With a goal to empower the youth and underprivileged individuals, Yamaha Motors India has signed a MoU with the Maharashtra government to set up training schools across the state.
Several government-run polytechnics and technical colleges will get training schools by the Japanese-based two-wheeler manufacturer. Individuals that are part of Yamaha's school will get necessary training and would be employed as technicians at Yamaha outlets.
As a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, Yamaha's goal is to provide some sort of support to the economically challenged or backward sections within the country. 
Yamaha is the only two-wheeler manufacturer that offers a training school in partnership with government institutes. With five training schools in Maharashtra, Yamaha will be setting up one more soon with government run polytechnics in Pune. 
According to Masaki Asano, MD (Sales), Yamaha Motor India, setting up of similar training schools will bridge the issue of existing 

Yamaha India sets up training schools in Maharashtra 

BS-Motoring

Hyundai Motors announced that it has won five Good Design awards in recognition of consistent successful application of its design philosophy. The company said in a media release that it received awards for the upcoming Ioniq alternative-fuel compact vehicle, the all-new Tucson, the all-new Elantra, its Santa Cruz concept model and its 'Sculpture in Motion' art installation.
The soon-to-be-launched Ioniq, Hyundai Motor's advanced alternative-fuel compact vehicle, was recognised for its class-leading aerodynamics and striking design details, the release said. 
Shaped around the Visual Aero design concept, Ioniq was developed not only with aesthetics in mind, but also with careful consideration of efficiency, aerodynamics and functionality. The interior design concept of 'Purified Hi-tech' creates a futuristic overall image, with simplified surfaces and intuitive layout of buttons. The world premiere of the Ioniq will be on January 14, 2016, in Seoul, Korea.
The All-new Tucson adopts ...

Hyundai wins five Good Design awards

Mahindra & Mahindra, the country's largest utility vehicle manufacturer, is open to building engines smaller than the one in the KUV1OO, which it launched last week. 
The Mumbai-based automaker launched the KUV100 with an engine that is nearly half of the standard engines in its portfolio. The KUV1OO is powered by 1.2 litre petrol and diesel engines whereas M&M’s other engines – 2.2 and 2.5 litre diesel ones – power the Scorpio, the XUV500 and Bolero. 
When asked if the engines seen on the KUV1OO will be the smallest  in M&M's line up Pawan Goenka, executive director, Mahindra & Mahindra said, “Never say never. This is the smallest engine we have presently but will it remain the smallest or not we will see”. 
Criticised for being gas guzzlers and major pollutants, large SUVs have repeatedly found themselves under the scanner of policymakers and penalised. 
SUVs like the Scorpio attract the highest excise duty slab of 30% even as sales of all diesel vehicles with ...

Ford Mustang launching in India on January 28

The war of words over emissions from diesel cars and trucks in the National Capital Region (NCR) intensified on Monday, with the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), slamming the comments of the chief of Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR).
Ralph Speth, CEO, JLR, which is owned by Tata Motors, told an agency on Sunday that the latest EU VI regulation has got technical features, “which can clean the air in Delhi. These vehicles drive like a hoover…the air they suck in is far dirtier than the air which comes out of it,” Speth was quoted in a report.
Noting that he was an engineer, he said the Supreme Court order imposing a temporary ban on the sale of luxury diesel cars in the NCR had nothing to do with technology.
Referring to Speth’s comments that JLR was producing Euro VI cars without explaining how they worked in India, as the fuel here is high in sulphur (which would have destroyed the emissions control systems), Anumita Roy Chowdhury, CSE’s executive director, said: “This is a most ..

War of words over diesel cars in NCR

February 24, 2016: As bike makers launch high-capacity vehicles in India, leading lubricants firm Shell has launched a product to meet the needs of these motorcycles. Shell Advance Ultra 15W-50 has been launched in the domestic market by the multinational. 
The lubricant, which is being sold at Rs1,051 for a one-litre container, will be available with retailers and motorcycle workshops across India and will also be sold through the Amazon India website. 
“The heavy bike segment has witnessed an upward trend in the country,” remarked Nitin Prasad, managing director, Shell Lubricants India. “With India developing into a potential hub for premium super bikes, there is a great opportunity for a lubricant brand like Shell to bring technological expertise to this segment.” 
The company has used its patented PurePlus technology which transforms natural gas into a crystal-clear base oil providing active cleansing. The technology provides better wear protection, cleaner moving parts, and ...

