
Suzuki India had recently surprised its fans by announcing the local assembly of the popular and iconic motorcycle Hyabusa at its plant in Manesar, Gurgaon along with a huge price cut.
Now, the made-in-India superbike comes with two additional items - saree guard and front license plate holder - which are not seen on the models that are made in Japan. Both items are mandated by the Indian government. While they do take away some of the Busa’s stunning road presence, the good news is they are easily removable.
While most motorcycles have a single piece saree guard, the one in Hayabusa is a two-part grille which is fastened to the chassis above and below the silencer. Will a Hayabusa rider have a saree-clad pillion rider? You never know, there may be one! 
The second addition is the number plate holder, which arises from the front fork and forms a loop around the fender. The new additions definitely lower the overall aesthetic quotient of the Hayabusa by creating an unwanted ...

India made Suzuki Hayabusa comes with additional features including saree guard 

BS-Motoring

It's undoubtedly a 'taxing' time for the sluggish Indian automobile industry. Following the proposal of a heavy green cess on fast-selling diesel cars, the Supreme Court on Thursday proposed a congestion charge on all new car purchases and to discourage luxury vehicles.
The suggestion came after the court rejected the complaint of heavy and medium truck manufacturers that registration authorities in the National Capital Region had misinterpreted the apex court's order banning sale of diesel cars and SUVs with engine capacity of 2000 cc or more and were refusing to register trucks and buses.
A bench of Chief Justice T. S. Thakur and Justices A. K. Sikri and R. Banumathi sternly rejected the plea and said: "No trucks will be registered for now. The city is choked with vehicles. Where is the space for parking these cars and trucks? There should be a congestion charge levied with purchase of every new vehicle. It should be levied in the Supreme Court premises also where advocates bring ...

Get ready to pay congestion cess on new vehicles

Volkswagen India is recalling 3,877 Vento cars over inconsistent carbon monoxide emissions, which include only the manual 1.5-litre diesel variants.The company said that the emissions in the affected models sometimes exceed the threshold limits during the Conformity of Production (COP) tests done by Automotive Research Association of India. 
“Volkswagen India is analysing the issue and will propose technical measures to ARAI to solve this inconsistency at the earliest,” said the statement from Volkswagen India on Friday. “Once approved and confirmed by the competent authorities, Volkswagen India will implement the measures and resume the production and sales of the relevant vehicle. The same technical measures will also be implemented in the impacted vehicles that are already with customers.”
The problem impacts only the manual gearbox version of Vento with 1.5-litre diesel engine and is not connected to the global NOx emissions topic, it added.
It is only the 1.5 Vento diesel cars ...

Volkswagen India recalls 3,877 units of Vento diesel on emissions issue

UM Motorcycles, the US-based bike maker, has got a thousand bookings for its Renegade range of vehicles in less than two months of its foray into India.
The company unveiled its range of bikes at the Auto Expo 2016 and opened bookings for the Renegade Commando and Renegade Sport in early February.
The Renegade Commando is a low-slung cruiser powered by a 279cc single-cylinder water-cooled engine developing 25 bhp at 8,500 rpm and 21.8 Nm of torque at 7,000 rpm, mated to a six-speed transmission. The motorcycle comes with wide handlebars and hydraulic telescopic front suspension and spring rear suspension, which is ideal for a cruiser-segment motorcycle. 
The Renegade Sport S model and Renegade Classic also share the same engine as the Renegade Commando.  The Renegade Commando is priced at Rs1.59 lakh and the Renegade Sport S at Rs1.49 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi).
UM International, the American company, entered into in alliance with the UP-based Lohia Auto, which has invested Rs 100 .

UM Motorcycles gets 1,000 bookings in 2 months

Driving up to Nainital from Delhi will become a lot easier, with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) on Thursday clearing the Rampur-Rudrapur-Kathgodam section of NH-87 that connects Uttar Pradesh to Uttarakhand.
The section will be built on BOT Hybrid-Annuity mode in two packages, which have been awarded to Sadbhav Infrastructure Project at a bid price of Rs 1,336 crore. 
The 93-km-long section, which is critical for connecting to Nainital, will have three bypasses at Rampur, Bilaspur and Haldwani towns. The project would be completed in two and half years. 
The section is part of NH-87 starting from Rampur in Uttar Pradesh and terminating at Karnaprayag in Uttarakhand. The 4-laning of Rampur-Rudrapur-Kathgodam section would strengthen the road infrastructure and serve as an important link to tourist places like Nainital, Kausani, Ranikhet, Mukteswar and Almora. 
On completion, it would save travel time for traffic from Delhi to Nainital and beyond in Uttarakhand, apart ...

