Internally known as Last Mile Surfer, the three-wheeled scooter weighs 11kg and has a near 20km range.

Volkswagen has revealed its new foldable three-wheeled electric scooter. Known internally as the Last Mile Surfer, the production version of the scooter is also likely to carry this name.

The scooter has been developed to be carried in a car's boot. This will enable motorists to park their cars outside crowded city spaces and use the scooter for the final phase of their journey, instead of relying on public transport.

The auto giant claims the Last Mile Surfer weighs around 11kg and comes with a range of nearly 20km. Volkswagen's three-wheeler will be powered by a lithium-ion battery.

According to Volkswagen chairman Martin Winterkorn, the Last Mile Surfer will go on sale in 2016 for less than 1000 euros (approximately Rs 70,000). He suggested that it could be offered in the UK at around £700 (around Rs 50,000).

Courtesy : Autocar

An exclusive ride was arranged for all 100 Benelli motorcycle owners to celebrate the positive response.

DSK Motowheels and Benelli has achieved a milestone in motorcycle sales once again. After the quick sales recorded in the Bengaluru showroom, the brand has now registered sales of 100 motorcycles in Pune as well. To celebrate the event, all 100 motorcycle owners partook in a ride to Khandala and back.

This exclusive ride featured all Benelli-made motorcycles, from the TNT 300, the TNT 600i, the TNT GT, TNT 899, and the one we recently reviewed, Benelli’s flagship for India, the TNT R.

Shirish Kulkarni, Chairman, DSK Motowheels said, “Since the launch of our exclusive showroom for DSK Benelli superbikes, we have received an overwhelming positive response. The remarkable feat of achieving 100 superbike sales in Pune, not only highlights the brand value and customer patronage of DSK Benelli, but also demonstrates the growing market for superbikes in India.”

Shirish also handed over the key of the 100th Benelli motorcycle sold to its owner on this day.

Courtesy : Autocar.

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