VOL-9 • ISSUE-4 • JANUARY 2019 • `300/-
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INDIA FIRST DRIVE VIDEO
FIRST DRIVE
NISSAN KICKS
FIRST DRIVE
ALL-NEW ISUZU MU-X
FIRST DRIVE
EICHER PRO 3016 AMT
MOTOWN INDIA FAVOURITE VEHICLES OF 2018 (PAGES 16- 17)
SPECIAL REPORT
BAUMA CONEXPO INDIA 2018
EDITOR Punnoose Tharyan (Roy) ptharyan@motownindia.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------News Coordinator - Jisha P Special Correspondent - Aakash Paul Video Editor - Ramesh Kumar Content Manger - Vrinda Desai Digital In-charge Naveen Kumar Web Correspondents - Avdesh Kumar, Seema Paul Photo Journalists - Afsar Baig, Neeraj Panwar ---------------------------------------------------------------------For Editorial contact editorial@motownindia.com, editorial.motown@gmail.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------FOR MARKETING & SALES CONTACT Head-Operations - Jisha P jisha@motownindia.com, +91-9958125645 advertising@motownindia.com, advertising.motown@gmail.com /+91-9811097399 ---------------------------------------------------------------------FOR ACCOUNTS CONTACT Ankit Sharma, ankit@motownindia.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------FOR CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTION CONTACT subscription@motownindia.com / +91-9958125645 ----------------------------------------------------------------------Office Executive Ravinder ----------------------------------------------------------------------EDITORIAL DELHI OFFICE 145 B/9, First Floor, Kishangarh, Next to United Free Church, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi 110070 ----------------------------------------------------------------------EDITORIAL CONTENT The publisher makes every effort to ensure that the contents in the magazine are correct. However, he can accept no responsibility for any effects from errors or omissions. Any unauthorised reproduction of Motown India content is strictly forbidden. ---------------------------------------------------------------------Motown India is owned by Motown Publications Private Limited and published from 4058 / D-4, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi-110070. Motown India magazine is printed at Geetanjali Printers, H-1536,
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P. THARYAN (ROY) issan India is finally bringing in the good looking Nissan Kicks in the SUV segment. Built on the Renault Duster platform, this vehicle has a lot of segment first features. We took it out for a drive in the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat and were thoroughly impressed by the vehicle. We also drove the face-lifted Isuzu mu-X, the large SUV from Isuzu Motors
India. We have highlighted its pluses and minuses in our report. The MINI Countryman may not be a recently launched car but we got to drive it and have written about its very cool features. Coming to motorcycles, we have a nine-page report on the Royal Enfield tour of North East. The ride lasted more than a week and we have Neeraj Panwar, our correspondent, writing about the fun ride he undertook on the RE Himalayan, a motorcycle which he loved riding through the scenic terrains of the different hill states. The B2B pages also carry a lot of interesting reports. We have a mammoth ten-page report on the bauma Conexpo India 2018, a construction machinery show that was held in Gurugram on the outskirts of New Delhi. We also got behind the wheels of the soon to be launched Eicher Pro 3016 AMT truck, a vehicle that is definitely going to revolutionise the medium duty truck segment in India. Beginning with our January 2019 issue of Motown India, we have increased the cover price of the magazine to Rs 300/-.
