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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.

  • Jaguar I-Pace India Launch Details Out

    Jaguar I-Pace India Launch Details Out

    Jaguar is all set to launch its all electric vehicle the I-Pace in India and it will come here by the end of 2020. While Jaguar Land Rover had earlier stated that the I-Pace will not come to India, the company has now chalked out a plan for its hybrid electric and all electric cars for the country. It was in March last year, that the company revealed the I-Pace and according to the company, it has been developed using physics. The company has taken 4 years to build the car from the concept stage to the production version. Unlike other Jaguar cars, this one does not get a long bonnet and that’s because there is no internal combustion engine. In fact, the shorter bonnet helps in improving aerodynamics.

    The all-electric car comes with a sloping bonnet, sleek LED headlamps, honeycomb pattern grille and a wide central airdam. The car also comes with a lovely set of alloys and turn light integrated ORVMs. It has been rigorously tested across extremes of terrain and temperatures from -40 degrees to 40 degrees celcius. With over 1.5 million test miles and a further 11,000 hours of rig simulations completed by more than 200 production prototypes. The I-Pace isn’t pitched as an off-roader, but it’s capable of a wading depth of 500mm.

    The I-Pace comes with a whole bunch of storage space as also features. It comes with mobile device charging options aboard, with three 12v sockets, six USB ports and one HDMI/HML port. The electric SUV uses the same radical dual-screen InControl Touch Pro Duo infotainment system that Jaguar launched on the Range Rover Velar. Additionally, the InControl Remote app gets an Alexa skill that will let drivers ask Alexa-enabled devices for information on the I-Pace’s charge level. It also comes with a 4G Wi-Fi hotspot and slots for tablets and laptops under the rear seats.

    The electric motors have been designed in-house at Jaguar and are relatively light, weighing about 38kg each. The motors are mounted as low as possible in the sandwich platform and this has been done to ensure optimum weight distribution which helps in making the I-Pace agile.

    The I-Pace comes with two synchronous permanent magnet electric motors at the front and the rear axle which have a combined power output of 395 bhp and makes maximum of 696 Nm of torque. It also features an AWD system. A 0-100 kmph sprint takes 4.5 seconds and the performance SUV will have a range of over 480 km. The 90kWh lithium-ion battery pack takes 45 minutes to charge from 0-80 per cent using a 100kW rapid charger, or 10 hours using a 7kW AC wallbox.

  • MG Motor To Offer Free Data For First Few Years On The Hector SUV

    MG Motor To Offer Free Data For First Few Years On The Hector SUV

    MG Motor India announced first in segment connectivity features on the new Hector. Touted as the company’s first internet car, the upcoming MG Hector will come with a new advanced connectivity system called i-Smart next-generation system, a complete integrated solution that combines software, hardware, connectivity, services and application. The command centre is a 10.4-inch ultra large full-HD infotainment system that comes with pre-loaded entertainment content. The company says that the Hector SUV will help the owner stay connected on the go. The Hector has an embedded Machine to Machine (M2M) eSIM. The platform is Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPV6) and 5G ready. This is the first car in the segment to be launched with such a sim.

    Of course, all this will require data and the company today announced that it will offer data for free for the first few years. The company has tied up with Airtel to offer these services to the owners of the Hector SUV and this will make sure that you stay connected with the car as also the world on the move. The system has been developed in collaboration with several technological partners like Cisco, and Microsoft among others.

    MG Motor India has also introduced over the air updates for the first time in India which will make sure MG cars get updated as when new updates are available a function which we are familiar with on smartphones or tablets. Thus, the system would periodically receive new look and themes for the screen, new infotainment content and updates to maps to keep them latest always. The updates would also include updates for OS and Firmware. The vehicle will have the ability to receive new features and upgrades from time to time.

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  • Over 100 Ducati Monster 821 Sold In India

    Over 100 Ducati Monster 821 Sold In India

    Ducati India today announced selling over 100 units of the Ducati Monster 821 in India in less than one year. Launched in India on May 1, 2018, the Monster 821 has become one of the top-selling motorcycles in the sport naked category in India. To commemorate the success the company is offering customers buying a new Ducati Monster an opportunity to avail a host of special accessories as standard with the motorcycle. The exclusive offer is valid from 1st April – 30th April 2019 across all Ducati dealerships.

