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

BS-Motoring

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

Auto major Ashok Leyland has moved the Kanchipuran District Court against its joint venture partner Nissan, asking the court to prevent the latter from using its automotive manufacturing equipment installed at the Japanese company's factory in Chennai. 
The joint venture partners have been in a legal dispute over the loss making JV. Key spokespersons from Nissan have confirmed receiving the notice and have said they are contesting it.
The joint venture, Ashok Leyland Nissan Vehicles Ltd, was set up as three separate companies for vehicle manufacturing, engine manufacturing and technology development. In this venture Ashok Leyland has a 51% stake and Nissan 49%. 
While products such as the seven seater passenger vehicle Stile and Nissan Evalia have faced a poor customer response, the JV’s key product Dost, a small pickup truck has been a major success with sales crossing more than a lakh of units. 
Ashok Leyland Nissan Vehicles reported a net loss of Rs 791 crore for the 2014-15 ...

Ashok Leyland drags JV partner Nissan to court

Maserati will launch its Levante diesel SUV in India in January 2017. The car, which made its global premier at the 2016 Geneva Auto Show, is also the company’s first SUV. Built on the Ghibli platform, the Levante combines dynamic design language as seen on its sedans with an aggressive SUV stance.
The SUV is powered by a 3-litre V6 twin turbo petrol engine. There are two states of tunes – 430PS and 350PS. The 275PS, 3-litre diesel as well as the petrol will be mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission and will come with Maserati’s Q4 all-wheel drive system.
Based on a steel and aluminium chassis, Maserati claims that the Levante combines the on-road dynamics of a sedan with the performance of an off-roader. The carmaker will offer electronic suspension with controlled damping and air springs as standard, which will offer five ride height levels. Maserati has been producing the new SUV at its Mirafori plant in Turin.
While the price for Levante diesel in India is yet to be revealed, .

Maserati to launch Levante diesel in India in Jan 2017

Honda Cars India Ltd registered monthly domestic sales of 13,020 units in February 2016 against 16,902 units in the corresponding month last year. 
The company registered cumulative domestic sales of 174,629 units in the period April 2015 – February 2016 period against 166,366 units for the corresponding period last year, marking a growth of 5%. HCIL also exported a total of 690 units during February 2016.
The City was its most popular model in February, with the company selling 4,880 units. This was followed by Amaze (4,069 units), Jazz (3,365 units), Brio (399), Mobilio (226) and CR-V (81).

Honda sees decline in February sales

Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) is looking at its engineers to take lead in the development of at least three to four models, out of 15 new vehicles to be launched in the country by 2020, along the lines of its new compact SUV Vitara Brezza.
The move is part of Suzuki Motor Corporation's (SMC) vision of MSI shouldering more responsibility in developing India-specific products while the parent focuses on high-end technology, according to sources.
"There could be three to four models that would be developed with MSI engineers taking the lead out of the 15 models planned to be launched in India by 2020. However, no final decision has been taken yet," a source said.
These products will, however, be developed on Suzuki engines and platform and not from the scratch, the source added.
"These will be like the Vitara Brezza, which followed a unique development process with a special focus on taste and values of Indian customers," according to the source.ALSO READ: Auto Expo: Maruti Suzuki unveils ...

Post Brezza, MSI engineers to lead development of 3-4 products

For India's ace F-1 driver Narain Karthikeyan, it was a different kind of race, but he managed to master the art of 'driving' radio-controlled cars. 
Karthikeyan participated in the two-day radio-controlled car competition organised by the Coimbatore Radio Controllers Association and the Kovai Modellers Club.
"I have never had my hands on a RC car before, but I must say this sport gives a lot of insight to budding engineers," said Narain. "After watching it for a few minutes, I can say it is not going to be easy. One needs lots of practice."
The ace F-1 driver admitted that handling an RC car was tough. "It is so sensitive," he noted. "The sensitivity and the agility are so different than the other cars. But, I will to stick to my car."
Another rally driver who was present in Coimbatore was Arjun Balu, who also admitted that RC racing was quite different from actual car racing. "This form of sport has got all the mechanicals in place," he said. "They are fast and precise as well but ..

Narain Karthikeyan tries his hand at RC racing

Ssangyong Motor, part of the Mahindra Group, announced it sold a total of 10,082 units in January 2016 - 6,571 units in domestic sales in South Korea and 3,511 in exports.
“Due to the expiration of consumption tax cut benefit and slow season, sales dropped 2.3% compared to the same month last year,” said a company release.
In the domestic market, Ssangyong's sales were down 3.6% year-on-year affected by expiration of tax cut benefit although the Tivoli still shows an uptrend in sales up 39.4% to 3,222 units over January 2015.
In the overseas market, the company's exports increased 0.2% from the same month last year. Its European exports were up over 40% year-on-year boosted by the Tivoli even though the won dropped the most among emerging market currencies that led to decreased sales.
Meanwhile, Ssangyong introduced the 2016 model year lineup with improved marketability including the Korando Sports (export name: Actyon Sports), Korando C (export name: Korando), Rexton W, and Korando ..

