 Mahindra’s highly anticipated offering, KUV100 micro-SUV will be launching tomorrow. The car will mark the establishment of a new segment in the Indian automotive scene. KUV100 will remain unchallenged in its segment, until Suzuki Ignis is introduced in the market, which will take place sometime later this year. The car was recently revealed in a spy video, which detailed all the exterior and interior components of the car. The video also gave a glimpse into how the car drives.KUV100 is a six-seater and incorporates a bench seat which is capable of seating two occupant on the front passenger seat. The unconventionality of the car doesn’t end there. Even the Gear shifter has been incorporated into the dashboard, so as to optimize the cabin pace available for the occupants and facilitate the incorporation of the bench-seat.Under The hood, KUV will be powered by a range of units derived from the mFalcon family. The petrol powerplant will be a 1.2-liter, 3 cylinder mFalcon G80 unit, ...

Mahindra KUV100 Launching Tomorrow

BS-Motoring

As the Indian automobile industry is highly taxed with various levies adding up to 77 per cent of the cost of vehicles, the government should rationalise the tax structure, merging multiple taxes into a single excise duty.
The Society of Indian Automobiles Manufactures (Siam), in a pre-budget presentation to the finance ministry, urged that the road tax must be subsumed in the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) to prevent state governments from tweaking it further to raise revenues, as is being done today.
According to the auto industry lobby, besides basic excise duty (of 12.5 per cent, 24 per cent, 27 per cent and 30 per cent), the industry also has to pay automobile cess of 0.125 per cent and a National Calamity Contingent Duty (NCCD) of one per cent.
Siam sought rationalisation of excise duty, with just two rates for motor vehicles. 
It called for the withdrawal of the NCCD, as "including motor vehicles, which provide mobility, in the discouraged category with tobacco is not ...

Siam seeks merging of multiple taxes into single excise duty for auto sector

The Delhi government has been asked by the high court to consider a plea for the re-introduction of the odd-even scheme to cut down pollution levels.
A lawyer had filed a plea in the court, seeking reintroduction of the scheme that had been in force during the first fortnight of the year. “The Delhi government is aware of the alarming pollution level,” noted the petitioner Jitender Gupta. “They have failed to continue the policy in some form or the other especially when a large section of Delhi residents were voluntarily supporting it.”
The court felt the petition had some good suggestions and urged the state government to look into it. “Treat this petition as a representation,” it directed the government.
Gupta had suggested differential parking and toll charges which can help sustain the odd-even policy on a long-term basis. The government should reintroduce the scheme by adopting a differential tariff approach, doubling toll from odd-even vehicles on even-odd dates, the petitioner .

Delhi government should consider reintroducing odd-even scheme: HC

About a hundred vintage cars participated in the 50th edition of the Statesman Vintage and Classic Car Rally in Delhi on Sunday. The annual rally began at the Statesman House in Connaught Place and culminated at the National Stadium.
Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha flagged off the rally. The vintage cars included a 1919 Citroen, a 1920 Willy Overland, a 1930 Stutz, a 1936 Plymouth, a 1936 Cadillac, a 1939 Bentley, a 1942 Packard and a 1947 Buick.
The 1919 Citroen was the oldest car in the rally and won a prize. Other vintage cars that won prizes included the 1920 Willy Overland, a 1926 Austin, a 1929 Morris, a 1934 Lagonda, a 1938 Buick, and a 1939 Hillman. 
Most of the cars were in good condition as they went around the national capital. A Border Security Force band performed at the end of the rally.

