Retail News CRM

Tag: auto news

  • Nissan India Introduces New Finance Schemes And Pick-Up & Drop Service

    Nissan India Introduces New Finance Schemes And Pick-Up & Drop Service

    Nissan India has introduced a new car finance schemes and pick-up & drop service to ensure customers don’t need to come to visit dealerships and workshops and avoid physical contact. The Japanese carmaker has partnered with various financial institutions and is now offering a range of schemes offering paperless payment of car loans, special offers for women car loan applicants and professional based products for salaried, self-employed, Government & Public Sector Units (PSU) employees, police and the agriculture sector.

    Rakesh Srivastava, Managing Director- Nissan Motor India, said, “With innovative financial schemes and initiatives including ease of financing and convenience in getting their car serviced, Nissan India will enrich the customer experience at each step, which is especially important in such challenging times.”

    The first of its kind finance and insurance scheme also include job Loss Protection’ on EMI’s covering loss of job and medical emergencies including Coronavirus, optional payment from January 2021 on select products and zero-mile car product has been introduced looking at the opportunities in the used car business. Nissan India also announced the launch of its new pick-up & drop service. It is offering an end-to-end hygienic pick-up & drop solution including a standard sanitization process for all frequent touchpoints in the vehicle such as door handles and gear lever. Drivers delivering the vehicles will also follow full hygiene regulations between the customer location and Nissan workshop. The complimentary pick-up & drop service is available in all major cities while customers in other locations can also avail of this service at a minimal charge.

    Lees ook:

  • Mazda Motor Seeks $2.8 Billion In Loans To Ride Out Pandemic

    Mazda Motor Seeks $2.8 Billion In Loans To Ride Out Pandemic

    Mazda Motor Corp has sought loans totaling about 300 billion yen ($2.8 billion) from Japan’s three megabanks and other lenders to ride out the coronavirus epidemic, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Saturday. The megabanks – Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Mizuho Financial Group – along with the Development Bank of Japan, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings and others are set to agree, with some already having extended the loans, the person said, declining to be identified because the information is not public.

    All three megabanks declined to comment on the loan request, which was reported by the Nikkei business daily earlier. Mazda did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Mazda, like most other automakers, has reduced or halted production at factories around the world for the past few months as governments try to limit the spread of the new coronavirus.

    Mazda’s car sales and balance sheet had been weak even before the virus slammed the brakes on demand, with its interest-bearing debt of 650 billion yen far exceeding its cash and cash equivalents, according to the Nikkei. Mazda is scheduled to announce its financial results for the year ended in March on Thursday.

  • Ferrari Restarts Production At Maranello & Modena Plants In Full Capacity

    Ferrari Restarts Production At Maranello & Modena Plants In Full Capacity

    Ferrari, on Friday, officially announced the resumption of operations at its Maranello and Modena plants at full capacity, which in-line with its ‘Back on Track’ program. The first car to roll out from the Special Series lines was Ferrari Monza SP2 with a black and grey livery. The operations at the facility were suspended just a few hours before its completion due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Over the next few days, the company successfully rolled out the 812 GTS spider in Grigio GTS and an F8 Tributo in Rosso Corsa from the 12 and 8 cylinder lines. The new cars are ready to be delivered to the customers in Australia, Germany & USA.

    The sports car manufacturer introduced a new ‘Back on Track’ program, which majorly focuses on several practices and preventive guidelines aimed at the safety and wellbeing of the employees. The facilities in Maranello and Modena are subjected to follow these new rules and guidelines very strictly. These measures are taken specifically for common areas. The company has also reorganized the work area in order to ensure social distancing is maintained at the workplace.

    Additionally, Ferrari has also carried out a new training session for its staff wherein demonstrating the new guidelines and steps needs to be taken as precautionary measures while at work. Last month, the company came forward in support of health workers treating coronavirus patients wherein it started producing respirator valves and fittings for protective masks at its Maranello plant as one of its initiatives undertaken by Ferrari.

