Today's Auto news

AUTO NEWS OF THE DAY- Friday, 10th March, 2017

KTM Philippines production in full swing.

Yamaha NMax 155 launched in Japan. Scooter uses R15v3.0 derived engine.

Bajaj dominar ABS version outselling non abs variant.

Bajaj Pulsar AS200 to make a comeback soon. Was discontinued in favour of 200 NS.

Suzuki to launch 4 new models next fiscal year. Ciaz facelift to be 1st.

Mitsubishi pajero and Nissan patrol to share same platform.

Renault kwid climber launched at Rs. 4.3 lakh. Most expensive variant of kwid.

Hyundai sonata facelift launched in South Korea. Global launch in mid-2017.

Carlos Ghosn: Tata nano inspired kwid. Open to kwid based Mitsubishi model in India.

Mahindra developing electric SUV and performance car. Mahindra electric working on 380V electric powertrain. Design for performance car to come from pininfarina.

Toyota corolla Altis Facelift to Launch soon. Bookings open.

Tata RaceMo to be India's 1st kit car. MOFlex system's use of fewer modules will allow the car to be assembled at workshop spaces across the country.

Skoda electric car concept set for Shanghai reveal. To go on sale in 2020-21.

Learnt about Volkswagen scandal from media: Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel.

Hyperloop released 1st images of its 1st test track, called DevLoop in Nevada. Aims at full scale testing by June 2017.

Geneva excerpts:
Skoda Octavia RS245 showcased along with Octavia scout.

Audi RS 5 coupé unveiled. Powered by 2.9L TFSI v6 bi-turbo petrol engine.

Lamborghini Huracan Performante revealed. 640 HP, mid-mounted 5.2L V10 is the most powerful engine ever produced by Lamborghini.

Mercedes Benz E class cabriolet and E class coupé showcased.

Hyundai FE hydrogen fuel cell concept unveiled in Geneva. Previews future SUV. Uses 4th gen hydrogen fuel cell technology.

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Today's Auto news

AUTO NEWS OF THE DAY- Friday, 3rd March, 2017

Bajaj to launch in Malaysia.

India-made Hyundai creta launched in South Africa.

Hyundai creta crosses 1.5 lakh units sales in less than 2 years. On average 7,177 units sold a month.

Renault captur with glass roof to debut in Geneva.

Maruti Vitara Brezza crosses 1,000,000 unit sales in India.

Mahindra confirms Vitara Brezza and ecosport rivaling compact SUV. Codenamed S201, will be based on Tivoli design.

Mahindra-Ssangyong ties deepen for new engine, platforms and electric cars.

SAIC's British subsidiary MG motors to enter India 1st. Model roll out expected in 2019.

Range Rover velar officially unveiled. Reintroduction of 1970 Brand name.

Land Rover discovery sport 2.0 diesel ready for launch. To come in 2 states of tune- 150 HP and 180 HP.

Renault launches its 1st design academy in India. Will start operations from April 3, functions out of Renault design studio in chennai.

Honda WR-V to launch on march 16. Bookings open.

Mercedes Benz E class cabriolet unveiled.

Mercedes CEO: making business case for E class LWB tough. Has potential to drive volumes.

Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo revealed ahead of Geneva debut. 1st Porsche to offer 3 seats in rear.

New McLaren supercar to have rotating display on dashboard. Drivers can select larger screen for driving while folded screen meant for racing.

Germany urges public to avoid cars for 40 days during Lent. Discount on public transportation including trains have been proposed. Stuttgart to ban diesel cars.

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Today's Auto news

AUTO NEWS OF THE DAY- Thursday, 2nd March, 2017

Bigger displacement KTM bikes not to come to India.

Honda monkey 50th anniversary edition launched in Japan.

Honda Activa 4G launched at Rs. 50,730. Gets combined braking system with equaliser, mobile charging, BS 4 compliance.

Honda WR-V spec revealed. Shares engine with jazz. Auto tranny not offered. Dual airbags, ABS standard.

Benelli tornado 302 to launch in India in April.

Range Rover velar to be unveiled today.

Next gen maruti Suzuki swift to continue with current engine options. Launch in mid-2017.

Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza certified for front offset crash test. Country's 1st vehicle certified for both front offset and side impact tests.

Maruti Suzuki recalls 151 units of grand Vitara. To check possible fault in manual transmission. Vehicles manufactured between June 2008-may 2013.

Volkswagen Tiguan launching in April in India. Passat to launch in July.

SAIC to be 1st Chinese maker to enter India. Already registered in India, company hiring executives. Close to finalising deal to takeover GM's Gujarat plant.