Ssangyong Motor\'s global sales record 10,082 units in January 

 It seems like carmakers are having a pleasant time. Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has said that sales of vehicles have increased for fourteenth straight month in December. Last month a total of 172,671 units were delivered to dealerships from the manufacturers.Generally sales dip for December as people prefer to have next year's model but this time it was not the case as carmakers announced price hikes and stated that they would be implemented from January 1, 2016. This balanced the case and in fact there was an overall growth of 12.87% for December 2015. Maruti Suzuki individually recorded a growth of 8.5%. Cumulative sales in 2015 were 230,960 units higher than 2014. This amounted to 10.46% growth. “Passenger vehicles have seen decent growth. Volumes are also increasing. We are concerned about light commercial vehicles (LCV) but we think that growth in LCV follows once heavy commercial vehicle sales pick up,” said Vishnu Mathur, director general, SIAM.SIAM also .

Car sales increase for 14th straight Month

Mahindra and Mahindra has launched KUV100 in the country at a price of Rs 4.42 lacs (Ex-Showroom, Pune). Mahindra KUV100 is India’s first micro SUV and also introduces a new segment. Though it doesn’t have any direct competitors but considering the prices, we are putting it against the B-segment hatches like Maruti Suzuki Swift, second generation Ford Figo and Hyundai Grand i10. Speaking of the features, KUV100 comes with an option to seat 6 passengers with seatbelts in all the 6 seats. The infotainment system comes with Bluetooth connectivity, Aux-in and USB along with compatibility with Mahindra's Blue Sense App. It has a six-speaker system. Additionally, it also comes with things like cooled glovebox, LED cabin and mood lights, puddle lamps on all four doors, etc. Moreover, it comes with Mahindra’s micro hybrid tech featuring engine start-stop for both the engines while the diesel also comes with driving modes - ECO (Economy) and PWR (Power).  In terms of safety, KUV100 comes with .

Compare: Mahindra KUV100 vs Grand i10 vs Swift vs Figo

Toyota Motors will be highlighting its hybrid vehicles in a separate zone at the Auto Expo in Greater Noida next month.
The recent odd-even scheme in Delhi, which was implemented in the first fortnight of the year, had resulted in an increased demand for the Camry hybrid. While in the past the company sold about 50 Camry hybrids a month, after the odd-even scheme came into force, demand shot up to 80 units. Last year, Toyota sold about 1,000 Camry hybrids.
The Japanese auto major will have three zones at the expo: one for new models, the other for existing ones and a third for hybrid vehicles. The hybrid models to be showcased include the Prius and Corolla hybrid, which are popular internationally.

Toyota to showcase hybrid vehicles at Auto Expo

American bike maker UM International, which launched its Renegade range of cruiser motorcycles at the Auto Expo, plans to export the bikes made at its Uttarakhand facility to Southeast Asia and Europe.
The company unveiled its Renegade Sport S, Renegade Commando and Renegade Classic bikes at the Auto Expo. The bikes will be sold in India at between Rs150,000 and Rs170,000.
According to a company spokesperson, the first thousand bikes would be ready for deliveries through 30 dealerships by May. Designed specifically for the Indian market, the company hopes to export some of them to the UK and France, besides Southeast Asia.
The Renegade Commando and the Sport S are powered by 279cc, single-cylinder, water-cooled engines that develop a maximum power output of 25 bhp at 8500 rpm and 21.8 Nm of peak torque at 7,000 rpm.
The American bike maker has invested about Rs250 crore at its manufacturing plant, which is a 50:50 joint venture with Lohia Auto. UM currently has no plans to foray into .

UM International to export bikes from India plant

Leading Indian cab aggregator Ola on Thursday announced the launch of Ola Bikes in Bengaluru, on the day its American rival, Uber, launched its bike taxi service, uberMoto in India’s IT capital.
Ola announced that it had launched its pilot initiative of bike taxis in Bengaluru. “Bike Taxis on the Ola app will help customers zip through traffic with ease, at lowest fares,” said a company statement. “At an introductory fare of Rs 2 per km and Re. 1 per minute of trip time, Bike Taxis will be available to book through Ola’s app in the city of Bengaluru to begin with. The minimum fare will be Rs. 30.”
In contrast, minimum fare for the uberMoto service is Rs.15, with an additional fare of Rs. 3 to per kilometre and Re. 1 per minute. 
According to Ola, the option comes with the same experience as booking a cab on the Ola app, which includes driver details displayed upfront, SOS, live tracking and seamless payment using Ola Money. “Additionally, all pillion riders will be provided with ...