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JANUARY 2019 | MOTOWN INDIA | 3
CONTE NTS VOL 9 | ISSUE 4 | JANUARY 2019
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16
CAR NEWS: Force Motors introduces new, powerful Gurkha Xtreme
BIKE NEWS: Indian FTR 1200S,
FTR 1200 S Race Replica launched
NEWS: Motown India Favourite Vehicles of 2018
18
22 WHEELZ & ROADZ: All-New Isuzu mu-X- Driven
WHEELZ & ROADZ: Nissan Kicks- First Drive
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40
FEATURE: Royal Enfield Tour of North East 2018
CV NEWS: bauma CONEXPO India 2018
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CV NEWS: Eicher Pro 3016 AMT-
B2B NEWS: Cero is India’s first
Driver Ready
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authorised recycler of vehicles
67 TECHNOLOGY: Concept car A48V from SEG Automotive, FEV
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SALIL SHARMA (FEB 05, 1964 - DEC 15, 2018)
A WARRIOR IS NO MORE A warrior is usually referred to a person who is a brave fighter. What about someone who fights the multitude of unfair challenges thrown by life at you and yet manages to remain calm and dignified despite these innumerable travails? I would call that person a warrior too. That is how I would describe my best friend Salil Sharma, who passed away on December 15, 2018 in New Delhi. Salil was one of the Editorial Advisors of Motown India magazine. Had it not been for his encouragement and faith in my abilities, I would not have dared to start this magazine and try my hand at publishing an automotive magazine. He knew I loved journalism and that I would make a capable Editor. He had helped me every which way to start Motown India in 2010. So how was Salil Sharma different from the rest of us? To begin with, he was a good looker as well as extremely studious and sharp. His was the case where both good looks and brains got together to take an extremely brilliant shape. He was a topper in several subjects in the school we studied. We were together at the Frank Anthony Public School, New Delhi. He completed his graduation in BCom (H) from Shriram College of Commerce, Delhi University, scoring a first division. While he was doing his graduation, he also started pursuing Chartered Accountancy, a professional course which he completed a little after he finished his college. The private sector welcomed him with open arms. He was in his early twenties when he met with a freak motorcycle accident on the Ring Road in New Delhi. He apparently hurt his spinal cord and what followed was a story of horror. He was lifted from the road by untrained people, put in an auto rickshaw and transported to a hospital. This unprofessional manner of picking him up led to further damage of his spinal cord. He was left paralysed neck down. Later, lying on his motorised bed, he continued to work. He started a sub broking firm and made millions of rupees for himself. In the process he helped his family, bought himself a house close to mine, took care of his dear ones, gave to charity and regularly gave his views on the stock market and shares in leading Indian business television channels. He always maintained his calm composure and spoke with great positive attitude despite the several intense tragedies that he had to face in his life as a paraplegic. The warrior is no more, but he will remain in my heart for the remaining years of my life!
P.THARYAN
CAR NEWS
Force Motors introduces new, powerful Gurkha Xtreme Force Motors has introduced the new Gurkha Xtreme with the drivetrain that powered the Force Gurkha vehicles which won podium positions at Rain Forest Challenge 2014, 2015 and 2016. The new Gurkha Xtreme is powered by the Mercedes OM 611 derived common rail engine developing 140hp and 321Nm torque with dual mass flywheel that ensures excellent drivability and low NVH. The new Gurkha Xtreme also comes with a new transfer case and a new live rigid axle in the front. It also has provision to fit hub locks on the front axles that helps saving fuel as well as reducing stress on the drivetrain while in 2WD. The new Gurkha Xtreme has high strength C-in-C chassis and is the only vehicle in this class which has live rigid front axles with coil spring suspension ensuring best in class on-road handling and ride comfort along with extreme off-roading ability. It is also the only vehicle that comes with differential locks on both front and rear axles to come out of sticky situations, and air intake snorkel for deep water wading.
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Styled on the lines of legendary Mercedes-Benz Gelandewagen, the new Force Gurkha has timeless appeal. The exterior of the vehicle has undergone a facelift with a bold new front facia, unique bonnet mounted LED indicators, new front, and rear steel bumpers which add significantly to the style quotient of the vehicle. The signature chrome finish air intake snorkel, muscular side cladding, new attractive bold graphics, clear lens headlamps, front fog lamps, large ORVMs, sturdy and full-length slip resistant footboard, and increased width allterrain tubeless tyres are standard. Speaking on this occasion, Ashutosh Khosla, President Sales and Marketing, Force Motors noted, “The Gurkha Xtreme is being introduced in a phased manner with the first lot of vehicles being delivered to select customers who have been waiting since long for this variant. With the introduction of the Gurkha Xtreme, our portfolio of off-roading vehicles is complete with variants to take care of every segment, be it mild, moderate or extreme off-roading. The best part of the Gurkha Xtreme is that it is adaptable for competitive offroading.”