Mercedes Benz C class long wheelbase to skip India.

New Mitsubishi eclipse cross SUV revealed. Powered by 1.5L turbo petrol, 2.2L diesel engine.

Mahindra confirms next gen Thar. Could get design inputs from Ssangyong and pininfarina.

Most automakers post double digit growth in February.

F1: Bottas quickest. Vettel and Ferrari star again in Barcelona testing.

Maini brothers to drive for Jenzer Motorsport. Arjun will continue driving in GP 3, Kush will switch over to FIA Italian F4 championship.

Uber owns patent for tech involved in lawsuit with Google. Patent owned by tech startup tyto which is owned by Otto which in turn is owned by uber.

New Volvo automatically steers and brakes to avoid accidents. Installed in its upcoming SUV xc 60, software to work between 60-140 kph.

Female engineer's harassment claim unsubstantiated, says Tesla. Claims employee moved into successive engineering roles despite not having engineering degree.

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Today's Auto news

AUTO NEWS OF THE DAY- Wednesday, 1st March, 2017

Yamaha MT-10 Tourer headed to Europe. Naked roadster based on R1.

Yamaha V-Ixion roadster spotted in Indonesia. Equipped with R15 engine.

Aprilia to focus on scooters in India till 2018. No motorcycles.

Honda Activa 4G with AHO spotted. Gearing up for BS 4 variant launch.

India-bound Isuzu MU-X launched in Thailand. Company celebrating its 60th anniversary of sales and operations in Thailand.

Jeep compass to be priced at Rs.16 lakhs in India. Will go on sale from august.

BMW 1 series sedan launched in China.

Mercedes Benz E class long wheelbase launched in India at Rs. 56.15 lakh for petrol and Rs.69.47 lakh for diesel. Focus on reducing ownership costs with service packages.

Lifespan of Mumbai's BEST buses to be cut from 15 years to 12.

Dsk Hyosung Aquila 250 limited edition launched. Priced at Rs.2.94 lakhs. Only 100 units to be made.

Maruti streamlines lineup. Axes Ritz, Celerio diesel, wagon R stingray, gypsy. Ciaz to move to Nexa dealerships.

Autonomous Peugeot Instinct concept revealed. Also showcases a future generation of the i-Cockpit interior design.

Takata to pay $1 billion over faulty airbags. Pleaded guilty of concealing defect that made inflators explode with high force, killing 16 people. Suit accuses 5 automakers of knowing about defect.

Startup develops self-driving racecar with top speed of 320 kph. Roborace Robocar bigger than standard f1 car, has 2 radars, 5 lidars, 18 ultrasonic sensors, 2 optical speed sensors, 6 AI driven cameras.

Female Tesla engineer complains of lower salary than men and pervasive harassment.

Hyperloop one asks Indian public to vote for preferred route. Proposed route Mumbai-old Delhi will cover distance in 80 minutes. Chennai-Bangalore Route to take 20 minutes.

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Today's Auto news

AUTO NEWS OF THE DAY- Monday, 20th February, 2017

Yamaha R25 facelift may get slipper clutch and upside down forks.

1,155 units of Yamaha R3 recalled in India. Same model was recalled earlier last week in USA due to faulty fuel tank fitting bracket and main power switch.

Yamaha's India-made bike for emerging markets, crux Rev, introduced in Africa and central America.

Suzuki gixxer range gets AHO and BS 4 compliance. Suzuki access scooter also gets BS 4 compliant engine.

2018 Mercedes Benz A class to feature dual screen digital display.

Fully electric Mercedes AMG models a possibility. Early electrification will be through 48V mild hybrid system.

New Mercedes Benz E class to launch on Feb 28.

India-made Renault kwid has 2 month waiting period in south Africa. Launched in November last year.

Nissan kicks SUV seen in China. China launch expected this year. India launch next year.

Ford's Craiova plant in Romania to put 190 new robots to work for ecosport. Production to start in September.

Ford denies Bloomberg Report that its testers are falling asleep while testing self-driving cars. Apparently, Ford's autonomous car project aims at eliminating brake, acceleration pedals and steering wheel.

Base version of India-bound ford ecosport facelift spotted in China.

India spec Jeep compass to come with petrol and diesel engines at launch. Launch in august.

Ferrari 812 superfast unveiled. To replace F12 berlinetta. To be fastest Ferrari ever with 789 BHP output.

2018 Skoda yeti spied as a Chinese model. Will launch after Kodiaq.

Audi dealers in China demand Rs.27,000 crores cover for losses over 3 years. Dealers blamed company for adding too many distributors which worsened an already declining sales.

