Mercedes-Benz India has announced an upward revision of the price of its select model range effective first week of August, 2019. The price correction would be up to the range of 3 per cent, varying across the model range. The current increase in custom duty on automotive parts and additional cess and excise duty on fuel has been exerting significant pressure on overall operations. The combination of all these factors led Mercedes-Benz India to correct the prices of its select model range.

Martin Schwenk, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India said, “As the leading luxury automobile maker in India, we have been relentlessly working on offering the best of products and industry benchmark customer service and ownership experience. However, a hike in custom duty on automotive parts, compounded by an increase in excise duty and cess on fuel have had a significant impact on our bottom line. We were left with fewer options, but to make some necessary price adjustments to our product range at the moment to offset the impact of the rising input costs.”

He further added, “Despite this moderate price revision, the innovative and tailor-made financial offerings from Mercedes-Benz like the recently launched STAR Agility+, STAR Finance, STAR Lease, Corporate STAR Lease etc. are specially designed for our discerning customers to drive home their dream Mercedes. These unique solutions provide benchmark value proposition, enabling a hassle free purchase. Similarly, our service programmes like STAR Ease, STAR Care, STAR Care Plus and On Road Assistance programmes further elevate the customers’ overall ownership experience.”

Volvo Cars has reported a record revenue for the first six months of 2019 of SEK130.1 billion (approximately INR 957.536 billion), up from SEK122.9 billion year-on-year and buoyed by the best first half-year sales performance in the company’s history.

For the first six months, sales amounted to a record 340,286 cars, a year-on-year increase of 7.3 per cent. During the period, Volvo Cars grew consistently faster than the overall market.

The company has gained market share across the US, China and Europe, with the UK and Germany recording growth of 30 per cent and 32 per cent respectively. The overall passenger car market in the US declined by 2.0 per cent in first half, while China and Europe fell by 9.3 percent and 3.1 percent respectively during the same period.

Håkan Samuelsson, President and Chief executive, emphasised that the company has prioritised growth and market share during the period, capitalising on the building momentum for the Volvo brand generated by an all-new line-up of award-winning models. “At a time when most markets in the world see stagnating car sales, we have had strong growth in the first half,” Mr Samuelsson said.

Volvo Cars has initiated additional cost measures within the company on top of already planned measures, which combined, aim to lower fixed costs by SEK2 billion. These actions will come into effect in the second half of the year and running into the first half of 2020.

For the remainder of the year, Volvo Cars expects continued growth in sales and revenue, boosted by continued strong demand for the fully renewed product portfolio as well as increased production capacity.

Market conditions are expected to put continued pressure on margins, but the combination of volume growth and cost measures is expected to result in a strengthened profit in the second half of the year compared with the same period last year.

AutoFurnish is a tech-driven brand of car accessories which applies technology in all aspects of the business including – digital marketing, manufacturing processes, innovations, adaption of new models and variants of automobile to produce best-in-class products for its customers. The brand offers an extensive range of Automobile accessories at affordable price and convenience for car owners across India. Power Drive had an opportunity to speak with Mr. Puneet Arora, CEO of AutoFurnish to gain a better understanding of the aftermarket accessories segment.

Tell us why customers prefer to install accessories from the aftermarket to transform their old cars into a brand new one?

Modern car buyers are ambitious and willing to experiment as much as they can. As car dealers offer regular range of accessories at a high price, customers have started to buy accessories from the aftermarket. Those who don’t believe in minimalistic philosophy and love to try out futuristic car accessories to revamp comfort, style and utility quotient are now relying on the car accessories aftermarket. The growing trend of installing technology driven accessories inspired from imported cars can be seen in the budget car owners. The mid segment car or pre-owned car users find better deals and accessories at jaw-dropping rates, thus they are not hesitant to visit aftermarket shops or online stores to get all what they want.

Will the aftermarket accessory purchase for premium segment cars prove to be more safe and affordable?

If you are buying a pre-owned luxury car then you have to spend a few bucks in its service, maintenance or to buy a couple of accessories. As luxury cars and their accessories cost a bomb, it is always better, safer and more affordable to visit the aftermarket to get the best quality accessories at highly competitive rates. In the last couple of years, the sales of luxury pre-owned cars has increased drastically which leads to the rising sales of car accessories from the aftermarket. Most of the pre-owned luxury cars have short life, thus it is advisable and wise to install accessories from the aftermarket to save a lot of money.