Ola too announces bike taxi service in Bengaluru

Volkswagen India launched its revamped Beetle in India. It features a 1.4-litre TSI turbo-charged petrol engine and a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission system. 
The vehicle, whose starting price is Rs2.87 million, also has a panoramic sunroof, bi-xenon headlamps, leather interiors and interior and exterior chrome packages. The safety features include six airbags, ESP and anti-lock braking system (ABS). The new Beetle is roomier than its predecessor as it is wider and longer. It has body-coloured interior panels on the dashboard.
The new Beetle comes in four colours - orange, white, red and blue. It is available at select Volkswagen outlets in India.

Volkswagen launches all-new Beetle in India

German auto major Volkswagen on Tuesday denied that its cars sold in India were fitted with ‘cheat devices,’ meant to manipulate emission tests.
Volkswagen India told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it had not made any statement before a court or a government agency or in the media in India admitting to the violation of emission norms.
The automaker said that last year it had announced a recall of 323,000 cars in India – across its three brands, Audi, Skoda and Volkswagen – which were fitted with EA 189 diesel engines as a goodwill gesture to technically upgrade the vehicles.
Volkswagen claimed that it had voluntarily conducted on road tests on vehicles fitted with the diesel engines in the presence of officials of the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). The results were found to be normal and acceptable, said Volkswagen.
It told the NGT that the ARAI and the Ministry of road Transport and Highways have initiated a probe as to whether the company had violated ...

Volkswagen denies fitting 'cheat devices' in cars sold in India

Tata Motors' latest offering, the hatchback Zica, expected to be launched on January 20, seems to be set to get a grand reception. Platinum Outdoor, the specialist unit of Madison Out of Home (OOH) has bagged the Tata Motors account and the Zica will, in all probability, be its first major exercise.
"Tata Motors is at a defining juncture in its evolution as it gears up to disrupt the passenger vehicles industry. With the combination of our campaigns and the immense expertise at Madison OOH, we are sure to present some interesting visual branding displays," said Delna Avari, head of of marketing communication and services, passenger vehicle business unit, Tata Motors. 
Dipankar Sanyal, CEO of Platinum Outdoor, called the winning of the account "one of the most coveted pitches of 2015".

Tata Motors hires Madison OOH

With the Indian Government directing that all vehicles must comply with Bharat Stage IV emission norms from April 1, 2017, General Motors India is currently in talks with Isuzu Motors to source a BS IV diesel engine for the Tavera.
According to reports, the carmaker is keen on keeping the Tavera in its portfolio even after 2017 and is talking to Isuzu about sharing engines, platforms and even products for the Indian market. The two companies are also said to be discussing the possibility of co-badging a yet-to-be-launched Isuzu MPV, codenamed the RU30, which will roll out as a rival to Toyota Innova.
It is also being reported that General Motors is exploring the tie-up possibility with Isuzu even though it is working on getting all-new products to India by 2018-19. With this tie-up, General Motors will benefit from having a crucial vehicle in its line-up while Isuzu is likely to benefit from economies of scale. The Tavera that is on sale currently has a BS III diesel engine, sourced ..

Chevrolet's Tavera to have new BS IV diesel engine from Isuzu 

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd reported stagnant growth in domestic sales for January, but a sharp 34.6 per cent fall in exports of vehicles.
While total domestic sales added up to 106,383 units in January 2016 (as against 105,559 units in the same month in 2015), exports fell to 7,223 units from 11,047. Total sales (domestic and export) was down by 2.6 per cent to 113,606 units.
MSIL reported a hefty 157.3 per cent jump in sales of its super compact, the Dzire Tour, selling 3,545 units in January. It also reported a 26.2 per cent jump in sales of utility vehicles including the Gypsy, S-Cross, Grand Vitara and Ertiga to 8,114 units.
Sales of its vans (Omni and Eeco) were up by 3.9 per cent to 10,512 units. However, the company reported a 9.6 per cent fall in the sale of its mid-size car, the Ciaz (down to 5,431 units), 4.3 per cent fall in sale of minis (Alto, WagonR – down to 34,206 units) and 2.8 per cent drop in sale of compacts (Swift, Ritz, Celerio, Baleno and Dzire). 
The S-cross was ..

Maruti sees stagnant growth in domestic sales in Jan, sharp fall in exports

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