    Under this special offer, customers purchasing a Monster 821 he will get a Termignoni Exhaust and Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) Up/Down as standard, while customers the Monster 797+ will also get a Termignoni exhaust at no additional price during the celebration period. Both the accessories will be offered to customers at no additional cost to buyers. The Monster 821 is currently priced at ₹ 10.99 lakh and the Monster 797+ at ₹ 8.60 lakh.

    Talking about the bikes and special offer, Sergi Canovas Managing Director of Ducati India, said “The Monster has always been the most special bike in the Ducati portfolio. Last year we celebrated 25 years of Monster with the comeback of Monster 821, and this year, we decided to celebrate one year of Monster 821 in style by complimenting it with armour it rightfully deserves and would definitely excite the naked bike enthusiasts in the country. The addition of the Termigioni exhaust system and DQS will work flawlessly to make the Monster 821 much more desirable as an urban city tourer while giving it more aggression and street presence. Now even the 797+ will come with the Termignoni with this celebratory offer, I am sure that the passionate bikers will find a lot more value in this package and, the Monster will once again be their companion of choice in the naked-bike category.”

    The Ducati 821 is powered by an 821 cc Testastretta L-twin engine which makes 108 bhp at 9,250 rpm and peak torque of 86 Nm at 7,750 rpm and comes mated to a 6-speed transmission. The 797+, on the other hand, comes with an 803 cc L-twin engine which makes 72 bhp and 67 Nm, while mated to a 6-speed gearbox. The Ducati Monster 821 rivals the Triumph Street Triple RS, Suzuki GSX-S750 and the Kawasaki Z900.

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  • Toyota To Give Royalty-Free Access To Hybrid Vehicle Patents

    Toyota To Give Royalty-Free Access To Hybrid Vehicle Patents

    Toyota Motor plans to offer royalty-free access to its hybrid-vehicle technology patents as early as this year. Toyota, which holds roughly 20,000 active patents in the field, is expected to make accessible most of the latest ones covering motors, power converters and batteries, according to the report.

    The change of heart was driven by a fear of hybrids losing relevance as the broader industry moves toward pure electric vehicles.

  • Hyundai Venue Subcompact SUV Launch Date Revealed

    Hyundai Venue Subcompact SUV Launch Date Revealed

    Hyundai has been teasing its new subcompact SUV – the Venue for quite some time now and we’ve even got details about the company testing the car around the country. While we already know, that the car will be revealed in India on April 17, 2019, coinciding with its public reveal at the 2019 New York Motor Show, we now have details on when the car will be launched in the country. Hyundai will launch the Venue subcompact SUV in India on May 21, 2019. The Venue will be the company’s first subcompact SUV in India and will rival the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport and even the Mahindra XUV300. While Hyundai’s entry into the subcompact SUV segment is delayed, the company is going to pack the Venue with a ton of features making it India’s first connected car.

    The Hyundai Venue will get the company’s ‘BlueLink’ connected technology and it will have 10 India-only features with a total of 33 connectivity features. Some of the features that BlueLink will offer in India are geo-fencing, speed alerts, SOS, panic notifications, destination sharing, and road-side assistance and so on. Hyundai said that it has tested its BlueLink technology rigorously in India, keeping the conditions in mind along with the needs of the customers. This also includes voice guidance and recognition in Indian-accented English which means that the software will be able to recognise spoken English from different regions in India. The Hyundai Venue will also have remote-control operated functions such as climate control, horn and headlamps on, vehicle status, engine start/stop and so on. The best thing is that Hyundai BlueLink can use your smartphone interface as a remote control.

    Hyundai BlueLink will also have a tamper-proof eSIM which will be provided by Vodafone Idea and a cloud based voice recognition platform from Global AI Company, which will offer real time traffic navigation and live local search as well. Features such as panic and medical assistance, geo-fencing and stolen vehicle notification will sit well with customers in India.

