Maruti Suzuki records highest ever monthly sales, crosses 1 lakh units

NEW DELHI, June 1: Country’s largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India today reported its highest monthly sales ever at 1,02,175 units in May, registering a 28 per cent jump from same period last year.

For the first time the company has crossed one lakh units in monthly sales, Maruti Suzuki India said in a statement.

Sales for the same month last year were at 79,872 units.

“This is the highest-ever monthly sales for the company. We are trying to beat the usual cycle of low-selling months in the period following the Union budget and before the advent of the monsoon,” said MSI Executive Officer (Marketing and Sales) Mayank Pareek.

He said April to June is usually associated with low sales growth and demand picks up only with the start of the festive season in September-October.

May sales have bettered the company’s previous record of 96,650 units in February this year.

MSI posted its best figure so far for domestic sales at 90,041 units, a 27.20 per cent increase from 70,785 units in May 2009.

Mr. Pareek said big cities contributed substantially to sales in May.

“Earlier sales in the top cities usually used to be less. However, in May, the big towns contributed very robustly with the top ten cities registering growth of 25-26 per cent in sales,” he said.

Rural markets saw an increase of 16-17 per cent in monthly sales in May, Mr. Pareek added.

“There has been a renewal of buying among the city people. The end of recession has made the big companies start their hiring process once again and so money has come into the hands of the customers who are now buying cars,” Mr. Pareek said.

MSI’s exports in May surged by 33.53 per cent to 12,134 units from 9,087 units in the year-ago period, the company added.

In a reversal of the trend for the past several months, sales of the company’s once bread-and-butter model M800 rose 9.50 per cent to 2,558 units compared to 2,336 units in May 2009, the statement said.

Sales of the iconic model has been falling since quite some time.

The A2 segment (comprising Alto, WagonR, Estilo, Swift, A—Star and Ritz) witnessed 16.60 per cent growth, its best ever for a month, at 62,679 units compared to 53,760 units in the same month a year ago.

Mr. Pareek said the company’s best-selling model Alto registered its highest ever monthly sales in May with deliveries crossing 25,000 units.

A3 segment sales (consisting of SX4 and DZiRE) increased by 60.47 per cent to 10,883 units compared to 6,782 units in the corresponding period a year ago, the company said.

MSI’s total passenger car sales rose 26.35 per cent at 89,073 in May against 70,497 units in the same month in 2009, it added.

Asked about the prospect in the coming months, Mr. Pareek said: “There is still some concern over the coming monsoon. Last year, the monsoon was a spoiler but this year we expect it to be normal. A lot would depend on the monsoon.”

M&M buys majority stake in Reva

NEW DELHI, May 26: Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) has bought a majority stake in electric car company, Reva. The commercial vehicle major would now hold 55.2% in Reva via the stake sale and fresh equity infusion.

M&M would invest USD 10 million in the electric car major and would rename the company as Mahindra Reva Electric.

Pawan Goenka, president of M&M’s automotive and farm equipment sector would be the Chairman of the renamed company.

Tata Indigo e-CS launched as the most fuel efficient sedan in India

NEW DELHI, May 21: Tata Motors has launched its new entry-level sedan, the Indigo e-CS. A successor to the novel idea of a compact sedan based on the Indigo platform - the Indigo CS - the new car has been launched with a new claim to fame.

The e-CS is being projected as the most fuel efficient sedan in India, with an ARAI certified fuel efficiency figure of 23.03 kmpl out of the new 1.4-litre common rail diesel engine. The car will also be available with 1.2-litre petrol engine. Both the new engines are BSIV complaint and hence can be used around the country, including the 13 major cities which recently shifted to the new emission regulations.

The new car also comes with refreshed exteriors including a new grille, body coloured bumpers, chrome inserts on rub rails and indicators on the rear view mirrors. On the inside, the Indigo e-CS has borrowed a lot from the Indigo XL, including the new centre console and the steering wheel. Other features that will add value to the new car are Bluetooth enabled music system and electric controls for the rear view mirrors.

