Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the UK's leading maker of premium luxury vehicles, achieved its best full-year global sales performance in 2015, selling 487,065 vehicles, up five percent year-on-year. 
The company said in a media statement that sales had more than doubled since 2009. JLR's global performance in 2015 showed a balanced regional portfolio with record retail sales in the UK, North America and Europe. Sales in Europe and the UK each topped 100,000 vehicles for the first time: Europe was the company's largest sales region in 2015 with sales of 110,298, up 28 percent year-on-year. 
North American sales totaled 94,066 units, up 25 percent year-on-year. Growth in these markets offset lacklustre performance in China and other overseas markets, at 92,474 and 89,592, down 24 percent and seven percent year-on-year respectively. 
This reflected local market conditions, model transitions and the impact of an industrial explosion at the Chinese port of Tianjin in August, ..

Jaguar Land Rover delivers its best global sales in 2015, up five percent

BS-Motoring

Cars will become dearer in India following a hike in taxes in the Union Budget, presented by finance minister Arun Jaitley in the Lok Sabha on Monday. 
Jaitley announced a hike in taxes on cars from entry level to luxury ones. Buyers will have to pay a one per cent infrastructure cess on petrol, CNG and LPG cars and an additional 2.5 per cent on diesel cars of all capacities.
A luxury tax of one per cent will be levied on cars above Rs10 lakh, whereas buyers of SUVs will have to pay a high-capacity tax of four per cent.
The minister said the government would be allocating a whopping Rs97,000 crore for building new roads and highways, which should be good news for motorists. 
Shares of auto firms fell on the stock markets after Jaitley announced the additional hike in taxes on all cars.

Jaitley hikes taxes on all cars

Mini driver Al-Attiyah, the defending champion, took a five-minute bite out of the French Team Peugeot Total driver’s lead with victory in the trek from La Rioja to San Juan.
Sebastien Loeb, the nine-time World Rally champion, continued his recovery after a rocky string of stages to finish second in the 11th stage, some five minutes behind Al-Attiyah with Mikko Hirvonen third.
Peterhansel, who finished fourth in Thursday’s stage, is almost 52 minutes clear of the Qatari Al-Attiyah with just two stages remaining. “I need to say one more day finished, so it's not so bad,” said Peterhansel after the grueling stage. “As for the result, I don't know, but for sure, this morning we started really safely. We tried to do some really good navigation. It was not easy because there was a lot of navigation. At the end it was really narrow, like a labyrinth, but we are very happy to be here.
Australia’s Toby Price has one hand on the bikers’ title after a superb second-placed finish behind France’s 

Al-Attiyah wins stage but Peterhansel remains clear

This will make Linea leagues ahead of its rivals with class leading performance figures! Fiat Linea - Powered By Abarth has been spied on for the first time. The Italian automaker introduced its performance brand Abarth with 595 Competizione last year. Abarth Punto and Avventura - Powered By Abarth were soon added. Now, the fourth product in the Abarth's Indian lineup would be Linea - Powered By Abarth. It was rumoured that the product was to be launched earlier. Expect to make its launch/public reveal at the upcoming 2016 Indian Auto Expo in February. The vehicle is believed to be priced in the vicinity of Rs. 10 lacs. As it will not be an Abarth Linea like Punto, it will be called Fiat Linea - Powered By Abarth similar to that of the Avventura. The cracker under the bonnet is expected to get a similar tune like Avventura - Powered By Abarth. The specs are likely to be 140 hp @ 5,500 rpm and a max torque of 210 Nm in between 2000-4000 rpm. The engine will be mated to a 5-speed manual 

Fiat India is Preparing an Abarth Linea!

Updated Amaze is most likely to have same interiors, which Honda debuted with the 2016 Mobilio, yesterday, in IndonesiaHonda Amaze was launched in India around halfway through 2013, and is due for a mid-life update, sometime this year. Like Mobilio, Amaze also got criticised for its bland interiors and lacks few features like auto climate control. Honda has tried to fulfill all this with the updated Mobilio in Indonesia recently and it will also be launched in India, soon. It is obvious that the new dashboard will also be shared with Amaze facelift. Moreover, the Brio facelift, which is also expected to make an appearance this year, might also borrow this dashboard.The dashboard in question here is a slightly toned down version of the dashboard Honda revealed with BR-V. The missing key features which have rather become a segment norm nowadays(, are available in the spruced up cabin. To start with, like Mobilio, Amaze will also come  much-needed auto climate control that is sorely ...

Updated Honda Amaze will have these Interiors!

