Ford India announced a new variant line-up of its popular compact SUV, EcoSport across dealerships.

Ensuring that every variant in the line-up delivers more value and features, the company has also introduced sun-roof on the Titanium trim. This popular feature is now available across half of EcoSport variant lineup in response to the feedback from customers.

“In the tradition of bringing what consumers want and value, we are happy to bolster the EcoSport line-up and make every variant compelling in terms of features and value,” said Vinay Raina, Executive Director Marketing, Sales & Service at Ford India. “With the new line-up, we have not just addressed the customer feedback on making sunroof and key features more accessible but also left scope to add more unique features in the future.”

Starting at a price of INR 799,000 for petrol and INR 869,000 for diesel variants, the new line-up ensure Ford EcoSport remains competitively priced in the segment. The vehicle is available with Ford’s 1.5l TDCi diesel engine that delivers 100 PS power and 215 Nm of Torque. The three-cylinder 1.5-litre Ti-VCT petrol engine delivers 122 PS of power and 149 Nm of torque.

Customers can choose from the five-speed manual gearbox that is offered with both the engines. For enhanced convenience, the petrol-powered variant of the EcoSport is also available with a six-speed, torque convertor automatic.

Ford EcoSport is also comes with mobility and connectivity solution FordPassTM across its entire lineup. FordPassTM is a one-stop smartphone app meeting diverse ownership needs, at no additional cost. With a factory-fitted cloud-connected device, EcoSport owners can perform several vehicle operations — like starting, stopping, locking or unlocking remotely, via the FordPassTM app.

The 2021 Ford EcoSport offers safety, connectivity & convenience with:

· Up to six airbags for enhanced protection for the driver and as well as passengers

· SYNC 3 infotainment system, with an 8-inch touchscreen as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility on top-of-the-line EcoSport S variant

· A 9-inch touchscreen-based, infotainment system and embedded navigation on most variants

· Convenience with driver assistance features like automatic HID headlamps, daytime running lights, electrochromic mirror, rain-sensing wipers, push-button start and scores of other intuitive features

The all-new Nissan Magnite will continue to be available across all Nissan India dealerships and on its website, https://book.nissan.in/, at the special introductory prices on most of the variants till further notice.

Nissan Magnite, with over 32,800 bookings and 1,80,000 enquiries since its launch a month ago on December 2, 2020, has had an overwhelming customer response having ignited consumer interest across buyer segments of SUV, sedan and hatchback. Moreover, drawing emphasis on the safety & security of the made-in-India Nissan Magnite SUV, it was awarded a 4-star on the crash test rating by ASEAN NCAP.

To shorten the delivery period to 2 to 3 months, the plant production capacity is being enhanced by introducing a third shift by employing over 1000 people to staff the manufacturing plant in addition to employing more staff at the dealerships to attend the customer requests. This decision is aimed at reducing the waiting period for all variants so that more and more customers get to enjoy the all-new Nissan Magnite at the earliest.

Ashwani Gupta, COO Nissan Motor Company, said “ The overwhelming positive response we have received for the all-new Nissan Magnite is a great testament to Nissan’s commitment to driving innovation in India through world class design, product technology and manufacturing. We are happy to reinforce our industrial strategy with a third shift to meet increasing customer demand. We hope to continue our contribution to the manufacturing and industrial sector in the country and help create further job opportunities during this uncertain period.”

Commenting on the decision, Sinan Ozkok, President, Nissan Motor India said, “Our endeavour is to enhance our customers’ satisfaction through shorter waiting period of two to three months. This requires additional employment to increase the production and delivery capacity. We are hiring more than 1,000 people in our plant and we have already reinforced our dealer network team. We will also be passing all the benefits of economies of scale to our customers for their belief in the Big, Bold, Beautiful and Carismatic SUV by the continuity of our introductory prices.”

