Page 14 - Automobile Industry

Confident of retaining leadership position in SUV segment in 2022: Hyundai

Hyundai Motor India looks to maintain its leadership in the segment this year as demand for its models like Creta and Venue continues to be robust

Omicron variant yet to curb driving across most of Asia in boon for oil

More cars have thronged the main roads in December amid year-end festivities than seen last month

M&M, TaMo aim to bolster product range, manage chip shortage next year

Riding on the success of their recent model launches, homegrown auto majors Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors are looking to further strengthen their product portfolios in 2022. Both companies are also looking at ways to handle the semiconductor shortage in a better way next year so that the impact on the production is minimal. "We want to be the number one player in the core SUV segment, and the success across our product portfolio including the all new Thar, XUV300, Bolero Neo and the unprecedented response we have received for XUV700 is an indication that we are on the right track," Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) Executive Director (Auto & Farm Sectors) Rajesh Jejurikar told PTI in an interaction. The company has already announced the launch of 13 new products by 2027, he added. "The next in line is the new Scorpio, which should come out next year, which will be our immediate focus," Jejurikar noted. The automaker has seen a strong demand rebound, especially for core, .

Sustaining ops, biz health biggest issues for auto firms in 2022: MG Motor

The biggest challenge in 2022 for the automobile industry will be to sustain business operations and ensure financial health amid various challenges, including global semiconductor shortage, according to a top MG Motor India official. Currently, the domestic market is witnessing increased demand, but it is also impacted by the global semiconductor shortage, which has hit production activities. "The new normal has set unique challenges for the industry. The biggest challenge is to sustain business operations and ensure the financial health of the organisation and its stakeholders. With the industry having exhibited resilience over the last two years, we are looking towards 2022 with cautious optimism," MG Motor India President & Managing Director Rajeev Chaba stated. The situation will remain fluidic in 2022 due to unpredictable factors COVID-19, global semiconductor shortage, freight cost and multiple other cost implications, he added. Chaba noted that the company is committed to

Here are the eligibility criteria for govt's 'BH-series' for new vehicles

A personal vehicle bearing this registration mark shall not require assignment of a new registration mark when the owner of the vehicle shifts from one state to another

Auto industry hopes for smooth ride in New Year after a bumpy 2021

The Indian automotive industry is driving into 2022 with a positive mindset in its quest to reach the pre-pandemic levels of sales volume, having built a solid foundation in 2021

Royal Enfield recalls 26,300 Classic 350 bikes to fix faulty brake part

Mid-sized motorcycle maker Royal Enfield on Monday said it is recalling 26,300 units of its Classic 350 motorcycles to rectify issue with a brake part

Near-term worries likely to keep Maruti Suzuki's stock under strain

Market-share loss in SUVs, supply disruptions, and margin improvement may take time to repair

Skoda Auto Volkswagen India head quits, successor yet to be announced

Gurpratap Boparai, managing director, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd (SAVWIPL) has resigned from the company with effect from January 1, 2022

Maruti Suzuki Super Carry crosses 100,000 cumulative sales mark

Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Tuesday said its light commercial vehicle Super Carry has crossed one lakh sales cumulative milestone in five years of its launch in the country. The vehicle, which comes with a four-cylinder engine and both petrol and CNG options, caters to the versatile requirements of the commercial customers. MSI forayed into the commercial segment in 2016 with the introduction of Super Carry in India. The model was developed specifically for the domestic market, keeping in mind the unique requirements of Indian mini-truck customers. In a very short time, Super Carry has received a phenomenal market reception and has found wide acceptance among customers. Through Super Carry, we have been able to cater to a diverse range of goods carrying customer requirements to enable them to be more efficient and profitable," MSI Senior Executive Director (Marketing and Sales) Shashank Srivastava said in a statement. The S-CNG variant of Super Carry has helped businesses enhance