Mercedes-Benz, which reported sales of 13,502 units in India in 2015, has reclaimed the top spot in the luxury car segment, toppling Audi, which reported sales of 11,192 units during the year.
Audi reported a three per cent increase in sales in 2015 over the 2014 figures, but its rival Mercedes-Benz saw sales zoom by 32 per cent, ensuring its return as the number one luxury car brand in India.
In 2013 and 2014, Audi topped the luxury car segment in the country, followed by Mercedes-Benz and BMW. In 2015, however, Mercedes-Benz went in for a series of launches of new models in the compact space (A, B, GLA and CLA class vehicles).
While Audi introduced 10 models in India in 2015, Mercedes-Benz introduced 15 models. 

Mercedes-Benz reclaims top spot in the Indian luxury car segment

January 5, 2016: Leading carmakers Mercedes-Benz, Mahindra and Mahindra and Toyota have moved the Supreme Court seeking relief over the ban imposed by the apex court on diesel cars with an engine capacity of 2,000 cc and more. 
Senior lawyers including Kapil Sibal, A.M. Singhvi and Arvind Datar appeared for Toyota, Mahindra & Mahindra and Mercedes-Benz respectively. The Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur agreed to list their applications. 
The lawyers argued that it was improper to ban cars with 2000 cc engines as they were compliant with existing emissions norms.  
The apex court had last month imposed a ban on the sale of 63 diesel models sold by 17 automakers because of growing pollution. The sale of nearly 10,000 vehicles would be impacted by the order. 
Mahindra & Mahindra claimed that its cars and SUVs with engine capacity of more than 2000 cc were popular among the middle-class and were also compliant with existing pollution control norms.

Automakers seek relief from apex court order on diesel vehicles

February 24, 2016: The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has signed an MoU with Mahindra & Mahindra and road safety NGO Save Life Foundation (SLF) to transform the Mumbai-Pune expressway into a zero fatality corridor over the next three to four years. 
The other collaborators include the Maharashtra Highway Police, IRB Infrastructure, DY Patil University, Ogilvy, JP Research and several hospitals including those in the vicinity of the expressway. 
Eknath Shinde, minister of public works, and Vijay Deshmukh, minister of state for public works launched the initiative, which will focus on improving the four Es of road safety – engineering, emergency care, enforcement and education. 
“MSRDC is committed to create the safest roads in India,” said R L Mopalwar, managing director and vice chairman of MSRDC. “We invite public support in this initiative by ensuring that they drive safely along the expressway.” 
Added Veejay Ram Nakra, senior vice president, sales & ...

Mumbai-Pune expressway to be transformed into zero fatality corridor

Auto exports from India have declined for the first time after nearly 14 months of witnessing a steady increase. According to figures released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), exports have dipped nearly 19% with 33,909 vehicles being shipped in January 2016 compared to 41,787 units shipped in January 2015. 
Industry experts attribute this to change in technical regulations in key export markets like Algeria, Europe and some other countries. Says Sugato Sen, Deputy Director General, SIAM: "Algeria has introduced some changes in technical regulations which have affected us. Sri Lanka has high taxation issues that is proving to be a hindrance for the automakers. Also Europe, which is the biggest market for compact cars from India, is still recovering from a slump."
In 2014-15, Algeria imported passenger vehicles worth $293 million, whereas Sri Lanka ordered units worth $158 million and the UK received shipment worth $335 million.
Sen said Algeria was unlikely to .

Auto exports decelerate sharply in January 

With the Indian government yet to notify its decision to implement BS VI norms by 2020, auto industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has demanded a "clear road map" to help automobile companies plan investments to meet stricter emission norms.
"The government has set the deadline of 2020 for BS VI implementation, but it should be notified quickly. Once we get the roadmap, we will start working on it," SIAM Director General Vishnu Mathur said. "We are insisting on a clear roadmap because once we start working on it, it should not happen that after two years somebody changes this road map for some reason."
The automobile companies had earlier planned staggered investments to upgrade to BS VI, keeping in mind the earlier cut-off of 2023.  "With the new deadline of 2020, we are putting our best foot forward. Most companies are working towards the 2020 deadline. If some can't manage, they will stop selling," he added.
He also underlined the need to have BS VI fuel ..

SIAM demands \"clear road map\" of BS VI norms 

 Linea’s successor, Fiat Tipo (known as Aegea in some markets) was displayed at the Istanbul Motor Show last year and the Italian carmaker will be showcasing it at the upcoming Indian Auto Expo. The name “Tipo” comes with some legacy attached with it as the term was first used for a small family hatchback by Fiat that went on sale in 1988 and went on to become the “European Car of the Year” in 1989. We expect the Tipo to be launched with two petrol motors and two diesel mills, which will offer a power range that falls between 90PS-120PS. The petrol powerplants will come with an option for manual and automatic transmission whereas the diesel mill will only be available with a manual transmission as of now. Dimensionally, the car will be 4.5 meters long, 1.78 meters wide and 1.48 meters tall and will feature a 510-litre boot. Even though Tipo is considerably bigger than Linea, it manages to be lighter than the sedan. Tipo will also come with safety features that include ABS and airbags .