Tata Nexon 1st Indian car to get 5 star safety rating from Global NCAP; Mahindra Marazzo achieves four star safety rating
Tata Nexon from Tata Motors has become the first made in India, sold in India car to achieve Global NCAP’s coveted five star crash test rating. The Mahindra Marazzo from Mahindra & Mahindra achieved a four star result. These two results were the latest updates from Global NCAP of its #SaferCarsForIndia campaign. The Tata Nexon had recently got a four star safety rating and now has become the first Indian car to be in the coveted 5 star rated safety club. The Tata Nexon scored five stars for Adult Occupant Protection and three stars for Child Occupant Protection. Following the Nexon’s four star result earlier this year, Tata has improved a number of safety features including making a Seat Belt Reminder (SBR) for driver and passenger a standard for all variants of the model. In addition the Nexon was required to pass a side impact test meeting UN95 side impact protection requirements. The Mahindra Marazzo with standard double airbags, ABS, SBR for driver and ISOFIX anchorages, reached four stars in Adult Occupant Protection and two stars for Child Occupant Protection. This Mahindra MPV offers good protection for both adult head and neck, marginal protection for the driver chest and adequate protection for passenger chest. The pedals showed some risk for the lower legs due to their displacement. The 18 month old child dummy received good protection while the 3 year old child passenger showed high readings in chest and head exposure.
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CAR NEWS
Nissan India begins bookings for new Nissan Kicks
Mahindra’s new SUV code named S201 is christened XUV300 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M) has unveiled the brand name of its SUV code-named S201, as the XUV300 (pronounced as XUV, 3 double ‘Oh’). The XUV300 shares its platform with the SsangYong Tivoli which is a globally successful product that has sold over 260,000 vehicles in 50+ countries since its launch in 2015. The XUV300 will be manufactured at the company’s manufacturing facility at Nasik, in Maharashtra and will be launched in the 1st half of February 2019.
Nissan India has commenced bookings of the new Nissan Kicks SUV at Rs 25,000 across all Nissan dealerships in India. Commenting on the announcement, Hardeep Singh Brar, Director, Sales and Commercial, Nissan Motors India Ltd., said, “The new Nissan Kicks is a testimony to our commitment to bring the best of global products and technology to our customers in India. We are confident that with its progressive SUV design and advanced technology, the Kicks will appeal to new-age urban adventure seekers.”
The SUV offers a host of globally established design features such as a Floating Roof Design, Stylish Roof Rail, Signature LED Daytime Running Lights, Shark Fin Antenna, Front Fog Lamps and Door Mounted ORVM with Indicators. The bold V-motion grille is a signature motif in Nissan’s design language, and the uniquely designed headlamps and iconic boomerang-shaped LED signature lamp tail lights add to the New Kicks’ distinctive presence. (Nissan Kicks First Drive Report on page 18)
The Tivoli has also received multiple safety and ergonomic awards including a Grade 1 (highest) safety award from the 2015 KNCAP (Korean New Car Assessment Program), automotive safety test. The XUV300 carries forward the characteristics of the XUV500 with its cheetahinspired characteristics. The XUV300 ‘s headlamps integrate with the fog lamps forming a Cheetah-like tear-duct, while the pronounced wheel arches are inspired from the muscular haunches of the Cheetah. Its modern grille, sculpted bonnet, pronounced shoulder & body lines along with an elevated stance, give the XUV300 a bold and charismatic road presence. In addition, its dual LED DRLs and bold LED tail lamps, create an indelible visual signature.
Tata Motors launches new top of the line variant - Tiago XZ+ Tata Motors announced the introduction of its new top of the line variant in the Tiago range – The Tiago XZ+. Carrying forward the young and fun element of the Tiago, the Tiago XZ+ comes with a host of additional features, which add to its premium quotient. Available in both petrol (1.2L Revotron engine) and diesel (1.05L Revotorq engine), the Tiago XZ+ will be introduced in 2 new colours – Canyon Orange and Ocean Blue and will be equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission. It will be available in both single and dual tone exterior options. The Tiago XZ+ will be priced at Rs. 5.57 lakh (single tone) and Rs 5.64 lakh (dual tone) for the petrol version. Additionally, the diesel version will be available at Rs 6.31 lakh (single tone) and Rs 6.38 lakh (dual tone), all ex-showroom Delhi.