Hyundai and Kia's market share decline from 3.1% to 2.1% in China

Sales of Hyundai Motor and Kia have continued to decrease in the Chinese market.According to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) on the 10th, Hyundai Motor and Kia's combined share of the Chinese market fell 1 per cent from 3.1 per cent (2.2 per cent for Hyundai Motor, 0.9 per cent for Kia) in November last year to 2.1 per cent (1.4 per cent Hyundai Motor, 0.7 per cent Kia) in November this year.Last month, retail sales of automobiles decreased by 13 per cent year-on-year to 1,845,000 units in the Chinese market. The sales of passenger cars (including sedans, SUVs, and MPVs) fell 13 per cent to 1,816,000 units and commercial vehicles fell to 28,000 units, similar to last year.However, Hyundai Motor and Kia's performance was far below the market average.Retail sales of Hyundai Motor Beijing fell 42 per cent year-on-year to 26,000 units in November, and Dongfeng Kia fell 30 per cent to 13,000 units.Sales of Hyundai Motor Group have significantly decreased in the Chinese market ...

MG Motor India exploring export opportunities in UK, South Africa

MG Motor India is exploring export opportunities in the UK and South Africa besides drawing up plans to tap right-hand-drive countries in the global automotive market

High prices of automobiles likely to persist during next year: Report

High prices of automobiles are likely to persist at elevated levels even during 2022, said Grant Thornton Bharat in a report.

Passenger vehicle sales dip 19% in Nov as chip shortage woes continue: SIAM

'In the festive season, industry was hoping to make up for the lost ground, but the sales in the month of November 2021, were the lowest in seven years for passenger vehicles,' says SIAM director

Tata Motors, Ducati to hike prices from Jan to offset rising input costs

Tata Motors on Friday said it will hike prices of its entire passenger vehicle range from January in order to offset the impact of rising input costs.

Citroen to hike C5 Aircross SUV price by up to 3% from January

Automaker Citroen India on Tuesday said it will increase price of its premium SUV C5 Aircross by up to 3 per cent from January next year to offset the impact of rising input costs. The effective price increase will be up to 3 per cent on the existing ex-showroom prices of the Feel and Shine variants of the model, the automaker said in a statement. A continued rise in the cost of commodities and ocean freight costs has necessitated this price increase of the vehicle, it added. The price of C5 Aircross currently starts at Rs 31.3 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Some carmakers have already announced a hike in vehicle prices from next month such as Maruti Suzuki and luxury automakers Audi and Mercedes-Benz. The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki informed that the price hike planned for January 2022 will vary for different models, while Mercedes-Benz said its hike will be on select models by up to 2 per cent due to feature enhancement and rising input costs. Audi will increase the pri

Supply crisis, market share loss in SUV put Maruti's stock under pressure

Margin improvement for market leader in passenger vehicles may take time, say analysts.

Prolonged waiting period due to chip crunch can harm demand: Maruti Suzuki

Longer waiting periods with semiconductor shortage affecting production can have a negative impact on car demand, although the supply constraints of chips have gradually improved over the last few months, according to a senior official of car market leader Maruti Suzuki India. The company currently has a pending order of around 2.5 lakh units with demand in the market continuing to be buoyant, while its production was over 80 per cent of normal in November. "The bookings show that the demand continues to be quite robust, both in terms of inquiries and the bookings, but now availability is an issue and waiting periods have gone up," Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) Senior Executive Director (Marketing & Sales) Shashank Srivastava. He further said, "So we are a little bit afraid that the longer waiting periods will affect the demand pattern and it can have a negative impact." Depending on models and variants the waiting period can range from weeks to months in the domestic passenger ..

India's biggest car dealer Popular plans $100 million listing: Report

Popular is set to be the first Indian auto dealership in a highly fragmented market to list

Honda Cars India reports 31% dip in total sales at 6,904 units in Nov

Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) on Wednesday reported a 31 per cent decline in total sales at 6,904 units in November 2021. The company had sold a total of 10,021 units in the same month last year. Domestic sales were at 5,457 units in November 2021 as compared to 9,990 units in the same month last year, HCIL said in a statement. Exports were at 1,447 units last month as against 31 units in the year-ago month, it added. Commenting on the sales performance, HCIL Senior Vice-President and Director-Marketing & Sales, Rajesh Goel said despite consistent demand in the market, supply-side issues owing to the global chip shortage remain a concern. "The company had to resort to non-production days in November 2021 because of the same. We have been selling our entire production stock during the last few months and making all efforts to meet the market demand as much as possible," he added.