Auto

The company had sold 11,850 units in the corresponding month a year ago, Ashok Leyland said in a regulatory filing.

This week in Auto: Fancy a Hero MotoCorp car or three-wheeler?

Here is a complete look at what made headlines during the week

Economic Survey: COVID-19 forces auto sector out of country’s top 10 exporters’ list

India exports 17-20 percent of its automobile production with Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East among top export destinations

Suzuki teases all-new Hayabusa; global unveil scheduled for February 5

If the teaser tells us this much, it is that the Hayabusa retains most of its trademark silhouette along with a similar headlamp unit.

Renault unveils Kiger | All you need to know about the SUV

French carmaker Renault has taken the sheets off the Kiger which also marks its world debut. This is the first sub 4 -meter compact SUV from Renault.

Renault unveils production-spec Kiger SUV

The Kiger retains the overall silhouette of the concept SUV. Same goes for the winged front grille, the flared wheel arches and the split headlamp. The roofline, too, slopes downward towards the rear in a very coupe-esque fashion just like the concept.

BMW Motorrad India hikes prices of four motorcycles

The BMW G 310 R and G 310 GS get price revisions of a mild Rs 5,000 bringing their prices up to Rs 2.5 lakh and 2.9 lakh ex-showroom respectively. The F 900 R gets a Rs 90,000 hike sitting at Rs 10.8 lakh.

Aprilia SXR 160 review: The scooter goes beyond looks

Aprilia’s scooters have been known for their good looks and not for the ride quality, but the makers have finally made some amends. Our reviewer finds out if the ride is worth the price.

Honda begins export to left hand drive countries to boost India business

The company has begun export of 5th generation Honda City sedan with the dispatch of initial batch to the Middle East countries from the Pipavav port in Gujarat and Ennore port in Chennai, Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) said in a statement.

Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS launched in India; gets a whole generation change for the new year

The Triumph Speed Triple 1200 has been built from the ground up and while it replaces the Speed Triple 1050, the two bikes share very few features.

Auto sector going through long-term structural slowdown: SIAM

The auto industry has been facing headwinds even before the COVID-19 pandemic derailed the entire sector last year, a research conducted by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has revealed.

Auto companies roll back salary cuts, reward employees with pay hikes

The sharp rebound in sales from July saw companies untie their purse strings to reward employees. While some stuck to their annual increment cycle with a Covid-induced delay of about a quarter, others have already started with a second round of pay hikes, effective from the upcoming financial year. Here’s what Hyundai, Bajaj Auto, JK Tyre and Ceat are doing

Jaguar Land Rover appoints creative chief to board as it redefines strategy

New Jaguar Land Rover CEO Thierry Bollore faces a number of challenges including electrification, managing underutilisation of its plants, among others.

FCA India drives in new version of Jeep Compass with price starting at Rs 16.99 lakh

The company said its dealerships will commence customer test drives and deliveries of the new Jeep Compass from February 2, 2021.

Nissan delivers 720 Magnite SUVs to celebrate India's 72nd Republic Day

Since its launch in December 2020, Nissan has managed to garner over 35,000 bookings and over 1.5 lakh enquiries.

In Pics: Tata Safari details, engine, unveil, competition

The Tata Safari will be launched commercially into the market in the coming weeks and will be the first seven seater SUV after the Safari Storme

Hyundai to bring N performance brand to India by mid-2021

Similar to Ford’s RS and Volkswagen’s GTI, the N performance cars signify Hyundai’s take on their normal street cars pumped up for more fun and better performance.

Green tax may push up truck rentals, hit used heavy vehicle prices

Transport vehicles older than eight years could be charged green cess at the time of renewal of fitness certificate

BMW working on all-electric M-performance car based on upcoming i4

The i4 is yet to be unveiled, but some details about the electric car are available. The i4 M is not expected to be a full-fledged M-performance car, but rather an ‘M-Lite’, much like the M340i.

Clash of the titans: Bajaj Auto, Hero MotoCorp square up for 2021 battle

Both companies ready slew of launches that will take place at regular intervals over the coming quarters as they vie for a bigger slice of India’s two-wheeler pie

This week in Auto: COVID-19 vaccine transport takes centre stage

Here is what made headlines in the auto space during the week

From Volkswagen Vento to Jaguar XF facelift, these are the most-awaited sedans of 2021

2021 promises to be an eventful year for the auto industry, even in India. We already got news that Tesla has confirmed its entry into India and Citroen is all set to mark its entry with the C5 Aircross. There is a host of other beautiful launches lined up.

Daimler & Motherson launch customised refrigerated truck to transport COVID-19 vaccine

The purpose-built truck can store vaccines up to a maximum of negative 20 degree which can be monitored at all stages of the delivery process

Bajaj Chetak bookings to be extended to 24 more cities in FY22

Bajaj’s plans to throw open bookings in more cities had to be deferred because of the disruption in supply of battery cells due to the pandemic. So far, bookings and deliveries have only been taking place in Bengaluru and Pune

Hero MotoCorp crosses 100-million milestone in cumulative production

Incorporated on January 19, 1984, Hero MotoCorp achieved its first one million cumulative production milestone in 1994 and went on to cross 50 million units in 2013 and 75 million units in 2017.

