Samsung Electronics, the leading South Korean consumer electronics major, has launched a ground-breaking connected car solution, Samsung Connect Auto, which uses real-time alerts to help motorists improve their driving behaviour.
The Samsung Connect Auto also helps motorists to increase fuel efficiency and also provides a wi-fi connection to passengers. The solution will initially be available in the US, with AT&T being the first wireless provider of the solution.
“We have been listening to our customers and pushing boundaries to create a connected car ecosystem that seamlessly integrates our products and partner services for a better driving experience,” said Dr. Injong Rhee, executive vice president and head of R&D, Software and Services, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “Through collaborations with valuable partners and experts across many industries, we are carrying out our vision of bringing IoT technology to people’s everyday lives.”

Samsung Connect Auto to help motorists with real-time alerts

BS-Motoring

Motorists in Chennai are increasingly installing air purifiers inside their vehicles to combat the growing incidence of air pollution. 
Though pollution levels in the capital of Tamil Nadu are not as bad as in Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru, many motorists feel it is safer to install such gadgets in their vehicles.
Leading manufacturers of air purifiers including Eureka Forbes, Philips, Panasonic and Blue Air, a new entrant from Europe, report growing demand for car air purifiers. Most of the air purifier makers are focused on gadgets meant for homes, though demand from motorists is also growing rapidly.
Car air purifiers are priced at between Rs3,000 and Rs6,000. Most of the e-tailers are also featuring car air purifiers on their site.

Chennai motorists opt for air purifiers in vehicles

Its busy season for car thieves in Gurgaon, where the Happening Haryana global investor’s summit is being held. While the cops are busy providing security to the VVIPs attending the event, car thieves have been unlocking vehicles and driving away.
The large crowds and the difficulty in getting parking space closer to the event means that many of the thieves are not worried about getting caught. According to the police, a dozen vehicles, including three luxury cars, were stolen from the venue on Monday.
This is almost 50 per cent more than the number of missing reports filed with the police on an average day. The victims included owners of cars, motorcycles and even an autorickshaw.
The police have promised to step up vigilance, especially near high-profile events. But till then, motorists should be careful while leaving their vehicles in busy parking lots.

Car thieves busy at Happening Haryana global investor\'s summit

Expanding its footprint in Maharashtra, Tata Motors owned Jaguar Land Rover India has opened its fifth showroom in Aurangabad.
The new 3S (Sales, Service and Spare parts) facility has a fully equipped 12 bay workshop with body, paint and approved facility (Certified Pre-owned vehicles).
Rohit Suri, president of Jaguar Land Rover India (JLRIL), said: "This fifth showroom in the state of Maharashtra reiterates our commitment to tap the growing potential of premium cars and strengthens our foothold in the region. Unlike customers of other premium German brands, JLR customers in Aurangabad and surrounding areas need no longer be dependent on Mumbai or Pune workshops for servicing of their cars."
This dealership facility will enable customers to access a range of Jaguar and Land Rover products, including the Jaguar XF, XJ, F-TYPE and the all-new XE. For Land Rover, this will include, the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Discovery 4, Model Year 16 New Range Rover Evoque and New Discovery ...

JLR India\'s fifth showroom opened in Aurangabad

Renault, which shipped the first lot of Kwid to Mauritius last month from Chennai port, is aggressively tapping the island country as its first export market for the hatchback.
The company had earlier said that it would begin exports of the Kwid to SAARC countries. While the carmaker has shipped some units to Sri Lanka, full-fledged exports have started to Mauritius, according to foreign trade data.
Sumit Sawhney, CEO and MD, Renault India, had earlier said that the company was initially looking to export the Kwid into foreign markets and would ramp up volumes later. A total of 37 cars were shipped to Mauritius on February 5. 
Meanwhile, with increased domestic demand for the Kwid, the carmaker was finding it difficult to ramp up the export volumes.
Based on the CMF-A platform and developed by the Renault-Nissan Alliance, the Kwid has received a tremendous response from Indian customers and there is a waiting time of four-six months at present. 
Given the overwhelming response, ...

Renault bets high on Mauritius as first export market for Kwid

In her Budget for 2016-17 presented on Tuesday, Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje has proposed a green tax classification based on the age of the vehicles. 
The move comes in a bid to disincentivise older vehicles plying on the roads that add to environmental pollution. 
However, Raje has waived off registration fee, one-time road tax and green tax to scooties distributed free to the meritorious girl students.
Further, the government has proposed for 50 per cent rebate to the recognised tour operators running 13-seater buses. As Rajasthan is a state dependent on tourism, many proposals in the budget will  bring cheers to operators in the long run.  
The chief minister has also proposed Rs. 160 crore to be paid to Rajasthan State Roadways Transport Corporation (RSRTC), for various concessional journeys it gives to different categories of passengers.

