Maruti Suzuki sold 123,034 units in May, a 7.1 per cent growth over figures for the same month in 2015, the company announced on Wednesday. The figure includes exports of 9,872 units.
Total sales (domestic and exports) were up by 10.2 per cent during April and May (as compared to the two months in 2015).
Maruti’s domestic sales were up by 10.6 per cent at 113,162 units. India’s largest automaker reported a hefty 144.2 per cent jump in sales of utility vehicles (including Gypsy, S-Cross, Ertiga and Vitara Brezza). Sales of utility vehicles nearly doubled during the first two months of the current fiscal.
Sales of compact vehicles (Swift, Ritz, Celerio, Baleno and Dzire) were up by 11 per cent at 46,554 units. The mid-size Ciaz saw a growth of 3.5 per cent. But Maruti reported a nearly 20 per cent fall in the sale of its super-compact, the Dzire Tour, and a 5.6 per cent decline in sales of its minis, the Alto and WagonR.
Export sales were also down by 20.8 per cent. Exports during the ..

Maruti sees 7.1 per cent growth in domestic, export sales in May

BS-Motoring

Allaying the fears of auto makers, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has said there was no plan to extend the ban on diesel vehicles that is currently prevailing in the national capital region and Kerala to other cities in the country. 
The NGT said it would first examine the data received from different states on pollution levels in various cities before deciding the ban. The tribunal also directed governments to submit an affidavit within three weeks, giving details of the two most polluted cities in their states, the total population and vehicle density in each district while fixing the hearing for July 11. 
"We are not banning any vehicles. We have asked state governments to submit a report on the pollution levels in various cities. Let that data come and then we will hear different parties and decide accordingly," a bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar said.
The observation came after additional solicitor general Pinky Anand, appearing for the Ministry of Heavy ...

NGT has no plans to extend ban on diesel vehicles to other cities

Maruti’s share in Suzuki’s global empire just got bigger. According to recently released reports, Suzuki produced 250,465 units globally, half of which was manufactured by Maruti Suzuki in India. 
The global production of the Japanese automaker has been falling consistently for the last six months and in April the production it fell by 98.6 percent as compared to April 2015. 
But Maruti Suzuki’s production in April grew by 9.2 per cent and stood at 125,134 units.
In Japan, its home market, Suzuki manufactured just 68,942 units in April, which is down by 81.5 percent. This number has been in a continuous fall since last 14 months. 
For the first time since the company started operations in India in 1983, Maruti Suzuki has started exporting its premium hatchback Baleno to Japan. 
According to the Japanese carmaker, overseas production volume was the highest ever for April owing to the increase in countries including India, Hungary, and Thailand.
The overseas production saw a jump of ...

Maruti\'s share in Suzuki\'s global sales up 

General Motors India is planning to bring the face-lifted version of the Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV to the Indian market during the festive season.
The American carmaker had first launched the SUV in India in October 2015.  The new Chevrolet Trailblazer was unveiled at the 37th Bangkok International Motor Show in March 2016.
According to sources, the new SUV is expected to be launched during the coming festive season. The big SUV from Chevrolet has received an all new face, in line with the Colorado pick-up sold in the US market. 
Compared to the current version sold in India, the new Trailblazer is more angular and sporty in design. The face of the SUV has been reworked with tweaked bumpers, bonnet and headlamps that give it a more butch look. The signature split grille with bowtie emblem is now more upright. There are some chrome touches on the grille as well.
The major addition in the side profile of the SUV is the newly-designed alloy wheels. At the rear, the tail lamps get new ...

New Chevrolet Trailblazer to be launched in India during festive season

Automobile major Toyota on Tuesday said there were about 20,000 bookings for its new multi-purpose vehicle Innova Crysta model within a fortnight of its launch.
"Our new model Innova Crysta got an overwhelming response across the country, with about 20,000 bookings, which will take 2-4 months to deliver," N. Raja, marketing director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said in a statement.
Toyota launched the new Crysta on May 13 across the country. Priced at Rs. 13.83 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai), Toyota Innova Crysta currently commands a waiting period of up to four months.
The new Innova is offered in two grades with an automatic transmission (Zx and Gx) and four grades with manual transmission (Zx, Vx, Gx and G).
The MPV comes in three new colours — garnet red, white pearl crystal shine and avant-garde bronze — along with the existing silver, grey and super white and features SRS Airbags, vehicle stability control (VSC), hill assist control (HSC), antilock braking system (ABS), electronic brake 

Toyota Innova Crysta registers 20,000 bookings in the first month of launch

Tata Motors has announced that it is recalling as many as 100,000 units of Jaguar Land Rover XF sedan (previous generation) in the US. The recall is to check and replace the defective Takata air-bag inflators.
Till now, eight automakers have recalled more than 12 million vehicles in the US to replace Takata air bag inflators. According to a document of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recalls have been announced by Honda, Fiat Chrysler, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, Ferrari and Mitsubishi. 
Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover plans to invest around 3.75 billion pounds during the current fiscal on expanding production capacity, new product launches and enhancing technologies. 
In the last financial year, JLR introduced new models such as the Discovery Sport, Jaguar XE and XF and significantly contributed to the Tata Motors profits. The parent company registered three-fold growth in quarterly net profit due to strong sales of Jaguar Land Rover and due to decent ...

