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Category: Automotive

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Auto and Car news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Harley-Davidson LiveWire Unveiled In India

    Harley-Davidson LiveWire Unveiled In India

    Harley-Davidson has launched the American motorcycle manufacturer’s first electric motorcycle, the Harley-Davidson LiveWire in India. The LiveWire is the first model in a broad portfolio of electric motorcycles from Harley-Davidson and is priced at US$ 29,799 and will be available on sale at Harley-Davidson dealerships in the US, Canada and European countries. For now, Harley-Davidson India has just showcased the LiveWire in India, but it could well be launched in India, in a few years from now. If at all it’s launched, we expect the LiveWire to be priced at around ₹ 40-50 lakh in India.

    The LiveWire is powered by the all-electric Harley-Davidson Revelation powertrain which puts out 103.5 bhp of power and 116 Nm of instant torque. The LiveWire has claimed acceleration from 0 to 100 kmph in just 3 seconds and roll-on acceleration from 100 kmph to 129 kmph in 1.9 seconds. The electric powertrain requires no clutch and no gear shifting, so just a twist of the throttle is all that is required. There is regenerative braking as well, and the LiveWire produces a unique futuristic sound complementing the smooth electric power.

    The LiveWire is loaded with electronics, including cornering anti-lock braking system (ABS), cornering enhanced traction control system, rear wheel lift mitigation, as well as a drag-torque slip control system which manages rear wheel slip and prevent rear-wheel lock due to the regenerative braking. A 4.3-inch full-colour TFT touchscreen panel offers the rider controls to seven riding modes, including four pre-programmed modes – Road, Rain, Sport and Range. Additionally, there are three more fully customisable modes, where the power (maximum rate of acceleration), regeneration (braking effect when off-throttle), throttle response and traction control settings can be fully customised.

    The LiveWire has a cast aluminium rigid frame which is said to offer precise and responsive handling, and front and rear Showa suspension, with Showa Separate Function Front Fork Big Piston and a Showa balanced free rear cushion-lite monoshock rear is said to offer a comfortable ride and precise handling. Braking is handled by Brembo Monobloc front brake calipers gripping dual 300 mm diameter rotors on the front wheel. The LiveWire runs on 17-inch wheels shod with Michelin Scorcher Sport tyres with a 180 mm rear tyre width and 120 mm front tyre width. Riders can also use the H-D Connect service, together with the H-D App which will offer bike vitals, including battery charge, bike location, and a security system as well.

    The permanent magnet electric motor is located low on the LiveWire to lower the centre of gravity and aid in the motorcycle’s handling, despite its 249 kg kerb weight. The high-voltage 15.5 kWh lithium-ion battery has a claimed range of 225 km while ridden in the city, with 142 km of claimed range on the highway. Additionally, a small 12-volt lithium ion battery provides power for start-up and key fob recognition. Full charging time of the battery with a Level 1 on-board charger is 12 hours from a standard household power outlet, while a DC Fast Charger will fully charge the LiveWire in just 60 minutes. So far, there’s no word on if and when, the LiveWire will be commercially available in India. As things stand today, the fast charger cannot be used in India, and can only be used in European and other international markets.

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  • Ride-Hailing Firm Grab Plans Major Investment In Vietnam

    Ride-Hailing Firm Grab Plans Major Investment In Vietnam

    Singapore-based ride-hailing firm Grab is set to invest “several hundred million dollars” in Vietnam where the company sees its next major growth market, just weeks after it unveiled a $2 billion plan in Indonesia.

    The proposed investment is the latest example of a top-notch regional brand deepening its commitment to Vietnam, one of Asia’s fastest growing economies. It also shows the eagerness of Grab, which has raised billions of dollars from investors, to put its cash to work.

    “We’re very excited about Vietnam. We see very similar characteristics to Indonesia,” Grab President Ming Maa told Reuters in an interview.

