March 21, 2016: WheelStreet, a Delhi-based online aggregator in the two-wheeler rental space, owned and operated by Bashar Technologies, has raised $500,000 from early-stage seed and pre-Series-A venture fund Broadbean Capital Services. 
WheelStreet plans to use the amount to expand its technological capabilities besides expanding its footprint to Pune and Hyderabad in the near future. 
"Two-wheeler rental aggregation is an untapped market,” said Pranay Shrivastava, co-founder and CEO, WheelStreet. “Motorcycle rental market is a largely unorganised space, which presents great value not just for commuters, but also for people looking at recreational use of motorcycles. Our initial experience in the Delhi market has been very encouraging with over 14,000 rides already done.” 
Started in November 2014 by Pranay Shrivastava, Moksha Srivastava and Mritunjay Kumar, WheelStreet is currently operational in Delhi/NCR and Bengaluru. It plans to expand to 15 cities in the next one year. 
It ...

Delhi bike rental firm gets $500,000 in funding 

BS-Motoring

March 21, 2016: Audi will be the latest international luxury carmaker to opt for local assembly of engines for its models, according to a report. The Volkswagen group – which owns Audi, Skoda and Volkswagen brands – has confirmed that it plans to start assembling the 2.0 litre diesel engine at its Pune plant by the end of the year.
Volkswagen has a diesel engine assembly plant in Chakan near Pune. The engines assembled at the plant would be fitted across various models for all three brands. According to CNBC-TV18, the models that are likely to use the 2.0-l diesel engine assembled at Chakan could include the Audi A4 and A6 sedans and the compact luxury crossover SUV Q5; the Volkswagen Passat, the Jetta and compact crossover Tiguan TDI; and the Skoda Octavia, Superb and next generation SUV Vision S. 
Audi has been building cars for the local Indian market in Aurangabad in Maharashtra since 2007. The Škoda Auto India plant assembles the Audi A4, the Audi A6, the Audi Q5 and the Audi Q7. 

Audi likely to assemble 2.0-l diesel engine in Pune 

March 21, 2016: Zonnett, a startup in the auto repairs and services market in Mumbai, has launched an innovative campaign, ‘Zero water car wash’ to fight against wastage of water. 
“Water is a precious resource that is depleting day by day and the statistics are dangerously low,” said Abhijit Saxena, CEO, Zonnett. “Zero water car wash solution helps in preventing one of the biggest crisis of water shortage that we face in the near future. We are focusing on saving water through our campaign which is targeted towards residential societies in Mumbai. Also, we will be introducing other doorstep modules soon for our customers.” 
The campaign has been successfully run over a large number of residential societies across Mumbai in the last couple of months and has managed to save over 7 lakh litres of water, he claims. 
According to Saxena, the auto repair and service market is currently fragmented and unorganised. “It is a difficult task for a car owner to find a trusted car service ...

Zonnett launches \'Zero water car wash\' campaign in Mumbai 

March 21, 2016: Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) has commenced dispatches for the much waited 'NAVI', priced at Rs. 39,500 (ex-showroom, Delhi). The moto-scooter was revealed at the 2016 Auto Expo earlier this year.  
The NAVI has been completely developed by Honda's Indian R&D division from the concept to the production stage and stands for "New additional Value for India." The moto-scooter uses the same underpinnings as the highly popular Activa, while also retaining its 109cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine churning out 7.83hp of power at 7000rpm and 8.96Nm of torque at 5500rpm. Like the Activa, the NAVI also comes with an automatic transmission for hassle free commutes. 
The standard NAVI will be available in five colour options - Patriot Red, Hopper Green, Shasta White, Sparky Orange, and Black. Honda India has commenced the dispatches of the NAVI in a phased manner and the model is already available in Mumbai from March 16.  
Honda dealerships will provide a ...

