Maruti Suzuki has announced the introduction of an automatic transmission variant of the Baleno Zeta. Priced at Rs.7.47 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi), the car is equipped with a CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission) unit and retains all the bells and whistles that are currently available on the manual Zeta variant. Earlier, the CVT was available only on the mid-trim Delta.
Baleno’s Zeta trim comes loaded with alloy wheels, front fog lamps, auto headlamps, chrome door handles, auto dimming IRVM, height-adjustable driver's seat, keyless entry and go, illumination for the glovebox and an MID with a colour TFT screen.
"Baleno has rapidly found success to become a popular premium hatchback owing to its design, technology and performance,” said R.S. Kalsi, executive director (marketing & sales), Maruti Suzuki India Limited. “We are thankful to customers for the support and continue our efforts to improve its availability. The automatic option – Continuous Variable Transmission – offered ...

Maruti launches Baleno Zeta petrol automatic at Rs.7.47 lakh

BS-Motoring

Bajaj Auto, which introduced its Quadricycle Qute in October last, has exported a total of 334 units to 19 markets including Turkey, Russia, Indonesia and Peru in 2015-16. 
"With a strong positive reception in all markets without exception, production at the Waluj plant is being ramped up to export over 500 Qute in April 2016 alone. Currently total exports for FY17 are estimated at 10,000 units," Bajaj Auto president (business development and assurance) S. Ravikumar said in a statement.
Even as Bajaj awaits clearance for the sales of Qute in India, the vehicle has also been accorded one star safety rating by Euro NCAP.
"Owing to its higher safety, lower emissions, and unparalleled fuel efficiency, Qute is finding favour amongst two and three-wheeler consumers who cannot afford a car," he added. Bajaj claims a mileage of 36 kmpl on its Qute, which has helped the company to establish the product in the global markets. 
The 1 star Euro NCAP ratings comes in the wake of the Quadricycle ...

Bajaj Auto exports 334 units of Qute; expects to export 10k units in FY17

India Kawasaki Motors (IKM) inaugurated an exclusive showroom and service centre in Coimbatore, its second in Tamil Nadu and 12th in India.
IKM has come a long way since the opening of its first showroom in Pune almost two-and-a-half years ago,” said a company release. 
The new showroom in Coimbatore is located along one of the city’s busy arterial roads, populated with art galleries and hotels, and en route to the airport. The showroom is built on an area of 2,300 sq ft of which 650 sq ft has been allocated to an exclusive service centre.
“We have established a new dealership in Coimbatore where our customers can easily view our product and where we can communicate with them,” said Yutaka Yamashita, managing director, IKM. “We will strive to increase our sales and service network continuously.”

Kawasaki inaugurates showroom, service centre in Coimbatore

Honda Cars India, which launched its digital teaser campaign, #WhereNextWithBRV, will showcase the soon-to-be-launched Honda BR-V in varied terrains and locales.
“The core idea behind the '#WhereNextWithBRV' campaign is to showcase how BR-V offers the opportunity to explore whatever, wherever, whenever,” said Jnaneswar Sen, senior vice-president, marketing and sales, Honda Cars. “We wanted to create a memorable journey of the Honda BR-V traveling to picturesque locales and inspiring scenes. Be it a city drive or a weekend getaway to the hills, Honda BR-V is the perfect car to take anywhere.”
The campaign will be leveraged on various digital media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages of Honda Cars India.
The campaign kick-starts with "where do you want to go next with BR-V", which will see the BR-V explore many different locations as suggested by audience for the next 20 days to create a connect with the consumers. 
The BR-V will travel for the next 20 days, ...

Honda BR-V to be showcased in varied terrains, locales

Mercedes-Benz India on Thursday announced that it recorded its best fiscal year (13,558 units), best quarter (3,622 units) and best monthly sales ever (March 2016). 
The Q1 sales momentum achieved is significant against the backdrop of the diesel ban in the key Delhi and NCR market, successive price hikes and a lack of incentives for the automotive sector in the Union Budget.
The E-Class, celebrating 20 years in India, was the highest selling car model for Mercedes-Benz in the first quarter of 2016. The E-Class’ popularity was closely followed by the C-Class which remained a significant volume contributor in Q1 2016. 
Apart from the sedans, the SUV portfolio comprising the GLA, GLE and the GL also grew in Q1 2016. The New Generation Cars remained a steady contributor to volumes in the quarter as well.
“It is a significant achievement for us, as we have maintained our growth momentum in Q1 2016, despite facing multiple market challenges,” said Roland Folger, Managing Director & ...