JLR to recall 100,000 XF sedans in the US to replace defective air-bag inflators

Renault India hopes to raise its market share to five per cent from the present 4.4 per cent, said Sumit Sawhney, CEO, Renault India. According to him, the ban on registration of diesel vehicles with engine capacity of above 2,000 cc has not adversely impacted its sales.
The French automaker has technology to introduce vehicles complaint with Euro VI norms (which corresponds with Bharat VI), he said. This can be transferred to its Indian operations.
However, the government has to ensure that fuel for vehicles complaint with Bharat VI norms should be made available, he said. For a smooth transition to Bharat VI emission norms, the Indian automobile industry needs to have a 360-degree plan and a clear strategy to follow, he adds. 
The Indian government’s decision to bypass Bharat V emission norms and directly adopt Bharat VI norms by 2020 has also affected the plans of the auto industry. Currently BS IV fuel is being used in major Indian cities while the rest of the country runs on BS ..

Renault India hopes to raise market share to 5 per cent

Even as foreign auto manufacturers are putting off their investment plans fearing the uncertain business environment regarding diesel, two Indian auto majors have reported impressive profits largely on account of domestic diesel sales. 
Tata Motors, posted a three-fold rise in its consolidated net profit at Rs 5177.06 crore for the quarter ended March 31, driven largely by the strong performance of its British arm JLR and robust growth of its heavy and medium commercial vehicles. The company had posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 1716.5 crores in the same period last fiscal.
Net profit at Mahindra and Mahindra also surged by 13.95% to Rs 670 crore. This was on account of strong tractor sales and demand of its new utility vehicles.
Despite the prevailing uncertainty regarding diesel vehicles both the companies are going ahead with expansion plans. Mahindra has reiterated that it is not slowing down on any investment plans despite the diesel ban and has committed Rs 7,500 crore for .

Tata Motors, Mahindra report impressive profits despite diesel ban

Maruti Suzuki India has started exporting its ‘Super Carry’ LCV to South Africa and Tanzania. It has already dispatched the first lot of 100 LCVs for shipment to the international market. 
The company will further expand the export of the Super Carry to SAARC countries and other global markets.
The shipment to South Africa and Tanzania comprises the petrol variant of Super Carry, which is powered by the G12B engine. The motor is a 4-cylinder unit with displacement of 1196cc and is Euro-IV compliant. The same engine is used by Maruti Suzuki for the Eeco that is currently sold in India. The engine is capable of producing 74PS of power and 101Nm of peak torque.  
For India, the Super Carry will feature the E08 diesel engine that also does duty in the Celerio hatchback. The engine will be mated to a 4-speed manual transmission and will power the rear wheels. The LCV is expected to have a payload capacity between 1-ton to 1.5-ton.  
The Maruti Suzuki Super Carry is scheduled for launch in .

Maruti begins export of Super Carry LCV to South Africa, Tanzania; India launch soon

Apollo Tyres has set up an office in Malaysia, the third largest automotive market in the ASEAN region, as the company eyes expanding its presence in the country. The company already has a presence in Thailand and Indonesia.
Malaysia has above 90% radialisation levels in the commercial vehicle segment. Apollo Tyres, with its Apollo Endurace range of truck-bus radials, has already received high acceptance from Malaysian customers. The tyre maker is keen to further establish the Apollo brand at the top tier of the truck-bus radials market. 
Similarly, Apollo’s passenger car tyres portfolio is capable of servicing nearly 90% of the Malaysian car tyre market, which is currently, one of the largest in the ASEAN region.
“Over the past two to three years, we have been making steady inroads into the Malaysian market as this is a pivotal market for our growth in the region,” said Satish Sharma, president, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Apollo Tyres after inaugurating the Malaysian ...

Apollo Tyres opens office in Malaysia; expands footprint in ASEAN region

German luxury car maker Audi will soon recall 36,500 cars in India affected by the diesel gate scandal. Audi will be rolling out a software update to fix the anomalies caused by the previous version.
Audi is taking corrective measures to fix a problem with the controversial EA 189 diesel engines almost five months after German car manufacturer Volkswagen's Indian arm recalled 3,23,700 cars that are fitted with the same diesel engines.
Sources at Audi India have confirmed that the company would call back the affected models for a software upgrade.
Audi has started a recall for all their cars affected by the scandal. The cars will be updated with a software that nullifies the previous one with the malicious code.   The cars in question are the ones with VW’s EA 189 series diesel engine which came fitted with the cheat device.
Audi currently has to recall about 2.1 million cars worldwide, out of which about 36,500 vehicles are in India. These cars were fitted with the now infamous cheat .

