NEW DELHI: Tata Motors BSE 0.73 % has forayed into the Bolivian commercial vehicle (CV) market with the launch of three products in the South American country.

The Mumbai-based auto major has entered Bolivia through a distribution agreement with local partner Bolivian Auto Motors, which is part of Salvatierra, a business conglomerate engaged in distribution of motor vehicles and motor cycles in the Latin American country. 

Through this partnership, Tata Motors has launched three commercial vehicles in the Bolivian market - Tata SuperAce Petrol, Tata Xenon Petrol and Tata LPT 613 truck - all of which will be currently available in Santa Cruz and will soon be available in La Paz and Cochabamba. 

"We are delighted to be here in Bolivia, one of the fastest growing markets in the Latin American region," Tata Motors Head (International Business) Commercial Vehicles Rudrarup Maitra said in a statement.

Besides Bolivia, Tata Motors commercial vehicles are sold in other South American markets like Chile and Ecuador.

"We will work with Tata Motors to make sure that our customers here get the finest vehicles and services, that not only match their requirements but also the needs of their business," Bolivian Auto Motors President Johnny Salvatierra said.

Tata Motors is India's largest automobile company, with consolidated revenues of Rs 2,75,561 crore in 2015-16. Through subsidiaries and associate companies, it has operations in the UK, South Korea, Thailand, South Africa and Indonesia. 

Source : Tata Motors enters Bolivia with launch of three vehicles

NEW DELHI: Hero MotoCorp will focus on the premium motorcycle category in new product development and rollout as the company's in-house product development team works on higher-powered bikes.

Pawan Munjal, chairman of the country's biggest two-wheeler company, said that there is a need for Hero to play a more active role in the upper segment of the bike market which is currently dominated by products from companies such as Bajaj Auto BSE 0.12 %, Yamaha and Royal Enfield.

"Hero needs to do a lot more in the premium segment," Munjal said as he launched a new 150cc motorcycle, Achiever, priced at Rs 61,800 (ex-showroom Delhi).

"This is just the beginning of a wide and vast effort in the premium segment ... there is a lot more to come," he said.

The company currently dominates the entry end of the bike market with products such as the Splendor and Passion, but has not been able to make much of a headway in the premium products, which fetch higher profit margins. Its share in the premium segment is in low single-digit percentage point, though the company is now targeting to take this up to double digits.

Apart from the Achiever, Hero's products in the premium category include Xtreme, Hunk (both 150cc), Karizma and ZMR (both 225 cc). However, the products have not been able to crack success with buyers, prompting the company to look at new products as well as upgrades.

Hero has been trying to build-up its strength in product development through the in-house Centre of Innovation and Technology (CIT) in Jaipur, for which it has hired expats such as Head of Product Planning Malo Le Masson (formerly with premium car brand Infiniti) and Chief Technology Officer Markus Braunsperger (earlier with BMW). 

Munjal has said that development of new products and higher-powered bikes is one of the key agenda in front of the company. A 200cc sports version of the Xtreme is under development and is expected for launch in the coming quarters.

The company - which has seen its cumulative production cross 70 million this month -- said that bike sales are expected to bounce back on good monsoon and a possible revival in rural demand. Demand during the 'onam' festival in the south has been healthy and volumes moved up 35%. 

Source : Hero MotoCorp to focus on premium bikes category: Pawan Munjal

Honda Accord Hybrid, the Japanese automaker's much-awaited sedan, will be launched in India on 25 October. Additionally, Honda Cars India has also now made the Accord Hybrid available for bookings across its dealerships across the country. Currently in its 9th generation, the Honda Accord first arrived in India in 2008 with a rather hefty price tag and was discontinued after nearly 5 years due to the lack of sales.

Honda's only hybrid model in India, the Accord will come sporting a lean stance, complemented by the chrome-laced grille, re-designed bumpers, and sharp-looking head-lamps with an LED strip. Inside, it is expected to receive provisions such as a new 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, reverse parking camera, Apple CarPlay support, and 6 airbags.