Mercedes announces best sales for fiscal and quarter

For the fourth year in a row Maruti Suzuki continued to dominate the month on month sales of the Indian passenger vehicle market with sales crossing 118,895 units in March 2016, up 14.6% year over the last year.
Its models Alto, Dzire, WagonR and Swift sealed the top four spots, followed by Renault’s Kwid that secured the fifth spot with sales of 9,743 units. Hyundai’s Grand i10 dropped to the sixth place with 9,544 units sold. 
Maruti Suzuki’s Celerio was the seventh best seller with 8,879 unit sales, registering a 75 percent growth. Hyundai Elite i20 found 8,713 takers to reach the eighth position, followed by Maruti Suzuki Baleno with 6,236 units sales. The last spot in the list has been secured by Honda City sedan. Honda sold 5,662 unit of the sedan in March 2016.
Renault’s Kwid has had a dream run in the country having sold more than 41,205 units till date. The company has plans to cross over one lakh sales in 2016 as against the total sales of 54,000 units in 2015. 
Says Sumeet .

Maruti continues to dominate passenger vehicle market

Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) is all set to launch the Tucson SUV and the new Elantra sedan this year in order to strengthen its product portfolio in India. 
The new Hyundai Tucson made its India debut at the 2016 Auto Expo held in February. The India-spec Tucson is expected to be powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine producing 180bhp and 400Nm of torque mated to six-speed manual transmission. It will also feature Hyundai’s Active On-Demand AWD system and a six-speed automatic transmission. Also, the petrol variant will draw power from a 2.0-l MPi engine with 154 Bhp of power and 196 Nm of torque.
Hyundai is likely to price the Tucson in the range of Rs. 16 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh.
On the other hand, the new Elantra will be available with 3 engine configurations – 1.6 litre GDi, 2.0 litre MPi petrol, and 1.6-litre VGT CRDi diesel engine. The petrol powered engines will come strapped with a six speed manual transmission as standard and a six speed automatic as an option. The diesel ...

Hyundai to launch the new Elantra along with Tucson SUV in India this year

Finally the much-awaited Karnataka On-demand Transportation Technology Aggregators Rules, 2016, has come into effect from April 2. The new guidelines for taxi-hailing aggregators state that under no circumstances can they charge more than the maximum prescribed fare. 
This has put an end to surge pricing by cab aggregators, who charged several times the regular fare during peak hours. The guidelines were necessitated after Ola and Uber began operations.
According to the MV Act, rates are fixed by the government for all aggregators licensed to operate. As per the norms, the maximum per-km fare will be Rs 19.50 for AC cabs and Rs. 14.50 for non-AC ones. "With the new guidelines, taxis will not be allowed to charge more during peak hours. But the operators can certainly lower tariff to gain a competitive edge," a transport department official said. 
However, services offered at the lower end of the spectrum, priced between Rs. 6 and Rs. 13, can be offered at higher rates provided they ...

Karnataka government curbs surge pricing by Uber, Ola in Bengaluru

Credit ratings agency ICRA expects demand for two-wheelers to grow at a muted pace of 4-6 percent during FY2017. 
ICRA estimates the domestic two-wheeler industry's FY2016 growth to be 2-3%, largely driven by demand for scooters and premium motorcycles; the other segments, especially entry-level motorcycles and mopeds, are expected to report de-growth. 
Although increased allocations towards rural development and welfare schemes in the Union Budget for 2016-17 and growth in National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) expenditure, besides the government's focus on improving irrigation infrastructure, augur well for the farm sector, demand recovery from rural households is expected to be gradual and in turn linked to the volume and dispersion of monsoon rainfall. 
Additionally, the implementation of the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission in phases and expectations of softer interest rates would support demand (which remains healthy) for two-wheelers from urban households. 

Demand for two-wheelers to grow at muted pace of 4-6% during FY17: ICRA

Road transport officials in India plan to deploy three-dimensional paintings of speed breakers across busy roads, which would hopefully leader to motorists slowing down on the arteries.
Senior ministers in the National Democratic Alliance government, including Nitin Gadkari, the roads and highway minister, and M. Venkiah Naidu, the urban development minister, have asked officials to consider using such fake speed breakers on roads.
In Mumbai, the BMC, the civic corporation, is experimenting with a 3-D painting of speed breakers at Vile Parle, a north-western suburb, which will hopefully result in motorists slowing down when they see it.
A BMC official said the civic body would consider deploying such illusory speed breakers in different parts of the metropolis in a bid to slow down speeding traffic.
Many civic bodies in India have often been hauled by the courts for installing speed breakers that are not uniform in size. Speed breakers are also supposed to be painted in such a way ...

