New Penalty List of 2016 Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill

Union Cabinet has approved the Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill proposed for this year. The newly proposed penalties are much higher than the older ones. Starting from Rs.500, the penalty range goes up to Rs.1 lakh. For drunken driving, the person has to pay a fine of Rs.10,000. PFB the proposed amendments in various penalties under Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill – 2016.

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Datsun introduces

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Datsun GO and GO+ models have been offered with a new special edition christened as ‘Style’. The new edition gets an additional New Blue colour along with a lot of exciting new features. At a price of Rs.4,06,974 and Rs.4,77,552 (both ex-showroom, Delhi), the Datsun GO Style and GO+ Style will be on sale from August to October 2016 at all the 231 sales outlets of Nissan and Datsun.

Datsun GO and GO+ come loaded with features like Follow-me-home headlamps, speed sensitive electric power steering, powerful air conditioning, front power windows, universal mobile phone holder, auxiliary-in and USB charger, central locking and full wheel covers. With exterior options such as new roof rails, a rear spoiler, body graphics and the limited edition ‘Style’ logo, the #ISayYes generation now have more choices to further accessorize their Datsun GO and GO+. Inside the vehicle, owners can choose a dual tone black and beige interior and a piano black centre instrument cluster with silver finish accents.

Commenting on the launch of the Datsun ‘Style’ editions, Arun Malhotra, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd. said, “The ‘Style’ editions add more choices for customers and complement Datsun GO and GO+’s attractive design, making these cars even more appealing to the youthful risers of India. We will continue to serve our customers with exciting products that embrace the Datsun brand’s heritage of Japanese technology together with eye-catching, modern design.”

Datsun GO and GO+ deliver superior fuel economy of 20.6 kmpl. Both models come with a two year/unlimited kilometres warranty with Free Road Side Assistance. The warranty can be extended up to an unmatched five year/unlimited kilometres with Free Road Side Assistance, making Datsun the first manufacturer to provide unlimited mileage coverage under the extended warranty.

Honda celebrates first anniversary of Livo 110cc bike

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HMSI has celebrated the first anniversary of its Livo 110cc model by offering two new exciting colours – Imperial Red Metallic and Matte Axis Gray Metallic to the bike. Livo with its new colour schemes, looks stunning and gets a more sporty look.

Livo, the stylish and successful motorcycle of Honda has sold up to 2.5 lac units so far since its launch a year ago. The bike is available in two variants including Self-Drum-Alloy and Self-Disc-Alloy.

On the occasion of LIVO’s first-anniversary, Mr. Y. S. Guleria, Senior Vice President – Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “In the past 12 months, the LIVO successfully went against the wind and outperformed, while the 100-110cc segment was under stress and faced a negative growth. With 2.5 lac units sold in a year, LIVO is now Honda’s best-selling motorcycle in the segment & the new exciting color options will further enhance LIVO’s sporty character and youth appeal.”

With the addition of two new colours, the Livo is now available in 6 stunning colors namely Imperial Red Metallic, Matte Axis Gray Metallic, Athletic Blue Metallic, Pearl Amazing White, Sunset Brown Metallic and Sunset Black Metallic.

BMW launches

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BMW, the German Luxury automaker announced the launch of ‘BMW M Performance Training’ in India. The training program will be a full-day event demonstrating the dynamism, versatility and high performance of the BMW ‘M’ car range. BMW’s driving experts will be performing at the event which is to be held in four cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Chennai and Aamby Valley.

‘BMW M Performance Training’ is a specially designed full-day event by BMW driving experts on renowned race tracks in India. Performance car enthusiasts can test and hone their driving skills while experiencing the dynamic nature of BMW M models. The ‘BMW M Performance Training’ program will involve various driving conditions such as cornering, high-speed straights and dramatic changes in elevation. The BMW M3 Sedan, the BMW M4 Coupe, the BMW M5 Sedan, the BMW M6 Gran Coupe, the BMW X5 M and the BMW X6 M will carry adrenaline levels to new heights with their prowess. Thus, guaranteeing a drive filled with pure, unadulterated excitement and ‘Sheer Driving Pleasure’.