    The company has not yet revealed the engines that it will offer, but we have gotten a glimpse of what the front end of the car would look like. The leaked images revealed the upright stance of the Hyundai Venue, while the rear gets a massive ‘H’ badge in the centre with the ‘Venue’ moniker, and the very Polo-esque squared-off taillights along the lines of the Carlino concept. The tailgate also carries the ‘Turbo’ badge and ‘SX’, the latter denoting the range-topping variant.

    Under the hood, the new Hyundai Venue will be available with a 1.4-litre petrol and 1.4-litre diesel engine options. The turbo badge that was on the tailgate holds special importance, which nearly confirms the a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine for the SUV, and will come paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

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  • MG Hector’s Connectivity Features Unveiled

    MG Hector’s Connectivity Features Unveiled

    MG Motor India today unveiled the cabin features of its upcoming SUV MG Hector. Touted as the company’s first internet car, the upcoming MG Hector will come with a new advanced connectivity system called i-Smart next-generation system, a complete integrated solution that combines software, hardware, connectivity, services and application. The system has been developed in collaboration with several technological partners like Cisco, Unlimit, and Microsoft among others. The iSmart connectivity system comes with advanced technology, smart application, built-in Apps, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Smart Features, Voice Assist, and Infotainment.

    The command centre of the system is a vertically-mounted 10.4-inch ultra large Full-HD infotainment display that comes with pre-loaded entertainment content and allows you to manage complete vehicle settings. MG says that the display screen can withstand the high temperatures of Indian weather conditions. For full-time connectivity, the system also comes with a first machine to machine embedded sim, along with the SUV Internet Protocol version 6 makes it 5G-ready, making it future-proof. The system offers features like – Real-Time Navigation, Remote Location, Geo-Fencing, Emergency Response and much more.

    Furthermore, with smart connectivity, the MG Hector will also be getting software updates via over-the-air (OTA) downloads, like firmware and features updates much like any smartphone. Also, as mentioned earlier, the car will come with pre-loaded apps like – TomTom IQ Maps, Gaana Premium, and AccuWeather app among others. In fact, MG Motor India will be offering its customer free data too for the first few years. The system itself is well-secured by Microsoft, which will be the Cloud provider for MG Motor.

    One of the key features and most important features offered in the MG Hector is its voice command system. Powered by China’s conversational AI provider Nuance, the system is designed to use voice commands to access multiple in-car functions like close or opening sunroof, control climate control, navigations and more. In fact, the system can even understand the Indian accent to make it suitable for the Indian market. Like Google Assistance, the Voice Assist system can be accessed by saying ‘Hello MG’ and is capable of handling over 100 functions. The Hector also comes with an eCall emergency response system that sends an emergency alert to MG’s customer management centre, called Pulse Hub and any registered phones, in the case of an accident. Also, in the event of the airbags being deployed, the system triggers a series of emergency response actions.

    The iSMART Next Gen is supported by the iSMART mobile App. MG iSMART App is feature-rich like none other in the Indian market. The car gets scanned each time the App is opened, and information includes location of car, tyre pressure, or if the doors are locked or not. Owner can use the remote app to directly lock or unlock doors, turn on ignition and switch on the air-conditioner.

    The all-new MG Hector is slated to be launched in second quarter of 2019. The SUV will come with premium interior and features like – with power adjustable seats, cruise control, electronic parking brake, and 360-degree camera. We also know that the SUV will come with a panoramic sunroof, which the company claims will be the largest in the segment. The SUV will come in both petrol and diesel powertrains – 1.5-litre petrol engine and a 2.0-litre diesel motor.

  • Infiniti Qs Inspiration Teased Ahead Of 2019 Shanghai Auto Show

    Infiniti Qs Inspiration Teased Ahead Of 2019 Shanghai Auto Show

    Infiniti will reveal a new sports sedan concept, based on an all-new flexible architecture developed specifically to accommodate electrified powertrains, at Auto Shanghai 2019. The concept offers a new perspective on the sports sedan and also previews a forthcoming electrified Infiniti production model. It’s called the Qs Inspiration concept and it draws inspiration from the company’s DNA.

