While the Indian government is keen to move to BS-VI emission norms bypassing BI-V norms by 2020, analysts feel that the fuel needed for this move may not be available by then. 
"Given the past experience with respect to delays in availability of BS-IV compliant fuel, the availability of cleaner fuel by 2020 on a nationwide basis may also become a bottleneck," says a report by rating agency ICRA. 
The Government of India in February decided to skip the BS-V emission standards and directly move to more stringent BS-VI norms by April 2020, four years ahead of the earlier schedule.  
ICRA said that the transition may not be smooth as industry players will have numerous challenges to deal with. "We believe while availability of technology is not an issue, the key challenge for OEMs will be adapting the available solutions to Indian market conditions in a relatively short time frame, in a cost-effective manner," says ICRA. 
The report also suggested that OEMs with higher dependence on ...

Question mark over availability of cleaner fuel for jump to BS VI norms 

BS-Motoring

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) has sought clarification from the government about the new clause in the finance bill that makes it compulsory to collect tax at source on sale of a vehicle costing over Rs.10 lakh. 
The budget had proposed levying a one per cent tax on luxury cars priced above Rs.10 lakh; the dealer would have to collect the tax. However, according to Siam, while the budget speech referred only to passenger vehicles, the tax is now applicable on trucks, buses, two-wheelers and cars sold by manufacturers, exporters and dealers. 
Automobile dealers fear that they too may have to pay the tax and not just the consumer. Even individuals selling their old cars for a price above Rs.10 lakh will have to collect the one per cent tax from the buyer and pay it to the government.

Siam seeks clarification from government on 1 per cent additional tax on luxury cars

The cumulative figures for global sales of Toyota’s hybrid vehicles crossed the 9 million-mark on April 30, according to the Japanese automaker. The latest million-unit milestone was achieved in just nine months. 
“This is a phenomenal achievement for Toyota globally as we firmly believe that environment-friendly vehicles can only truly have a significant positive impact if they are widely used,” said N. Raja, director and senior vice-president, Toyota Kirloskar Motor. “Although hybrid technology is still at a very nascent stage in India and caters to a very niche segment, the Camry Hybrid has received an overwhelming response from our customers and the market alike.” 
According to him, the success of Camry hybrid indicates the willingness of the market to accept alternative fuel technology like hybrid which not only benefits the environment but also conserves fuel. 
“We would like to thank the government for encouraging our efforts to promote hybrid technology in India by introducing 

Overwhelming response for Camry Hybrid: Toyota India executive

Tata Motors inaugurated its Global Delivery Centre (GDC)’s new facility in Pune at the ICC Devi Gaurav Technology Park at the hands of Guenter Butschek, CEO and managing director. 
The GDC has been set up to streamline business processes and achieve cost optimisation goals through conceptualisation and deployment of shared services strategies for the Tata Motors Group.  
With an objective to scale up its operations across multiple locations and time zones in 12-15 months, the state-of the art facility (spread across 50,000 sq ft) has been built to capitalise on Pune’s rich pool of ITES and automobile industry talent. 
With operations primarily based out of Pune, the GDC also has footprints in locations including Mumbai, Jamshedpur, Lucknow, Dharwad, Pantnagar and Sanand, supporting 12 Tata Motors Group companies including JLR, Tata Marcopolo, TAL, Tata Technologies, TML Drivelines and Tata Motors Finance. 
“As part of continuing efforts to streamline our business processes, the GDC is 

Tata Motors inaugurates new global delivery centre facility in Pune

Hyundai Motor India Ltd has announced an exclusive offer for central government employees as part of its 20th year celebration. The Anniversary Celebration Offer, ‘Pride of India’ is a part of ‘Experience Hyundai’ programme to reinforce the bond with its customers. 
Under the offer, customers will get a benefit of Rs. 7,000 on Grand i10 and Xcent and Rs. 5,000 on i10 and Eon in addition to the existing promotional offers. Central government employees are significant prospective customers for Hyundai across urban and rural India. 
Announcing the 20th Anniversary Celebration Offer, Rakesh Srivastava, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, HMIL, said, “Pride of India celebration offer is especially for central government employees who value Hyundai as a tried and trusted brand with very strong customer affinity. With this initiative, Hyundai aspires to increase its engagement towards becoming the lifetime partners of central government employees.” 
Hyundai continues its endeavours ...

