of the Chevrolet Enjoy spotted testing around Chennai and Bangalore.

Nissan to launch 'Sylphy' in 2014

With Renault Nissan JV creating news around, the Japanese Auto major Nissan is very bullish on the Indian Market. Nissan India announced its plans to launch its Global Executive Saloon 'Sylphy' in India by 2014.

Peugeot to re-enter India with the new '301' family car

PSA Peugeot Citroen, Europe’s second largest carmaker, is set to make its Indian debut with the new Peugeot 301. Peugeot has not specified on India debut, but the official release by the auto major says that the ‘family car’ has been developed to suit all types of operating conditions like hot and cold climate and poor roads.

Mahindra SsangYong Korando spotted testing

The Korando, Mahindra-owned SsangYong’s first SUV built on a monocoque platform is powered by a 173bhp 2 -litre turbo-diesel engine mated to either a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox.

The 4.4 meteres long SUV would be offered in a five-seater version with an expected luggage space of 486 litres.

Daimler Commercial to raise Chennai plant capacity to 36,000 units by 2014.

Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), the commercial arm of German luxury car maker will kick-start the next phase of capacity expansion of 36,000 units in its Chennai plant in 2014.

Mahindra 2 wheelers prepares to capture the market, invests 500 crore.

Mahindra 2 Wheelers, the two wheeler arm of India's largest utility vehicle major, Mahindra and Mahindra is taking a fresh step by restructuring its entire two-wheeler business - from the Research & Development to Dealer sales & service in a bid to capture its market share in the world's fastest growing two-wheeler market.

Bajaj RE60 to be commercially launched by end of FY'13

Bajaj Auto announced that it will launch its MINI four-wheeler commercial vehicle RE60 for intra-city urban transportation by the end of this fiscal.

"The commercial production of RE60 will begin by the end of this fiscal and the launch will also happen at the same time," said Mr. S Ravikumar, Senior Vice-President (Business Development), Bajaj Auto Ltd (BAL).

Fiat India to be full fledged in 12-18 months

Fiat India, which recently dismissed the distribution alliance with Tata Motors, is bullish on its prospects in the country. The company claims to be able to stand on its own with over 100 exclusive sales and service centers in about 12-18 months.

 

Renault-Nissan to double production to 8 lakh unit by 2015

Renault-Nissan joint venture (JV) is in full swing with its expansion plans in India and is aiming to double its production to 8,00,000 cars at its Chennai plant by 2015-16, said people close to the JV.

Renault and Nissan are gearing to take competition head on by having at least 20-22 cars between them across categories in the next 4-5 years which will help them challenge market leaders like Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai India.

Bajaj Auto Q4 net halves to Rs. 772 crore

Bajaj Auto has posted a net profit (after tax) of Rs 772 crore for the fiscal fourth quarter ended 31 March 2012, against a net profit of Rs 1400.39 crore during the year-ago quarter ended 31 March 2011.

Fiat's 1.3 liter multijet diesel engine to power Premier Rio.

Premier Ltd (formerly Premier Automobiles Ltd) and Fiat India Automobiles Ltd have signed a three-year agreement for supply of Fiat's 1.3 litre multi-jet diesel engine to be used in Premier's compact SUV Rio.

Fiat will initially supply 28,000 engines to Premier during the agreement period. According to Premier, the volume may rise further with increase in demand for Rio.

Honda Dream Yuga launched

Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) has launched its first mass-market motorcycle and the most anticipated bike for the Indian market, the 'Dream Yuga'.

The bike which was first unveiled at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo will be the latest in the long line of Honda ‘Dream’-badged motorcycles.

Upgraded Mahindra Thar launched

Mahindra has launched an upgraded version of its Thar off-roader, priced at Rs 6.75 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai).

The 'New Cool Thar', as Mahindra calls it, now comes with a factory-fitted air-conditioner system. The Thar is available in BS IV 2.5-L 105bhp CRDe and BS III DI engine variants. The Thar is based on a chassis that is a mix of the Bolero and the Scorpio.

Updated SsangYong Rexton coming at Busan Motor Show, South Korea

After the buyout by Mahindra, Ssangyong has been very bullish. Prior to the buyout, the company had non of its funds diverted to upgrading its models. However, the Korean manufacturer has finally confirmed that it will replace the Rexton at the Busan Motor Show in South Korea on 24th of May.

