German automaker Volkswagen's troubles continue to pile up. A day after Indian heavy industries minister Anant Geete accused the auto giant of fitting 'cheat' devices on its vehicles sold here, prosecutors in Seoul raided its South Korean head office and seized documents and hard drives.
And in Mexico, the environmental protection agency slapped a $8.9 million fine on the company for importing and selling 2016 model vehicles in the country without an environmental certificate reflecting compliance with emission standards.
According to Yonhap news agency, prosecutors in Seoul raided Volkswagen's head office on Friday and also the homes of company executives in charge of quality control.
"We have made clear that we will fully cooperate with the investigation and our position remains unchanged," an agency quoted a Volkswagen spokesman. Last month, Korea's environment ministry slapped a criminal complaint against Johannes Thammer, the managing director of the local Volkswagen unit, noting 

Volkswagen\'s troubles pile up, Seoul head office raided

BS-Motoring

Tata Tiago, the latest hatchback offering from Tata Motors, has finally entered the production phase at the company’s Sanand plant in Gujarat.
Officially revealed in November last year followed by Auto Expo 2016 showcase recently, Tiago was earlier christened Zica for zippy car. However, the outbreak of Zika epidemic forced Tata Motors to change the name of the car.
As many as 1,800 units of Tiago have already been produced by the company. Tata Motors is, however, awaiting completion of regulatory registration process.
Tiago will compete against Maruti Suzuki Celerio and Hyundai i10 in the segment. Tata Motors plans to launch Kite 5 sedan after Tiago. Tiago is the second model after Nano to be produced at Sanand manufacturing plant.
Engineered to give a power-packed performance under all conditions, the Tiago offers a peppy driving experience and optimal fuel economy. The powerful Revotron 1.2L delivers a power and torque of 85 PS and 115 Nm at 3500 RPM. The contemporary ...

Tata Tiago production kicks-off at Sanand Plant


	TVS Srichakra Limited (TSL) proposes to sell its entire shareholding in its subsidiary, TVS Europe Distribution Limited (EDL), in favour of TVS Automobile Solutions Limited, the company has informed exchanges. 
	The firm holds 33,25,000 shares held in TVS Europe Distribution and also proposes to purchase / acquire 15,89,699 compulsory convertible preference shares (CCPS) in TVS Automobile Solutions Limited (TVS ASL) amounting to Rs 40 crore.
	The Board of Directors of the company, at their meeting held on February 6, 2016, had approved the sale of equity shares in TVS EDL and purchase of CCPS in TVS ASL, said the company in the announcement.
	TVS Srichakra Limited also said that its wholly-owned subsidiary, TVS Srichakra Investments Limited (TSIL), had offered to convert the unsecured loan amounting to Rs 34.59 crore granted by TSL, to unsecured optionally convertible debentures (OCDs), and had further offered fresh issue of OCDs not exceeding Rs 10 crore both having a tenor of 4 ...

TVS Srichakra to sell its shareholding in TVS Europe Distribution

Cars sales dropped marginally in January to 168,303 units, as compared to 169,527 units in the same month in 2015, according to figures released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) on Friday.
This was the first time in 14 months that car sales have dipped. Automobile companies had offered hefty discounts in December, which had resulted in a 12.87 growth in sales in that month.
According to SIAM, the industry produced a total 19.84 million vehicles, including passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, three wheelers and two wheelers in the April-January 2016 period, as against 19.63 million units in the corresponding 10-month period in fiscal 2014-15, registering a marginal growth of 1.04 percent.
The sales of passenger vehicles, however, grew by 8.13 percent in the April-January 2016 period over the same period last year. Within the passenger vehicles segment, passenger cars, utility vehicles and vans grew by 10.18 percent, 3.20 percent and 1.86 percent respectively 

Car sales drop marginally in January

Mahindra is bringing a coupé-SUV concept for masses, it is expected to sit above the XUV500! Mahindra has teased a coupe-crossover concept, christened as XUV Aero Concept. The concept will make its world debut at the 2016 Auto Expo in February first week. The company has said that the concept has been designed in-house by Mahindra's designing team. The team which is also responsible for the current XUV500, TUV300, KUV100 and of course the Scorpio. The production spec model is most likely to sit above the XUV500 similar to what Mercedes is offering currently with GLE  and GLE coupe   in the country. Until now, the coupe-crossovers were restricted to high-end luxury segment, Mahindra becomes the first mass-market manufacturer in the country to offer it! Speaking of its silhouette, Mahindra has attempted a coupe crossover with the XUV Aero concept! It features subtle resemblance with XUV500 like the protruding wheel arches and fatty front and rear fenders. The interesting bit of the ...

Mahindra Teases XUV Aero Concept, a Coupe-SUV!