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JANUARY 2019 | MOTOWN INDIA | 9
CAR NEWS
JLR India celebrates 5 decades with launch of Jaguar XJ50 at `1.11 crore Jaguar Land Rover India has announced the start of sale of the Jaguar XJ50, a special edition model designed to celebrate half a century of trademark performance, technology and luxury. Available in Long Wheelbase with 3.0L Diesel producing 301.72hp, the car is priced at Rs 1.113 crore The exterior updates for the XJ50 include Autobiography-style front and rear bumpers. These mark the anniversary edition out alongside purposeful new 19 inches wheels, chrome radiator grille with chrome surround and unique badging to the rear and side vents, while the striking colour palette includes Fuji White, Santorini Black, Loire Blue and Rosello
Red. Inside, the luxurious cabin features soft-grain diamond-quilted seats with an embossed leaper on the headrests and an XJ50 logo on the centre armrest. Unique intaglio branding and XJ50badged illuminated tread plates also differentiate the anniversary edition, alongside anodised gearshift paddles and bright metal pedals. The Jaguar range in India includes XE (starting at Rs 39.73 lakh), XF (starting at Rs 49.58 lakh), F-PACE (starting at Rs 63.17 lakh), XJ (starting at Rs 102.58 lakh) and F-TYPE (starting at Rs 90.93 lakh). All prices mentioned are exshowroom prices in India.
MY 2019 Land Rover Discovery Sport launched at ` 44.68 lakh Jaguar Land Rover India announced the launch of the Model Year 2019 Discovery Sport - the adventurous and versatile SUV. Each derivative of the Model Year 2019 Discovery Sport is now furnished with fresh, exciting features that further enhance the vehicle’s capability to offer the true spirit of adventure. The Model Year 2019 Land Rover Discovery Sport is priced from Rs 44.68 lakh, ex-showroom. The SE and HSE derivatives, powered by the 2.0L Ingenium Diesel now get the more powerful 177hp output, while the Pure variant continues to be powered by the 147.51hp output powertrain. The Dynamic Design Pack, available exclusively on HSE Luxury, includes significant exterior advancements like the Body Styling Kit, Chrome Tailpipe Finisher, Black Pack with Unique Black Grille along with the unique Black Rear License Plate Plinth and Red ‘Sport’ badge. These upgraded attributes are further accompanied by the most upgraded Touch Pro upgrades that are similar to the Touch Pro Duo.
MG Motor India starts multi-city vehicle showcase MG Motor India, part of China’s SAIC company, a world leader in automobile manufacturing, started a three-month long global product showcase tour across top 10 major cities in the country. The carmaker aims to enhance awareness around the iconic brand’s entry in to India and get closer to its prospective customers, ahead of its first vehicle launch in Q2 next year. The showcase events were organised in Gurugram’s Ambience Mall from 14 to 16 December and in Cyber Hub
from 21 to 25 December 2018. In Noida’s Mall of India, the showcase took place from 4 to 6 January 2019, while in
10 | MOTOWN INDIA | JANUARY 2019
Chandigarh’s Elante Mall it will be organised from 11 to 13 January. In Mumbai, the showcase will be held at Infinity
Mall and High Street Phoenix Mall from 25 to 27 January and from 2 to 3 February respectively. In Pune’s Amanora Mall, the showcase is slated for 8 to 10 February while in Bengaluru’s Phoenix Market City, it is lined up for 15 to 17 February. In Chennai’s Forum Vijaya Mall, the showcase will be held from 22 to 24 February, in Hyderabad’s Inorbit Mall from 1 to 3 March, in Kolkata’s South City Mall from 8 to 10 March and in Delhi’s Pacific Mall from 15 to 17 March 2019.