“Nissan India has reached a colossal milestone with the launch of the all-new Nissan Magnite. Our brand philosophy of keeping the customer at the centre of everything we do enables us to create a game changer with a revolutionary value proposition. Customers have given their overwhelming response with record level of bookings and as our token of our appreciation, we would like to continue the special introductory price till further notice.” said Rakesh Srivastava, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India.

The all-new Nissan Magnite is available in 20 grade line-ups and over 36 combinations, each grade walk carefully curated to meet the aspirations of discerning Indian customers.

MG Motor India has launched the all-new Hector 2021 range starting at INR 12.89 lakhs. Hector 2021 is now comes loaded with several first-in-segment features, dual-tone exteriors and interiors, and a plethora of options to choose from. As part of the Hector 2021 range, the SUV is now available in its newly launched 7-seater avatar along with 5 and 6-seater options.

Speaking on the launch, Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director, MG Motor India, said, “At MG, our constant endeavor is to capture the imagination of our customers. With the Hector 2021 line up, we have made changes taking into consideration customer and automotive experts’ feedback. HECTOR’s evolution has made the internet SUV an even more compelling choice in its segment.”

The Hector 2021 5-seater starts at INR 12.89 lakhs. It comes with an all-new bold thermopressed front chrome grille, which adds a sense of depth to its stance. It’s looks further get enhanced with larger 18-inch dual-tone alloys, a dark rear tailgate garnish, and gunmetal finish on front and rear skid plates. It also gets other new features like front ventilated seats, wireless charging, auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror and industry-first Hinglish voice commands. The SUV now also features a premium Champagne and Black Dual-Tone themed interior option.

The newly introduced 7-seater variant of Hector Plus starts at INR 13.34 lakhs. The SUV comes with a panoramic sunroof and gets updated 18-inch dual-tone alloys. It provides room for more occupants with 2nd row bench seats for 3 adults and the 3rd row for two children. The 7-seater will come in Style, Super, Smart, and a new ‘Select’ trim level.

The Hector Plus 6-seater with captain seats is priced at INR 15.99 lakhs. It gets updated 18-inch dual-tone alloys, front ventilated seats, wireless charging, and auto-dimming IRVM.

In line with MG’s commitment to be at the forefront of the auto-tech space, Hector 2021 has introduced an upgraded i-SMART with Hinglish voice commands. The SUV is equipped with engine start alarm and an in-car voice alert for critical tyre pressure. Hector 2021 can now also understand and respond to 35+ Hinglish commands that control various in-car functions such as Sunroof (“Khul Ja Sim Sim”), FM (“FM Chalao”), AC (“Temperature Kam kar do”) and many more.

MG Hector 2021 comes with 60+ connected car features with newly added features like i-SMART app on Apple watch, voice search for songs in Gaana app, Wi-Fi connectivity, Weather forecast by Accuweather, among many other features.

MG Hector 2021 range continues to be powered with the industry-first MG Shield. Under this, MG offers the best-in-class total cost of ownership (TCO). It offers 5-year/Unlimited KMs warranty, 5-year Roadside Assistance, and Free Labour Charges for the first 5 periodic services. MG Hector provides an attractive Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) which is 45 paise per KM for Petrol and 60 paise per KM for Diesel variants (calculated up to 100,000 KMs of usage).

Honda 2Wheelers India has announced that their scooter brand ‘Activa’ has now achieved the 2.5 crore customers mark.

Noteworthy, 20 years ago when the scooter market in India was fast declining, Honda made its solo entry with its first two wheeler – the 102cc Activa in 2001 and the rest is history! Over the years, Honda’s Activa brand accomplished many milestones on its way to achieve this remarkable feat in its latest BSVI avatar.

India’s love story with the Activa has only gained strength with every generation. In just three years of its debut in 2001, Activa became the leader in the scooter segment by 2003-04. The next two years saw it cross the 10 lakh cumulative customers’ milestone too.

