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VOL-8 • ISSUE-8 • MAY 2018 • `100/-
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FIRST RIDE
SUZUKI GSX-S750
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2018 FORD FREESTYLE
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EDITOR Punnoose Tharyan (Roy) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------News Coordinator - Jisha P Principal Correspondent (Auto & Gadgets) Aakash Paul Video Editor - Ramesh Kumar Content Manger - Vrinda Desai Digital In-charge Naveen Kumar Web Correspondents - Avdesh Kumar, Seema Paul Photo Journalists - Afsar Baig, Neeraj Panwar ------------------------------------------------------------------------------For Editorial contact editorial@motownindia.com, editorial.motown@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------FOR MARKETING & SALES CONTACT Marketing Head - Chandan Punhani 9891092066 Head-Operations - Jisha P jisha@motownindia.com, +91-9958125645 advertising@motownindia.com, advertising.motown@gmail.com /+91-9811097399 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------FOR ACCOUNTS CONTACT Ankit Sharma, ankit@motownindia.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------FOR CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTION CONTACT Dalip Singh Bagdwal subscription@motownindia.com / +91-9811305822 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------Office Executive Ravinder ------------------------------------------------------------------------------EDITORIAL DELHI OFFICE 145 B/9, First Floor, Kishangarh, Next to United Free Church, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi 110070, Tel: 011-26122756/58 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------DISTRIBUTED BY Central News Agency, New Delhi ------------------------------------------------------------------------------EDITORIAL CONTENT The publisher makes every effort to ensure that the contents in the magazine are correct. However, he can accept no responsibility for any effects from errors or omissions. Any unauthorised reproduction of Motown India content is strictly forbidden. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------Motown India is owned by Motown Publications Private Limited and published from 4058 / D-4, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi-110070. Motown India magazine is printed at Balaji Ad Prints, C-187, Ground Floor, Naraina Industrial Area, Phase - 1, New Delhi -110028 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------This issue of Motown India magazine contains 76 pages including both covers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------EDITORIAL ADVISORS Salil Sharma, Alexander .T & Annie Jacob
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t Motown India we continue to bring to the table, reviews of new cars and motorcycles. In this May 2018 issue of Motown India magazine we have review reports of cars like the new Toyota Yaris, the 2018 Ford Freestyle and the new Honda Amaze. We also take the new Suzuki GSX-S750 for a few rounds around
the Buddh International Circuit and find out what it has to offer. In the Features section we have a report on the Audi A5 cabriolet and another report on the Tesla electric car written by a resident of New Jersey in the US. In Motorsport section, we have an extensive report on the 2018 Afriquia Merzouga Rally wherein we saw riders from two Indian motorcycle companies TVS Motor Company and Hero MotoCorp competing in the five-Stage rally in the deserts of Morocco in Africa. This rally is known as the mini Dakar and those competing in this rally get to feel what lies ahead in the Dakar Rally, which is, of course, a lot more tough and lasts more than a week. We have a lot of news from the B2B world, the world of commercial vehicles and technology. Technology is one thing in the auto industry which is changing at a great speed. Whether it is safety related or those related to autonomous driving or electric vehicles, it’s one area which is witnessing rapid changes.
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CONTE NTS V O L 8 | I S S U E 8 | M AY 2 0 1 8
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INDIA CAR NEWS : Plush New Mahindra XUV5OO to cost `12.32 lakh onward
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WHEELZ & ROADZ : New Toyota Yaris
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B2B NEWS: BMW launches technical skilling initiative 4 | MOTOWN INDIA | MAY 2018
WHEELZ & ROADZ : New Honda Amaze
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WHEELZ & ROADZ : 2018 Ford Freestyle
54
INDIA BIKE NEWS : Suzuki Motorcycle India launches GSX-S750 at `7,45,000
MOTORSPORT : Afriquia Merzouga Rally 2018
62 COMMERCIAL VEHICLES: Mahindra launches Novo 65 HP & 75 HP tractors
70 TECHNOLOGY: Dana demonstrates truck, AWD and e-gearbox technologies www.motownindia.com | www.micorporate.com
Quality and precision in manufacturing are the strong pillars of our global presence. We believe that every customer has a specific need and therefore we invest in precise technology to manufacture each bearing. No wonder, the world sees us a Dependable Partner.
INDIA CAR NEWS
Plush New Mahindra XUV5OO to cost `12.32 lakh onward
Mahindra & Mahindra has launched the Plush New XUV5OO at a starting price of Rs 12.32 lakh for the W5 variant of the diesel model. While the Plush New Mahindra XUV5OO will be available primarily in diesel, there will only be one petrol variant and that too in automatic (G AT) priced at Rs 15.43 lakh.In diesel, the Plush New Mahindra XUV5OO will be available in both Manual Transmission as well as Automatic Transmission. The top W11 (O) automatic will cost Rs 17.88 lakh while the manual transmission one will cost Rs 16.68 lakh, ex-showroom Maharashtra. The vehicle boasts of several new features, both outside and inside. The Plush New Mahindra XUV 5OO comes with a more powerful 2.2 litre mHawk155 diesel with a 6th generation eVGT (electronically controlled Variable Geometry Turbocharger) that delivers 155 bhp and a peak torque of 360 Nm.
6 | MOTOWN INDIA | MAY 2018
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INDIA CAR NEWS
Audi drives in RS 5 Coupé in India for `1.10 crore
Audi India has launched the all-new Audi RS 5 coupe with a new 2.9 TFSI bi-turbo engine that produces 450 hp and delivers 600 Nm of torque. The car does 0 to 100 km in just 3.9 seconds and has a top speed of 250 km/h. It has quattro permanent all-wheel drive with selflocking differential and is equipped with Audi Smartphone Interface with Apple Car Play and Android Auto.
single cylinder bank. The B-cycle combustion process with central direct injection represents a new level of efficiency within the RS family.
Both turbochargers of the 2.9 TFSI engine unit are centrally positioned inside the V of the engine and each of them supplies a
This is the first Audi Sport model to feature the new RS design philosophy and is inspired by the Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO. The car has sweeping lines over the wide wheel arches (15 mm) that are wider than the Audi A5. There are additional air inlets/outlets at the front and rear and the car dons a sportier singleframe grille which is wider and flatter. The car has matrix LED headlights as standard with dynamic rear indicators, as well as three-dimensional LED rear lights. The gross weight in this new model has been lowered by as much as 60 kilograms in comparison to predecessor model.
BMW India launches new BMW 3 Series Shadow Editions
All-new diesel BMW X3 launched at starting price of `49.99 lakh
BMW India has launched the new BMW 3 Series Shadow Editions. Locallyproduced at BMW Group Plant Chennai, the new BMW 3 Series Shadow Editions will be available in diesel and petrol options at all BMW dealerships across India. The new BMW 320d Edition Sport Shadow is available in diesel option while the BMW 330i M Sport Shadow Edition is available in petrol option. The BMW 320d Edition Sport Shadow will cost Rs 41.40 lakh while the BMW 330i M Sport Shadow Edition will cost Rs 47.30 lakh (ex showroom).
The third generation all new BMW X3 catering to the premium midsize SAV segment was launched in the country at a starting price of Rs 49,99,000 ex showroom for the BMW X3 xDrive 20d Expedition variant. The car was launched in the presence of Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India.The all-new BMW X3 is available in Expedition scheme and also in the new Luxury Line design scheme. The latter costs Rs 56,70,000, ex showroom. The new BMW X3 comes with enhanced sporting prowess with BMW xDrive and an intelligent all-wheel drive system. The intelligent lightweight construction reduces 55kg as compared to its predecessor. The vehicle is available in a locally-produced diesel variant, while a petrol variant will be launched later in 2018. The two-litre four-cylinder diesel engine of the all-new BMW X3 xDrive 20d produces an output of 190hp and a peak torque of 400Nm at 1750-2500rpm. The car accelerates from 0 to 100km per hour in just 8 seconds. The engine is mated to an eight-speed steptronic automatic transmission. The car comes with steering wheel paddle shifters.
The all-new Audi RS 5 Coupé is priced at Rs 1,10,65,000. The car was launched in the presence of Rahil Ansari, Head Audi India and Indian Cricket Team Captain Virat Kohli.
The two-litre four cylinder petrol engine of BMW 330i M Sport Shadow Edition produces an output of 252 hp and a maximum torque of 350 Nm at 1,450 –4,800 rpm. The car accelerates from 0 -100 km / hr in just 5.8 seconds. The two-litre four cylinder diesel engine of the BMW 320d Edition Sport Shadow produces an output of 190 hp and a maximum torque of 400 Nm at 1,750-2,500 rpm. The car accelerates from 0 -100 km / hr in just 7.2 seconds.The engines are mated to an eight-speed Steptronic Sport automatic transmission.
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MAY 2018 | MOTOWN INDIA | 7
INDIA CAR NEWS
Toyota Yaris prices start at `8.75 lakh; Launch in May 2018 Toyota Kirloskar Motor announced the opening of pre-launch bookings for the Toyota Yaris sedan. Deliveries of the car will begin from May 2018. The new Toyota Yaris price starts at Rs 8.75 lakh. Toyota has decided to keep the prices same across the nation. Booking amount will be Rs 50,000/Variant J G V VX
MT Rs 8,75,000/Rs 10,56,000/Rs 11,70,000/Rs 12,85,000/-
CVT Rs 9,95,000/Rs 11,76,000/Rs 12,90,000/Rs 14,07,000/-
(Read new Toyota Yaris review report on page 12)
Mercedes-Benz launches the Grand Edition of GLS for `86.90 lakh Luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz has launched the Grand Edition of its flagship SUV GLS in both the petrol and diesel version. The plush interiors of the vehicle are inspired by the flagship luxury sedan, the S-Class. The GLS 350 d Grand Edition (Diesel) and the GLS 400 Grand Edition (Petrol) are both priced at Rs 86.90 lakh (Exshowroom India). The GLS 350 d comes with a 3-litre, V6 diesel engine producing 258 hp and 620 Nm of peak torque whereas the GLS 400 features a V6 petrol engine that delivers 333 hp and 480 Nm of torque. The engines are mated to a 9G-Tronic 9-Speed automatic transmission. The Grand Edition comes with black rings integrated with Intelligent LED Light system thus enhancing the visual appeal. The SUVs are fitted with a 20-inch 10-spoke light alloy wheels, painted in Black and with a high-sheen finish, to ensure a stylish appearance.
Ford Freestyle priced at `5.09 lakh onward
8 | MOTOWN INDIA | MAY 2018
All new Honda Amaze pre launch bookings open Honda Cars India has commenced pre-launch bookings for the allnew 2nd generation Honda Amaze. The booking can be made at all authorised Honda dealerships across the country, with a booking amount of Rs 21,000. The all-new 2nd Generation Amaze is built on an all-new platform, incorporating Honda’s advanced engineering prowess and expertise in research and development. The car is scheduled to be launched in May 2018 and will be available in both petrol and diesel. (Read New Honda Amaze review report on page 16)
Ford India has launched their latest compact utility vehicle (CUV) for a starting price of Rs 5.09 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the Ambient petrol variant. Based on the Figo platform, the Freestyle gets two powertrains - a new 1.2l petrol and 1.5l diesel. (Read Ford Freestyle review report on page 20)
9th edition of The Himalayan Dash from Aug 29 to Sept 9, 2018 Cougar Motorsport, India’s pioneering luxury selfdrive experiences provider has announced the 9th edition of The Himalayan Dash. This premium luxury driving expedition, which usually witnesses participation from Senior Executives, Business Owners and other owners of premium cars and SUVs who are driving enthusiasts, will take the participants through the beautiful landscapes of Spiti and Ladakh. The expedition will be held from August 29 to September 9, 2018 and registrations are open for a maximum of 10 vehicles.
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INDIA BIKE NEWS
India Kawasaki launches Ninja 400 for `4,69,000 Clad in sharp new Ninja styling, the New Ninja 400 delivers greater performance than its predecessor and comes with all-new engine and chassis that are more powerful and significantly lighter. With its high-quality looks, the Ninja 400 offers stronger engine performance, light, predictable handling and relaxed, sporty riding position which makes it both fun and easy to ride. On the technical front, the Ninja 400’s all new 399 cm3 engine delivers higher performance and controllability. The higher performance can largely be credited to the new downdraft intake, which is accompanied by a larger airbox offering increased intake efficiency. The smooth response and abundant low-end torque facilitate throttle control for new and experienced riders alike. The Ninja 400 also has a potential to compete with models having relatively higher power and engine capacity. The Ninja 400 features a trellis frame similar in design to that of the Ninja H2. Kawasaki’s advanced dynamic rigidity analysis was used to ensure optimum rigidity with light weight. Apart from this like the Ninja H2, the new Ninja 400 features a Swingarm Mounting Plate. Allowing the swingarm to be affixed to the rear of the engine contributes to stability.
Suzuki Motorcycle India launches GSX-S750 at `7,45,000
Suzuki Motorcycle India has launched the new GSX-S750 for Rs 7,45,000 (ex-showroom, New Delhi). The Apex Predator will be available in two different colour variants - Metallic Triton Blue/Glass Sparkle Black and Glass Sparkle Black/Candy Daring Red. (Read Suzuki GSX-S750 review report on page 24)
Yamaha Fascino now in a new Glamorous Gold colour India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd. (IYM) has announced the launch of new colour models to its existing range of stylish scooter ‘Fascino’. Now the scooter will be available in Glamorous Gold, apart from colours like Dapper Blue, Beaming Blue, Dazzling Grey, Sizzling Cyan, Spotlight White and Sassy Cyan. The price of the scooter is Rs. 54,593, ex showroom Delhi. The new colour models continue to offer an air-cooled, 4-stroke, 113 cc, “Blue Core” engine with a continuous variable transmission (CVT) that offers fuel efficiency at 66 kmpl (under standard test conditions).
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MAY 2018 | MOTOWN INDIA | 9
INDIA BIKE NEWS
New Bajaj Pulsar 150 Twin Disc for `78,016/Bajaj Auto has launched the all new avatar of Pulsar 150 with twin disc brakes. The new variant will provide sharper and sportier styling. The twin disc variant will be made available in addition to the existing single disc variant. The bike is priced at Rs.78,016 /- (Ex Showroom – Delhi). Apart from twin disc brakes, the Pulsar 150 will also possess new colour and design scheme, split seats and split grab rails, longer wheelbase and wider and bigger rear tyres. The new Pulsar 150 twin disc will also equip significant improvements in noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) and a 230 mm rear disc brake. It will be made available in 3 colours - Black Blue, Black Red and Black chrome. The new variant will continue to churn 14 PS of power and 13.4 Nm of torque with the 149.5 cc DTS-i engine.
Honda launches new 2018 CBR 250R, CB Hornet 160R Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. announced the availability and price of 2018 editions of its sports portfolio - CBR 250R and CB Hornet 160R. The 2018 CBR 250R comes in two variants (Standard / ABS) and its price starts at Rs. 1,63,584 onward. The price of the 2018 edition of CB Hornet 160R starts at Rs. 84,675 (Ex-showroom, Delhi). In the 2018 edition, CBR 250R gets a two-channel ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) and a new sporty styling with a LED headlamp in a distinctive Y-shaped look. The 2018 CB Hornet 160R is now available with ABS, an LED headlamp and aggressive new looks. Low maintenance seal chain reduces service costs of CB Hornet 160R and hazard light switch adds to the safety front which flashes all indicators at the same time.
Hero Cycles introduces fleet of 9 new Sprint Pro cycles Hero Cycles has launched a fleet of 9 new Sprint Pro cycles. With the latest offerings, the world’s largest cycle manufacturer is looking forward to further increase its consumer base and capitalise on the demand for premium and semi-premium fitness bikes. The sporty Sprint Pro range of bikes by Hero Cycles Ltd is its most recent cycle brand. The latest addition of 9 more cycles will further strengthen the Sprint Pro portfolio and will provide consumers with more options to choose from, suiting to individual taste and style. Available at the price range of Rs. 12000 to Rs 25000, these bikes are manufactured from the Sri Lankan BSH Ventures plant, a recent acquisition of Hero Cycles. Adding to the existing Sprint Pro bike range, the new cycles include Warrior, Sweed, Ceralo, Spark, Trans, Reaction, Halcon, Kixs, and Doran. Catering to specific consumer needs and requirements, the new range of bikes has a variety of features to boast of including all terrain or thicker tyres, alloy frames, front and rear disc brakes, Shimano gear-shifting systems, to name a few. The cycles are specially engineered to suit Indian urban roads for cyclists to zip through the city lanes and traffic. Also, the edgy look, exciting graphics, and sleek design make the bikes highly appealing for the young commuters as well as the fitness lovers.