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BIKE NEWS
Indian FTR 1200 S, FTR 1200 S Race Replica launched Indian Motorcycle has announced the price and started accepting bookings of the Flat Tracker, FTR 1200 S and FTR 1200 S Race Replica in India. The Indian FTR 1200 S and FTR 1200 S Race Replica are priced at Rs. 14.99 lakh and Rs 15.49 lakh (exshowroom) respectively. Customers can pre-book the bikes for a booking amount of Rs. 2 lakh at Indian Motorcycle dealerships across the country while the deliveries will begin from April 2019 onwards. Inspired by the Championship-Winning FTR 750 race bike, the new FTR series is engineered with the latest technology for reliable performance. Sporting a powerful new liquid-cooled 1203cc V-twin engine and generating 120 horsepower, the FTR series is fast, agile and thrilling. The Indian FTR 1200 S and FTR 1200 S Race Replica features a sporty, upright riding position and nimble handling. The FTR 1200 S hosts premium features including Bosch stability control with a six-axis inertial sensor and selectable riding modes, all controlled by a bright 4.3-inch colour touchscreen dash.
Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle 2019 edition at `13,74,364 Suzuki Motorcycle India launched the 2019 edition of the Hayabusa at Rs 13,74,364 (ex-showroom, Delhi). The 2019 edition of Suzuki Hayabusa will be offered in two new colour schemes – Metallic Oort Gray and Glass Sparkle Blackwith updated graphics, and an added pair of side reflectors for Indian conditions. Suzuki Hayabusa is powered by a 1340cc 4-stroke fuel injected liquid-cooled DOHC engine. The advanced aerodynamics of the
motorcycle adds to superb wind protection both for normal and completely tucked-in seating. Satoshi Uchida, Managing Director, SMIPL said, “For 20 years, Suzuki Hayabusa has been one of the most loved sports bike among the enthusiasts for almost two decades and has received an excellent response in India. It is our constant endeavour to offer great products, and we are pleased to launch the 2019 edition of Hayabusa in two new colour schemes appealing to a larger fan base and enthusiasts in India.”
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JANUARY 2019 | MOTOWN INDIA | 11
BIKE NEWS
Honda announces bookings open for 2019 CBU import line up in India Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. announced commencement of bookings for its 2019 CBU (Completely Built Unit) line up. Honda’s 2019 CBU line-up includes the new CB1000R+, Gold Wing Tour DCT, CBR1000RR Fireblade & CBR1000RR Fireblade SP.
HONDA CB1000R+ The new CB1000R+ with its new design language, which Honda calls “Neo Sports Café”, is aimed at riders yearning for performance and style. Along with the iconic front LED, the compact silhouette accentuated by swing arm mounted rear fender and the number plate completes the compact and bold design for the motorcycle. Its four-cylinder engine has been tuned to make peak power of 143.48hp@10,500rpm and 104Nm@8,250rpm of torque. A slipper clutch adds control and the Throttle by Wire (TBW) that comes with 3 preset riding modes plus a USER setting [Power (P), Engine Brake (EB)] and Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) work together across the presets offers optimum benefit to the rider depending on conditions. CB1000R+ comes with quick shifter, heated grips and a range of pre-fit premium accessories that flesh out the CB1000R’s styling: metallic meter visor and seat cowl, front fender panel, hugger panel and radiator grill. The new CB1000R+ is lighter than the outgoing design, giving an improvement in power to weight ratio. Supporting the radical new look is a box section mono backbone steel frame,
with Showa separate function front fork big piston USD Suspension up front and a Showa mono shock at the rear. Honda CB1000R+ will be available in Graphite Black color and priced at Rs. 14.46 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
HONDA GOLD WING TOUR DCT
maneuverability and ride under changing road conditions. The monumental 1833cc flat sixcylinder engine features 4-valves per cylinder and produces peak power of 124.31hp@5500rpm and torque of 170Nm@4500rpm. Throttle by Wire has been added, with 4 rider modes (TOUR, SPORT, ECON and RAIN) to alter the engine’s character
and power delivery. Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) maintains rear wheel traction while the suspension damping and Combined Brake System (CBS) alter depending on mode selected. The DCT (Dual Clutch Technology) features 7-speeds, with clutch feel, shift speed and
