Japanese car manufacturer Nissan has revealed the first sketches of the India model of the all-new Nissan Kicks which showcases the evocative flow of its robust exteriors. With a bold and dynamic design, the new Kicks stands to offer what India’s new consumer wants – agile movement on urban roads with the freedom to explore new terrains. Nissan Kicks’ progressive SUV exterior is engaging and provocative. The new V-motion grille, a signature motif in Nissan’s new global design language further adds to Kicks’ distinctive presence.

Nissan, is all set to introduce the Kicks into the market with design language and features that are intrinsic to SUV enthusiasts in India. A testimony to the company’s rich SUV heritage, the India version of the Kicks is bigger, more evolved, more intelligent and caters to the brand’s core audience, who are adventurous, look for bold and intelligent choices in life.

In India, Nissan’s tryst with the SUV began with Nissan Jonga. The iconic Nissan Jonga had been serving the Indian Army for 1965 to 1999 and went on to acquire an iconic status due to its inherent ruggedness, sheer power and all-terrain capabilities. Decades later, Nissan still continues its spirit of relentless innovation in the SUV segment, introducing iconic nameplates like Patrol, Terra, Pathfinder, Armada, X-Trail, Terrano, Juke and Kicks across more than 100 markets.

Indian auto major Mahindra has launched its new MPV, the Marazzo in India with prices starting at Rs 9.99 lakh. The Mahindra Marazzo will be available in four variants M2, M4, M6 and M8. The M2 is priced at Rs 9.99 lakh, the M4 at Rs 10.95 lakh, while the M6 and M8 will bear a price tag of Rs 12.40 lakh and 13.90 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom pan-India) respectively. All variants will be available in 7-seater and 8-seater configurations, with the 8-seater commanding a premium of Rs 5,000. The Mahindra Marazzo is powered by a new 1.5-litre diesel engine producing 121PS of maximum power and 300Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission that drives the front wheels.

According to Mahindra, the styling of the Marazzo has been inspired from a shark and comes with a ladder frame chassis setup. The cabin boasts of features like a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 4.2-inch TFT display for the instrument cluster and a roof-mounted surround cooling air conditioning system for second and third rows. Other convenience features like rear seat entertainment and electrically adjustable captain seats are part of the interior accessories package designed by DC are optional extra.

Mahindra Marazzo MPV comes equipped with safety features like dual front airbags, a passenger airbag off-switch, a speed sensitive door lock/unlock feature, ABS with EBD and brake assist and Isofix child seat mounts as standard equipment on all variants.

The top-end M8 trim features 17-inch machined alloy wheels, LED daytime running lamps, leatherette seating upholstery, dual USB sockets for front and rear passengers, puddle lamps, cooled glove box with illumination, infotainment system with Android Auto compatibility, cruise control, reverse camera with display, automatic climate control and power folding and adjustable wing mirrors.

Renault Nissan Automotive Private Limited (RNAIPL) Plant in Oragadam

Nissan has announced its strategy for India that will see the company launch new products, strengthen the Nissan and Datsun brands, expand its dealership network, optimise flexible manufacturing and strengthen R&D facilities together with its Alliance partners in the country.

Under the strategy for India market Nissan aims to:

1. Launch a product offensive

• Bring the best of Nissan’s worldwide lineup to India, building on Nissan’s technological leadership in electrification and connected cars
• Build a strong line up for Datsun in India representing the best of Japanese engineering

2. Enhance both the Nissan and Datsun brands

• Reinforce Nissan as premium mainstream brand with wide appeal, building on Nissan’s SUV heritage and leading performance globally, starting with the Nissan Kicks
• Focus the Datsun brand on progressive mobility, with products offering high value to customers equipped with connected technologies

3. Strengthen network and teams

• Double its sales and service touch points and strengthen dealership network in the next three years, from 270 today
• Expand regional marketing and sales operations teams to four key regions across India
• Further develop the Nissan design centre in Chennai to ensure cars meet the rapidly changing expectations of Indian customers

4. Lead with Digitisation

• Hire 500 employees in FY 2018 at Nissan’s first Global Digital Hub in Kerala, with further expansion plans. Nissan Digital Hub will focus on innovations in mobility to enhance Nissan’s products worldwide and in India
• Improve customer service and satisfaction, and expand access to Nissan’s products and services, through digitisation and eCommerce

Peyman Kargar, Senior Vice President of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd, Chairman- Africa, Middle East, and India

“Nissan is committed to India and has built the foundations to succeed.” said Peyman Kargar, Senior Vice President of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd, Chairman- Africa, Middle East, and India. “Our strategy will strengthen both our brands for our customers across India. The Nissan brand will bring the best of global Nissan products and technology to our customers in India, starting with the Nissan Kicks. For Datsun, we aim to offer compelling products across segments offering value, connectivity and Japanese engineering.”