    The company can commence the manufacturing of the F8 Tribute and Spider, Roma, Portofino, GTC4Lusso, and GTC4Lusso T, SF90 Stradale, and the flagship hybrid hypercar along with the limited edition sports cars at the Maranello and Modena plants.

  • Daimler Says China Business Picks Up Again

    Daimler Says China Business Picks Up Again

    Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler has seen business stabilize in China after the country ended coronavirus lockdowns, a senior manager at the German carmaker told a newspaper on Sunday. Mercedes-Benz delivered a total of approximately 477,400 passenger cars worldwide between January and March. The report did not say how many of those went to customers in China, who bought 694,200 Mercedes-Benz cars last year, 29% of total sales. China is the largest market for the S-Class built in Sindelfingen. Normally several hundred vehicles roll off the assembly line in Sindelfingen every day.

    Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler has seen business stabilize in China after the country ended coronavirus lockdown

    “In China alone, we sold around 50,000 vehicles again in March. That makes us confident,”, said Markus Schaefer, a managing board member for production, told Bild am Sonntag newspaper. Starting Monday, cars are set to roll off Daimler’s assembly line again in Germany. The Sindelfingen and Bremen passenger-car plants will start production of E- and S-Class vehicles.”We won’t reach this number right away when production starts next week,” said Schaefer.

    Daimler reported a plunge of nearly 70% in first-quarter operating profit on Thursday due to the pandemic and warned that the cash flow it uses to pay dividends would fall this year.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Toyota Plans Limited Operations In France

    Toyota Plans Limited Operations In France

    Toyota Motor  on Monday said it plans to restart limited production at vehicle plants in France and Poland from April 22 after closing them due to the

    Automakers make a push to reopen plants. Global automakers reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic are accelerating efforts to restart factories from Wuhan to Maranello to Michigan, using safety protocols developed for China and U.S. ventilator production operations launched in recent weeks. Cia

    Most other plants in Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia will remain closed for now, it said in a news release

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Honda Extends North American Auto Plant Shutdowns

    Honda Extends North American Auto Plant Shutdowns

    Honda Motor Co has said that it will extend a shutdown of all U.S. and Canadian auto plant production through April 10 and at its plant in Celaya, central Mexico, until April 13, because of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

    Honda’s plant in El Salto in the western Mexican state of Jalisco, will also suspend production operations between April 4 and April 13, Honda’s Mexican unit said.

    Companies all over the world are joining in the battle against coronavirus, helping to make ventilators, face masks and hand sanitizer.

    A growing number of automakers have said they will not restart U.S. production until at least mid-April as demand sharply falls off for auto sales. Honda began its auto production halt on March 23.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • 2020 Volkswagen Golf To Come With Car2X Technology As Standard

    2020 Volkswagen Golf To Come With Car2X Technology As Standard

    We all loved the way the new Golf looks and there are many of you who have asked us on multiple occasions, about its arrival in India. Sadly, the Golf isn’t coming here, but while it’s turning a lot of heads across the world, there’s another reason why it’s become the talk of the town. The Volkswagen Golf is the first car that can help drivers to prevent accidents, and that’s thanks to its innovative Car2X technology, which allows it to wirelessly connect with other vehicles and the traffic infrastructure. Now the impressive part about this is that the technology will come standard on the Golf.

    The new Golf is the first car on the European market to come standard-equipped with Car2X technology, which is based on the Wi-Fi p wireless standard. This type of Wi-Fi is specifically tailored to local communication between vehicles and does not use the mobile phone network, which means it provides blanket coverage within the limits of the system. Within a radius of up to 800 metres, connected vehicles directly exchange positioning data and information with one another. This allows them to warn each other of danger or make contact with the traffic infrastructure within a matter of milliseconds.

    The German automotive association ADAC tested Volkswagen’s Car2X technology, during which it sent the new Golf into eight typical hazardous situations in which a driver, without being warned, would not be able to react at all, or would only be able to react much later. In all eight situations, the vehicle warned the driver reliably and in time, often even 10 or 11 seconds before the impending accident.

    In the initial development stage, which Volkswagen is introducing with the new Golf, Car2X technology is active at speeds over 80 kmph. In the future, it should also be able to improve safety in city traffic. It also offers major advantages if the car communicates with nearby traffic lights – in this way being better able to control traffic flow and protect the environment.