Honda commences dispatches of NAVI in India 

March 21, 2016: Automobile industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has criticised the BS VI fuel standards announced in the draft notification by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, terming them as 'highly diluted', which will take India back by 16 years to the BS II level. 
Besides picking on critical fuel characteristics such as octane number and density prescribed for BS VI that are 'inferior' to Euro VI norms, SIAM alleged the draft seeks to allow supply of "even further downgraded fuel in the North East region till 2023". 
This is contrary to the assurance of supplying BS VI fuel across India by 2020, it added. 
SIAM said in the proposed BS VI norms, Research Octane Number (RON) for regular petrol has been set at 91 while the same in Euro VI is 95. Likewise, the motor octane number (MON) for BS VI is 81 while in Euro VI it is 85. 
"BS VI fuel norms announced in the draft notification have been highly diluted as compared to Euro VI norms in Europe and .

BS VI norms \'highly diluted\': SIAM 

March 21, 2016: Booking a bike-taxi in Gurgaon and Faridabad is lot more simple now. Gurgaon-based bike-taxi hailing app Baxi will roll out a new feature to help users book rides on the app even without being connected to the internet. 
Baxi will make the feature available to its 30,000 users from next week. According to Baxi co-founder and CTO Manu Rana, customers having an Android smartphone without a data connection too can now use the new Baxi app. They can also use the app even when their net connection isn't working. 
"This feature will help the company reach out to a larger number of customers as they will not have to rely on or spend money on data packs," he said. 
You might be wondering how does the app work? Upon opening the app, the user has to press the ‘book’ button to get the nearest Baxi. If the app is offline, it uses an SMS to send the user's location and request to its server, find the closest Baxi and respond to the user with that information using SMS. The app ...

Book a Baxi bike-taxi on app without net connectivity  

Buying a two-wheeler, car or SUV in Goa will become dearer from the new financial year, as the state government has hiked taxes.
Chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar in his budget imposed a 15 per cent value-added tax (VAT) from April 1 on luxury cars and SUVs costing between Rs15 lakh and Rs25 lakh and two-wheelers costing more than Rs2 lakh. Cars costing above Rs25 lakh would attract a VAT of 18 per cent.
According to Parsekar, the government would do everything possible to curb pollution by vehicles.
The government also hiked registration taxes on new vehicles; two-wheelers costing above Rs1.5 lakh will have to pay a tax of 10 per cent, while four-wheelers priced above Rs6 lakh will be taxed at nine per cent.
The government also increased VAT on petrol from 15 per cent to 22 per cent, resulting in petrol becoming dearer by Rs4 a litre.

Goa hikes taxes on cars, two-wheelers

Twenty leading automakers in the US, representing more than 99 per cent of the industry, have committed to make automatic emergency braking (AEB) a standard feature on new cars by September 2022.
The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced the historic commitment by 20 automakers. They include Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Tesla Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo Car USA. 
“The unprecedented commitment means that this important safety technology will be available to more consumers more quickly than would be possible through the regulatory process,” said an NHTSA statement.
AEB systems help prevent crashes or reduce their severity by applying the brakes for the driver. The systems use on-vehicle sensors such as radar, cameras or lasers to detect an imminent ...

20 top automakers in US commit to make automatic emergency breaking standard feature by Sept 2022

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government wants to more than double the length of national highways from 96,000 to two lakh km, said Nitin Gadkari, the minister for road transport and highways.
According to Gadkari, road construction during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was a mere two km a day. This has now gone up to 18 km a day and he wants to take this to 30 km a day.
The ministry has awarded 700 national highway projects worth Rs1.3 lakh crore, he said. The government has also fast-tracked the ambitious ‘Bharat Mala’ programme. 
Gadkari said the government has sanctioned projects worth Rs1 lakh crore for the north-east and the projects would be completed in five years. Efforts were also on to improve cross-border road connectivity to ensure that passengers can travel to neighbouring countries including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar and Thailand.

