With an aim to widen its model range, Honda is thinking of relaunching the Civic in India. According to sources, the all-new, tenth-generation Civic could make its debut in 2017.
The Japanese carmaker, which had concentrated more on mass market models such as the 'City sedan' in recent years, is now feeling the need to focus a bit more on the premium end of the market which has been left vacant after the Civic and Accord were discontinued.
Honda will launch the Accord Hybrid in September but that still leaves a gap between the big executive sedan and the City, which the Civic could neatly plug. Honda also feels that by the time it launches the Civic, there will be a ready market for it. 
Honda sold the eighth-generation Civic from 2006 to 2013 and it had a fairly successful run. Apart from being the 2007 Autocar’s Car of the Year, it was the segment leader for most of its life cycle.
Honda, which discontinued Civic in 2013, did not replace it with its successor. Also, by Honda’s own ..

Honda likely to relaunch Civic in India

BS-Motoring

Italian super bike maker MV Agusta has launched three superbikes in India - F3 which is an 800-cc bike; F4 (1,000-cc) and Brutale (1090 cc) - in partnership with Pune-based Kinetic Group. 
While MV Agusta F3-800 will come at an entry price of Rs 16.78 lakh, Brutale-1090 cc costs Rs. 20.10 lakh and F4 RR 1000-cc will be the costliest at Rs. 50.10 lakh.
Kinetic has set up a separate company, MV Agusta India, and a distribution brand called 'Motoroyale' to sell the bikes which will compete with Triumph, Ducati, Benelli and Kawasaki which are in the range of Rs. 6 lakh to Rs. 34 lakh.
The Kinetic Group will be assembling some of these super bikes at its Ahmednagar factory. The kits will be imported in semi knocked down form and will be assembled at the factory. 
"We were the first company to launch a super bike in 2001 and we have sold over one crore two wheelers so far. Through Motoroyale we are creating a platform to bring in the most super premium motorcycles in the country," Ajinkya ..

MV Agusta launches three super luxury sports bikes; price starts at Rs 16.78 lakh

Automobile major Eicher-Polaris has launched its personal utility vehicle 'Multix' in Madhya Pradesh. With this, the company has set a target of taking its total dealership in the state to 15.
According to the company, the vehicle is designed to meet the requirements of independent businessmen; there are an estimated 50 million to 80 million such entrepreneurs in the country.
Every feature of the new 3-in-1 Multix fulfils a specific purpose. From comfort to safety, styling to economy, space to electricity, it multiplies utility like no other vehicle. It can accommodate a family of five comfortably. 
With its X-Port feature, Multix can also generate 3 kilowatts of electricity, so that you can power your home, water pumps, music systems, winnowing fans, chaff cutters and other essential machinery. It’s not just a vehicle, it’s a powerhouse. 
Multix’s body is highly durable and damage-resistant. Its tubular frame is built to withstand most hits, bumps and bangs. Multix’s robust inner ...

Eicher-Polaris launches \'Multix\' PUV in Madhya Pradesh 

With the cab market witnessing rapid expansion premium car manufacturers are now willing to provide their vehicles to this sector. Industry sources cite the example of Honda, which had earlier kept its distance from the sector; it is now testing the market with its Amaze brand. 
Says Jnaneswar Sen, senior vice president for sales and marketing at Honda Cars India: “For fleet customers, we are not on top of mind, so the initiative will take time to mature. We have given our Amaze sedan for that segment and we are testing waters now with the fleet market.”
The radio-cab market is something which is definitely going to have an impact in the future, he notes. Honda has already supplied 250-300 Amaze sedans to drivers attached to Ola and Uber. It plans to also sell the Mobilio multipurpose vehicles as well.
The cab market is no longer taboo as the segment – especially taxi aggregators like Ola and Uber – is growing rapidly, even as demand for vehicles from elsewhere remains muted.
Ola and .

Automakers woo fleet customers

The imposition of the infrastructure cess on vehicles in the recent budget and the Supreme Court ban on registration of diesel cars with engine capacity above 2,000cc in the Delhi and NCR have adversely impacted the automotive sector.
“This is affecting everybody's growth,” said Jnaneswar Sen, senior vice-president (sales and marketing), Honda Cars India Ltd. “There have been many ad hoc decisions that have been taken. In the auto industry, the investments involved are huge, therefore, it requires logical, transparent policy which is also long-term in nature.”
Sen was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of its new compact SUV -- Honda BR-V in Hyderabad. While Honda's diesel engines do not fall under the said category, the company has been witnessing a trend wherein consumers are hesitant to buy diesel vehicles. As a result, the demand for petrol vehicles is on the rise, he added.
The company's top official pointed out that the share of petrol vehicles in its overall portfolio is ..