The new car has been launched at a competitive price point of Rs 5.13 lakh ex-showroom Delhi for the frugal diesel version, while the 1.2-litre petrol variant has been priced at a cut-throat point of Rs 4.07 lakh. The car will be available with an unlimited run warranty of 18 months, and will be sold through 230 Tata Motors dealerships across India.

Mahindra to buy out Renault's stake in Logan JV

NEW DELHI, April 16: Mahindra & Mahindra and Renault on Friday said they have restructured their joint venture for making the sedan Logan in India, following which the Indian firm will buy out its French partner for an undisclosed sum.

M&M will buy out Renault's 49 per cent stake in Mahindra Renault Pvt Ltd, thus becoming a 100 per cent subsidiary, the two companies said in a joint statement.

Renault will continue to support M&M and Logan through a licence agreement and supply key components, including engine and transmission, the statement said.

"Renault is fully committed to the success of Logan in India...We will continue to extend support to Mahindra to help in gain market share," Renault executive vice-president Katsumi Nakamura said.

The Renault name and logo will continue to be used till the end of this year, it said.

After 18 months, the car will be renamed and will sport only the Mahindra logo it added.

"The new agreement between Mahindra and Renault will give us the opportunity to chart out a new strategy to help drive the Logan brand in India, which will also include engineering changes, keeping in with customer requirements," M&M president automotive Pawan Goenka said.

M&M and Renault had decided to join forces in 2005 to produce and commercialise the Logan with an investment of Rs 700 crores, producing 50,000 units per annum at M&M's Nashik plant.

While Mahindra held 51 per cent in the JV, Renault owned the rest 49 per cent.

The JV had also envisaged a seven-seater multi purpose vehicle besides the sedan Logan, but was later shelved due to unfavourable response to a market research.

VW launches variants of Passat, Jetta

MUMBAI, March 31: Volkswagen on Wednesday launched two new versions of the Passat and the Jetta.

The Passat TSI 1.8 litre TSI is priced at Rs.19.20 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), while the Jetta 2.0 litre diesel Comfortline is priced at Rs.15.92 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

The TSI petrol engine for the Passat is known for maximum power and minimum fuel consumption and is a pioneering technology for petrol engines. The Passat 1.8 L TSI gives 12.69 km a litre while the Jetta 2.0 diesel gives 19.53 km a litre.

Volkswagen Group Sales India Pvt. Ltd. Member of the Board and Director (Volkswagen Passenger Cars) Neeraj Garg told The Hindu, “Over the last 1-1.5 years, we have been introducing products with the latest technological developments and over the period have, in fact, introduced eight products.''

Volkswagen now offers the two versions assembled in Aurangabad and the new Beetle, the SUV Touareg and the Polo. The Beetle and Touareg are imported as completely built units (CBUs), the Jetta and the Passat have only single digit localisation but the Polo, which is made out of the new factory in Chakan near Pune, has about 50 per cent localisation.

“We are aware about the cost benefits of localisation but are in no hurry to increase the localisation content and we will do so only when we are certain about the quality standards. We prefer a gradual approach,'' said Mr. Garg.

Volkswagen sold 2,342 Jettas and 615 Passats in calendar 2009 and 572 Jettas and 123 Passats in January and February 2010. According to Mr. Garg, the company will look to maintain or slightly improve on these figures. The company is banking on the Polo to deliver volumes. “We are now looking to consolidate our position with the Polo and gradually introduce newer technology in the higher segments.''

Mercedes Benz A Class ready to take Indian roads

NEW DELHI, March 30: Mercedes Benz, the makers of luxury cars from Germany are seriously thinking of launching their hatchback A Class in Indian market in a couple of years from now. India is seen as a huge car market for the small segment and Mercedes Benz is really optimistic about the launch of A Class here. With Mercedes decision to bring the A Class to the Indian market, it goes to show that India is not only a hub for cheap-small cars but also has a room and demand for premium hatches.