Audi to recall 36,500 cars fitted with EA 189 engines in India

The Centre has approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to not extend the diesel vehicle ban to other cities. It is learnt that the NGT will hear the centre’s plea on Tuesday alongside the petition seeking a ban on the sale of large diesel-powered vehicles in 11 more cities besides the national capital.
The Heavy Industries Ministry has asked the NGT to not extend the diesel vehicle ban to other cities.
Meanwhile, the NGT has asked various states to submit responses to three questions: naming the most polluted city of the state; the number of vehicles in the city along with the number of petrol and diesel vehicles; and the current population of the worst polluted city.
The states that have been asked to respond are Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The NGT has said that all relevant and latest data needs to be submitted by Tuesday and warned that if the states fail to product the data, a bailable warrant against the chief .

Centre tells NGT not to impose bans on diesel vehicles

Porsche has launched the Macan 2.0-litre in India at a price of Rs.97.71 lakh, ex-Kolkata. While bookings have already begun, deliveries of the vehicle will begin between November and December. 
This entry level version of Porsche's luxury crossover is dubbed as the sports car of its SUV segment.  The crossover can do a top speed of 229 kmph. The new engine of the Macan is also asserted to provide fuel efficiency.
The 2.0-litre version is the least powerful one in the Macan line-up and features a 2.0-litre turbo-charged petrol engine with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. It puts out 252PS of power from 5,000-6,000rpm and 370Nm of torque between 1,600 and 4,500rpm through its all-wheel drive system. The power is sent to the wheels with the help of a seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) dual-clutch transmission like in all Macans.
The new bespoke power plant is claimed to put the Macan in motion with an improved acceleration and reach 100 kmph from zilch in 6.7 seconds; couple of 

Porsche launches 2.0-litre Macan in India at Rs 97.71 lakh

Japanese tyre manufacturer Yokohama has launched two new tyre patterns — Advan V105 and Geolander SUV — for the Indian market. While the Advan V105 pattern caters to the luxury segment of cars, the Geolander is meant for city SUVs.
Yokohama’s “orange oil” technology, present in both its latest offerings, provides them with higher fuel efficiency, superior wet grip and longer tread life. The company claims to achieve all these features by reducing petroleum oil as tyre ingredient.
The Advan V105 comprise a specialised new compound which would control excessive heat for wet grip and longer mileage. Catering to the luxury segment, the company claims that the tyre has been the choice of OEMs like Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. 
“V105 provides a unique blend of performance and comfort, with its matrix body ply structure and mound profile blocks provide impeccable steering response and stability, whereas asymmetrical pitch variation provides a quiet and comfortable ride,” said Sanjay ...

Yokohama launches two new tyre patterns for India

Faced with tough competition from Maruti Suzuki’s Brezza, Ford India has upped the ante and plans to spend over Rs 200 crore on a multi-media brand campaign to woo customers and strengthen its position in the domestic market. 
It may be recalled that Ford’s highest selling SUV model the EcoSport has been losing market-share largely on account of the interest shown by buyers in Maruti’s Brezza. The EcoSport now no longer features in the list of the five highest selling SUV models in the country. 
Ford, which has also witnessed sluggish demand for its hatchback Figo and compact sedan Figo Aspire, is seeking to highlight its after-sales and service quality and customer friendly steps through the campaign. It is learnt that the campaign will be handed by Global Team Ford, a unit of WPP.
The new campaign will encompass the entire gamut of Ford portfolio of products and services. It will also align with Ford's vision of 'Go Further'."
Ford India had recently slashed the price of its compact 

Ford India to launch Rs 200 crore multi-media brand campaign

Maruti Suzuki announced a temporary suspension of manufacture of cars at its facilities in Manesar and Gurgaon in Haryana from Monday, following a fire at a component supplier’s plant.
“Owing to an unfortunate incident of fire at the Manesar facilities of our supplier, Subros Ltd, on Sunday, supplies of components from that plant have been disrupted,” said a Maruti release. 
Subros and Maruti Suzuki are jointly assessing the extent of damage to essential equipment. “We are also examining the options available to start supply of components from other facilities,” added the release. “Production will resume as soon as components become available.”
Subros is one of the largest and only integrated manufacturing unit for auto air-conditioning systems. It manufactures compressors, condensers, heat exchangers and all connecting elements required to complete the AC loop. It caters to all segments of the transport sector including passenger vehicles, buses, trucks, refrigeration transport, ...