10 | MOTOWN INDIA | MAY 2018
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WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience
TOYOTA YARIS
ELEGANTLY PRACTICAL Report: P.Tharyan, Photography: Afsar Baig
T
he Yaris name is derived from the word Charis, the Greek Goddess of grace and beauty. The new Toyota Yaris too exudes a lot of elegance. We were eager to find out whether this graceful product could master the roads with its performance.
the air spats, that help in better road grip and prevent turbulence because of excess air inside the wheel arch while driving. The car sits on 185/60 R15 tyres wrapped around smart alloy wheels.
EXTERIOR DESIGN AND FEATURES
The interiors are two-tone with the seats in the top end variant being leather. The beige coloured seats bring a lot of brightness within the cabin and a sense of roominess. The dash is made of good quality plastic and is designed as though it has been stitched on the edges. It gives a sophisticated leather look. The car also comes with a cooled glove box. The waterfall design instrument panel comes with a piano black finish. The 7 inch LED touch screen audio system comes with gesture control with features like USB, aux-in, Bluetooth, remote control, SD card, Mirror Link, Miracast, HDMI and Wi-Fi. There are 12V power sockets at the rear and front too.
The Toyota Yaris is a good looker. It has a split grille with the thin one above in which are embedded the projector headlamps, and the bigger, almost spindle like grille influenced by its luxury brand Lexus which is at the bottom. The headlamps also sport a LED line guide, while on the lower grille we have the LED DRLs. Not to be missed are turn indicator in the outside rear view mirror. At the rear are the LED combination lamps with the non-LED line guide. There is an LED high mount stop light at the rear. Incidentally features like the LED DRL and the chrome door handles only come in the top variant of the car i.e. the VX model and not on the J, G and V variants. We took turns driving the manual V variant and the automatic VX model. Fog lamps are there in front as well as the rear. Auto headlamps, follow-me headlamps and rear defoggers are available in the top variants. A shark fin antenna on the roof gives the car a sporty look. Interestingly, there are also a lot of tiny design elements on the car which enhance the aerodynamic character of the car, like the fins on the sides of the tail lamp, near the ORVMs and even on the mud flaps and above it. Again, at the bottom of the wheel arches, facing the mud flaps are
12 | MOTOWN INDIA | MAY 2018
INTERIOR DESIGN AND FEATURES
The optitron combo meter is a combination of analog and digital information in four separate sections which are displayed through a tachometer, a speedometer a multi information display or MID and a warning cluster. The optitron meter is basically an electroluminescent gauge that glows brightly. The seats come with three point seatbelts with the front ones having both a pre tensioner and a force limiter. One of the highlights of the cabin is the roof mounted air vents with ambient illumination. Do not mistake it for an AC duct, rather it is a blower with fine nozzles at the air vents which when switched on create a negative pressure and cools air faster and better. Thus it draws
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#2018TOYOTAYARIS SPECIFICATION S “The Toyota Yaris will definitely create a benchmark in its segment when it comes to safety. Right from the base model, the company is offering seven SRS airbags. Also available across the variants are ABS, EBD and Brake Assist.”
ENGINE 1496 cc, 4 cylinder, in-line 16 valve dual VVT-I petrol TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual / 7 speed super CVT-i POWER 105hp@6000rpm TORQUE 140Nm@4200rpm TYRES 185 / 60 R15 PRICE `11.70 lakh for V variant of MT / `14.07 lakh for VX variant of CVT
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MAY 2018 | MOTOWN INDIA | 13
WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience
its coolness from the AC vents on the dash in front. It also has a louvre with which one can adjust the air flow for the rear passengers. Seating is comfortable within the cabin. In the top end, the driver seat has power adjustment. The rear seat gets a flat floor but that does not mean the person sitting in the middle sits comfortably. His or her knees are bound to get obstructed by the front arm rest module which protrudes quite a bit into the rear. Otherwise headroom and leg room are more than adequate for the rear passengers. The rear seats are 60:40 splits so bringing down the seats would mean increasing
14 | MOTOWN INDIA | MAY 2018
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#2018TOYOTAYARIS
the storage space from 476 litres in the boot which is huge by itself to a lot more. The Yaris is also fitted with acoustic and vibration control glass which ensures a quiet cabin and a great output from the 6 speaker audio system. The car comes with high solar energy absorbing front windshield with infra red cut off. Then there are rain sensing wipers, rear sunshade; audio, phone and MID controls on steering wheel, electrically adjustable and foldable ORVMs, a rear armrest with cupholder and a steering that can be adjusted for tilt but not for reach. The boot release and fuel lid release buttons are not on the dash, rather they are on the floor near the driver seat, slightly surprising for a car which boats of so many modern features.
SAFETY AND PERFORMANCE The Toyota Yaris will definitely create a benchmark in its segment when it comes to safety. Right from the base model, the company is offering seven SRS airbags. Also available across the variants are ABS, EBD and Brake Assist. Other safety features include tyre pressure monitoring system, parking sensors, both in front and rear, reverse camera, speed sensing
auto door lock and impact sensing door unlock in the top variants. Central locking and immobilizer are also available across the variants. The car has a keyless entry and has a push start stop button. The 1496 cc, 4 cylinder, in-line 16 valve dual VVT-I petrol engine comes with an option of either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7 speed super CVT-I transmission. While peak power is 105hp at around 6000 rpm, peak torque is 140 Nm @4200rpm. In the case of the manual transmission, the joy of driving is quite evident. The engine revs up smoothly and reaching speeds beyond 160kmph comes effortlessly. The car remains planted to the road and even cornering comes without any major hiccups. But I felt the electric power steering did not give adequate feedback at high speeds. A little more tweaking would do it good. The manual transmission variant was a treat to drive. The top variants come with hill start assist control and vehicle stability control. Disc brakes are available on all four wheels. Coming to the automatic one, it was responsive, no doubt, but like all CVTs, it groaned like hell. Fuel average is better
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delivered in a CVT, though. But if you want to sacrifice the automatic mode and shift to paddle shifters, then the dynamics of your drive is bound to change. It’s a lot of fun, to say the least. But there is a hiccup here with the CVT model, I noticed. The foot well does not have a dead pedal and the place where your left foot is to rest is uneven, which in short means that driving the automatic may not be very comfortable for the driver.
VERDICT The new Toyota Yaris will surely redefine modern luxury and instill confidence among its users when it comes to performance and safety. From the makers of such fine and practical cars like the Fortuner, Innova, Camry and the Corolla, the Yaris too would be another jewel in the Toyota crown.
MAY 2018 | MOTOWN INDIA | 15
WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience
2018 HONDA AMAZE
MORE AMAZING Report: Joshua David Luther, Photography: Afsar Baig
T
hings are heating up in the compact sedan segment, and it’s not because of the onset of summer but much rather due to the anticipation surrounding the launch of Honda’s latest contender-- the all new Amaze. Set to take on the unyielding Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Honda has packed a lot into the new Amaze. Is it more Amazing than its predecessor? We take a look.
EXTERIOR DESIGN AND FEATURES At first glance, the new Amaze does looks
16 | MOTOWN INDIA | MAY 2018
a bit quirky, I will admit it does take some getting used to the unusual design scheme. On closer inspection, however, one can easily point out the origins of its design from a variety of elder siblings. For instance, the front and side profiles are distinctly Honda and draw strong character lines just like the City while the tail lamps in the rear are quite like the units on the new Honda Civic, which will soon be making its way to Indian roads. The Amaze has a tough and boxy look to
it. The nose is flat and bold with a fat slab of chrome bearing the Honda logo in the front. The LED DRLs in the headlamp cluster look rather simple but fit in well with the straight line philosophy of this sedan. The shoulder line runs seamlessly out from the headlamps and into the tail and paired with the pronounced wheel arches, the Honda Amaze looks the stunner. Honda will also be offering the new Amaze with 15” alloys on the higher trims. The new alloy design does add a
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#2018HONDAAMAZE
SPECIFICATIO N S ENGINE
Petrol – 1.2L i-VTEC, 4 cylinder | Diesel – 1.5L i-DTEC, 4 cylinder
TRANSMISSION
5-speed manual | CVT
POWER
88.7hp @ 6000 rpm | 98.6hp @ 3600 rpm (MT) | 78.9hp @ 3600rpm (CVT)
TORQUE
110Nm@ 4800 rpm | 200Nm @ 1500-3500rpm (MT) | 160Nm @ 1500-3500rpm
TYRES
175/65R15
PRICE
TBA
“We sampled all four powertrain options. The diesel i-DTEC mated to the CVT seemed like the most fun to drive and actually one of the most refined offerings in this segment.”
touch of sophistication to this dapper looking sedan. A few subtle additions on the exterior front are shark fin antenna, keyless entry and a touch sensor to lock and unlock the doors. The new Amaze also features parking sensors and a reverse parking camera. Honda has upgraded the ORVMs as well which look more premium now and feature LED strip turn indicators. The new Amaze has been built on a brand new platform. This has also resulted in a marginally longer wheelbase which now stands at 2470mm. The new Amaze is also wider with the front tread going up by 17mm and the rear tread being increased by 25mm.
INTERIOR DESIGN AND FEATURES Honda has made some major improvements to the cabin of the new Amaze. The sedan now looks a lot more premium on
the inside. The black and beige colour scheme does add a touch of class to a very modish design scheme on the inside. The dash, centre console and steering all look quite contemporary. Honda has improved the quality of materials used in the cabin. However, there is still scope for improvement in this regard. The seating inside this quite cozy and adequate bolstering keeps the driver and co-driver well ensconced on the front seats. Since the new Amaze has a longer wheelbase, there is more room in the cabin and this is quite evident for rear seat occupants but one could still do with a little more headroom. Honda has also added adjustable head restraints on the new Amaze, a much welcomed addition. The floor on the new Amaze is rather flat with the transmission tunnel not intruding
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too much into the cabin space. Seating four adults in the cabin is quite easy, but five would make things a little cramped. In terms of technology, Honda has added quite a few things to the feature list. These include a touch screen infotainment unit with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Mirror Link. The list also gets electrically adjustable and retractable ORVMs, keyless entry, push button start/ stop, cruise control, steering mounted controls, height adjustable driver seat, turn indicators on ORVMs and hands-free telephone controls. One can also plug in to two separate USB slots in the front and Honda is offering an additional 12V power socket. Another mention must also be made to the increase in compressor size for the air-conditioning unit. This has resulted in faster cooling time.
MAY 2018 | MOTOWN INDIA | 17
WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience
ENGINE AND PERFORMANCE
and smoother.
Honda continues to offer the Amaze with two engine options, the 1.2L i-VTEC and the 1.5L i-DTEC diesel. The petrol motor belts out 88.7hp at 6000rpm and 110Nm of torque. This motor comes mated to a CVT as well as a 5-speed manual transmission. The i-VTEC engine from Honda has always been a delight to drive for any ardent petrolhead and that continues to be the case. The CVT gets 7 distinguishable steps and also comes with paddle shifters. Honda has made improvements to the clutch and gearbox, both of which seem to be lighter
Honda is also offering their 1.5L diesel engine with a CVT transmission‌.. yes let that just sink in for a second. The diesel i-DTEC engine has been mated to the CVT transmission and in my opinion they have done a fabulous job with the gear ratios and the tuning. The 1.5L diesel churns out about 98.6hp at 3600rpm and 200Nm of torque. These figures are for the variant that comes mated to the 5-speed manual transmission. The one mated to the CVT have downscaled power and torque figures.
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The compromise is basically a tradeoff for a subtle and refined drive experience. We sampled all four powertrain options. The diesel i-DTEC mated to the CVT seemed like the most fun to drive and actually one of the most refined offerings in this segment. This is barring the fact that it may not come with a top spec trim option. The diesel mated to the manual transmission is rather punchy to drive while the petrol i-VTEC continues its high revving nature and linear progression. Out of all four options, the Diesel manual continues to be the most
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#2018HONDAAMAZE
Manual variant
Automatic variant the shaft size. The results are a slightly stiffer ride with more shock absorbing capacity. The damper angle has also been increased, contributing to more stability and ride comfort. We drove the new Amaze over some broken and patchy roads and were quite comfy in the cabin. Even ground clearance goes up from 165mm to 170mm.
VERDICT efficient of the lot returning nearly 27.4kms to a litre of fuel. The Diesel mated to the CVT returns around 23.8kmpl while the petrol manual and the petrol CVT return 19.5kmpl and 19.0kmpl respectively. Honda has also improved NVH levels and this is quite evident when you drive their diesel powered sedans. Another improvement comes in the form of better handling and ride comfort, Honda has generously utilised urethane in replacement with natural rubber and has also increased
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Honda seems to have done their due diligence with the 2nd Gen Amaze. Safety has not been compromised and features like driver and passenger airbags, ABS and EBD come as standard fitment. Another factor that comes into play here is the three years unlimited kilometres warranty which can be extended to 4 and 5 years as well. The overall package does look quite attractive and if they get the price right, the company may just have a hot seller on their hands.
MAY 2018 | MOTOWN INDIA | 19
WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience
2018 FORD FREESTYLE
LOADS OF FUN
W
e were at India’s largest inland salt lake, the Sambhar Lake, a good two hours’ drive from the Jaipur international airport in the North Indian state of Rajasthan. And keeping with the spirit of the new Ford Freestyle, the company’s all-new compact utility vehicle, we spent a considerable amount of time drifting and tossing the vehicle around the lake’s vast dry bed. So is this car a fun car? We check it out.
EXTERIOR DESIGN AND FEATURES Built on the Ford Figo platform, this car is a lot different because it has got a wider
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Report: P.Tharyan, Photography: Afsar Baig track, a better ride height, new set of 15 inches tyres wrapped around in smart black alloys and a ground clearance of 190mm, a 10mm more than the Ford EcoSport SUV which is at 200mm. The Ford Freestyle is a good looker and looks quite butch in its appearance. The Freestyle grille with three-dimensional mesh with the Ford logo fixed on it, gives the car a sporty look. The front and rear bumpers are decently proportioned and along with the skid plates on the front and rear, give an off-roader character to the car. The roof rails are no ornamental
adds-ons, but can help take a load of around 50 kgs atop the car. The car unfortunately does not have Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs) and has instead the conventional lamps doing service. The Freestyle has blackedout high contrast headlamps that are complemented by fog lamp bezel.
INTERIOR DESIGN AND FEATURES Once you step inside the car, you are treated to some modern elements. The top end Titanuim+ variant we were driving comes with six airbags while the base model starts with two
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#2018FORDFREESTYLE SPECIFICATIO N S ENGINE 1.2 litre TiVCT petrol TRANSMISSION 5-speed manual
“Where the Freestyle really scores is the drive and the ride and handling. Yes, the 3 cylinder 1.2 litre petrol engine is a gem of a machine and along with the new 5 speed transmission, it’s quite an impressive machine.”
POWER 95hp @ 6500 rpm TORQUE 120Nm@ 4250 rpm TYRES 185/60 R15 PRICE `6.94 lakh (Titanium +)
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front airbags. Before I get into evaluating the interiors and the performance let me say that the key fob of the new Ford Freestyle is a beauty by itself. One look at it and you will agree with me that it is practical too. The dashboard looks impressive and the plastic used may not be very premium but it is not tacky either. There are at least 20 different storage spaces and plenty of it around on the door panels and even one trucked on the side of the dashboard.
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WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience
There are two USB slots and one 12V power socket on the dash area. The Freestyle also features Ford’s incar infotainment system, SYNC 3 with a 6.5-inch touchscreen which allows drivers to control their entertainment and their connected smartphone with conversational voice commands. SYNC 3 system is also Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible. The touch screen worked perfectly during our drive. The Freestyle comes with a reverse parking camera, keyless entry and a push start. It also has an automatic climate control. Seating in front is decent but once we tried the rear seats, we realised that for anyone more than 5feet 8 inches could find it a bit wanting for head room. At 5’ 10” I could almost feel my head hit the roof when I sat at the back. Moreover, the rear seats do not have independent head
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rests. The ones at the rear are integrated into the seat and could make travelling long distance a tad uncomfortable. There are also no rear AC vents which could make sitting at the back a little uncomfortable during summers. But the company is confident that its air-conditioner is strong enough to tide over any uneasiness.
five-speed manual transmission. There is also an option of a 1.5 litre diesel engine that does duty in the Ford EcoSport too. The new petrol engine produces a peak power of 95hp @ 6500 rpm. Peak torque of 120 Nm is achieved at around 4250 rpm. The 1.5L TDCi diesel engine generates 99hp peak power and 215 Nm of torque.