Infra cess, ban on diesel vehicles registration affects growth: Honda Cars official

Mahindra & Mahindra has introduced Automatic Transmission (AT) in the W6 FWD variant of the New Age XUV500. The Automatic option will now be available across four variants of the vehicle at a range of price points to appeal to different customers – W6 FWD, W8 FWD and W10 FWD and AWD.
The Automatic variant of W6 FWD is priced at Rs.14.29 lakh (ex-showroom Navi Mumbai) and will be available across Mahindra dealerships with immediate effect.
The New Age XUV500 is the only SUV in its class to offer a second generation, 6-speed automatic transmission with AWD as an option. The Automatic Transmission has been sourced from the leading global supplier, AISIN, Japan. 
"Automatic Transmission has resonated well with our customers since we launched it in November 2015,” said Vivek Nayer, chief marketing officer, automotive division, M&M. “I am sure that the availability of the Automatic Transmission across variants and a range of price points will now render this technology more ...

Mahindra launches Automatic Transmission for W6 FWD variant of XUV500

Chennai-based DriversKart, an on-demand driver solution provider, has acquired Mumbai based start-up Driven. DriversKart cofounder and CEO Vinit Srivastava said that it was an equity and cash deal but declined to reveal the deal value.
DriversKart, run by Get Driven Technologies, enables users to hire drivers on an hourly, weekly or monthly basis through its app. It was founded by serial entrepreneur Vinit Srivastava, former Jabong executive Lakshmi Potluri and former Cognizant executive Saksham Grover in 2015. In April this year the company had raised an undisclosed amount in pre-Series A round of funding from ah! Ventures.
Post-acquisition, DriversKart will become a market leader in India's on-demand driver marketplace.
The Chennai-based startup serves 10,000 rides a month and operates in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Delhi and Chennai. It has about 20 employees under its payroll. It aggregates drivers and agencies on its marketplace after verifying the antecedents of the drivers and ...

DiversKart acquires Mumbai-based Driven

Droom, a pioneering online automobile transactional marketplace, has announced the launch of a unique ‘Nail Biting Deal’. The contest will allow participants a chance to win the latest bikes, scooters and cars every month through a simple auction. 
All that is needed to be eligible in this first-of-its-kind, limited time offer is a Facebook account to bid on Droom’s Facebook page.
With over 46,000 B2C sellers, 56,000-plus listings and Rs 2,168 crore in listed gross merchandise value (GMV), the latest initiative by Droom is aimed at celebrating its spectacular success as one of the fastest growing consumer internet companies in the Indian automobile industry. 
Speaking on the initiative, Sandeep Aggarwal, Founder & CEO, Droom, said, “Droom was established to transform the experience of buying, selling and owning an automobile, making it simpler and more convenient for the country’s consumer. By rolling out our ‘Nail Biting Deal’, we are thanking our users for their support and ...

Droom announces 'Nail Biting Deal' contest on Facebook

BMW, which had discontinued its petrol powered 3 and 5 series almost a year ago from the Indian market, has re-introduced the petrol models of its 3 series.
BMW has launched the 320i model in the Prestige and Luxury line variants starting at Rs. 36.9 lakh and Rs. 42.70 lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi) respectively. 
With the diesel vehicle ban in New Delhi affecting sales of many car manufacturers negatively, even BMW suffered losses to a larger extent in the all-important NCR. This could be a major propelling factor for the carmaker to re-introduce the petrol models in India. 
Both these variants will be powered by the 2.0-litre four-cylinder TwinPower Turbo petrol mill that churns out 181.5bhp of power and 270Nm of torque. An eight-speed automatic gearbox is standard on the transmission front, whereas the Luxury Line gets paddle shifters as well.
These petrol models will get features similar to its oil-burner sibling already available in the Indian market. This is the facelifted model ..

BMW launches petrol models of its 3 series in India

Placing its bets on the soon to-be-launched compact sedan Ameo, German automaker Volkswagen is eyeing a 15 per cent rise in production volume in India this year as against 1.23 lakh units produced in 2015.
The auto major, which is also battling the diesel emission scandal globally, as a consequence denies any move to cut jobs at its manufacturing plant at Chakan in Pune. "There is an increase of about 15 per cent in production volume expected at the Volkswagen Pune plant in 2016 as compared to 2015," says Volkswagen India President and Managing Director Andreas Lauermann. 
The increase is expected from the company’s new model Ameo which is intended purely for the domestic market right now as well as some additional volumes for export markets. 
The new model, whose production has not started yet, would compete with the likes of Maruti DZire, Honda Amaze, Hyundai Xcent and Ford Figo Aspire that are priced between Rs 5.21 and Rs 8.57 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). 
Last year, the plant's ...