The Honda Accord Hybrid will come powered by a 2.0-litre iVTEC engine along with twin electric motors, which will be linked to an E-CVT unit and a 1.3 kW lithium ion battery. While the petrol engine develops 141bhp, the Accord Hybrid's combined power output stands at roughly 196bhp with a maximum torque of over 300Nm. It must be noted, Honda will also launch a petrol model of the Accord in India.

The Honda Accord Hybrid, expected to receive a price tag of about ₹ 28 lakh, will face competition from the Toyota Camry Hybrid in India.

Source : Honda Accord Hybrid Now Available For Bookings; Launch Details Revealed

NEW DELHI: The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki BSE 0.13 % India today announced crossing the milestone of 15 lakh vehicles in its cumulative exports.

"These vehicles have been exported to over 100 countries including Europe, Latin America and Africa. Early this year, the company's premium hatchback Baleno, manufactured exclusively in India, became the first car to be exported from India to Japan," the company said in a statement. 

MSI had started exports to Europe in 1987-88, when a small number of cars were sent to Hungary.

"Thereafter, exports have grown at a steady pace, as new models and markets were added from time to time. Although exports business is inherently subject to economic and policy changes in the destination countries, the company has been able to maintain an upward trend in exports over the years," it said.

MSI Managing Director and CEO Kenichi Ayukawa said: "Maruti Suzuki has consistently maintained a presence in international markets, regularly offering new products and reaching out to new countries. Our products like Zen, A-Star, Maruti 800 and Alto have made a mark overseas, including in the most competitive markets of Europe.

"  In 2015-16, MSI's top five exported models were Alto, Swift, Celerio, Baleno and Ciaz. Among destinations, Sri Lanka, Chile, Philippines, Peru and Bolivia were the top export markets .

MSI's newly launched light commercial vehicle, Super Carry, is also exported to South Africa and Tanzania and will be exported to SAARC countries in the future, it said. 

The company's hatchback Zen, India's world car of the 1990s, took the company to many new markets. Exports were bolstered also by the iconic Maruti 800 and later, A-Star.

 Alto, the company's best selling model in India for over a decade, also has a sizeable presence in the export markets, having clocked over 3,90,000 sales cumulatively, MSI added. 

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) India announced that the nationwide delivery of the new Fiat Avventura Urban Cross will begin on October 1, in time for the country's festive season.

The stylish Fiat cross-hatch will hit Indian roads at a special launch price of Rs 6.85 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). With this, FCA offers customers the most affordable diesel in its category.

Kevin Flynn, President and Managing Director, FCA India said, "FCA's commitment to India is firmly in place as we continue to add more products to our Fiat portfolio. We are excited that our new product, the Fiat Avventura Urban Cross will hit the roads in October with a special launch price."

The cross-hatch will be available with diesel engines in two trims - Active and Dynamic - both powered by the 1.3-litre Multijet, 93 PS, 5-speed manual transmission, and one top-of-the-line petrol (powered by Abarth) variant - the 1.4-litre T-Jet, 140 PS, 5-speed manual transmission in the Emotion trim.

Design:

With a considerable ground clearance and rigid lower body cladding, the Urban Cross possesses better capability against tough city road conditions, for thrill seekers looking for an active lifestyle beyond office walls. The car's dynamic exterior with the uniquely designed intercalated Piano Black front grille, new front and rear dual-tone bumpers with skid plates and a set of two-tone diamond-cut-finish 16-inch alloys with Piano Black painted pockets is a combination of capability, sleekness and excitement. A sporty spoiler (standard on all variants), smart side body cladding and roof rails accentuate the appeal of the Urban Cross' personality as a crossover for the city.

Features:

The Emotion trim, powered by Abarth gets the exclusive 16-inch 'Scorpion' alloys, while the Active diesel and Dynamic diesel get the diamond-cut-finish, Piano Black 16-inch alloys.

The dual tone interiors of the Urban Cross are fresh and premium. The car comes with plenty of standard features across the line-up such as central and automatic door locking, dual tone dashboard with a soft touch front panel, rear AC vents, front 'smart' power windows with 'delay' and 'auto-down' functions which roll up even after switching off, a Smartech 5-inch music system with touch screen navigation (standard across all variants), Bluetooth audio streaming and telephony.

Source : Fiat Urban Cross launched in India at Rs 6.85 lakh