The automaker got Ranbir Singh onboard as its new brand ambassador for Renault Kwid

Renault has roped in Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor to promote its cars in India. The carmaker had unveiled its small entry-level car, the Renault Kwid, earlier last month. Renault’s move of bringing in Ranbir Singh onboard emphasises the fact that the company is leaving no stone unturned to appeal to the masses.

Renault is celebrating its fourth anniversary in India this July. The company states that its association with Ranbir Kapoor will leverage the versatility and legacy of the brand.

Ranbir Kapoor was earlier the brand ambassador for Nissan Micra. However, the dull sales of Micra only made sense that the popularity of the actor could be basked in to promote the vehicles from Renault’s stable. Renault is in a strategic alliance with Nissan and hence Ranbir’s transition on the former’s platform could have been smoothly possible.

The new Renault Kwid shares its platform with Datsun Redigo which is being developed with alliance partner Nissan. It is the first car from the alliance on the CMF-A platform and will have close to 98 percent localisation level. It will be powered by an 800cc petrol engine that Renault says will return best in class fuel economy. The engine is an all new 3-cylinder 4-valve unit mated to a newly developed 5-speed manual gearbox specifically for the Kwid and its derivatives. The fuel efficiency claims could well be true as the car weighs just 678kg, lighter than the Alto and Eon.

Reports also suggest that a few months into the launch, the Kwid will also be introduced with a larger 1.0-litre engine. To keeps things fresh over time, an AMT transmission Kwid might also be on cards but will only be launched in the first half of 2016.

Renault will bring in the Kwid at an introductory price of around Rs 3-4 lakh. When it gets launched, it will take on the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Alto and the Hyundai Eon.

Courtesy : Zigwheels.

JK Tyre launches Ranger series multi-terrain tyres for the local as well as export markets

With the aim of making it presence in the popular Sport Utility Vehicle segment, JK Tyre recently launched its Range Series of UV tyres in Panaji, Goa. These tyres have been purpose built for extreme conditions and to suit the needs of an SUV.

The Ranger tyres will be made available in two variants – AT and HT. Both these variants have been built keeping in mind their specialised applications. The AT tyres, as the name abbreviates is for All-Terrain application while the HT range has been designed for tarmac application. Both these tyres sport superior dual tread compound that is claimed to give maximum grip and control. The Ranger series tyres have been launched in 10 sizes and will therefore suit quite a few SUVs on sale in India including the Audi Q series, the Land Rover Freelander, Toyota Fortuner, Nissan X-trail, Mitsubishi Pajero, Renault Duster, Ford EcoSport and more.

Sharing his views on the launch, Mr. Vivek Kamra, President – India Operations, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd said, “Aspiring to augment our presence in each and every product segment, Ranger Series is yet another marvel from our state of the art R&D facilities. Being a customer centric company, this product reiterates our commitment to identify new and emerging customer needs and proactively introduce technologically advanced products to keep pace with changing market scenario.”

Before finally offering the JK Tyre Ranger to its customers, these tyres have been rigorously tested by in-house professional race drivers. JK Tyre claims that the Ranger AT series comes to a standstill from 100kmph within 4 seconds on dry roads while on wet roads it comes to a halt from 80kmph in the same time.

In addition to India, JK Tyre will also sell its Ranger series in all its international markets. Currently JK Tyre has its presence in over 100 countries with a total of 9 plants in India and Mexico.

Courtesy : Zigwheels.

According to the 'Sunday Times', JLR executives have been weighing up bids from Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Turkey for the factory, which will make about 200,000 cars a year.

LONDON: Tata Motors owned luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is planning to set up a new plant to make about 200,000 cars annually in eastern Europe and is zeroing in on Poland.

According to the 'Sunday Times', JLR executives have been weighing up bids from Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Turkey for the factory, which will make about 200,000 cars a year.

Senior industry sources told the newspaper that Poland had offered "huge" incentives.

Jaguar produced about 450,000 vehicles last year, but plans to expand to 1 million. The huge expansion drive has seen its three British factories in Solihull, Castle Bromwich and Halewood pushed to capacity.

The company opened a factory in China last year and another is under construction in Brazil. A decision on Poland could be announced within weeks, although sources said Slovakia remained an outside possibility.

Local reports suggested the plant could be built in Krakow at a cost of about 1.2 billion pounds. Next on the list is expected to be a factory in the US or Mexico.

The overseas drive reflects Jaguar's desire to increase production while keeping a tight lid on costs, the newspaper said. Poland offers a source of skilled but affordable labour, a ready-made supply chain and a government prepared to offer significant launch aid.

A JLR statement said "Jaguar Land Rover continues to evaluate opportunities around the world. Europe is just one of the places under consideration. No decisions have been taken".

Courtesy : ET Auto

Aikawa said finding a buyer for the plant would be relatively easy because demand for cars in the buoyant U.S. market was strong

TOKYO: The president of Japan's Mitsubishi Motors Corp said on Monday the automaker's move to pull out of U.S. production was not related to labour costs or foreign exchange rates, but strictly due to dwindling output in recent years.

The automaker's President and Chief Operating Officer Tetsuro Aikawa was speaking at a news conference after the company confirmed plans to end already-dwindling production at its sole North American plant, in Normal, Illinois, and serve the U.S. market from plants in Japan and Thailand.

At its peak in the early 2000s, the Normal plant built more than 200,000 cars a year. Last year, production of the Outlander SUV totaled 69,178, according to Mitsubishi Motors.

Courtesy : ET Auto

The showrooms aim to deliver a tailored buying experience to customers; first model to retail will be the Maruti S-Cross.

To deliver an upmarket buying experience, the Maruti Nexa dealerships will focus on aspects right from design, lighting and tech used in the showroom, to loyalty programs and rewards for customers. What's beneficial is that customers can take deliveries of their cars from inside the showrooms; a specialised area has been allotted for this.

In terms of tech, managers at the Nexa outlets will have iPads that customers can use to configure their cars. They can browse through models, variants, colours, check out accessories to go along with it, and even have a look at finance schemes. Customers can also download the NEXA Owner’s App — a smartphone application that allows the user to recall service history, emergency support, accessory purchase, event updates, booking and manage service requests. The loyalty programme designed for Nexa customers is called MyNEXA, and it offers rewards through co-branded credit cards and tie-ups with other lifestyle brands.

Maruti has hired around 1,000 managers in this initial phase, and says the number will go up to 2,500 as the Nexa network expands. The brand has set a target of selling 2 million units by 2020, and premium models are likely to be big contributors to those sales. The S-Cross is slated for launch in August and will retail exclusively out of Nexa showrooms. One could also expect Maruti’s upcoming YBA compact SUV to be sold through the Nexa network.

Courtesy : Autocar