The Activa brand 15 years to achieve the initial 1 crore customers in 2015. As scooter acceptability continued to rise, Activa brand accelerated on the growth trajectory, and became one of the leading choice of India families. Such is the popularity of the brand that the recent 1.5 crore customers were added with thrice the speed i.e. in just five years.

Expressing gratitude on achieving this historic milestone, Atsushi Ogata, Managing Director, President & CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Since its launch in 2001, be it the 100-110cc engine or the new more powerful 125cc engine, the secret of success of Activa family is Leadership that builds Trust. Since 20 years, Activa is at the forefront of technological innovation, sometimes even decade before it became the industry norm. Be it the Honda patented tuff-up tube and CLiC mechanism in 2001, Honda’s Combi-brake system with Equalizer in 2009, revolutionary Honda Eco Technology (HET) for 10% mileage up in 2013, or even the smarter HET PGM-Fi engine powered by eSP and World First Tumble flow in BS-VI era; every generation of Activa brand continued to evolve, revolutionize the scooter segment and Activate India. We are happy to see that India’s love for the legendary Activa continues to reign supreme.”

Sharing the uniqueness of Activa brand’s 2 decades’ journey Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Director – Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Very rarely does a two-wheeler transcend from just utility to an emotion which stirs and resonates with the soul of society, like Activa has. So much has changed around us during this period, but Activa still continues to remain the first love of Indian families, when it comes to buying purchase a scooter. As generations grew from infants on pillion to first time riders, from the empowered first time women rider to the savvy grandparents living it up; Honda is proud that Activa brand has been intrinsic to the activation of this great nation. Many of our Customers share their cherished memories over every generation of Activa. Thank you India 2.5 crore times over, for making Activa the gold standard of your everyday ride.”

Mini India introduced a special edition of the Mini 3-Door Hatch, the Mini Paddy Hopkirk Edition in India. Offered as a Completely Built-Up unit (CBU), only 15 units are available and can be booked exclusively on shop.mini.in.

In 1964, defying all odds, the classic Mini Cooper S clinched the first of three victories at the legendary Monte Carlo Rally. At the wheel was the then 30-year-old Northern Irish rally driver Patrick “Paddy” Hopkirk in the iconic No. 37 Red Mini Cooper S. A timeless tribute to the racing legend and his triumph of the Monte Carlo Rally, Mini brings back the iconic No. 37 to the starting line with the Mini Paddy Hopkirk Edition. With an exclusive design and equipment features to mark a spectacular win, the Mini Paddy Hopkirk Edition is a timeless tribute to the historic moment that defined Mini’s racing legacy.

Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India said, “The MINI Paddy Hopkirk Edition is a reflection of MINI’s challenger spirit and racing genes. It is a celebration of the ultimate MINI challenger moment – Paddy Hopkirk’s first Monte Carlo Rally victory in the classic Mini Cooper S. The winning streak at the Monte Carlo Rally continues to inspire MINI fans all over the world to this day. We are delighted to start the New Year with the launch of the MINI Paddy Hopkirk Edition, an icon of international motorsports history.”

The Mini Paddy Hopkirk Edition is available at an ex-showroom price of INR 41,70,000.

The Mini Paddy Hopkirk Edition is a modern interpretation of the classic Red Mini Cooper S driven by Paddy Hopkirk at the Monte Carlo Rally. The limited edition features a Chili Red exterior colour with Aspen White Roof, Black Mirror Caps, 16-inch Light Alloy Wheels Victory Spoke in Black and Exterior Elements in Piano Black (Bonnet Scoop, Door Handles, Fuel Filler Cap, Waistline Finisher, Mini Emblem Front & Rear, Kidney Grille Strut).