    With the Qs Inspiration, Infiniti confirms a new form of design language from Infiniti which we will see on its future electric cars. The Qs is inspired by the art and modern architecture of Japan. Inside, the minimalist cabin combines striking artistry and craftsmanship, and it features two distinct zones – a clutter-free cockpit designed to engage the driver, and a relaxed passenger zone that make the most of the generous interior space.

    Christian Meunier, Chairman of Infiniti, comments, “Electrification creates a range of new possibilities for sedans, with new powertrains and vehicle architectures letting us imagine how this type of car could be reinvigorated and adapted to fit the changing needs and tastes of drivers.”

  • Renault Captur 2019 Launched With More Safety Features

    Renault Captur 2019 Launched With More Safety Features

    Renault India has introduced the updated Captur in India with more safety features with prices starting at ₹ 9.50 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The compact SUV now meets the upcoming safety regulations, and as a result, gets a number of new active and passive tech on board as standard. In addition, the RXL and the RXT trims have been discontinued on the 2019 Renault Captur. The SUV is now offered in two variants – RXE and the range-topping Platine – available with both petrol and diesel engine options.

    All variants now come with a rear parking sensor, driver and passenger seatbelt and a speed alert system to meet the new safety norms. Renault India says the model is certified to “exceed frontal, lateral and pedestrian safety and is compliant with safety features stipulated by the Indian authorities.” The new norms will be implemented across all vehicles from October 2019. The car uses a reinforced body shell that increases torsional rigidity to ensure occupant safety. Othe safety systems on include ABS with EBD, Brake Assist, height adjustable seatbelts, ISOFIX child seat anchor, and more.

    In terms of features, the Renault Captur continues to come diamond-cut alloy wheels, LED headlamps, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as voice recognition. The cabin also comes with newly upholstered seats, cruise control, multi-function steering wheel, and more.

    In terms of power, the Renault Captur uses the 1.5-litre petrol engine that churns out 104 bhp and 142 Nm of peak torque, while paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox. The petrol motor returns an ARAI certified fuel efficiency of 13.87 kmpl. The diesel version uses a 1.5-litre CRDi engine as well that develops 108 bhp and 240 Nm of peak torque, while paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. The diesel returns a fuel economy of 20.37 kmpl.
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  • Track-Only Aprilia RSV4 X Revealed

    Track-Only Aprilia RSV4 X Revealed

    Italian bike maker Aprilia makes some high-revving performance bikes that enthusiasts swoon over, and now it has added a new name to that list of performance offerings. The company has unveiled the new Aprilia RSV4 X, which is a track-only motorcycle and has been developed by Aprilia Racing with components derived from its WSBK and MotoGP race bikes. The RSV4 X is limited to a production run of just 10 units, which makes a rare motorcycle to get your hands on. The X marks the completion of 10 years of the RSV4 and comes with state-of-the-art equipment.

    The Aprilia RSV4 X borrows the 1077 cc V4 engine from the Factory bike, but gets more power

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  • Mahindra Sales Grow By 11% Last Year

    Mahindra Sales Grow By 11% Last Year

    Indian auto giant Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) registered a growth of 11 per cent in auto sales for the financial year 2018-19. The automaker sold 608,596 units in the previous fiscal, as opposed to 549,153 units sold in FY2017-18. The company’s steady growth was visible in the March 2019 sales results as well with Mahindra selling 62,952 units, as against 62,076 units in March 2018. The automaker saw a hike of one per cent in its sales for the previous month.

    Commenting on the performance, Rajan Wadhera, President, Automotive Sector, Mahindra said, “We have closed FY-19 with robust double digit growth of 11 per cent at an overall level, despite strong headwinds faced by the Indian automotive industry this year. This growth has been supported by our three new product launches, which have been well received in the market. The commercial vehicles segment and exports have also posted strong growth rates of 15 per cent and 37 per cent respectively.”

