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India Auto News Thursday, 29 Apr. 2010 |
National - Mercedes-Benz sells 115 cars in Aurangabad in a day- Toyota Kirloskar replacing Fortuner brakes for free, says no safety risk - VW may sell re-modeled Maruti cars at a premium - Maruti Suzuki launches new version of WagonR - M&M may buy stake in Korean auto company - Tata Motors planning to develop a new 800cc car to be positioned above the Nano - Nissan starts Micra trial exports - BS-III norms to be introduced in October 2010 - Maruti posts 170 percent increase in net profit in Q4, 2009-10 - Audi India introduces limited edition Q7 - General Motors India to invest $50 million in Halol plant to produce LCVs - Reva to expand electric car business overseas International - Porsche recalls all 11,324 Panameras to correct seatbelt problem- Renault, Daimler, Nissan form alliance to develop small cars, LCVs - GM reports $4.3 billion net loss from July to December 2009 |
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Mercedes-Benz sells 115 cars in Aurangabad in a day
German luxury car maker, Mercedes-Benz, received 115 car bookings in Aurangabad in a single day, when a group of industrialists, lawyers, doctors and mediapersons decided to order the company's cars in bulk. The 'Aurangabad Group', which initially had only 15 members, sent a 7-member team to Mercedes to ask for lowered prices and benefits in consideration of the large number of bookings. A Pune-based Mercedes-Benz dealer said that the Group was finally given a good deal, which it accepted. The cars will be delivered in October 2010. |
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Toyota Kirloskar replacing Fortuner brakes for free, says no safety risk
Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has been replacing the brake-kits in its SUV, Fortuner, on a case-by-case basis. The company said that it was changing the brake-kits only for customers who had complained about braking problems, and that this was being done to 'give a better feeling of braking to the driver'. Mr Sandeep Singh, the Deputy Managing Director of TKM, said that there was no problem with the quality of braking in the Fortuner and that the company would not recall the vehicle as its brakes were 'perfectly fine'. |
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VW may sell re-modeled Maruti cars at a premium
German automaker Volkswagen, which bought a 20-percent stake in Suzuki Motor in December 2009, is reportedly planning to re-model Maruti Suzuki's small cars and sell them at a premium both in India and in international markets. VW may sell the WagonR and the Ritz under its own badge after modifying the cars' interiors. According to media reports, the company may also start sourcing components and engines from Maruti in the coming months. Officials from Maruti Suzuki and VW India refused to confirm the reports. |
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Maruti Suzuki launches new version of WagonR
Maruti Suzuki launched a new,
BS IV-compliant version of its small car WagonR on April 24, 2010. The car is powered by a 998cc K10B engine and delivers a fuel efficiency of 18.9 km/litre. Maruti has also increased the overall length of the car to 3,595 mm. Mr Mayank Pareek, MSIL Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales, told mediapersons that the company had invested Rs 290 crore in developing an improved platform for the new generation WagonR. The car's base variant is priced at Rs 3.35 lakh (ex-showroom, Bangalore). |
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M&M may buy stake in Korean auto company
Mahindra & Mahindra may buy a stake in Korean SUV-manufacturing company, SsangYong Motor Company (SMC), according to a report in the Korea Economic Daily. The report said that M&M had sent a letter to SMC recently, saying it was interested in buying controlling rights in the former. However, neither of the two companies confirmed the news. SMC, which manufactures SUVs and recreational vehicles, had said earlier in April 2010 that it would soon issue a stake sale announcement. |
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Tata Motors planning to develop a new 800cc car to be positioned above the Nano
Tata Motors may develop a new 800cc car to be positioned between the Nano and the Indica. According to media reports, the car is codenamed 'Dolphin', and is likely to be launched within the next 18 to 24 months. It is expected to be priced at approximately Rs 3.5 lakh, and will be placed in the lower A2 segment. Tata Motors officials refused to confirm the development, saying it was only market speculation. |
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Nissan starts Micra trial exports
Japanese auto company Nissan has started trial exports of its small car Micra from the Ennore Port in Chennai. The company sent the first batch of cars on trial basis to Barcelona, Spain, and will begin regular exports in the second half of 2010. Mr Kiminobu Tokuyama, the Managing Director of Nissan Motor India, said that the domestic production of the Micra would begin in May 2010, and that production for exports would start in July. |
