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India Auto News Tuesday, 15 Dec. 2009 |
National - VW India starts production of Polo; targets 10 per cent market share by 2015- JLR may return to profit by FY 2010-11; job cuts expected at sales points - Honda two-wheelers may set up second Indian facility outside Haryana - Fiat India hoping to double sales - VW to bring Bugatti to India in 2010 - Bajaj Auto plans 'sporty scooters' for the future - Maruti to launch dual-fuel engines for existing models - Court directs insurance companies to pay for pillion riders too - Ashok Leyland to set up new plant in Uttarakhand |
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VW India starts production of Polo; targets 10 per cent market share by 2015
German auto company Volkswagen started the production of its small car, Polo, in India this week. The five-seater hatchback is being produced at VW India's plant at Chakan, near Pune and will come in both petrol and diesel variants. In the coming years, the company is also planning to launch another volume-generating small car, positioned below the Polo. It hopes to increase its market share in India to 10 per cent by the year 2015.
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JLR may return to profit by FY 2010-11; job cuts expected at sales points
Tata Motors-owned British car brands
Jaguar and Land Rover are expected to reach operating profit levels within an year. The company's Chief Financial Officer, Mr C Ramakrishnan, said that a whole new set of initiatives was being launched to bring down its break-even point to 60-65 per cent. JLR's long term strategy includes measures to bring down material costs and designing expenses, and increasing employee productivity. It will also restructure its sales companies, which may lead to a loss of jobs.
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Honda two-wheelers may set up second Indian facility outside Haryana
Two-wheeler company Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) is planning to set up its second plant in India outside Haryana, following continual labour protests at its Manesar facility. The company wants to increase its production capacity beyond 15 lakh units. In addition to setting up a new production unit, it will also expand its Manesar plant. Mr Shinji Aoyama, HMSI President and CEO, told mediapersons that the new plant should ideally come up in north India, as the company already has a fully developed supplier base and logistics set-up in the region.
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Fiat India hoping to double sales
Fiat India is expecting to end the current calendar year with a sales figure of approximately 23,000 units. Fiat India CEO, Mr Rajeev Kapoor, told mediapersons that the company is hoping to double its sales next year, to almost 50,000 units. By 2011, it expects its sales to touch 70,000 units. The company will not be showcasing any new models at the Delhi Auto Expo next month, but will display several new variants of its existing cars.
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VW to bring Bugatti to India in 2010
Volkswagen AG may introduce luxury car brand Bugatti in India in the middle of 2010. The Bugatti Veyron can touch a top speed of 400 km/hr and is expected to be priced between Rs 5 crore and Rs 12 crore in India. However, Mr Kurt Rippolz, the head of communication at VW India, said that it was up to every independent brand to decide on its India strategy, and refused to confirm Bugatti's entry into the country.
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Bajaj Auto plans 'sporty scooters' for the future
Bajaj Auto MD, Mr Rajiv Bajaj, said this week that the company was planning to start manufacturing 'sporty scooters' which would be completely different from existing scooters in their looks and styling. The company made this statement right after announcing its exit from the scooter segment. Bajaj also said that a designer from BMW, who had been hired to design the company's motorcycles, may also be asked to do the same for its sporty scooters. To be priced higher that Bajaj Auto's older scooter models, the new scooters will come with a modern, trendy look.
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Maruti to launch dual-fuel engines for existing models
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) will be introducing dual-fuel engines for several of its existing models in the country, within a month. The new engines will allow car owners to use both compressed natural gas (CNG) and petrol to power their vehicles. Maruti is using a new technology to inject CNG in these engines from multiple points, which will improve the given vehicle's power and pick-up. The multiple point fuel injection (MPFI) technology is currently used only in petrol engines.
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Court directs insurance companies to pay for pillion riders too
The Delhi High Court recently gave a ruling that in case of road accidents, insurance companies must also compensate pillion riders of motorcycles and passengers of cars, apart from those driving the vehicles. The new policy was formulated by Justice JR Midha, following an appeal by Yash Pal Luthra who lost his son to a motorcycle accident. The High Court reversed the ruling of the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal (MACT) which had agreed that the insurance company was not responsible for the pillion rider.
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Ashok Leyland to set up new plant in Uttarakhand
Commercial vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland will be commissioning a new production plant in Uttarakhand in the middle of January 2010. The plant, built at an investment of Rs 1,100 crore, will have an initial production capacity of 50,000 units per year, taking up the company's total capacity to 150,000 units. The company expects to produce 2,000 vehicles at the facility in the fourth quarter of FY 2009-10, and 20,000 to 30,000 units in the next financial year. The plant will be used to manufacture heavy-duty vehicles such as those with multi-axles.
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NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES - Auto News Roundup, 11-December-2009 - Auto News Roundup, 08-December-2009 |
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