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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.

  • BMW Blames Trade Headwinds with Emissions Tests

    BMW Blames Trade Headwinds with Emissions Tests

    Profits at German high-end carmaker BMW tumbled in 2018, the firm said Friday, with trade headwinds and tough new EU emissions tests’ drag on performance set to last into this year.

    “Challenges facing the entire sector are unlikely to diminish in the coming months,” chief executive Harald Krueger said in a statement. Net profit at BMW slumped 16.9 percent to 7.2 billion euros ($8.2 billion), the group said.

    The Munich-based firm pointed to “political uncertainty, a cooling global economy… rising production costs to meet regulatory requirements, exchange rate effects and rising raw materials prices” as weights on its earnings.

    Operating, or underlying, profits fell less sharply, shedding 7.9 percent to 9.1 billion euros. Revenues were less strongly affected, falling 0.8 percent to 97.5 billion. Other carmakers’ scramble to sell cars not certified under the so-called WLTP test cycle before its introduction in September led to “unexpectedly intense competition”, BMW said, penalising the group for its decision to adopt the new procedure early.

    Meanwhile the group’s bottom line also suffered as it was ordered to recall over a million diesel cars to replace faulty components. BMW boosted unit sales at its flagship brand slightly, to 2.1 million cars, but deliveries of Minis fell back 2.8 percent, to 361,500. Luxury subsidiary Rolls-Royce lifted shipments 22 percent, to 4,107. Looking to different world regions, sales in Europe were flat while the Americas and Asia recorded slight growth.

    “Volumes grew signficantly” in China as BMW ramped production of X3 SUVs locally, the group said.

    Bosses said they would offer shareholders their second-highest dividend payout ever, at 3.50 euros per share. Looking ahead to 2019, BMW expects a “slight increase” in unit sales, in part thanks to new models. Investors offered a mildly positive reaction to the news, with BMW stock gaining 1.1 percent to trade at 74.59 euros around 11:30 am in Frankfurt (1030 GMT).

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  • Audi Seeks Closer Ties To Porsche In Cost-Cutting Drive

    Audi Seeks Closer Ties To Porsche In Cost-Cutting Drive

    Audi will make greater use of vehicle platforms and technologies developed with Porsche and Volkswagen as it embarks on a 15 billion euro cost cutting and efficiency drive, Chief Executive Bram Schot said on Thursday. Audi, whose slogan is Vorsprung Durch Technik or Advantage Through Technology, was a key research hub within Volkswagen Group until its engineers were caught developing the engine software which masked excessive pollution levels.

    Now new Chief Executive Schot is tasked with overhauling Audi and refocusing research efforts after senior engineers were forced out by the dieselgate scandal, which has cost parent company Volkswagen more than 28 billion euros.

    “We are discussing what we do ourselves and where we share resources with other parts of Volkswagen. We ask ourselves: Do we need to do this in-house, is it standardised technology, and is it unique from the customer point of view,” Schot said.

    As part of group-wide savings efforts at Volkswagen, Audi has surrendered responsibility for developing driverless cars to engineers at VW in Hanover, Schot said, adding that Audi still retains responsibility for making semi-autonomous cars which still require drivers. Sources told Reuters in November that Audi may surrender its leadership in the area of developing self-driving cars as Volkswagen Group seeks to save costs. Further savings could come from deepening a research alliance with Porsche, another premium brand owned by parent company Volkswagen.

    “We can intensify our collaboration with Porsche,” Schot said. Porsche and Audi are already developing vehicle underpinnings for a premium electric sportscar, known as PPE. This vehicle platform will spawn a raft of premium electric cars, the company said.

    Audi will offer about 30 electric models by 2025, the company said. The customer response to these vehicles will help determine the scale of possible job cuts, the carmaker said. Audi workers have a job guarantee until 2025 but electric cars require fewer parts and fewer workers to assemble so Audi is working on a job cuts scheme which relies on voluntary redundancies through early retirement.

    The carmaker declined to provide a figure for possible headcount reductions citing ongoing negotiations with labour representatives at Audi.