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Bajaj Auto reveals new Discover 125ST

Two and three-wheeler manufacturer Bajaj Auto on Monday launched the Discover 125 Sports Tourer(ST), which will be available in the market from the second half of June.

Car infotainment major Blaupunkt signs JV to re-enter Indian Market

German car infotainment major, Blaupunkt has established an Indian subsidiary Blaupunkt India Pvt Ltd, through a JV between Blaupunkt Holding, Germany and Indian partner AutoSonics India marking a formal re-entry of Blaupunkt into India.

Bosch to invest Rs. 300 crore in India expansion.

Bosch Limited announced that they will be investing Rs 300 crore in their Nashik plant. This is a part of the Rs 2200 crore investment for the Bosch group in India that was announced at the Auto Expo 2012.

Maruti Suzuki DZire diesel price hiked by up to Rs 12,000

The country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India has raised the prices of the new diesel variants of its sedan DZire by up to Rs 12,000 from this month, citing input costs pressure.

"The company is feeling the pressure of input costs. To mitigate the impact, we have hiked the prices of only diesel variants of the new DZire with effect from May 1," a senior Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) official said.

Renault launches Petrol version of Pulse

After launching the Pulse diesel version in January 2012, Renault has rolled out a petrol avatar of their hatchback starting at Rs. 4.25 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi.

Renault has launched three petrol variants of their Pulse hatchback powered by a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder, 80PS motor, mated to a five-speed gearbox. The base RXE version starts at Rs. 4.25 lakh going up to Rs. 5.55 lakh for the top-end RXZ version, both ex-showroom Delhi.

Ashok Leyland cuts prices by 1%

Country's second largest commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland said it has slashed the prices of its commercial vehicles by one percent following the Government's decision to reduce the excise duty on truck chassis. The roll-back in prices would come into force with an immediate effect, a company press release said here.

Facelifted Chevrolet Cruze coming this June

Chevrolet will launch the updated version of the Cruze saloon next month. The mid-cycle styling update includes a wider chin, vertically aligned fog lamps clusters, and the grille gets a slight update – a new ‘razor wire’ like design replaces the earlier honeycomb styling. While the headlamp’s shape remains the same, it now features clear-lens treatment and silver-reflector material replaces the black plastic. This surely gives the Cruze a more up-market look. New alloy-wheel designs will be included to complete the exterior styling upgrades.

All models of Hyundai Verna to get Reverse Camera

Hyundai will soon offer a standard reverse camera on all variants of the Verna, including the base versions. Currently this accessory is offered only on the higher-spec SX and SX (O) trim levels. The base variant of the Verna will now be called the Verna EX.

New Bajaj Discover to be launched on 14th May

Bajaj will launch the new Discover on 14th May. The new Discover gets an all-new styling but resembles the Discover styling-language. The new bike will be sold alongside the current Discover.

Volvo Eicher to invest Rs. 288 crore in India operations

Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles (VECV), a joint venture between Volvo Group and Eicher Motors, would invest Rs 288 crore at its Pithampur plant in Madhya Pradesh, a top company official said.

Suzuki launches 112cc Hayate motorcycle in India

Suzuki Motorcycle India Limited (SMIL) has launched its new 110cc commuter motorcycle, the 'Hayate' in India. The Hayate, the name is derived from the Japanese word meaning ‘Fresh Breeze’.

The new Suzuki Hayate come with a 112cc 4-stroke air-cooled engine which makes 8.4PS of power and 8.8Nm torque, mated with a 4-speed transmission. Fitted with a 8-liter fuel tank, Suzuki claims that the Hayate will deliver 'amazing' mileage compared to other bikes in its class.

Fiat India opens its first exclusive showroom in Hyderabad, targets 20 more by the end of 2012

Fiat India has issued a statement on its official website that confirms the inauguration of its first independent dealership in Hyderabad after its discontinuation in sales and distribution with Tata Motors. Fiat India has appointed Tejaswi Motors, at Punnaiah Plaza, Hyderabad as its exclusive dealer. The new 5,400 sq ft showroom is opened by an existing Tata-Fiat dealer.

Tata Motors successfully tests MDI's air engine technology

Tata Motors, India's largest commercial vehicles manufacturer and owner of British iconic car company Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced the successful testing of its Air Engine Technology from French company MDI (Motor Development International)in Tata cars.

New Mercedes M-Class to be launched on May 15th

Mercedes Benz India has sent emails to look forward to the “launch of one of the most exciting products from the Mercedes-Benz stable.” We can be confident with this, as we know the recent launch planned and awaited from Mercedes India is the new 2012 M-Class which was unveiled this January at the Auto Expo in Delhi.