    Grab and rival Indonesia-based Go-Jek are evolving from ride-hailing app operators to become one-stop shops for services as varied as payments, food delivery, logistics and hotel bookings in Southeast Asia.

    Grab, with its app on more than 160 million mobile devices across eight countries, has said its Indonesia investment aims to build a next-generation transport network and transform how critical services such as healthcare are delivered.

    Like Indonesia, many middle class and young consumers in Vietnam are using apps and websites to access services, Maa said.

    “I would expect us to invest over several hundred million dollars into growing our Vietnam business,” he said without giving specific details on the investment.

    Vietnam ranks third or fourth among Grab’s top markets, said Maa, who joined the company three years ago from its major investor, Japan’s Softbank Group Corp, and a previous decade-long stint at investment bank Goldman Sachs.

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  • Honda Develops New Front Airbag Technology

    Honda Develops New Front Airbag Technology

    The development and testing of the new airbag was led by engineers at Honda R&D Americas, Inc. in Ohio in partnership with Autoliv

    Jim Keller, President of Honda R&D Americas, Inc, said, “This new airbag technology represents Honda’s continuing effort to advance safety performance in a wider variety of crash scenarios and reflects the innovative thinking that our engineers are bringing to the challenge of reducing traffic injuries and fatalities.”

    Unlike conventional airbag systems that rely on a single inflatable compartment, the new system utilises four major components: three inflated compartments – a center chamber and two outward-projecting side chambers that create a wide base across the dash – along with a sail panel that stretches between the two side chambers at their outermost edge. Operating something like a baseball catcher’s mitt, the sail panel catches and decelerates the occupant’s head while also engaging the side chambers, pulling them inward to cradle and protect the head, mitigating the potential for injury.

    It is particularly beneficial in angled frontal impacts in which lateral collision forces can cause an occupant’s head

    Honda also is working to develop and deploy advanced passive safety and active safety systems that can reduce the severity of a collision or help avoid it entirely. In addition to passive safety systems such as airbags, seatbelts and advanced crash safety structures like the company’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure, Honda is aggressively deploying its Honda Sensing and AcuraWatch suites of safety and driver-assistive systems. The company has committed to making this broad suite of technologies standard on nearly all of its vehicles by 2022.

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  • China’s Car Wreckage Cries Out For Consolidation

    China’s Car Wreckage Cries Out For Consolidation

    Chinese carmakers are involved in a slow-motion wreck. Falling sales hit Geely Automobile Holdings and Great Wall Motor harder in the first half than rivals partnered with foreign marques. Both companies have started seeking JVs, too. A better route to recovery would be industry consolidation, and soon.

    Domestic manufacturers are getting crunched from every direction. The withdrawal of government incentives last year caused customers to accelerate their purchases. Geely, whose parent company owns Volvo, blamed new emissions standards for its aggressive price cuts, and by extension a 40% fall in profit through the end of June. The bottom line at $9 billion SUV maker Great Wall shrank 60% for similar reasons. Beijing is also now slashing subsidies for electric vehicles, putting even more pressure on margins.

    Some sympathy might be expected from the central government, which considers autos a “pillar” industry. Yet Beijing is also aware the country has far too many car companies, and that too many of them rely too heavily on shared revenue from overseas JVs, which has crippled their export competitiveness. Sales of BMW models, for example, made up 90% of revenue at $5 billion Brilliance China Automotive, whose profit fell just 9% in the first half; Guangzhou-based GAC relies on its relationship with Toyota to compensate for slackening demand for its unfortunately named Trumpchi sedan.

    Local manufacturers are losing market share at home. It was down to 36% in July, after they ceded 3.9 percentage points from a year earlier. Even Geely and Great Wall, which had found some market traction for their own models, have started flirting with overseas rivals. The better ones, however, are mostly taken.