The Honda Gold Wing is probably the best-known bike in all of motorcycling, a machine that single-handedly defines what a touring bike should be. The 2019 Gold Wing has an electric windscreen adjustable for angle & height, a trunk, and a full complement of touringbike features. Apple CarPlay integration and Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS) are now standard features. The Suspension modes – enable optimising the bike’s
12 | MOTOWN INDIA | JANUARY 2019
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BIKE NEWS rpm range of up/downshifts tailored specifically to each riding mode. It also features a creep forward and back function. Hill Start Assist (HSA) and Idling Stop add ease of use. Gold Wing is lighter, more powerful, nimbler, and more engaging. It’s a better motorcycle in every way. Honda Goldwing GL1800 DCT will be available in Candy Ardent Red color and is priced at Rs. 27.79 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
HONDA CBR1000RR FIREBLADE AND CBR1000RR FIREBLADE SP The latest edition of Honda CBR1000RR, Fireblade introduces “Wheelie Control System” that ensures higher security at acceleration. Moreover, the time lag after electric control has also been drastically reduced for the better handling at a higher speed. The advancement in the system will offer a finer and gentle control to the rider. One of the striking features of the new CBR1000RR is the elegant appearance of “W” in the meter screen.
rider, inspired by the RC213V-S street legal version of Honda’s MotoGP machine. The Fireblade SP additionally gets semi-active Ohlins Electronic Control (S-EC) suspension at the front and rear (43mm NIX30 inverted forks up front and a TTX36 monoshock round the back), a quick shifter and downshift assist.
Apart from the newly introduced changes, Honda CBR1000RR focuses on handling and agility with ‘Total Control’ continues to remain at the core. At the heart of the 2019 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade is a 1000cc in-line four-cylinder engine, producing 189hp@13,000rpm and 114Nm@11,000rpm output mated to sixspeed transmission.
Mode Select System (RMSS), Fireblade uses a full-color TFT liquid crystal dash to clearly communicate information to the
The new Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade comes in 2 colours, i.e. Grand Prix Red and Matt Ballistic Black Metallic. CBR 1000RR Fireblade is priced at Rs. 16.43 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and CBR 1000RR Fireblade SP is priced at Rs. 19.28 lakh (exshowroom, Delhi).
All these parameters can be precisely adjusted with the Riding
HMSI launches X-Blade ABS at `87,776 Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd launched its 160cc sporty X-Blade with ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) at the Delhi leg finale of Vivo Pro Kabaddi League 2018. Honda X-Blade (ABS) will be priced at Rs. 87,776 (ex-showroom, Delhi). Equipped with several segment first features, the X-Blade ABS ensures enhanced braking performance on the roads. Enhancing the style
element of the new X-Blade, the under cowl, front forks cover along with wheel rim stripes are available now as standard fitment. The Honda X-Blade comes with LED headlamp. Powering the X-Blade is Honda’s 162.71cc HET engine which provides an ideal balance of performance and efficiency. Producing 13.93 bhp @ 8,500 rpm and peak torque of 13.9 Nm @ 6,000 rpm X-Blade also
promises faster acceleration. The engine has been specifically designed to deliver good low and midrange performance. A street tech digital meter increases convenience with presence of a service due indicator, digital clock and a gear position indicator. The
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X-Blade is available in 5 sporty colours – Matte Marvel Blue Metallic / Matte Frozen Silver Metallic / Pearl Spartan Red / Pearl Igneous Black and Matte Marshal Green Metallic.
JANUARY 2019 | MOTOWN INDIA | 13
BIKE NEWS
Yamaha introduces UBS with new Saluto 125, Saluto RX at `52,000 onward India Yamaha Motor Pvt Ltd. (IYM) has launched the all new ‘Saluto (125cc) and Saluto RX (110cc) equipped with Unified Braking System (UBS) for all variants of both the products in order to impart further riding excitement. The new Saluto 125 equipped with UBS will be available in 4 attractive graphics and colours for both drum and disc variants whereas the new Saluto RX with UBS will also feature 4 striking graphics and colours. The new Unified Braking System (UBS) is a new age braking concept from Yamaha that supports partial application of the front brake
simultaneously when the rear brake is applied completely. The UBS enabled motorcycles from Yamaha will now have improved braking controls due to intensification of braking force with the help of the new technology.