Features exclusive to the MINI Paddy Hopkirk Edition include the iconic No. 37 Sticker in white on both sides and No. 37 badging on Side Scuttles as well as the Keycap. The Paddy Hopkirk signature appears on the illuminated Door Sills, the C-pillars and on the Cockpit Facia along with a rear sticker in matt black. A single Bonnet Stripe in white with Paddy Hopkirk’s signature and 33EJB badging of number plate further enhances the special edition’s exclusivity. The Mini Paddy Hopkirk Edition also includes the Panorama Glass Roof, Comfort Access System, Rear View Camera, and John Cooper Works Sport Leather Steering Wheel.

At the heart of the Mini Paddy Hopkirk Edition is the adrenalin pumping Mini Cooper S 2-litre 4-cylinder Petrol engine with TwinPower Turbo Technology. It mobilises a peak output of 192 hp/ 141 kW and a maximum torque of 280 Nm. The car sprints from 100 kmph in 6.7 seconds and the top speed is limited to 235 kmph.

The 7-speed Steptronic Sport Transmission with double clutch and steering wheel paddles enables smooth gear shifts, optimised acoustic and vibration response and contributes to the sophisticated characteristics of the drive system.

The Mini Driving Modes enable an individualised vehicle set-up focusing on either ride comfort, sportiness or efficiency, according to preference. In addition to the standard Mid mode, the Sport mode is geared towards active driving fun while the Green mode supports fuel-efficient driving.

The Mini Paddy Hopkirk Edition is stacked with a range of intuitive safety technologies. The standard safety equipment comprises of Front and Passenger Airbags, Brake Assist, 3-Point Seat Belts, Dynamic Stability Control, Crash Sensor, Anti-lock Braking System, Cornering Brake Control and Run-flat Indicator.

The standard Minimalism technology includes an auto start/stop function, brake energy recuperation, shift point display and electromechanical power steering. Another cool feature is the Mini Excitement Package, which comprises LED interior and ambient lighting as well as a projection of the Mini logo on the ground on the driver’s side when the door is opened.

Bentley Motors today announced total sales of 11,206 in 2020, an increase of two per cent over 2019. Although the pre-COVID sales forecast was much greater, new model introductions fuelled this significant achievement which was the highest sales performance in any of the luxury British marque’s 101 years.

Bentley’s production was shutdown for seven weeks beginning in March, and running at a 50 per cent output for a further nine weeks thereafter, as social distancing measures were introduced. A resulting comprehensive redesign of the production facility enabled Bentley to meet this global demand while in parallel maintaining these social distancing protocols to the current day and beyond.

The Americas remained Bentley’s number one region although a strong performance in China, posting an increase of 48 per cent, ran it close.

Commenting on the global sales results, Adrian Hallmark, Chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors, said: “Even though we anticipated greater sales before the pandemic struck, when you consider the level of restrictions around the world for the majority of the year, to achieve a record sales performance is a strong measure of our potential.

“As we look to the year ahead we remain cautiously optimistic as much remains uncertain. One thing that doesn’t is our commitment to progress, the first step of which is the launch of the Bentayga Hybrid. This is one of nine new models we will launch this year as we continue on our Beyond100 strategic path and our accelerated journey towards becoming a fully electrified car company by 2030.”

Key to the company’s ongoing success was the introduction of a number of exciting new models, combined with greater global availability of other popular models. In particular the all-new Flying Spur was launched internationally and received a phenomenal reception from customers and media alike.

This demand was increased further in October with the introduction of a high-performance V8 engine derivative.

The Bentley Continental GT (24 per cent) and GT Convertible (15 per cent) together accounted for 39 per cent of total sales, finishing the year as Bentley’s number one selling model line. However, in spite of the run out of the previous generation model, and delays to market entry of the all-new Bentayga due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the pioneering, go-anywhere SUV was still the biggest selling single model, accounting for 37 per cent of total sales.

The Americas region delivered 3,035 cars, an increase of four per cent on the corresponding figure for 2019, 2,913. Placing the region as Bentley’s number one market, this strong performance was boosted by the introduction of the Flying Spur and a full year of sales of the Continental GT and GT Convertible luxury Grand Tourer.