Mr. Frank Schloeder, (Act.) President, BMW Group India said, “A machine is only as good as the person controlling it. This philosophy defines the fundamentals of ‘BMW M Performance Training’. Seasoned BMW certified trainers and instructors will help drivers get maximum driving pleasure out of their cars. We are delighted to bring this exclusive program for car enthusiasts in India enabling them to cut a good figure on the racetrack, so they can handle whatever test the road throws at them.”

“Driving the M cars is like experiencing the world from a higher level and is the fastest escape from the ordinary. BMW M cars have always set new standards for high-performance sports cars with their powerful engines, highly emotive design, augmented output and outstanding efficiency. To the very last detail, M cars are commanding all-rounders that cope with every challenge due to their racy versatility.” Mr. Schloeder further added.

BMW M Automobiles are produced by BMW M GmbH (a subsidiary of BMW AG). Sophisticated technology, individuality and safety – the BMW M cars offer an unmatched experience of exclusive, high-performance driving. Presently, the M range in India includes the BMW M3 Sedan, the BMW M4 Coupe, the BMW M5 Sedan, the BMW M6 Gran Coupe, the BMW X5 M and the BMW X6 M.

BMW M Performance Training Schedule is as follows:

Date               City                   Venue

31 July          Bengaluru        Taneja Aerospace and Aviation
24-25 Aug     Delhi                 Buddh International Circuit
21-22 Sep      Chennai            Madras Motor Sports Race Track
19-20 Oct      Aamby Valley     Aamby Valley City

NEXA celebrating its first anniversary

Maruti Suzuki’s new automotive sales channel, NEXA has completed its first year of operations in the country. Within a time period of one year, 28,795 units of S-Cross and 71,230 units of Baleno have been sold through NEXA. By this, NEXA has contributed about 10% of Maruti Suzuki’s total domestic sales.

NEXA, one of the most important initiatives by Maruti Suzuki in its journey of transformotion, has redefined the car purchase experience in India. Launched in July 2015, NEXA has enabled Maruti Suzuki to attract new categories of customers to its fold. At present, the cars sold through NEXA are: premium cross-over, S-Cross and premium hatchback, Baleno.

Celebrating NEXA’s first anniversary, Mr. R S Kalsi, Executive Director, Marketing & Sales said, “NEXA has been created to address the needs of a new and growing segment of Indian customers. These customers are well travelled, digitally savvy and frequently experience five-star hospitality. They value personal touch and pampering in their purchase and ownership experience. Over half (51 per cent) of the customers who bought cars at NEXA were not customers of Maruti Suzuki at that point, indicating that through NEXA, we are able to attract new categories of customers.”

Elaborating on the road ahead for NEXA, he added, “To further enhance the purchase and ownership experience, we plan to provide customers enriching experiences beyond the showroom as well. We will curate new experiences around fashion & lifestyle, music and travel. These experiences will touch the lives of customers through international music festivals, fashion/styling sessions and long distance drives. Rather than limit ourselves to selling cars, our aim is to forge relationships over the period of ownership.”

Over 1,00,000 cars have been sold through NEXA. NEXA has rapidly grown to 150 showrooms across 94 cities. Maruti Suzuki plans to expand the number of NEXA outlets to 250 by March 2017. NEXA is expected to contribute 15% of MSIL sales by 2020.

Bajaj sells 1 lakh V 150cc bikes in 4 months

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Within 4 months of launch, Bajaj has sold 1 lakh V bikes in India. Deliveries of the bike started in 23rd march and it gained traction due to its lineage of carrying INS vikrant warship metal used for production

Commenting on the milestone, Mr Eric Vas, President (Motorcycle Sales), Bajaj Auto Ltd, said “The invincible V was launched with the intent of giving a piece of history to every Indian. We are thrilled with the overwhelming response from the Indian customers. We are ramping up the production by September as we are very positive that these numbers will only continue to grow and sustain the Bajaj V as one of the bestselling premium commuter motorcycles in the country.”

Bajaj positioned the V15 at around Rs. 62,000, which is a little higher than the top-spec Glamour and Shine disc brake variants, priced around Rs. 59,000.

Bajaj hopes to capitalise on the V with more bikes on the platform. Bajaj Auto’s Managing Director, Mr. Rajiv Bajaj said, “The next bike on the V‘s platform would be launched around November this year, while the third product on the same platform would follow in May or June 2017.”

Maruti Unveils Coffee table book on Golden Quadrilateral

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Maruti Suzuki India Limited today launched a coffee table book as a tribute to “The Golden Quadrilateral”.