Hyundai comes out with exclusive offer for central government employees

To boost its presence in the two-wheeler market in the country, the Mahindra Group is looking to buy the rights to iconic brands like BSA or Norton, according to reports. 
Industry analysts state that with this move the company aims to make a dent in the top end of the motorcycle market. The company is in talks with at least half a dozen brands in various parts of Europe and the US, it is learnt.
It may be recalled that the group had in 2015 acquired a stake in Peugeot Motorcycles for around Rs 216 crore. Industry sources claim that the company is currently considering two companies - Norton and BSA. UK businessman Stuart Garner had bought the Norton brand in 2008 and the company makes a limited number of bikes. BSA stopped making motorcycles in the early 1970s.
Industry sources state that a deal is likely to be announced over the next three-six months. 
Mahindra’s strategy appears to be to buy and revive brands besides infusing some of its DNA into future products. Mahindra will use .

Mahindra looking at acquiring BSA, Norton brands: reports

Straddling the market at both ends seems to be Toyota’s strategy for Indian market. While the world’s largest automobile manufacturer is currently studying the option of bringing small car brand Daihatsu into the Indian market its real focus is on the SUV market with products like the Crysta.
"Toyota is still studying the Daihatsu option but right now we are more interested in higher-end cars, which give a better margin,” said Vikram Kirloskar, vice-chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motors (TKM). “We are not that concerned about market share because eventually cars like Crysta will become high volume models and as environment and safety norms get tougher, our investment in safety, emission and fuel efficiency will get us dividends."
TKM is currently a profitable company but is still far from optimum capacity utilisation with both the vehicle assembly plant as well as its engine and transmission unit Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts (TKAP) running at below-optimum capacity. 
"Rupee-wise we have a .

Toyota keen on higher-end cars with better margins

It's time for cruise control for women in India. Motorcycle maker Royal Enfield has for the first time introduced an all-women's edition of the Himalayan Odyssey this year to be flagged off from New Delhi on July 9.
Women riders can register themselves at the company's website. The 17-day adventure ride will traverse 2,200 km in some of the roughest terrains and highest mountain passes.
Both men and women contingents will be flag ged off from Delhi together while they will ride on different routes before finally converging at Leh, Ladakh. Registrations are open for 20 participants for Himalayan Odyssey Women. 
With the period between the months of May and August being ideal for bike enthusiasts to ride up to the Himalayas, this year will see the riders travel over 2,500 km mapping diverse terrains ranging from the plains of Delhi to snow clad valleys of Ladakh, all over the course of a gruelling 17 days.
Women riders looking to find their share of thrill and adventure on two wheels ...

Royal Enfield paves way for all women\'s edition of Himalayan Odyssey

Yokohama India has opened its first outlet in Haryana. Located near the Radhaswami Ashram in Bhiwani, this Yokohama Club Network (YCN) outlet is the company’s 45th specialised centre in the country. Apart from selling tyres, the new outlet will offer wheel alignment and balancing and nitrogen filling facilities along with selling alloy wheels.
“The YCN is a specialised network based on the company’s global philosophy to create point of sales which will deliver a world-class tyre buying experience,” the company said in a release. According to Yokohama India, currently it has over 825 point of sales, including 44 YCNs across the country.
“Haryana has always been a high-demand state, and the presence of YCNs in its cities will help us augment our growth in India,” Ken Matsukawa, director, Yokohama India, said at the launch. “YCNs have been a main reason that we grew 48.1 per cent in India in 2015, and Yokohama India’s future strategy also lies here. This launch will also help bring more .

Yokohama India sets up its first outlet in Haryana

The ministry of Road Transport and Highways is ready with the draft of a scrapping policy that will give incentives to owners for surrendering old polluting vehicles. 
The highly anticipated policy will be put in the public domain within a week to get the views of stakeholders and the general public, said union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari. It is estimated that with this policy the turnover of the automobile industry will be increased by over four times to Rs 20 lakh crore in the next five years. 
“We will put the vehicle scrapping policy on the website within a week to seek suggestions and based on that we will seek the finance ministry's approval. Once approved, it will be sent for the Cabinet nod,” said Gadkari.
The automobile industry in India currently has a turnover of Rs 4.5 lakh crore. With the new policy in place this is expected to increase to Rs 20 lakh crore in the next five years. “With this policy India can be the number one country to export the ...

Government ready with draft of car scrapping policy 

Is getting a Toyota Camry hybrid a good option? Should you consider over German sedans?

The moment we think of sedans in excess of INR 30 lakhs, it it majorly the German luxury options.  There are some other players too, like the Japanese but they arent been considered as they wont offer a diesel option.