Volkswagen eyes 15 per cent growth in production this year

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) has entered the pre-owned two-wheeler market in India with the opening of its first pre-owned outlet ‘Best Deal’ at Fortune Honda in Rani Ganj, Secunderabad, Telangana.
The opening of the new outlet makes Honda the first and so far the only OEM to enter the unstructured pre-owned two-wheeler market in India.
Through the outlet customers can exchange their old two-wheeler for a new or certified pre-owned Honda two-wheeler, apart from getting additional benefits like two free services, a 6-month warranty and after-sales support.
Apart from this, customers are provided with owner's document verification and assuring quick ownership transfer to the new customer. The pre-owned Honda 2-wheelers are also refurbished with Honda genuine parts, adding trust and transparency for the buyer as well the seller.
Commenting on the new development, Yadvinder Singh Guleria, senior VP (Sales & Marketing), HMSI said, “We have observed that on an average, ...

Honda enters pre-owned two-wheeler market, opens first outlet in Secunderabad

Tata Tiago has clocked sales of 3,022 units in April, bringing in a lot more customers to the showrooms within the first month of its launch.
The Tiago has become the home-grown carmaker's top-selling model thanks to the great value-for-money proposition it offers. With this, Tiago becomes the best seller for Tata in April, pushing behind the company's popular model Indica+Vista by a margin of over 1,300 units. 
With the initial numbers expected to see an upward trend in the coming months, the carmaker has already received over one lakh enquiries from across the country. 
Launched on April 6 with ex-showroom prices starting at Rs. 3.30 lakh and Rs. 3.92 lakh for petrol and diesel models respectively, Tiago has become the best-selling product for the company. 
Available with an all-new 1.2-litre, three-cylinder all-aluminium Revotron petrol engine and the 1.05-litre, three-cylinder Revotorq diesel engine, the hatchback has unarguably become the most liked model among small car buyers ..

Tata Tiago sells 3,000 units in first month on sale, beats Indica range 

Hyundai Motor India is all set to bring back the original tallboy Santro - the car that earned it a presence in the Indian market - in a new avatar.
According to sources, the new Santro is currently under development in South Korea and will come to India in around two years. 
Santro was one of the popular models from the Hyundai stable, which planted the Korean brand’s roots strongly enough in the subcontinent to make it the second largest car maker in the country.  The tallboy model was discontinued in a phased manner after the advent of the i10, which was followed up by an even more modern and contemporary Grand i10. 
Following the positive customer interest in the brand even two years after it has been phased out, the Hyundai management has decided to bring the iconic car to India.
"The brand recall for Santro is still very strong,” said a Hyundai dealer. “Despite the success of Hyundai i10 and other entry level models, we get customers who still ask about the Santro and enquire if 

Hyundai plans to bring back Santro in India in a new avatar

Maruti Suzuki's first compact SUV Vitara Brezza has increased its lead over prime rival Ford EcoSport in April in terms of sales. India's largest car maker sold 7,832 units of the Vitara Brezza in April, while Ford India managed to sell 3,789 units of EcoSport in the same month.
In the sub four metre compact SUV segment, Mahindra TUV300 is far behind with just 1,928 unit sales in April. With a lead of 4,043 units it is clear that rivals will have to work harder to keep pace with the Vitara Brezza. 
Launched on March 8, Vitara Brezza outsold Ford EcoSport in the same month. Despite commencing deliveries on March 23, the new compact SUV sold 5,563 units while Ford India sold 4,456 units of EcoSport. It may also be mentioned that currently Maruti Suzuki sells Vitara Brezza in diesel engine only. On the other hand, the EcoSport is available in one diesel and two petrol engine options.
Anticipating the threat from Vitara Brezza, Ford had slashed prices of EcoSport by up to Rs. 1.12 lakh on 

Vitara Brezza on the fast lane

In a move to ensure safer public transport systems for women, Karnataka is all set to become India's first state to install panic buttons in state transport buses.
Earlier, the Karnataka government had asked app-based cab aggregators such as Uber and Ola to install global positioning systems (GPS) and panic buttons in their affiliated cabs. The government of Karnataka is now moving a step forward to extending the same to all transport operators.
The app-based services, however, always had GPS, but panic button was a new rule for them. Once the transport department issues the guidelines all India tourist omnibus, contract carriages, stage carriages (private buses operated on designated routes) and maxi cabs will have to install GPS and panic button.
The new rule is expected to take effect in about four months. The government is working on this as part of its overall strategy to step up security for women, says principal secretary (transport) EV Ramana Reddy.
The government had been ...

Karnataka makes GPS, panic buttons mandatory in state transport buses

Setting into motion its plan of achieving a target growth rate of 10% for the next four years, Maruti Suzuki has urged its component suppliers to beef up investments for the future as the company's requirements are expected to grow.
The upbeat outlook from the local car market leader comes despite uncertainties over diesel vehicles with authorities increasingly bringing in stricter green rules and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers cutting the industry's growth forecast.
Industry sources state that during a vendor meeting in Bangkok in April this year Maruti executives said the company will be commissioning close to half a million capacity in the next three to four years.
The company aims to have a localisation content of around 85 per cent on an average across its premium and volume products. Sources add that Maruti is confident of a compounded annual growth rate of 10% until 2020 to achieve its goal of making 2 million cars a year as part of its Vision 2.0. 
Company ...