Statesman Vintage and Classic car rally in Delhi draws 100 vintage beauties

The Automotive Mission Plan 2016-2026 (AMP 2026), which is the collective vision of the Indian government and the Indian automotive industry, has said that one of the most critical policy pronouncements impacting the sector relates to auto fuels and emission norms.
“There is a general perception that the bulk of the atmospheric pollution in many Indian cities today is contributed by automobiles, which does not appear to be borne out by facts,” notes the study. “In some cases, legislation and policies impacting the automotive industry are announced in response to judicial decisions which arise due to efforts made by one or more interest groups in society.”
Such policy formulation imposes an unreasonably heavy burden on several stakeholders in the automotive industry, but does not deliver the intended benefits, added the report. 
AMP 2026 has advocated the need for a scientific and transparently conducted study of air pollution in Indian cities. It also proposes the introduction of ...

Automotive Mission Plan 2026 calls for scientific and transparent study of air pollution 

Renault India aims to increase the production of its Kwid model to 10,000 units per month by March 2016, to cater to the increasing demand for the small car. 
Since its launch in September 2015, the Renault Kwid has been an instant success with bookings crossing over a lakh units. The company sold an impressive 10,600 units in the first two months itself. The French manufacturer, which currently produces 6,000 units per month, plans to ramp up production in a phased manner. 
According to Sumit Sawhney, country CEO and managing director of Renault India, the company will increase production to 8,000 units per month and then targets a figure of 10,000. With the increase in production, the company hopes to reduce the present three month waiting period on the Kwid. 
Meanwhile, the company will begin exporting its entry-level hatchback Kwid to Brazil as semi-knocked down units (SKDs) from next month. It has already been exporting its popular SUV Duster to Brazil in small numbers. 
Renault .

Renault India to ramp up Kwid\'s production to 10,000 units per month

Italian car maker Ferrari will launch the new 488 GTB Exotic supercar in India on Wednesday in New Delhi.
Replacing the iconic 458 Italia/Spider, the 488 GTB/Spider is only the second turbocharged Ferrari in recent times, following the California T convertible. The number 488 refers to the individual cylinder capacity of the new 3902cc, twin-turbocharged V8 engine, while the GTB stands for Gran Turismo Berlinetta; Italian for a grand tourer with a coupe body-style.
In addition to visual and aerodynamic tweaks, the 488 GTB keeps the 458 Italia's template intact. That mid-mounted V8 engine is good for 661 bhp, 99 bhp more than the 458, along with 760 Nm of maximum torque. 
Talking about the speed, the Ferrari 488 GTB, all of 1,370 Kg, will accelerate from 0-200 km/h in an astonishing 8.3 seconds and 0-100 km/h in a scant three seconds, while lapping the Fiorano in just 1'23", making it quicker than even the Ferrari Enzo (1'24.9") around the track.
Aurelien Sauvard, International Sales ..

Ferrari to launch 488 GTB Exotic in India on Wednesday

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has warned against an impending public health crisis with the auto industry hard-selling diesel cars. 
A rapid review of the car models on display at the recently concluded Auto Expo by CSE shows more than half of all new cars on display use diesel and more diesel models in both big and small car segments.  
“This is in complete disregard of the raging public health concerns around toxic diesel emissions that has led the  Supreme Court to crack down on diesel emissions from luxury cars, taxis and trucks and phasing in of environment compensation charge,” said the CSE. “It has also spurred the Union Government to consider advancement of Euro VI emissions standards to narrow the gap between petrol and diesel emissions.”
The CSE analysis shows this diesel drive is taking off when clean diesel fuel and technology have not been planned and committed to. “The ongoing and stepped up dieselisation over the next five years will lock in enormous ...

CSE warns of 'dieselisation' of auto sector in India

 The all new Mercedes-Benz E-CLass has made its debut at the 2016 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). The car will be launched in India sometime later this year, whereas it will go on sale in the US,  in summer and will be introduced in the UK, in spring 2016.  There were no official announcements by the company regarding disclosing what price-tag will the luxury sedan wield.The all new E-Class shares its design language with rest of the Mercedes lineup, which includes the S-Class and C-Class. As compared to its predecessor, the new E-Class is 1.7 inches longer and the overall length of the car now stands at 193.8 inches. The 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class also flaunts an extended wheelbase, which measures at 115.7 inches and is 2.6 inches longer when compared than as compared to its predecessor.Sticking to the Mercedes-Benz tradition, the cabin gets bombarded with all the conceivable creature comforts. The car incorporates a pair of 12.3 inch LCD screens, one of which ...