    Domestic mergers make more sense. Geely and Great Wall are up against mordant state-backed giants such as FAW, along with dozens of smaller rivals and hundreds of EV startups. Local officials stubbornly prop up weak manufacturers to preserve employment, which keeps them running but weak. The long-expected combination of FAW with Dongfeng and Changan, for example, has yet to happen. It’s time to start revving up these sorts of deals.

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  • Hyundai Group Unveils New Integrated E-Scooter For Last Mile Mobility On Future Vehicles

    Hyundai Group Unveils New Integrated E-Scooter For Last Mile Mobility On Future Vehicles

    Speaking on the new concept, DongJin Hyun, head of Hyundai Motor Group Robotics Team said, “This is the vehicle-mounted personal scooter which could be featured in future Hyundai Motor Group vehicles. We want to make our customers’ lives as easy and enjoyable as possible. Our personal electric scooter makes first- and last-mile commuting a joy while helping to reduce congestion and emissions in city centers.”

    Research data by global consultancy McKinsey & Company has released data suggesting that the last mile mobility market is expected to grow to $500 billion by 2030. The new integrated e-scooter is another step in that direction. The e-scooter is mounted on a vehicle and is automatically charged using the electricity generated when driving. A key change since the 2017’s concept has been the shift from front-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive that was essential for enhancing safety and stability as it positions weight near the rear. In addition, the engineers have added a suspension set-up to the front wheel for a smoother ride on rough surfaces.

    Hyundai’s integrated e-scooter features a 10.5 Ah lithium-ion battery, which enables a top speed of 20 kmph and can travel up to 20 km in a single charge. The scooter is light with a weight of 7.7 kg that makes it highly portable, while its tri-folding design makes it light and compact. The scooter also features a digital display that puts out a host of information including the speed and battery status. The e-scooter is also equipped with LED headlights and two taillights for enhanced visibility at night. Hyundai is also looking to introduce regenerative braking on the scooter to increase the range by seven percent.

  • Ford Names New President For China Joint Venture To Deepen Alliance Amid Falling Sales

    Ford Names New President For China Joint Venture To Deepen Alliance Amid Falling Sales

    Ford Motor Co on Thursday named Steven Armstrong president of the Changan Ford joint venture in China to deepen the alliance and push for more models, as the U.S. carmaker tries to stem a decline in sales in the world’s second largest economy. Sales of the joint venture with Chongqing-based Changan Automobile continued to decline in July. In the first seven months of this year, the venture’s sales dropped more than 60 per cent compared to the same period a year earlier.

    Ford’s overall sales dropped 37% in 2018 in the world’s top auto market, mainly due to a lack of new products. Over the next three years, it plans to launch more than 30 new models in China, of which over a third will be electric vehicles.

    The venture is also planning to revamp some of its existing manufacturing facilities to localise production of Ford’s premium brand Lincoln. This would have a planned annual capacity of 70,000 Corsair sport-utility vehicles including 12,000 plug-in hybrid variants, according to a document on Chongqing city authorities’ website.

    “Steve’s leadership will help us further strengthen the Changan Ford JV as we bring more new vehicles to the China market, including our first global all-electric small SUV,” Ford Chief Executive Officer Jim Hackett said.

    Armstrong, the current chairman of Ford Europe, will begin his new role on Oct. 1, and report to Ford China President and CEO Anning Chen. Armstrong replaces Nigel Harris, who will retire at the end of 2019 after more than three decades with the U.S. automaker.

    In China, Ford also makes cars through Jiangling Motors Corp Ltd (JMC) (000550.SZ) which it has a stake in. It has said it would partner with Zotye Automobile Co Ltd (000980.SZ) to sell lower priced cars, but there seems not much progress.

    According to U.S. consulting firm AlixPartners, 2018 capacity utilisation rates at China assembly plants operated by Ford were below 50%. Normally, rates of around 70-75% are considered the break-even threshold.