In an era where cars come packed with accessories in order to attract buyers, how relevant is the aftermarket segment?

Modern cars are now coming with pre-loaded accessories that are designed to enhance the comfort-level and style quotient. In the last couple of years, car manufacturers have invested a lot of time and money in making their brand new cars a technology driven vehicles. A lot of additions have been made including car floor mats, high quality sun films, premium seat covers, mud flaps, enhanced audio system, air freshener, remote locking security system and many more. The main point of such additions is to attract customers. However, the availability of pre-loaded accessories entirely depend on the variant you are going to pick. In fact, you have to pick high end variant in order to enjoy the comfort of pre-loaded accessories. And if you are going to pick a high end variant then it will shoot up the cost drastically.

It is also important to know that car dealerships charge a bomb for extra accessories. Thus, it is always advised to purchase all extra accessories of comfort and style from the aftermarket to save a lot of money. The aftermarket is now offering a versatile range of accessories with multiple variants. If you are worried about the quality then you can pick a high quality variant from the aftermarket. It will cost much lower than the dealership.

However, the positive point of new cars coming with pre-loaded accessories is that customers are now aware of recent updates, accessories and features unlike before. In fact, car reviews given by auto experts give them a lot of details on features and modern accessories that are now readily available in the aftermarket.

Why do you think the auto OEMs are also foraying into aftermarket car accessories segments?

Due to the rising popularity of aftermarket car accessories, auto OEMs have also started foraying into the segment to capture the market share. Every year, automobile especially car manufacturers bring new features, accessories and gadget to amplify the comfort, style and glamour quotient in cars. And aftermarket immediately brings alternatives at jaw-dropping rates. Knowing the recent trend of customers visiting aftermarket for car accessories, many auto OEM brands have started offering multiple futuristic car accessories to the customers. OEM brands are basically the manufacturer of the final assembled products. The prominent auto OEMs like Toyota, Maruti Suzuki, Ford, Nissan, Hyundai and many more have started offering their own original products to the customers. And a large chunk of customers get attracted to them just because they get the brand value and assurance right from the manufacturer. However, not everyone can afford to have OEM accessories for pre-owned or old cars. Thus, they visit the aftermarket to get accessories as per their requirements without paying a bomb. Thus, auto OEMs is not a big threat or competition to the aftermarket as there is a big difference between the price and variety offered by both of them.

Kia Motors today revealed that the pre-bookings of the Seltos has generated an overwhelming response with 6,046 bookings on the first day itself. With record bookings on the first day itself, the company is already making waves in the auto industry with the yet to be launched Kia Seltos. These substantial pre-book numbers reflect customer confidence that the brand has been able to garner even prior to the launch.

The Kia site received around two lakh hits on 16th, from Kia online booking site alone is unprecedented, with 1,628 booking coming in just one day.

Kia Motors India commenced the pre-bookings of Seltos from July 16, 2019 across its dealerships in 160 cities in the country and has achieved this landmark figure within a single day.

Manohar Bhat, Vice President, and Head – Sales & Marketing, Kia Motors India said, “Getting such an overwhelming response from customers across the 160 cities where we are present, makes us elated. It is a remarkable feat and is a testament to Kia’s unparalleled & extraordinary brand recognition and acceptability in India that our brand campaign has help us achieve. Our mid-SUV, the Seltos is BSVI compliant from day 1 and is available in both petrol and diesel, with both Manual and Automatic options in all powertrains, it makes it an attractive proposition.” He further added “We are committed to the Indian market and to delivering the best and class leading products. With our most modern automotive plant having 3 lakh capacity, we are fully prepared to make on time deliveries and uphold the trust our customers have shown in us.”

Since its global debut in India, Kia Seltos has been able to capture everyone’s attention because of its design, quality and many India, segment and world first features. Customers have shown a lot of interest in the Seltos, making it one of the most anticipated car launches of 2019.

The Kia Seltos will be available in two trims – Tech Line and GT Line – and will get features such as 8.0 heads-up-display, 10.25 HD touchscreen, a hi-tech sound mood lamp, a rear shade curtain, 360 degree surround view monitor, blind spot monitoring, world’s first connect air-purifier, highly advanced proprietary UVO connect system for seamless and wireless communication with the car, 8-Speaker Bose Hi-Fi sound system and more.