The luxury car makers Mercedes Benz India have a strong relationship in the Indian market. It was not only the first luxury carmaker to enter India in a full-fledged way but has played a key role in establishing the luxury car market here in India. However there have been similar plans by the company since a decade but Mercedes seemed to be in doubts regarding the demand for such a high end small car and thought whether there would be any takers for such an expensive small car in Indian market.

But this time Mercedes seem positive and confident and Peter Trettin, President and CEO of Daimler, Central and Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia said, “This (A Class) will be lower priced in line with competition.” It will be the entry level product after C Class in the Mercedes Benz portfolio. But the Indian market will not be surprised if the starting price of A Class Mercedes Benz would be between 16-20 lakh.

Mercedes Benz A Class was introduced in the year 1997 and is sold in many parts of the world as a sub-compact car. It boasts of a wide range of features such as, Automatic climate control, Engine immobilizer, ABS with BAS, ESP) Electronic Stability Programme) with Acceleration skid control (ASR) and dual air bags and side bags. It offers a wide range of engine variations like 1.5 liter and 1.7 liter petrol engines and a 2.0 liter diesel engine.

Could this mean that Mercedes is referring to BMW or the MINI brand? Even BWM stated that the introduction of 1-Series or MINI range in India was not justified by the demand but never have ruled out the possibility of launching them in India in the future.

Honda Accord in India at base price Rs. 18.5 lac and super luxury features

NEW DELHI, March 12: Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. the leading car manufactures in India launched its latest version of Flagship sedan Accord 3.5L V6 in India. The beauty got unveiled on Thursday, March 11, 2010. The new Honda Accord 3.6L V6 is priced at Rs.26, 15,000 (ex showroom price in Delhi) with starting model of Honda Accord available at price of Rs. 18.5 lacs.

Honda Accord V6 3.5 L will be available in two variations Accord V6 3.5 and Accord V6 3.5 Aspire. Honda Accord has unique features and specifications like front, side and rear under-spoilers which is its show-stopper feature.

Honda Accord V6 3.5L will be available in four colors: Alabaster Silver, Crystal Black Pearl, Bold Beige Metallic and Tafetta White. Honda Accord V6 3.5 is priced at Rs. 24.80 lakh and Honda Accord V6 3.5 Inspire for Rs. 25.35 lakh. ex-Delhi.

Honda Accord’s V6 3.5L i- VTEC engine comes with 275PS thus making it company’s most powerful Accord ever built. The Honda Accord engine features an advanced Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) that can easily switch between six, four and three cylinder combustion thereby delivers maximum power of 275 PS while on 6 cylinders thus making it ‘the beast’ on the road.

Honda Accord also gives amazing fuel economy in VCM mode. New Honda Accord has Honda’s advanced 2.4 litre i-VTEC engine which gives it more than 8 per cent better fuel efficiency over outgoing Honda Accord. The HOnda Accord petrol variant has mileage of 11.5 km/l in test conditions.

The driving experience provided by this Honda Accord is at par with the performance by any other luxury vehicle from higher segments. The enhanced exterior styling and an Electric Sunroof gives is an added luxury making heads turn and a guaranteed second look on the road.

Honda Accord has introduced Electric Sunroof to its V6 to give an impressive panoramic touch and an amazing feel to its fans. The Indian car enthusiasts will welcome this feature in the Honda Accord V6 which is largely based on the customer’s feedback. The company takes pride in valuing its customer’s feedback by introducing this amazing new feature.

Honda Accord has gone a step further to enhance style and improve the visibility to see controls during night by introducing Ambient Light and Footlight to their new baby, the Honda Accord V6. The car also features two sets of keyless entry for more convenience.

The new Accord has provisions for Mobile phone with Bluetooth interface. The car promises to deliver ultimate performance for its customers who seek maximum power and thrill.