For a car like the Freestyle which boasts of some quick moves, there are no grab rails for passengers to hold on from inside. These are usually found just below the roof line, above the window of each passenger. Because the Titanium + comes with side air bags, the company had no option but to drop fixing a grab rail above.
Where the Freestyle really scores is the drive and the ride and handling. Yes, the 3 cylinder 1.2 litre petrol engine is a gem of a machine and along with the new 5 speed transmission, it’s quite an impressive machine. Once you get inside the car, all you need is to tap the start button. The key can be tucked away safely. The steering wheel can be adjusted for tilt but not for reach.
PERFORMANCE We were driving the Freestyle with the new 1.2 litre TiVCT petrol engine mated to a new
The moment you slot the machine
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#2018FORDFREESTYLE
into first gear, off it goes like a car in a hurry. Traction control, anti-lock braking, electronic brake distribution, electric power assisted steering are some of the features that enhance your driving pleasure. The suspension seems to be tuned perfectly to take on the rough and the smooth, In fact the new manual transmission is almost 15% lighter than the one in the Figo and helps improve fuel economy while reducing NVH. It requires 40% lesser gear oil than its predecessor too. Gear shifts were quite slick and the steering gave a great feedback on the roads, especially at high speeds. The car comes with a hill launch assist feature which in essence means that on an incline or a slope, when you start from a stationery position, the car will hold for a few seconds, giving you enough time to take
off, thus avoiding any roll back or forward roll, as the case may be. We drove more than a 200 km on roads that were battered and roads that were smooth. While acceleration to levels above 120kmph came easy, so did driving over bumps. But the icing on the cake was drifting on the salt lands near Jaipur which brought out the freestyle spirit of the vehicle. With the traction control switched off, we braked and cornered to our heart’s content. With its Active Rollover Prevention (ARP), a first in class intelligent technology, we knew for sure the vehicle would not go belly up. ARP works with Electronic Stability Control and applies brakes to the relevant wheels to decrease engine torque and thus avoids any potential roll over situation.
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VERDICT The Ford Freestyle is a fleet footed hatch which promises a great ride. The suspension has been perfectly tuned and the engine is extremely responsive. For someone who loves to drive, this car offers a splendid combination of power, comfort and a right attitude. You have loads of fun driving this car.
MAY 2018 | MOTOWN INDIA | 23
WHEELZ & ROADZ A riding experience
SUZUKI GSX-S750 TRACK TEST REVIEW
BLURRING Report: Aakash S. Paul , Photography: Neeraj Panwar
T
hey say, life can change at the blink of an eye. From the mundane rigours of life, you can be transported into an exciting world of speed and euphoria, and though it may last a fleeting moment, it can leave behind an experience that can be treasured for a very long time. For me, those fleeting moments clocked an entire 20 minutes at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC), riding the new Suzuki GSX-S750 and listening to the sound of its four cylinder engine as it tore into the Formula One race track.
DESIGN AND STYLING
excitement within me. The new GSX-S750 is a naked street fighter with some mean looking muscles. The wide tank gives a very bold and brawny look to it. The headlamp and tail lamp units look decent but it is the side profile that gets you all excited. The rising accent lines running from front to back look stylish and give the bike great aerodynamic character. While the rear gets an LED lamp, the front has none of it. The bike is available in two colour schemes, Metallic Triton Blue and Candy Daring Red. I was lucky enough to get the blue one because in my opinion that looks better.
As I got to look at the new Suzuki GSX-S750 parked in the pit lane of the BIC, the calmness of my exterior did not do justice to the child screaming with
The tapered handlebar gets few controls that are neatly laid out. There is an easy to use and really handy toggle for changing
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the traction control mode that you can operate on the fly. The LCD meter console is borrowed from the GSX-S1000 and displays things like the speedometer, tachometer, time, fuel level, range, traction control mode, gear position, dual trip meters and an odometer. Needless to say, the instrument panel is easily readable and functional.
ENGINE AND PERFORMANCE Suzuki built the GSX-S750 to be a stepping stone for riders who want to move to higher segment bikes. Thus the GSX-S750 is meant to be rider friendly which had me bothered a bit. I was expecting a sober performance and the fact that we were riding it on the BIC seemed like a puzzling choice. With that
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#SUZUKIGSXS750
LINES
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SPECIFICATIO N S The new GSX-S750 from Suzuki is no doubt a fantastic street fighter that is definitely going to up the ante for other competitors in the segment. It has a beast of an engine driving its strong frame clad with sharp looks. The bike is happy to hug close to the asphalt as you lean in for a corner and stop at with a surefootedness that can make you fall in love with it.
ENGINE 749cc, in-line 4-cylinder DOHC, liquid cooled TRANSMISSION 6-Speed Constant
Mesh
POWER 112.6hp@10,500rpm TORQUE 81Nm@9,000rpm TYRES 120/70 R17 Tubeless 180/55 R17 Radial Tubeless PRICE `Rs 7.45 lakh (ex-showroom
Delhi)
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WHEELZ & ROADZ A riding experience
doubt I started the bike and got out of the pit lane. The moment I reached the back straight I went all out to test how good the bike was and was instantly surprised at how fast it climbed to triple digit speeds. After a couple of laps when I was more comfortable with the bike, I was easily able to take it up to even 220kmph. The
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bike could have gone faster but since this is a naked bike you do have to consider the amount of wind blast you face at such speeds. Despite the heavy kerb weight of 215kgs, the bike pulls neatly and is happy to do a steady 150kmph if you can get that sort of road anywhere. The 749cc in-line 4 cylinder engine has been taken from the 2005 GSX-R750 as it is a
more vertical unit. This allowed Suzuki to reduce the wheelbase which is already quite long at 1455mm. While peak power of 112.6hp and torque of 81Nm come at 10,500 and 9,000rpm respectively, it does respond quite well to the throttle inputs at lower revs. With all this power at your disposal
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#SUZUKIGSXS750 it is quite easy to lose track (literally, in my case) and get off your course and into a hospital bed. There are big 310mm dual disc brakes at the front and a disc in the rear as well. ABS is standard and as such there is no wheel lockup even in panic braking situations making the brakes a godsend. I can even go on to say that the brakes are my favourite part of this bike. The nice and stiff suspension setup is provided by Kayaba and it felt quite great for the track. On the road, however, it might not be the most pothole friendly. Both, the 41mm USD forks at the front and the rear monoshock are preload adjustable. The tyres Battleax Hypersport S21 tyres are provided by Bridgestone and are tuned specifically for the bike. They felt at home on the track and my guess is that they will be great on the city roads as well. At no point during my blazing run full of sharp and quick turns did I feel that I would lose grip. In fact, that thought was so passive that it did not even
linger in my head for most of the ride. At your disposal are three levels of traction control and also the ability to completely switch it off. The three level traction control will be of great help to new riders who are just getting a taste of such power. What I did miss however, was a slipper clutch partially due to the fact that we were on a track. When you are out on city streets the urge for clutchless downshifts might not be so apparent. Otherwise the 6-speed transmission works well with the clutch being quite light. Another small gripe I have is with the seat cushion which while not being bad, is not the best in the business.
fall in love with it
VERDICT Though the new Suzuki GSX-S750 has a few shortcomings here and there, these are offset by the fantastic price of Rs 7.45 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), making it one of the most affordable bikes in the segment. Suzuki was not kidding when they said that they wanted a bike that would be welcoming to new riders who have not tasted such power yet. Not only does the GSX-S750 achieve that goal by being rider friendly but it also offers to be a pocket friendly choice.
The new GSX-S750 from Suzuki is no doubt a fantastic street fighter that is definitely going to up the ante for other competitors in the segment. It has a beast of an engine driving its strong frame clad with sharp looks. The bike is happy to hug close to the asphalt as you lean in for a corner and stop at with a surefootedness that can make you
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WHEELZ & ROADZ A riding experience
INDIAN SCOUT BOBBER
HOT SCOUT Report: P.Tharyan, Photography: Afsar Baig
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#INDIANSCOUTBOBBER
S
ummer time is never a good time to ride heavy bikes in India, or as a matter of fact, any bike. But thankfully, as we took off early morning, the harsh sun was yet to show its full face in all its fury. We had the key to the Indian Scout Bobber, the one with its chopped fenders and its bold all-black looks. Does its performance match up with its good looks? We check that out.
with a 6 foot tall frame. The Bobber is so easy to be tamed.
DESIGN, STYLING AND FEATURES
The blacked out split dual exhaust with cross over, frame, handlebars, mirror casing, headlight nacelle and wheels have a very premium look about it. The black cast aluminium wheels along with the knobbly tyres give the bike a very sport look about it. Not to be missed is the iconic Scout emblem. The Bobber has an all-new tank badge. For some strange reason, the bike had its two rear view mirrors positioned downwards, unlike the conventional position above the handle bar. Initially I thought, the mirrors looked
The one major distinguishing factor between the Indian Scout and the Indian Scout Bobber, is the styling. True to its classic Bobber style, the front and rear fenders are chopped in this model. The Indian Scout Bobber is charismatic to look at and has a very appealing body language. It has a very aggressive posture too. It can suit any person from a very short person to a tall one. Indians will love this model because not all of us are born
With the pegs pulled closer to the rider and with its street tracker handle bars, the bike ensures that you are in a very aggressive riding position. This makes the bike a perfect city bike, though I fathom that on long highway rides, this riding position may take a toll on your spine.
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SPECIFICATIO N S ENGINE 1133cc v twin petrol TRANSMISSION 6-speed POWER 94hp TORQUE 97Nm TYRES Front: 130 / 90-16 73H Rear: 150/80-16 71H PRICE `11.99 lakh
cool in that position, but when I got riding the bike, my elbows blocked the mirrors completely, cutting off my view from the traffic behind me. Mirrors positioned outwards above the handle bar make a lot better sense. Sitting inside a single round meter console is a speedometer along with a digital tachometer, odometer, trip meter,
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WHEELZ & ROADZ A riding experience
engine temp and low fuel lamp. There is also a red light which glows when the side stand is deployed. The ABS light shines, the moment you switch on the engine. The digital screen also displays the gear position. The bike comes with the conventional headlamps but has LED lights for stop, turn and tail.
ENGINE AND PERFORMANCE Once you are atop the bike and on the move, you get to know a lot about the V-Twin 1133cc engine. It simply explodes like a rocket and I am not exaggerating at all. The engine produces 94hp and a peak torque of 97Nm at around 5600 rpm. This means the bike is a great sprinter and its engine continues to generate power in a very linear manner. Climbing to a speed of 120km per hour comes easy for this bike. Pushing the bike harder would have meant getting into trouble with the law. Again, at higher speeds the wind blast too gets stronger and that could be really dangerous. Though speed came easy on this bike, I had to remind myself I was not on a race track but a normal road with limited early morning traffic. As long as the road is smooth and tarred, the bike has no problem. But the moment it hits a pothole, you can feel the shock travelling up your spine. I am not trying to say the suspension is stiff, rather, this bike is not meant
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for bad roads at all and Indian roads can surprise you with a hellish experience. Cornering the bike too is not a problem at all, as it does its job with great ease. At high speeds, the bike is planted rock solid to the ground and is very stable. Thanks to the ABS, the heavy bike comes to a halt in no time.
VERDICT The Indian Bobber is an ideal bike for an average Indian and it’s like as though it is made for us Indians. At around Rs 11.99 lakh, it’s definitely a good buy for those looking out for a premium good looking motorcycle.
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#INDIANSCOUTBOBBER
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“Once you are atop the bike and on the move, you get to know a lot about the V-Twin 1133cc engine. It simply explodes like a rocket and I am not exaggerating at all. The engine produces 94hp and a peak torque of 97Nm at around 5600 rpm. This means the bike is a great sprinter and its engine continues to generate power in a very linear manner.”
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MAY 2018 | MOTOWN INDIA | 31
MOTORSPORT
Marquez of Honda wins Americas GP
I
t’s the third race of the season and while Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) has taken the Championship lead, it is Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) who has won the MotoGP race in Austin, Texas, US. There are now five riders within eight points at the top of the overall rankings – with Marquez a point off the top after his win, and Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) moving up to third after a second place finish. Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) put an impressive push from the front row to take third in Austin. Marquez’ teammate Dani Pedrosa followed up two stunning showings on Friday and Saturday (April 20 and 21) to come home
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in P7. Just over a week after surgery on his broken wrist sustained in the Argentina GP, the ‘Little Samurai’ rode a heroic push through the pain barrier around the Circuit of the Americas, taking home nine points ahead of the Championship’s return to one of his best venues: Jerez.
GRAND PRIX OF THE AMERICAS GP RESULT 1. Marc Marquez SPN Honda 0:41:52,002 2. Maverick Viñales SPN Yamaha +3.560 3. Andrea Iannone ITA Suzuki +6.704 4. Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha +9.587 5. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati +13.570
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MOTORSPORT
Marc Marquez from Repsol Honda Team after winning the MotoGP race in Austin. Pictures courtesy: Redbull Content Pool
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MAY 2018 | MOTOWN INDIA | 33
Pictures courtesy: Redbull Content Pool
MOTORSPORT
“Shoey” time for Daniel Ricciardo after win in Chinese GP
A
After Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel won the first two races of the 2018 F1 season, it was the turn of Daniel Ricciardo of Aston Martin Red Bull Racing team to clinch the third race, at the Chinese Grand Prix. And with that win, Ricciardo’s iconic “Shoey” made a return to the podium. The Australian driver took the top spot on the podium with a time of 1:35:36.380, and was voted Driver of the Day. Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas nabbed second
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place on the podium, despite being neck and neck with Ricciardo throughout the race, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari, third. World Champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes did not get a podium finish as he finished in fourth ahead of Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen, after a collision with frontrunner Sebastian Vettel on lap 44 cost Verstappen a 10 second penalty and a chance at the podium. Vettel was placed eighth.
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MOTORSPORT
Sam Bird of DS Virgin Racing wins Rome E-Prix
S
The DS Virgin Racing driver pumped his fist in the air as he crossed the finish-line to complete an assured drive under mounting pressure - from not one, but two drivers - as the laps counted down in the inaugural race in Rome. It was bad luck for Mahindra Racing Despite picking-up maximum points for first place, it wasn’t a guaranteed victory from the start as Felix Rosenqvist for Mahindra Racing retired from the front mid-way through the race and gifted Bird the lead. The super Swede led away from Julius Baer pole position and looked to be in control after the car swaps, but Rosenqvist pulled over to the side of the track with broken left-rear suspension.
2018 CBMM NIOBIUM ROME E-PRIX 1 - Sam Bird, DS Virgin Racing, 58:20.656s (25) 2 - Lucas di Grassi, Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, +0.970s (18)
3 - Andre Lotterer, TECHEETAH, +9.518s (15) 16 - Nick Heidfeld, Mahindra Racing, +1:44.774s DNF - Felix Rosenqvist, Mahindra Racing, 22 Laps (3)
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MAY 2018 | MOTOWN INDIA | 35
Pictures courtesy: FIA Formula E
am Bird of DS Virgin Racing held his nerve in the closing laps of the CBMM Niobium Rome E-Prix presented by Mercedes EQ and fended off multiple attacks from both Lucas di Grassi of Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler and Mitch Evans of Panasonic Jaguar Racing to etch his name in the history books as the first-ever winner on the streets of the Italian capital.
MOTORSPORT
AFRIQUIA MERZOUGA RALLY 2018: Sherco TVS’ Juan Pedrero in first 10 36 | MOTOWN INDIA | MAY 2018
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MOTORSPORT Juan Pedrero Garcia relaxing during one of the stages of the Rally.
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MAY 2018 | MOTOWN INDIA | 37
MOTORSPORT Report: Motown India Bureau, Picture Courtesy: AURELIEN VIALATTE / @WORLD / ASO
T
here is nothing like a very tough rally that pushes the limits of man and machine to the extreme. The Dakar Rally held in South America is one of them, the other being the Afriquia Merzouga Rally held in Morocco. The latter is, of course, considered as a walk in the park compared to the Dakar Rally. It is also referred to as a “Mini Dakar”.