BR-V will have its Indian premiere along with new Accord at the Expo, Honda will also showcase Jazz Racing Concept! Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL) has announced their Auto Expo 2016 lineup. The Japanese automaker will showcase BR-V compact crossover/SUV and  Accord, along with concept versions like Honda Project 2&4, Honda Jazz Racing Concept and production models like Brio, Jazz, Amaze, City, Mobilio, CR-V. Like always, Honda will also display the ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) humanoid robot. Moreover, McLaren-Honda MP4-30 F1 racing car will also be there at the Expo.Honda BR-V, which will make its Indian debut at the Expo, will compete majorly with the Hyundai Creta and facelifted Duster (expected to make its debut at Expo) along with others. BR-V will be benefited, as it comes with three rows of seating. Engine options would include 1.5-liter i-VTEC petrol and 1.5-liter i-DTEC diesel. Six-Speed manual will be standard across both diesel and petrol, while petrol ...

Honda Announces Lineup for 2016 Indian Auto Expo

KUV100, the new mini sports utility vehicle (SUV) from Mahindra & Mahindra, is proving to be a challenge for carmakers whose hatchbacks are threatened by the new rollout. 
 
Companies such as market leaders Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motor India are watching demand pull for the KUV100 – which stands for Kool Utility Vehicle – closely. Bookings of the KUV100 started in December while deliveries began last month. 
 
“Immediately we do not have any plans to get into that (super compact SUV) space. We are watching the developments,” said C V Raman, head of vehicle development at Maruti Suzuki.
 
At Rs 4.5 lakh, the KUV100 is to M&M is what the Nano was to Tata Motors. Though its dimensions are small, M&M has added all the bells and whistles it can offer for that price. 
 
"The market will look at how consumers respond to that vehicle and only then take a decision. Today consumer aspirations are changing very fast and buyers are looking for more and more expensive vehicles", ...

Mahindra\'s new mini-SUV a litmus test for hatchback rivals

Mahindra's entry-level SUV, the KUV 100, has received more than 21,000 bookings. Launched a month ago, the KUV100 has been well received, said an official statement.  Presently, there is a waiting period of two months for the compact SUV.
The Mahindra KUV100 comes in seven variants and is the smallest SUV in the company's product portfolio. Two new engines made a debut in the Mahindra KUV100. The petrol is an 82PS dual variable valve timing all aluminium motor while the diesel too is a 1.2-litre turbo unit which makes 77PS/190Nm. Both the engines are 3-cylinder units mated to 5-speed manual transmissions.
"We are delighted with the number of KUV100 bookings received within just a month of its launch and would like to thank our customers," said Ravin Shah, president and chief executive (automotive), Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. "The large number of enquiries and 21,000 plus bookings, reaffirm the immense popularity the KUV100 has garnered in such short time. What is also very ...

Mahindra gets 21,000-plus bookings for KUV100 in India

BJP State president and Dharwad MP Prahlad Joshi has urged the Karnataka government to intervene immediately and sort out the temporary lockout of Tata Marcopolo unit in Dharwad. 
Tata Marcopolo declared a lockout at its bus manufacturing plant in Dharwad on February 6 after workers resorted to a strike over wage negotiations.
It may be recalled that workers at the Tata Marcopolo unit resorted to a strike, with mass absence on January 31, 2016, compelling the plant’s management to resort to temporary suspension of operations on February 1 to ensure safety.
Later, with a continued threat to safety of people and equipment, the company declared a lock-out from February 6. Over 2,500 people are employed at the Dharwad plant, which rolls out fully-built buses for intra-city and inter-city transportation, including 16 to 54-seater standard buses and 18 to 45-seater luxury and low-floor city buses. The plant has the capacity to manufacture over 15,000 buses per annum.

Karnataka Government urged to intervene in Tata Marcopolo lockout issue

Japanese auto major Suzuki, which has manufacturing plants in Gurgaon and Manesar in Haryana, is considering the option of investing more in the state, according to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
Khattar told reporters during a roadshow for Happening Haryana, a global investors summit to be held in Gurgaon on March 7 and 8, that he had met Osamu Suzuki, CEO, Suzuki Motors in Japan and had invited him to put up a new plant in the state.
Suzuki told him the company would look at the possibility of investing in a new plant in the state.
According to Khattar, the state produces 50 per cent of passenger vehicles and 60 per cent of motorcyles manufactured in India. 
Maruti Suzuki operates two major plants in Haryana. The first Maruti 800 rolled out of the Gurgaon plant, which is today a 300-acre campus. It produces 900,000 cars every year.
The company also has three fully-integrated plants with an annual capacity of 550,000 cars in a 600-acre facility at Manesar.