Fiat Tipo to be showcased at the upcoming Auto Expo

Bike taxi aggregators are becoming popular in many Indian cities, but some of the new players have begun operations even without getting official clearances from road transport authorities.
In Noida, for instance, a new service has been launched by Bikemates, which has positioned bikes at a few popular places including metro stations to pick up customers.
But transport authorities in Uttar Pradesh claim that the service has not been approved so far. A Bikemates executive was quoted as saying that the company has launched the service on a trial basis and regular services would be launched after getting the necessary clearances.
Bike taxi aggregators, like other taxi aggregators - who use taxi-hailing apps for the convenience of customers - have to get police approvals of the drivers, besides meeting other norms.
Bike taxis are popular in a few places in India including Goa. Such services have been launched in Bangalore and Gurgaon and are proving to be popular. However, many consumers .

Noida bike taxi aggregator launches services on \'trial\' basis

 It’s raining SUVs in India. The country bore witness to a drastic transformation over past 3-4 years, especially when it came to the SUV/Crossover market. This transformation has made it quite clear that the purchasing power of people of this country has increased. In yesteryears, where bulky cars were owned by a few affluent ones, is no longer a valid truth, as now the purchasing power has shifted from the hands of a select few to a much larger number.Today compact SUV/Crossovers are considered to be holding a large chunk of the total car sales and this is only growing, as more and more players are entering this segment. As compact SUV segment has further given rise to a new sub-compact category, the competition is getting intense with each passing day. So we have prepared a list of new compact SUVs which will be launching this year, after their showcasing at the upcoming Indian Auto Expo 2016. Here we go.Maruti Vitara BrezzaMaruti’s very first weapon in the fast growing compact SUV 

Top 5 Upcoming Compact SUV/Crossovers in India

The new generation crossover utility vehicle, Honda BR-V will make its India premiere at the Auto Expo 2016 to be held in Greater Noida between February 5 and 9.
Announcing this on Wednesday, Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL), said the BR-V features the combination of bold, sporty appearance and handling of an SUV and spacious cabin of a Utility Vehicle. 
The company also announced its lineup of production and concept models to be exhibited at the expo, to be held at the India Expo Mart. On display will be the latest generation of premium sedan Honda Accord. The BR-V and Accord together would be the key models slated for launch in India in the future. 
With the booth concept of 'Accelerate with Honda,' HCIL will showcase a wide range of exhibits including models that will be launched in India in the future and racing machines that pursue excellence in driving performance.  
The Honda ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility), the world's most advanced humanoid robot, will enthrall the ...

Honda BR-V to make India premiere at Auto Expo

India's leading online automobile portal CarDekho in partnership with the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) presented the 9th Auto Summit, themed on "Digital Dealer - Accelerate Opportunities." 
The biennial conference underlined the standing of the digital ecosystem in today's automobile business. The summit focused on various B2C technologies like virtual showroom and augmented reality platforms along with several B2B technologies solutions like lead management system, branding solutions, digital marketing and other cloud solutions.
Close to 600 auto dealers from all over India and many OEMs attended the event. The speakers in their address to the dealers and the automobile fraternity brought out the necessity of proactive presence in digital space having become imperative for a competitive edge in the digital and communication era. Digital intends to help acquire new customers and provide support in plugging leakages in order to improve productivity and ...

Auto Summit focuses on concept of 'digital dealer'

Bosch, a leading global supplier of technology and services, unveiled its intelligent transport management system (iTraMS) at its technology exposition in Noida.
“The iTraMS platform is a connectivity solution tailored to the Indian market,” said Dr Markus Heyn, member of the Bosch board. “It provides accurate vehicle information on your smartphone and can immensely reduce everyday driving cost.”
The key benefits of the platform include fleet management, essential and emergency services, off-road applications, and intelligent transport solutions as part of smart-city solutions.
The platform, whose features include tracking of vehicle location, condition monitoring and performance analysis, works in passenger cars, commercial vehicles and off-highway vehicles. It is not only available in newly produced cars, but also as a retrofit solution. 
“Bosch's continuous success in innovation is a result of our unwavering commitment to solving problems that will benefit the society as a whole,” .