Illusory, 3-D speed breakers to check fast motorists

The Delhi government is all set to launch the second phase of the odd-even formula for cars from April 15 for a fortnight. Women drivers and parents taking their children in uniforms to school in their cars are exempt from the rule.
Delhi’s transport minister Gopal Rai announced the launch of the second phase on Wednesday. CNG vehicles would be exempt from the restrictions during the second phase.
The Delhi government announced curbs on cars on January 1, when the odd-even scheme was in force for a fortnight. Cars with odd numbered registrations were allowed on odd days and those with even numbered registrations on other days.
The move was part of a drastic move by the government to curb atmospheric pollution in the national capital, especially during the winter months when heavy smog envelopes the region. Similar schemes have been tried in other cities elsewhere in the world, but with limited impact.
According to Rai, Delhi Transport Corporation buses will be available for schools, ..

Delhi government announces return of odd-even scheme for a fortnight from April 15

Honda has launched a digital teaser campaign on Twitter - #WhereNextWithBRV – relating to the launch of its new SUV, the BR-V.
“The drive with Honda BR-V has begun,” said a tweet on the Honda account. “Stay tuned to discover where does the BR-V go next.”
The Japanese automaker unveiled the BR-V at the Auto Expo in Delhi earlier in the year. The new generation crossover utility vehicle features the combination of bold, sporty appearance and handling of an SUV together with great utility and spacious cabin with seven seats for the whole family. Developed exclusively for the Asian market by Honda R&D Asia Pacific Co. Ltd, the much-awaited Honda BR-V is scheduled to be launched in India this year.
The model, which is based on the extended Brio platform – and shared by Mobilio MPV and the Amaze compact sedan – was unveiled last August at the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto show. The BR-V faces competition from the likes of the Hyundai Creta, the Renault Duster, the Nissan Terrano ...

Honda launches digital teaser campaign for BR-V

Tata Motors launched its new hatchback, the Tiago, on Wednesday. The new model is available for sale across its 597 sales outlets in India. The Tiago is priced at Rs3.2 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi) for the Revotron 1.2L (petrol) variant and Rs3.94 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi) for the Revotorq 1.05 L (diesel) variant.
“The Tiago reflects our passion and commitment to bring exciting, technology driven cars into the market,” said Guenter Butschek, CEO and managing director, Tata Motors. “Class leading features, advanced driving dynamics and outstanding fuel efficiency, offer great value for a contemporary, young car.”
According to Mayank Pareek, president, Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors, the Tiago is the first car to be launched under its Made Of Great campaign and the first to embody its new ‘Impact’ design language. 
“This globally benchmarked car represents the next big leap in our transformation journey,” said Pareek. “We are confident that Tiago’s strong and ...

Tata Motors launches Tiago

British superbike maker Triumph Motorcycles has launched an updated version of its 'Bonneville T120' model in India priced at Rs 8.7 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
The Bonneville T120, which was showcased at the Auto Expo 2016, is also open for booking at the dealerships of the company across the country.
The model comes with an all-new 1200cc high torque Bonneville engine and a new chassis and suspension for refined all day riding, the company said in a statement.
The Bonneville T120 is part of Triumph's new Bonneville range, which also includes Street Twin and Thruxton R. The new Bonneville T120, which is built around the tubular steel cradle frame measures 2,170mm in length, 785mm in width, 1,125mm in height and has a wheelbase of 1,445mm. It comes with a seat height of 785mm and weighs 224 kg.
Offered in four colour choices — black, red, red and aluminium silver and black and white - the bike comes with various features like anti-lock braking system, heated grips setting, rider mode ...

Triumph Motorcycles\' new Bonneville T120 launched at Rs 8.7 lakh

Turning down a major demand of tech-enabled taxi aggregators like Ola and Uber the Karnataka government has stood firm on its decision of not allowing surge pricing for these ride hailing services in its new policy. 
The fare and other charges, the policy says, cannot be higher than the fare fixed by the government from time to time, which means the app firms must charge a fare within a band the upper limit of which is capped. 
Says Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, “We have not allowed the surge pricing because the purpose of using the technology is to increase service standards for cab users at competitive fares. We have focussed this policy around this, and given a lot of importance to safety aspects." 
Surge pricing or the practice of charging higher than normal fares during peak times has been a widely debated issue with proponents comparing it to the airline industry that follows similar practices and maintaining that it is essential to attract the drivers to hit the road ...

