Page 23 - Automobile Industry

Will continue to expand SUV offerings to recover mkt share in India: Suzuki

Japanese car maker Suzuki Motor Corporation on Monday said it will continue to expand SUV portfolio in India to recover its overall market share in the passenger vehicle segment. The company, which currently has around 58 per cent stake in Maruti Suzuki India, said its net sales increased by 732.6 billion yen (15.8 per cent) year-on-year to 5,374.3 billion yen for the last financial year. Operating profit increased by 115 billion yen (32.8 per cent) YoY to 465.6 billion yen. "We will continue to promote the expansion of our SUV models (in India) and aim to recover our total passenger car share," Suzuki Motor Corporation said in a statement. Currently, Maruti Suzuki sells SUV (sport utility vehicle) models like Brezza, Jimny and Grand Vitara in the domestic market. The company's market share has come down to around 42 per cent from over 50 per cent a couple of years back in the domestic passenger vehicle segment on account of limited options in the SUV segment. With the market dem

Hyundai ties up with Laxmi Group to begin Venue production in Nepal

Hyundai Motor India on Monday said it has commenced local assembly of its compact SUV Venue in Nepal in collaboration with Laxmi Group. The plant, the first automotive assembly facility in Nepal, has an annual installed capacity of 5,000 units. "Hyundai Venue will be the first locally assembled model to roll off the plant. I would like to convey my sincere congratulations to the people of Nepal for this achievement," Hyundai Motor India MD & CEO Unsoo Kim said in a statement. The company is grateful to Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and the Government of Nepal for their unwavering support for the facility, he added. "We look forward to more encouraging policies and incentives from the Nepal Government aimed at developing a conducive environment for local assembly," Kim said. Hyundai has partnered with Nepal-based Laxmi Group for the assembly plant. The Laxmi Group will manufacture and sell the cars in Nepal, in continued collaboration and support on products and ...

Honda commissions new R&D facility to accelerate electrification in India

Honda R&D (India), a unit of Honda Motor Co, on Thursday said it has commissioned a new R&D centre in Bengaluru to accelerate electrification in India. Honda has set a global target of achieving carbon neutrality in all its products and corporate activities by 2050. The company is working to make a wide range of its products carbon neutral in terms of their power sources. In the motorcycle business, Honda is aiming to achieve carbon neutrality for all its motorcycle products during the 2040s, Honda R&D (India) said in a statement. "Honda believes that in order to continue to be chosen by customers, the company needs not only respond to electrification trends, but also to create new value outside of the established framework and provide more attractive products and services," it added. The Solution R&D Centre, will incorporate advanced mobility technologies into electrified vehicle development more quickly, as well as work on software and connected services through ...

Maruti introduces Suzuki fourth gen Swift, prices start at Rs 6.49 lakh

Betting big on the entry-level segment, Maruti Suzuki India on Thursday said it will continue to "re-energise" the small car segment as the automaker expects the vertical to revive over the next few years, according to MD & CEO Hisashi Takeuchi. Speaking at the launch of the new generation Swift here, he noted that the automaker aims to cater to the diverse needs of customers as it aims to sell 40 lakh units by 2030-31. Takeuchi noted that the entry-level segment continues to be a high volume vertical accounting for around 28 per cent of the overall domestic passenger vehicle sales. "For us to maintain our leadership position, it is important to cater to diverse customer segments. The hatchback segment in India continues to be a high-volume segment, accounting for approximately 28 per cent of total passenger vehicle sales," Takeuchi said. Interestingly, the premium hatchback segment contributes nearly 60 per cent of total hatchback sales, he noted. "As a market leader, we took the

Auto retail sales up 27% in April, passenger vehicles make record

Two-wheeler segment grows strongest due to 'positive impact' of elections, says FADA

TVS Motor Q4 result: Net profit up 15% to Rs 387 cr, revenue jumps 25%

TVS Motor Q4 result: The company's revenue from operations jumped to Rs 10,042 crore in Q4FY24 compared with Rs 8,031 crore in the fourth quarter of FY23

US seeks info from Tesla on how it verified if autopilot recall worked

The agency said it will evaluate whether driver warnings are adequate, especially when a driver-monitoring camera is covered