Bentley’s biggest growth was reserved for China, posting a sales increase of 48 per cent, 2,880 cars, against 1,940, as the traditional sedan market welcomed the introduction of the all-new Flying Spur, with Bentayga sales remaining strong.

Europe closed the year with the delivery of 2,193 cars, against a figure of 2,670 in 2019, a decrease of 18 per cent with the region impacted because of the market entry delays of the all-new Bentayga.

Bentley’s home market in the UK continued its consistent strong performance, recording sales of 1,160 cars. This represented a decrease of 22 per cent over the previous year.

Bentley delivered 735 cars to the Middle East in 2020, against a total of 852 the previous year.

2020 has been a difficult year. The ongoing pandemic has created havoc across the globe with thousands of lives lost, businesses hit, and major events either been cancelled or postponed. Amidst this very dull circumstances, EIMG’s Goodbye 2020 Brunch Meet was the light at the end of the tunnel that has ushered in a ray of hope among the vintage and classic car fraternity in Kolkata and saw around 35 vintage and classic cars along with their owners and guests congregate outside the historic venue of Town Hall on Sunday, December 27.

Some of the notable cars in attendance in the winter morning of the last Sunday of 2020 were A. Bubna’s 1925 Rolls-Royce 20 HP, Shrivardhan Kanoria’s 1931 Chevrolet Big 6, Sanjay Ghosh’s 1932 Ford V8, Deborshi Sadan Bose’s 1936 SS1, Azam Monem’s 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III, Raja Mookerjee’s 1947 Buick Super 8, S.K. Lahiri’s 1948 Plymouth, Saikat Dutta’s 1963 Triumph Spitfire and Prasun Hazra’s 1965 Hillman Imp.

The event also saw participation from five well restored Fiats from the Fiat Users Club of Calcutta among which Vinay Agarwal’s 1955 Fiat Millecento and Sanjay Ghosh’s 1968 Fiat Delight deserves mention, both restored by Shrivardhan Kanoria.

The cars were flagged off from Town Hall and drove past the Raj Bhavan before hitting the majestic Red Road. The convoy continued straight before turning left onto Hospital Road and then embarking on the AJC Bose Road flyover. The car alighted from the flyover at the Park Circus 7-Point Crossing before turning right on to Gariahat Road driving past Quest Mall, Ice Skating Rink, CCFC, Birla Mandir, Ballygunge Phari and Pantaloons before getting on to the Gariahat flyover. The convoy then took a right from the Golpark on to Southern Avenue and continued straight on the thoroughfare before arriving at S.P. Mukherjee Road crossing. They finally turned left on to S.P. Mukherjee Road from where a short drive saw the run culminate at the iconic Royal Calcutta Golf Club.   

Eager onlookers were spotted catching a glimpse of these timeless beauties. And as each car, with considerable historic importance, toured the city and completed the route, you could see how the time gap between history and modernity was bridged in style and elegance.

Shrivardhan Kanoria, President, Eastern India Motoring Group said, “I started EIMG at the beginning of 2020. The objective was to create a group likeminded individuals and work towards a common cause of creating awareness about these historic cars and encouraging more vintage and classic car owners to restore and preserve their vehicles. We have already organized two events at the beginning of this year. This was our third event which has helped us sign off from 2020 in style. In the coming year, EIMG will be organizing many more events and hope to bring back the glory days when Calcutta was looked upon as the mine of the best vintage and classics cars of the country. Rajiv Ghosh and Subhajit Kumar have been inducted as the VP and Secretary of EIMG respectively”

Veteran rallyist Jogendra Jaiswal & co-driver Prakash Muthusamy has emerged victorious in the recently held Monsoon Drive 9 with a total of 552 penalty points. The team of Subir Roy & Nirav Mehta finished second with 964 penalty points followed by Ajgar Ali & Md. Mushtafa in third place with 1306 penalty points. Brother duo of Sudip Ghosh & Arindam Ghosh ended fourth with 1420 penalty points.