NHAI clears key section on Delhi-Nainital route

Mahindra & Mahindra has unveiled its Mahindra Adventure calendar for season six. The initiative aims to showcase the tough and rugged DNA of Mahindra vehicles and serves as the umbrella brand for a series of adventure and motor sports events.
“After the successful run of Mahindra Adventure Season 5, we are all geared up to unleash a series of adventure initiatives throughout the year that promise greater thrills for the urban adrenaline seekers,” said Vivek Nayer, chief marketing officer, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. “With two new exciting multiday expeditions being added to this year's calendar, we are now expanding further into unchartered territory, covering all parts of the country and beyond.”
Mahindra Adventure unleashes its spirit of adventure by hosting a series of events spread through the year. Great Escape continues to be the off-roaders' choice to test the endurance of Mahindra's 4x4 vehicles on diverse terrain. It continues with 10 locations ...

Mahindra Adventure calendar for season six unveiled

The Supreme Court on Thursday extended the ban on sale of large diesel vehicles with an engine capacity of more than 2,000 cc in Delhi and the National Capital Region by another month.
The apex court had in December ruled that no new diesel SUVs or luxury cars with an engine capacity of more than 2,000 cc would be registered in the NCR till March 31. This was part of a move to curb pollution in Delhi and its satellite cities.
The court also granted a month’s extension to diesel taxis to convert to CNG. The court also indicated that it would consider whether to impose an environmental cess on the sale of diesel cars in New Delhi.
Leading vehicle manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Mahindra & Mahindra had filed an appeal against the Supreme Court ban. They had submitted an independent analysis which claimed that two- and three-wheelers were the worst polluters.
The Supreme Court, however, refused to grant any relief to the auto manufacturers. But manufacturers like ...

Supreme Court extends ban on sale of large diesel vehicles in NCR by a month

While most carmakers have announced price hikes across their model range, Mahindra and Mahindra is offering heavy discounts on the SsangYong Rexton, Quanto, XUV500 and Bolero models. But from April, Mahindra too will join the price-hike bandwagon.
SsangYong Rexton, the premium SUV from the Mahindra-owned Korean manufacturer is offered with a sizeable Rs. 2.1 lakh discount. It is powered by a 2.7-litre, five-cylinder diesel engine, and can be opted with both manual and automatic gearboxes. The automatic variant gets an AWD system too. Prices for the Rexton range from Rs. 23.68 lakh to Rs. 25.77 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai).  
Mahindra Quanto, the company’s first sub-four-metre offering is about to get a major overhaul, and will be launched as the Nuvosport on the April 4. However, the pre-facelifted model is up for grabs with a price-cut of Rs. 1.35 lakh, which is quite steep, given that the car is priced between Rs. 6.91-Rs. 8.47 lakh.
Mahindra XUV500, the stylish and feature-packed ...

Mahindra offers discounts before price hike from April

The Indian auto component industry is expected to register growth of 8-10 percent in FY 2017, according to credit ratings agency ICRA.
M&HCV demand is likely to stay robust albeit slow down to 13-15% given the increased base of FY2016.
The recent ban on diesel vehicles in the NCR and additional levy of 1-4 percent infrastructure cess on passenger vehicles in the Union budget will impact overall demand momentum in the PV segment which accounts for bulk of the domestic OE demand for auto components.
Over the medium to long term, growth in the auto component industry will be higher than the underlying automotive industry growth given the increasing localisation by OEMs, higher component content per vehicle and rising exports from India, says ICRA in its latest research update on auto component industry.
According to Subrata Ray, senior group vice president, corporate ratings, “over the medium term, ICRA expects OPBDIT margin for the auto-component industry to stabilise at 14-14.5 ...