Suzuki toying with the option of setting up a new plant in Haryana

Newly-appointed brand ambassador of Nissan India, actor John Abraham with company officials at its gallery at Auto Expo 2016 in Greater Noida   

Nissan India ambassador John Abraham at its gallery at Auto Expo 2016

 Tata Motors has been testing the waters in India for quite sometime. After a lot of ups and downs, the homegrown automaker seems to be heading towards the right direction, especially when it comes to winning the trust of customers. Taking the same thing in mind, Tata Motors has announced to launch a unique initiative known as ‘ZICA 7 Senses’. As we all know, Zica is the next big launch from the company, the car which has so far, seem to have passed the test of time. So company will be banking on this new ‘ZICA 7 Senses’ to bring consumer closer to the brand.The new customer immersive experience will be rolled out in a phased manner and will cover 7 senses of a human being viz. Sight, Smell, Sound, Taste, Touch, Intuition and Equilibrium, as part of the campaign. The new campaign is conceived to make the customer feel exuberant and young at heart, rather than fostering monotonous chores of daily life. The 7 senses have been briefed down in order to understand the perspective.SIGHT: ...

Tata to introduce ZICA 7 Senses: A Unique Customer Experience

Mahindra & Mahindra, part of the $16.9 billion Mahindra group, is showcasing the complete range of its mobility solutions at the 13th edition of Auto Expo 2016. 
The product display includes the unveiling of an XUV Aero - it's all new concept coupe, display of SsangYong’s best seller, Tivoli, as well as the launch of the e2o Sports and the new range of trucks under the Blazo brand name.
“Mahindra is constantly striving to push the boundaries of technology and innovation while developing new mobility solutions for a rapidly evolving world,” said Anand Mahindra, chairman, Mahindra group. “The Auto Expo is the perfect opportunity to showcase our new range of automotive products; and we are particularly proud of the XUV Aero which represents a paradigm shift in our design philosophy.”
SsangYong's new Tivoli compact SUV, which is a big success in its home market of Korea is the first brand new product from SsangYong post Mahindra's acquisition. According to Mahindra, its electric ...

Mahindra showcases complete range of mobility solutions

Sports utility vehicle market leader Mahindra & Mahindra launched a sub-2,000cc diesel engine that will allow it to sell its Scorpio and XUV500 models in Delhi and the surrounding region, a little over a month after the Supreme Court banned its sales there.
The court had banned sales of all vehicles having diesel engines more than 2,000cc till end-March 2016, on a public interest suit over rising pollution in the capital.
The Mumbai-based company said on Friday sales of these two popular models with the new engine that will circumvent the ban are to first begin in the Delhi/National Capital Region (NCR) and then be extended to the rest of the country. The company’s stock jumped 4.5 per cent to close at Rs 1,191.45 on the BSE.
Mahindra was hit the most by the SC order, as a majority of its volumes are from vehicles with more than 2,000cc engines. The Delhi-NCR region contributes four per cent of M&M’s national passenger vehicle volumes, typically 17,000 units a month.
Last ...

M&M redesigns diesel engine to beat Delhi ban

Paisabazaar.com, a one-stop shop for all personal financial products, has entered into strategic partnerships with leading banks and NBFCs including HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Prime and IndusInd Bank, AU Financiers and L&T Finance to offer car loans to consumers.
According to Naveen Kukreja, managing director, Paisabazaar.com, the company is looking forward to enhance the value proposition for those looking to buy car loans through its website. 
The loans will be available for new vehicles and used cars. PaisaBazaar is part of PolicyBazaar.com, India’s leading online destination for all kinds of loans, credit cards and other financial products. The group has been funded and backed by Naukri, Intel Capital, Inventus Capital Partners, Tiger Global and Ribbit Capital.
PaisaBazaar’s comparison engine gives consumers all options to fit their requirements. The portal allows the borrower to evaluate various deals on the basis of loan amount, interest rate, eligibility criteria and ...

Paisabazaar.com ties up with leading banks, NBFCs for car loans

 German automaker Volkswagen will be showcasing its recently launched halo product, the Volkswagen Beetle at the upcoming 2016 Indian Auto Expo. The Auto Expo will be held in the Greater Noida region from 5th to 9th of February. Recently, Volkswagen celebrated 70 years of Beetle’s production and the Bug’s appearance at the Auto Expo will be the icing on the cake in line of this historic phenomenon. The all-new Volkswagen Beetle was recently launched in India with a 28.73 lacs price tag.Aesthetically, on the outside, Beetle continues to embody the retro-modern design approach, while incorporating certain modern updates. Exterior highlights include the LED DRLs, B-Xenon headlights and foglamps that also feature static cornering lights. The rear of the car also gets the same LED treatment, which is incorporated in the taillamp cluster.The modern updates continue on the inside as well. At the center of the dashboard, Beetle flaunts a Composition Media touchscreen infotainment system, ...