    Audi, the premium brand owned by Volkswagen, said it expects to deliver an operating return on sales between 7 percent and 8.5 percent, below its long-term target, as costs for developing electric cars weigh on profits.

    Audi aims to deliver an operating return on sales of between 9 and 11 percent in the long term, the carmaker said on Thursday.

  • Citroen India To Unveil Its First Model Early April

    Citroen India To Unveil Its First Model Early April

    Retail News had exclusively confirmed that the C5 Aircross will be the French carmaker’s first model in the Indian market and will be locally assembled here using about 70 per cent of the local contents at Groupe PSA’s Hosur plant in Tamil Nadu. The Indian-spec Citroen C5 Aircross which made its first public appearance last year will be unveiled on April 3. It’s just been a few days that Citroen brand was affirmed by the PSA Groupe for India and the company has decided to showcase its first model.

    The Citroen C5 Aircross is also one of the design finalists for the prestigious World Car Of The Year (WCOTY) design award. It measures 4500 mm long and is underpinned by Groupe PSA’s EMP2 platform which will also spawn a plug-in Hybrid variant at a later date. Powering the Citroen C5 Aircross is a 2.0 litre diesel engine and a 1.2-litre petrol engine which are mated to an eight-speed auto transmission as standard. These drivetrains (engine + gearbox) are already being manufactured at the Hosur plant for exports. The cabin is equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system along with a 12.3-inch TFT-digital instrument screen and gets 20 new age driver assistance features. The Citroen C5 Aircross, when launched, will compete with the Jeep Compass and Hyundai Tuscon in India.

    We also gave you a list of the models which Citroen may be considering for the Indian market. According to our sources in its European headquarters, Citroen is also evaluating the C3 Aircross as the second model for India which will likely be launched in FY2021 after its scheduled facelift. The facelifted Citroen C3 Aircross will also be assembled at the Hosur plant which Citroen has established along with the CK Birla Group under a 50:50 Joint venture. The French marque has invested ₹ 600 crore in the plant so far and has a manufacturing capacity to produce 200,000 powertrains and 300,000 transmissions.

    Further investments will be made to target manufacturing 50,000 units of passenger vehicles annually as the company is planning to launch its first model in India in 2021.

  • Elon Musk Says Tesla Likely To Come To India This Year

    Elon Musk Says Tesla Likely To Come To India This Year

    It was at the end of last year that Elon Musk told the world that India is on the company’s radar for introducing models from the Tesla brand. In fact, the company even slated India to be one of the countries where the Model 3 would be available for booking. Sadly though, Tesla has not yet come to India. It was in 2015 that PM Modi tweeted how he was impressed by the power wall technology of Tesla Motors which stores electricity in a battery for long term. Musk gave a presentation to PM Modi on the revolutionary technologies being developed by Tesla, which is likely to change the face of the motor industry and have wider implications on developing countries like India on renewable energy.

    We were quite certain that the electric carmaker would make it to India by 2017 and now those plans have been pushed forward. However, there’s no denying that the company wants to make an entry into the Indian market. A tweet from Elon Musk now suggests that he would love to bring Tesla to India this year. If not this then definitely in 2020. We had earlier reported that Musk is likely to come to India this year and it’s probably then that the plans will see fruition.

    While we can’t wait for Tesla to come to India, we certainly hope to hear a concrete plan from the company for India.

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  • Toyota To Increase Prices Of Its Cars From April

    Toyota To Increase Prices Of Its Cars From April

    Toyota Kirloskar Motors today announced that it will be hiking the prices of some of its models from April 1, 2019. The company said that till now it had been absorbing the additional costs through refinement in its production process, but the increase in the price of raw materials and the sky rocketing input costs has made it difficult for the company to contain the costs of its vehicles.

    N. Raja, Deputy Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said “Toyota Kirloskar Motor will increase the prices of some of its products effective 1st April 2019. We have been absorbing additional costs through a bouquet of cost reduction measures including refinement in production process. However, considering the trend of continuous increase, we are constrained to pass on a small portion to the customers. The company will continue its efforts to contain costs and offer the best value to our loyal customers.”

    The company has, however, not indicated the quantum hike of the increase in the costs of its cars and neither has it indicated on the models which are covered under this price hike.