Renault takes on Nano, promises ‘cheapest car’

NEW DELHI, Nov 11: The Renault-Nissan combine and its Indian partner Bajaj Auto Ltd will roll out an ultra low-cost car in 2012 that will cost less than Tata Motor’s Nano, the world’s cheapest car. The proposed car — codenamed ULC — will also consume less fuel than any other four-wheeler on the Indian road, said Carlos Ghosn, president and chief executive of both the French and Japanese carmakers.

The success of the car is crucial to Renault-Nissan, which commands 10 per cent of the global market but accounts for only 1 per cent cars sold in India.

“This is a market that’s going to be one of the largest, and we want to make sure that whatever we do, we do it right,” Ghosn said.
He predicted the Indian market could grow more than four times to 6 million in 10 years.

The design, manufacturing and sourcing for the ULC would be done by Bajaj Auto, while marketing of the car in India and overseas would be handled by Renault-Nissan, Ghosn said.

Car sales jump 34 p.c., bikes up 14 p.c. in October

NEW DELHI, Nov 11: Domestic passenger car sales have recorded 33.88 per cent increase at 1,32,615 units in October from 99,052 units in the same month last year.

According to the figures released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) today, motorcycle sales in the country during the month was also up 14.22 per cent at 6,11,828 units from 5,35,642 units in the corresponding month last year.

Total two-wheeler sales in October grew by 10.61 per cent to 7,50,229 units compared to 6,78,245 units in the same period in 2008.

Sale of commercial vehicles was up for the fourth consecutive month, rising by a healthy 51.90 per cent in October to 42,562 units from 28,019 units in the year-ago period, SIAM said.

Total sales of vehicles across all categories increased by 15.62 per cent to 10,00,760 units in October, against 8,65,566 units in the same month last year, it added.

Toyota to unveil Prius in India

TOKYO, Oct 21: Toyota will be unveiling its Prius hybrid for sale in India at the 2010 Auto Expo in Delhi next January, according to Kazuo Okamoto, vice chairman of the Toyota Motor Corporation. He said that the Prius will mark a gradual ramp up for Toyota in India.

The Prius is the world's best known and also best selling hybrid passenger car and the version Toyota intends to sell in the country would be the latest generation model which was launched as recently as May 2009 in Japan and has also been a raging hit in this eco-conscious motoring mad nation.

"Contrary to what many think, Toyota has been gradually consolidating its operations in India and this might have meant fewer model introductions to date," said Okamoto. "However, from now on we will not be found wanting for new models and the pace of our step-by-step approach will be far quicker," he added.

The Prius hybrid is but one of a handful of stars destined to shine on the Indian autoscape which will grace Toyota's Auto Expo stand. The Japanese numero uno hopes to also unveil a concept version of its Global Small Car (code-named EFC800L) which will be made at Toyota Kirloskar Motor Ltds new plant at Bidadi near Bangalore from December 2010. This car will compete in the same segment which is seeing intense action with the likes of the Suzuki Swift and Ritz ranged against the Fiat Grande Puntos and the Tata Indica Vista, the Hyundai i20s and the Honda Jazz plus the range of high profile newcomers expected in the form of the Nissan Micra / March, the Volkswagen Polo and the Ford Figo.

So bullish is Toyota about its India plans that Okamoto had no qualms in admitting his company had taken a bit more time than the others."To the outside world it may look like we have been running behind time but this is the same strategy we have used all over the world and it has paid off and we will definitely catch-up with everyone."

The Japanese car maker today sells about 52,000 units a year in India, made up mostly by the Innova which contributes about 41,000 units, the Corolla Altis which adds in another 10,000 units and the rest made up of the Camry. By the next year the Frotuner would have added another 8- to 10,000 units per year but that yet falls short of TKMLs ambitions to be a volume player. The new small car will be the high volume product with which ambitions to be a volume player. The new small car will be the high volume product with which TKMLs annual volumes would go to about 150,000 units per year from 2011.