Maruti suspends production temporarily at Manesar, Gurgaon plants, following fire at component supplier\'s unit

There's good news for bike enthusiasts. Kawsaki's ER-6n has just got cheaper by Rs. 25,000. Kawasaki India is offering the ER-6n at a discounted price of Rs. 5.12 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai) as against its standard retail price of Rs 5.37 lakh. The offer is valid till stock lasts.
The Kawasaki ER-6n, which made its India debut in October 2014, saw very few takers in the country. As sources say, reducing the price of the bike appears to be Kawasaki’s attempt to clear its current inventory. The ER-6n is the roadster version of the Kawasaki Ninja 650 Sports Tourer, which is quite a successful product for the Japanese brand in the Indian market.
The motorcycle is propelled by a 649cc parallel twin-cylinder, four-stroke, liquid-cooled engine, same as the one that is found on the Ninja 650. The fuel-injected unit puts out 71.1bhp of power at 8,500 RPM and 63.7Nm of torque at 6,000 RPM.
Meanwhile, Kawasaki India has stated that it has no plans to assemble the Z800 street bike for the Indian ...

Kawasaki offers Rs. 25,000 discount on ER-6n for limited period

Indian bikemaker Royal Enfield, which organises rallies in the Himalayas, has opened its service centre in Leh, the capital of Ladakh region in Jammu & Kashmir.
The centre has been set up to service several Royal Enfield riders who drive across the Himalayan region during the summer months. Hundreds of bikers ride through the high-altitude district every summer, enjoying the beauty of the region.
“For over 60 years, the Himalayas have been traversed by Royal Enfield riders, and today we have come to call Ladakh our spiritual home,” said a post in the company’s Facebook page. “To support these adventurous riders and explorers better, we are proud to open our first-ever service centre at Leh.”
Venture Third Pole, the service centre, is located along the Leh-Manali highway, at an altitude of nearly 12,000 ft.
The company recently launched the Royal Enfield Himalayan, an adventure tourer.

Royal Enfield opens Leh service centre

The Odisha government has directed the police to ensure that the ‘no helmet, no fuel’ initiative of the government is implemented strictly across the state.
With growing instances of road accidents, the rule is gradually being introduced in different parts of the state. After Bargarh and Rourkela, the campaign has been extended to the state’s capital Bhubaneshwar.
According to chief secretary A.P. Padhi, the police have been asked to take up the ‘no helmet, no fuel’ initiative as a public movement and ensure its implementation.
Padhi also directed the works department to expedite repairs on major arteries to prevent accidents. The National Highways Authority of India has also been asked to take measures along ‘black spots’ on the highways and set up signages and signals within a month.
The chief secretary noted that road accidents could be reduced only if the police, transport and work departments work in close coordination to enforce rules.
The state government also planned to double 

Odisha to enforce \'no-helmet, no fuel\' rule 

“BMW India is committed to creating unparalleled customer delight and fascination for our most aspirational product portfolio to our discerning customers,” said Frank Schloeder, president, BMW Group India. “The appointment of Titanium Autos in Ranchi is part of our plan to establish a world-class dealer network in India. This facility will be instrumental in tapping the growing luxury car market potential of the city and cater to the increase in our customers in Jharkhand and Bihar.”
According to Bimal Singhania, managing director, Titanium Autos, BMW has a lot of growth potential in Ranchi. The new outlet features an ultra-modern 4S facility, which will be integrated with after-sales service workshop and will commence operations in the second half of 2016. 
The design of the showroom will be based on the Urban Street Display concept, which is a signature BMW layout with sales lounges close to the display area. The showroom will display nine cars indoors along with a special display ..

BMW India appoints Titanum Auto as dealer for Jharkhand, Bihar

British motorcycle manufacturer Triumph is all set to launch the Thruxton R in India at an event in Mumbai on 3 June, 2016.
The new Thruxton R is powered by an all-new 1200 cc, 8-valve, parallel twin engine that features ride-by-wire fuel-injection, and is fed by twin throttle bodies. 
The super bike gets an all-new 1,200cc parallel-twin engine which produces 96bhp@6,750rpm and 112Nm@4,950rpm. The engine gets a lighter crank, higher compression rate and a unique airbox, which not only increases the efficiency but also enhances the rideablity of the motorcycle. 
Among the other bits that are new, the Thruxton R also gets twin floating disc brakes upfront, Brembo monobloc calipers, adjustable Showa forks up-front, Twin Ohlins at the rear and is shod with Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa tyres. 
Other notable features (some optional) include a LED headlight, ABS, engine immobiliser, a USB charging socket, a unique flip-up ‘Monza’ fuel filler cap, Vance & Hines exhausts, a tinted fly ...

Triumph to launch Thruxton R in India on June 3

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