Volkswagen Beetle will be Showcased at the 2016 Indian Auto Expo

Renault will launch the all new Duster with AMT gearbox and cosmetic tweaks in India around the end of March. The all new India-spec Duster will also become the first Renault model to be offered with an AMT gearbox.
The 2016 edition of Renault's popular compact SUV features cosmetic changes such as revised headlamps and tail-lamps, new front bumper and grille and new design alloy wheels, making the exterior similar to the Brazilian Duster facelift revealed last year.
The facelifted model will have Easy-R AMT gearbox instead of the DCT auto gearbox, which was displayed by Renault's sister brand Dacia at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. 
Though the DCT would have offered a smoother drive than the AMT, the former's cost would have pushed the SUV's price further by around Rs. 2 lakh. The Duster Easy-R AMT will come only with the Duster 110PS version, a company source said. 
The facelifted Duster comes with additional features such as re-styled roof rails, power folding wing mirrors, ...

Renault to roll out facelifted Duster Easy R AMT in March 

While carmakers around the globe are eagerly joining the autonomous (or driverless) vehicles bandwagon, one leading carmaker does not want to have anything to do with it.
Iconic automaker Porsche is not planning to go the driverless way. “One wants to drive a Porsche by oneself,” quipped Oliver Blume, CEO, Porsche. “An iPhone belongs in your pocket, not on the road.”
But the company, a division of the Volkswagen Group, is working on hybrid versions of its range of cars. The German sports luxury cars offers a wide range of models in India including the iconic 911, Boxster, Cayman, Macan, Cayenne and Panamera. 
Group company Lamborghini has also indicated that it is not interested in incorporating autonomous features in its vehicles. CEO Stephan Winkelmann said recently that its customers were willing to drive the luxury cars.
Jaguar Land Rover is also not keen on autonomous vehicles; its R&D head was quoted as saying that it did not consider customers as cargo.

Porsche not to jump on autonomous vehicles bandwagon

Indian naval ship (INS) Vikrant, the first aircraft carrier, which played a pivotal role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, has made its way into a commuter bike to be launched by Bajaj Auto next month. The Pune-based, India’s most valued two- and three-wheeler maker, will launch a 150-cc motorcycle on February 1 christened ‘V’ which is built from metal used in the country’s most celebrated aircraft carrier. This will be the eight product by Bajaj Auto this financial year and the first in 2016. ‘V’ is a new brand by the company complementing five of its predecessors in production. This new bike, which has a slight retro look as seen in the sneak preview aired today by Bajaj, is expected to be positioned between the Pulsar and Discover. However, further details including its price would be known at the time of its launch.  The bike will sport a special logo to commemorate the aircraft carrier. Eric Vas, President (Motorcycle Business), Bajaj Auto, said, “For decades, the INS Vikrant has been ...

Bajaj Auto to launch bike from metal used in INS Vikrant

Over April-December 2015, India produced 17,890,253 vehicles, including cars, commercial vehicles, three wheelers and two wheelers. The data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) showed a 1.31 percent growth year-on-year.
Two-wheeler sales grew by 1.21 percent year-on-year, with scooters growing 11.39 percent. However, motorcycles and mopeds dragged down the segment, with motorcycles posting a decline of 2.46 percent and mopeds, a decline of 5.39 percent.
Three-wheeler sales declined by 4.3 percent, with passenger carrier and goods carrier sales falling by 3.89 percent and 6.19 percent respectively.
Domestic sales of passenger cars presented a brighter picture, with sales growing by 9.05 percent year-on-year, the association said. Passenger cars, utility vehicles and vans grew by 11.54 percent, 3.17 percent and 1.31 percent, respectively.
Commercial vehicle sales grew by 8.47 percent with Medium and Heavy Commercial Vehicle sales growing by 29.74 percent but Light 

India April-December 2015 vehicle sales up 1.3 percent; motorbikes buck trend

 The french automaker has confirmed that it will unveil new versions of its Kwid hatchback on February 3rd, during a press conference,which will be held at the Indian Auto Expo. The unveil will take place between 1:20 pm and 1:40 pm and the models being showcased might include the likes of Kwid’s 1.0-liter, automatic and other special editions (if any). These models will be sold alongside Kwid’s current 799cc model, which is offered with a standard 5-speed manual gearbox. The upcoming variants of the entry-level hatchback will be priced above the standard 799cc model.Speaking of the variants, the automatic transmission model of Kwid will feature an AMT gearbox and the more powerful 1-liter petrol version is expected to incorporate the aforementioned gearbox along with the standard 799cc model. These possibilities however, still remain a matter of speculation, as there has been no official confirmations made by the automaker. There are also rumors claiming that Renault might offer ABS .

Renault Kwid Special Editions Confirmed for a February 3rd Unveil

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