Carmakers In India

Auto majors Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra report best-ever October sales

The shift towards larger vehicles also impacted MSI's mini-segment cars and compact car sales

Hyundai Motor India to launch $3 bn IPO on Oct 15, know its operations

Hyundai aims to reach production of about 1 million units a year with the acquisition of a former General Motors plant in western Maharashtra state

Passenger vehicle dealers struggle with inventory worth Rs 73,000 cr: Fada

Given the stockpile, carmakers should realign their production around retail figures, according to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations

Carmaker Mercedes-Benz India posts record half-yearly sales at 9,262 units

German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz on Monday reported a 9 per cent growth in sales at 9,262 units in India in the first half of 2024, its highest ever half-yearly sales in the country, riding on strong demand across categories and availability of volume models. The company had posted sales of 8,528 units in the January-June period of 2023, which was its previous highest half-yearly sales, Mercedes-Benz India said in a statement. It plans to launch six new products in the second half (H2) of 2024. SUV penetration was at 55 per cent in H1 2024, while the TEV (top-end vehicle) segment priced above Rs 1.5 crore comprised 25 per cent of total sales, it added. The SUV segment saw robust performance from the GLA, GLC, GLE and GLS models, while the sedan portfolio comprising the A-Class, C-Class, outgoing LWB E-Class and S-Class topped customer preference for luxury sedans, it added. The BEV (battery electric vehicle) portfolio grew by 60 per cent in H1 24, comprising 5 per cent of tota

Nissan, Honda mull partnering on software, charging infrastructure

Both Japanese automakers have been hit hard in key market China by consumers' shift to low-priced, software-loaded EVs produced by Chinese brands such as BYD

Centre introduces new standards to enhance safety, performance of EVs

The two new standards, IS 18590: 2024 and IS 18606: 2024, brought by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), focus on the critical components of EVs, particularly the powertrain and batteries

Maruti introduces Suzuki fourth gen Swift, prices start at Rs 6.49 lakh

Betting big on the entry-level segment, Maruti Suzuki India on Thursday said it will continue to "re-energise" the small car segment as the automaker expects the vertical to revive over the next few years, according to MD & CEO Hisashi Takeuchi. Speaking at the launch of the new generation Swift here, he noted that the automaker aims to cater to the diverse needs of customers as it aims to sell 40 lakh units by 2030-31. Takeuchi noted that the entry-level segment continues to be a high volume vertical accounting for around 28 per cent of the overall domestic passenger vehicle sales. "For us to maintain our leadership position, it is important to cater to diverse customer segments. The hatchback segment in India continues to be a high-volume segment, accounting for approximately 28 per cent of total passenger vehicle sales," Takeuchi said. Interestingly, the premium hatchback segment contributes nearly 60 per cent of total hatchback sales, he noted. "As a market leader, we took the

Nissan Motor India recalls Magnite units to fix front door handle sensors

Nissan Motor India on Thursday said it is voluntarily recalling Magnite units produced between November 2020 and December 2023 for a retrofit of front door handle sensors. The company did not share the number of affected units. This proactive and mandatory preventive action impacts the base XE and mid XL variants only, with no impact to the safety of customers, the automaker said in a statement on its website. All Nissan Magnite units manufactured after December 2023 remain unaffected, it added. The automaker said it will begin notifying the owners of the affected vehicles and assured them that they can continue using their vehicles without interruption. Customers can visit their nearest authorised Nissan service workshop, where a retrofit of the sensor will be performed free of charge, it added. Nissan Magnite is a five seater compact sports utility vehicle.