Shell launches lubricants for high-capacity bikes 

 The Mobilio-based compact SUV, Honda BR-V might be showcased at the upcoming 2016 Indian Auto Expo, which will be held in Greater noida from 5th to 9th of February. The car will rival the likes of Hyundai Creta, Maruti S-Cross, Renault Duster, Nissan Terrano and others.The compact SUV features a complete aesthetic revamp as compared to the MPV, which spawned it. On the outside, BR-V flaunts projector headlamps, DRLs, diamond cut alloys and a completely redesigned front fascia.The same story continues on the inside. Inside the cabin of  BR-V, one gets creature comforts like a touchscreen infotainment system, automatic climate control, rear AC vents, foldable third row seats, rear parking camera and electrically controlled wing mirrors, etc.Under the hood, one might get engine options that will include a 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine, which will produce 120PS of power output @6600rpm and 145Nm of peak torque @4600rpm. The petrol mill will go head-to-head with the one seen in Creta and 

Honda BR-V Might Make Its Way to 2016 Indian Auto Expo

German automaker Volkswagen had used a 'defeat device' in its cars in India, similar to the ones used in the US, to cheat on emission norms, heavy industries minister Anant Geete, told Business Standard.
"ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) conducted checks on cars produced at Volkswagen's factory and the cars met the norms," said the minister on the sidelines of the Make in India Week in Mumbai. "But when these were checked on the road, their emissions were nine times higher. We approached Volkswagen with these facts and pointed out that they had fitted a device that gives a directive to the engine on how should it be run - whether on a test run or not. Volkswagen agreed that they fitted their cars with this device."
But the company denied the claim, with a spokesperson asserting that India-made cars were not equipped with the 'defeat device.'
Earlier this month Jurgen Stackmann, board member for sales and marketing, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, apologised for wrongdoings ..

Volkswagen fitted \'defeat\' device in Indian cars: minister Anant Geete

From April next year, two-wheelers in India will have to have a headlight that will light up the instant the engine is turned on.
According to a government notification, all new two-wheelers manufactured in the country from next year should have a provision of automatic headlamp on (AHO) like Daytime Running Lamps found on cars.
With the AHO system in place, two-wheelers won't have a switch to turn the headlight off as it would be automatic. Earlier, the Supreme Court-appointed committee on road safety had also pushed the proposal considering the fact that AHO has been found beneficial in reducing crashes involving two-wheelers in many parts of the world. This has been a feature in European countries since 2003.
In 2014, India recorded as many as 32,524 fatal road crashes involving two-wheelers alone. 
According to automobile experts, the AHO system helped improve the visibility of and for two-wheelers during day, at dawn and dusk. This visibility can be further enhanced by optimising 

Two-wheelers in India to have permanently lit headlights from April 2017

Tata-owned Jaguar Land Rover will launch its most economical offering, the XE sedan on February 3rd, at the upcoming Delhi Auto Expo. Bookings for the same have also started throughout the company’s dealership network across India.Upon launch, the XE will be available in 2 petrol variants, both four-cylinder and turbocharged, albeit in different states on tune i.e 200 PS with 320 Nm and 240 PS with 340 Nm of peak torque.Rohit Suri, President, Jaguar Land Rover India Ltd (JLRIL), said, “The All-New Jaguar XE displays levels of innovation never seen before in this segment. Coming from an impeccable lineage of extraordinary Jaguar sports saloons, we are confident that XE’s thrilling performance and dynamic design will set a new standard for excellence and will be a game changer in the segment. The launch of All-New Jaguar XE in petrol in February this year will flag-off our journey to enter into a new territory and mark a significant milestone in the expansion of Jaguar’s product ...

