We will not be in the ultra-low-cost car segment. Our focus will be on the A1 and A2 segments, which are growth areas in which many of the new players like Nissan, Volkswagen or Toyota are planning to enter. Our entry-level car will remain the Maruti 800.
Every three minutes, in some corner of the country, two Altos are being sold.
Market leader Maruti Suzuki is putting finishing touches to its plan of finding its feet in what is being hailed as a battle of epic proportions in India's fastest-growing passenger vehicle segment, reports Arindam Majumder.
IndusInd Bank was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying over 7 per cent, followed by SBI, ICICI Bank, HDFC twins, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finserv and UltraTech Cement. NSE Nifty soared 245.35 points to 14,923.15.
Stingray, which is powered by a 998 cc petrol engine, is available in three variants, with price ranging between Rs 4,10,000 to Rs 4,67,000.
Reeling under severe slowdown, the auto major had reduced its production by 33.99 per cent in August, making it the seventh straight month of reduction.
Cumulative sales of India's top passenger vehicle makers -- Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra and Mahindra, Tata Motors, Honda Cars, and Toyota Kirloskar -- increased to 206,418 units in February over 200,322 units in the same month last year, an increase of 3 per cent.
Auto majors, including Maruti Suzuki India, Hyundai and Tata Motors, on Sunday reported high double-digit growth in their domestic passenger vehicle sales in July riding on stabilisation of macro-economic factors and better consumer sentiments. Similarly, Honda, Nissan, MG Motor and Skoda also reported healthy growth in their sales last month leveraging on improved market mood amid prevailing lower coronavirus infection rate, despite supply constraints of semi-conductors. The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India's (MSI) domestic sales increased by 39 per cent to 1,41,238 units last month as against 1,01,307 units in July 2020, the company said in a statement.
Leading automakers Maruti Suzuki India, Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors and Tata Motors reported sales growth in the domestic market in November, aided by robust offtakes amid the festival season. While Maruti Suzuki India reported marginal growth, Hyundai logged in its highest ever monthly sales in November. Others like Honda Cars India, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Mahindra & Mahindra and MG Motor India also reported sales growth in November as compared with the same month last year.
Size matters on the road. Small is not dominating India's car market any more. The share of cars priced up to Rs 5 lakh in the passenger vehicle market has fallen to 10.5 per cent in the first 11 months of 2021-22, compared with 26 per cent in 2018-19 (FY19), the lowest in four years, according to data from industry sources. Even the share of those in the price range between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 7.5 lakh has dropped to 32.4 per cent in the same period, from 34.9 per cent.
We've identified six such leaders of their respective segments and find out what makes them tick.
A number of companies, including Maruti Suzuki, Renault and Nissan, are giving gold coins to buyers who book cars by the month-end. There are other benefits as well, reports Ajay Modi.
The vehicles affected by the recall are manufactured between September 2011 and July 2014.
"It has a special place in our product strategy. Millions of Indians own compact cars. With growing incomes and better lifestyle, many of them want to upgrade to a sedan. But on Wednesday, they are not able to find an entry level sedan that offers style, features and performance. The DZire offers all this, and at an attractive price," Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director S Nakanishi said.
Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Wednesday launched an updated variant of its entry level hatchback Alto 800 priced between Rs 2.55 lakh and Rs 3.76 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
Practice of opening bookings for cars prior to launch has been followed by several companies over many years in India.
Currently, Hyundai has 400 dealerships and over 270 rural sales outlets supported by over 1,000 service centers across India.
Maruti cannot make a Rs 1 lakh car and the company engineers say it cannot be done, Maruti Suzuki India managing director and CEO Shinzo Nakanishi said.
India's electric mobility goal, which has so far been riding on two wheels, is all set to graduate to four wheels. At least, the journey has begun. Hyundai Motor India said it would invest Rs 4,000 crore till 2028 to launch half-a-dozen electric vehicles (EVs) in India. It would eventually straddle premium and mass segments. The first of these - the electrified version of an internal combustion engine (ICE)-powered model - will go on sale as early as next year.
Market leaders saw good traction for new cars, including the electric ones.
The automaker says it has taken into account some of the big concerns of those behind the wheels today: improved acceleration performance, strength and rigidity, spacious and a more comfortable driving experience.
In the next 2-3 years the company will pump in Rs 4,000 cr in product development, R&D and marketing infrastructure.
Recently, TPEM's first born electric concept, Avinya broke cover. The model promises a minimum range of 500 kilometres and advanced technology features, aimed at buyers in India and outside. TPEM, the newly formed entity may also consider a separate dedicated sales channel for the EVs with a distinctive corporate identity once the volumes reach a critical mass and throughput is large enough for the dealers to be profitable, said Chandra. Elaborating further on the hiring strategy he said, "We will hire from everywhere-wherever the talent of the required competency is available."
Ford launches all-new Figo, price starts at Rs 4.29 lakh.
The company cut production of its mini cars comprising Alto, and S-Presso by 98.32 per cent at 401 units as against 23,874 units in the year-ago month.
Losers included Bharti Airtel, SBI, Wipro, Vedanta, Maruti Suzuki, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and Reliance Industries, falling up to 2.18 per cent.
Aimed at strengthening its position in the compact car segment, country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Thursday launched 'Celerio', priced between Rs 3.9 lakh and Rs 4.96 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
The investment will be made through a joint venture with Toshiba and Denso. The battery is the most expensive single part of an EV.