The Seltos will be manufactured in Kia’s 536-acre Anantapur plant with an annual capacity of 3,00,000 units. The mid-SUV will be launched in India on August 22 and the bookings are currently being accepted for a token amount of Rs 25,000.

Carl Fogarty with the Panigale V4 25° Anniversario 916

In 2019 a quarter of a century will have elapsed since the Ducati 916 arrived on the global stage, forever changing the Superbike world. Born from Massimo Tamburini’s sketches, this bike has revolutionized the world of motorcycle design and has made fans fall in love all over the planet. Incredibly innovative in its style, elegance, lightweight and compactness, by many it’s believed to be the sexiest and most iconic bike ever built.

The Ducati 916 wasn’t just a beautiful bike and an enormous sales success. It also won World Superbike championships: the 916 SBK was a force to be reckoned with even as it made its debut in 1994, and the following years saw it win 120 races, 8 constructors’ titles and 6 riders’ titles, four of them with Carl Fogarty. The Englishman has won 55 races with Ducati, of which 43 riding a Ducati 916 SBK and 996 SBK. “King Carl” and the 916 remain the most successful “couple” in Ducati SBK history.

Ducati has decided to celebrate this anniversary by building a special 916-dedicated version of the Panigale V4. Hence the genesis of the Panigale V4 25° Anniversario 916: a unique limited-edition bike of only 500 pieces, designed to let all true Ducatisti re-live the spirit of the 916.

The “25° Anniversario 916” is built on the mechanics of the Panigale V4 S. This has been upgraded with racing content from the Panigale V4 R such as the Front Frame, designed to Ducati Corse specifications. The look of the bike combines a special livery with forged magnesium wheels, a titanium type-approved Akrapovic exhaust and a long list of Ducati Performance components.

For its world-first preview, Ducati chose round nine of the Superbike World Championship at Laguna Seca (California, USA). Here, Francesco Milicia (VP Global Sales & After Sales Director Ducati Motor Holding), Jason Chinnock (CEO Ducati North America) and Carl Fogarty unveiled the Panigale V4 25° Anniversario 916.

The presentation of the bike was also an occasion of remembrance, honouring Californian Carlin Dunne, the Spider Grips Ducati team rider who recently died at Pikes Peak. Jason Chinnock announced Ducati’s decision to remove the number 5 from selling, the same number that Dunne used to race with. The bike will be auctioned, with proceeds going to a fund-raising effort aimed at providing Carlin’s mother with support.

Sergi Canovas, Managing Director of Ducati India said, “The Ducati 916 is one of the most iconic motorcycles to have come out of the Borgo Panigale factory and it redefined design and performance at its time. At Ducati, we’re very proud of our heritage and what better way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the 916 than to produce an ultra-exclusive version of the Panigale V4, recognizing our present and the past. The Panigale V4 25° Anniversary 916 is coming to India and I’m sure bike enthusiasts and collectors alike will appreciate its uniqueness.”

“I’m thrilled to be here at this event,” stated Carl Fogarty after riding the Panigale V4 25° Anniversario 916 onto the stage at Pebble Beach. “The Ducati 916 gave me some fantastic, unforgettable moments. It played a starring role in my career and in the history of the World Superbike Championship. On the wider motorcycling scene, it set a whole new standard of style and performance. I’m proud to have played a pivotal role in that success story, and equally proud to be here today and celebrate this important anniversary by officially unveiling this breath-taking bike.”

Starting from Saturday morning, the Panigale V4 25° Anniversario 916 will go on display at Ducati Island (the space Ducati traditionally sets aside for its fans during American races).

The Panigale V4 25° Anniversario 916 will arrive in dealerships starting from October 2019 at a price of INR 54,90,000 ex-showroom (price is country specific).

Parag Satpute, Managing Director, Bridgestone India

Bridgestone India has inaugurated a major expansion in excess of Rs. 350 crore in its  Indore plant at Kheda, Madhya Pradesh. With this expansion, the capacity of the Indore plant will go up to over 20,000 tyres a day by 2020.This expansion will enable Bridgestone India to meet the increased demand for its products.