Jaguar XE to launch on February 3rd; Bookings open

Yamaha India has decided to discontinue the carburetted version of its ever-popular FZ-S and Fazer motorcycles, along with its scooter, the Ray.
The company has chosen to stop the production of FZ-S and Fazer 150cc motorcycles and the Ray scooter, which were launched as updated models in 2014 in the form of the fuel-injected version 2.0.
The Yamaha FZ-S streetbike, one of the most popular among the three, was its highest selling motorcycle in the Indian market. But with the launch of FZ-S Version 2.0, it was inevitable that the carburetted version would be discontinued. 
The version 2.0 motorcycles feature a new version of the original FZ’s 153cc single-cylinder motor, which is built around Yamaha’s BlueCore philosophy that the company claims is to maximise fun without compromising efficiency. 
However, the base model in the FZ family, the FZ16, which is basically the first one of these which Yamaha had launched back in 2008, is now the only non-fuel injected of these still on sale in 

Yamaha discontinues FZ-S, Fazer and Ray models

 Jeep’s halo product, the Cherokee SRT might make its way to the 2016 Indian Auto Expo, which will be held from 5th to 9th of next month. The American automaker recently revealed that the souped-up Cherokee will eventually be launched in India. They did so by showcasing the sports SUV on its official website for the country, alongside rest of the lineup, which includes the standard Grand Cherokee and Wrangler. The flagship SUV will feature a high displacement engine and a plethora of gadgets, which will make their way inside the engine bay and the cabin of the car, respectively.Under the hood, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT will boast of a 6.4-liter HEMI engine, which is capable of generating 475bhp of power output and 644Nm of peak torque. The enormous amount of power will be transferred to all four wheels and the powerplants will come coupled to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, which will help it achieve a 0-100kmph acceleration time of under 5 seconds.In terms of the overall layout, the .

Cherokee SRT Might be Coming to 2016 Indian Auto Expo

The Chennai municipal corporation is undertaking a survey, through a consultancy, to rationalise the use of parking space and prevent haphazard parking on its roads.
According to a newspaper report, JLL, India's largest professional services firm specialising in real estate, is undertaking the survey to identify prospective parking space across the metropolis.
"The idea of the survey is to get area-wise details on the parking demand, type of vehicles and duration of parking," the report quoted A. Shankar, national director, strategic consulting, JLL. "This will help the civic body come up with a parking policy to tackle parking woes in the city."
Shankar had, about 18 months ago, authored a report on 'Managing parking issues with automated parking solutions.' "International case studies prove that providing innovative solutions to parking problems and introducing mass transit systems do a lot more than just solve traffic problems," he had said. "Such solutions also result in increased 

Chennai municipal corporation plans to tackle parking woes

The Karnataka Transport department, which is already considering a proposal to implement Delhi's 'odd-even' experiment in Bengaluru to decongest traffic and curb pollution, is contemplating introduction of electric rickshaws (e-rickshaws) in the state’s capital.
The transport department has sent a proposal to the government seeking its nod to issue licences allowing operations of e-rickshaws. The e-rickshaws would cost anywhere between Rs. 95,000 and Rs 1.25 lakh each. Powered by a 2000 watt motor, the e-rickshaw achieves a maximum speed of 25 kmph, which could be a major concern. 
The e-rickshaws have been successfully plying in New Delhi for some time now, with an estimated two lakh on the roads. It has also seen a significant presence in the streets of West Bengal, Tripura and some parts of Uttar Pradesh. 
E-rickshaws had gone off the roads in New Delhi in 2014 after the Delhi High Court banned them for safety concerns. However, they made their way back after Parliament passed the .

E-rickshaws could soon make way into Bengaluru roads 

 Hyundai India is mulling to add yet another SUV in its portfolio very soon. The Sports Utility Vehicle segment is flourishing at an incredible pace like never before. With the increase in purchasing power, more and more people nowadays are preferring to flaunt an SUV, especially that are compact in size and loaded with lots of goodies.Hyundai has witnessed magnificent growth in the compact SUV segment. After the grand success of Hyundai Creta, the carmaker is planning to launch the popular Tucson SUV in the Indian market. According to a report, Hyundai Tucson will be launched at the upcoming Auto Expo 2016 and fill the gap between Creta and Santa Fe, which is very huge. The new Tucson was unveiled at the last year’s Geneva Motor Show and is a very popular car in the European market. In fact, it will be a re-launch in the Indian market as it use to be sold in the country 5 years back.The new 2016 Tucson is a mid-sized SUV flaunting a brand new design philosophy, posing a far better ...