Chief Guest, Shri Nitin Gadkari, Honourable Minister for Road Transport and Highways, and Shipping, along with Mr RC Bhargava, Chairman and Mr Kenichi Ayukawa, Managing Director and CEO, Maruti Suzuki, released the book. The book is authored by Mr Bob Rupani. The foreword is by Mr RC Bhargava.

On the occasion, Mr. Kenichi Ayukawa, MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki, said, “Availability of a good road infrastructure is essential for sustained growth of a country. Just like the veins in one’s body, roads are critical for every country. Roads connect lives, accelerate industrial development, and generate direct and indirect employment. They expand the reach of education and opportunities.”

He added, “Today we are celebrating the vision of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His ambitious project the Golden Quadrilateral was path breaking. It has transformed lives and businesses positively. It encouraged industries and created employment opportunities in smaller towns. This coffee table book “The Golden Quadrilateral” is a tribute to this modern highway network.”

Hero to discontinue Ignitor, Maestro, Passion Xpro and Impulse

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Hero Motocorp – India’s largest two wheeler maker which recently launched in-house developed splendor ismart 110cc will discontinue four models soon. Ignitor 125cc, Maestro 110cc, Passion Xpro 110cc and Impulse 150cc are the models which Hero would discontinue. The models were produced jointly Honda tech hence replacing with in-house models will help the hero to limit its loyalty payment and put better products for sale.

Maestro Edge has already gained traction, ignitor and impulse were non-starters hence stopping this models will not have any major impact in Hero’s sales chart. However, Hero has to find worthy replacement for passion XPro 110cc. We have to see how splendor ismart 110cc performs in the market in the coming days.

Volkswagen Ameo Price Starts At Rs5.24 Lakhs

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Volkswagen launched its much-awaited first compact sedan in India, the Ameo at a starting price of Rs. 5.24 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). Ameo is available in three trim levels – Trendline, Comfortline and Highline. It will be available across all the Volkswagen showrooms from July 2016.
On the launch, the Director of Volkswagen Passenger Cars India, Mr. Michael Mayer said, “Today is a very special day for Volkswagen in India, as we introduce our first ever made-for-India carline, Volkswagen Ameo. The Ameo underlines our philosophy of offering the best of technology and safety standards packaged at an attractive price. Through the Ameo, we are confident of cementing Volkswagen’s strong presence in the compact sedan segment and further expand the Volkswagen India family.”
Powering the Ameo  is the same 1.2-litre MPI Petrol engine which powers the Polo. The engine gets mated to a 5-speed Manual gearbox and delivers 74bhp @ 5400rpm and 110Nm @ 3750rpm of peak power and torque output respectively. A 1.5-litre diesel engine with a 7-speed Automatic gearbox for the Ameo will be offered later this year.
Volkswagen offers Ameo with many exciting and class leading features like dual front airbags, rain sensing wipers, cruise control, ABS as standard, anti-pinch power windows and so on. The new sedan will toughly compete with Honda Amaze, Tata Zest, Ford Figo Aspire and Maruti Swift Dzire.
The price details of Volkswagen Ameo are as follows.
Ex-showroom, Delhi prices:
1. Ameo Trendline – Rs. 5,24,300
2. Ameo Comfortline – Rs. 5,99,950
3. Ameo Highline – Rs. 7,05,900
Ex-showroom, Mumbai prices:
1. Ameo Trendline – Rs. 5,13,864
2. Ameo Comfortline – Rs. 5,87,914
3. Ameo Highline – Rs. 6,91,680

Renault Kwid, Maruti Celerio, Maruti Eeco, Mahindra Scorpio and Hyundai Eon gets zero rating at Global NCAP crash test

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Kwid, Celerio, Eeco, Scorpio and Eon gets zero rating at Global NCAP crash test. Even with airbag, chances of surviving a crash is lower due to collapsing structure

Mahindra Scorpio was the only SUV to be tested and the base variant which comes without airbags was the test mule. Despite the rugged image of the vehicle it shockingly scored zero stars in the adult occupant protection and only two stars in child occupant protection. The collapse of the structure combined with the lack of airbags explains the score for the adult occupant protection which means that there is a high probability of life threatening injuries for at least one of the adult passengers, Global NCAP said.