    Mahindra’s domestic sales stood at 59,012 units for March 2019, growing by one per cent over 58,652 units sold in March last year. The Passenger Vehicle segment that includes UVs, cars and vans contributed 27,646 units to last month’s sales, registering a growth of four per cent over 26,555 units sold in March 2018. The commercial vehicle segment meanwhile saw sales decline by four per cent with 24,423 units sold in March this year, as against 25,495 units sold in March last year.

    The Medium and Heavy Commercial Vehicles segment saw Mahindra sell sold 917 units, which also saw sluggish volumes with a decline of 33 per cent in year-on-year sales. Nevertheless, exports dor March 2019 stood at 3940 vehicles, growing by 15 per cent, while three wheeler sales for the previous month grew by five per cent at 6943 units.

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  • Toyota And Mahindra Register Growth, Maruti Suzuki Car Sales Drop

    Toyota And Mahindra Register Growth, Maruti Suzuki Car Sales Drop

    Carmakers in India have officially started to come out with their sales numbers for the month of March 2019. The Financial Year 2018-19 has been quite an eventful year for the Indian auto industry with the year ending in a positive note. As for the sales performances in March 2019, the results were quite mixed. In fact, the country’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India, continued to see a decline in sales in March 2019, while other manufacturers like Toyota Kirloskar Motors and Mahindra and Mahindra registered marginal growth.

    Toyota India

    In March 2019, Toyota Kirloskar Motor sold 13,662 units in India, registering a growth of 0.9 per cent, compared to the 13,537 units during the same month last year. As for the company’s domestic sales, Toyota’s wholesales numbers went up to 12,818 units last month, compared to the 12539 vehicles sold in March 2018, registering a growth of 2 per cent. Exports, on the other hand, saw a decline of 15.4 per cent during the month of March 2019 with 844 units, against the 998 vehicles that were exported during the same month last year. However, as for the company total sales during FY 2018-19, Toyota Kirloskar Motor recorded a sales growth of 7 per cent in the domestic market with 150,525 units, compared to the 140,645 units being sold during FY 2017-18.

    Commenting on the sales performance, N. Raja, Deputy Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “We are happy to have clocked a growth of 7 per cent in domestic sales in FY 18-19 as compared to FY 17-18. Innova Crysta and Fortuner have been maintaining the growth trajectory and continue to be leaders in the segment.” He also added that “All New Camry Hybrid Electric Vehicle or self-charging electric vehicle has already crossed 500 bookings since its launch in Jan 2019. Additionally, Etios Liva has also contributed to the positive sales momentum in FY 18-19 with a growth of 13% as compared to FY 17-18.”

    Maruti Suzuki India

    Maruti Suzuki India has registered a decline of 1.6 per cent in the last month of the Financial Year 2019. Last month the company sold 158,076 vehicles, including domestic sales and export, compared to the 160,598 units that were sold in March 2018. The company’s total sales in India alone reached 147,613 units in March 2019, registering a marginal de-growth of 0.7 per cent, against the 148,582 vehicles sold during the same month last year. Exports, on the other hand, took a massive hit with a decline of almost 13 per cent with 10,463 units, compared to the 12,016 units exported in March 2018.

    Maruti Suzuki has registered the highest ever total sales in FY 2018-19 at 1,862,449 units, a growth of 4.7 per cent, compared to the 1,779,574 units sold in 2017-18. The company’s domestic sales for FY 2018-19 reached 1,753,700 units, also the highest ever, compared to the 1,653,500 units sold in 2017-18. In fact, this is the 7th straight year of growth in domestic sales for Maruti Suzuki India.

    Mahindra and Mahindra

    Mahindra and Mahindra has registered a marginal growth of 1 per cent in total sales for the month of March 2019 with 62952 units. In comparison, the company sold 62076 units in March 2018. Mahindra’s domestic sales touched 59,012 vehicles during March 2019, as against 58,652 vehicles in March 2018, registering a similar growth of 1 per cent. The Passenger Vehicles segment (which includes UVs, Cars and Vans) sold 27,646 vehicles in March 2019, registering a growth of 4 per cent. The company’s exports, on the other hand, saw substantial growth of 15 per cent with 3940 units, against the 3424 exported in March 2018.