Hyundai Tucson to be Revealed at Auto Expo 2016

February 24, 2016: Chevrolet has slashed prices for its Cruze model. The revision in pricing for the face-lifted Cruze comes within a month of the model’s launch in January.  
The model’s prices have been slashed by up to Rs. 86,000 for the top-spec LTZ automatic model. The prices for the face-lifted Cruze now start at Rs. 13.95 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), Rs. 73,000 less than its price at the time of launch, and go right up to Rs. 16.95 lakh for the top-automatic variant.
Chevrolet's executive sedan now comes with a small makeover, which is a lead-up to the introduction of the next-gen model due next year. A minor cosmetic upgrade with the introduction of the MyLink touchscreen infotainment system enables the face-lifted Cruze to compete better against its newer rivals.  
The revision in prices means that the face-lifted Cruze significantly undercuts the pricing of its rivals with the top-spec automatic Cruze, now priced at Rs 16.95 lakh – making it Rs 4.78 lakh more affordable than ..

Price of face-lifted Chevrolet Cruze slashed

About 125 vintage cars will feature in the sixth edition of the 21 Gun Salute International Vintage Car Rally to be held in the national capital on February 7.
Madan Mohan, managing director, 21 Gun Salute, said on Thursday that the rally would be flagged off from Delhi's Red Fort and will culminate at the Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida. 'Save the Girl Child' is the theme of the rally this year.
Mohan revealed there would be a curtain raiser to the main event on January 31, with 35 classic cars parading in Gurgaon. These would include the Jaguar XK 120, Pontiac Convertible, Rolls Royce Boat Tail Convertible, Jaguar Mark 5, Austin Princess and 1939 Mercedes Benz. 
The organisers have received 10 entries from the UK, France and Germany. The event will showcase cars manufactured between 1886 and 1965.

125 vintage cars to take part in Delhi-Greater Noida rally on Feb 7

 Bajaj Qute RE60, the first four-wheeler from homegrown automaker has been in development and testing phase for quite some time. Now once again the new RE60 quadricycle has been spotted being tested and this time in Jaipur, Rajasthan. This indicates that the launch of the vehicle is near. Although, the vehicle was unveiled globally in September, its official launch is still pending in India. The exclusive pictures show the four-wheeler in full flesh. Bajaj RE60 will be launched in multiple colour options as the spy shots indicate. Though as per the shots, we can as of yet, only see blue and red coloured vehicles running on the roads. A yellow colored Qute was also spied earlier.Bajaj Qute will be sold initially in 16 overseas markets, with Turkey being the first market to receive the quadricycle. The vehicle is being locally produced and is the first indigenously made quadricycle to comply with strict European Quadricycle norms and having received certification from European WVTA ...

Bajaj Qute RE60 Spied Testing once again: Launch Near

Volkswagen has released teaser pics of its upcoming compact SUV.  This new compact SUV concept will be showcased at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. This vehicle is likely to come into production.

Volkswagen New Compact SUV teaser released

MotorOctane

Petrol price goes down, diesel increases because of international price
As the international crude prices are changing, petrol price is reduced by INR 3. 02 per litre, while diesel price sees a hike of INR 1.47 for a litre.

Petrol price slashes by INR 3 02 litre  diesel soars by

Ever since word broke out on Bugatti working towards a successor for its Veyron hypercar, the auto-world had turned upside down.  Following up on something as unique as the Veyron was always going to be a task, but Bugatti seemed up for the challenge.

Bugatti s flagship   Chiron to have 470 km h top speed

Heavyweights roll in

The India Bike Week in Goa is a celebration of the joy of biking

Business Standard

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