    Lees ook:

  • BMW India Shuts Down Chennai Plant

    BMW India Shuts Down Chennai Plant

    BMW Group India has announced a number of measures to restrict employee movement during the novel coronavirus pandemic that’s swept the globe. The automaker has announced that it will be closing the Chennai-based manufacturing facility with immediate effect until March 31, 2020, while employees at The National Sales Company and BMW India Financial Services will work from home during this period. Meanwhile, essential services including security, facility management and healthcare will continue to operate. Furthermore, the German auto giant said that it will keep all its showrooms pan India closed during this period, while aftersales and breakdown services will remain functional albeit with limitations.

    A statement from the BMW Group read, “For the well-being of employees in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, work from home has been implemented across BMW Group offices in India with immediate effect. Business continuity is to be ensured across all functions while adhering to all government directives and necessary safety measures. Across the BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad dealerships in India, staff will work from home to offer services to customers. Aftersales and breakdown services staff will operate as per the local government directives and will be functional with limitations. All showrooms are presently closed and will reopen as per local government advisory.”

    Almost all major automakers including Tata Motors, Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, FCA India and more have announced plant closures amidst the outbreak. In the luxury space as well, Volvo India had already announced that it has asked its employees to work from home, while Audi India has also shut operations with the closure of the Skoda Auto-Volkswagen facilities across India, while Mercedes-Benz too has closed the Chakan facility, near Pune. The auto industry is estimated to bear a loss of ₹ 15,000 crore every day during this phase, which further adds to the sector’s woes since the past year.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Ferrari To Close Plants In Italy For Two Weeks In Coronavirus Response

    Ferrari To Close Plants In Italy For Two Weeks In Coronavirus Response

    Luxury carmaker Ferrari said on Saturday it closed its two plants until March 27 in a response to the coronavirus outbreak in Italy and an emerging shortage of parts.

    Ferrari adds to a string of Italian manufacturers that have closed plants or slowed production rates in response to the virus emergency, threatening to disrupt Europe’s struggling automotive industry.

    Ferrari said in a statement it had so far ensured production continuity, as it already implemented all the health measures decided by the Italian government at the two sites, located in hometown Maranello and in Modena, in the northern Emilia Romagna region.

    France, Spain on lockdown over coronavirus

    France and Spain will close most shops, restaurants, and entertainment facilities and are encouraging people to stay home as the countries combat the coronavirus epidemic in Europe. The sweeping changes come as U.S. President Trump on Saturday extended

    However, it added the company was “now experiencing the first serious supply chain issues, which no longer allow for continued production”.

    Premium brakes maker Brembo, whose clients include Ferrari, said on Friday it would temporarily close its four Italian plants next week.

    All non-manufacturing activity will continue regularly, through smart working, Ferrari said.

    A source close to the matter said the company will adopt further measures during the closures period, including sanitization of the sites’ areas and added that no contagion cases were recorded among Ferrari’s workers to date.

    Italy agreed a series of measures on Saturday to improve health controls in factories, offices and other workplaces that have been allowed to stay open during the country’s coronavirus lockdown.

    Ferrari’s workers will continue to receive their full salary and will not be requested to use their day-off allowance during the closure period, the source said.

    Chief Executive Louis Camilleri said Ferrari took the decision to close its plants out of respect for its workers, “for their peace of mind and those of their families”.

    Earlier this week carmaker Fiat Chrysler and industrial vehicle maker CNH Industrial said they were temporarily halting operations and slowing production rates at some of their Italian plants to comply with the government’s anti-coronavirus requirements.

    Tyremaker Pirelli said it was cutting production at its Settimo Torinese plant, near Turin, after a worker tested positive for the coronavirus.