2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Debuts at NAIAS 2016

Nissan will launch its iconic GT-R sports car and new X-Trail Hybrid crossover in India in fiscal 2016. The GT-R will be rolled out in September, while the new X-Trail Hybrid will follow before the end of the financial year.
Known for its outstanding performance in rugged terrains, Nissan's flagship GT-R sports car enables the driver to enjoy its capabilities to the fullest, whether navigating corners of a winding mountain road, cruising on the highway or in an urban environment.
The current GT-R's twin-turbo 3.8-litre V6 petrol engine produces 550PS of power and 632Nm of torque. Its 0.26 drag coefficient, one of the best amongst supercars, helps the GT-R slice through the air efficiently. 
With its new X-Trail Hybrid, Nissan will bring its latest hybrid vehicle technology to India for the first time.  As the market's first ever full hybrid SUV, the car comes equipped with the 2.0-litre MR20DD petrol engine twinned with an advanced 31kw electric motor. With its powerful acceleration ..

Nissan GT-R and X-Trail Hybrid to hit India roads soon 

American car maker Ford will launch its iconic sports car Mustang in the Indian market in the second quarter of the ongoing calendar year. The company has not disclosed the price of the vehicle, but it will be the most expensive offering from the stable in India."This is another strong endorsement of the Ford brand in India. Mustang fans have been ready for it for a long time", said Nigel Harris, president of Ford India at an event where the company unveiled the Mustang. Ford has been present in India for two decades.The first Mustang went on sale in 1954 and the company has since sold over nine million units. The Mustang, which will be imported from US, will sport a 5 litre powerful engine and promises a top speed of 250 kilometres an hour. It offers selectable driving modes for customised driving experience. Ford has customised the left drive vehicle to a right hand drive for the Indian market.The new Ford Mustang features a range of smart technologies providing drivers with ...

Fiat Teases Three-Door Punto Ahead of Auto Expo Debut

Nissan India will be showcasing two special ICC World T20 limited editions of the Nissan Terrano and the Micra at the Auto Expo 2016 next month. The company has tied up with ICC for eight years and will be featuring a special initiative zone at its pavilion, at the show.
The company will also showcase a concept model for Datsun Go. Also featured at the show will be its Eporo Robots, which will travel in a group and mimic the behavioural pattern of fish in avoiding obstacles. The Eporo technology was created as part of the Japanese auto major’s development of autonomous drive. 
The Datsun cars that will be featured including a few concept cars and variants of existing models including the Datsun Go-cross concept, which will be making its debut. The Datsun Bluebird 1600 SSS (510) rally car will also be featured at the expo.
The Nissan Terrano is a premium compact SUV that’s designed to dominate life’s everyday adventures. With bold, stylish looks, durable quality and dynamic ...

Nissan to showcase ICC World T20 limited editions of Terrano, Micra at Auto Expo

 Honda has now implemented the price hike, as announced last month. It comes within a week, when carmakers like Toyota, Skoda and Tata Motors did the same on January 5. Now Honda cars are costlier by up to Rs. 10,000.Entry level hatchback, Brio, is dearer by Rs. 2,000 and its price falls between Rs. 4.27 lakh and Rs.6.85 lakh, depending on the variant. Amaze and the carmaker’s premium hatch, Jazz, are costlier by Rs. 3,500 and Rs. 4,800 respectively. The highest price hike for CR-V  is of Rs, 10,000 and the car will now cost Rs. 25.20 lac (approx.). Honda City and Mobilio, show a moderate hike of Rs. 3,000 each.Recently, Skoda and Toyota hiked the prices for its models. While Skoda displayed maximum hike for Octavia (by Rs. 33,000), Toyota did the same for Camry (by Rs. 31,500). The companies raised the prices for other models too, but those were comparatively modest.The price hike has become common which usually happens at the beginning of the year and has been happening since past ..