Bajaj Auto warns of further price increase as input costs continue to soar

The Pune-based manufacturer of Pulsar and KTM range of bikes has seen costs rise by 2-4 percent since November led by a jump in the price of raw materials like steel and metals

Cabinet approves closure of Scooters India: Sources

The Scooters India brand name shall be sold separately as the company holds famous brands such as Lambretta, Vijai Super, Vikram and Lambro, shared an official. The company produces several types of three-wheelers under the Vikram brand.

Uniform tax rate of 18% on all vehicles will help, says Gurpratap Boparai, MD, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India

The Union Budget 2021-22 can prove to be a turning point for the Auto Industry by committing to some relief in the de-facto- taxation faced by the sector today.

With factories running full, Ceat hikes FY22 capex by 40%

Ceat has inventory levels of less than one month despite all its plants running at full capacity. The company will use the increase in capex to add more capacity at its factories and address the sustained surge in demand since the lockdown was eased

Mercedes-Benz GLC 300d review: A fast looking big SUV

Of course, Mercedes-Benz isn’t the first one to showcase this party trick, but it does it do it really well and this showing we received with the GLC 300d Coupe.

Can Tesla ‘supercharge’ creaking India’s infrastructure?

Fast electric vehicles (EVs) need fast chargers. Will Elon Musk’s Tesla provide them in India?

Volkswagen finally working on a new-gen Polo for India

Volkswagen has already been working on a facelifted Polo for the global market. The India-spec Polo however could be different from the international variant.

Renault to downsize global production… but India gets a thumbs up

The French carmaker will bring down its global car production to 3.1 million by 2025 from the 4 million clocked in 2019. It will, however, optimise operations in India at a time when its foreign rivals have reduced their focus on the country sharply

Motherson Sumi subsidiary acquires majority stake in Turkish firm Plast Met Group

The proposed deal is expected to be closed within three months subject to receipt of necessary approvals and is expected to be EPS accretive.

Audi A4 review: A look at Audi's comeback plan

This is a major facelift, and not just some sticker-and-badge job – the engine is new, as are most of the body panels.

Explained | Why carmakers are worried about shortage of semiconductors and other questions answered

While carmaker claim to have reached localisation, semiconductors are some of the crucial parts going in a car that are not yet fully localised.

Audi A4 review: New features rev up company’s comeback game

The Audi A4 has its task cut out for it as competitors such as the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the long wheelbase BMW 3 Series, the Volvo S60 and the Jaguar XE are all vying for the loaded wallets of its target consumers.

This week in Auto: Here’s why Tesla's India entry should mean more than just flashy electric cars

Here is a wrap on what else made headlines in the auto space during the week

Luxury car market set to see up to 40 launches in 2021, 3 fully electric cars included

Some of these companies have also announced a price hike in the range of 2-5 percent across models to beat the cost pressures which has already come into effect

New launches, low interest rates drive up car demand in December

SIAM noted that the pandemic has pushed the entire automotive industry back by many years and the priority will be to regain the peaks seen in 2018 and 2019.

Renault hikes cost savings goal, eyes margin growth

In a wide-ranging strategy update under new Chief Executive Luca de Meo, the company said it would cut the number of vehicles produced, reducing its spending on research and development as a result, and simplify manufacturing processes.

Honda H’ness CB350 Review: This is not a Royal Enfield comparison

The Honda H’ness CB350 is a perfectly old-school motorcycle with bits of new-school thrown at it in a way you wouldn’t even realise.

CES 2021 | General Motors unveils flying Cadillac concept car

GM has shared very few details of the VTOL drone. What we do know is that it will be capable of carrying only one passenger at a time.

Take a look at the India-bound cars from Tesla

Here are the cars from Elon Musk’s electric vehicle giant that we can expect to see on our roads very soon.

Hyundai takes railway route to ship 125 vehicle units to Nepal

The train will reach the India-Nepal border at Nautanwa near the border town of Sonauli, from where the last-mile delivery will be through the roadways owing to the topography of Nepal, the auto major said in a statement.

Tata Motors unveils Altroz trim with turbocharged petrol engine, sales begin next week

The new trim comes with 1.2 litre bi-turbocharged petrol powertrain which produces 110 PS of power helping the model cross 0-100 km/hr in less than 12 seconds.

Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra cuts over half of North America workforce

The sources did not give a figure for the number of jobs lost at the business, which had over 500 employees in early 2020, according to its website.

Why Tesla chose to set up shop in Bengaluru

Karnataka’s capital is also the EV capital of the country, with many companies already having R&D units in the city thanks to its huge talent pool. Proactive policies by the State’s governments in setting up an EV ecosystem may have also helped tilt the scales in favour of Bengaluru

Tractor volumes hit all-time high in a pandemic year

Sales within India closed at 802,670 units in 2020, 11 percent higher than 2019 volumes and 1 percent more than the previous all-time record, set in 2018. All this in a year that also witnessed the lowest monthly tractor sales total in recent history — 12,000 units in April 2020 — due to the nationwide lockdown. That makes the full-year achievement all the more creditable