The new compact car, will be made in India first and then delivered from here elsewhere to other markets. Another variant of the same with a different spec engine would also be made at Toyotas Brazilian plant. The Indian version would have the best in class cabin space and occupant comfort stated Yoshinori Noritake, chief project engineer for the EFC800L and it would be built to the same exacting quality standards Toyota automobiles are renowned for. To begin with thee would be a 1.2-litre gasoline engine powering the car but an all new 1.4-litre diesel is presently under development and this would also find its way under the bonnet of this hatchback.

There would also be a sedan version of the EFC800L following within six months to a year of the launch of the compact and the heartening bit of news is that TKML hopes to localise the new product to the tune of almost 70% at the time of launch. "We have a strict cost target to meet and without devaluing our quality we needed the time to perfect this product," said Noritake.

First set of UID numbers by 2010

HYDERABAD, Oct 21: The first set of 16-digit unique identification numbers for citizens of the country will roll out by August or December 2010, said Nandan Nilekani, chairman, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

He said States could prepare their data in about six months for blending with the unique identification numbers (UID) programme, launched as a social security card to serve all purposes as in the U.S. Centres would be opened for people to enrol and get their UID numbers.

Speaking to the media after meeting Chief Minister K. Rosaiah and interacting with Chief Secretary P. Ramakanth Reddy here on Wednesday, Mr. Nilekani said initially the programme would not be mandatory for the States but they would start accepting it once the leakages began coming down.

He said the programme would be implemented in Andhra Pradesh on a pilot basis as the State had emerged as a role model in using information technology. He cited how the government had covered 5 crore of the 8 crore population with ration cards, disbursed pensions to 7 million and implemented the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act, all using biometric technology, as examples. A regional office of the UIDAI would be established at Hyderabad.

The UID programme would not exclude the identity cards already issued by State governments but would take care to avoid duplication. He declined to indicate the cost of the project saying it was too early to do so.

Honda launches new variant of City sedan

NEW DELHI, Sept 15: Honda Siel Cars India today launched a new variant of its mid-sized sedan, Honda City, which is priced between Rs 8.37 lakh and Rs 10.24 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), aiming to cash in on the upcoming festival season. The latest variant, called the V-grade Honda City, comes with new features such as five spoke alloy Wheels, new front fog lamps, chrome door handles, sporty exhaust finisher and front and rear mud guards.

It will be available both in manual and automatic transmissions. "With the recently launched Honda Jazz, the refreshed new Honda Civic and now this V-Grade Honda City, we have a whole new line-up for all our customers to choose from," Honda Siel Cars India President and CEO Masahiro Takedagawa said.

The car is powered by a 1.5L four-cylinder petrol engine. The new Honda City has been launched as part of the ''Great Honda Fest'' promotion ahead of the festival season, the company said.

Since the launch of the new-generation Honda City a year ago, the company has sold nearly 38,000 units.

Honda launches new Civic

NEW DELHI, Sept 8: Japanese auto major Honda on Tuesday launched the upgraded version of its luxury sedan Civic and announced plans to export engine components from its Indian subsidiary to meet the growing demand of small cars in Japan.

The new Honda Civic, with improved interiors and upgraded exteriors, comes in three variants, and is priced between Rs. 11.80 lakh and Rs. 13.44 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The refurbished sedan comes with 1.8 litre i-VTEC petrol engine, delivering powerful performance and superior fuel economy (15.5 km a litre under test conditions). It is E10 compatible and has Euro IV emission levels.

Honda Siel Cars India President and CEO Masahiro Takedagawa said: “The new Civic is a segment-defining product both in terms of looks and performance”.

Japanese auto majors seek tax benefits for fuel efficiency, safety

NEW DELHI: Japanese car makers Toyota and Honda Motors have asked the Indian government to change the criteria of classifying a car as 'small' which attracts lower taxes in the country. The two automakers have said fuel efficiency, emission norms and passenger safety should be used to classify a car as small to avail of lower excise benefits rather than the length of the vehicle.

