The UV segment records a sharp increase of 21 percent in February sales. Creta bags top spot with 8,196 units.

The character of Indian roads is changing and utility vehicles (UV) are coming back into the spotlight with an increasing number of customers opting for multi-purpose vehicles rather than ones just meant for rudimentary commute, which was evident in the recent sales figures as well.

Even as the passenger cars segment reported de-growth for a second consecutive month in February, the utility vehicle segment grew sharply by almost 21 percent in the month to provide a buffer to the overall passenger vehicles sales. This resurgence of the UV segment in India is thanks to the growing popularity of compact UVs coupled with the introduction of various new products by manufacturers to tap niche segments.

The top sellers in February constitute a mix of urban and rugged SUVs, MPVs and a sub-four metre compact UVs as well. Hyundai’s Creta claimed the top spot in February with sales of 8,196 units, its highest ever in a month since launch in July last year. The Creta has been constantly clocking average sales of around 7,000 units a month and is among the top choices for customers looking for an urban SUV.
 

Mahindra & Mahindra, the country’s largest UV manufacturer, grabbed the second spot on the list with its trusty old workhorse, the Bolero. A favourite of the rural customers, due to its rugged and go- anywhere image, the Bolero has been the most consistent performer for the manufacturer despite being in production for 16 years now. The MUV clocked sales of 7,446 units in February.

Next on the list is the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. A popular fleet and family vehicle, this urban MPV based on the Swift platform has been a game changer for the country’s largest carmaker since its launch in 2012. Offered with a host of engine options ranging from petrol, CNG and diesel variants, Maruti Suzuki recently introduced a SHVS mild hybrid variant of the MPV and has managed to add incremental volumes in February. The carmaker despatched 5,620 units of the model in the month.

The country’s most sold MPV – Toyota Innova – took the fourth spot in the list with sales of 4,945 units.  The Innova, which was brought in India to replace the Qualis, became an instant hit when it was launched in 2005 and became equally popular among fleet and private owners. Now with the-next generation Crysta showcased at Auto Expo 2016 and the last batch of production for the current generation wrapped up on March 14, the Innova is set to be replaced soon.
 

The last spot was taken by another Mahindra, and this time its newest offering – the KUV100. With looks that are more hatchback than SUV, the KUV100 garnered sales of 4,486 units in February. The company is working on ramping up production for the KUV100 and hopes to see consistent demand for the model in the future, which could make it a regular feature in the Top 5 as well.

The UV space is set to see a lot more action in the coming days with a wide range of launches from various manufacturers in the pipeline. The recent launch of the Maruti Vitara Brezza, its first step into the sub-four metre compact SUV segment, has stirred the market with big expectations. Given all the positive feedback for the SUV, we could see a strong contender for the top spot in the form of the Vitara Brezza in the coming months.

Courtesy : Autocar

The new Victor comes with added tech such as TVS' 3-valve Ecothrust engine technology; disc brake-equipped variant priced at Rs 51,188.

TVS Motor Company launched the new Victor in Pune at a starting price of Rs 49,188 (ex-showroom, Maharashtra). This 110cc commuter motorcycle comes equipped with drum brakes, while the disc brake variant is priced at Rs 51,188 (ex-showroom, Maharashtra).

The Victor brand, originally launched by TVS in 2002,  has received a major overhaul. The 2016 bike gets tech like the company-patented 3-valve Ecothrust engine technology, petal disc brake, tubeless tyres, and styling tweaks.

The Victor's110cc engine develops a peak power output of 9.46bhp and 0.96kgm of torque. The company also claims a fuel economy figure of 76kpl.

Talking about the company's plans, Arun Siddharth, head of marketing, TVS Motor Co, said: “On the quality front, we have been recognised by JD Power recently. With a known name (Victor) in the family motorcycle segment, we are expecting to garner a bigger market share in the coming months. With Victor positioned in the family segment and TVS Star and Sport positioned in the executive and budget categories respectively, we believe that now our portfolio of commuter motorcycles is complete. We hope that the three different models deliver expected results to us."

The Victor rivals bikes like the Honda’s Dream range (Yuga, Dream, CD100), the Honda Livo, Mahindra Centuro, and the Suzuki Hayate.  

Courtesy : Autocar

Jagat Singh and Nagarjuna A have won the inaugural race of the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship, organized for Indian truck drivers. The championship, which is in its third edition, for the first time, featured the Super Class - a category for Indian drivers. These drivers were selected through training and selection programs from Tata Motors' fleet customers' operations across the country.

The drivers were trained by race instructors in India over a period of three months. The race attracted a crowd of over 50,000 people. The first place winners of the two Super Class category races were awarded Rs. 10 lakh each.

The Pro Class (which featured international racing drivers) saw David Jenkins, Rick Collett and Graham Powell finish first, second and third respectively.

David Jenkins of Team Tata Technologies, who had finished fourth in the first 8-lap race of the two Pro Class races, managed to take top honours in the final 20-lap race. Rick Collett and Graham Powell, both from Team Tata Cummins, took second and third place respectively.

Matt Summerfield of Team Castrol Vecton, winner of the first 8-lap race, clocked the fastest lap of 1:50:691 seconds in the second race, around the 3.1 kilometer long race track.