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The five-day Merzouga Rally is a technical rally with many dune sections, says its race founder Edo Mossi. “Amateurs will be thrown into the deep end right away!” he said before the race. A total of 123 competitors —80 bikers, 12 quad riders and 31 side-by-side buggies— took part in this year’s edition of the Afriquia Merzouga Rally. The Afriquia Merzouga Rally, in fact, offers an ideal training ground for the teams to kick start the
preparations for the mighty Dakar. Two home grown Indian motorcycle manufacturing companies TVS Motor Company and Hero MotoCorp have been participating in the Dakar and Merzouga for the last few years at a stretch. Their machines too have been performing mighty well in the tough conditions. The 9th edition of the Afriquia Merzouga
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MOTORSPORT
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MAY 2018 | MOTOWN INDIA | 39
MOTORSPORT
Juan Pedrero Garcia of Sherco TVS Factory Rally Team during Stage 4 of Afriquia Merzouga Rally
Rally in 2018 saw Sherco TVS and TVS MotoSports participate with four and two riders respectively. While Juan Pedrero of Sherco TVS Factory Rally Team finished in top 10, his teammate Martin Duplessis ended at 11th position overall after five stages. For Sherco TVS Factory Rally Team, Juan Pedrero finished 7th, followed by
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Martin Diego Duplessis at P11, Vanni Cominotto at P21 and Lorenzo Santolino at P31.
finished in the top 10. It has been a great learning ground and I hope to use these learnings, going forward.�
Commenting on his performance, Juan Pedrero, Racer, Sherco TVS Factory Rally Team said, “The Merzouga Rally is tough and very competitive but I am thrilled to have
As for Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport division of Hero MotoCorp, both their riders registered a top 20 finish at rally. Oriol Mena finished at 15th and Indian
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MOTORSPORT
C S Santosh of Hero MotoSports Team Rally during Stage 4 of Afriquia Merzouga Rally
driver C S Santosh finished at the 19th place. C S Santosh said, “It was our first international rally after the Dakar. I am really glad to have finished the Merzouga, as I was a little worried after the crash I had at the Desert Storm (Maruti Suzuki rally held
in North India). Overall I think I made fewer mistakes this year and improved a lot in my speed and navigation, this is been a good learning experience for me. The bike and the team have been fantastic and helped me get the bike home every day. Now I will look to build upon this experience for the next races to come.”
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Meanwhile, after five days of racing in the desert of southern Morocco, Spaniard Joan Barreda (Honda) won two stages and the general classification. Frenchman Axel Dutrie (quads) and Brazilian Bruno Varela (S×S) also won the race outright. For the field as a whole, including many amateurs, the number 1 goal was gaining
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MOTORSPORT
CLASSIFICATION AFTER FIVE STAGES POS.
NO.
RIDER
TEAM
1 2
10
BARREDA BORT JOAN
HONDA
2
BENAVIDES KEVIN
HONDA
3
7
QUINTANILLA PABLO
HUSQVARNA
7
4
PEDRERO GARCIA JUAN
SHERCO TVS
11
18
DUPLESSIS DIEGO MARTIN
SHERCO TVS
15
17
MENA ORIOL
HERO
19
29
CS SANTOSH
HERO
21
31
COMINOTTO VANNI
SHERCO TVS
31
36
SANTOLINO LORENZO
SHERCO TVS
(Third from Left) Juan Pedrero Garcia of Sherco TVS Factory Rally Team during Stage 5 of Afriquia Merzouga Rally
more experience in ultra-tough stages as a further step towards their dream of taking part in the Dakar, the biggest rally raid in the world.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE FIVE STAGES After an intense morning dominated by the technical scrutineering, the field of the Afriquia Merzouga Rally hit the tracks for the first time for the free practice session and the prologue on Sunday April 15,
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2018. The competitors spent the morning going through technical and administrative scrutineering and they used the free practice session and the prologue to rev up their engines. A total of 123 competitors —80 bikers, 12 quad riders and 31 sideby-side buggies— took part in the ninth edition. The cool temperatures of Sunday morning soon gave way to the spring heat at the Toumbouctou Hotel, where
the Afriquia Merzouga Rally has set up its bivouac. After their first footsteps on the sand, the competitors spent the morning going through administrative and technical scrutineering, a precondition to taking part in the race. Stage 1 which started on April 16, 2018 saw the racers battle across two loops of 110.7 kilometers and 96.01 kilometers respectively. Stage 1 comprised of just over 200 kms of two loops. The first part of
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MOTORSPORT
the stage tested the riders with relatively complicated navigation leading onto the second loop that offered dunes, sand and water zones. Stage 2 on Tuesday April 17 consisted of 175 kms in the region of Erg Chhabbi with the difficulty levels being tuned up a notch. The stage was fast but at the same time required physical toughness with tougher navigation as well.
Stage 3 of the rally, touted to be the highlight stage of the Rally, saw the racers battle dunes of Rissani erg, Chebbi erg along with sand in the Fezou region and Ouzina erg before finishing at the campsite. Stage 4, the second marathon stage, saw the riders race through dunes before reaching the Errachidia plateau. Featuring a 233-kilometer special in a total of 372 kilometresrs, the stage once again saw the racers get no help from the service crew.
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Competitors in the Afriquia Merzouga Rally faced a 241.1 km course with dunes as far as the eye can see today. In the evening of the stage, held on April 19, the Race Direction rectified the results following the decision to stop the stage at km 224, instead of the original 241,10 km. Stage 5 was the last and the shortest stage of the rally with only 48 km to cover, which they further reduced to 40 km due to some last minute changes.
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FEATURES
SCAN TO VIEW THE VIDEO*
AUDI A5 CABRIOLET
Joy Ride 44 | MOTOWN INDIA | MAY 2018
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FEATURES
Report: P.Tharyan; Photography: Afsar Baig
T
he new Audi A5 cabriolet has been in India for a few months now. But there is something about the car which brings so much joy to not only the person driving it, but all those who lay their eyes upon it. We were out to have fun with the car and we realised that fun makes no sense unless we share it. Every vehicle has a purpose to serve. Apart from the fact that they are meant to carry people from one point to another, they are also build to generate oodles of fun and happiness. The new Audi A 5 cabriolet is a car that serves both the purposes.
“What’s fun without being able to share it? So when I saw a bunch of young boys staring at the car like they do when they see an ice-cream van, I invited them over for a short ride. They could not believe their ears as they rushed into the topless car, screaming their hearts out. I could not help but smile as I realised that the Audi A5 cabriolet had done its bit... and brought joy to the faces around! ” * • Point your mobile camera at the QR code to view the video • In some devices you will have to download a QR Code reader app from Google Play store to view the video.
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MAY 2018 | MOTOWN INDIA | 45
FEATURES TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Engine: 1968cc, in-line, turbocharged diesel with common rail injection Power: 190hp@3800-4200rpm Torque: 400Nm@1750-3000rpm Transmission: 7 speed dual-clutch Acceleration (0-100kmph): 7.8seconds (Company Claimed) Top Speed: 235kmph (Limited) Tyres: 245/40 R18 Fuel Tank Capacity: 58 litre Price (ex-showroom): `69.24 lakh
Above: Bahai Temple (popularly known as Lotus Temples) Below: Qutub Minar
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We had the car to ourselves on a weekend and I can bet my last buck that the weekend is the best time to drive around the Capital City of New Delhi. So we embarked upon a journey one Sunday morning to see some of the beautiful monuments dotting this city. Starting with the ancient Qutub Minar, we moved on to other man-made wonders like the Bahai Temple (Lotus Temples as it is popularly known as), the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, the iconic Connaught Place, and finally landed up at the majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan and Parliament House, the citadel of power for democratic India. So, what’s it like driving an
Audi A5 cabriolet? The topless car exudes immense freedom like the liberated woman who chucks her bra on a beautiful beach to not only tantalize those walking around her but to also send a signal to all, that freedom is best achieved when you are topless. The morning breeze caressed our faces and bodies and everything around us looked so fresh and reassuring.
This new Audi A5 cabriolet is 47mm longer than its predecessor, has a wheelbase extended by 14mm and has seats that are more compact. Shoulder room in the front row has been increased by 26mm and knee room at the rear by 18mm. These figures may sound miniscule, but it does mean a lot to those seated inside the new Audi A5 cabriolet. Though rear seats are not spacious, but the real fun begins when the car goes topless. It takes a mere 15 seconds to liberate her bosom and another 18 seconds to dress her top. All this can be done even while you are driving at speeds up to 50km per hour. Since we were driving
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FEATURES early morning, going topless was a natural choice. The new Audi A5 cabriolet is powered by a 2 litre diesel engine, to be more specific a1968cc, in-line, turbocharged diesel with common rail injection that produces 190hp @38004200rpm and a peak torque of 400Nm@1750-3000rpm. The engine is mated to a 7 speed dual-clutch transmission. As you step into the driver’s seat, you notice the luxury associated with the car. The seat belt automatically gets closer to you with the help of an automatic lever which in essence means you do not have to reach back to get hold of the seat belt. The diesel engine is surprisingly quite silent when you start it. The company has done a great job insulating the sound emanating from under the bonnet. Acceleration comes easy, as reaching the 100kmph mark comes at a blink of an eye lid. With its Antilock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Electronic Differential Lock (EDL), traction control (ASR), Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) and ventilated disks (front), one can definitely feel confident driving this car.
luxurious seats, each enhances the comfort for the driver and co-passengers. Smart phone content like navigation, telephone and music are integrated into the vehicle’s MMI system via an Apple Car Play and Android Auto. Standard seat belt microphones for the driver and front passenger do wonders to the voice quality even when one drives topless. The 380-litre boot can accommodate a lot of your luggage and the best part is that the boot can be opened with the help of your key fob. The space gets short by 60 litres once we bring the roof down.
of interest in Delhi, we finally stopped at the sprawling Rashtrapati Bhavan crossing where one gets to see fun loving Delhi-ites assemble for some early morning games. Like I said, what’s fun without being able to share it? So when I saw a bunch of young boys staring at the car like they do when they see an icecream van, I invited them over for a short ride. They could not believe their ears as they rushed into the topless car, screaming their hearts out. I could not help but smile as I realised that the Audi A5 cabriolet had done its bit like the lady who liberated herself on a sandy beach and brought joy to the faces around!
The new Audi A5 cabriolet is powered by a 2 litre diesel engine and is surprisingly quite silent when you start it. The company has done a great job insulating the sound emanating from under the bonnet!
The S-line package offers a lot of extra trims. Many of the features like the Virtual Cockpit digital dials, LED headlamps, navigation, flat-bottom steering and the Bang & Olufsen sound system, are optional extras that come with this variant. While we breezed around the different relics and places
The material that surrounds you inside is definitely plush. The flat bottom multi function steering wheel, the touch pad in the centre console, the soft
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MAY 2018 | MOTOWN INDIA | 47
FEATURES
48 | MOTOWN INDIA | MAY 2018
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FEATURES
GUEST COLUMN
The Tesla experience in the US Report & Photography: Jaison Agustine
A
fter eight years of driving various BMW 5-Series cars, I finally decided to plunge into the brave new world of electric cars and acquired a shiny new Tesla Model S 75D in the summer of 2017. The car gives around 249 miles (400km approx.) on a single charge and does 0 to 60 miles (almost 100km) in just about 4.2 seconds. There is another model in the S range, the Model S P100D which does the same distance in 2.8 seconds! The Model S, an electric all wheel drive
car, is a 5-seat sedan and seems more spacious than the BMW 5-Series I have been used to. The car is 196 inches long (BMW 5-series is around 195 inches). The innovative design and space utilisation is superior to any car in the market. The trunk space is lavish and front boot space (“frunk”) makes it a great family car. The interiors are comparable to any luxury car in the market with all the bells and whistles one can think of. The user experience is beyond compare. Moving from my BMW to this Tesla can only be compared to switching
“The user experience is beyond compare. Moving from my BMW to this Tesla can only be compared to switching from an old Nokia phone to an iPhone. The first thing that hits you is all the technology the surrounds the vehicle. The 17-inch touch screen panel controls everything in the car. That is so superior that even the super luxury cars like the Mercedes S-Class fall woefully short.”
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MAY 2018 | MOTOWN INDIA | 49
FEATURES
“When I go on road trips, the navigation system automatically directs you to the Tesla Supercharging stations based on estimated battery consumption. These dispense energy up to 250 amps at approximately 350+ miles per hour charge rate. Since all superchargers are located at busy shopping and restaurant locations, one can go grab a coffee or meal and the car is fully charged in under an hour. And it’s free!”
Above: Tesla Supercharging stations Left: The 17-inch touch screen panel
from an old Nokia phone to an iPhone. The first thing that hits you is all the technology the surrounds the vehicle. The 17-inch touch screen panel controls everything in the car. That is so superior that even the super luxury cars like the Mercedes S-Class fall woefully short. The self-driving feature works like a breeze on the US highways and I have used it extensively on long drives. It stays in lane through all the undulations on the road. It also stays behind traffic maintaining safe distance, stops and starts as per traffic around you or maintains the speed settings you can define (+ / speed limits where you are driving which the navigation system tracks). All this is made possible through 12
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sensors and cameras all around the vehicle. Driving is sheer joy and the vehicle handles like a sports car. The center of gravity is real low and due to the weight of the batteries it really does well on turns. At red traffic lights if you in one of those moods to step on it, then this car takes off so quick and it seems like the rest of the folks are just standing still as they fade away in the rear-view mirror. I have installed a Tesla wall charger in my garage which has a max output of 80 amps and charges at the rate of 35-52 miles an hour. Given the range for a full charge of 250 miles, whatever driving I do during the day, I just need 1-2 hours of charge every night to top up the battery. I schedule charging after midnight as the local
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FEATURES
power company charges a lower unit rate at night. When I go on road trips, the navigation system automatically directs you to the Tesla Supercharging stations based on estimated battery consumption. These dispense energy up to 250 amps at approximately 350+ miles per hour charge rate. Since all superchargers are located at busy shopping and restaurant locations, one can go grab a coffee or meal and the car is fully charged in under an hour. And it’s free!
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The biggest limiting factor for Tesla or any car like the Tesla to be successful in India is the availability of the charging infrastructure. With urban living almost entirely in high rise apartment complexes, this assumes availability of a dedicated parking spot against a wall where a connector can be installed. That too assuming no power cuts and the like. Some of the self-drive features seem impossible on Indian roads (even highways) as of today. Public supercharging stations may not be easy as well.
MAY 2018 | MOTOWN INDIA | 51
LAUNCH MSI LAUNCHES 8TH GEN INTEL CORE i7 POWERED GAMING LAPTOPS
GE73 RAIDER RGB
Report: Aakash S. Paul Gaming laptop and computer accessories manufacturer, MSI released their refreshed line of gaming laptops in the capital city of New Delhi on April 17, 2018. These new laptops come powered by the all new 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processors. While the SKU update was the major highlight of the event, the company has also released these new laptops for a lesser amount than their previous gen equivalents. The new range of laptops can be pre-ordered on Flipkart, Paytm and other authorised sellers and the stocks should be available by the end of April, 2018. While the entire range of MSI gaming laptops now come equipped with the new 8th Gen Intel CPUs, there were three major models present at the event - GT75 Titan, GS65 Stealth Thin and GE73 Raider RGB. All the laptops get a new and improved Dragon Center 2 and the laptops which had Cooler Boost 4 technology have been upgraded to Cooler Boost 5. Furthermore, the new GP and GL series of laptops have a new and improved look.
GS65 STEALTH THIN
The MSI GT75 Titan was the most powerful of the lot and as such the most expensive, costing Rs 2,99,990. It gets a GTX 1080 GPU and 32GB of DDR4 2666MHz RAM. There is a option to either opt for a 1080p 120Hz display or a 4k 60Hz one. The poster boy however, was the GS65 Stealth Thin which is a sleek and elegant looking laptop that still packs an Nvidia GTX 1070 Max-Q GPU with the Intel Core i7 8750H and 16GB of DDR4 2400 RAM. It is also the first thin gaming laptop to support a 1080p super fast 144Hz 7ms display. Last but not the least was the GE73 Raider RGB. As the name suggests, the highlight of the laptop is the 24 zone RGB strips on the cover of the laptop that can be customized to your liking. Other than that you also get red lights flooding the USB 3.0 ports and per-key RGB lighting as well. The GE73 also comes with the same CPU as others and an Nvidia GTX 1070 GPU and 16GB RAM.