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  • Ducati CEO Hints At Panigale V4 Streetfighter

    Ducati CEO Hints At Panigale V4 Streetfighter

    Is Ducati planning to introduce a naked version of the Panigale V4 superbike? That’s the question that’s been doing the rounds for some time now, especially after a custom-built naked Ducati Panigale V4 was unveiled by Italian design house Officine GP. That custom naked, called the V4 Penta, isn’t an official Ducati creation, but now Ducati Motor Holding’s CEO Claudio Domenicali himself has hinted that a production naked version of the Panigale V4 may indeed be in the works. Domenicali didn’t exactly spell out that a naked V4 is under production, but his cryptic remarks in an interview have led to speculation that a naked version of the Panigale V4 may indeed be in the making.

    In an interview with Swiss website Acid Moto, the Ducati CEO talked about future plans of the company, including plans of an electric model from Ducati. But Domenicali revealed little and denied reports that a supersport V4 was in the works. When asked about the possibility of a streetfighter-style model based on the Panigale V4 engine, instead of replying to the question, Domenicali replied with another question.

    “Do you think Ducati should produce such a bike?” he asked. When the interviewers replied in the affirmative, and said “yes” to that question, which led Domenicali to conclude that “It will therefore be made as soon as possible!” Now, this doesn’t necessarily confirm whether Ducati has plans to make the V4 streetfighter, or if it’s already under production. But his comments certainly are interesting, more so because just around a month ago, a custom stripped down V4 was unveiled by Officine GP. The V4 Penta as it’s called, was not a Ducati commissioned build, but it certainly gives Ducati the chance to gauge market reaction, and it seems a naked V4 could see production sooner than later.

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  • 2019 Ford Figo Facelift Launch Date Revealed

    2019 Ford Figo Facelift Launch Date Revealed

    The 2019 Ford Figo facelift is all set to go on sale in India on March 15, 2019. The car is set to receive an update over three years later and the facelifted Figo will come with a bunch of cosmetic changes, sharing most of its cues with the Aspire facelift, along with some new and updated features. In fact, a production-spec unit of the 2019 Ford Figo facelift has already been spotted testing in India. Furthermore, the updated Figo is also likely to come with powertrain options, which will also come from the updated Ford Aspire subcompact sedan.

    The revised engine options are likely to include the new 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine from the Dragon family that was first introduced with the Ford Freestyle. The motor is capable of producing 95 bhp and develops 120 Nm of peak torque while mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The 2019 Figo is also expected to get the bigger 1.5-litre three-cylinder unit that was introduced with the EcoSport facelift, which makes 123 bhp and 150 Nm of torque, with the new 6-speed torque converter.

    Of course, Ford will continue to offer the tried and tested 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, which continues to be the most popular choice among these models. The motor is tuned to churn out a maximum output of 99 bhp and 215 Nm of peak torque, and it comes paired with the same 5-speed manual gearbox as standard.

    Visually, the Figo facelift comes with a new honeycomb-pattern grille with chrome surrounds, the tweaked headlamps, with halogen units, and a new front bumper with the large end-to-end horns-like black element, with round foglamps and a wide airdam. The spy images also revealed that the car will come with new, sporty black alloy wheels, revised taillamps and similar black element as on the tailgate.

    The cabin design, on the other hand, is also likely to be identical to the new Aspire, but we do expect to see an all-black theme instead of the beige interior on the latter. Also, the car is likely to feature a new infotainment system, a floating unit that will support Ford’s in-car connectivity system SYNC3 in addition to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The car also comes with new air con vents along with illuminated USB sockets, auto climate control and a start-stop button.

  • 2019 Mercedes-AMG C43 Launch Details Out

    2019 Mercedes-AMG C43 Launch Details Out

    Mercedes-Benz kick started 2019 with the launch of the V-Class and back then it promised us that this year will be the year of a whole bunch of launches. Come March, we’ll see the company launch the AMG C43 Coupe and what a beautiful car it is. It was more than 2 years ago that the company launched the AMG C43 in India and it was in March 2018, that the company revealed the facelift of the car. Finally it’s all set to make its mark in the country and it’s a welcome addition to the AMG portfolio.