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  • Goodyear Unveils New Tyre Range For Cars And SUVs

    Goodyear Unveils New Tyre Range For Cars And SUVs

    Goodyear has unveiled its new tyre range- Assurance DuraPlus 2 and Wrangler AT SilentTrac for the Indian market. The Assurance DuraPlus 2 range is designed for small and mid-sized passenger cars while the Wrangler AT SilentTrac is developed for SUV and is suitable for off-roading and rough surfaces. The Assurance Duraplus 2 range has been developed using a strengthened TredLife Technology which is optimized for better fuel efficiency and lesser tyre noise. Goodyear is also claiming it to last for 110,000 km under ideal driving conditions.

    The Wrangler AT SilentTrac is designed to enhance the rugged character of an SUV along with offering a smooth ride. It uses the latest DuraWall technology that helps the tyre to resist cuts and tears which often cause damage to the tyres when off-roading. The shoulder blocks have also been improved compared to the previous range and the tread pattern have been designed to reduce the road noise.

    Commenting on the unveil of both products, Rajeev Anand, Chairman and Managing Director, Goodyear India said, “As a pioneer in tyre technology, Goodyear has always been at the forefront of innovation, and continues to push itself to offer a wide portfolio of new offerings that cater to different market segments. We constantly challenge ourselves to develop better products and empower our consumers with a superior driving experience”

    The Goodyear Assurance Duraplus 2 is available in 13-inch to 15-inch rim size makinf it ideal for hatchbacks and compact sedan while the Wrangler is AT SilentTrac is offered in 15-inch to 17-inch rim size, making it ideal for compact and mid-size SUVs.

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  • Porsche Invests In Israeli Road Visibility Startup TriEye

    Porsche Invests In Israeli Road Visibility Startup TriEye

    Israel’s TriEye, whose short-wave-infra-red sensing technology enables vision in adverse weather and night-time conditions, has expanded its funding round to $19 million with an investment from German sports car manufacturer Porsche. TriEye said on Wednesday the additional funds will be used for product development and operations as well as team growth.

    In May, TriEye announced early funding round, led by Intel Capital. Other investors in the round include Israeli businessman Marius Nacht and TriEye’s existing investor Grove Ventures. To date, TriEye has raised $22 million, including a seed investment of $3 million led by Grove Ventures in 2017.The company said its camera, whose initial samples are due to launch in 2020, is designed to save lives on the roads.

    Porsche Ventures said it seeks strategic investments in businesses relating to customer experience, mobility and digital lifestyle, as well as artificial intelligence, blockchain and virtual and augmented reality.

  • MG Motor Introduces Waiting Period Benefits For Its Existing Customers

    MG Motor Introduces Waiting Period Benefits For Its Existing Customers

    MG Motor has come out with an interesting and unique approach for those customers who have already booked the Hector but are waiting to get the delivery. It has started a new reward scheme under which it is giving 1000 points per week to its customers till the time they get their SUV delivered. The points can be redeemed to purchase MG’s range of accessories the company is offering on the Hector or can be spent on the prepaid maintenance package it had announced at the time of launch. However, the company has not clarified the value of these points in terms of Rupees which may vary.

    Commenting on the new initiative, Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director, MG Motor India said, “As part of our commitment to customer satisfaction, our ‘Worth Waiting For’ programme has been further augmented with a unique rewards initiative. Apart from driving the cause of girl child education, the rewards initiative brings delight to our HECTOR customers as they take deliveries.”

    The latest initiative is in succession to the IIMPACT NGO scheme MG had announced earlier according to which it would educate one girl child for every two weeks’ waiting period. MG Motor had stopped taking bookings for the Hector after it bagged 28,000 bookings. The company has said that it wants to prioritise the deliveries first for its existing customers and then proceed ahead with further bookings. On an average, there is a six month waiting period for MG Hector.