Since 2010, Alliance has invested Rs 61 billion in India and will continue to focus on the Indian market to further develop its engineering, research and development and manufacturing operations in India.

The Alliance is already India’s largest automotive research and development employer through the Renault Nissan Technology Business Centre for India in Chennai. Further, the Alliance’s plant in Chennai is a global manufacturing hub exporting to 106 countries.

Aerial view of Renault Nissan Automotive Private Limited (RNAIPL) Plant in Oragadam

The continued commitment to the Indian market will be driven by a three-part plan focused on people, processes and product innovation:

1. People

— Optimise opportunities for transfers and advancement between manufacturing, R&D and other operations for all employees

– Train plant workforce to prepare for the increased demands of manufacturing next-generation cars; 10% of employees to be trained in the first year

– Reinforce flexibility of manufacturing through career mobility between Alliance organisations, recruitment of people with future-technology skills and, in areas where there is a surplus of skills today, offering a voluntary option of financial support for plant employees who wish to pursue opportunities elsewhere

2. Processes
– Reduce complexity through greater use of common platforms as part of the Alliance 2022 goal for 9 million cars per year globally to be based on four common platforms by 2022
– Substantially increase plant utilization enabling greater efficiency

3. Product innovations
– Harness opportunities in India from our global leadership in electrification, connected cars
– Further enhance India as a global hub for innovation, and continue to build capacity to develop products to meet the expectations of Indian customers.
– Hire 1,000 more engineers at RNTBCI to further enhance the Alliance’s number one position in R&D in India

“In the coming years in India, we will grow and our workforce will shift towards highly skilled jobs to lead the technological changes coming to the auto industry in India,” said Peyman Kargar. “Our aim is to ensure our operations in India are best in class, and that India becomes an even more significant global hub for Nissan and the Alliance in manufacturing, engineering and research and development. Our strategy in India is to invest in talent and people.”

To celebrate the spirit of festive season, Datsun India has announced the launch of the stylish redi-GO Limited Edition’ 2018 across two variants and is priced at Rs 3.58 lakhs for the 0.8L MT version and Rs 3.85 lakhs for 1.0L MT version. The Datsun redi-GO Limited Edition’ 2018 will be available in three colours – white, silver and red at all Nissan and Datsun dealerships in India.

The Limited Edition’ 2018 Datsun redi-GO comes with restyled exteriors which includes roof wrap, stylish body graphics and front-rear bumper under-covers. In addition, features such as the front signature red insert on grill and rear tailgate graphics enhance the sporty looks. The refreshing interiors of the car carry red and black leather upholstery seats with accents on AC vents, Rear Parking Assist Sensor (RPAS) with distance display device, satin chrome gear bezel, chrome inside door handles and carpet mats.

Peter Clissold, Vice President – Marketing at Nissan Motors India Pvt. Ltd. said, “This festive season, Datsun wants to make the celebration more special by delighting customers with the powerful and vibrant redi-GO Limited Edition. The refreshing design along with power packed performance is a testimony of our commitment towards customers to offer progressive mobility solutions.”

India had been at war since its independence in 1947 and most of the disturbance occurred along the Himalayan ranges. A young country, trying to put its pieces together was fighting an existential war. The Indian Army needed a vehicle that was not only strong enough to face the elements of nature at high altitudes but could also survive the violent conditions of the ‘ground zero’.

At the same time, Japanese auto major Nissan was earning its name as an SUV maker. After the success of its first-generation Patrol SUVs, Nissan had recently launched the second generation 4W60. The Indian Army was interested in P60 vehicles to serve at the toughest war zones on the planet. The two entities came together, and Vehicle Factory Jabalpur was sanctioned in 1965 to customize P60. The Japanese SUV maker started the production from Jabalpur Ordinance and Guncarriage Assembly from which it derives the acronym JONGA. Nissan JONGA ran on a 4-litre, inline petrol engine with 6 cylinders that gave an approximate power of 145 bp and 330 Nm of peak torque. It was often referred to as a bulletproof engine, as it was built for rugged and harsh conditions. The 4×4 quickly gained its name among army men. Its brute force and confident infusing structure and design came handy during wartime.