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GT75 TITAN www.motownindia.com | www.micorporate.com
B2B NEWS
BMW launches technical skilling initiative SKILL NEXT>> Report Motown India Bureau BMW Group Plant Chennai celebrated its 11th anniversary by inviting legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and students from the College of Engineering of Anna University and launching ‘SKILL NEXT»’, a technical skilling initiative. Together, they assembled a BMW engine and transmission at the main assembly line of BMW Group Plant Chennai to commemorate the beginning of the project. Aiming to act as a major catalyst in developing automotive talent in the country, ‘SKILL NEXT»’ will reach educational institutes and students in every state and union territory in India. Through the initiative, 365 BMW engine and transmission units will be provided for learning purposes to engineering and technical institutes at no cost. ‘SKILL NEXT»’ will present an opportunity for engineering and technical students to get hands-on training on advanced technologies of BMW engine and transmission. BMW Group India will also deliver the engine and transmission units to campuses of engineering colleges / Industrial Training Institutes / polytechnics at no cost by end of 2018.The handover of demonstration units will be done on a first-come-first-serve basis after due undertakings are submitted by the institutes. The undertakings will ensure that the engine and transmission units are used inside the laboratories on campuses of the institutes for learning purposes only. The state-of-the-art engineering unit, including the BMW TwinPower Turbo in-line 4-cylinder diesel engine and
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Sachin Tendulkar with Anna University Students at BMW Group Plant Chennai
the BMW eight-speed steptronic automatic transmission, will serve as a valuable learning tool for students. Since 2007, this engine has proved its mark in India by powering close to 50,000 units delivered to customers. The engine currently powers six cars locally-produced at BMW Group Plant Chennai – BMW 3 Series (320d), BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo (320d GT), BMW 5 Series (520d), BMW X1 (xDrive 20d), BMW X3 (xDrive 20d) and the upcoming MINI Countryman Cooper D. The BMW eight-speed steptronic automatic transmission is presently featured in five cars locally-produced at BMW Group Plant Chennai – BMW 3 Series, BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo, BMW 5 Series, BMW X1 and BMW X3. Post-handover, a ‘Train the Trainer’ module will be devised for institutes where 40 Aftersales Master Technicians will conduct extensive workshops at BMW dealerships in more than 20 cities. The module has been devised by professional trainers from
BMW Group India Training Centre and BMW Group Plant Chennai. The workshops will be a combination of classroom sessions and hands-on practical sessions using detailed training materials. Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India said, “The luxury automotive segment in India has witnessed tremendous growth in the last decade and with the growing number of cars on road, there is a high requirement of good technical talent in the industry. ‘SKILL NEXT»’, will strongly promote the development of technical competencies in students across the country by enhancing their practical knowledge of advanced automotive technology. This initiative will also contribute in increasing the availability of skilled technical staff required at automotive dealerships in India.” Dr. Jochen Stallkamp, Managing Director, BMW Group Plant Chennai said, “For BMW Group Plant Chennai, skilled workforce is the foundation to make finest cars of outstanding quality. The know-how of
advanced technology and the confidence to work with state-of-the-art machinery and complex processes is a great asset in engineering field. ‘SKILL NEXT»’ initiative will facilitate development of talent in the future generation of engineers. These skills will open up new doors for a workforce that wants to make a successful career in automotive industry in India.” During extreme rain and weather conditions in Chennai in the past, a considerable number of engine and transmissions were water affected. As per BMW quality standards, these parts could not be used in the vehicles. The parts were insured and Bharti AXA General Insurance honoured the claims. BMW India proposed providing the engines and transmissions to educational institutes at no cost as they could be used as a learning resource to impart theoretical and practical knowledge to students. Bharti AXA General Insurance played a vital role by giving special approval to allow realisation of the project.
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B2B NEWS EXCLUSIVE
Cero, India’s first auto shredding facility by Mahindras is ready Report Motown India Bureau Mahindras will finally be inaugurating its new auto shredding plant in Greater Noida in Delhi NCR soon. The plant built in Greater Noida in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh is India’s maiden organised auto shredding venture and vehicle recycling unit. Though the plant is already ready and has started shredding old vehicles, it will in all probability be formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with senior Cabinet Ministers. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is also likely to be present at the event. The joint venture company Mahindra MSTC Recycling Pvt. Ltd was formed by the coming together of Mahindra Accelo (previously known as ‘Mahindra Intertrade’) and MSTC Ltd. (a Government of India Enterprise). The joint venture company will be offering its services under the brand name Cero. Cero means zero. For the company Cero stands for– Zero pollution, Zero wastage and Zero import of metal scraps. While the first Cero plant will be based out of Delhi NCR, plans are in place for expanding this venture aggressively pan-India. The plant will be recycling specialised steels and other non-ferrous metals that are present in automobiles. Currently, old vehicles in India are disposed of in a very environmentally unfriendly manner. A
case in point is India’s largest automobile scrap market in Mayapuri. People all across the country have to rely on unscrupulous agents to dispose of their old vehicles. But now things are bound to change with Cero. According to information given on the Cero site, recycling of old vehicles not only helps clean the air, but it also makes the roads safer. With the steel that is gathered, it also aims at reducing India’s dependence on steel scrap imports (which is currently pegged at 8 million tonnes annually).
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The process of approaching Cero is simple. One has to simply register their name and vehicle details on their website and a Cero agent would contact the person. One can also call the shredding company at their toll-free number - 1800 267-6000. The end-of-Life vehicles will be collected from the owners and taken to the recycling plant. All hazardous waste will then be removed from the vehicle, prior to scrapping. It involves airbag neutralization, fluid and CFC collection. The vehicle is shredded leading to
the production of ferrous and non-ferrous metals as well as shredder residues. Moreover, the vehicle is deregistered with the relevant R.T.O. and a certificate of destruction is issued to the owner. Cero will also accept such vehicles where parts are missing. Of course, this will have implications on the price offered to the owner. The final rate of the scrapped vehicle will be decided after a physical inspection, which maybe on-site or remote. If the vehicle is in running condition, one can drop it at the collection centre or the executive/s will collect it up from the pick-up address provided. If the vehicle is not in running condition, it will be towed to the collection centre. Cero will also be accepting damaged cars. These will be termed as accident End-of- Life Vehicles. The quote the owner will receive will depend on the extent of damage to the vehicle and its parts. In order the send one ‘s vehicle to the shredding machine, he or she has to submit the key of the vehicle along with the following documents: vehicle RC book, address proof, PAN Card of the owner and a cancelled cheque (for payment purposes only). A registration certificate doesn’t need to be valid in order to scrap/recycle a vehicle. The payment for the scrapped vehicle will be made directly to the vehicle owner either by cheque or through NEFT/RTGS transfer.
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B2B NEWS
Mahindra launches Automobili Pininfarina, a luxury car brand After acquiring the Italian design house Pinifarina sometime back, Mahindra & Mahindra has announced the launch of Automobili Pininfarina, the world’s newest sustainable luxury car brand. Automobili Pininfarina will be led by Michael Perschke, as
its Chief Executive Officer. He was the Managing Director of Audi in India and a member of the Management Board of Volkswagen Group Sales India, from 2010 to 2013. Automobili Pininfarina, promoted by Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., will be based
HMSI commits `800 crore investment for 2018-19
Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Senior Vice President – Sales & Marketing, Minoru Kato -President and CEO, and Prabhu Nagaraj, Vice President, Brand & Communication, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd.
After creating a new world record by becoming the only company in India and the world to add 1 million incremental sales in one year, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI) has earmarked Rs 800 crore investment for the current fiscal which will see the launch of a new two-wheeler and 18 upgrades of its existing line-up. Also, as part of future preparedness before the big jump to new BSVI norms in 2020, Honda’s cross-functional BS-VI task-force from Sales, Engineering, R&D, Purchase and Quality is proactively working on the primary objective of strengthening quality, product planning with cost competitiveness.
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Minoru Kato -President and CEO, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “India is already the Number One contributor to Honda’s global two-wheeler business. Our record sales have set a solid foundation in 2017-18 and Honda 2wheelers India will further consolidate its position in 2018-19 as we get ready to lead the biggest paradigm shift of 2020. Moving ahead with the same momentum on back of customer demand, we will invest close to Rs. 800 crore as we aim for double digit growth for the third consecutive year in a row as well.” Internally, Honda has initiated the modernisation and unification of production constitution across all plants.
in Europe. The company will design, engineer and manufacture high technology, extreme performance, luxury electric vehicles for the most discerning global customers. Automobili Pininfarina will combine Pininfarina’s legendary automotive design prowess
with Mahindra’s growing electric vehicle (EV) expertise gained from its participation in the Formula E electric racing car championship. Automobili Pininfarina plans to launch its first model, a ‘Pininfarina’ badged electric hypercar, in 2020.
Honda Grazia sales cross 100,000 mark
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. today announced that sales of its latest 125cc flagship scooter Grazia crossed the 1 lakh unit mark in less than 5 months of its launch. Grazia - Honda’s Advanced Urban Scooter was launched nationally on November 8, 2017. Such has been the overwhelming response that GRAZIA made its debut in Top 10 selling scooters of India in the launch month itself and continues to increase in volumes every month. Grazia is India’s first scooter to come with a factory fitted specially designed LED lamp, fully digital instrumentation with tachometer and the 3 Step Eco-Speed Indicator. Grazia gets a 4 in 1 lock with seat opener switch, utility pocket for mobile phone, optional smartphone charger and carved inner board panel comfortable seating posture with maximum leg space. Giving the Grazia a sporty character is its chiselled tail lamp, split grab rail, three-tone spiky head and premium black alloy wheels. Grazia is available for sale in six colours in three variants (Standard / Standard Alloy / Deluxe) with price starting from Rs. 58,133 (ex-showroom, Delhi).
Hero MotoCorp launches e-commerce portal to retail Hero genuine parts Hero MotoCorp Ltd has set a new benchmark in the two-wheeler market by launching an e-commerce portal to retail Hero Genuine Parts and Accessories. The portal, www.hgpmart.com is an exclusive e-commerce platform dedicated to Hero customers. It will enable them to purchase Hero Genuine Parts and Hero Genuine Accessories online directly from the Company. The will allow them to buy the correct parts for their motorcycles and scooters, at the click of a button, from the comfort of their homes.
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B2B NEWS
Royal Enfield announces `800 crore for plant expansion in 2018-19 Royal Enfield, the global leader in mid-sized motorcycles, announced its planned capital expenditure of Rs 800 crore for the year 2018-19. The capex announced will include the commencement of construction of Phase-2 of the Vallam Vadagal plant in Tamil Nadu this year. Siddhartha Lal, MD & CEO, Eicher Motors Ltd. said, “Our demand continues to exceed supply, and we continue to see strong growth from all our markets. Therefore, we have decided to expand our production capacity with the second phase of our Vallam Vadagal plant near Chennai, Tamil Nadu. We will also complete construction of our Technology Centre in Chennai this year, and invest further in the development of new products to meet upcoming regulations and to expand our portfolio for our global markets.”
Royal Enfield has al o decided to set up wholly owned subsidiaries in Indonesia and Thailand in 2018-19. “We continue to strengthen our offerings with new models and variants such as the new Thunderbird X, the Classic Gunmetal Grey, Stealth Black and Redditch series, as well as our soon-to-be-introduced Twins. With a wide distribution network in India, a growing international presence and state-of-the-art capabilities in product development, Royal Enfield is well positioned to grow the middleweight motorcycle segment globally,” said Siddhartha. In 2018-19, with the first phase of the Vallam Vadagal factory enjoying its first full year of operations, and with productivity optimisation at its Oragadam plant, Royal Enfield will have an annual production capacity of about 950,000 units.
Axalta inaugurates new coating manufacturing facility in Gujarat Axalta, a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, has inaugurated its new coating manufacturing plant at Savli, Vadodara in Gujarat, India. The opening ceremony was presided by Axalta Chairman and CEO Charlie Shaver. From light OEM vehicles, commercial vehicles and refinish applications to electric motors, buildings and pipelines, coatings from
Axalta are designed to prevent corrosion, increase productivity and enable the materials to last longer. The 5,200 square metre plant is part of Axalta’s Savli manufacturing site that produces Axalta coatings for refinish, automotive parts, and commercial vehicle customers. The new plant will double Axalta’s coating manufacturing capacity to meet the growing
demand for coatings in light vehicles, commercial vehicles, and industrial segments. Since 2016, Axalta has opened a new and expanded Technology Centre in Savli dedicated to the Indian automotive segment. Its new Axalta India headquarters in Gurugram, within the National Capital Region, also hosts Axalta’s global IT and other back office functions. Axalta
has continued to further invest and upgrade its refinish training centres throughout India to better serve customers in the growing market.
Brembo bets big on India’s two-wheeler market The year 2018 is a very important one for the growth of Brembo operations in India, where the company works exclusively for the two-wheeled market, driven by the recent introduction of new safety regulations that require the use of higher performance braking systems on all small and large engine motorcycles sold in the country. In fact, in addition to celebrating ten years of production presence since the acquisition in 2008 of all the shares of the Indian KBX Joint Venture from Bosch, Brembo Brakes India - a subsidiary of Brembo SpA - the company announced the beginning of work to build a new plant in Chennai for motorcycle braking system assembly. Brembo, which operates in India with the ByBre (“By-Brembo”) brand developed for the mass market and already boasting
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more than 50% of the market share in the two-wheel segment, anticipates further growth due to the Indian government’s introduction of new legislation which, from next month, will make combined braking systems (with front disc and rear drum) mandatory for vehicles with engine displacement lower than 125cc, as well as ABS, which Brembo will integrate into its braking systems on all vehicles with engine displacement over 125cc. Construction of the new plant, which will be completed within the year and which falls under the 2018 investment plan of about €9 million (Rs 71.9 crore) that the company has launched for process expansion and innovation in the existing Chakan (Pune) and Manesar plants, will allow Brembo to further consolidate the quality of the ByBre brand products and technical collaboration with customers in the Chennai region.
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B2B NEWS
Mahindra, Ford sign MoUs to co-develop midsize SUV, EV & connected car solutions Mahindra Group and Ford Motor Company will jointly develop new SUVs, and a small electric vehicle as part of several initiatives announced between the two companies. The two companies signed five new memoranda of understanding (MoU) that further strengthen their strategic alliance and accelerate the development of key products for consumers in India and emerging markets. The MoUs, which are nonbinding, mark the progress made by the two companies since announcing their alliance in September 2017. Under the initiatives, Mahindra and Ford will leverage their strengths in the utility
vehicle space to co-develop a midsize sports utility vehicle (C-SUV). Built on the Mahindra platform, the new SUV will drive engineering and commercial efficiencies and will be sold independently by both companies as separate brands. Mahindra and Ford also agreed to evaluate co-development of a compact SUV and electric vehicle, along with sharing powertrain portfolios, including the supply of Mahindra powertrains to extend Ford’s product range. Building on the collaboration, Mahindra and Ford also announced plans to co-develop a suite of connected car solutions for
Ford - Mahindra MoU signing
consumers. The collaboration is in line with Ford’s commitment to helping people around the world move more safely, confidently and freely.
Continental, Osram sign joint venture contract for lighting
Perkins makes Hosur plant manufacturing base for 2000 Series engines
Technology companies Continental and Osram have successfully concluded their negotiations on the Osram Continental GmbH joint venture. The joint venture, in which each of the partners has a 50 percent stake, aims to combine Continental’s and Osram’s respective expertise in lighting, light control and electronics and is scheduled to start in the second half of 2018, once all the necessary merger control approvals have been granted. The joint venture will be based within the region of Munich, but will operate globally to ensure rapid development cycles with customers in their local areas. The product portfolio will feature semiconductor-based lighting modules such as LED modules for front and rear headlights, laser modules and light control units.
Perkins, one of the world’s leading suppliers of offhighway diesel and gas engines in the 4–2000 kW (5–2800 hp) market, has made its Hosur plant in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu, a manufacturing base for Perkins 2000 Series engines. Since the beginning of 2018, the Hosur facility is producing the 500 kVA 2506D and the 625 kVA 2806D engines. Perkins key strength is its ability to tailor engines precisely to meet customers’ requirements, which is why its engine solutions are trusted by more than 1,000 leading manufacturers in the industrial, construction, agricultural, materials handling and electrical power generation markets. Perkins distributor network provides support wherever needed around the world. “With products built and shipped within India, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to serving
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CEO Dirk Linzmeier comes from Osram and CFO Harald Renner from Continental. “We want to actively drive forward technological change in the lighting market within the automotive industry and develop even more innovative and intelligent lighting solutions. The joint venture will help us to establish the conditions for this since it combines our expertise in software and electronics with Osram’s automotive lighting expertise. As such, we will be able to offer our customers an unrivalled portfolio in the lighting market,” said Andreas Wolf, head of Continental’s Body & Security business unit.
customers here with world class products,” said Pankaj Kumar Jha, Perkins Engines general sales manager for India. “This positions us well to meet the needs of our Indian customers,” he added. More than 100,000 Perkins 2000 Series engines are in operation around the world today. The 2506D and 2806D are 6 cylinder, electronic, direct injection engines. They are turbocharged and air-to-air charge cooled with certifications up to Europe Stage IIIA/U.S. EPA Tier 3 and to India’s CPCBII emissions standards.