Toyota Camry hybrid for a week in Mumbai

MotorOctane

The numero uno brand in the 100cc category has proven its might in the 125cc category as well. With Glamour and Super Splendour, Hero MotoCorp has firmly established its leadership position in this category with sales of 109,955 units in April.
This represents a 33 percent jump over last year's sale of 82,298 units in the month of April 2015. Says an industry analyst, “While Hero MotoCorp has remained the top most motorcycle manufacturer in 125cc segment in India, Honda has been reigning the segment with its CB Shine, the best-selling 125cc two wheeler.” However with Glamour Hero has been able to restore its leadership in the game.
Honda on the other hand has been losing ground in this growing segment. Honda sells CB Shine, CB Shine SP and CBF Stunner in the segment. The sales of the company in the 125cc segment fell 10.5 percent from 74,532 in April 2015 to 66,700 in April this year. The fall has cost CB Shine the numero uno position in the segment.
Hero Glamour, which is now the ...

Hero establishes leadership position in 125cc category

Following close on the heels of Maruti Suzuki, which recalled 20,427 units of its premium crossover model S-Cross (which would need a possible replacement of a faulty brake parts), Ford ordered the recall of its EcoSport vehicles. 
According to the company, 48,000 EcoSport diesel vehicles will be recalled for installation of a new bundle clip on the fuel and brake lines. The recalled Ecosports were manufactured between April 2013 and June 2014.
With this recall, the total number of Ecosport vehicles recalled since its launch in June 2013 now totals more than 86,000 units. The previous recall was made in November 2015 when 16,500 units of the EcoSport were recalled to fix a potentially faulty part of the rear suspension unit that the company said could increase the risk of accidents. 
“In its commitment to quality and complete transparency, Ford India is issuing two voluntary safety recalls to correct potential concerns with certain Ford EcoSport vehicles,” the American automaker said .

Ford orders recall of some EcoSport diesel vehicles

Mahindra Two Wheelers and ‘Mojo Tribe’ have opened registrations for owners and biking enthusiasts for the daunting and challenging ‘Mountain Trail’.
The 15-day motorcycle ride will begin from New Delhi on July 24 and end at Chandigarh on August 7. ‘Mojo Tribe’ will cover a distance of over 2,700 km, traversing some of the most rugged terrain, and highest motorable roads in the world covering the the Manali-Leh highway, stopping at Sarchu, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso and Kargil. 
From Kargil, the riders will make their way to Srinagar, Patnitop, Dharamsala and then finally end the ride at Chandigarh. Mahindra Mojo owners can log on to the Mojo website and register themselves for the ride. Apart from Mojo owners, biking enthusiasts can also participate in the same. The registration fee is Rs. 42,000 and if you enrol yourself before 31st May, you get a discount of Rs. 2,000. 
The Mojo, billed by Mahindra as a touring motorcycle, is powered by a 295cc, single cylinder engine that produces .

Mahindra opens registration for first-ever Mountain Trail

A special bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Ernakulam on Monday imposed a ban on the use of diesel vehicles older than 10 years in Kerala.
The tribunal, which took up a petition filed by the Lawyer’s Environmental Awareness Forum, issued an interim order banning older diesel vehicles and also imposing a fine of Rs10,000 on such vehicles if they continued running 30 days after the ban.
The petitioners claimed that Kochi had emerged as one of the most polluted cities in India because of diesel vehicles. They sought an immediate ban on old diesel vehicles, including trucks and buses.
A similar ban on old diesel vehicles is in force in Delhi. The Supreme Court had late last year also imposed a ban on the registration of diesel vehicles and SUVs with engine capacities of 2,000 cc and above.

NGT imposes ban on old diesel vehicles in Kerala

Maruti Suzuki is likely to launch the Baleno RS in September this year. It may be recalled that the country's largest car-maker had hinted that the Baleno RS and Ignis would come to the Indian market during the festive season, though it had not divulged the exact launch details.
The Baleno RS, the Boosterjet engine-powered version of the popular premium hatchback Baleno, made its debut at the Auto Expo 2016. The 1.0-litre Boosterjet engine would churn out close to 110bhp of power and 170Nm of peak torque. 
The Baleno RS will take on the likes of Fiat Abarth Punto, Ford Figo 1.5-litre petrol and Volkswagen Polo GT TSI in India. The transmission in the new variants of the Baleno is expected to be taken care of by a six-speed automatic transmission.
From a visual stand point, although the Baleno RS would look identical to the regular model of the hatchback, it will come packed with additional features like side skirts and new diamond cut alloy wheels. The new variant will also get ...

