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Automaker Kia India aims to garner 40 per cent of its overall sales this year from cars with an intelligent manual transmission (iMT) as demand for automatic vehicles continues to grow in the domestic market, according to a senior company official. The automaker is replacing manual transmission with intelligent manual transmission (iMT) in turbo petrol and diesel trims of Seltos, Carens and Sonet. The entry-level trims of the models, which come with a 1.5-litre petrol engine, would however continue to feature the manual transmission in order to cater to the price-conscious customer. The iMT trims come with a gear shift lever but no clutch thus enhancing ease of driving especially in city conditions. It also gives the buyers an option to shift from automatic to manual mode. In an interaction with PTI, Kia India National Head (Sales and Marketing) Hardeep Singh Brar said the company sold 1.35 lakh units in 2020 and out of that iMT contribution stood at 7 per cent. "Last year we sold
Luxury carmaker Lexus is looking to expand its customer base in India, enhance sales infrastructure as part of its strategy to grow sales in the country which is expected to see the premium segment return to pre-Covid levels this year, according to a top company official. The company, which is the luxury car arm of Japanese auto major Toyota, completed six years in India earlier this month and now plans to consolidate its position with a slew of measures to bring in additional volumes and growth. In an interaction with PTI, Lexus India President Naveen Soni said the company intends to increase sales contribution from professionals like doctors, architects, lawyers, pilots and people working in corporates, among others, in order to de-risk the business. Currently, a majority of the company sales in the country comes from people engaged in business activities, he noted. "Business class is the most important class which we serve in general...There can be some impact on exporters and .
Maruti Suzuki India on Wednesday said its total wholesales increased 5 per cent to 1,72,321 units in February. The country's largest carmaker had dispatched 1,64,056 units to its dealers in February 2022. Domestic wholesales rose 11 per cent to 1,55,114 units as compared with 1,40,035 units in February last year, the automaker said in a regulatory filing. Total exports last month however dropped 28 per cent to 17,207 units from 24,021 units in February 2022.