Indian auto components industry to clock 8-10% growth in FY 2017: ICRA

Royal Enfield has started bookings for its latest motorcycle Himalayan at all its dealerships across New Delhi. Priced at Rs 1.73 lakh, Himalayan will be available in two signature colour options - Granite and Snow.
“The timing of the launch in Delhi could not have been better as all motorcycling enthusiasts in the region start frequenting the hills post Holi,” said Rudratej Singh, president, Royal Enfield. “Towards creating and growing a new segment which offers an option for adventure loving motorcycling enthusiasts, we are offering the new Himalayan now in Delhi, at an on-road price of Rs. 1,73,676." 
 
Designed and developed by Harris Performance, a British motorcycle parts manufacturer, the Himalayan is powered by a completely new and evolved overhead camshaft engine platform that forms the base for its new long stroke LS 410 engine. 
Royal Enfield Himalayan is available in Mumbai for Rs. 1,78,872, Bangalore for Rs 1,84,316, Kolkata for Rs. 1,81,517, Chennai for Rs. 1,75,840, ...

Booking begins for Royal Enfield Himalayan in New Delhi

The Royal Enfield Himalayan has been the one of the most awaited motorcycles since last year.  This has been an all-new product launch for the company after the Continental GT, since 2013.

Royal Enfield Himalayan   Review

MotorOctane

Mercedes-Benz has just launched the S400, the ninth variant for the S-Class.  The German luxury car manufacturer has been on a launching spree and the S portfolio is its widest that is being offered in India.

Mercedes Benz S400 launched for INR 1 45 crore  on road

Car rental firm Zoomcar, which announced an auto-rickshaw self-drive rental service earlier this week, has reported an ‘overwhelming response’ with about a thousand inquiries generated since the launch.
The start-up is currently doing a pilot run with limited auto-rickshaw inventories across six cities in India – Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune.
The launch of the auto-rickshaw self-drive rental service is part of its efforts to transform the self-drive industry in India, said the company.
Customers are allowed to drive the auto-rickshaw for only 30 minutes for each booking. They will have to pay Rs40 for a 30-minute drive on the rickshaw. They will also have to undergo a 10-minute session with the fleet executive before driving the vehicle.
Even during the drive, the customer will be accompanied by two professionals, post the guidance session. And since it is a pilot project, the customer is allowed to drive in a one-km radius around the pick-up site. ...

Zoomcar gets \'overwhelming response\' to its auto-rickshaw self-drive rental service

Zoomcar gets 'overwhelming response' to its auto-rickshaw self-drive rental service

Volkswagen unveiled new carlines from the Delhi Auto Expo 2016 for its customers in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Pune.
This one of a kind new engagement platform brought customers closer to Volkswagen by enabling them a first-hand experience of safety, build quality, technological prowess and superior engineering carried in its carlines. On display were the made for India and made in India Ameo, the GTI, Tiguan, Passat GTE and the recently launched 21st Century Beetle.
The European carmaker reached out to over 1,200 prospective car enthusiasts, further strengthening its optimism towards the exciting line-up of cars in the upcoming fiscal.
“We are enthused by the overwhelming response received by our customers through the multiple product showcase and engaging formats across cities,” said Michael Mayer, director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India Pvt Ltd. “This one of a kind platform reiterates Volkswagen’s commitment towards India and is driven to create a delightful ...

Volkswagen unveils new carlines in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune

Nissan India, which currently has 215 outlets across 165 cities in the country, plans to raise this to 300 in a year’s time.
The Japanese automaker inaugurated two new dealerships in Mumbai on Wednesday – Shakti Nissan in Chembur and Royce Nissan in Kandivali. Both dealerships will sell both Nissan and Datsun cars.
With these two new outlets, Nissan now has 11 showrooms in Mumbai and 34 across Maharashtra. 
According to Arun Malhotra, managing director, Nissan India, this is the third new dealership to have been opened in Mumbai over the last six months. “We continue to expand our reach and provide our customers with best-in-class products and services together with our dealer partners,” he added.
Nissan’s strategy for continued and significant growth in India is underpinned by its commitment to providing customers with a superior ownership experience, said Malhotra. “This is backed by our continuous expansion of dealership outlets nationwide towards our target of setting up 300 ...