    On the other hand, the company’s sales performance for the financial year that ended on March 31, 2019, stood at 6,08,596 vehicles, compared to 5,49,153 vehicles during FY-18, registering a growth of 11 per cent.

    Commenting on the performance, Rajan Wadhera, President, Automotive Sector, Mahindra and Mahindra said, “We have closed FY-19 with robust double-digit growth of 11 per cent at an overall level, despite strong headwinds faced by the Indian automotive industry this year. This growth has been supported by our three new product launches, which have been well received in the market. The commercial vehicles segment and exports have also posted strong growth rates of 15% and 37% respectively.”

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  • Ambassador To Return As PSA’s EV Brand For India

    Ambassador To Return As PSA’s EV Brand For India

    While the PSA Peugeot-Citroen group has officially announced that it will bring its Citroen brand to India, we finally have some news on its plans for Ambassador too. Two days before holding its first-ever official press conference in India to show us Citroen’s debut model for the country, we have learnt of a parallel plan afoot within the company. Speaking on specific conditions of anonymity, senior PSA board member and reclusive heiress Evié de Courant has shared with this reporter that the Ambassador brand will be used exclusively for electric vehicles to be sold in India only. The sub-brand will be the first new addition to the PSA family, after its last acquisition of erstwhile GM brands Opel and Vauxhall in August 2017.

    The Ambassador range of cars will likely only debut post 2022, and it is not as yet decided whether it would entail a standalone retail network. While Citroen will have a full-fledged dealer network, Ambassador branded cars are likely to be sold using an exclusive online sales strategy. Workshops for the two will be common though. The plan is to initially launch a compact SUV or crossover style car, and then a premium hatchback. Both are expected to share their platform and some components with similar sized ICE (internal combustion engine) models from the Citroen brand, to maximise economies of scale. The intent is to make Ambassador a profit-making entity from within the first quarter of the start of sales.

    PSA has also been in Formula E since 2015-16 and will bring a lot of its learnings to the EV plan. Citroen’s premium brand DS has also announced its range of EVs for Europe, which will use the E-Tense badge. The DS3 Crossback E-Tense is expected to be the first model and is expected to have a 330-kilometre range. Expect the Ambassador crossover to sport a similar electric powertrain.

    While the initial focus will be on India, the company believes the Ambassador brand will have a strong resonance with Indian diaspora across the world – especially in the Commonwealth states, which are also largely right-hand-drive. And so there is already a feasibility study on to examine the export potential of Ambassador badged products from 2023 onwards, according to Ms de Courant.

    It may be recalled that whilst entering into its two joint ventures (JVs) with Hindustan Motors (HM) in January 2017, PSA had also acquired rights to the Ambassador brand for ₹ 80 Crore a month later. At the time, HM had released a statement that read, “Ambassador has been an iconic brand and a surplus asset with us. We were looking for a suitable opportunity and found the right buyer in the PSA group. We intend to use the proceeds from the sale in clearing dues of employees, lenders and others.”

    It was at the start of 2017 that the two companies had also entered into two partnerships with an initial investment of ₹ 700 Crore for vehicle and engine manufacturing in Tamil Nadu. The first of the two JVs is between PSA and HMFC or Hindustan Motors Finance Corp for the assembly and distribution of new cars. HFMC currently also assembles Mitsubishi and Isuzu branded cars. The second is a JV for engine making with AVTEC – hived off years ago from HM that is a components and engines supplier to the auto industry. We trust the two will have a lot more success and will build on a strong foundation, unlike the veracity of this report. And on any other day we would have loved for this news to be true

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  • Maruti Suzuki Sales Grow in 2019, But March Sales Hit Weak

    Maruti Suzuki Sales Grow in 2019, But March Sales Hit Weak

    Maruti Suzuki has registered the highest ever total sales in FY 2018-19 at 1,862,449 units, a growth of 4.7 per cent, compared to the 1,779,574 units sold in 2017-18. The company’s domestic sales for FY 2018-19 reached 1,753,700 units, also the highest ever, compared to the 1,653,500 units sold in 2017-18. In fact, this is the 7th straight year of growth in domestic sales for Maruti Suzuki India. But, in the month of March 2019, the company’s total sales went down by 1.6 per cent in the last month of the Financial Year 2019.

