Previously, a few spy shots suggested that two new 150cc motorcycles from the Suzuki stable are being tested on the streets of Indonesia. Observations concluded that the two bikes were the upcoming GSX-R 150 and the GSX-S 150 motorcycles. The GSX-R 150 is the bikemaker’s fully faired motorcycle whereas the GSX-S 150 dons a roadster-like looks and demeanour. The spyshots of the test mules revealed some details of the bikes but kept a lot hidden under the camouflage. Well, you shall have to wait no more, as the two bikes have been officially unveiled in Indonesia.

Suzuki’s official micro-website of the models is already accepting bookings for the GSX-R 150 and the GSX-S 150 against a booking amount of Rp 500,000 (approx INR 2,550). The GSX-R 150 is offered in 5 colour options – Metallic Triton Blue, Titan Black, Stronger Red – Titan Black, Matte Black, and Brilliant White. The GSX-S 150 is available in 4 colours – Metallic Triton Blue, Ice Silver, Stronger Red – Titan Black, and Matte Black.

The design on the duo seems to be inspired from the big bikes of the GSX family with the GSX-R 150 getting more sharply designed bodywork on itself. The fuel tank extensions on the GSX-S 150 are kick ass.

The duo shares the same LED headlight modules but is surrounded by different housing. Both the bikes get split seats for the rider and pillion. The dimensions and sizes of the bike are almost identical where the fairing of the GSX-R 150 making the difference in width. Feature set on the bikes include Electric Start/Stop system, fully digital instrument console with LED lights.

Even if the bodywork and style of the bikes are different, both the GSX-S 150 and GSX-R 150 are powered by the same 147.3cc engine. The water-cooled single cylinder Suzuki engine gets fuel injection system and can make 18.2 Bhp at 10,000 rpm and a peak torque of 13.8 Nm at 8,500 rpm.

As of now, there is no official confirmation that these bike will be launched in India. The enthusiast market in India is still waiting for a worthy upgrade from the 155cc Gixxer. The official launch of the GSX duo is expected to happen in the coming days.

Source : Suzuki GSX-R 150 and GSX-S 150 unveiled in Indonesia

TVS motor company unveiled the Akula 310 concept at the Auto Expo 2016. A thoroughbred track machine that celebrates 33 years of TVS as a factory team, the Akula 310 gained much publicity at show. Buoyed by the response, TVS started working on the production spec of the motorcycle soon. Emerging reports indicate that the motorcycle is nearing to the launch that can be expected by March 2017.

The Akula 310 will be the second product from the TVS-BMW Motorrad alliance for manufacturing a sub-500cc motorcycle from 2013. The first model is the BMW G 310 R and the Akula 310 will be based on the former. TVS Motor's CFO Chief Financial Officer S G Murali said, "We will launch the first product (from the tie-up) by February or March" reports Business Standard.

TVS has already started producing BMW motorcycles at its Hosur facility. Production of the Akula 310 is also expected from the Hosur plant.

The Akula 310 has been developed with the technical knowhow of the BMW Motorrard and taking inputs from the TVS factory race riders. The Akula 310 will be powered by a 310cc engine capable of producing 34bhp of power and mated to a six-speed gearbox. This is the same engine that also powers BMW G 310 R.

TVS claims the bike would sport a high performance engine breathing through a forced air fed air box that gives the engine a high rev peak capability. The concept showcased featured USD forks, stiff space frame chassis as well as lightweight carbon fibre bodywork. Other features include a digital speedometer, on board gyro cameras and a steering damper for additional stability. These are expected to continue in the production-spec as well.

The Akula name refers to shark in Russian. Production-spec has also rumoured with the names Raptor and Apache 300.

Source  : TVS Akula 310 based on BMW G 310 R platform to be launched by March 2017

MUMBAI: Indian automotive manufacturer Mahindra and Mahindra's auto sector has sold 48,729 units in the domestic market in October 2016 as against 48,815 units during same month last year. Its exports grew by 28 percent and stood at 3,279 units.

The company sold 24,737 passenger vehicles and 23,399 utility vehicles in October 2016, thereby representing 3 percent growth in each segments. However, Mahindra commercial vehicles witnessed de-growth of 4 percent and sold 18,059 units.