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  • Hyundai Teases Electric Concept For The 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show

    Hyundai Teases Electric Concept For The 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show

    We’ve already told you what Hyundai is bringing to the 2019 Frankfurt Motor show but the company has now teased a new model, and from the looks of it, it is another electric vehicle. The company says that this EV will focus on the future direction of the company’s car design and the inspiration from the past while also stepping into the future. The looks of the electric car in question is inspired by the brand’s first model in the 1970s. It’s called the 45 concept and yes, it’s an all-electric model. The company says that the 45 electric car concept will act as a milestone for Hyundai’s future EV design.

    The second electric vehicle will be the company’s first-ever electric racing car, which the carmaker claims will tease the future of motorsport. The new electric race car has been designed and built at the company’s headquarters in Alzenau, Germany by Hyundai Motorsport (HMSG). The company says that the car “will underline the company’s high-performance capabilities, green technology credentials and unwavering passion for motorsport.”

    The car will be unveiled on September 10, 2019 and will bring out the sensous and sporty design language that the company has been bringing in their cars lately. There are no technical details that have been released yet, but from the looks of it we’ll get a digital fascia. In addition to this showcase, Hyundai will debut the next-generation Hyundai Grand i10 (known as just i10 in Europe), and one more electric car.

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  • Kia Motors Receives Over 32,000 Bookings For Seltos Compact SUV

    Kia Motors Receives Over 32,000 Bookings For Seltos Compact SUV

    The Kia Seltos compact SUV has been launched in India, with prices starting at ₹ 9.69 lakh and going up to ₹ 15.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Kia has received over 32,000 bookings in India since it started taking bookings for the Seltos July 16, 2019 onwards. In fact, the company received more than 6,000 bookings on the first day itself. By the first week of August 2019, the number of bookings went up to 23,000 units. Kia says that over one-fifth of the bookings have been done online, from Kia’s website. The company has already manufactured over 5,000 units of the Seltos from its Anantpur facility in Andhra Pradesh! Kia’s production plan for the Seltos is set and the company will start the deliveries of the Seltos from today itself. Manohar Bhat, Head, Sales & Marketing, Kia Motors India, said that the company will not stop taking bookings for the Seltos. The Anantpur plant currently has production capacity of 300,000 units annually.

    There will be a total of 16 variants on offer with three engine options and two trims. The three engine options which are the 1.4-litre GDI turbo petrol, the naturally-aspirated 1.5-litre petrol, and 1.5-litre diesel engine will be conforming to Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) emission norms right from the beginning. All three motors will be BS-6 (Bharat Stage VI) complaint from the time of the launch. The 1.4-litre GDI turbo petrol motor is tuned to produce 138 bhp and 242 Nm of peak torque, and comes paired with a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed automatic transmission. The 1.5-litre NA petrol belts out 113 bhp and 144 Nm of peak torque, and is paired with a 6-speed manual and an IVT (Intelligent continuously variable transmission) automatic transmission. Lastly, the 1.5-litre VGT diesel produces 113 bhp and 250 Nm of torque, and is paired with a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission.

    The Seltos will also be equipped with the UVO (Your Voice) connected car tech that can be controlled via a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The SUV also gets an 8-speaker sound system by Bose, segment-first a 360-degree surround camera, an 8 inch heads up display, and a 7-inch colour TFT unit for the instrument console. Other features include – LED headlamps and fog lamps, rear reclining seats, ventilated seats, eight-way power-adjustable driver seat, wireless charging, electric sunroof, rain-sensing wipers and more.

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  • Kia To Start Second Shift At Anantapur Plant To Reduce Waiting Period

    Kia To Start Second Shift At Anantapur Plant To Reduce Waiting Period

    Kia Motor India has finally introduced the Seltos compact SUV in India and the all-new offering has been launched at a disruptive pricing of ₹ 9.69 lakh (ex-showroom). The company has already garnered over 32,000 bookings for the Kia Seltos in five weeks and the pricing, which undercuts all its rivals, is only going to fill the order books faster. The automaker has confirmed that the current waiting period stands at about six to eight weeks for the Seltos, and Kia plans to add a second shift at the Anantapur plant to meet the growing demand.