    In terms of design, the exterior of C43 4Matic is more expressive than some of its siblings in the C-Class range. New distinguishing features include the AMG radiator grille with twin louvre in matt iridium silver and the front apron. The side air curtains in the front apron, attachment on the cross fins plus the trim element on the front splitter are finished in silver chrome. At the rear, the two round twin tailpipe trim elements in high-gloss chrome gives a sporty look. The spoiler lip on the boot lid is painted in the vehicle color. The optional AMG styling package has a more expressive front splitter, with the standard-fit spoiler lip, broader side skirt inserts and flics in the rear bumper are finished in high-gloss black.

    On the inside, the upholstery is in Artico man-made leather or Dinamica microfibre in black with red top stitching. Matching the seat design, the door centre panels and dashboard are finished in Artico man-made leather with red top stitching. Aluminium sports pedals with black studs, trim elements in black piano lacquer with light longitudinal-grain aluminium, the black roof liner and the red seat belts create further sporty highlights. The fully digital instrument cluster with 12.3-inch screen diagonal comes with three AMG-specific display styles of ‘Classic’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Supersport’.

    The Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe is powered by a 3.0-litre V6 engine that now delivers 385 bhp, about 23 bhp more than before. The AMG-tuned motor offers a peak torque of 520 Nm. The top speed is electronically limited to 250 kmph. The motor is mated to an AMG Speedshift TCT 9G transmission and is assisted by a rear-biased AMG Performance 4MATIC all-wheel drive.

    The Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe will be priced at around ₹ 75 to ₹ 80 lakh and it’ll go up against the likes of the Audi S5 Coupe as it does not have a direct rival in the country yet.

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  • MG Motor India To Launch Its First Electric SUV In Phased Manner

    MG Motor India To Launch Its First Electric SUV In Phased Manner

    We already have told you that MG Motor will launch an all-electric SUV in India and according to the latest news reports the company is planning to launch the upcoming electric SUV in select cities to begin with. “We will be launching the pure electric SUV in the fourth quarter (October-December) this year. It will be launched in some select cities across the country,” said Gaurav Gupta, Chief Commercial Officer, MG Motor India to the reporters.

    The company will be launching two models in India- starting with the Hector SUV and then a fully electric SUV, over the next nine months and has plans to launch one model in India every year. The company further shared that its electric vehicles in the country would have over-the-air (OTA) technology and would go over 250 km in a single charge. However, he refrained to comment on the selected locations.

    OTA technology is still an alien concept in India and MG Motor will be the first to have it in their models. OTA technology allows the auto maker to update its operating system in the vehicle helping refresh the content including entertainment features. OTA is a standard for the transmission and reception of application-related information in a wireless communication system.

  • Tata Harrier Becomes The Official Partner For The IPL 2019

    Tata Harrier Becomes The Official Partner For The IPL 2019

    Tata Motors has announced the second year of association with Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), as the new Tata Harrier becomes the official partner for the Indian Premier League a.k.a. IPL 2019. Last year it was the Tata Nexon subcompact SUV, in fact, last season, a special Tata Nexon SUV, which has been autographed by the captains of the 8 leading teams, was auctioned to create more awareness for cancer. As the Official Partner, Tata Motors will showcase the Harrier in the stadium, across all IPL matches, which begins on March 23, 2019.

    The Tata Harrier was launched in India, early this year in January 2019, and the SUV is based on the company’s new Omega Arc platform. The 5-seater premium compact SUV is priced in the range of ₹ 12.69 lakh to ₹ 16.25 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Now, with its latest association with the IPL, Tata Motors hopes to give the Harrier the push that it needs to effectively target the market.

    Commenting on the continued association with the IPL, Mayank Pareek, President, Passenger Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors, said “After a successful association last year, it is only fitting for Tata Motors that our premium SUV, Harrier, should be the Official Partner of one of the biggest sporting events across the world. Born of legendary pedigree, the Harrier has received a phenomenal response from customers across India.” He further added, “We have elaborate plans to capture the audience’s attention in-stadia, on-air and across digital platforms, and hope to drive tremendous value from this association yet again.”