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B2B NEWS
Sun Mobility launches smart mobility solution for vehicles Sun Mobility led by Chetan Maini (Founder of India’s first electric car, Reva) and Uday Khemka (Vice Chairman of Sun Group), launched its global, interoperable smart mobility solution for two and threewheeler electric vehicles at their new 47,500 sq. ft. technology development centre in Bengaluru. Sun Mobility’s energy infrastructure platform is a first of its kind universal architecture solution that works across various two and three-wheeler vehicles. This solution is being launched just two months after Sun Mobility showcased its world class smart mobility solution for buses, in partnership with Ashok Leyland at Auto Expo 2018. The Sun Mobility solution for two and three-wheelers comprises of three key elements—a) Modular Smart Batteries that are intelligent enough to customise themselves to each vehicle type and versatile enough to be used in combinations of one or multiple batteries to meet customers’ different performance and range expectations. b) Quick
Interchange Stations that can be easily installed across a city, enabling customers to swap batteries quickly and conveniently in less than one minute, addressing any concerns around refueling time. c) Smart
Network that connects modular Smart Batteries and Quick Interchange Stations, optimises battery performance and allows customers to locate stations and make payments via an app.
Federal-Mogul Powertrain new product group bags $100m contract Federal-Mogul Powertrain has announced the first commercial customer contract for its new product group Controlled Power Technologies (CPT). The long-term contract, worth around $100m (Rs 651.6 crore), covers the development and series production of advanced startergenerator systems for an OEM. “I am proud to make this announcement as the culmination of over two years’ intense engineering work with
the customer,” said Nick Pascoe, Managing Director, Federal-Mogul Controlled Power Ltd, adding that “At the time of our acquisition by Federal-Mogul Powertrain in November 2017 the company pledged its commitment to invest in manufacturing and route to market, accelerating the transition of our high performance technologies to volume production. We are now seeing the results of that commitment.”
Motherson acquires Reydel Automotive Group for US$ 201 million Motherson Sumi Systems Limited (MSSL), the flagship company of the Samvardhana Motherson Group (SMG), through its step down subsidiary Samvardhana Motherson Automotive Systems Group B.V. (SMRP BV), has announced the proposed acquisition of Reydel Automotive Group (Reydel), a privately held portfolio company of Cerberus
Capital Management, L.P. (Cerberus) that manufactures interior components and modules for global automotive customers. The purchase price for the transaction is USD 201 million (Rs 1306 crore approx.). This would be the 21st acquisition from the Samvardhana Motherson Group and is intended to further bolster Motherson’s
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offerings in the automotive Interiors space. Reydel’s Interiors Product Portfolio includes Instrument Panels, Door Panels, Console Modules, Decorative Parts and Cockpit Modules. Reydel’s global presence spans 20 plants and 16 countries, and is supported by a workforce of approximately 5,650 associates.
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B2B NEWS
Precision Camshafts acquires precision machinist MFT of Germany Global auto ancillary major Precision Camshafts Ltd has announced its second acquisition with the taking over of German precision machinist Motoren und Fahrzeugtechnik GmbH (MFT) through its wholly owned Duth subsidiary, PCL (International) Holding B.V. PCL is one of the world’s leading manufacturer and supplier of camshafts, a critical engine component, in the passenger vehicle segment. The company supplies more than 150 varieties of camshafts for passenger vehicles, tractors, light commercial vehicles and locomotive engine applications. The company specialises in the small and mid-size passenger vehicles segment and the key clients it caters to are GM, Ford, Hyundai, Mahindra, Escorts, Tata and Maruti Suzuki. PCL exports 78% of its total production to 5 continents and caters to approximately 9% of the global market. The German company MFT enjoys long term relationships with marquee global customers like Volkswagen, Audi, Opel, Westfalia, Hatz, Suzuki, etc. MFT’s key products include balancer shafts, camshafts, bearing caps, engine brackets and several non-engine prismatic components. Located close to the Polish and Czech border, MFT manufacturers critical components in its state of the art and cost competitive manufacturing environment. The MFT team
is led by Guido Glinski who has in-depth knowledge of machining and is committed to growing the company. Guido Glinski is the MFT Managing Director. He will continue to own 24% of the business and run the show at MFT. Announcing the latest acquisition, Yatin Shah, PCL’s Chairman and Managing Director, said: “I am glad to announce the acquisition of MFT, Germany. This acquisition is value accretive which will open up synergetic opportunities for us through new product offerings and will establish a global brand presence. MFT will not only complement our relationships with current OEMs in that region but will also help in enhancing our customer base. With MEMCO and MFT on board, we are gradually progressing towards attaining our goal of transforming the business profile, while the key focus area continues to be our legacy business. Further, we remain committed to execute our planned business initiatives and capitalize on larger growth opportunities at hand.”
“With PCL as our majority investor, MFT is expanding its global footprint. It will allow us to get better access to the development departments of the German and European car manufactures. This will enable us to actively shape the disruptive changes in the automotive industry and prepare ourselves for the challenges in the future development of the conventional powertrain and become part of the alternative drivetrain technologies. This also offers us and our employees a new vision for a successful future. We are excited to walk that way with PCL to take advantage of this opportunity and generate sustainable growth for the entire PCL Group”, said Glinski.
Shareholders vote for merger of INA India, LuK India into Schaeffler India Schaeffler India Limited has announced that the requisite majority of the shareholders and creditors of the company have voted in favour of the scheme of amalgamation of the two unlisted entities, INA Bearings India Private Limited and LuK India Private Limited with Schaeffler India Limited at their respective meetings held on March 20, 2018, in line with the NCLT, Mumbai order and SEBI requirements. The company has also announced that requisite majority of shareholders and
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creditors of INA India, at their respective meetings, directed by NCLT, Mumbai, have also voted in favour of the merger. NCLT Chennai had dispensed with convening the meetings of creditors and shareholders of LuK India. The company has already obtained no objection clearance from SEBI. The merger is now pending sanction from the NCLT benches in Chennai and Mumbai. Once the merger is effective, it will streamline Schaeffler India operations under one corporate umbrella.
Under the scheme, after the sanction of NCLT and post completion of other legal formalities, Schaeffler India Limited shall issue 14.64 million new equity shares, in the ratio of 10 equity shares to shareholders of INA India, for every 65 equity shares held and 10 equity shares to shareholders of LuK India, for every 35 equity shares held, thereby increasing its outstanding equity shares to 31.26 million. Shareholding of the Promoter group post the merger will be 74.13%.
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B2B NEWS
Toyota Baleno- Maruti Suzuki Corolla is the new order of the day! Bizarre though it may sound, but automobile maker Suzuki Motor Corporation has found a new customer in its counterpart in Japan, Toyota Motor Corporation. Or should we say seller, and not buyer? To be more specific, Suzuki will supply the Baleno and Vitara Brezza vehicle models to Toyota, while Toyota will supply the Corolla vehicle model to Suzuki. Details on each model, such as the schedule of the start of supply, number of supplied units, vehicle specifications, and supply pricing, will be considered at a later stage. The vehicles will be sold by respective subsidiaries of Toyota (Toyota Kirloskar) and Suzuki (Maruti Suzuki) based in India through their sales networks. Toyota and Suzuki Suzuki have concluded a basic agreement toward the mutual supply of hybrid and other vehicles between the two companies for the Indian market. Since February 6, 2017, when Toyota and Suzuki concluded a memorandum toward business partnership, the two companies have been exploring concrete projects for collaboration in areas including environmental technology, safety technology, information technology, and the mutual supply of products and components. The November 2017 announcement of a memorandum of understanding between Toyota and Suzuki to consider a cooperative structure for introducing battery electric
vehicles in the Indian market in around 2020 was one outcome of the joint exploration into the partnership. The latest announcement is another outcome and underscores the progress Toyota and Suzuki have together made, and it aims to bolster both companies’ product lineups and encourage competition in the Indian automotive market. Specifically, by challenging and competing with each other with the goal of mutual improvement, Toyota and Suzuki aim to invigorate the Indian automotive market to further enhance their respective products and services to be offered to customers. For the vehicle models covered by the basic agreement, the two companies will enhance their efforts to procure components locally to the extent possible toward the achievement of the “Make in India” initiative promoted by the Indian government. Toyota and Suzuki remain committed to the widespread acceptance and use of less fuel-consuming vehicles to help India reduce its environmental footprint and enhance energy security, a press release issued by the companies said. Pursuant to the agreement announced on February 6, 2017, the two companies will continue to explore other collaborative projects that will contribute to the attainment of a sustainable mobile society in a manner that ensures fair and free competition.
Triumph Motorcycles India steps up presence in tier 2, unexplored markets Triumph Motorcycles India Private Limited, a leading premium luxury motorcycle manufacturer based in the UK, has formalised a strategy to make its presence in India’s tier II market and other unexplored markets. The company took its first step in that direction when it expanded its dealership to Mangalore, a tier 2 market in the southern part of the country. During the inauguration of the dealership in Mangalore, Vimal Sumbly, Managing Director, Triumph Motorcycles India Pvt. Ltd. said that tier 2 markets are a strong focus for the company and there would be many more exciting developments from the company in these unexplored markets soon. Triumph Motorcycles set up its first dealership in the country in January 2014
and has since sold more than 4,500 units in the country. “The opening of the Mangalore dealership will further strengthen the Triumph marquee in the southern part of India,” Sumbly said. The new dealership, Keerthi Triumph, is spread over 2450 sq. Ft and has been built in keeping with signature Triumph ethos. The experience center has separate especially demarcated zones for consultation, coffee-breaks, a lounge for laidback interactions, a build your own bike zone to help with customisation of bikes, a merchandise display area to choose the best gear from and service bays dedicated to maintenance and repairs. As with every other Triumph Motorcycles dealership, the staff at
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Vimal Sumbly, MD, Triumph Motorcycles India Pvt. Ltd.
Triumph Mangalore has been trained in the Triumph Motorcycles factory to deliver best-in-class pre-and post-sales experience in synch with the global standards. This is the 16th dealership for Triumph in the country. The current dealership network includes New Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Bhubaneshwar, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Indore, Vijayawada, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kochi and Kolkata.
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COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
Mahindra launches Novo 65 HP & 75 HP tractors Mahindra & Mahindra’s Farm Equipment Sector (FES) has launched Novo 65 HP and 75 HP tractors. This range of Mahindra technologically advanced Novo tractors which has been stylishly designed, is priced at Rs. 9.99 lakh for the 65 HP 2WD (655 DI) tractor. The price goes up to Rs.12.5 lakh for the 75 HP 4WD (755 DI) variant, ex Maharashtra. This Mahindra Novo range of tractors is being offered in both 2WD & 4WD versions in open station design. Rajesh Jejurikar, President – Farm Equipment Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd said that he was confident that the new tractors will set new benchmark in the industry. The company, he said will shortly introduce its global product from this range with integrated
Rajesh Jejurikar, President – Farm Equipment Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd
cabin in India. “As a part of Farming 3.0 initiative, the focus is on cutting edge technology and superior farming solutions,”
he said. This next generation tractor range is designed and developed in-house at Mahindra Research
Valley, the company’s global research and development facility in Chennai. Mahindra Novo , has been developed through extensive research and insighting with farmers across 12 states. The development of Mahindra Novo involved a seeding phase where tractors were tested for performance in 37 applications across 8 states for a cumulative 25000 hours. Compared to industry standards, this has been one of the most extensive testing programme. Mahindra Novo design has been perfected based on the testing results. Mahindra has brought many new advanced technologies and features in this series that will give higher productivity and better precision in the agri applications.
Mahindra records highest ever domestic annual sales
Picture for representation purpose only
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Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd Farm Equipment Sector (FES) maintained its leadership position in the tractor industry with sales of over 3 lakh tractors in FY18 (April 2017 to March 2018). With this, the company achieved its highest ever annual tractor sales and registered a growth of 22% in the domestic market, in FY18. The largest tractor player by volume, Mahindra sold 304,019 units in FY18 in the domestic market and 319,468 units in total (domestic + exports) in FY18, registering a growth of 22% and 21%, respectively. Currently, Mahindra holds 42.9% market share in the Indian tractor industry and has held this leadership position for the past 35 years. Rajesh Jejurikar, President - Farm Equipment Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, “Our technology driven product portfolio is based on our in-depth understanding of the farmer requirements and the need to create an effective value proposition. Since inception, we have been enabling FarmTech Prosperity through technology-led innovation and quality driven excellence. Coupled with our channel strength and a comprehensive product portfolio we have achieved highest ever tractor sales in a year. Going beyond selling tractors, at Mahindra we aim to offer a wide range of farming solutions.”
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COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
Future augers well for Indian tractor industry, says ICRA The domestic tractor volumes continue to chart a growth story in the current fiscal, with the volumes expanding by 19.4% during April-February FY2018 (on a Y-o-Y basis). As per an ICRA note, while the growth in Agriculture Gross Value Added during FY2018 is projected to moderate from previous years’ levels, partly on account of decline in crop yields following an uneven monsoon precipitation, the tractor industry’s volume growth has showed no signs of slowing down, with favourable crop cycles, on the back of two consecutive near normal monsoons, leading to an improvement in farm cash flows. Additionally, increased haulage demand from usage of tractors in construction activities, as investments in infrastructure creation picked up across country, coupled with various Government of India’s (GoI’s) support programmes, has boosted demand to an extent. While there continues to exist variations in growth across regions, a majority of the regions have recorded a moderate to healthy growth in volumes, helping the industry volumes touch a new peak (on pan India basis) in the current fiscal.
Anupama Arora, Vice President and Sector Head, Corporate Sector ratings, ICRA Ratings, “The GOI’s continued thrust on promoting rural development and farmer welfare in the Union Budget continues to augur well for the farm sector, with the budget laying significant emphasis on the government’s endeavour to double the farmers’ income by FY2022. The success achieved in implementation of a mechanism to ensure healthy minimum support prices to farmers, would remain critical in helping protect the interests of the farmers and reduce vulnerability to commodity cycles. The focus on creating rural infrastructure
through continuation of enhanced allocation to irrigation, roads, and other infrastructure, also bodes well for an improvement in the rural economy over the medium to long term and successful implementation of the various initiatives is likely to result in sustainable benefits to the farm community. This will support tractor’s demand.” Even as an improvement in non-farm income through deployment of tractors for commercial use is expected to continue to support the demand for tractors going forward, the financing availability, a key demand driver, is expected to remain healthy over the short to
medium term, led by a relative moderation in delinquencies in the asset class for various nonbanking financial institutions. While the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) is yet to come out with a forecast for the monsoon’s performance, as per early estimates, the possibility of El Nino conditions developing in time to adversely impact the monsoon precipitation remains low; if the forecast holds, a third consecutive normal south-west monsoon augurs well for the farm community. ICRA expects the tractor industry growth to moderate in FY2019 (growth in volumes of 6-7%), given the high base attained in the current fiscal. As the profitability of Original Equipment manufacturers in the tractor industry remains linked to industry demand, the operating margins for the various manufacturers are expected to remain at healthy levels, with benefits from economies of scale on account of expanding volumes helping offset the impact of an expected hardening in raw material prices. In the absence of any significant capital expenditure plans, the credit profile of the entities in the industry is also expected to remain healthy.
TAFE acquires iconic Serbian tractor brand OMT TAFE, the world’s third largest tractor manufacturer by volume, successfully acquired the renowned Serbian tractor and agriculture equipment brand IMT - Industrija Masina i Traktora. The cost of this acquisition is 66.8 million Serbian dinars (Rs 4.49 crore approx.) IMT an iconic tractor brand is a pioneer in farm mechanisation
and tractor technology with a wide range of implements and tractors suitable for cultivating agricultural land, vineyards, orchards and used for infrastructure applications. The implements range includes ploughs, trailers, maize planters, seed drills, cultivators and loader forklifts. Well known for its indigenous
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R&D, IMT produced a range of tractors between 35 hp and 220 hp and is a popular tractor brand in Eastern Europe, Northern Africa and the Balkans. TAFE’s has had a long association with IMT spanning many decades through business cooperation that involved the supply of components, aggregates and technical
support. TAFE will support its local partner with supply of components and aggregates for the rollout of IMT tractors in Serbia and allied markets. Through this acquisition TAFE acquires the right to use the Brand and Intellectual Property Rights, including the Designs, Trademarks and Copyright (IPR) of IMT.