Maruti Suzuki likely to launch Baleno RS in September 

There's good news for bike enthusiasts in the country. BMW Motorrad, the motorcycle-manufacturing arm of BMW, is all set to begin operations in India soon. 
According to reports, the CEO for BMW Motorrad, Stefan Schaller, has confirmed at the ongoing Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este that the famed Motorcycle arm of BMW will commence it operations in India from October.
BMW Motorrad had shown its presence at the 2016 Auto Expo, held in the NCR. It is also believed that the much awaited BMW G 310 R will be launched in India in October as well. 
BMW currently sells its bikes in India through its distributors Deutsche Motoren in Delhi and NCR, and Navnit Motors for the rest of the country. With its entry into the Indian two-wheeler market, BMW Motorrad is expected to set dealerships in major cities like Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru and others.
The super bike will be manufactured by TVS Motor at its facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu. As per the agreement between BMW and TVS, the G 310 R will ..

BMW Motorrad to officially begin operations in India by October 2016

Taxi aggregator Uber has partnered with the Bengaluru-based Wicked Ride to offer high capacity premium two-wheelers on rent. 
Cruiser bikes such as the Benelli TNT 300, Kawasaki Z250 and the KTM Duke 390 amongst many others will be offered on a test ride to its customers.
The service ‘Uber Wicked Ride’, which started a week ago, looks to improve upon the controversial UberMoto service that was launched earlier this year. The service will be offered in limited windows through the Uber dashboard in 12 major cities starting with Bengaluru and Mysuru.
The premium two-wheeler rental service will be offered in a limited edition from 12 noon to 4 pm. Customers can choose to either go pillion or ride the bike themselves. Riders need to be of 21 years of age at least, with a valid license for motorcycle with gear and have a PAN card. Once booked, a representative from Wicked Ride will get the desired two-wheeler to your doorstep for the test ride. The test ride will be allowed for 15 minutes. .

Uber offers premium two-wheelers on rent in Bengaluru and Mysuru

Buoyed by the positive response at its first Motoplex in Pune - the one stop store for the Group’s brand portfolio including Vespa, Aprilia and Moto Guzzi -  Piaggio has opened its second Motoplex premium retail concept store in Hyderabad.
Set up by Shrey Automotive, the Hyderabad store is Piaggio’s first dealer-operated concept store in the country. With this, Hyderabad becomes the first south Indian city to get a Motoplex store. 
The new Motoplex is set up in a sprawling area of 4,134 sq. ft. at Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. The Piaggio Group is developing this concept in major metropolitan areas around the world. Motoplex multi brand stores have already been set up in Milan, New York City, Shanghai and Beijing where, all the Piaggio Group brands coexist in one continuous experience. It is a platform for bike enthusiasts to explore all the Piaggio brands and share their biking experience in one place.
“With the display of various brands from the Piaggio Group stable, the Motoplex store .

Piaggio opens second Motoplex 

In a boost to its operations in the country, mobile taxi aggregator Ola has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB) to extend its range of mobility solutions to travellers through a designated 'Ola Zone'. 
This arrangement will allow Ola driver-partners to park their vehicles inside KIAB premises, with specifically demarcated areas to offer uninterrupted service to travellers arriving in the city. 
Says Anuj Sahai, Vice President - Alliances at Ola: "As a result of this MoU, a larger pool of cars will be available for airport travellers with lower ETAs and utmost efficiency. This first of its kind partnership is testament to the transformational mobility experience that we have enabled for millions."
According to company sources, Bengaluru airport handled over 19 million passenger in FY 2016. Travellers to the airport can book an Ola cab from their app on their arrival. Their designated cab and driver will be waiting at the ...

Bengaluru airport allows Ola cabs to be parked in designated zone

Close on the heels of Mitsubishi admitting that it had overstated the fuel economy of its mini cars and improperly testing other models, its compatriot Suzuki has also admitted to using wrong methods to test the fuel economy of its cars in Japan. 
This news has led to widening of the testing scandal that has already rocked the automotive industry globally.
Suzuki Motor Company (SMC) CEO Osamu Suzuki told reporters, "The company apologises for the fact that we did not follow rules set by the country," adding 2.1 million vehicles were affected.
SMC said that it would continue selling its mini cars. The correct readings, it said, are not significantly different to those it submitted.  Japanese authorities may yet take a dim view of Suzuki’s infractions, fines could follow and the bad publicity could also dent domestic sales. 
While globally the shares of Suzuki dropped more than 15%, India could be the much needed cushion for the company in the scenario.  So much of Suzuki’s value hinges 

Japanese auto scandal singes Suzuki

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