JONGA was modified to suit several military requirements- ambulance, signal vehicle/rovers and recovery vehicles. It was very successful on the mountainous terrains, and the Indian Army participated in several expeditions and rallies with the vehicle. It was part of one of the most enterprising ‘surgical strikes’ undertaken by India during the 1971 war. Para Commandos used to travel on JONGAs, modified to hold guns and other supplies. India went on to be victorious in the 1971 war and helping Bangladesh in its liberation.

In 2009, the JONGA again made headlines in local newspapers in Madhya Pradesh, for the last 500-km celebratory drive from Mhow cantonment area to Jabalpur. The army may not be using JONGAs officially anymore but war veterans who have spent weeks and months with the vehicle still remember it fondly as ‘the Rhinoceros’ for its ability to charge towards its destination like a warrior on wheels. The love that bloomed in the most treacherous of situations is still alive. Many army men and their SUV enthusiasts across India still own these war heroes.

The JONGA has found its place in many articles of pop-culture, for example cinema and wartime literature. While next generation JONGA owners modify the vehicle with big off-road tyres, paint it in vibrant colours and glittering accessories. On the other hand, more conservative owners like to keep it as original as possible. One thing common to the two groups is that they cherish the stories that they have created together.

Volvo Cars has introduced a new Polestar-developed software upgrade that increases torque distribution to the rear wheels of Volvo cars equipped with all-wheel drive (AWD), for more dynamic driving.

The optimisation software, developed by Volvo Car Group’s new electric performance brand, Polestar, increases the amount and frequency of torque distributed to the rear wheels, improving steering with enhanced turn-in, better control and engagement when cornering, and improved traction when pulling away, delivering a more engaging drive.

“We are always fine-tuning the driving experience of Volvo cars, and this upgrade makes the all-wheel drive both smoother and more dynamic,” said Henrik Green, Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Volvo Cars.

The AWD optimisation is engaged simply by selecting the Dynamic drive mode, or when the Electronic Stability Control is disengaged.

The new rear-wheel torque distribution feature adds another optimisation area to the latest Polestar software upgrade. The five existing areas include sharper throttle response, faster off-throttle response, quicker gear changes, optimised gearshift points and in-corner gear holding, as well as increased engine output.

The Polestar AWD optimisation will be available for petrol and diesel models of the Volvo 90 series, 60 series and XC40 cars, from August 2018 onwards.

Infiniti has released a second teaser image of its concept car due to be revealed at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Its striking concept named Prototype 10 is a daring electrified speedster that provides a window into the brand’s desire to deliver driving pleasure and thrilling performance from electrified powertrains.

In creating the single-seater they have re-imagined the classic speedster with a cool, clean, forward-looking design. The concept is a natural evolution of the form language first seen in the Infiniti Q Inspiration and hints at future design cues for the brand.

According to Karim Habib, Infiniti Executive Design Director the Prototype 10 echoes the layout and design of some of the most evocative car designs of all time, where power was celebrated through high-powered single-seat competition cars. The new concept speaks of an electrified future, something which is reflected in its form and details. It is appropriate that we found inspiration in an optimistic bygone era in which cars were characterised by the simple love of driving.

Infiniti plans to electrify all of its new production cars from 2021 onwards.

India Yamaha Motor has launched its new brand campaign ‘The Call of the Blue’ with the aim of drawing a parallel to its product planning, marketing and customer engagement strategies with the brand’s global image of ‘excitement, stylish and sporty’.  This initiative will comprise of the entire spectrum of Yamaha’s business in India and will be graphically represented with ‘Yamaha Racing Blue’ colour in the background. The campaign will also offer multiple engagement platforms with the objective to involve every Yamaha owner of India with the brand’s core identity, thus propagating the brand’s thrill and excitement.