Nissan India aims to increase outlets to 300 by March 2017

Its good news for two-wheeler makers like Bajaj Auto, Royal Enfield and Suzuki Motorcycle India as Delhi's transport department has agreed to lift the ban on registering two-wheelers that comply with Bharat Stage (BS)-III emission norms.
With this move, new models of two-wheelers compliant with BS-III emission norms launched in the capital prior to April 1 can now be registered.
The Delhi government had earlier banned the registration of new two-wheelers that do not meet the BS-IV emission norms starting from December 2015. This order had forced two-wheeler makers like Bajaj, Royal Enfield and Suzuki to halt the sale of their newly launched models like the Bajaj V15, Royal Enfield Himalayan, Suzuki Access and Hayate in Delhi.
"We had a meeting with the transport commissioner. The issue has now been resolved. All files have been cleared and approval letters would be sent to individual companies tomorrow," said Vishnu Mathur, director general of the Society of Indian Automobile ...

Delhi transport department agrees to register BS-III compliant two-wheelers 

Yamaha Motor's Fascino scooter and Saluto 125cc motorcycle have received the India Design Mark (I Mark) certification from the India Design Council, a company statement said.
This is the fifth consecutive year that Yamaha has received this certification. It first received the certification for the YZF-R15 2.0 in 2012 followed by the Ray in 2013, Ray Z in 2014, and the Alpha and FZ-S FI 2.0 in 2015.
The Yamaha Fascino is powered by an air-cooled, 4-stroke 113 cc Blue Core engine with a continuous variable transmission (CVT). 
“Yamaha is committed towards youngsters and design plays a critical role in attracting them,” said Masaki Asano, managing director, Yamaha Motor India (sales). “This is the fifth consecutive year, since 2012, that Yamaha has been recognised for excellence in design and coming from India Design Mark makes it all the more special.”
Both, Fascino and Saluto have done extremely well in India, both for its design as well as performance. “This India Design Mark ...

Yamaha Motor's Fascino and Saluto win India Design Mark award

Driven by higher export volumes and high expected demand for the India specific sedan Ameo, Volkswagen India is expanding operations at its Pune plant in Chakan by adding a third shift. This will enable increase of production by around 15 per cent per annum.
The German car maker, which readies itself to cater to enhanced demand from export as well as domestic markets, has invested around Rs 6,000 crore at the plant, which employs over 4,000 people. 
To support the third shift manufacturing, the company has already added around 800 new employees and is planning to hire more as its production goes up through the year. In 2015, Volkswagen India produced 1.23 lakh cars in a two-shift system. 
“In 2016, we are expecting growth in our domestic as well as export volumes,” said Andreas Lauermann, president and managing director, Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd. “With the new Ameo, a car that has been specially developed for India, we are expecting a higher demand from the domestic market while we ...

Volkswagen India adds third shift at Pune plant, hires 800 employees

In a bid to encourage the use of electric vehicles, the Delhi government has reduced value-added tax (VAT) on EVs from 12.5 per cent to five per cent. The government has also exempted EVs from road tax.
Earlier this month, the Karnataka government also eliminated all taxes on electric vehicles to encourage people to buy these cars and bikes.
The Delhi government has also doubled the subsidies for e-rickshaws. Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said the one-time fixed subsidy for e-rickshaws would be raised from Rs15,000 to Rs30,000. 
In the current fiscal, the government has granted a subsidy of Rs4.97 crore to 3,709 owners of battery-operated vehicles and e-rickshaws. 
 
According to the Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles, there are just 65,000 electric two-wheelers and cars in Delhi. The state government can boost these numbers by extending support to the industry by developing charging stations.

Delhi government reduces VAT on e-vehicles

Hyundai Motors plans to introduce about five models in India this year, as it aims to expand its share in the Indian automobile market.
Y.K. Koo, managing director, Hyundai Motors India Ltd, told a newspaper that 2016 is an important year for the South Korean company as it marks the 20th anniversary of its foray into India.
The country’s second-largest car maker plans to shortly introduce special editions of its compact cars, the Xcent and the Grand i10 in April and May respectively. 
The Korean auto giant will also launch the new version of its Elantra in August and its premium compact SUV Tucson around the festive season. Hyundai aims to focus on the SUV segment.
It will also increase the production capacity of the Creta from June, which would help slash the waiting period from four months to two. 
Referring to the mid-size sedan, Verna, Koo said bookings had grown by almost 30 per cent and the company aims to double volumes to 3,000 units a month to meet the growing demand. ...

Hyundai aims to launch five models in 2016

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