Pravin Shah, President & Chief Executive (Automotive), M&M said, "The festive season has brought about some cheer for the automotive industry with improved sentiments, on the back of a near normal monsoon, rural surge in demand and some new vehicle launches. Some pf our power brands such as the Bolero, Scorpio, TUV300 and the Pickups have performed well."

Source :  Mahindra Auto domestic sales down marginally in October

Michigan: As auto-sales growth has slowed this year in the US, the biggest gainers have been smaller luxury brands with new SUV offerings. Exhibit A: Jaguar, the elegant British line known traditionally for its sports cars and sedans.

With the timely addition of its F-Pace sport utility vehicle as well as its XE compact luxury sedan and clever marketing initiatives, Tata Motor-owned Jaguar has drawn in more, new and younger customers.

Sales in October more than tripled, and for the year, they’ve reached 23,568, up 93%, the most among brands tracked by Autodata Corp.

Jaguar is hardly alone in cashing in on the SUV craze. Sister brand Land Rover, which specializes in body-on-frame luxury utilities, is up 7.8%. Volvo, best known for its XC90 crossover, has increased sales 20%, according to Wards. Tesla Motors Inc., which added the Model X electric SUV to its lineup this year, grew about 78% through September, according to Autodata’s estimate.

Tesla doesn’t release monthly results.

“The winners you called out, they all have a truck component to their business,” Mike Jackson, chief executive officer of dealership owner AutoNation Inc., said last week in an interview.

Those smaller brands with new SUV models are narrowing the sales gap—at least a little bit—with the top three brands, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus, which have all contracted this year.

“If you take the Germans, at the end of the day they were car companies,” said Jackson, a former sales executive with Mercedes-Benz USA. They’ve reacted as best they can to give consumers the SUVs that they want, but they also “need to reduce car production—and that’s tough.”

Sales of Daimler AG’s Mercedes luxury vehicles—excluding work trucks and Smart cars—slipped 0.4% through October to 277,863—expanding its lead over Lexus, which slid 4.7% to 260,996. BMW AG’s namesake brand declined 9% to 254,150.

Last month, with two fewer selling days than October 2015, BMW sales dropped 18%, Lexus slid 6.2% and Mercedes declined just 1%. BMW’s results exclude the company’s Mini line.

Despite the setbacks, those brands remain far bigger than Jaguar and Land Rover, which together may top 100,000 US sales this year for the first time since 2002.

Concerns that demand in the US has peaked have been weighing on auto stocks around the world. But Tata Motors Ltd., which bought Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motor Co. in 2008, is tearing it up. Even with turbulence at the parent Tata Group, the automaker’s shares are up 36% this year through Tuesday. Most global automaker stocks are down, except for SAIC, the Chinese partner of companies such as GM and Volkswagen.

Hands-off approach

Jaguar Land Rover is the heart of Mumbai-based Tata Motors, providing 82% of its sales and 86% of operating income. Tata, famous for its super-cheap Nano car, has mostly left the luxury-vehicle business in the hands of industry veterans and given them tremendous support, said Joe Eberhardt, head of Jaguar Land Rover’s North American operations.

“They’ve been great stewards of the company of the brands,” he said. “They understand the importance of brands, and they have let the management of Jaguar Land Rover do what’s needed to compete in the market.”

In addition to expanding the product line—more announcements are coming, Eberhardt said—Jaguar has gone after new customers with creative marketing. Its villain-themed “Good to Be Bad” ads have evolved into a British intelligence motif with the latest offering, which features physicist Stephen Hawking.

The brand has also won over younger customers through its art of performance campaign, Eberhardt said, which puts potential customers into 2-minute action-film videos they can share online. 90% of XE and F-Pace buyers are new to the brand, which now has 12% of customers under 35.

“They don’t want to be talked to or communicated to,” he said. “They want to be a part of the experience.

Source :  F-Pace drives Jaguar growth in stalling US auto market

The sub-Rs 1 lakh motorcycle segment in India is arguably in its best ever phase simply because of the number of options that are available for the probable buyer. There are some wonderful value for money commuters, boldly styled street-nakeds and even full-faired motorcycles that promise to give you a proper performance. But when you have so many options to choose from, deciding on the one that’s right for you can take a lot of time and energy.

We have put together a list of the top motorcycles that fall under the price tag of sub-Rs 1 lakh and promise great value for money. These motorcycles are also targeted at a wide range of audience and being unable to choose a favourite, the list is in no particular order.