Maruti Suzuki urges component suppliers to beef up investments

Owners of older models of the KTM RC 390 and 390 Duke can now upgrade their motorcycles with a slipper clutch assembly. The installation of the slipper clutch assembly can be done at any authorised KTM service centre.
The slipper clutch is a specialised clutch for performance oriented motorcycles which reduces the effects of engine braking when de-accelerating as negotiating a corner. It also allows the rider to carry more entry speed as it minimises the risk of the rear wheel to hop, chatter or lose traction.
KTM is the first motorcycle company in the country to introduce a slipper clutch in the entry-level performance bike segment. The latest editions of the bikes are also updates with impressive features like auto headlamps, improved seats, revised mapping, bigger radiator fans, and adjustable handlebar levers for the RC model.
The price for the clutch assembly is Rs. 9,000 excluding labour and other taxes.
As for the powertrain, KTM RC 390 and 390 Duke are powered by the same ...

Update your old KTM RC 390 and 390 Duke with slipper clutch

In order to expand its network of showrooms to ensure accessibility for customers, Suzuki Motorcycle India (SMIPL) inaugurated a new showroom 'Dream Suzuki' in New Delhi.
The new world class showroom and dealership in Patel Nagar will enable motorcyclists and enthusiasts to see and experience Suzuki’s superbikes, motorcycles and scooters in the premium outlet.
The company’s showroom will showcase the newly Made-in-India Hayabusa and the entire range of Suzuki superbikes – V-Strom, GSX-S1000 and GSX-S1000F, Intruder M1800R as well as the ATVs – Ozark 250 and QuadSport400. The dealership will also showcase Suzuki India’s scooters and commuter motorcycles (Gixxer, Gixxer SF, Access, Hayate and Lets).
Speaking on the occasion, Satoshi Uchida, Managing Director, SMIPL, said: “Internationally, the Suzuki brand is synonymous with technical expertise and the joy of riding. We wanted our showroom to reflect this ethos, and therefore we created a channel to establish this concept and cater to ..

Suzuki opens new showroom in New Delhi for superbikes 

General Motors India on Monday rolled out the first vehicle meant for shipment to Argentina, which will be the sixth major export market for the American automaker from India.
GM India already exports the left hand drive Beat to Mexico, Chile, Peru, Central American and Caribbean Countries (CAC), Uruguay and now Argentina. The Chevrolet Beat recorded the highest growth for any passenger vehicle exported from India and became the sixth most exported passenger vehicle out of India during financial year 2015-16, with a total of 37,082 units.
“In keeping with our commitment to the Make in India programme, we are proud to celebrate the roll-out of the first vehicle for Argentina,” said GM India President and Managing Director Kaher Kazem. “The new export market is a testimony to our commitment to provide the highest quality standards to global customers from the Talegaon plant. Whether it’s in India or anywhere else in the world, General Motors follows the highest quality standards in its .

GM rolls out first Beat for Argentina from Talegaon plant

The automobile industry began fiscal 2016-17 on a positive note, with both production and sales of passenger vehicles growing significantly. 
According to the Society for Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam), the industry produced a total of 2.12 million vehicles including passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, three wheelers, two wheelers and quadricycles in April 2016 as against 1.91 million in the same month last year, registering a growth of 10.91. 
The sales of Passenger Vehicles grew by 11.04 per cent in April 2016 over the same month last year. Within Passenger Vehicles, Passenger Cars, Utility Vehicles and Vans grew by 1.87 percent, 42.83 percent and 16.46 percent respectively during April 2016 over the same month last year.
The overall Commercial Vehicles segment registered a growth of 17.36 percent in April 2016 as compared to the same month last year. Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicles (M&HCVs) registered a growth of 21.98 percent and Light Commercial Vehicles ...

Auto industry starts off 2016-17 on positive note

The Supreme Court on Monday extended until further notice the ban on registration of new diesel vehicles with an engine capacity of 2,000 cc and above in Delhi and the National Capital Region.
The court, however, agreed to relax the order in the case of taxis with all-India tourist permits which ferry BPO employees in the region. The IT and BPO industry have reported huge losses because of the ban. There are about 55,000 diesel taxis with all-India permits.
However, the ban on diesel taxis continues, despite the ongoing agitation by drivers. The apex court imposed the restrictions late last year to curb growing pollution in the NCR. It asked taxis to switch over to CNG as a fuel. But only a section of the taxis have replaced their diesel engines with CNG kits.

SC extends diesel ban till further notice, eases norms for BPO taxis

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