Pininfarina Fittipaldi EF7 to have a small production run. The track car to come with 600 HP V8 engine.

Trump will make America great to invest, says Anand Mahindra. Poets' imaginations and not technology will save the world in future, he added.

No amnesty for BS 3 vehicles after April 1, says Bajaj auto. 1st 2 wheeler maker to fully meet BS 4 norms before deadline.

KTM Duke range to launch on Feb 23. Gets cosmetic changes, BS 4 engines. 390 to get ride by wire tech.

Lynk and co wants to change the way people buy cars. No model year designations for its cars. Ownership will be subscription based with no down payment. 1st model in April.

Toyota sold only 1 Prius in last 6 months of 2016 in China. Had sold 75 cars in 1st half of year.

London to levy daily fine of £10 on polluting cars. Toxicity charge will be levied primarily on vehicles registered before 2006.

Ambassador was sold due to lack of innovation, says MSME minister, giriraj Singh.

World's 1st driverless car circuit race ends with accident. One of the 2 driverless cars crashed into statue. Hosted by Buenos Aires formula E grand Prix.

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Today's Auto news

AUTO NEWS OF THE DAY-Thursday, 2nd February, 2017

Honda dominator to make a comeback. To use either 250cc or 300cc engine.

New Nissan Z & Toyota Supra concepts showcased in Tokyo.

Land Rover shelves plans to build mini defender in India.

Tata kite 5 sedan to launch next month. Tiago AMT gearing up for launch.

Last rolls Royce phantom 7 rolls off the assembly line. Model discontinued after 13 years.

Trial production commences in Suzuki's gujarat plant. Starts rolling out maruti Baleno.

Toyota land cruiser invincible x launched in UK.

Isuzu D-MAX X series launched in Philippines. Sporty variant of the mid sized pickup.

BMW hosting a 3 day preview of the G30 5 series in Delhi.

Honda city facelift to launch in India on Feb 15. Gets cosmetic tweaks. Top end variant to get 6 airbags.

2017 Mercedes Benz E class V213(LWB) to launch on Feb 28.

Lamborghini Huracan RWD Spyder launched at Rs. 3.45 crores. Powered by 580 BHP, 5.2L V10 engine.

5th Cartier d'Elegance scheduled to be held on Feb 4-5. To split rolls Royce class into 2 classes, gets all new American aerodynamics class. No coach builder class this year.

Budget 2017: no shift in gears for auto industry. Demand for vehicles unlikely to improve due to lack of significant announcements. All eyes on GST rollout in July.

Tata to unveil Tamo futuro sports car at Geneva this year. Mid engined, 2 seater sports car will be sold under sub brand Tamo. Launch next year, likely to be priced at Rs. 25 lakhs.

Toyota C-HR India Launch in 2018. Prices likely to start from Rs.15 lakhs.

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Today's Auto news

AUTO NEWS OF THE DAY- Thursday, 12th January, 2017

New Mercedes CLE to be new aerodynamics champion. Replacement of the CLS, will rival the Audi A7.

Suzuki swift racer RS to debut in Tokyo this week. Features blue and neon green livery of team Suzuki Ecstar from motoGP.

VW CEO confirms all new Polo, Skoda yeti and Porsche Cayenne for 2017. Close to 60 models to be launched globally this year from VW group.

Mercedes Benz GLB SUV to come in standard and long wheelbase variants. Will rival BMW X1.

Mercedes A class sedan concept to showcase in Shanghai. Entry level sedan from Mercedes.

Datsun to launch 1000cc redigo and redigo AMT soon.

Owners return stripped down cars to Volkswagen in USA. Part of cleansing drive post the dieselgate scandal. Meanwhile, FBI arrests CEO Oliver Schmidt on charges of conspiration to keep USA regulators from finding about the defeat device. Company to pay $4.3 billion to govt, taking total fine to $19 billion

Kawasaki opens new dealership in Mumbai. Earlier the vashi dealership was shut down after complaints from customers.

Audi Q8 concept revealed in Detroit. Indicates Audi's plans to enter full size luxury SUV segment.

Range rover Evoque 2L petrol variant launched in India at Rs. 53.2 lakhs. To be offered only in SE Trim. 241 BHP 4 cylinder petrol engine.

GM launches book by Cadillac scheme in USA. Users can pay $1500 and drive a Cadillac for a month.

Next gen Lexus LS 500 sedan revealed. The S Claas Rival gets all new 415 BHP 3.5L V6 engine.