Rajasthan government proposes green tax on older vehicles

Maruti Alto, which has been the highest selling car in India for more than a decade has crossed a new milestone.  The hatchback has now reached 30 lakhs sales units in the indian passenger car market.

Maruti Alto reaches 30 lakh sales milestone

MotorOctane

Apollo Tyres, one of the leading tyre manufacturers, better known for its commercial vehicles and passenger cars has now stepped into the two-wheeler tyre space with it new range of motorcycle and scooter tyres. 



The company has unveiled a range of motorcycle and scooter tyres called actiGrip, actiSteer and actiZip.

Apollo marks its entry into two wheeler tyres

The 2017 Chevrolet Cruze has been spotted testing in Brazil.  The car is likely to be launched in Brazil by the end of this year .

2017 Chevrolet Cruze caught testing in Brazil   SPIED

Suzuki Motorcycles India is looking at a local assembly of its flagship sports motorcycle, the Hayabusa and this announcement is likely to take place soon.  The Hayabusa is one of the most desirable motorcycles in the world and has a large fan following as well.

Suzuki Hayabusa to be assembled in India

Mercedes-Benz just doesn't seem to stop and continues its product onslaught in the country.  The company has launched the Mercedes-Maybach S600 Guard for INR 11.55 crores (on-road).

Mercedes Maybach S600 Guard launched at INR 11 55 Crores  on

Maruti Suzuki launched its Vitara Brezza at a price of Rs6.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) on Tuesday. The new model comes with a diesel engine and will be available in six colours. Three of the colours (Blazing Red, Fiery Yellow and Cerulean Blue) are offered with a two-tone option.
The compact SUV, in the sub-four metre category, will compete with the likes of Mahindra TUV300 and Ford EcoSport. The new model has been designed and developed in India and has achieved 98 per cent localisation.
The interiors of the Vitara Brezza come with piano finished accents, rugged grab handles and sporty seats. It also features a large windscreen. It also comes equipped with a state-of-the-art SMARTPLAY Infotainment system with Apple CarPlay support and satellite navigation. This allows one to use the iPhone through the touchscreen display as well as Siri to make calls, receive messages, listen to music, all without taking eyes off the road.
Built on the Suzuki C platform, the Vitara Brezza achieves ..

Maruti launches Vitara Brezza

Toyota Kirloskar Motors in collaboration with Toyota Motor Corporation and its nationwide dealer network launched its distinctive training model, automotive service advisor Toyota-technical education programme at Sandip Polytechnic in Nashik, Maharashtra. 
This was the eighth SA T-TEP programme nationally and the second in Maharashtra. T-TEP, a special training module in which Toyota has tied up with industrial training institutes, was launched in 2006 in India. It aims at providing technical know-how training to ITI/ Polytechnic/Diploma students across India along with providing hands on real time experience within Toyota dealerships.
T-TEP is now associated with 45 training. In its first year, the programme was implemented in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Hubballi. It was subsequently introduced in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Pune, Cochin, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Ghaziabad, Kolkata, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Indore, Vizag, Ludhiana, Cuttack, and other cities. 
Till now around 4500 students have been ...

Toyota launches training programme in Nashik

Ssangyong Motors, part of the Mahindra group, launched its Tivoli Air, an upgraded version of the original compact SUV, in Seoul on Tuesday.
An upgraded version of the original Tivoli, which has established itself as the leading brand in the compact SUV market, the Tivoli Air boasts new styling and a host of attractive improvements.
Characterised by an enhanced and unique dynamic style that preserves the elegant yet stylish design identity of the Tivoli brand, the Tivoli Air features highly improved functionality, far surpassing that of competing SUV models equipped with 1.7-litre engines.
In addition to the power and safety features unique to Ssangyong vehicles, the Tivoli Air is the only vehicle in its class equipped with a 4WD system, providing great on- and off-road driving performance. Moreover, its superb riding comfort, quietness, roomy interior, plentiful storage spaces, and multiple seating variations make it an attractive choice over competing models.
Tivoli Air provides a ..

Ssangyong launches Tivoli Air

The new Mercedes-Maybach S600 Guard was launched in the national capital on Tuesday by Dr Martin Ney, the German Ambassador to India, and Roland Folger, managing director and CEO, Mercedes Benz India.
It is the first civilian vehicle to be certified with the highest ballistic protection level VR10, and is one of the safest luxury spots on wheels in the world. The car is being sold at a price of Rs10.5 crore (ex-Delhi).
“Mercedes-Benz’s remains the most trusted brand globally in manufacturing ‘Guard’ vehicles since 1928,” said Folger. “It is hence not surprising that most of the global heads of states, top diplomats, business tycoons and celebrities prefer a ‘Guard’ vehicle.”
The vehicle was launched in India within 15 days of its international debut. “In 2015 we completely redefined the highly exclusive luxury sedan segment with the launch of the Mercedes-Maybach,” added Folger. “With the introduction of the Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard, we have now created an unmatched offering in ...