    Ferrari said its Formula One team Scuderia Ferrari had also suspended its operational activities.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Rolls-Royce Dawn Silver Bullet Roadster Teased

    Rolls-Royce Dawn Silver Bullet Roadster Teased

    Rolls-Royce is all set to introduce its first collection car of the new decade. It’s the Dawn Silver Bullet Collection and according to the company it is an ode ‘to decadence, to frivolity, to heady heydays and irreverent past times’. It’s basically the open-top roadster iteration of Dawn, and Rolls-Royce teased the car and we’ll know more about it very soon.

    A quilted transmission tunnel, with design cues taken from the leather jacket, runs through the center of the cabin in a tailored fashion.

    Drawing inspiration from the roadsters of the 1920’s -the Dawn Silver Bullet Collection looks seductive and cool too. It comes with a newly commissioned ultra-metallic silver paint finish which looks fantastic on the car. The aero cowling gives the Dawn Silver Bullet a high-shouldered silhouette. The rakish silver center spine brings the bodywork into the cabin, giving it the intimate, connected feel of a true two-seater.

    A behind-the-scenes look at Sunseeker, Britain’s biggest superyacht builder.

    It comes with a newly commissioned ultra-metallic silver paint finish which looks fantastic on the car.

    The Dawn Silver Bullet Collection features dark exterior detailing; dark headlights and a new dark front bumper finisher. The wheels are part-polished and offer a translucent shadow finish with a single silver pinstripe.

    Inside, the Dawn Silver Bullet Collection comes with an open-pore carbon fiber fascia. A quilted transmission tunnel, with design cues taken from the leather jacket, runs through the center of the cabin in a tailored fashion.

    Only 50 examples of this car will be made and we are sure there are plenty out there who want to scoop up this two-seater roadster from Rolls-Royce

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • New-Generation Honda City Unveil Date Revealed

    New-Generation Honda City Unveil Date Revealed

    The 5th generation Honda City is all set to be launched in India in the next couple of months. We can now tell you that Honda Cars India will officially take the wraps off the new Honda City on March 16, 2020, and probably begin taking bookings for the new car the same day onwards. The launch date of the new Honda City is yet to be confirmed. The all-new Honda City will be quite similar to the Thailand-spec model, which was unveiled in Thailand, late last year. The car will have some India-specific changes incorporated into it, of course.

    he new Honda City gets a sharper design and the front end too wears a fresh new look. There is a thick chrome bar on the grille and the headlamp cluster has been completely redesigned, having a jewel eye design. The front bumper gets a redesign as well and so do the tail lamps, carrying a signature u-shaped element.

    The 2020 Honda City has grown in size as well and is now over 100 mm longer, while the width has increased by 53 mm. The height though is now lowered by a good 28 mm, making it look a bit sportier. Honda has shortened the wheelbase on the new City by 11 mm, despite the overall increase in length.

    There will be 1.5-liter mild-hybrid petrol engine along with a 1.5-liter diesel unit and they will be BS6 compliant, right from day 1. Expect Honda to offer manual and automatic gearbox options as well!

    The Honda City will go up against its traditional rivals, which are the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Hyundai Verna, Skoda Rapid, and the Volkswagen Vento.

    Lees ook:

  • Skoda’s First Electric SUV To Be Called Enyaq

    Skoda’s First Electric SUV To Be Called Enyaq

    Skoda Auto today revealed that its first electric SUV will be presented soon. It, in fact, let out what it will be called. Skoda will call it the Enyaq and yes even we want to know where that name comes from. According to the company, the name Enyaq is based in the Irish language and expresses the vehicle’s dynamism and efficiency. The Enyaq then opens a new chapter in the 125-year history of the Skoda brand. It will be Skoda’s first electric car which will be built on the MEB platform, and will also launch a new family of model names. Of course, Skoda already has an electric car to its name, the Citigo iV and so it’s not new to the EV space, however, the all-electric SUV will definitely ind it a wider appeal

    Skoda SUVs have traditionally had names ending in the letter Q, and the new Enyaq follows this tradition just like the Kamiq, Kodiaq and the Karoq. But the new model’s first letter shows that this tradition is merging with the eMobility era, referenced by the letter E at the beginning of the name. The name, Enyaq, is derived from the Irish name Enya, which means ‘source of life’,

    We’ll know more about the electric SUV very soon, but it’s clear why the company wants to start its journey in the electric mobility space with an SUV. Well, the clear trendsetters now are the SUVs globally and so this decision does not come as a surprise. As to which markets the Enyaq will be introduced? Well, there’s no clarity on that yet and we’ll know more very soon.

