Page 3 - Automobile Makers

Strong order book to help Lamborghini see steady growth in India: Official

Super luxury car maker Automobili Lamborghini on Wednesday said a strong order book and product portfolio in India will help it register consistent growth in the domestic market. Automobili Lamborghini, which launched its first plug-in hybrid super sports car Revuelto with V12 engine at a starting price of Rs 8.89 crore (ex-showroom) on Wednesday, said almost all its cars to be delivered in India 2024 onwards will be hybrid. "Lamborghini order bank, or the product portfolio in India, is strong... that will allow us to have a constant growth in the market," Automobili Lamborghini Region Director for Asia Pacific, Francesco Scardaoni told PTI in an interaction. He said India is one of the fastest-growing markets for Lamborghini, and it is witnessing a strong demand from the country. "The new Revuelto sets the stage for an era of super sports car evolution in the hybridisation phase," he said. In response to a query on the company's growth prospects in 2024, "first of course we have

IOC starts producing 'reference' petrol, diesel for testing automobiles

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has begun producing specialised 'reference' petrol and diesel, which are used for testing automobiles, for the first time in India, sources said. These fuels, which have higher specifications, are critical for calibrating and testing by automobile manufacturers and testing agencies like the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) and the Automotive Research Association of India. For decades, India relied on imports to meet the demand for these specialised fuels. But now, IOC has indigenously developed products that will replace imports, ensuring a reliable supply at a much lower cost for vehicle manufacturers and testing agencies, sources said. Fuel retailers like IOC sell petrol and diesel of primarily two kinds - regular and premium, through their fuel station network. The biggest difference between the normal and premium fuel lies in the octane number. The regular fuel boasts an octane number of 87, but premium fuel has an octane number

Diesel vehicles will not yet be out totally: Siam president Vinod Aggarwal

Lots of discussions happen between industry and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. For example, now discussions are happening on ethanol blending; and on LNG availability, says Aggarwal

Indian auto electronics market estimated to touch $70 billion by 2032

Safety controls have the highest demand in the country, accounting for 49% of total demand in 2022 followed by power electronics at 32%

Hyundai Motor August sales grow 15% YoY, total dispatches at 71,435 units

Hyundai Motor India on Friday said its wholesales increased by 15 per cent year-on-year to 71,435 units in August. The automaker had dispatched 62,210 units to its dealers in August last year. Domestic sales rose 9 per cent to 53,830 units last month, from 49, 510 units in the year-ago period, the South Korean automaker said in a statement. Exports increased 39 per cent to 17,605 units last month from 12, 700 units in August 2022, it added. "The company's sales number of 71,435 units is a key indicator of an ever-growing acceptance of our products in both domestic and export markets," Hyundai Motor India COO Tarun Garg noted. The festival season in India has kicked off on a positive note with strong Onam sales in Kerala market and this is an indication of the festive fervour in other parts of the country in the coming months, he added. Demand for SUVs in the company's portfolio remains robust, contributing more than 60 per cent to domestic wholesales in August, Garg said.

No plan to reopen PLI application window for automobile sector: Govt

There is no plan to reopen the application window for companies under the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for the automobile sector, Parliament was informed on Friday. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Heavy Industries Krishan Pal Gurjar said that the ministry is implementing two PLI schemes - automobile and auto components, and advanced chemistry cell (ACC) battery storage. "In PLI auto, there is no plan to reopen the application window. As regards PLI ACC, a total (of) 50 GWh ACC manufacturing was allocated to four successful bidders in March 2022 through RFP/ bidding process," he said. Subsequently, one of the awardee bidders was disqualified for violation of the terms and conditions of the RFP/ bid document and 20 GWh ACC capacity became spare. After that, the Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS) recommended to re-allocate the 20 GWh ACC capacity through fresh bidding. The ministry has published a SoP (standard operating procedure) for the PL

Toyota introduces Rumion, looks to bolster presence in MPV segment

Toyota Kirloskar Motor on Thursday introduced an all-new model Rumion in the country as it looks to further strengthen its position in the robustly growing domestic multi purpose vehicle (MPV) segment. The seven-seater model comes with a 1.5-litre petrol engine mated with a five-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmissions. It also features a CNG trim. Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) said the prices and booking date of the model will be announced in due course of time. It, however, noted that the vehicle be available from the early festive season in dealerships for deliveries. "At Toyota, we believe in going beyond delivering world-class vehicles. Our deep-rooted culture is to offer products and services that create exceptional value and offer peace of mind to our loyal customers. The all-new Toyota Rumion embraces this ethos," TKM Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Masakazu Yoshimura said in a statement. As a brand, that is deeply committed to the Indian market and

Kia India receives record 13,424 first-day bookings for new Seltos

Kia India on Saturday said it has received record 13,424 bookings for the updated version of Seltos on the first day of commencing the bookings. Out of these, 1,973 bookings were done using the K-Code which was a special programme to expand the Seltos community by giving existing Seltos owners special access to unlock high-priority delivery for the new potential buyers, the automaker said in a statement. The bookings for the new Kia Seltos commenced on July 14. "We are confident that the new Seltos will reinvent and grow the mid-SUV segment further. Whether its design language, segment-first, and segment-best features, Seltos continues to set newer benchmarks for the industry," Kia India Managing Director and CEO Tae-Jin Park said. Building upon the tremendous success of the K-Code initiative, the automaker is actively exploring the possibility of extending this programme to future launches as well, he added.