The opinion of these global car makers has now divided the Indian automobile industry, which under the banner of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has been demanding that length should define a small car rather than the engine size. SIAM has maintained that fuel and engine capacity should not be included in the definition of a small car.

Toyota, the world's largest car maker, which has announced fresh investment of Rs 3,800 crore last year to make India its small car global manufacturing hub, has asked for change in the existing policy.

In a presentation to the Prime Minister's principal secretary TKA Nair, TMC senior managing director and member of the board Akira Okabe said: "Our basic philosophy is start small and grow big. We are looking at the small car to grow volumes in India and the criteria of 4-metres of vehicle length should be removed from the 'small car' definition."

Under the government policy, a small car with 4-metre length along with 1,200-cc petrol or 1,500-cc diesel engine attracts a lower 8% excise duty against 20% duty and Rs 15,000 additional levy in case of all other cars made in India.

Toyota is looking at a new second plant near Bangalore to make small cars, which would roll out in the domestic market in early 2011. It also plans to make India its export hub for the proposed global small car project and export cars by 2012. In the first phase of production, the company would roll out 70,000 units annually.

On the same lines, Honda Motor which operates in India through a joint-venture, Honda Siel Cars India (HSCI) has sought to make fuel efficiency and automotive safety as the sole criteria for small cars in India.

"Ideally there should not be any regulation on the length of the car in India as any good car will be based on performance and global safety standards. We are launching a new small car in 2011-12, which will confirm to the Indian government's current small car definition, but following global automotive standards would help India emerge as a real hub to make cars for the global markets."

Besides, altering the small car definition, both Japanese companies, which are global leader in the hybrid car technology have also asked the government to incentivise sales of hybrid vehicles in the country by rationalising the tax structure on such green cars and combat emission problems.

Car sales jump 25.59 pc, bikes up 25.94 pc in Aug

NEW DELHI, sept 8: The domestic auto industry posted a robust over 24 percent jump in August sales, fuelling hopes of an even better performance in the coming festival season.

According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the industry sold 10,08,702 units in August as against 8,11,341 units in the same month last year.

Passenger car sales continued to grow for the seventh straight month for August, up 25.59 percent while sales for motorcycles soared by 25.94 percent for the same month, SIAM said.

In terms of units sold, domestic passenger car sales rose to 1,20,669 from 96,082 units in the same month last year, while bikes increased to 6,11,173 units against 4,85,270 units in the corresponding month a year ago.

"During the last few months, sales were consistently growing. Of course, in last month it was fueled by some stock build-up at the dealer level for the anticipated festive demand," SIAM Senior Director Sugato Sen told reporters at New Delhi on Tuesday.

The low-base effect during the same period last year also had a positive impact on sales, he added.

Asked about the expected demand in the festive season, Sen said: "Government has announced that the last installment of the pay commission (revision) will be released, this will help people to fund their purchases... Also lot of activities in the infrastructure sector are going on... The growth trend is expected to continue."

Toyota aims to capture 50% marketshare

KOLKATA, Aug 31: Toyota Kirloskar Motor hopes to gain a marketshare of 50 per cent in the mid-sized Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) by December, 2009 with its range Fortuner.

"The bookings for Fortuner have already crossed 2,500 and if we can sell 2,000 units till December, we can gain a share of 50 per cent in mid-size SUV market,'' Toyota Kirloskar DGM, Mr Sanjay Gupta, said here on Monday while speaking at the launch of th e car.

Globally, Fortuner has already been sold over 2.5 lakh units in more than 60 countries since its launch in 2005. Mr Gupta said it was not yet finalised if all the bookings of Fortuner would be delivered by December.

However, the company would deliver sufficient quantity till December to enable it to cross 50 per cent marketshare. "The SUV market in India has witnessed extensive growth with launches in mid and premium SUV segment. We expect that the launch of the Fo rtuner will expand the mid SUV market in India,'' Mr Gupta said. The localisation level of Fortuner is 30 per cent and is priced close to Rs 18.5 lakh.

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