    Lees ook:

  • Peugeot To Repatriate Staff From China’s Wuhan Area After Coronavirus Outbreak

    Peugeot To Repatriate Staff From China’s Wuhan Area After Coronavirus Outbreak

    French automotive group PSA, maker of the Peugeot and Citroen brands, said in a statement it will repatriate expat staff and their families from the Wuhan area in China, which is at the center of an outbreak of coronavirus.

    It said that 38 people would be evacuated and that the initiative will be executed in full collaboration with the Chinese authorities and the French general consulate.

    PSA said the evacuees will remain in quarantine in Changsha before traveling back to their home countries.

    Lees ook:

  • Tesla Moves A Step Closer To Opening First European Factory With German Property deal

    Tesla Moves A Step Closer To Opening First European Factory With German Property deal

    U.S. electric car pioneer Tesla has agreed to buy a property on the outskirts of Berlin, bringing it a step closer to opening its first European factory, local authorities said on Sunday. The U.S. carmaker last November announced plans to build a giant factory in Gruenheide, in the eastern German state of Brandenburg, giving it the coveted “Made in Germany” label just as local rivals prepare to launch competing models.

    Tesla’s board of directors approved a purchase agreement with the state of Brandenburg on Saturday to acquire a 300-hectare property, Brandenburg government spokesman Florian Engels said in a statement. The state parliament’s finance committee had already approved the sale on January 9.

    A Tesla spokeswoman confirmed the deal. The agreement states a preliminary property price of 40.91 million euros ($45.36 million) which can be amended if an external review provides a different value, Engels said.

    The property is in a designated industrial area and is being checked for weapons from World War II as there are most likely unexploded U.S. bombs still in the ground, he added.

    Politicians, unions and industry groups have welcomed Tesla’s move which is expected to create up to 7,000 jobs in Brandenburg.

    But some 250 locals took to the streets to protest on Saturday, fearing the factory could endanger the water supply and wildlife in the surrounding forest.

    Lees ook:

  • Tesla Could Make Electric Dirt Bikes In The Future

    Tesla Could Make Electric Dirt Bikes In The Future

    Tesla is known to make outrageous electric vehicles and we mean outrageous in a good way. The US-based electric vehicle manufacturer recently showcased the Cybertruck which is a piece of work and has divided opinions about its design, though no doubt, it is a radical, futuristic model that will be available for purchase in a couple of years’ time. But our ears pricked up when we heard about Musk responding to a tweet on the electric ATV. A twitter user asked about the availability of Tesla Electric ATV, which was showcased along with the Tesla Cybertruck. Elon Musk responded by tweeting that the electric ATV will be ready along with the truck, which is about two years from now.

    We’ll aim to have it come out at the same time as a truck. Two-seater electric ATV designed to work with Cybertruck will be fun! Electric dirt bikes would be cool too. We won’t do road bikes, as too dangerous. I was hit by a truck & almost died on one when I was 17.

    But he also mentioned that it would be cool to make electric dirt bikes. Although Tesla will never venture into making road bikes as they are too dangerous. Musk had a close brush with death when he was 17, riding a motorcycle and a truck hit him.

    Dirt bikes are fun and electric dirt bikes! Well, knowing Tesla, its electric dirt bikes could definitely have a significant impact on the global two-wheeler industry. Tesla has always been a car manufacturer but diversification is the name of the game and it wouldn’t be a bad idea for Tesla to venture out into the two-wheeler industry.

    Electric dirt bikes are not a new thing though and one of the most popular electric dirt bikes is the KTM Freeride E-XC which is probably as competent as its petrol-powered rivals and most importantly, it looks like a proper dirt bike too. Other electric dirt bike makers include Alta, Cake and so on. We would love to see a radically designed electric dirt bike from Tesla with Elon Musk doing a few wheelies and jumps on it, soon!