    Being the official partner for the IPL 2019, this season will host the Harrier Super Striker Awards as well. So, the best striker of the match stands a chance to win the Harrier Super Striker Trophy along with a prize of ₹ 1 lakh. Furthermore, the batsman with the highest strike-rate in the tournament will win a Tata Harrier SUV. In addition to these, Tata Motors is also offering a prize of ₹ 1 lakh to anyone who takes a single-handed catch in a match stands.

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  • Hyundai Cars Will Now Be Available On Subscription Basis

    Hyundai Cars Will Now Be Available On Subscription Basis

    Hyundai Motor India and self-drive car rental service provider- Revv have tied up to provide Hyundai cars on a subscription basis. On subscription, the customers could opt for a flexible ownership plan which includes both, short term and long term. The customers will also be able to swap cars across Hyundai range and can easily avail it without any down payment. The company will also not charge any amount for insurance or maintenance from the customer who has subscribed for the short term. Hyundai is also assuring new cars to customers who opt for one-year subscription or more.

    Commenting on the announcement SJ Ha, Senior Director, Sales & Marketing, Hyundai Motor India Ltd, “We are extremely excited about the Indian mobility landscape currently and foresee great prospects. This strategic alliance will provide a unique opportunity for today’s millennial customers to experience Hyundai’s diverse product offerings that blend with their personality. With our deep understanding of Indian consumers and progressive tech-driven mobility solutions, we aim to forge a new market for the New Age Indians.”

    The subscription-based car leasing service has been started as a pilot project. Hyundai and Revv have launched the service only in six cities initially- Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad and haven’t mentioned anything about the expansion plan yet. The project will start in Q1 2019.

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  • BMW And MINI Lifestyle Collection Now Will Be Available On Amazon

    BMW And MINI Lifestyle Collection Now Will Be Available On Amazon

    In a bid to make its original lifestyle collection more accessible to automotive enthusiasts in India, BMW India today announced launching the latest range of BMW and MINI branded products on Amazon India. Customer now have access to a wide range of original BMW and MINI branded clothing, accessories, luggage, and many other types of merchandise, which can now be purchased online.

    Customers now have access to wide range of original clothing, accessories, luggage, and more

    Hans-Christian Baertels, President, BMW Group India said, “The fascinating BMW and MINI Lifestyle Collection is created to add a touch of style, sophistication and inspiration to everyday life. We are thrilled to introduce the unique BMW and MINI Lifestyle Collection for our customers on Amazon India. This will enhance the reach and accessibility of our authentic and aspirational range of lifestyle products beyond the existing retail area in our showrooms. Be it golf equipment, bags, wallets, watches, t-shirts, jackets or even miniature cars, there is always something for everyone.”

    The collection will include products themed after the multiple branches within the BMW family like – BMW M Collection, BMW Motorsport Heritage Collection, BMW i Collection, Montblanc for BMW Special Edition, the BMW Iconic Collection and BMW Miniature Collection. A similar collection of MINI-branded clothing and bags to luggage, accessories and mobility items will also be on offer.

  • Hyundai Develops Smartphone Based Digital Key

    Hyundai Develops Smartphone Based Digital Key

    Hyundai Motor Group announced the development of a Digital Key, which allows users to unlock and start a vehicle via their smartphone. Replacing a traditional physical key, the new Digital Key can be downloaded via an app and can be used by up to four authorised people. The Digital Key can be downloaded via a cell phone application and Near Field Communication (NFC) technology detects the presence of an authorized Digital Key-enabled cellphone in close proximity to the vehicle door. NFC is a form of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), which boasts a high level of security. The NFC wireless data communication takes place only when the device and the reader are placed several centimetres apart.

    The NFC antenna for entry identification is located in the handles of the driver and front passenger’s doors, whilst one for starting the engine is located within the wireless charging pad. After unlocking the vehicle, the user can start the engine by placing the smartphone on the wireless charging pad in the centre console and pressing an engine Start/Stop button on the dashboard.