    Last month the company sold 158,076 vehicles, including domestic sales and export, compared to the 160,598 units that were sold in March 2018. The company’s total sales in India alone reached 147,613 units in March 2019, registering a marginal de-growth of 0.7 per cent, against the 148,582 vehicles sold during the same month last year. Exports, on the other hand, took a massive hit with a decline of almost 13 per cent with 10,463 units, compared to the 12,016 units exported in March 2018.

    In March, the domestic market, it was the company’s Mini cars segment, which includes the Alto range and the pre-facelift WagonR that took the biggest hit, a drop of 55.1 per cent by selling 16,826 units, against the 37,511 units sold in March 2018. Same was the case for the company’s mid-size sedan, Ciaz, which saw a decline of 15 per cent by selling just 3,672 units in March 2019, compared to the 4,321 units sold during the same month last year.

    In contrast, the compact segment, which includes the new WagonR, Swift, Dzire, Baleno, and Ignis, saw a considerable growth of almost 20 per cent with cumulative sales of 82,532 units. The utility vehicles and Vans segment also saw substantial growth of 12.3 per cent (25,563 units) and 20.1 per cent (22,764) respectively. Similarly, in the commercial vehicle space, the sale of the Super Carry LCV also went up by 82.9 per cent selling 2,582 units last month, compared to the 1,412 units sold in March 2018.

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  • Vardenchi To Open New Lifestyle Garage Store In Mumbai

    Vardenchi To Open New Lifestyle Garage Store In Mumbai

    Motorcycle design company, Vardenchi, is all set to open its first ‘Lifestyle Garage’ in Goregaon, Mumbai. The flagship space will offer a wide range of bespoke motorcycle upgrade solutions and crafted biker products. Biker Products will include a range of fashion motorcycle helmets, lifestyle riding gear, a collection of apparel like t shirts hoodies and shoes. Motorcycle Upgrade products will include accessories for Safety, Utility and Style such as lights, seats, guards, luggage and more.

    A lot of motorcycle parts and materials have inspired the design of the Lifestyle Garage. Akshai Varde, MD/Founder, Vardenchi said, “The Vardenchi Lifestyle Garage is a culmination of our long standing vision of offering ‘everything motorcycle.’ The market and the timing are very well positioned for a concept like this and we are extremely excited to kick off the first of an entire network of franchise stores”

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  • Volkswagen Polo, Ameo And Vento Get Black And White Edition

    Volkswagen Polo, Ameo And Vento Get Black And White Edition

    Volkswagen India has introduced Black and White special editions for its Polo, Ameo and Vento in India. The engine options and the specifications remain the same, although the Black and White edition cars get a bunch of cosmetic upgrades. The Black and White editions get body graphics, leatherette seat covers, roof edge spoiler, 16-inch Portago alloy wheels, black roof and ORVMs and a Black and White Badge on the front fenders. Volkswagen also re-introduced the ‘Deep Black’ colour on the Polo and the Vento but not on the Ameo. The good news is that the Black and White edition for the Polo, Ameo and Vento is available at no extra cost and will be available at all Volkswagen dealerships.

    Steffen Knapp, Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars said, “It is our constant endeavor to enhance our product offerings that are in-line with evolving consumer aspirations. The Polo & Vento have been strong contenders within their segments. Adding a dash of style, these enhanced

    Also, camouflaged test mules of the new Vento and Polo have been spied testing in India which suggests that the new models could be just around the corner. Since an all-new Vento which will be developed on an Indianised version of the MQB A0 platform has been scheduled for 2021 in India, the 2019 model will receive minor tweaking, most of which is likely to be done to the front end.

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