Mahindra conducts XUV 500 Torque Day at Buddh International Circuit

Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M), Indian’s leading SUV manufacturer, conducted a opportunity to its privileged XUV500 customers to experience the thrill of the world famous Buddh International Circuit (BIC) track in Greater Noida, at the inaugural edition of its ‘XUV500 Torque Day’.

Aston Martin opens new showroom in New Delhi

British luxury sports car major Aston Martin has opened the new dealership in New Delhi. This is Aston Martin’s second dealership after they opened their first showroom at Mumbai in April 2011. The new dealership at New Delhi is operated by 'Select Cars'.

Hyundai domestic sales up 10.9%

Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), the country’s second largest car manufacturer and the largest passenger car exporter registered domestic sales of 35,070 units last month, up 10.9% against 31,636 units during the same period last year. Aggregate sales touched 54,606 units up 4.9 % against 52,057 units for the same period in the previous year.

Bajaj Pulsar achieves 5 million sales

Pulsar the flagship model of India's second largest bike maker Bajaj Auto has achieved another milestone. Bajaj Auto announced the 5 million sales mark of Pulsar since its launch in November 2001. Bajaj Pulsar is the first brand in its segment to achieve this milestone. Bajaj initially launched the Pulsar in two engine options  the 150cc and 180cc capacities.
Currently Pulsar is available in four engine options ranging from 135cc to 220cc.

Skoda to invest Rs. 300 crore in India operations

Czech car major and Volkswagen Group company - Skoda Auto is gearing up its India growth plans. Skoda Auto is planning to pump in over Rs. 300 crore investments in India operations to expand production, develop localisation. Skoda India is working on new product portfolio strategy and expects to boost sales volume.

Maruti Suzuki Ritz achieves 2 lakh sales

Maruti Suzuki's Ritz car has attained the 2 lakh sales mark in premium hatchback segment within a short span of 36 months of its launch. Ritz is one of the fastest models to achieve this sales mark after the sibling Swift.

Mahindra gears up for international launch of XUV500

Mahindra & Mahindra is all set to the international launch of the XUV500 in Italy, Australia and Chile. The auto major was going slow with this for some time due to high domestic demand.

In February after the launch in India, Mahindra & Mahindra President Mr. Pawan Goenka told, "We were supposed to enter markets like Australia and are ready to launch XUV500 in many markets in terms of homologations and regulations. But we have decided to slow down to meet domestic demand".

Tata Motors ties up with Harman Audio for audio entertainment solutions

TATA Motors and Harman Audio inks multi year deal to provide Audio solutions in Tata cars. Harman, the premium audio and infotainment group will leverage its engineering and development teams to create custom audio, navigation, and multimedia solutions for the Tata vehicles. Tata Motors will further strengthen the application of the infotainment and acoustic platforms developed by Harman and offer world-class solutions in its future passenger car platforms both for the Indian and international markets.

New updated Audi A4 launched

Close to overtaking Mercedes Benz as the second largest premium car maker in the country, Audi India, the Volkswagen Group company has launched the next generation A4 in India, a good two months ahead of its schedule to build the market share.

At cartrials.com we had the news 2 days ahead of the launch.

Mahindra working on new 2014 Scorpio

Mahindra & Mahindra is understood to have begun with the development of the all new Scorpio. Codenamed 'W105', the primary development has begun at the recently inaugurated Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai.

Mahindra Scorpio initially launched 10 years ago is widely credited as being the SUV that created modern-day Mahindra. The current Scorpio though selling well, a new development is aimed at the future growth of the model and the company.

Fiat and Tata to discontinue India Joint Venture

Fiat and Tata have announced to dis-continue the 'Tata-Fiat dealership' agreement both the companies had to manage the commercial and distribution activities of Fiat cars in India. Fiat prior to getting in agreement with Tata Motors in 2006 had India activity partnership with TVS Group.

Audi to launch new facelifted A4 on May 3rd

Volkswagen owned Audi has announced that they would be launching the updated A4 on May 3rd. Audi's new offering is a key rival to the recently revealed BMW 3 series and the updated Benz C class. Both exteriors and interiors has been reworked and Audi has taken care in setting it apart from the current model. Up front we have a more curved headlamp assembly with a special continuous flow LED lights. Top the line model would come with a projector type Xenon headlamps.