Honda Raises Price by Up to Rs. 10,000

"Here's the plan for testing next week: the VJM09 will break cover on Monday morning at 8.30 am Spanish time in the BCN pit lane," said a tweet from the Sahara Force India account on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, Sahara Force India had announced that Nikita Mazepin will be joining it in a developmental role. Nikita has already captured the attention of many observers on his way up the motor racing ladder. After impressing in karting with second place in the 2014 CIK-FIA World Championship, the young Russian graduated to Formula Renault 2.0 in 2015 where he secured his first single-seater podium finish.
Nikita's racing plans for 2016 include a season in the Formula 3 Euro Series with Hi-Tech Racing alongside his Formula One commitments.
"It's an incredible feeling to join Sahara Force India," said Nikita. It's the biggest step in my career and I want to thank Vijay (Mallya) and everyone in the team for giving me this opportunity."
Mallya, team principal and managing director said this 

Force India to roll out new F1 car before pre-season test next week

Pricol Limited, a leading manufacturer of automotive components, will invest around Rs 500 crore to support company's consolidated revenue target of Rs 3,000 crore by 2020.After unveiling company's new brand identity, Vikram Mohan, Managing Director, Pricol Limited said that this new identity reflects its core values and strategic focus in its businesses in India and abroad.Mohan said that Pricol is a market leader globally in several segments, but not many knew about it.For instance, the company is the world's second-largest manufacturer of Driver Information Systems (DIS) for the two-wheeler segment, India's largest manufacturer of automotive pumps for the two-wheeler segment, the world's fourth-largest manufacturer of Instrument clusters for tractors and off-highway vehicles, India's largest manufacturer of telematics solutions for tractors and off-highway vehicles.The company will focus on entering newer markets through acquisitions, tapping new product segments.Pricol would ...

Pricol to invest Rs 500 crore to support its revenue target of Rs 3000 crore by 2020

General Motors is exploring a new mapping technology from Mobileye that  could use crowd-sourced real-time data collected by OnStar, a GM  subsidiary, for precise localisation and high-definition lane data that  supports fully autonomous driving.
GM is Mobileye’s largest  customer and is engaged with Mobileye Road Experience Management (REM)  to create a continuously updated road map. Mobileye’s existing EyeQ  processing platforms extract landmarks and roadway information at  extremely low bandwidth of about 10kb per km.
“Cameras are the  most natural sensors for creating maps because they are already  available in most new car models as part of the trend toward growing  driver assistance deployment,” said Amnon Shashua, co-founder, chairman  and chief technical officer of Mobileye. “Creating and updating maps  using on-board camera technology supplies the missing link between  on-board sensing and the requirement for full redundancy to enable safe  autonomous driving.”
Mobileye ...

GM exploring new mapping technology for high-definition lane data

Ford Motor scientists and engineers are working to integrate wearable devices and vehicles to enable driver-assist technologies to be more aware of the driver behind the wheel, especially when the person is stressed or sleepy.
“As more consumers embrace smart watches, glasses and fitness bands, we hope to develop future applications that work with those devices to enhance in-car functionality and driver awareness,” said Gary Strumolo, global manager for vehicle design and infotronics, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering.
Researchers at the new Automotive Wearables Experience laboratory housed in the Ford Research and Innovation Center in Dearborn, Michigan, are examining the potential to link vital health information to in-vehicle technologies, including lane-keeping assist and Blind Spot Information System.
Lane-keeping assist could become more sensitive if a smart watch sends data to the vehicle that infers the driver didn’t get enough sleep the previous night. Or, if a driver’s .