Confused over UV definition, car companies await govt notification on cess

Some UVs which to date are paying 20% compensation cess under the old definition, will pay 22% once notification comes. But it isn't clear which UVs will be impacted

Audi India posts 97% jump in sales at 3,474 units in first half of 2023

German luxury car manufacturer Audi on Monday reported a 97 per cent jump in retail sales in India at 3,474 units in the first half of 2023, as compared to the same period last year. The company had sold 1,765 units in the January to June period in 2022, Audi India said in a statement. "Our performance in the first half of the year, despite supply challenges and rising input costs has laid the foundation for a successful second half of the year," Audi India Head Balbir Singh Dhillon said. He further said, "our volume models Audi Q3, Audi Q3 Sportback, Audi Q5, Audi A4 and Audi A6 are seeing strong demand. Our top-of-the-line cars Audi Q7, Audi Q8, Audi A8 L, Audi S5 Sportback, Audi RS5 Sportback, Audi RS Q8 and Audi RS e-tron GT are also growing in healthy numbers." The company said its pre-owned car business 'Audi Approved: plus' grew by 53 per cent in the first six months of 2023 and will continue to expand it further in the country. "Currently operating with 23 Audi Approved: p

India produces 27 mn vehicles, valued at $108-bn in FY23: Report

The Indian automobile industry produced a whopping 2.7 crore vehicles across segments and types, worth around USD 108-billion (Rs 8.7-lakh crore) in FY23, with passenger vehicle segment accounting for 57 per cent at Rs 5-lakh crore in the total value, a report said on Wednesday. Also, in the total 2.7 lakh crore vehicles churned out last fiscal, the commercial vehicle segment, which includes small 4-wheel carrier with less than 2-ton capacity to large tractor trailers and specialty vehicles like tippers, share stood at 10-lakh vehicles, generating a value of Rs 1.7-lakh crore, management consulting services firm Primus Partners said in its report. The CV segment accounted for 4 per cent in the total volume and 19 per cent in value terms, it said. According to Primus Partners, the production of two-wheelers is closely matched by China, with 20-million two-wheelers coming out of the manufacturing facilities in the country, accounting for 77 per cent of the volume share. The overall .

EV push, pent-up demand: Why auto exports fell in April amid healthy sales?

According to experts, it may take some time for auto exports to touch 2016 peak numbers

Toyota Kirloskar Motor vehicle sales surges 175% to 12,835 units in January

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) on Wednesday reported a 175 per cent growth in vehicle sales at 12,835 units in January. The company had sold 7,328 units in the year-ago period, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said in a statement. "Even with a month-on-month strong growth of 175 per cent, we anticipate customer demand to gain further momentum in this year," Atul Sood, vice president, sales and strategic marketing at TKM, said. The carmaker had announced opening of bookings for its Hilux and the Innova Crysta models besides announcing the prices of the CNG variants of its Urban Cruiser Hyryder. The company has commenced dispatches of its Hycross SUV and is making efforts to meet the growing demand for the vehicle in the country, he said and added that its Urban Cruiser Hyryder also continues to witness healthy demand. In addition to this, the company's flagship models -- Camry, Fortuner, Legender and Vellfire -- also continue to garner good orders, he added.

Weak exports remain an overhang in the near term for Bajaj Auto

Strong realisations helped the company beat estimates in Q3

Auto firms have foot on price pedal, even as commodity costs tail off

Between March 31 last year and January 13 this year, the prices of raw materials such as Aluminium, Copper and Tin have decreased at the London Metal Exchange

Wheels India starts exports of wheels with advanced flow form technology

The company said the flow form technology involves the application of pressure to the inner barrel of the wheel while spinning and after it has been casted

Adishwar introduces Benelli Bikes, launches new model of Keeway Superbike

Hyderabad-based Adishwar Auto Ride India (AARI) on Wednesday introduced the Italian bicycle brand Benelli Bike in India and also launched Superbike Keeway SR250 at Auto Expo 2023

Auto Expo returns after 3 years; some prominent firms to skip event

India's flagship motor show Auto Expo returns this week after three years having been hit by the pandemic, albeit some of the major manufacturers staying away from the event. The likes of Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata Motors, Kia India, Toyota Kirloskar and MG Motor India will lead the traditional automakers at the show at Greater Noida that will witness five global launches and 75 product launches and unveils. Yet, others such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Skoda, Volkswagen and Nissan along with luxury car makers like Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi will be conspicuous by their absence in the biennial show that was originally scheduled to be held in 2022 but was postponed to this year due to Covid-19. Also, the visibility of main two-wheeler makers such as Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor Co will be restricted to their displays of flex fuel prototype vehicles at the Ethanol pavilion. Nevertheless, this edition of the Auto Expo, which kicks off with press days on January 11-12 ...

Profitability focus to drive gains for Mahindra CIE Automotive

The company is selling its loss-making German CV forging business

Maruti Suzuki expects sales of vehicles with auto gear to rise in 2023

With increasing congestion across cities in India, Maruti Suzuki India expects sales of its vehicles with auto gear shift to pick up further next year, according to company Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales Shashank Srivastava. The company had introduced the auto gear shift (AGS) technology that relieves drivers from manually changing gears using the clutch, for the first time in 2013-14 on its hatchback Celerio. It has cumulatively sold 7.74 lakh units of such vehicles across its portfolio so far. "After we introduced AGS, slowly we have expanded it in so many of our models. We do believe that with increased congestion, especially in urban areas, AGS is a further addition to the ease of driving. So we believe technology will pick up even further," Srivastava told PTI. The company has nine models -- Celerio, Alto K10, WagonR, Dzire, Ignis, Swift, Brezza, S-Presso and Baleno -- which come with the AGS option. In terms of AGS penetration, he said, "It varies between 12 per