Organised by Kolkata-based sports management company Just Sportz, Monsoon Drive 9 was touted to be a four way battle from the very beginning. But it was the team of Jaiswal & Muthusamy who came out on the top after a tough contest spread over two legs. It was their consistency that paid off with the duo scoring the least penalty points in both the legs. The icing on the cake is that both Jaiswal & Muthusamy paired up for the first time in this rally and hit the bull’s eye at the very first outing.

The first leg of Monsoon Drive 9 was flagged off from the picturesque venue of Country Road in Panchla. It comprised of approximately 136 kilometre route which witnessed the competitors traverse through highways and navigate through rural settings en route reaching Haldia’s Helipad Ground where it culminated. The second leg was a night event which comprised of a mere 36 kilometre run within the industrial town of Haldia but gave all the competitors a run for their money. There were twists and tricks awaiting the competitors at each turn of an extremely interesting second leg that kept everyone at the edge of their seats. The light conditions along with the descending fog made this leg even more challenging for the participants. Kudos to the organisers for coming up with this immensely interesting course within a sanitized environment.

Until last year, Just Sportz had successfully organised eight editions of Monsoon Drive. With the global pandemic creating havoc across the world, all the motor sporting events were either cancelled or postponed causing heartache to competitors and organisers alike. But finally with Monsoon Drive 9, Just Sportz have been successful in marking the return of motor sporting action in eastern India.

The year 2020 has been dismal for one and all. The outbreak of the Coronavirus at the beginning of this year brought the entire world to a standstill. Every aspect of our lives was impacted. Motor sports too had to bear the brunt with events across motor racing and rallying categories being either cancelled or postponed. But as they say, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Kolkata-based sports management company Just Sportz is back with their annual event – Monsoon Drive 9.

Having been successfully run for eight editions, Monsoon Drive 9 marks the return of motor sporting action in eastern India post pandemic and is a huge sigh of relief for all motor sports lovers. The car rally will be run in the TSD (Time, Speed & Distance) format under the guideline of Federation Of Motor Sports Of India (FMSCI). Around 20 teams are expected to participate in this rally among whom are some of eastern India’s most popular names in rallying circuit – Subir Roy & Nirav Mehta, Ajgar Ali & Md. Mushafa, veteran rallyist Jogendra Jaiswal & Prakash M and brother duo Sudip Ghosh & Arindam Ghosh who will be locking horns in their quest for glory today.

Monsoon Drive 9 will be flagged off from the picturesque venue of Country Road in Panchla, Howrah at 1 PM on December 19. The rally has been divided into two legs. The first leg comprises of 136 kilometre route and will witness the competitors traverse through highways, tackle dirt track and navigate through rural settings en route reaching Haldia. The second leg is a night event and comprises of roughly 36 kilometre run in and around the industrial town of Haldia.

Nissan India has received phenomenal response from Indian consumers with over 50,000 enquiries and 5,000 bookings for the newly launched Nissan Magnite within five days of its launch. The Magnite is available across the country at Nissan showrooms to experience and book at special introductory price of INR 4,99,000 onwards (ex-showroom, Delhi) with the top variant bearing a price tag of INR 9,59,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi). This special introductory price is valid for all bookings until December 31, 2020.

More than 60 per cent of the bookings received from the customers are on the Top 2 grades (XV and XV Premium) and more than 30 per cent of the bookings are on CVT Automatic. More than 40 per cent of all customers who booked the All-New Nissan Magnite came through digital channels. This is a clear indication on the convenience that Indian consumers are loving in the New normal.

Nissan Magnite offers a wide spectrum of 20 Grades between INR 4.99 Lakh and INR 9.35 Lakh with additional choice of Tech pack that expands the choice to 36 combinations to choose from.