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BS-III norms to be introduced in October 2010
The Indian Government has decided to defer the introduction of Bharat Stage III norms in the entire country, apart from 13 cities, to October 2010. While thirteen major cities switched to Bharat Stage IV norms on April 1, 2010, there was a question mark over when the remaining parts of the country would move to BS III norms. It has now been decided to introduce these norms in October 2010 in the entire country, instead of doing it in a phased manner, as was planned earlier. |
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Maruti posts 170 percent increase in net profit in Q4, 2009-10
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) reported an increase of 170 percent in its net profit in the January-March quarter of FY 2009-10. The company also reported its highest ever quarterly sales (287,422 units) in the same period. Mr Ajay Seth, Maruti's Chief Financial Officer, said that while the company's profit grew as a result of the low base last year, it was negatively impacted because of high input costs, upgradation to BS-IV norms and the investments made to launch new products. |
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Audi India introduces limited edition Q7
Audi India introduced a limited edition version of the diesel Q7.
Priced at Rs 58.68 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai), the special edition Q7 4.2 TDI is cheaper than its existing version by Rs 7.45 lakh. It has been launched to commemorate Audi's third anniversary in India. Audi India Managing Director, Mr Benoit Tiers, said that the Audi Q7 had set a high benchmark for luxury SUVs in India, and that its new diesel engine reflected the company's commitment to offering "the most progressive, sporty and sophisticated" products to its customers. |
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General Motors India to invest $50 million in Halol plant to produce LCVs
General Motors India will be investing $50 million at its plant in Halol, Gujarat, to produce Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) with Chinese partner Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC). The new range of products will be launched in 2011. Mr Karl Slym, President and MD of GM India, told mediapersons that the company would have to upgrade the existing facilities and equipment at its Halol plant to produce LCVs. The JV will also roll out passenger cars from GM's Talegaon plant by 2012. |
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Reva to expand electric car business overseas
Reva Electric Car Company (RECC) is in talks with several governments and private companies in Asia, Europe and the US to produce electric vehicles using capital raised in the partner countries. Under the franchise manufacturing model that it is planning to adopt, RECC will provide the technology for producing electric vehicles, while its partner in the given market will provide the funding. Mr R Chandramouli, President - Sales & Marketing, RECC, said that the model was attractive because it could reach the breakeven point relatively early. |
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Porsche recalls all 11,324 Panameras to correct seatbelt problem
Luxury sports-car manufacturer, Porsche,
is recalling all 11,324 units of its four-door, four-seater sports car, the Panamera, to correct a problem in the car's seatbelt. A company spokesperson said that while there had been no seatbelt-related accidents involving the Panamera so far, there was a possibility of the belt not functioning properly when adjusted in an extreme forward position. Precision Cars India, which imports Porsche cars to India, will also be recalling all the Panameras it has delivered in the country so far. |
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Renault, Daimler, Nissan form alliance to develop small cars, LCVs
Daimler AG and Renault-Nissan formed an alliance to cooperate in developing small cars and Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs). Under the new agreement, Renault-Nissan will supply powertrains to Daimler for its micro-cars and Mercedes-Benz's premium compact cars, while Daimler itself will supply engines to Nissan for its luxury division - the Infiniti. The component sharing between the companies will also extend to their LCV segments. |
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GM reports $4.3 billion net loss from July to December 2009
American automaker General Motors has reported a net loss of $4.3 billion in the six months following its emergence from bankruptcy protection in July 2009. GM Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell said that while the results for 2009 showed that the company still needed to do a lot of work, he believed that it could return to profitability in 2010. The company's net sales and revenues from July to December 2009 stood at $57.47 billion while its expenses amounted to $62.4 billion. |
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NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES - Auto News Roundup, 27-April-2010 - Auto News Roundup, 01-April-2010 |
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