Honda Motors commences work for new warehouse facility in Karnataka

Japanese firm Honda on Monday said it has commenced work for a spare parts warehouse facility in Doddaballapura near Bengaluru, Karnataka. Managed by Honda Cars India, the new facility will support the spare parts operations for all Honda businesses, including Honda Cars India, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, and Honda India Power Products, the company said in a statement. The upcoming facility, which will be operational by the first quarter of FY26, will play an important role in the faster availability of spare parts at Honda dealerships, it added. "This is in line with our commitment towards our customers for providing timely and quicker availability of spare parts for their Honda products," Honda Cars India President and CEO Takuya Tsumura stated. The new facility will not only enhance spare parts accessibility in the southern region of the country but also pave the way for future requirements amid rapid electrification, he added. The development project of the facility will

Citroën becomes the first multinational carmaker to export EVs from India

Citroën despatched 500 units of the Made-in-India ë-C3 to Indonesia from the Kamarajar Port

Aiming to retain pole position in premium EV segment, says BYD India

The company, which entered the Indian market in 2022, currently sells two electric cars in India -- Atto 3 and e6, a multi-utility vehicle. Seal is the company's third offering

Centre may reduce import duty for Tesla in lieu of an EV factory in India

Tesla had earlier asked the Centre to reduce the import duty to 15 per cent on its cars for the first two years, in exchange for an investment of up to $2 billion in India

Hyundai Motor India may launch India's largest IPO ever this Diwali

At the upper band, the valuation of Hyundai India would be around Rs 23.3 trillion, more than Mahindra & Mahindra and Bajaj Auto

India should not cut customs duty on auto sector in any pact: GTRI

India should not cut import duties for the automobile sector under free trade agreements (FTAs) with countries like the UK as it will adversely impact the sector and may result in closure of companies here, economic think tank GTRI said in a report on Wednesday. The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said India has not given tariff or duty reductions for cars in its free trade agreements with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), Japan, and Korea. "Do not cut auto (including electric vehicles) tariffs through FTAs. This will adversely impact auto majors who have invested billions of dollars in India and force them to wind up," it said. It added that there is no reason to offer these concessions to the UK either, as the UK mostly assembles cars with parts imported from the EU (European Union), and China. It said if India offers duty concessions to the UK, it might face pressure to do the same for other free trade agreement partners like Japan and Korea. "This could l

Hyundai, Ducati latest automakers to increase vehicle prices from January 1

Automaker Hyundai Motor India Ltd on Thursday said it will hike the prices of its vehicles from next month citing rising input cost, adverse exchange rate and increase in commodity prices. The company, which sells a range of vehicles starting from Grand i10 Nios to electric SUV IONIQ5, priced between Rs 5.84 lakh to Rs 45.95 lakh, however, did not specify the quantum of the proposed price increase to be effective from January 1, 2024. The price increase is owing to rising input cost, adverse exchange rate and increase in commodity prices, amongst other reasons, Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), said in a statement. HMIL COO Tarun Garg, COO said the company always tries to absorb the cost escalations to the extent possible and ensure customers are not burdened. "However, it has now become imperative to pass on some portion of the rising input cost to the market through a minor price increase," he added. HMIL said it will continue to make consistent internal efforts to minimize future

From budget to luxury, cars to get more expensive from January 2024

The carmakers cited high cost pressure, driven by overall inflation and increased commodity prices, behind the price hike plans

Carmakers shift into overdrive with extended festival season deals

An industry source added that the sector is fearing lower sales in November and December

Emission norms: Top carmakers face strict penalties for violation

The stiff penalties stem from the upgrade in the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard that went into effect in January of this year

Carmakers Mercedes, Lexus, Audi expect bumper sales in festive period

Luxury carmakers Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and Audi expect sales momentum to continue in the ongoing festive season with demand remaining robust for high-end cars. With offtake remaining strong, the festive season push could even see the luxury car segment posting its highest ever volumes in a year in 2023. In an interaction with PTI, Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director and CEO Santosh Iyer noted that the festive season looks very promising as compared with last year. "This year the festive season is spread across four months and we are optimistic as we started on a very positive note, from Onam onwards," he stated. With a strong demand primarily driven by recent launches and buoyant customer sentiment, Mercedes-Benz expects the growth momentum to continue, Iyer said. Lexus India President Naveen Soni said the luxury car market continues to grow in the country. "This year, the demand for high-end cars has brought cheer to the industry. Luxury cars, as a market segment, are growing at

Safety ratings under Bharat NCAP to play significant role in buying cars

The move will prompt high-selling and even sub-Rs 10 lakh car models to get safety ratings, making the cars more expensive