Tesla's China manufactured electric vehicle sales decline 18% in April

The sharp slide contrasts with rising EV sales in the world's largest auto market, albeit at the slowest pace in a year in the first quarter, amid slowing demand and a ferocious price war

Tesla lays off more staff in software, engineering, service teams: Report

The EV maker has been under pressure from dropping sales and an intensifying price war among automakers as elevated interest rates have slowed the adoption of electric vehicles

Tesla vs Tesla: US carmaker sues Indian namesake for trademark infringement

During the hearing, the Indian company, Tesla Power India Pvt Ltd, argued its main business is to make "lead acid batteries" and it has no intention of making electric vehicles

Expect India to become 2nd largest market for Citroen in 5 years: CEO

French automaker Citroen expects India to become its second biggest market after home country in the next five years, for which it will accelerate network expansion besides introducing new products, company global CEO Thierry Koskas said on Thursday. The company will be incorporating learnings from the past few years of its presence in India to attract more consumers besides looking to rope in a brand ambassador to push the brand's visibility in India. "India is an important market for Citroen and in a few years, it will become the second biggest market for us after our home market France," Koskas told PTI here in an interview. At the moment, India is "probably in the top 10 markets for Citroen, more towards the 10th rather than upwards", he said, adding, "So, there is a lot of room for improvement, but I think it's absolutely possible." Asked by when Citroen expects India to become its second biggest market, he said, "To become the number two, I think it's absolutely doable in the

Musk fires Tesla EV charging team, blindsiding automobile manufacturers

General Motors, Ford and other automakers which struck deals last year to give customers access to the network said they are not changing their plans

Maruti Suzuki expects reincarnation of small car segment by 2026-end

Maruti Suzuki India expects a revival of the small car segment in the domestic market by 2026-end or 2027, after suffering from affordability issues and onslaught from SUVs, according to a senior company official. The small car segment, which had once dominated the Indian total passenger vehicles market, accounts for less than 30 per cent at present. The company is hopeful that the resurgence seen in the two-wheeler market, which has also witnessed decline since 2018-19, will have a positive impact on small car sales as well. "The SUV segment's contribution has gone up to 53.6 per cent of total (passenger vehicle) industry as a result of which the contribution of the small (car) segment has gone down a little bit further," Maruti Suzuki India Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales, Partho Banerjee said in a virtual interaction. There has been a "steep increase in the prices of hatchbacks" due to a variety of reasons, including regulations related to safety and emissions ...

Hyundai's India unit, Tata Motors post higher April sales, Eicher sales dip

The sales numbers are seen as a key indicator of private consumption in India. The auto sector has more than 50% weightage in calculating the country's economic growth

Toyota's April 2024 wholesales rise 32% to 20,949 units, exports at 1,794

Toyota Kirloskar Motor on Wednesday said its wholesales increased 32 per cent year on year to 20,494 units in April. The automaker had dispatched 15,510 units to its dealers in April 2023. The growth momentum was sustained despite a week-long maintenance shutdown from April 6 for upkeep of machinery and equipment to sustain operational efficiencies, productivity and safety, the company said in a statement. Last month, the company said its domestic sales accounted for 18,700 units while exports totalled to 1,794 units. "Our product strategy resonates the strong connect with the market thanks to the diversified portfolio," Toyota Kirloskar Motor Vice President, Sales-Service-Used Car Business Sabari Manohar said.

US to introduce mandatory emergency braking systems in new cars by 2029

The rule requires that systems detect pedestrians in both daylight and at night. Some small-volume manufacturers will be allowed to comply by September 2030

Statsguru: Record run for electric cars globally, lower pickup in India

The value-conscious nature of the Indian consumer is playing a role. The cost of ownership over the lifetime of the vehicle is significantly lower for electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers

Tesla's plan for affordable cars follows playbook of its Detroit rivals

Tesla said the change would allow the company to launch low-cost vehicles swiftly but would result in smaller cost reduction than had been expected and modest volume growth

Donald Petersen, CEO who pulled Ford out of 1980s crisis, dies at 97

Under Petersen, Ford's ad slogan became 'Quality is Job One'

VinFast chief plans to invest $1 bn more from his fortune in EV maker

Pham Nhat Vuong also said Vingroup was considering listing its hospitality unit Vinpearl this year