New rules for taxi aggregators in Karnataka

Taxi hailing app Ola has introduced electric-rickshaws (E-rickshaws) on its mobile app, enabling mobility in smaller towns and cities. 
The E-rickshaws were launched under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Stand-Up India initiative, which is focussed on promoting entrepreneurship. The rickshaws will be deployed across Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad in collaboration with the NGO Bhartiya Micro Credit (BMC), which aids financial needs of e-rickshaw drivers. 
"The e-rickshaws will be given to SC/ST and women entrepreneurs," the Prime Minister said in his address, after flagging of the E-rickshaws. 
The scheme was launched after the government made it mandatory for e-rickshaws to follow certain regulations, including being confined to certain roads in the capital.
A total of 5,100 e-rickshaws were flagged off at an event held in Noida. This will be further scaled up in the coming months to more small towns and Tier 3 cities across the country. 
Ola will make the service ...

Ola adds e-rickshaw service on its mobile app 

The Manesar-Palwal section of the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway was inaugurated on Tuesday by Nitin Gadkari, the union minister of road transport and highways.
According to Gadkari, the project had been languishing for several years. However the Centre and the Haryana Government resolved the issues plaguing it and the 52.33 km long section of the expressway has been completed in a record time of 11 months. 
The Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways are targeted for completion within 400 days from the start of the project, said Gadkari. Once the two peripheral expressways are ready, traffic congestion in Delhi will come down by 50 per cent, pollution levels will be reduced and the farmers, traders and the people of the region as a whole will benefit due to better connectivity. 
The Manesar-Palwal section of the Expressway has been built at a cost of Rs 457.81crore. It is an access controlled, six-lane, divided road with 1.5 metre wide paved shoulder on each side. It intersects .

Manesar-Palwal section of KMP Expressway inaugurated by Gadkari

The first India 4x4 Week will be held in Goa from July 22 to 24. It will feature a number of activities including displays, test tracks, off-road tracks and trails, RFC India Season 3 and other competitions, contests, interactions, information and entertainment sessions.
According to Cougar Motorsport, which is organising the event, it will be India’s largest convention focused exclusively on vehicles with 4WD capability, their owners and everyone with an interest in the same. 
Started in April 2009, Cougar Motorsport has successfully conceptualised and executed 78 events including off-road events for Land Rover, Mitsubishi, Tata Motors, Renault and Audi. Cougar Motorsport also organises RFC India, the Indian chapter of the Rainforest Challenge of Malaysia, which is counted among the top ten toughest motor races in the world.
The India 4x4 event will be hosted at the IT Habitat at Dona Paula. The Boulevard will host a number of displays from leading 4X4 vehicle manufacturers, off-road 

India 4x4 Week to be held in Goa from July 22 to 24

Manesar-Palwar section of KMP Expressway inaugurated by Gadkari

French automaker Renault plans to launch at least one new model in India every year over the next few years. The company sold 12,424 units in March.
According to Sumit Sawhney, country CEO and managing director, Renault India Operations, the company is keen to introduce the right products at the right time in the country. Renault plans to launch one litre and AMT versions of its popular Kwid in India.
The French carmaker was hoping to achieve a market share of five per cent by 2017, but looking at the huge demand for its models, Sawhney expects to reach the target by the end of this year.
The company sold 29,289 cars during the first three months of 2016, a 157 per cent growth over the same period in 2015. India is today among the top five markets for Renault globally, said Sawhney.
The fully-owned subsidiary of Renault S.A.S. France currently offers seven models in the Indian market – the premium sedan Fluence, the luxury SUV Koleos, the premium compact car Pulse, the segment-breaker 

Renault plans to launch at least one new model every year in India

Hyundai Motors on Tuesday released ‘Drive Mein Junoon,’ an innovative music video featuring musicians Arijit Singh and Clinton Cerejo and its Elite i20.
‘Drive Mein Junoon’ is a unique song composed from 118 sounds derived exclusively from the Elite i20, all of which were recorded in a single day. The sounds include the sound of wipers, pulling of the hand brake, turning the indicator on and off, seat belt warning sound, opening and shutting of door and windows, engine revving etc. 
It does not feature any musical instruments but captures the essence of creation and exemplifies Hyundai’s commitment to promote various facets of music through extraordinary initiatives by New Thinking New Possibilities.
“Hyundai Motor India is a youth centric brand and under its modern premium brand direction celebrates the success of the Elite i20, a car that embodies the spirit of Indian youth,” said YK Koo, managing director and CEO, Hyundai Motor India Ltd. “We believe that art, culture and music are 

Hyundai releases \'Drive Mein Junoon\' music video

Auto News: Find the latest auto mobile industry news, launches of car & bike news on Business Standard. Explore now for more auto news from India and around the world.

Page 313 - Auto