NDA government will double length of national highways: Gadkari

An Indore-based bike rental firm has launched attractive new packages that would enable a customer to rent a bike for a fortnight to a month at relatively low prices.
i-Ride has launched two schemes that allows customers to rent a bike for a fortnight for Rs3,000, or for a month by paying Rs5,000. Earlier, it used to rent bikes at daily rentals of Rs700 to Rs1,500.
According to Niraj Jategaonkar, the owner of the bike rental company, its schemes have gained popularity in recent times. While in the past it used to get just 100 queries a month, it is now getting 400 inquiries every month.
The company offers five types of two-wheelers on rent: Honda Dream Neo, Honda Activa, Bajaj Avenger, Royal Enfield Classic 350 and Royal Enfield Thunderbird. It takes a security deposit of Rs1,000 for the Activa, Rs1,500 for the Bajaj Avenger and Rs3,000 for the Royal Enfield bikes.
According to Jategaonkar, lighter vehicles with better mileage are becoming increasingly popular with its clientele. All .

Indore\'s i-Ride offers bikes on fortnightly, monthly rentals

Triumph Motorcycles has launched the new Bonneville Street Twin in Mumbai at Rs. 7,21,710.
Launched at the 2016 Auto Expo in February, the Street Twin has a tubular steel cradle with a telescopic fork suspension at the front and twin shocks with adjustable preload at the rear. 
The bike measures 2,090 mm in length, 785 mm in width and 1,114 mm in height. It has a wheelbase measuring 1,439 mm, a dry weight of 198 kg and a fuel tank capacity of 12 litres.
Powering the Street Twin is an all-new 900cc 'high torque' 8-valve, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, parallel twin engine that produces 54 BHP @ 5,900 rpm and 80 Nm of torque @ 3,230 rpm. The engine is mated to a 5-speed gearbox. Stopping power comes from a single 310 mm disc brake at the front and a single 255 mm disc brake at the rear.
The Street Twin is also equipped with a USB charging socket and an LCD multi-functional instrument cluster with an analogue speedometer, gear position indicator, fuel gauge, distance to empty indicator, ..

New Triumph Bonneville Street Twin launched in Mumbai at Rs. 7.22 lakh

Hyderabad-based Eider Motors has rolled out its new bike - the CFMOTO 650NK in India.
The new bike, priced at Rs. 3,37,130, is actually a product of China-based CFMOTO that has been introduced in India by Eider Motors and will be retailed through their dealerships.
Eider Motors, which entered the automotive industry last year, had launched six new two-wheelers in India. 
The CFMOTO 650NK draws power from a 649.3cc liquid-cooled DOHC 8-valve parallel-twin four-stroke engine that is equipped with 180-degree crankshaft, chain camshaft drive and single gear-driven counter balancer. 
It is housed in a tubular steel diamond frame chassis that employs engine as a fully-stressed member. The engine is assisted by electronic fuel injection and kicks out 55.9 Bhp of power at 9,500rpm and 62Nm of twist at 7,000rpm. A 6-speed gearbox floors the power to the rear wheel.  
 
The front suspension kit of CFMOTO 650NK consists of Kyaba 41mm telescopic forks that have a max travel of 120mm and the rear .

Eider Motors launches CFMOTO 650NK in India

German luxury carmaker BMW, which also owns the Mini brand, launched its Cooper Convertible model in India. The three-door, soft-top Mini Cooper S Convertible is priced at Rs34.9 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
The convertible is powered by a four-cylinder twin-power turbo engine mated to a six-speed Stronic automatic transmission, churning out a maximum output of 190 bhp and a peak torque of 280Nm. The vehicle can go from zero to 100 kmph in a mere 6.8 seconds and has a top speed of 235 kmph.
The new model features cruise control, dual illuminating vanity mirrors, remote keyless door locks, split-folding rear seatback, bucket front seats and height adjustable driver and passenger seats.
According to Philipp von Sahr, president, BMW Group India, the company could look at the possibility of assembling the new model in India, if it reaches a critical mass in sales.
BMW has an assembly line in Chennai for eight of its models. The German carmaker introduced the Mini range of vehicles in India ..

