Carmaker Chevrolet was ordered to pay its French dealers nearly eight million euros (USD 8.5 million) in compensation by a Paris court for the “brutal” withdrawal of its brand from Europe.
Seventeen dealers had sued the company, part of the US General Motors giant, for not respecting a notice period it was obliged to give them after GM announced in December 2013 that it was withdrawing Chevrolets from sale in 2015 due to poor sales.
Researchers are working on an in-built blood alcohol level tester that can prevent people under its influence from driving.
The team at the University of Michigan studied the impact of installing these alcohol ignition interlock devices in all newly-purchased vehicles over a 15-year period.
Their estimates of injury prevention and cost savings are significant. They found that around 85 percent of the crashes resulting in deaths could be avoided.
A four-day automobile exhibit, ‘Auto Circuit’, displaying high-end and luxury cars and bikes is currently on in Chennai.
The event was flagged off by Alisha Abdullah, the first woman National Racing Champion on Thursday.
Automobiles of several luxury brands, including Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini Cooper, Mercedes-Benz, Harley Davidson, Honda, etc have been displayed.
Tata Motors-owned Land Rover has fitted faulty gearboxes in its popular SUV brand Evoque vehicles in China, state media here has alleged.
Owners of Evoque cars throughout China encountered malfunctions such as sudden stop while driving and faulty reverse gear, which re-happened soon after 4S stores changed the defective gearboxes with new ones for free, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted a CCTV consumer protection show as saying yesterday.
The show coincided with the International Day for Protecting Consumers’ Rights.
Hopeful that the Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) will eventually make it big in India, regulator Sebi’s Chairman U K Sinha on Friday said there is a need to look into the reasons why there has been “very little enthusiasm” so far in this market.
Striking a positive note, Sinha said REITs took a long time even in the US to take off in a big way and the growth started only after 5-6 years.
“I find that even after the regulations have come through, there is very little enthusiasm in the market for REITs.
General Motors India on Monday launched an updated version of its sports utility vehicle Captiva, priced up to Rs 27.36 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
Commenting on the launch General Motors India President and Managing Director Arvind Saxena said the introduction of the all new ‘MY 15 Captiva’ is in line with the company’s business plan of capturing the all important SUV market and growing its market share.
Bullish on Jaguar Land Rover, top industrialist Ratan Tata has hinted at Tatas manufacturing these marquee brands in India, Eastern Europe and the US, even as he advised against “running before one can walk”.
Tata, who steered the expansion of USD 103-billion Indian group for over two decades with a number of takeovers such as Jaguar Land Rover, also said that once he thought there was “no talent or capability in the UK” and he would not have been attracted to JLR had his views not changed.
German car maker BMW today launched Mini Cooper S luxury hatchback in India, priced at Rs 34.65 lakh (ex-showroom).
The new variant will be available at Mini dealerships across India as a completely built-up unit from today onwards, BMW Group India said in a statement.
“The new Mini Cooper S is furiously fun and ready to dominate the Indian streets like never before,” BMW Group India President Philipp von Sahr said.
The 3-door Mini Cooper S takes only 6.7 seconds to hit 100 km/hr mark and has a top speed of of 233 km/h.
BMW has recently showed off a new water-injection system on its M4-based safety car for MotoGP.
The twin-turbocharged six-cylinder that powers the M4 coupes is fitted with a water injection system that sprays a cooling mist into the intake air and it will be offered in showrooms soon, the Fox News reported.
This old-school trick reduces the temperature in the cylinder, which improves combustion and allows a turbocharged engine to run at higher boost by reducing knocking and heat related stress.
Eyeing a sales milestone of 5 lakh units in the domestic market, Hyundai Motor India is gearing up for a full play in the fast emerging sports utility vehicle segment to add volumes.
The company, which will launch the latest model i20 Active – a sports-styled version of its premium hatchback i20 – next week, will introduce iX25 SUV in India ahead of the festive season.
Automaker Renault India Thursday launched the new generation Duster priced at Rs 8.30 lakh (Delhi ex-showroom).
The new range boasts of superior engineering, all-new safety and comfort features and improved fuel efficiency, made possible by several technical and design enhancements, the company said in a statement.
The new generation Duster price range starts at Rs 8.30 lakh (Delhi ex-showroom), it added.
Second largest luxe carmaker Mercedes-Benz on Wednesday launched a new variant of its popular compact SUV B-Class with a higher diesel engine, making it the third roll-out this year.
The Pune-based Mercedes-Benz India had earlier this year announced 15 launches in the year, to claw back its lost number uno position, which it had lost to compatriot Audi from the Volkswagen stable a few years back. Last year, the Merc narrowed the gap with only a few hundred units difference.
German carmaker Volkswagen has launched a special edition of its mid-sized sedan Vento in India priced between Rs 8.57 lakh and Rs 10.42 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
The special edition Vento Magnific will be available in both petrol and diesel options. While the petrol version is priced at Rs 8.57 lakh and Rs 9.26 lakh, diesel variant is tagged at Rs 9.84 lakh and Rs 10.42 lakh (all prices ex-showroom) Delhi).
Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India Director Michael Mayer said the special edition Vento Magnific is aimed at providing more value to customers.
Slowdown in major global auto markets like China, Europe and Brazil offers India an opportunity to attract foreign investments but it will have to improve infrastructure as well as ease of doing business, and frame a policy to boost the sector, says JD Power.
While the slowdown witnessed in the past couple of years has forced a revision of forecast of reaching 9 million units of passenger vehicles annually by 2020 down to 7 million, the global marketing information firm maintains that India’s long term potential is still intact.
Swedish commercial vehicle major AB Volvo on Wednesday sold around 4.7 per cent stake in Eicher Motors for USD 310 million (over Rs 1,920 crore).
“AB Volvo has today divested 12.7 lakh shares, representing approximately 4.7 per cent of Eicher Motors Limited’s equity capital,” a Eicher Motors Ltd Spokesperson said in a statement.
In May 2008 AB Volvo and Eicher Motors Limited (EML) had entered into a joint venture agreement to create VECV with the intent to drive modernisation in the commercial vehicle industry in India and the developing world.
India will be the first market for French automobile maker Renault to launch its global small car (price below Rs.4 lakh) this year, said a top official of the group’s Indian subsidiary.
“India will potentially be the first market in the world where our global small car would be launched,” Sumit Sawhney, country CEO and managing director, Renault India told reporters here late Tuesday.
He said the small car will be priced well below the Rs.400,000 (not the Bata footwear like price of Rs.3.99 lakh) and would also be sub-four metres to enjoy the lower excise rate.
Honda Cars India on Monday reported a 16 per cent increase in its domestic sales at 16,902 units in February.
The company sold 14,543 units in February last year, Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) said in a statement.
Last month, the company sold 1,397 units of small car Brio, 7,163 compact sedan Amaze, 1,697 Mobilio and 6,505 mid-sized sedan City.
Besides, the company sold 140 units of sports utility vehicle, CRV.
In addition, the company exported a total of 1,119 units during the month.
PTI
Two-wheeler maker Eicher Motors Ltd Sunday said it closed last month selling 30,240 units, logging a growth of 49 percent over the corresponding period last year.
In a statement, the company said it closed last month selling 30,240 units (domestic 29,491 units, exports 749 units) up from 20,343 units (domestic 19,840 units, exports 503 units) logged during February 2014.
The company making Royal Enfield bikes said it is targeting to roll out 450,000 this calendar year.
French auto major Renault on Thursday launched an updated version of its compact car Pulse, with prices starting at Rs 5.03 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
“Pulse is an important part of our product portfolio and we have made several product enhancements to make the 2015 Pulse even more attractive and exciting for customers,” Renault India Operations Country CEO and Managing Director Sumit Sawhney said in a statement.
Dubai public utility firm Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) Wednesday unveiled public charging stations for electric vehicles in Dubai.
The solar-powered charging stations were officially inaugurated at DEWA’s headquarters in the emirate, Khaleej Times reported Wednesday.
DEWA MD and CEO Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said that 16 stations have been opened in the first phase of the project, which is one of the three “Smart Dubai” initiatives announced by the firm last year.
Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover is mulling setting up a plant in North America to meet the growing global demand of its vehicles, according to Tata Group’s Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata.
“The company (JLR) is indeed looking at North America as a location for another plant,” Tata was quoted by Automotive News as saying at the South Carolina Automotive Summit.
“Where they locate that plant, in which country or which state they locate, is something they will need to decide,” he added.
More Premium ‘City’ for Home – Honda to Launch Grace Hybrid in Japan!
Honda Motor Co hurt by falling sales and embroiled in a crisis over defective air bags is replacing its CEO.
The Japanese automaker said today that Takanobu Ito, its president and chief executive officer since 2009, will step aside in June and be succeeded by longtime executive Takahiro Hachigo.
The unexpected decision follows the recalls of more 6.2 million Honda vehicles in the US and millions of others elsewhere equipped with air bags made by Japan’s Takata Corp.
Mercedes-Benz is recalling more than 147,000 sedans and wagons in the United States because of a possible fire risk, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said today.
A week after a similar Mercedes recall of 127,000 cars in China, the company said it needed to fix poorly secured rubber seals on the engines of 2013-2015 E-Class and CLS vehicles.
The seals could catch fire if the come loose and make contact with hot parts of the exhaust system, the company said.
Researchers have developed a paper-like material that can be used to boost capacity of batteries in electric vehicles and personal electronics.
The material has the potential to boost by several times the specific energy, or amount of energy that can be delivered per unit weight of the battery.
The paper-like material, developed by researchers at the University of California, Riverside’s Bourns College of Engineering, is composed of sponge-like silicon nanofibres more than 100 times thinner than human hair.
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) would raise the production capacity of two-wheelers in 2016 after the commencement of operations of its new plant, a top company official said.
“Our production capacity at present in the three plants is 4.6 million units. After the commencement of operations of the Gujarat plant in 2016, the production capacity will increase by 1.2 million units per year”, Keita Muramatsu, President and CEO of HMSI said.
The company today launched a two-wheeler in the 160 cc segment targeting the youths.