    The user’s preferred vehicle settings are stored in the vehicle. When the key is recognized those settings are adjusted automatically – including the position of mirrors, seats and the steering wheel, as well as controls for the audio, video and navigation (AVN) systems and head-up display.Hyundai’s Digital Key can be used to control selected vehicle systems remotely via their smartphone. Using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication, users can lock and unlock the vehicle, activate the alarm and start the engine. In addition, once the vehicles with autonomous parking features are commercialized, such features are also expected to be remotely controlled.

    The level of access to different vehicle functions can be tailored to each user, for a defined period. The vehicle owner can pre-set the duration of vehicle use or limit the use to only certain features when renting the vehicle. For instance, it can even be used to enable a courier to open the trunk to deliver a parcel.

    For cases such as using a valet service or visiting a repair shop, where handing over a digital key is not feasible, conventional smart key and card type key are also provided. Hyundai Motor Group aims to gradually implement the technology in its new production vehicles, starting later this year.

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  • Porsche Taycan Electric Car To Make Its Debut In September 2019

    Porsche Taycan Electric Car To Make Its Debut In September 2019

    The first purely electrically powered sports car from Porsche, the Taycan, will not be presented to the public until September and its final design is not yet known; nonetheless, according to Porsche there are more than 20,000 people around the world with serious interest in buying one of their own. The company confirmed this development at the 2019 Geneva Motor show. 20,000 people have already registered to join a list of prospective buyers – and registration are already underway in Europe. The Porsche Taycan will debut in September 2019 with a market launch scheduled for the end of this year.

    The Porsche Taycan will have a range of more than 500 kilometres. The new Porsche Taycan will sport two permanently excited synchronous electric motors that are capable of churning out max power of 600 bhp and will juice out travel range of more than 500kms with its high voltage lithium-ion batteries. The two permanently excited synchronous motors, like those deployed in the Le Mans-winning 919 Hybrid, generate a permanent rotary motion that can be applied at any time without needing to be started.

    The vehicle will be able to accelerate from 0 to 100 kmph in considerably less than 3.5 seconds. It will have a range of more than 500 kilometers as measured in accordance with the NEDC. Moreover, it will be possible to add sufficient charge for a range of 100 kilometers in just four minutes (measured in accordance with the NEDC).

    Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG says “The overwhelming interest in the Taycan shows us that our customers and fans are just as excited about the first Porsche electric athlete as we are – and we’ve therefore increased our production capacities. The Taycan will be the most sporty and most technically advanced vehicle in its segment – a true Porsche.”

    Porsche will foray into the electric car segment with the Taycan, and according to the company, by 2025 every second Porsche car sold will be with an electric motor. The Taycan will be the flagship electric product from Porsche and yes, the car will make it to India too by 2020.

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  • Yamaha Fascino Dark Knight Edition Launched In India

    Yamaha Fascino Dark Knight Edition Launched In India

    India Yamaha Motor has launched the Fascino Dark Knight Edition in India at a price of ₹ 56,793 (ex-showroom, Delhi). It is the Fascino only, but with a new colour scheme of dark black and a maroon seat. Apart from the new colour scheme, the Fascino Dark Knight edition also gets a unified braking system, which is the Yamaha equivalent of Honda’s Combi-braking system and a maintenance free battery. Rest everything else remains the same. In 2019, the company introduced the ABS enabled YZF-R15 Version 3.0, the new FZ FI, FZS FI, FZ 25, Fazer 25 and other scooters in its portfolio with UBS and maintenance free battery in different colour options.

    Motofumi Shitara, Chairman, Yamaha Motor India group of companies said on the occasion, “Yamaha is committed to establish its uniqueness through exciting, stylish and sporty products and experiences. Yamaha Fascino has already gone up and about its unique style and excitement in the market. The new Dark Knight edition will further create an urbane style which is in line with Yamaha’s efforts to add Dark Knight editions in many other two wheelers.”

    Apart from the new colour scheme, there are no other changes to the Yamaha Fascino Dark Knight edition. It is still powered by a 113 cc single-cylinder engine which makes 7 bhp and 8.1 Nm of peak torque. The gearbox is still a CVT and it continues to get electric and kick start.

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