Diesel has tough future but is here to stay, says maruti early implementation of bs 6 norms an engineering challenge for diesel cars, will shoot up prices as well.

Audi breaks cover of SQ5 SUV. Performance variant of Q5, gets 354 BHP, 3L V6 turbocharged petrol engine.

Mercedes-AMG GT C coupé unveiled. 557 bhp 4L, twin turbo V8 engine powers it.

New material 10 times stronger and 20 times lighter than steel developed. MIT researchers redesigned 3D form of graphene.

Tesla hired senior Apple executive for autopilot tech. Chris Latter hired as VP, autopilot development.

No Indian city meets global air pollution targets, says WHO report.

Dutch trains powered 100% by wind energy from JAN 1. A windmill running for 1 hour can power the train for 200 km.

Happy morning😊

Today's Auto news

AUTO NEWS OF THE DAY- Thursday, 12th January, 2017

New Mercedes CLE to be new aerodynamics champion. Replacement of the CLS, will rival the Audi A7.

Suzuki swift racer RS to debut in Tokyo this week. Features blue and neon green livery of team Suzuki Ecstar from motoGP.

VW CEO confirms all new Polo, Skoda yeti and Porsche Cayenne for 2017. Close to 60 models to be launched globally this year from VW group.

Mercedes Benz GLB SUV to come in standard and long wheelbase variants. Will rival BMW X1.

Mercedes A class sedan concept to showcase in Shanghai. Entry level sedan from Mercedes.

Datsun to launch 1000cc redigo and redigo AMT soon.

Owners return stripped down cars to Volkswagen in USA. Part of cleansing drive post the dieselgate scandal. Meanwhile, FBI arrests CEO Oliver Schmidt on charges of conspiration to keep USA regulators from finding about the defeat device. Company to pay $4.3 billion to govt, taking total fine to $19 billion

Kawasaki opens new dealership in Mumbai. Earlier the vashi dealership was shut down after complaints from customers.

Audi Q8 concept revealed in Detroit. Indicates Audi's plans to enter full size luxury SUV segment.

Range rover Evoque 2L petrol variant launched in India at Rs. 53.2 lakhs. To be offered only in SE Trim. 241 BHP 4 cylinder petrol engine.

GM launches book by Cadillac scheme in USA. Users can pay $1500 and drive a Cadillac for a month.

Next gen Lexus LS 500 sedan revealed. The S Claas Rival gets all new 415 BHP 3.5L V6 engine.

Diesel has tough future but is here to stay, says maruti early implementation of bs 6 norms an engineering challenge for diesel cars, will shoot up prices as well.

Audi breaks cover of SQ5 SUV. Performance variant of Q5, gets 354 BHP, 3L V6 turbocharged petrol engine.

Mercedes-AMG GT C coupé unveiled. 557 bhp 4L, twin turbo V8 engine powers it.

New material 10 times stronger and 20 times lighter than steel developed. MIT researchers redesigned 3D form of graphene.

Tesla hired senior Apple executive for autopilot tech. Chris Latter hired as VP, autopilot development.

No Indian city meets global air pollution targets, says WHO report.

Dutch trains powered 100% by wind energy from JAN 1. A windmill running for 1 hour can power the train for 200 km.

Happy morning😊

Today's Auto news

AUTO NEWS OF THE DAY- Tuesday, 10th January, 2017

Bajaj dominar 400 deliveries commence in India.

Toyota Vios to launch in Thailand on Jan 23.

Honda civic type-R not to come with CVT.

Toyota fortuner with Nippon body kits spruces up SUV look. Costs 2 lakhs for body kit.

India-bound next gen Mercedes GLA makes world debut in Detroit. To go on sale in Germany from today.

Hyundai i20 based SUV to be unveiled in Korea this July.

Honda mobilio facelift to launch in Indonesia on Jan 13.

Hyundai creta arrives in Brazilian showrooms.

Volkswagen ID buzz concept unveiled in Detroit. World's 1st fully automatic multi-purpose vehicle. Also showcased was VW Tiguan allspace.

2018 ford f-150 debuts in Detroit show. Gets new looks and new diesel engine. Will go on sale this fall.

Ford ecosport gets touchscreen, loses few features across variants, like reclining seats, rear defogger, vanity lamp etc.

Vikram pawah resigns as Harley Davidson MD. Might move to BMW.

Fee for driver's license and driving tests hiked. Hiked in 22nd amendment to central motor vehicle rule for 1st time since 1989. Lerner's licence to cost Rs.150, international driving permit to cost Rs. 1000, renewal to cost Rs.200.