BMW launches Mini Cooper S Convertible in India

Volkswagen India has shipped over 185,000 cars made at its Pune plant to about 35 countries around the globe over the past five years.
“Volkswagen set up its Indian operations especially for the domestic market and we still continue to focus primarily on our local customers and their demands,” said Dr Andreas Lauermann, president and MD, Volkswagen India. 
“However, with fluctuations in the domestic demand and the currency exchange, it became necessary for us to establish a second strong leg of our operations here in India.”
Since a Volkswagen made anywhere in the world follows the same quality and engineering standards, the company was able to impress several export markets and create a demand there with cars built in India, he added on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of its exports from its Pune plant. 
“The acceptance and rising demand from a variety of markets and consumers from Asia to America stands a testimony to the global standards and state-of-the-art manufacturing ...

Volkswagen India exported 185,000 cars from Pune plant in five years

Its curtains down for the popular first-generation Toyota Innova in the country. Making way for the second generation Innova Crysta, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) rolled out the last unit of the outgoing current generation Innova at its Bidadi plant in Karnataka.
Launched in 2005 as a replacement to the equally popular Qualis, Innova went on to become one of the best sellers in the MPV segment. Contrary to earlier speculation, the current Toyota Innova will not be sold alongside the upcoming Toyota Innova Crysta which was showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo. 
The new Toyota Innova Crysta is based on the TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) platform, and will be a more premium offering from the brand. The second generation Toyota Innova will not only be more upmarket but also get new and frugal engine options. 
Instead of the 2.5-litre diesel engine used in the outgoing model, the Innova Crysta will be powered by an all-new 2.4-litre engine that can be optioned with either a 5-speed manual 

Production of first-generation Toyota Innova comes to a halt in India

With diesel vehicles set to be banned from being used as taxies from April 1, taxi aggregator Ola will invest Rs. 200 crore over the next six months to expand the fleet of CNG cars on its platform in Delhi-NCR.
Both Ola and its competitor Uber have been asked to completely switch over to CNG by March end. Ola, which already has more than 20,000 CNG?cars on its platform in Delhi-NCR, will add 5,000 new CNG vehicles by next week. 
Ola has partnered with dealers of car manufacturers including Maruti, Tata, Hyundai, Chevrolet and Nissan. 
The move will help Ola to cash in further on the lucrative Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida routes which comprise a significant portion of the on-demand transportation market.
Drivers can save up to Rs 1.5 lakh on exchanging their old diesel vehicles for a new CNG one and over the next six months. 
In the past few months, Ola has been aggressively expanding the number of driver partners and CNG cars in Delhi-NCR, following the crackdown on diesel taxis plying in 

Ola to expand its CNG fleet in Delhi-NCR, will invest Rs 200 cr 

Mahindra Two Wheelers Limited has announced that its Gusto scooter and Mojo touring bike have both been awarded the India Design Mark (IMARK) award by the India Design Council in recognition of good design and product excellence.
Mahindra Gusto is India's first scooter with a unique patented Height Adjustable Seat making it easy for the rider to change the height of seat as per the requirement. The scooter is packed with features such as the remote flip key, Find-Me lamps, guide lamps, bright halogen head lamp with LED pilot lamps, easy front kick and a quick storage compartment.
Mahindra Mojo is a stylish eye-catching tourer motorcycle which comes equipped with the state-of-art engine, advanced EFI (Electronic Fuel Ignition) system, inverted front fork, Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tyres and a 21 litre fuel tank that ensures longer distances are covered effortlessly.
Vinod Sahay, COO, Mahindra Two Wheelers said: "We, at Mahindra Two Wheelers, are committed to continuously enhance our ...

Mahindra Two Wheelers bags India Design Mark award for Gusto, Mojo

Skoda Superb Image Gallery

MotorOctane

Honda Navi, the latest product from Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) has crossed 900 bookings since the time it was unveiled at the Auto Expo 2016.  The Navi is kind of a hybrid, which means a crossover between a scooter and a motorcycle.

Honda Navi receives close to 1000 bookings

Skoda is a premium car brand in India and the company has been offering the Superb for its King customers.  The Superb had grown old and felt old in front of the competition.

Skoda Superb Review   Kings new ride

New Renault Duster Image Gallery

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