India's biggest car maker Maruti Suzuki said on Tuesday that its vehicle production in September will tumble by 60 per cent due to chip shortage. The company, which had earlier cut down production at its Gujarat plant, said the chip shortage will hit production in Gurugram and Manesar plants, effectively forcing the automaker to cut production by 60 per cent. Owing to a supply constraint of electronic components due to semiconductor shortage, the company is expecting an adverse impact on vehicle production in September in both Haryana and its contract manufacturing company, Suzuki Motor Gujarat Pvt Ltd. (SMG) in Gujarat.
The entry level car, brainchild of Ratan Tata who envisaged giving a safer and affordable alternative to families riding on two-wheelers, received lacklustre response from the Indian consumer. Tata Motors to bid adieu to Nano from April 2020.
The hatch competes with cars such as Maruti Alto and Hyundai i10.
The models from Hyundai and Maruti, which might go on sale in October 2018 and February 2019, respectively, are set to revive a segment that had lost sheen to the compact SUV segment, lately
Automobile retail sales in the country fell 18 per cent year-on-year in the 42-day long festive period this year as semiconductor shortage impacted production across companies affecting their ability to supply adequate numbers to dealer partners, FADA said on Thursday. During the period under review, barring three-wheeler and commercial vehicles, all other segments including passenger vehicles, two-wheelers and tractors were down as compared with the same period of last year. As per data collated by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), total retail sales across segments stood at 20,90,893 units this festive period, down 18 per cent from 25,56,335 units in 2020.
According to the latest data from SIAM, in the top 10 best passenger vehicles, Maruti's Alto retained the top position last month
The entry-level car, under the popular Datsun brand, is aimed at tapping the first-time car buyers.
Seven years after it announced Nexa, there's no mistaking the seriousness with which Maruti wants the segment to grow, says Pavan Lall.
Passenger vehicle dispatches from factories to dealers declined 13 per cent to the lowest level in five years in December last year as the industry continued to face production issues due to semiconductor shortage, auto industry body SIAM said on Friday. Passenger vehicle dispatches last month stood at 2,19,421 units compared to 2,52,998 units in December 2020. While acknowledging that the chip shortage situation is not expected to dramatically change in the short term, the industry body expressed hope that things will improve soon.
Maruti Udyog Ltd, India's biggest carmaker, on Wednesday raised prices by Rs 2,000-3,000 on all models except entry-level car Maruti-800.
You'd love to take these pocket-friendly automatics for a spin
Toyota is working on developing six subcompact cars as part of its global strategy to increase volumes in emerging markets over the next four years.
Toyota is working on developing six subcompact cars as part of its global strategy to increase volumes in emerging markets over the next four years.
The festive season is the time when car manufacturers offer major discounts and freebies to lure customers and Hyundai has decided to cash in on the occasion with Eon.
General Motors is looking at introducing an entry-level car to be positioned below the Chevrolet Spark, to drive up volumes in the Indian market.
Maruti Suzuki, with a half a dozen models ranging from the best-selling car Alto to WagonR, Swift and Estilo accounts for around 57 per cent of the small car market in India. In the premium hatchback segment, the company's market share stands at a robust 48 per cent.
Carnation Auto, a multi-brand car service initiative by ex-Maruti Suzuki chief Jagdish Khattar, on Thursday launched a servicing facility for premium cars in Gurgaon in association with Fiat Group firm Magneti Marelli.
The growth momentum that started during the festival season is likely to sustain in the new year, reports Arindam Majumder.
Among the key concerns of the Street is market share losses in growth segments, led by higher competitive pressures.
The pre-owned vehicles arm of the Mahindra Group plans to add 30 outlets in a few days taking the total number to 1,000.
Step on the gas and the power that propels the compact four-seater will take you by surprise as it hurtles towards the 80 kmph like a racing thoroughbred, never compromising any stability thanks to its rigid chassis and solid 1,600-kg kerb weight that gives it a well-planted feel along straights, corners and tricky lanes and roads, says Pavan Lall.
Bank of America (BofA) Securities expects India to be the third-largest economy in the world by 2031. The economic rise could become a reality by 2028, but the Covid pandemic delayed the pace, BofA Securities economists Indranil Sen Gupta and Aastha Gudwani wrote in a report.
Three months after its launch, Maruti Suzuki's multi-purpose vehicle, Eeco, has notched sales figures of over 7,000 units a month.
Celerio was launched at a time when the Indian automotive market was going through a transition.
The yet-to-be-named car, which will be priced in the Hyundai i-10 price bracket, had crossed the feasibility study stage and was in the final stages of design. "Cars below Rs 5 lakh constitute nearly 80 per cent of the total Indian market. India is predominantly a small car market and we have a clear strategy to grow in the Indian market," Thomas Kuehl, member, board of directors (sales and marketing), Skoda India.
The tie-up would focus on financing of entry level cars from Maruti portfolio, which include the M800, Omni and Alto models, the company said. "Maruti Suzuki is keen to expand its presence in rural and semi urban markets. We have the right products and an excellent network across the country to support it. However, there is still lot to do in the direction of finance availability especially beyond metro towns," said MSI Chief General Manager (Sales) R S Kalsi.
Terming as "impossible" the Rs 1 lakh car that Tatas propose to roll out, particularly on safety aspects, Hyundai on Friday said it would like to bring an entry level car with a minimum price tag of $3000 like the one Renault is planning.
From Hyundai to Tata Motors, automakers are staring at a bleak future. With no succor provided in the Budget, the pain for companies is likely to continue for the next two quarters.
Companies also said confidence was yet to return among buyers, with many holding back their decision to buy cars.
What is your take on small cars? Do you think the hype about Ratan Tata's 1-lakh (Rs 100,000-) wonder is way too much?
Once the 21-day lockdown is lifted, which may happen in phases, those who have been contemplating purchasing a car may actually do it, said analysts. Thanks to social distancing norms and rising hygiene awareness, daily commuters may ditch public transport and shared mobility solutions like Ola and Uber. Many are likely to prefer the confines of a car over roughing it up in crowded public transport services such as a metro, local sub-urban trains and buses, they said.
Undeterred by the scepticism shown by Maruti, the Tatas on Friday said they were working on the concept of the proposed entry-level car with Rs 100,000 price tag.
Private sector banks have jumped on to the bandwagon to offer better rates than Maruti Udyog for its best-selling car, Maruti 800.
Faced with rising input costs, Maruti Udyog Ltd on Monday effected a price hike, including on the popular Alto model, but made no changes in the prices of entry-level car M800 and multi-utility Gypsy.
Maruti Udyog on Tuesday launched a Euro-III variant and a new Euro-II version of Maruti 800, sporting a higher price tag, and said the entry level car was not being phased out.
The list clearly shows the dominance of Maruti and Hyundai in the Indian passenger vehicle market.
Honda Car India is planning to increase prices of its vehicles by up to Rs 6,000 from April to offset the impact of adverse exchange rate that has resulted in higher input costs.
Those that are developing quadricycles from scratch say it will take them at least two years to roll them out.
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