Indian road safety week began on Monday. Union Transport ministry kicked off campaign which lay emphasis on causes of road accidents and increased awareness.

Bs 4 updated Honda CB unicorn 160 launched at Rs.73,552. Comes with automatic headlamp.

UM Renegade commando, sport s prices hiked. To cost Rs. 5000 & Rs.8000 more, respectively.

2017 Porsche 911 GTS lineup revealed. Gets powered up version of 3L turbocharged flat 6 engine from 911 carrera.

Petrol pumps to continue to accept cards after Jan 13. Transaction charges not to be borne by customers. Negotiations underway between banks and petrol pumps.

Google's waymo's 1st self-driving minivan to hit USA streets. Cars, made by Chrysler, to be deployed in phoenix and California.

Paris names 2017 as year of the bicycle. Attempt to boost cycling infrastructure and reduce pollution.

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AUTO NEWS OF THE DAY- Friday, 6th January, 2017

Honda Navi Chrome and adventure variants launched.

Honda India sells nearly 5 million 2 wheelers in 2016.

Renault Samsung motors to develop global SUV. Decision backed by success of new koleos, developed in Renault Samsung technical centre, Yongin, South Korea.

Kia Sportage and soul crossovers spied testing on Indian roads.

Ssangyong korando c compact SUV launched in South Korea.

Next gen Mercedes E class LWB India launch by Feb end or March beginning. Longer than standard sedan by 140mm. Estimated to cost Rs. 55-70 lakhs.

Fiat India cuts prices of punto, linea. Reduced by up to 7-7.3% respectively.

Bentley continental GT supersport to debut today. Set to be most extreme Bentley ever.

Hyundai showcased hyper connected car at CES2017, Las Vegas. Also shown was Ioniq hybrid driverless car. Concept car also acts as air conditioner and power generator for houses.

BMW concept car lets passengers to listen to their own music. Car equipped with tech called sound curtains that allows each passenger to listen to their own music without headphones.

Intel announces 5G modems for phones, smart cars and drones.  To let cars decide faster to keep driver and car safe.

Toyota's concept car alerts other road users of upcoming intersections, u turns.' Concept-i' notifies vehicles behind the car using LED lights. Car integrated with virtual companion 'Yui' which learns driver's behaviours and patterns.

Maharashtra govt to launch new taxi service. Shivgramin taxi scheme, to ply in semi urban and rural areas. Uses Tata ace zip.

I don't think driverless cars will come to India, says Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Reiterates über CEO's Statement.

Cars and buses banned in Delhi's Connaught place for next 3 months. Move part of smart city project. 4000 alternative parking space and park and ride services introduced.

China launches its longest bullet train service. Dubbed Shangri-la of the world, runs between Beijing and Kunming, a 2760 km stretch, covered in 13 hours.

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AUTO NEWS OF THE DAY- Monday, 2nd January, 2017

Limited edition pulsar 200 NS launched in Cambodia. To make comeback in India along with 200 RS.

Hyundai creta to get mild hybrid tech in 2018.

Suzuki Swift Sport to launch in H2, 2017 globally.

Renault kwid to launch soon in Bhutan and Bangladesh.

1 series likely to be entry level sedan for BMW in India as well. BMW's 1st front wheel drive car will take on Mercedes Benz CLA and Audi A3.

Volkswagen zeroing in on entry level Segment in India. Part of global strategy for 2025 and beyond.

Royal Enfield classic 350 special editions launched at Rs. 1.46 lakhs. Named Redditch edition. Launched as a tribute and inspiration to its humble beginnings in Redditch, England.

Lamborghini Urus SUV to get company's 1st plugin hybrid system. To be offered alongside twin turbo 4L V8 engine. To go on sale in 2018.

Petrol and diesel prices hiked from Jan 2. Increased by Rs.1.29/L and Rs.0.97/L respectively.

Man sued Tesla after his model x crashed into living room. Claims Spontaneous acceleration while parking the car in garage.

Automatic brakes saved lives in Berlin attack. Reports claim that deployment of automatic brakes, used in Europe in all trucks since 2012, probably reduced the number of casualties.

Global CEO of Faraday Future quits before debut of 1st car. Ding Lee is also top executive in LeEco and spearheaded its autonomous car project, LeSee.

John Abraham named his Rs.2 crores worth Nissan GTR black Edition car as Godzilla. The only Indian to own the car.

Parents of 5 year old car crash victim sue Apple over use of FaceTime. Case over not implementing a patented tech that locks Out FaceTime to prevent distraction while driving.

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