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COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
CASE delivers 5,000th vibratory tandem compactor CASE Construction Equipment, a brand of CNH Industrial, has reached a milestone in India by delivering the 5000th Vibratory Tandem Compactor, manufactured locally in Pithampur in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the only manufacturer in the construction sector to have achieved this landmark in India. A key handover ceremony was held at CASE India’s Pithampur, Indore manufacturing plant in the presence of CASE Top Management. On reaching the milestone, Abhijit Gupta, Brand Leader, CASE Construction Equipment
India, commented, “CASE India is the market leader in the compactor segment, and holds a leadership position across the entire range of products. The milestone is testament to the quality of its equipment and the trust that the country’s construction operations put in the CASE brand. We at CASE India always ensure that our customers get the right match for their requirements and are provided with the after-sales service and parts support they need. Such an achievement gives us the confidence to further excel and aim for ever greater milestones.”
Ashok Leyland rolls out 2,00,000th LCV from Hosur Plant Commercial vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland announced the roll out of its 2,00,000th LCV (Light Commercial Vehicle) from its Hosur Plant. The first LCV ‘Dost’, was commercially launched in September 2011. The 1,00,000 milestone of Dost was achieved within three years, in March 2015. Commenting on the milestone, Nitin Seth, President, LCV, Ashok Leyland, said, “Ashok Leyland LCVs have been segment defining by delivering customer experience like no other brand. Having 2,00,000 Ashok Leyland LCVs on road in about six years is a proof of trust that our customers have placed in us. Even with our limited portfolio and no-discount policy, we have always maintained our market share. FY18 was very significant for us as we achieved our highest LCV sales of 43,441, a growth of 37% over the previous year. Also in FY18, we launched Dost+ which added strength to the already existing Dost brand.”
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WRI, FedEx launch ‘Better Bus Challenge’ in India
WRI India Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, with support from FedEx Express, the world’s largest express transportation company and a subsidiary of FedEx Corp, announced the “Better Bus Challenge”, a competition to augment the quality, safety and efficiency of public bus systems in India. The open innovation challenge will bring together ideas from manufacturers, technology and service providers, mobility entrepreneurs, NGOs, corporations, and transit agencies to co-create solutions in the public bus sector. With around 70 million people travelling in buses, state-run public bus providers play an essential role in connecting people in cities across India. Transit agencies who operate the public bus networks across India carry more than 60% of the road passengers, competing with alternate mobility solutions that operate ondemand, and can offer greater comfort and service quality.
Lohia Auto launches hi-speed electric three-wheeler Lohia Auto Industries, the automobile division of Rs. 700 Crore Lohia Global and a leading manufacturer of electric vehicles in the country launched Electric Hi-Speed Auto --Comfort E-Auto HS. The Comfort E-Auto HS is powered by a lithium-ion battery, which can run at a speed of 30 km/h, having been designed and developed indigenously by the company’s R&D team. The Comfort E-Auto HS provides seating for four passengers plus driver and has a load capacity of 40 kg and offers a range of over 80 km, which is enabled by the 78 AH Li-ion battery and 2,200 W electric motor. It features a compact charger with 48V-40A multi-stages SMPS charger, hydraulic telescopic front shock absorber and rear shock absorber comprising of leaf spring with hydraulic telescopic. It also offers good ground clearance of 235 mm.
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COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
Mahindra Electric, Meru join hands to deploy eVerito taxis in Hyderabad On the occasion of Earth Day, Mahindra Electric, part of the Mahindra Group and Meru, the tech enabled cab services, announced a collaboration for a pilot EV project in Hyderabad with the intention to replicate the same model in other cities soon. The pilot will see Meru deploy a fleet of eVeritos, the allelectric sedan by Mahindra. Mahesh Babu, CEO Mahindra Electric said, “As pioneers of electric mobility, we at Mahindra Electric are happy to lead electric fleet adoption in India and are glad to partner with Meru for pilot deployment of eVeritos in Hyderabad. This is definitely going to make it easier for the city to adopt EV technology and will also be in line with our constant endeavor to make EVs more accessible to a larger urban population. We believe that innovative and unique partnership models like this pilot, will lead the way towards sustainable transportation in urban cities. We are now looking forward to working with Meru to have this project rolled out to more cities.”
Mahindra Electric, Zoomcar collaborate to offer self-drive EVs on rent
(L-R) Mahesh Babu, CEO, Mahindra Electric, Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog and Greg Moran, Co-Founder and CEO, Zoomcar
Mahindra Electric and Zoomcar, India’s leading shared mobility platform, have collaborated to offer 100 e2oPlus, Mahindra’s all-electric city smart car on the Zoomcar platform in Delhi. The vehicles were launched on the platform in the presence of Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog. The initiative is aimed at promoting connected, shared and electric mobility as a model, in line with the recommendations in the NITI Aayog report on the government’s 2030 vision. The vehicles under this initiative are financed by LeasePlan. In addition to this, Zoomcar has a larger financing arrangement with Mahindra Finance, which will see Zoomcar obtain customised EV financing. Mahindra Finance continues to be a preferred financier for Zoomcar & Mahindra Electric for EV financing.
Ola to put 10,000 e-auto rickshaws on Indian roads in 12 months Ola, one of the world’s largest ride-hailing companies, has announced an ambitious plan to place 10,000 E-rickshaws and Electric auto-rickshaws in its service in the next 12 months. The company announced “Mission: Electric”, with a commitment to place 10,000 E-rickshaws and Electric auto-rickshaws in its service in the next 12 months. From cycle rickshaws to ‘shuttles’ and last-mile transport, threewheelers continue to be a dominant form of daily transit for many people across the nation. Building on the pioneering EV pilot by the company in Nagpur, Ola believes electrification can improve outcomes
for drivers, customers, and its business model. The company will develop “Mission: Electric” as a platform to bring one million Electric Vehicles on the road by 2021. Ola will work with driverpartners, cities, vehicle manufacturers, and battery companies to make sustainable technologies cost-effective and viable in daily mobility. Ola is the market leader in app-based hailing, and intends to leverage its scale to bring cleaner, more comfortable, and safer products to market. “Three wheelers are a vital means of transportation and a source of livelihood for millions of people every day. It also
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represents an immediate opportunity to improve outcomes for all stakeholders while reducing pollution across towns and cities.” said Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-Founder and CEO of Ola. He added, “Less than a year ago, we launched India’s first multi-modal electric pilot in Nagpur. After more than 4 million electric kilometres travelled and many lessons learned, we are significantly expanding our commitment to electrify mobility in India. Ola leads by example, and we look forward to working with state governments and other partners to introduce accessible, affordable, and sustainable mobility solutions at scale.”
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Shell to bring flat-pack truck OX to India
Shell has announced that it will commission a pre-production prototype of the world’s first flat-pack truck and it will take this truck to India, which is home to almost 18% of the world’s population. The ‘OX to India’ mission will showcase the capabilities of the vehicle for bringing low-cost all-terrain mobility to rural communities in developing countries. The ‘OX to India’ mission is a partnership between Shell and Gordon Murray Design (GMD), working in close alignment with the Global Vehicle Trust (GVT). This represents a crucial development stage of the vehicle, which was officially launched in 2016. Shell will fund a bespoke prototype OX to take to India and will set up an outreach programme once the vehicle is in India. The vehicle will be re-engineered and built by GMD, and flat-packed for shipment to India in the later part of 2018. The OX, based on GMD’s flexible iStream technology, will run exclusively on Shell fluids including Shell Rimula, a hardworking and high-performing
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diesel engine oil designed to help heavy duty and light duty engines to run efficiently in demanding conditions. “Shell is eager to play a role alongside others in developing and promoting mobility solutions in developing regions. The OX to India demonstration will see the concept validated and discussed on the ground in a real world setting. We know limited mobility in hard-to-reach communities in developing economies can restrict access to basic services and can limit the effectiveness of efforts to improve the quality of life. The OX has the potential to broaden access to transport possibilities and all the resulting benefits that come with this,” said Huibert Vigeveno, Executive Vice President, Shell Global Commercial. The OX is designed to carry a payload of 1,900kg (approximately twice the capacity of most current pick-ups), which could include everyday necessities, medical supplies, building and agriculture materials. It can seat up to 13 people. The vehicle was envisioned by entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Torquil Norman
and designed by renowned automotive engineer Professor Gordon Murray.
OTHER INNOVATIVE FEATURES OF THE OX INCLUDE: 1) Lightweight, rugged and durable design to maximise payload for goods and people
2) Low cost, simple maintenance through accessible components and fewer parts 3) Designed for self-assembly, supplied fully assembled or flat-packed for easy shipping and local assembly Sir Torquil Norman, founder of GVT said: “I’m so pleased to welcome Shell aboard the OX project and for sharing GVT’s vision that this remarkable and versatile vehicle will provide a transformation in affordable mobility for so many people where the need is most acute. With Shell taking the OX to India we can demonstrate its capability in a key market, which will help attract long-term production partners.” Professor Gordan Murray, Executive Chairman, GMD said:
“After our highly successful co-engineering Shell Concept Car programme with Shell, it is exciting to be once again working with Shell on the next phase of this extremely important and ground-breaking project. The OX is one of our most important engineering designs and it is certainly the vehicle of which I am most proud of, as its disruptive design has the potential to change the current mobility model and with Shell’s vision this vehicle could go on to improve so many people’s lives.” Recognising the need for sustainable, cleaner and more energy efficient transportation solutions, Shell is collaborating and co-engineering a number of projects. In 2016, Shell partnered with Gordon Murray to coengineer the Shell Concept Car – an ultra-efficient city vehicle that, compared to a typical city car, uses 34% less primary energy over its entire lifetime. Shell is also partnering with AirFlow Truck Company to develop a new hyper-fuel mileage Class 8 truck known as the Starship. Its aerodynamic design will seek to demonstrate improvements in fuel economy for while lowering CO2 emissions.
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COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
Tata Motors utilises Wabco technology for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems The Commercial Vehicle Business Unit of Tata Motors is forging ahead with the development of safety-enhancing advanced driver assistance system solutions for deployment on its medium and heavy duty commercial vehicles. This ambitious goal is aimed at reducing the number of road accidents, increasing vehicular as well as occupant safety, in a broad range of visibility conditions. Offering enhanced operational efficiency, the systems will also help reduce operating costs for fleets. After becoming the first OEM to deploy Electronic Stability Control (ESC) for medium and heavy duty commercial vehicles last year, Tata Motors is now announcing the availability of a range of new safety technologies. The Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) being offered by Tata Motors include a Collision Mitigation System (CMS) and a Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) for Prima and Signa trucks. Working in collaboration with Wabco India, Tata Motors will implement Wabco’s pioneering technologies which have been
optimised for India’s operating conditions. Designed to help mitigate some of the most common causes of accidents involving commercial vehicles, advanced driver assistance system solutions enhance vehicle safety, driver comfort and effectiveness. Through this partnership, Tata Motors becomes the first OEM to provide a host of specific safety technologies in their vehicles, including Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Automatic Traction Control (ATC), Hill Start Aid (HSA), a Collision Mitigation System (CMS) and a Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS). Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) for medium and heavy duty commercial vehicles relies on sensors, such as radar and camera, to provide enhanced vehicular and occupant safety. Helping to mitigate driver error, these systems are capable of identifying a variety of different road traffic hazards to enhance driver and vehicle safety. Furthermore, integration of advanced
driver assistance systems in the vehicle can help ensure the on-time delivery of goods by improving driver comfort and effectiveness as well as reducing accident downtime and related costs, for example. Research conducted by India’s Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on Indian expressway and highway accidents reveals that the majority of road fatalities are caused by loss of vehicle control resulting in rearend collisions, unintended road departures and vehicle rollovers. Helping to reduce driver error, Collision Mitigation Systems, Lane Departure Warning Systems and Electronic Stability Control will significantly enhance commercial vehicle safety on India’s roads. The WABCO Collision
Mitigation System (OnGuardASSIST) implemented by Tata Motors, alerts the driver to potentially critical driving situations via acoustic, visual and haptic signals. Should the driver fail to take corrective action, the system provides active braking on moving and stopping vehicles to mitigate or prevent impending rear-end collisions. The system utilizes a powerful 77GHz radar sensor that maintains the system’s high performance in all weather conditions. Its superior performance is particularly vital in poor visibility situations such as heavy rain, dense fog, blinding sunshine and nighttime driving when camera-based sensors used on other collision mitigation systems may be impaired.
Tata Motors introduces Tata Ace Gold at `3.75 lakh Tata Motors has launched the Tata Ace Gold, a enhanced version of the Tata Ace that set new benchmarks creating the SCV segment in the country. Based on extensive research and popular customer demand, the Tata Ace Gold has been launched and will be available in arctic white colour. The new Tata Ace Gold is packed with superior performance, ruggedness,
enhanced safety, and comfort. The Tata Ace Gold comes with with improved ergonomics and a utilitarian dashboard. Launched in 2005, Tata Ace has successfully pioneered the concept of mini-truck in India. Designed and developed for enhancing customer experience and maximizing revenues of the transport operators, the quintessential mini-truck has
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always been an all-rounder in this segment, helping operators elevate their business, offering: superior safety, versatile performance in varied
conditions, ease of maintenance, comfort and cost-effectiveness to its customers. Thus far, the Ace platform has produced about 15 offerings, based on Engine type, engine power & body configurations; comprising brands such as the Ace, Zip, Mega, and Mint for SCV cargo and Magic, Mantra and Iris for passenger movement in rural and urban areas.
MAY 2018 | MOTOWN INDIA | 67
INTERVIEW
&A with
PRADEEP DAVID General Manager, Universal Robots – South Asia
Motown India interviews Pradeep David, General Manager, Universal Robots – South Asia. Universal Robots (A Danish company, headquartered in Odense, Denmark) are pioneers in the manufacturing of advanced, userfriendly and light industrial, Collaborative Robotic arms (Cobot). Excerpts: Please tell us briefly about Universal Robots in terms of its size, its presence in various countries, its revenues, etc. With the intent of making robot technology accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises, Universal Robots was officially founded in 2005. Our first collaborative robot / cobot (UR5) was launched in 2008 and since then we have experienced substantial growth. In 2010, the company expanded its operations to include all of Europe and followed by a year in 2011, we entered the Asian market. In 2014, we established a subsidiary in Barcelona, Spain and in 2015 a new subsidiary for the APAC region was opened
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in Singapore. In 2016, Universal Robots opened its regional offices in Delhi and Bangalore, India, Munich, Germany, and Prague, Czech Republic. We also established our Sri Lanka and Bangladesh operations in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Our cobots are marketed internationally via an extensive network of 200 distributors in 50 countries and so far, we have deployed around 21,000 cobots globally. We have been doubling every year for the last 2 years in India. The multi-fold growth is attributed to high ROI rates and low price of collaborative robots leading to growing attraction from SMEs, and increasing investments in automation by industries to
support Industry 4.0. Throw some light on the company’s India journey and its presence in the automotive industry. Besides the auto industry which are the other industries where these cobots are in use? As stated above, we entered the Indian market in February 2016 and since then have been successful in deploying 400 cobots majorly in the automotive industry and its ancillaries, followed by FMCG, Electronics, and R&D centers. We believe that the Indian market has lot of potential. The demand for cobots in India is increasing as Indian manufacturers are looking
forward to inculcating latest technologies in their production processes. How do you describe a cobot? How different is it from a robot? What are the different features or characteristics that differentiate the two? Cobots are light – weight, easy to use robotic arms and their latest technological advancement are in sync with Industry 4.0 – automated revolution in manufacturing industry. Cobots are easy to program, install and their collaborative in nature allows them to work side-byside with the workforce for high-quality output and handling them requires no special training.