Mercedes-Maybach S600 Guard launched in Delhi

Tata Marcopolo, a joint venture between Tata Motors and Brazil’s bus major Marcopolo, has lifted the lockout at its Dharwad bus manufacturing plant in Karnataka and resumed operations.
The company had declared lock-out on February 6 following employees resorting to strike on the back of a standoff between the labour union and management over negotiations on wage revision. 
The company sent an SMS to the workers on March 6 and issued notices stating that it had decided to lift the lockout and that work would resume shortly. 
It reached a deal with the labour union, following a chain of tripartite talks led by the state labour department, the management and union leaders. 
All the workers joined duty on Monday. 
On an average, the company produces around 100 vehicles every month at its Dharwad plant under three categories – Light Commercial Vehicles (up to 7.5-tonne buses), Intermediate Commercial Vehicles (up to 11 tonnes) and Medium Commercial Vehicles (upto 16 tonnes). Around 90 ...

Tata Marcopolo\'s Dharwad plant resumes operations

Two wheeler maker Bajaj Auto is looking to sell around 50,000 units of 150CC 'V' bikes in the country in the next 12 to 18 months. Metal from the INS Vikrant, the Indian navy's legendary aircraft carrier, which has been scrapped, will be used in the bike.
The company, which will decide on extending the brand to other segments after 12-18 months, is also confident that it would be able to continue with the brand carrying metal of the dismantled aircraft carrier for "some time". 
"We as a brand will continue and of course, metal is finite. We are still working on that. Some amount of metal is usable and some cannot be used," said Sumeet Narang, vice president-marketing, motorcycle business, Bajaj Auto. 
"This is the sixth brand from our stable. We should be able to sell close to 50,000 units of this bike nationally in the next 12-18 months," he said. 
Narang, however, declined to reveal how much scrapped metal the company bought from the discarded aircraft carrier. “We are 'open to ...

Bajaj Auto aims to sell around 50k units of V brand bikes in India 

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) India will be organising a nationwide loyalty camp for all Fiat customers at its exclusive dealerships from March 9 to March 12.
The four-day loyalty camp will mainly focus on long-standing Fiat customers located across India. The privileged customers will enjoy a variety of benefits like special discounts on spare parts, free car check-up, free car wash and 10% discount on labour for mechanical repairs only. 
Speaking about the initiative, Kevin Flynn, president and managing director, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles India operations said: “The year 2016 marks an important year for FCA India as we foresee interesting times ahead in our long term goal to widen our existing customer base and retain existing Fiat consumer. The nationwide Fiat Loyalty Camps is not only a part of our extensive strategy to connect Fiat owners to the brand but also an effort to strengthen our relationship with our valuable customers. We are committed to provide world class products .

Fiat India to conduct nationwide loyalty camp 

Tata Marcopolo's Dharwad plant resumes operations

German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz will be launching its Maybach S600 Guard on Tuesday. Last month, the company had launched the E-class Edition E in India.
Mercedes-Benz India had announced plans to launch a dozen models in India in 2016. The Maybach S600 Guard is the armoured version of the Maybach S600. The vehicle is expected to cost about Rs10 crore.
The model features VR10 level security certificate, the highest armoured safety rating for a civilian car. The vehicle has specially designed PAXrun-flat tyres, features a self-healing fuel tank and has a system to flush out poisonous gases from the cabin.
Weighing 4.7 tonnes, it has all the luxuries of the Maybach S600. Other competitors in this segment includethe BMW 7-series High Security and the Audi A8 L Security.
The Maybach S600 Guard is powered by a 6.0-litre, V12 petrol engine that pumps out 530bhp of maximum power and over 800Nm of peak torque. 
The model is being imported into India through the CBU route. The car will be 

Mercedes Maybach S600 Guard to be launched in India on Tuesday

Mahindra & Mahindra plans to tie-up with a Chinese company to manufacture Ssangyong vehicles for the China market.
Pawan Goenka, executive director, Mahindra & Mahindra, told a news agency that making Ssangyong cars in China would ensure that it could sell vehicles competitively there. 
M&M acquired an over 70 per cent stake in Korean auto major Ssangyong in 2011. However, the Indian major has not been able to turn it around and Ssangyong continues to report losses.
Earlier, Mahindra had plans to launch Ssangyong in the US market, but has now changed its strategy to focus on China. At present, Korean manufactured models are sold through a distributor in China.
Ssangyong is also witnessing declining sales in Russia, which was once a major market for it. The Korean carmaker sold about 145,000 units in 2015, slightly higher than 141,000 a year earlier. However, exports accounted for just a third of its sales in 2015, as against more than half in 2014.
Mahindra & Mahindra ...

Mahindra plans to tie-up with Chinese partner to manufacture Ssangyong

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