Results:

Race 1 - Indian Drivers Batch 1

1. Jagat Singh
2. Malkeet Singh
3. Rajkumar Mahato
4. MD Parvez
5. Rabinder Yadav
6. Syed Akram Pasha

Race 2 - International Drivers

1. Matt Summerfield
2. Graham Powell
3. Rick Collett
4. David Jenkins
5. Tony Smith
6. Ben Horne
7. Olly Janes
8. Paul McCumisky
9. Adam Bint
10. Brian Burt
11. Simon Cole
12. Ray Coleman

Race 3 - Indian Drivers Batch 2

1. Nagarjuna A
2. Bhag Chand
3. Anand
4. Jitendra Singh
5. Bacchu Singh
6. MD Iliyas

Race 4 - International Drivers

1. David Jenkins
2. Rick Collett
3. Graham Powell
4. Ben Horne
5. Brian Burt
6. Tony Smith
7. Adam Bint
8. Matt Summerfield
9. Olly Janes
10. Simon Cole
11. Ray Coleman
12. Paul McCumisky

Courtesy : Team BHP

Photos of the next-gen 2017 Suzuki Swift hatchback have surfaced on the internet. These images were first shown to select audience at a dealer conference organised by the manufacturer, and gives a fair of idea of the next-gen car’s interiors as well as exteriors.

Suzuki seems to have played it safe with the new Swift’s design, as its overall shape and silhouette is just like that of the current car.

Up front, the headlights are slightly more angular, and are likely to come standard with LED daytime running lights. Suzuki has added an aggressive-looking, Audi-esque octagonal grille with a two-part setup that merges with the muscular-looking front bumper forming a large air dam.
Moving to the sides, as mentioned earlier, the car carries forward the Swift's trademark design. The car seen in the photos could be the next-gen Swift Sport for international markets. It is a four-door hatchback with a roofline that slopes down in a more pronounced manner than on the current car.

The new Swift will come with a floating roof design, where the top portion of the C-pillar has been blackened out – a trend that's being followed by most modern-day carmakers. Also, the next-gen car will get a pillar-mounted handle on the rear passenger door, as on the Chevrolet Beat and the newly launched Mahindra KUV100. The new car sports large alloy wheels and has subtle body cladding that runs along its wheelbase.

 

The new Swift’s rear gets slightly angular tail-lamps which will most likely feature LED elements. The rear glass area is almost of the same size as the current Swift's, but has a slightly flatter tailgate with a prominent character line extending to either side. One can also notice a small spoiler which will be seen as standard on the Swift Sport. The rear bumper looks muscular and has a prominent blackened diffuser and integrated dual exhausts.

The pictures leaked of the next-gen Swift's interiors reveal that the car gets an all-new dashboard, steering wheel and instrument cluster. The air con vents are round and the knobs chunky. There’s a prominent band that across the length of the dashboard that dividing it into two halves. The centre console now features a large touchscreen system, which could be an updated version of the SmartPlay infotainment system. The instrument binnacle is a twin pod setup with a largish multi-info display located at its centre.

The next-gen Swift will be based on the new platform that made its debut in the Baleno hatchback. This platform is lighter than the current version and is more structurally rigid. The low weight will surely result in better fuel economy figures as well. As reported earlier, the car will come with a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol Boosterjet engine along with the standard normally aspirated petrol engines. It is also likely to continue with the 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine and may get a slight bump in power.

A global unveil of the new Swift can be expected later this year, with an India launch likely sometime next year.

Courtesy : Autocar

Manufacturer exports the 150cc naked street motorcycle to eight countries; India launch not confirmed.

Even as Pulsar aficionados in India await the launch of the 150NS, bikers abroad have already got astride the 150cc iteration of Bajaj Auto’s successful naked street motorcycle. Bajaj Auto, which has been on an aggressive export drive for this model, has shipped over 20,000 units to as many as eight countries worldwide.

Speaking to sister publication Autocar Professional, Eric Vas, president, Motorcycle Business at Bajaj Auto, said, “Yes, we have been shipping the Pulsar 150NS to several markets internationally for some time. These include Colombia and some other Latin American markets as well.” According to export data records accessed by Autocar Professional, the motorcycle has been shipped to other countries such as Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Turkey, Finland, Thailand and the United States. The Pulsar 150NS has been exported in completely knocked down (CKD) form to countries where the Pune-based two-wheeler manufacturer has assembly lines and in semi-knocked down (SKD) form to others without assembly facilities, revealed Rakesh Sharma, president, International Business, Bajaj Auto.

Sharma said Bajaj Auto commenced exports of the Pulsar 150NS late last year, adding that each market has a fixed schedule for deliveries. It is understood that Colombia has been the biggest market for the Pulsar 150NS so far with a major chunk of exports heading there. Officially launched along with Auteco, the company’s authorised partner in the country, the Pulsar 150NS has been available across all dealers in the country from March 15.

Bajaj’s latest offering from the Pulsar family borrows most of its design cues from its elder sibling – the Pulsar 200NS – and retains several features like the tank design, instrument cluster and the rear monoshock suspension as well. Powered by the single-cylinder, 149.5cc DTSi engine and the patented triple-spark plug technology, the motorcycle delivers a maximum output of 17hp and a peak torque of 1.32kgm. Even as speculation has been ripe about the motorcycle’s launch in India, Bajaj Auto has not shared a timeline for the same. “We have not yet decided the India launch date for the 150NS,” said Vas. Likely to be slotted above the ageing Pulsar 150 DTSi, the Pulsar 150NS is expected to take on the likes of Suzuki Gixxer, Yamaha FZ-16, Honda Unicorn, and Hero MotoCorp’s CBZ Xtreme and Hunk in the Indian market.

 

The Pulsar family has been a dominant force in the premium motorcycle segment in India. With the RS200 and the AS150 and AS200 duo, which were launched last year, seeing a good market response, the NS150 could be another winner in the making for Bajaj.