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INTERVIEW They work as a ‘helping hand’ that helps the workforce in carrying out monotonous tasks, increases productivity and efficiency. The primary goal of Universal Robots is to empower workers by enabling them with smart manufacturing solutions which involves the utilization of collaborative robots’ technology and automation. The human-robot collaboration is different from traditional robots. The idea is for humans and robots to be inter-dependent and achieve what each of them does best, safely. There are a few things requiring human ingenuity that are best done manually, whereas the accuracy, precision and repetitive mass production at higher efficiency is best taken care of by robots. These cobots provide an added incentive to the workforce as consistent quality production is possible with human supervision. The company has seen the evolution of robot arms from the UR3, UR5 and UR10, which are built for respective payloads of 3kg, 5kg and 10kg. In the auto industry, in which segment have these cobots become popular? Is it more in the bigger OEM segment or the small and medium companies encompassing auto component players? Do name a few clients in these different segments of the industry where you have a presence. The history of robotics has always been closely tied to the automotive industry. In fact, in 1962 General Motors was the firstever company to deploy industrial robots and from the 1970s onwards, the whole automotive industry was characterised by the comprehensive use of large robotic systems in their production lines. The automotive industry has evolved and the
customers are increasingly demanding that their cars be customized and thus, batch sizes in production are becoming smaller and smaller. For car manufacturers and all their suppliers, this development means they always have to be prepared for changes in their production layout in order to address the new changes in customer demand. Therefore, next to precision and efficiency, flexibility has also become a key factor in the industry. Flexibility, however, is not considered a core competency of traditional industrial robots that stay bolted down in a cage, dedicated to one task only. This is why many manufacturers are now using collaborative robots in their production. Although the need for flexibility is steadily gaining importance for manufacturers, it is not the only reason why leading automotive companies opt for cobots. The opportunity of releasing human employees from strenuous and healthdamaging activities is also an important factor. Not only manufacturers, but also their suppliers count on cobots. Large
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multinational companies are not the only examples from the industry that cobotized their production, cobots are also finding their way into production lines at smaller companies. Universal Robots work towards making robotic technologies accessible to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). People in India, especially the small and medium OEMs, still believe that robotic technology is very expensive. But with cobots, there are many reasons for its emergence: Manufacturers, (especially small and mediumsized enterprises) are eager to adopt this technology because they can be placed alongside humans in small-spaced electronics assembly lines, they are affordable, highly adaptable, almost plug-and-play, and are flexible to handle short runs, repetitive and boring jobs, and ergonomically challenging tasks. Some analysts expect this segment will see massive growth in the next few years.
APPLICATION AREAS FOR CAR MANUFACTURING ROBOTS: Our three different collaborative robotic arms are easily integrated into existing production environments in the automotive and subcontractor industry. A robotic arm from Universal Robots can be used in robotic car manufacturing systems just like any other car manufacturing or automobile robot. They can be used in dangerous environments where high quality and precision are business critical including: engine foundries, laser-cutting rigs, forming presses, moulding machines and packaging and palletizing lines. In addition, our
cobots can also be used in screw driving, assembling, labeling, handling and quality control process. Bajaj Auto Ltd. saw a gradual rise in the productivity and efficiency in their production. It also increased the productivity of their employees along with their product quality after associating themselves with Universal Robots. They have deployed over 150 cobots since 2010 and are now the 3rd largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. They are of the view that the added benefits of the cobots are easy use, very low annual maintenance and higher energy efficiency. SMEW Textile Machinery Pvt. Ltd. has been in the Textile Machine Manufacturing since 1958. They collaborated with Universal Robots and deployed their first UR10 robotic arm in January 2017. The UR cobots are used for pick and place application. This was a new addition to the workforce but the simplicity and operator friendly features of the cobots made the completion of tasks easier and faster. For a 24-hour production, SMEW has deployed the UR10 by Universal Robots. This has enabled them to continue unmanned production after factory working hours. After the addition of the cobot to their manufacturing, SMEW realised that their production had increased from 30 pieces per week to 80-90 pieces per week; a 300% boost in production, over a brief period of 8 months. The staff too, is extremely satisfied with their new co-worker as the cobot is easy to program according to their requirements, and are enjoying working alongside robots.
(Read full Interview on www. micorporate.com)
MAY 2018 | MOTOWN INDIA | 69
TECHNOLOGY
Dana demonstrates truck, all-wheel drive and electric gearbox technologies Dana Incorporated recently showcased its advanced driveline solutions to global automotive manufacturers during its winter test events in Arjeplog, Sweden, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The tests demonstrated the high-performance capabilities of Dana’s AdvanTEK torquevectoring all-wheel drive system, Spicer Electrified e-drive gearbox, Spicer OpTiMa central tyre inflation system (CTIS), and Spicer SmartConnect disconnecting all-wheel-drive technology.
“At Dana we’re leveraging our industry-recognised expertise in driveline engineering to develop solutions for traditional and electrified vehicle platforms that can tackle the most challenging on-road and off-road conditions,” said Bob Pyle, president, Dana Light Vehicle Driveline Technologies. “Winter testing is an effective way for customers to personally experience the capabilities of our technologies in an extremely dynamic setting,” he added.
Dana is a world leader in highly engineered solutions for improving the efficiency, performance, and sustainability of powered vehicles and machinery. Dana supports the passenger vehicle, commercial truck, and off-highway markets, as well as industrial and stationary equipment applications.
Dana’s torque-vectoring AWD system combines the ultra-efficient AdvanTEK 3 system with a twin-clutch mechatronic device that can deliver up to 1,700 Nm of torque capacity to each wheel. During the Winter Test events, the innovative solution was noted for its ability to stay cool on the rough handling track and its ability to provide improved mobility and agility in the snow.
Driving over snow, ice, and rugged terrain, originalequipment manufacturers experienced Dana’s technologies under the testing grounds’ harsh conditions. Each technology received extremely positive remarks, exceeding customer expectations.
Part of Dana’s expanding
Dana - Spicer Electrified e-drive gearbox
portfolio of electrified products, the Spicer Electrified e-drive gearbox offers best-in-class noise, vibration, and harshness characteristics and reliability. The module, designed for multipurpose and lightcommercial vehicles, has been validated with a maximum torque capacity of 4400 Nm. Dana showed the technology in action on a battery electric shuttle bus. The Spicer OpTiMa CTIS technology allows drivers to control tire pressure by making adjustments based on the surface on which the vehicle is riding. Particularly advantageous for
Dana - Spicer SmartConnect AWD Disconnect Technology
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vehicles that go from on- to off-road terrains or from paved roads to an icy trail, the system can deflate tires from 40 to 10 pounds per square inch in two minutes. The Winter Test was one of the first times Dana integrated the CTIS technology – originally developed for defense and vocational vehicles – in a light vehicle. Also showcased at one of the company’s testing events was Dana’s Spicer SmartConnect disconnecting all-wheel-drive technology, which helps automakers reduce emissions while also increasing performance and maintaining the safety and control of the vehicle. This system works to conserve fuel by configuring the drivetrain to operate in front-wheeldrive mode when possible, and seamlessly transitions to AWD when it detects slipping at the wheel due to roadway conditions.
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TECHNOLOGY
Wireless charging system developed on Kia Soul EV Marking an important step in the future of electric vehicles, the Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center, Inc. (HATCI) and Mojo Mobility, Inc. (Mojo) have completed a three-year project to develop a fast-charging wireless power transfer system on a test fleet of Kia Soul EVs . The project, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, paves the way for the future of electric vehicles in which plugs are no longer necessary. HATCI and Mojo, a wireless technology company, worked together to develop a compact wireless charging system that is capable of transferring more
than 10 kW to the vehicle for fast charging while targeting an 85 percent grid-to-vehicle efficiency. The project installed the system on five Soul EVs and tested them in real-world applications for durability, safety and performance. The system works by using an electromagnetic field to transfer energy between two coils—a transmitter on the ground and a receiver on the bottom of the vehicle. The driver simply parks the car above the transmitter to begin charging and then energy is sent through an inductive coupling to an electrical device, which uses that energy to charge the electric vehicles’ battery. The system is so efficient it will allow
some misalignment between the transmitter and the receiver, making it easier and more convenient for owner’s day-today use.
the success of this development project suggests similar systems are possible on future Kia electric vehicles.
“We’re thrilled with the success of the system and its efficiency,” said William Freels, HATCI President, adding that “We set out to develop wireless charging that has real world applications and is easy to use for the consumer. Now, with this fleet of wireless Soul EVs, we can clearly see a future of unplugged electric vehicles.” There is no current plan to offer the wireless charging system on production vehicles for sale to consumers; however,
European eCall now standardising vehicle connectivity More than 20 years after the first vehicles with advanced telematics systems rolled off the production line, connectivity will now be standard in every vehicle with a new type approval as of April 2018 in Europe. From now on, the automatic emergency call system, eCall, must be installed in all new cars receiving type approval after April 2018 in the European Union, regardless of manufacturer, model or price category.
Technology company Continental has been developing telematics units since 1996 and welcomes the decision of the European Commission on eCall. “For us, eCall means that we are a huge step closer to our Vision Zero – mobility without road deaths or injuries as help is now automatically on its way in case of an accident. By using the telematics unit for other applications like real-time information about traffic flows or potential hazards, accidents can even be actively avoided and congestion minimized,” says Johann Hiebl, head of Continental’s Infotainment
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& Connectivity business unit. REDUCED RESPONSE TIME AND FEWER ROAD DEATHS Thanks to eCall, vehicles have an on-board emergency call system, which can automatically send an emergency alert with the vehicle’s exact location to the closest appropriately equipped public-safety answering point. The system uses the standard emergency number in Europe, 112. According to the European Commission, this will reduce the response time by up to 40 percent in urban areas and even up to 50 percent in rural areas. Statistically, a shorter response time means casualties get help faster so that more harm can be prevented. At the same time, according to information from the European Commission, the introduction of eCall could
represent a statistical reduction in the number of fatalities of ten percent per year in the EU. The automatic eCall system is activated by the triggering of the air bag control unit. It’s also possible to trigger an emergency call manually, for example if a driver witnesses a serious accident. According to the European standard, a minimum set of data must be transmitted to the public-safety answering point. This data telegram is 140 bytes long and contains information selected on the basis of their relevance in an emergency rescue situation like the time of the emergency call, the vehicle type and location, the drive type, the number of passengers, the direction of travel, the way in which the emergency call was triggered and other information. MAY 2018 | MOTOWN INDIA | 71
TECHNOLOGY
Continental technology for early risk detection of aquaplaning situations Dry, icy, snowy, or wet: awareness of road conditions is a crucial safety factor as accidents in severe weather arise mainly due to significant loss of friction between tyres and the surface of the road. With its Road Condition Observer, Continental has introduced a solution that allows road conditions to be classified with regard to tyre/road friction. A specific situation called aquaplaning is extremely dangerous for manually driven vehicles as well as automated ones. Technology company Continental has now begun to develop new sensor-based concepts to warn the driver in the event of imminent loss of friction. When there is a thick layer of water on the road, the water pressure between the tyre footprint and the road surface can make the front wheels float. Braking and steering are no longer possible, and the driver loses control of the vehicle.
machine interface.
“Wet road conditions are difficult for a car driver to evaluate,” said Bernd Hartmann, head of Enhanced ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) & Tire Interactions within the Advanced Technology department of Continental’s Chassis & Safety division. “Once you feel your vehicle floating, it is too late. Our aquaplaning assistance concepts detect the early aquaplaning phase to make the driver aware of what is going on under the tyres. This can help drivers or automated vehicles to adapt their speed appropriately to wet road conditions,” said Hartmann.
PREDICTIVE AQUAPLANING RISK RECOGNITION Continental’s developers are focused on predicting and managing the risk of aquaplaning. The objective is to detect a possible front-wheel floating situation as early as possible in order to trigger an early warning to the driver. Utilising signals from surround view cameras and tyre-mounted eTIS (electronicTyre Information System) sensors, an early warning concerning the approaching aquaplaning situation is provided to the driver. Continental is also working on the control and stabilisation of vehicles in aquaplaning situations, such as torque vectoring by individual wheel braking.
The system under development is all encompassing – tyre, tyresensors, cameras, algorithms, brake actuation, and the human-
Aquaplaning conditions can also occur unexpectedly with no opportunity for advance warning. In such cases, the
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potential risk to other vehicles on the road can be mitigated by early communication via V2X technology and eHorizon, facilitating a network of solidarity where one vehicle acts as a safety sensor for all other vehicles and not just those in its direct vicinity. eHorizon can provide this information to vehicles that could potentially be affected, so they are able to adjust their driving functions to the aquaplaning conditions. DETECTING AN IMMINENT LOSS OF CONTROL THROUGH SENSOR RE-USE To detect aquaplaning situations, video images from surround view cameras mounted in the side mirrors, the grill, and rear are analyzed. “When there is a lot of water on the road, the camera images show a specific splash and spray pattern that can be detected as aquaplaning in its early phase”, explained Hartmann. For example, excessive water displacement
in all directions underneath the tyre is a characteristic attribute. During the first testing phase of the new solution, the wetness recognition algorithms delivered a very high hit ratio in predicting potential aquaplaning conditions. In addition to image information, Continental uses information from tyres to detect the risk of aquaplaning. In this concept, signals from Continental’s eTIS sensors, mounted on the tyre’s inner liner, are computed. “We use the accelerometer signal from the electronic-Tire Information System to look for a specific signal pattern”, said Andreas Wolf, head of Continental’s Body & Security business unit. A tyre model processes the incoming radial acceleration of the part of the tyre that is in contact with the road. For wet roads – when enough water is transported out of the tread to ensure an appropriate grip – the signal shows a distinct pattern.
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TECHNOLOGY
Yamaha commissions 1100 KW solar power plant at Chennai facility Yamaha Motor India Group has installed a 1100 KW roof top solar power plant at company’s manufacturing facility in Chennai. With this new installation, the total solar capacity of Yamaha’s Chennai plant has increased to 1450 KW and the company has plans to increase the total rooftop solar capacity to 3500 KW by the end of this year. The new rooftop solar panels cover factory building area including body shop, engine building, bus parking and walkways for the employees and visitors. The unique feature of this installation is the solar panels which have been mounted over the walkways in the plant premises. The covered walkway with solar panels will not only help in generating the green energy but also in protecting
the employees from tough weather condition. The new rooftop installation would reduce CO2 emission to the extent of 1600 tons/year. Yamaha has partnered with Mahindra Susten for the installation of these Rooftop Solar panels. In the first phase, Yamaha had installed 190 KW and 140 KW of rooftop solar panels in the Spare Parts Building and R&D Building in the plant premises in 2015. Yamaha’s Chennai factory which was inaugurated in 2015 incorporates state-of-the-art infrastructure and advanced technologies for Zero-water discharge and recycle/reuse of waste water and maximum use of sunlight. All the buildings are designed to bear load of the solar power system installation. All common utilities are located
in the centre to minimize distribution loss and centralized management. Similarly, Yamaha has partnered with the solar service provider, M/s. Amplus Solar for installation, operation and maintenance of Solar Power System at its Surajpur plant. This is one of the largest roof top solar power plant with total capacity of 6200 KW. This project was commissioned in two phases. Phase I was inaugurated in January 2016 with generation capacity of 4000 KWp and phase II was commissioned in October 2017 with generation capacity of 2200 Kwp.
Recently under phase II, 105 KW capacity solar power plant was installed in the car parking area inside the plant premises. Approximately, 47 cars can be parked under state-of-the-art solar power plant which is also capable of meeting the future requirement of charging battery operated cars. This particular area has a power generation capacity of 500 Units per day.
TOP LEVEL CHANGES IN MOTOWN Lumax Industries Limited, a leader in end-to-end automotive lighting solutions in India, has announced the appointment of D.K. JAIN (L) as Chairman Emeritus and Chief Mentor to the Board, with effect from April 1, 2018. DEEPAK JAIN (C), Managing Director of the company, has been elevated to the position of the Chairman as well of the Board from April 1, 2018. Lumax Industries has also announced the elevation of VINEET SAHNI (R), as CEO & Senior Executive Director of the Company. Sahni was earlier the company’s Chief Executive Officer.
GAKU NAKANISHI (L) has assumed the office of President & CEO of Honda Cars India from April 2, 2018. The company has also appointed two new directors to spearhead the company’s Sales & Marketing operations. They are RAJESH GOEL (C), Sr Vice President & Director, Sales & Marketing and MAKOTO HYODA (R), Director, Sales and Marketing.
Technology company Continental has appointed ALEXANDER KLOTZ as the new head of their Technical Centre India (TCI). Klotz will be instrumental in taking TCI to its next level of growth, as a trusted partner augmenting Continental’s global R&D competence.
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Ducati India has appointed SIDDHARTHA VARMA as the Director of Marketing for its operations in the country. Siddhartha will spearhead Ducati’s marketing initiatives in India and lead the company’s growth and expansion strategy in the market. In his role, Siddhartha is responsible for consumer marketing initiatives that include all ATL and BTL activities for the brand.
MAY 2018 | MOTOWN INDIA | 73
PICTURE OF THE MONTH
Known as the “Mini Dakar”, the Afriquia Merzouga Rally, in fact, offers an ideal training ground for the teams to kick start the preparations for the mighty Dakar. Here is a picture showing a rider going through one of the five stages of the 9th edition of the Afriquia Merzouga Rally held in Morocco from April 15 to 20, 2018. Picture courtesy: AURELIEN VIALATTE / @WORLD / ASO 74 | MOTOWN INDIA | MAY 2018
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