TVS Apache RTR 200 4V

1.       
TVS Motor Company’s Apache line-up has been built with the sole purpose of delivering performance at a budget. But given that there is an ever-increasing love for 200cc motorcycles in India, they came out with their most powerful motorcycle right now – Apache RTR 200 4V. We tested it out comprehensively during our review and found out that not only is it their best Apache yet, it is a great package overall.

It is available in several variants and starts at a price tag of Rs 89,200. As you go higher in the variant chain, you will get options like Pirelli Diablo Rosso II Tyres and dual-channel ABS. Inclusive of which, the bike will cost you around Rs 1 lakh (all prices ex-showroom, Delhi) and we recommend going for these add-ons as they not only improve the performance of the bike but also makes it safer under extreme scenarios.

2. Suzuki Gixxer

 
Suzuki Motorcycles is the maker of the likes of legendary motorcycles like the Hayabusa and the GSX-R1000, and from its stable, comes the Gixxer. That’s quite a lot of expectations to live up to and the Suzuki Gixxer does that and more. Powered by a 155cc engine, the Gixxer delivers enough grunt and power to make your everyday commute pleasant and that’s not it, the bike has strong built quality and an impressive fit-finish throughout. To top it all, it has a very competitive starting price at almost Rs 78,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi)

There’s also the Suzuki Gixxer SF if you are one of those that preferred full-faired motorcycles over street nakeds and both of these models recently received the blessing of fuel-injection and rear disc brake variants. Something that we highly recommend going for.

3. Bajaj Avenger

 
There’s always been a very selective segment of buyers in India who have preferred the comfort of a cruiser right from the days of the Yamaha Enticer. Currently, if you want to lay your hands on a cruiser then there’s nothing better than the Bajaj Avenger. The bike has received a mid-life update recently and feels a lot more refined to ride than before and is arguably one of the most comfortable offerings in the sub-Rs 1 lakh segment and that ranks quite high in terms of preferred characteristic of a motorcycle for a lot of buyers. There’s no surprise then, that Bajaj has been getting good sales numbers from the Avenger.

Available at a base price of almost Rs 77,000, the Avenger comes with a 150cc engine at its heart. There’s also the bright chrome-filled ‘Cruiser 220’ and the handsome ‘Street 220’ variants available for almost Rs 87,000 that come with a bigger, more powerful 220cc engine.

4. Honda CB Hornet 160R

 
The Honda CB Hornet 160R is the second street-naked motorcycle to make it to our list and there’s a very good reason behind it – looks. Now, if you are spending this kind of money, you would want your motorcycle to look good and right now, there’s isn’t any better-looking street-naked motorcycle in this price segment. It is powered by a 162cc engine that delivers 15.5 horsepower and 14.8 Nm of torque which makes the bike feel quite punchy during those quick overtakes.

It has a starting price of Rs 80,000 and the one with the ‘Combi-Brake System’ or CBS will cost around Rs 85,000 (all prices ex-showroom, Delhi). What CBS does is that it applies both the brakes in a definitive ratio for efficient braking even when you are using just the front brakes or the rear brakes, making it safer than the base variant as the chances of locking up a tyre under intense braking is lesser and the brake force is distributed. We recommend going for the CBS variant.

5. Bajaj V

 When Bajaj announced the concept of V, which is, taking the metal that was used in the legendary INS Vikrant and using it to make a motorcycle, the company had definitely caught everyone’s attention. But they went on to sell 1 lakh of these motorcycles in just four months, and that says a lot about the product itself. There’s no denying that the Bajaj Pulsar is undoubtedly their most popular offering in the Indian market but what V did, was to give potential Bajaj customers another option to look at and stand apart from the massive number of Pulsars on the road.

It is powered by a 149.5 cc engine that delivers 12 horsepower and 13 Nm of torque and is available at Rs 62,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi). It is the second Bajaj in our list of top 5 motorcycles in under Rs 1 lakh in India and that’s because the products from the company are backed by a large number of dealerships and service networks along with the ease of access to spare parts, which clearly works towards the advantage of the BajajV.

At the end of the day, all these motorcycles are really good at what they were intended to be. What it comes to down to is what kind of a riding experience that you are looking for and what your usage of the motorcycle is going to be. Do you agree with our list or have any suggestion? Make sure you put them in the comment section below.

Source : Top 5 Bikes to Buy in Less Than Rs 1 Lakh in India; Your Worthy First 'Premium'