    Manohar Bhat, VP – Marketing and Sales, Kia Motor India confirmed the details on the growing demand for the Seltos SUV. The carmaker has about 5,000 models ready that have been dispatched to dealers, while the new shift is expected to churn out consistent volumes to meet the overwhelming number of bookings. Bhat also confirmed that it won’t stop bookings for the Seltos, taking a slight dig at MG, which has stopped accepting bookings for the Hector owing to the current demand.

    The Kia facility in Andhra Pradesh is spread over 536 acres and has an installed capacity of three lakh units per annum across three shifts. The Seltos is currently the only car to be produced at the facility and will largely cater to the domestic demand, while exports are also being planned from here to markets like South America, Africa and neighbouring countries.

    The Kia Seltos is a made-in-India, made-for-India model and has witnesses heavy localisation, which has prompted the competitive pricing on the SUV. The model is offered in a total of 16 variants across two petrol and one diesel engine options. There are two key trims – Tech Line and GT Line with four sub variants in each. Clearly, the manufacturer has put in a lot of thought of packaging different variants to meet the different customer requirements.

    Kia is currently operating out of 192 outlets spread across 160 cities in India. At least one out of five bookings for the Seltos was received online, and the manufacturer is anticipating consistent demand via the online booking platform, despite it being a novel form of booking vehicles in India. Kia’s online booking platform also helps prospective customers with financing options. Deliveries for the Kia Seltos start from today.

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  • Audi Hong Kong opens Drivers experiential centre

    Audi Hong Kong opens Drivers experiential centre

    Audi Hong Kong has opened an experiential retail concept store focusing on technology and lifestyle.

    The store, billed as the Audi Innovation Space, was unveiled earlier this year at Kowloon Tong’s Festival Walk. It uses digital technologies such as a VR experience to engage customers and offer new ways to experience the brand. The store supersedes the former Audi Kowloon Showroom in Tsim Sha Tsui, which was shuttered in June.

    Audi will roll out the new experiential store concept at its other Hong Kong locations, beginning with a new outlet at The Elements in Tsim Sha Tsui later this month.

    Audi’s exclusive distributor in the territory is Dah Chong Hong, which has provided sales and service on behalf of the brand for 20 years.

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  • 45% People Killed Due To Road Accidents In 2018 In Delhi Were Pedestrians

    45% People Killed Due To Road Accidents In 2018 In Delhi Were Pedestrians

    The Delhi Traffic Police released data of accidents in the capital city in 2018 and it shows that the fatalities in road accidents have gone up from 1584 deaths in 2017 to 1690 deaths in 2018. The report states that in 2018, 6515 road accidents occurred in Delhi in which 6086 people were injured while 1690 people lost their life.

    The fatality rate has increased by 6.69 percent though there has been a total decline in road accidents by 2.36 percent. Pedestrians were the most vulnerable victims. In 2018, 45.86 percent of the total persons killed in road accidents were pedestrians while scooter or motorcycle riders were second-most vulnerable with 33.72 percent killed in an accident.

    The fatalities have been showing a downward trend since 2009 but last year this trend reversed. The data also suggested that vehicles registered in Haryana were responsible for the highest number of fatal accidents in Delhi among other state vehicles. Out of the total 1657 fatal accidents, 150 were caused by vehicles registered in Haryana in 2018. The report also suggests that 743 accidents occurred during the day while 914 occurred during the night. The Traffic Department also identified 110 cluster points as accident-prone zones in Delhi and among the most dangerous stretches are on the Ring Road, Outer Ring Road, GTK Road, Rohtak Road and Grand Trunk Road.

    In 2018, cars/taxis caused 253 fatal accidents accounting for 15.26 percent of total fatal accidents which was the maximum number for a vehicle type.

     

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