Ford lab integrates wearables and vehicles, aims to link health data to driver-assist technology

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has approached Finance Ministry with a proposal for rebate in the form of excise duty reduction for consumers who purchase a new vehicle and give their old one for scrapping.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, minister of state for road transport and highways P Radhakrishnan said that the ministry was in the process of making a policy to incentivise people to bring their old vehicles for scrapping.
"A letter has been written to the Finance Ministry on January 20, to intimate if an incentive in the form of reduction in excise duty on the purchase of new vehicle can be given," he added.
In a separate query, Radhakrishnan said Bharat Stage-IV mass emission standards for two-, three- and four-wheeled vehicles across the country will come into force from April 1, 2017. "The government does not propose to advance the deadline of these emission norms," the minister added.
He also informed the House that the ministry is introducing Bharat Stage-VI 

Indian road ministry seeks rebate on scrapping old vehicles for new ones 

Hyundai Motor India, the country's second largest carmaker, said its Creta won "the most coveted Indian Car of the Year 2016 (ICOTY) award." It said its cars won similar awards in the preceding two years - the Elite i20 won it in 2015 and its Grand i10 won it in 2014.
The ICOTY award is adjudged by 14 jurors of prominent automobile publications in India: Yogendra Pratap (Auto Today), Rahul Ghosh (Auto Today), Dhruv Behl (Auto X), Ishan Raghava (Auto X), Rohin Nagrani (Motoring World), Aspi Bhathena (Car India), Aninda Sarda (Car India), Bertrand D'souza (Overdrive), Bob Rupani (Overdrive), Girish Karkera (BBC Top Gear), Sirish Chandran (Evo India), Ouseph Chacko (Evo India), Muralidhar Swaminathan (The Hindu Business Line) and Pablo Chaterji (Mans World). Bob Rupani was the chairman of the jury.
The company said the Creta's emphasis on safety, bold design, dynamic performance and high quality made it a 'Perfect SUV'. The Hyundai Creta launched in July as the Perfect SUV is a ...

Hyundai Creta wins Indian car of the year 2016

Mercedes-Benz, today announced its strongest sales year ever in its history in India. By registering sales of 13,502 units in the January to December 2015 period, Mercedes-Benz also achieved its highest sales volumes in a single calendar year in India, since its inception. With a growth of 32% (January to December 2014: 10,201 units), this is also the straight third year of growth for the Three Pointed Star in India. (2013: 26%, 2014: 13%).
An unequivocal customer preference of the entire product portfolio, which was the result of a well strategized product offensive, was pivotal in pushing Mercedes-Benzs growth momentum in 2015. The luxury sedans comprising of the CLA, C-Class, E-Class and the S-Class achieved record sales volumes and grew stronger by 42%. However, the SUV portfolio comprising the GLA, GLE and GL-Class, emerged the strongest with 100% growth in the January to December 2015 period. The company also witnessed a strong sales drive from the exclusive and top-end ...

2015 was Mercedes-Benz\'s best sales year in India

Italian luxury carmaker Maserati has opened its dealership in Mumbai in partnership with Group Planet Petal.
While this is Maserati's first dealership in India's western part, it is the company's third dealership in the country following the official opening of its New Delhi and Bengaluru dealerships last year. 
Maserati’s cutting edge showroom is located in the heart of Mumbai at the new Taj Hotel at Santacruz, which will showcase all of Maserati’s India offerings, an exclusive collection of iconic Maserati models - the Trident brand's flagship, the Quattroporte; its latest Sports Executive sedan, the Ghibli; as well as the sports coupe and cabriolet, the Maserati GranTurismo and GranCabrio.
The Mumbai showroom will be supported by a workshop located in Marol, Andheri which houses six work bays, a parts warehouse and is equipped with all high-tech tools and equipment required for servicing the entire Maserati range of cars.
Bojan Jankulovski, head of operations for Maserati India, ...

Maserati opens dealership in West India in Mumbai

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