Spread over 76 acres, this plant will produce the entire Bridgestone India’s range of radial tyres serving passenger car segment. Strategically located close to the centre of India, this plant has the logistic advantage of serving some crucial OEMs and aftermarket businesses for the passenger vehicle segment in the automotive sector. This state-of the-art facility is driven by advanced Japanese technology, ready to produce world class quality tyres for Indian roads.

Vivek Porwal, Managing Director, Madhya Pradesh, Industrial Development Corporation Ltd inaugurated the plant, in the presence of Michio Harada, Consul General of Japan in Mumbai, and Akihiro Eto, COO, Bridgestone Corporation.

Commenting on the occasion Parag Satpute, Managing Director, Bridgestone India said, “This expansion is our response to the trust and confidence of our OEM partners in our product offerings. Through this expansion, we also demonstrate our commitment to create value for a larger base of Indian consumers with our world class quality. India’s growth prospects in the mid to long term future are positive. And, Bridgestone India is ready to take the lead in being a trusted partner to our customers, dealers, consumers, and all other stakeholders at large.”

Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, world famous for his record breaking number of runs and centuries, has added another historic Run to his impressive list of achievements. Last week the renowned ‘master blaster’ took a drive in a 1900 Daimler, a regular participant in the Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

The Daimler is in the care of the Royal Automobile Club, organiser of the annual pilgrimage from capital to coast, and Tendulkar was visiting its Pall Mall Clubhouse while in the UK for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.

Aware of his love of cars and always keen to share its passion for historic vehicles, the Club transported a 1900 Daimler (sporting a Veteran Car Run Number 10 – Sachin’s number as a player) from its Woodcote Park Motor House to Pall Mall in time for Sachin’s visit.

The Club’s Head of Motoring, Jeremy Vaughan, showed the cricketer the ropes of the 1900 veteran car as they journeyed down Pall Mall together, before turning into St James’s Square.

Following a brief lesson on the workings of a Victorian car, Tendulkar got behind the wheel to have a go at driving the 119-year old Daimler. The sight of a pioneering veteran car being driven by the world’s top scoring batsman was certainly a sight to behold for pedestrians.

After his ride, Tendulkar was driven back to the clubhouse in the veteran and headed inside to enjoy dinner in the clubhouse.

The Club was thrilled to share the excitement of the veteran car world with the icon, and the cricketing star was similarly overjoyed with his ride in a veteran, describing it as ‘an experience I shall always cherish’.

“He soon got the swing of it and despite being overtaken by a bicycle, which he thought was very amusing, proceeded to circle around the square becoming more confident by the minute,” reported Vaughan. “For an international mega star who has 75 million followers on social media, it was so reassuring to teach someone who was genuinely interested in the experience and had the time to listen and take it all in. I did ask him to join us on the Run… and, who knows, perhaps one day he will accept our invitation.”

As tradition dictates, the Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run – organised by the Royal Automobile Club since 1930 – will take place on the first Sunday in November, which this year falls on the 3rd November. More than 400 three- and four-wheelers – all built before 1905 – will take part in the 2019 Run and in excess of 500,000 spectators will line the roadsides between London to Brighton.

Despite the overall downtrend in the automobile sector, Volvo Car India has registered a strong 11 per cent increase in sales in the first half of 2019. The company sold 1159 units in January-June 2019 against 1044 units in January-June 2018. Sales contribution from Mini Metros and Tier-I towns and a good demand for the SUV range aided the growth.

Charles Frump – Managing Director, Volvo Car India said, “We are extremely happy with 11% growth in sales performance so far especially when the industry is not looking positive. Our brand engagement programs continues to play a crucial role in this performance. While the short term market performance looks tough, I am very confident the automobile growth will bounce back and we would be happy to replicate our sales performance of 2018.”

The story of MG (Morris Garages) began in 1924 in the UK. In the years that followed, MG’s stunning sports cars and cabriolets were the ride of choice for many celebrities, including British Prime Ministers and several members of the British Royal Family.

MG has a long and storied history as an iconic British racing brand, having dominated championships the world over. Since then, MG has evolved into a modern-day innovative brand and has continued to be a style icon through the last 95 years.