‘The Call of the Blue’ is aimed to build up the exhilaration of racing as it introduces YZF-R15 Version 3.0 (155 cc) Moto GP Limited Edition and Yamaha FZS-FI (149 cc) with rear disc brake in two new colours. The campaign will follow its fundamental publicity through electronic commercials and digital campaigns pan India. It will be based on ‘Yamaha Racing Blue’ colour and will stimulate with an ‘anthem’ that draws attention with a probe – “When did you hear the Call of the Blue?” Yamaha’s further drive to instrument the campaign through distinguishing visual identity will also be carried across all Yamaha authorised dealerships. The company also plans to conduct several on ground activities in order to manifest the objectives of the brand campaign. A long background of Yamaha’s excitement in India that started with the legendary RX 100 and further continuing with R Series and FZ Series testifies its commitment of offering two wheelers that adds up to the global spirit of Yamaha Racing.

On this occasion, Chairman of Yamaha Motor India Group of companies, Motofumi Shitara said, “Yamaha’s global corporate mission of realizing kando should be expressively achieved through all of its products or related experiences. Being a #CustomerFirst brand, it is our duty to create delightful experiences for customers that can enrich their lives in the long run. The launch of “The Call of the Blue” should convey Yamaha customers or any customer of two wheelers about the brand’s commitment to provide highly advanced technology as well as treasuring style through its two wheelers. The launch of new products under the campaign launch will offer exciting experiences put together by the Yamaha uniqueness.”

The introduction of the all new YZF-R15 Version 3.0 Moto GP Limited Edition in ‘Yamaha Racing Blue’ colour gets Yamaha Moto GP branding on the fairing, tank and side panels that outlines its R-DNA pedigree. Retaining the same mechanical features of YZF-R15 Version 3.0, the YZF-R15 Version 3.0 Moto GP limited edition priced at Rs. 1,30,000 (ex-showroom Delhi).

The weather forecasts predict a generous shower of love from the rain gods this monsoon. And while the thought of rain and cooler weather tickles the romantic in us, motorist must exercise extra caution while they are on the road. Driving during the monsoon can be very demanding and also get tricky at times. It requires motorists to be more focused and attentive while driving, especially when it pouring heavily.

Digit Insurance shares some handy tips to help you and your car weather out the storm:

• Steer clear of roads that are more prone to being water-logged during showers.
• Park your vehicles in high-rise areas.
• Avoid driving at high speeds, and turn on the hazard warning lights to improve visibility of your car.
• Try to drive at the centre of the road, because the sides are usually lower and that is where all the water accumulates.
• Maintain a 5-second gap between your car and the vehicle ahead.
• Apply windshield wax products. They repel water, mud and insects.
• If you are stuck in a flood and unable to open the doors, use the front seat’s headrest, or glass cutter/hammer to break out through the windshield.
• Hydrolock, or water entering your engine and causing it to seize, is one of the greatest risks during monsoons. Avoid accelerating to prevent water entering through your air intake, and maintain a consistent RPM in the 1st or 2nd gear.
• Watch out for submerged medians. Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
• Have a fully charged phone and keep emergency numbers handy.

Renault Sport Formula One Team has confirmed that Daniel Ricciardo will join the team from the 2019 season. He will team up with current driver Nico Hulkenberg.

Twenty-nine-year-old Daniel, who hails from Perth, Australia, joins Renault Sport Formula One Team for the next two seasons.

Daniel has secured seven Grands Prix wins and stepped onto the podium 29 times. He is already very familiar with the Renault family, having driven in Renault junior series between 2007 and 2011 and has been powered by Renault engines in F1 since 2014.

Jerome Stoll, President, Renault Sport Racing, said: “Renault decided to come back to Formula One to fight for World Championships. Signing Daniel Ricciardo is a unique opportunity for the Groupe Renault towards this objective that could not be missed. We welcome Daniel’s arrival to our team, still in the making, but more motivated than ever.”

Cyril Abiteboul, Managing Director, Renault Sport Racing, commented: “Daniel’s signing underscores our determination to accelerate our progress towards the forefront of the sport. It is also a recognition of the work accomplished over the past two and a half seasons. Daniel’s undoubted talent and charisma are a huge bonus and statement for the team. We will have to repay his faith in us by delivering the best car possible. We welcome him to our growing team in 2019 with a great deal of pride, but also humility.”

Daniel Ricciardo, said: “It was probably one of the most difficult decisions to take in my career so far. But I thought that it was time for me to take on a fresh and new challenge. I realise that there is a lot ahead in order to allow Renault to reach their target of competing at the highest level but I have been impressed by their progression in only two years, and I know that each time Renault has been in the sport they eventually won. I hope to be able to help them in this journey and contribute on and off track.”