Bosch India unveils intelligent transport management system

Yet another leading carmaker has announced a hike in prices across its models, joining a growing list of auto companies who have opted for such an increase. Honda Cars India announced an increase of up to Rs10,000 for its various models.
The price for entry-level Brio has been raised by Rs2,000, while the compact sedan, Amaze, will be dearer by Rs3,500. Premium hatchback Jazz will cost Rs4,800 more now, while mid-sized sedan City and MPV Mobilio will see an increase of Rs3,000 each. 
Buyers of Honda's premium SUV CR-V will have to pay an additional Rs10,000.
Other carmakers who have also gone in for a price hike include Toyota Motors, Tata Motors and Skoda. Toyota has jacked up prices by up to Rs31,500, while Skoda has increased it by up to Rs33,000. Tata Motors has also raised prices by up to Rs20,000.
Other leading automakers are also planning to raise the price of their models. Maruti and General Motors are expected to increase prices by up to Rs20,000 each across different models, 

Honda joins other carmakers in hiking prices

The Mahindra & Mahindra DNA is all about toughness. In the KUV1OO (pronounced KUV one double “Oh”), the inherent Mahindra characteristics are present in abundance. The company calls the KUV1OO a compact SUV. We would beg to differ there. Though it looks muscular and sporty, it’s still a hatch, though a tough looking one.
A few years ago, as signs emerged on the horizon that diesel cars could be at a disadvantage vis-à-vis petrol cars, Mahindra had two options before it: either buy a petrol engine or make its own. It decided to repose its faith in its research and development team, spent a considerable amount of resources (more than Rs 1,000 crore) and built a new family of mFalcon engines, in both 1.2-litre petrol and 1.2-litre diesel versions. More engines are to follow.
The petrol and diesel models come in four variants: K2, K4, K6 and K8. The company is offering air bags as option in each of the variants but the K8 is the fully loaded top model. There is also an option of a ...

The KUV100 is a hatch with muscle

Claiming that the odd-even formula to curb pollution caused by vehicles was a huge success, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday urged residents of the national capital to continue with it voluntarily. The plan was implemented on an experimental basis for a fortnight and got over on Friday.
“We got overwhelming support for the odd-even plan,” said Kejriwal. “It was personally overwhelming.” He thanked judges of the Supreme Court and the Delhi high court for having pooled cars to ensure that they followed the odd-even scheme. 
Beginning January 1, the Delhi government imposed the plan which allowed cars with odd-number registrations on odd days of the week and even-numbered cars on other days. The experiment, which has been tried in many cities around the world, was undertaken to bring down pollution levels, which soar during the winter months in the national capital.
According to Kejriwal, many motorists had started pooling their cars, resulting in less congestion. He urged .

Odd-even formula a success, claims Kejriwal

 Post its launch in the Japanese market, Suzuki has released a video detailing the features and specification of its Ignis mirco-SUV. The micro-SUV will probably be launched in India and will rival the likes of the recently launched Mahindra KUV100. The video provides a closer glimpse at the design and ride characteristics of the sub- 4 meter crossover SUV.The Japanese-spec Ignis features a wheelbase that is 2,435mm long and manages to offer a ground clearance of 180mm.The Japanese-spec Ignis features a 180mm of ground clearance and a wheelbase which stands at 2,435mm. In terms of the off-road capabilities, Ignis will overshadow the Indian automaker’s offering, courtesy of its superior ground clearance.Inside the cabin, Ignis is also expected to be roomier as compared to Mahindra’s KUV100, as it will probably incorporate the same seats that are offered in the Swift hatchback and features a longer wheelbase, which stands at 3700mm, as compared to the relatively inferior 3,675mm of ...

Suzuki Ignis Video released for the Japanese Markets

February 24, 2016: Ather Energy, a Bengaluru-based technology start-up by IIT graduates Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain, has unveiled India’s first smart e-scooter Ather S340.  With a lithium ion battery pack, the scooter achieves a top speed of 72 kmph and a range up to 60 km in a single charge.  
The smart e-scooter offers an uncompromised ride for 50,000 km and it can be charged up to 80 per cent in 50 minutes in fast charging mode and can be charged from any 5A normal socket in normal mode.   
The Ather S340 comes with a touchscreen dashboard which integrates cloud-based data to help personalise the consumer ride experience. The touchscreen comes with features such as user profile based sign in, onboard navigation and pre-configured drive modes like sport and economy. The S340 Mobile App helps the user configure ride and profile preferences, and sync navigation routes remotely.   
“The Ather S340 is an unapologetically electric vehicle, it has been designed and built mostly in-house .

Ather Energy unveils S340 smart e-scooter

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