Through the past decade, MG has developed new technology and independent innovative research capability, especially in traditional powertrain, new energy vehicle, internet and intelligent driving technology. The MG brand covers every segment of the mainstream passenger vehicle market, especially upper-medium vehicles including SUVs.

MG Motor has finally forayed into the Indian car market with the launch of the much-awaited Hector at an introductory ex-showroom price of Rs 12.18 lakhs to Rs 16.88 lakhs. The English carmaker created quite a buzz with its pre-launch campaign and adverts resulting in MG receiving 10,000+ bookings for the Hector in first month since pre-orders began on June 4. Deliveries to customers who have pre-booked the MG Hector have begun from the first week of July through its network of 120 centres across India, which the carmaker aims to expand further to 250 by September this year.

Commenting on the launch of MG Hector, Rajeev Chaba, President and Managing Director, MG Motor India, said, “As MG’s first product for the Indian market, the Hector comes with ‘MG Shield’, a first-of-its-kind package in the Indian auto industry which provides complete assurance to our customers, as we continue to remain focused on disruption and differentiation. With the very distinctive design that also packs in safety, best-in-class features and competitive pricing, the MG Hector will make an impact with buyers who are looking for something very different from the normal array of cars.”

The Hector’s 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine delivers 143 PS power at a peak torque of 250 Nm while the 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine will deliver 170 PS at a peak torque of 350 Nm. It comes with a fuel efficiency for both petrol and diesel with the Petrol Hybrid MT returning 15.81 kmpl and diesel 17.41 kmpl, as per ARAI.

The MG Hector has been tested for over one million kilometres in India before entering production and comes with 25 safety features as standard. At 10.4 inches, it has the biggest HD touchscreen in its segment featuring iSMART and also has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity options. It also comes with LED daytime running lights, panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, cruise control, electrically adjustable front seats and heated ORVMs. The Hector also comes with a mild-hybrid architecture that uses a 48-volt lithium-ion battery to store energy and provide extra torque assistance of up to 20 Nm.

The MG Hector will come with a vehicle ownership package called the ‘MG Shield’. It provides private owners free-of-charge 5-year comprehensive manufacturer warranty for unlimited kilometers – the best factory warranty for any vehicle sold in India. It also includes round-the-clock roadside assistance (RSA) for a period of 5 years and no labour charges for the first 5 scheduled vehicle services.

The Hector further offers prepaid maintenance plans starting at Rs 8,000 for the first three years. Its total cost of ownership (TCO) is very economical in the segment starting at Rs 45 paise per kilometre for the petrol and at Rs 49 paise per kilometre for the diesel.

In addition, MG assures customers of the resale value of the Hector at a value proposition under the ‘3-60’ plan. Under this plan, MG has tied up with automotive portal CarDekho and the latter will buyback the MG Hector at a residual value of 60 per cent upon completion of three years of ownership. All these elements under MG Shield are aimed at enhancing the customer experience and providing complete peace of mind.

The ‘Made in India’ MG Hector is available in a total of 11 combinations across 4 variants namely Style, Super, Smart and Sharp. It comes with 3 engine options – Petrol, Petrol Hybrid and Diesel. The petrol is available in both manual and automatic transmissions.

The prices of all the variants are given below:

Ford will make a special Ford GT supercar announcement on July 4, at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Hermann Salenbauch, Global Director, Ford Performance, and Larry Holt, Chief Technical Officer, Multimatic, will deliver the news at Ford stand in the Drift Paddock of the world-famous motorsport event in West Sussex.

Ford returns to Goodwood this year with an exhilarating line-up of vehicles tackling the 1.16 mile hill climb, including:

• The all-new Focus ST and all-new 760 bhp Mustang Shelby GT500 making their UK debuts
• The Ford Chip Ganassi Racing #66 Ford GT race car, fresh from the Le Mans 24 Hours
• The M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s Ford Fiesta WRC car – also appearing on the Goodwood rally stage
• The 2018 NASCAR Championship-winning Team Penske Ford Fusion race car
• The 1980 Ford Zakspeed Turbo Capri race car
• Gymkhana TEN star Ken Block’s Hoonitruck and Escort RS Cosworth
• Champion drifter Vaughn Gittin Jnr’s Ford Mustang RTR Drift car

The Ranger Raptor pick-up will also be demonstrating its capabilities in the off-road experience.