The new Saluto with UBS will have a 125cc air cooled, 4 stroke, SOHC, 2-Valve engine based on the Blue Core Engine Development ideal and lightest in its class at 114 kg. The disk brake models with UBS have been developed for better
controls and reliability. The new Saluto RX with UBS mounts a 110cc air-cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC, 2-valve single-cylinder engine based on the Blue Core Engine Development concept and lightest weight in its class at 99 kg.
Ducati forays into pre-owned bike segment in India with Ducati Approved
MY19 Kawasaki KLX140G launched for Rs.4.06 lakh
Luxury motorcycle brand, Ducati has announced its entry in the preowned bike market in India through the Ducati Approved programme. The programme allows motorcycle enthusiasts to enter the world of Ducati with a pre-owned motorcycle with the certainty of its quality and performance for a true Ducati experience.
India Kawasaki Motors has launched the MY19 KLX140G in India for Rs. 4,06,600 (ex-showroom Delhi). The off-road bike comes with 144cc air-cooled engine along with five-speed gearbox with manual clutch. Other than graphics of the bike, there are no changes in the technical specifications of the Kawasaki KLX140.
Ducati Approved is a certified pre-owned motorcycle programme wherein Ducati entrusts the work to qualified Ducati Service technicians who select and inspect every bike, certifying its history. Only a bike less than 5 years old, with certified mileage lower than 50,000 km and that has passed 35
14 | MOTOWN INDIA | JANUARY 2019
rigorous technical checks can be certified as Ducati Approved. Ducati Approved programme includes specialised assistance by the official Ducati network in India including Roadside Assistance. The programme extends 12-month warranty coverage (T&C Apply) with the possibility of warranty transfer to the new owner in case of sale. Under this programme, costs of materials and labour charges will be covered by Ducati dealers without any advance payment and as per agreed terms & conditions. Ducati approved is a certified global programme which hosts preowned motorcycles ranging from a Scrambler Icon to the Panigale V4.
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FAVOURITE VEHICLES OF 2018
MOTOWN INDIA FAVOURITE VEHICLES OF 2018 Another year is over and a new one has just begun. Just like the years gone by, 2018 also saw us getting behind the wheel of many vehicles. Some of them were exciting and some a bit disappointing. Hence we decided to compile a list of our favourite vehicle of 2018 that we got to drive/ride. The results that you see are based on an internal poll that we conducted. So without further ado, let’s dive in!
FAVOURITE MOTORCYCLE OF 2018: TVS APACHE RTR 160 4V To win this category the product had to be usable for daily usage, have a justifiable price and still not skimp on many features. The bike that fit the bill was the TVS Apache RTR 160 4v FI version. We picked the fuel injected version for the smoother power delivery and the slightly better mileage that one could expect. The bike looks great now that it resembles the Apache RTR 200 4v, the performance is unquestionable and it even has a great instrument cluster.
FAVOURITE CAR OF 2018: NEW MARUTI SUZUKI SWIFT The new Maruti Suzuki Swift fits a lot of the qualities that were mentioned in the favourite bike criteria. There is loads of space for the occupants, the updated looks are eye catching and the interior quality has also received an upgrade. The engines remain the same as before but the performance wasn’t bad to start with. We like the diesel motor a bit better due to the torque available.
FAVOURITE SUV OF 2018: MAHINDRA ALTURAS G4 A capable SUV is one that can literally go anywhere and still provide you with a comfortable cabin. The new Mahindra Alturas G4 takes the crown for this one and it speaks loads about the work that Mahindra has poured into it. The Alturas has comfortable and cozy interiors to suite your city needs and this 4x4 is also mighty capable when you take it off road.
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FAVOURITE VEHICLES OF 2018 FAVOURITE SCOOTER OF 2018: TVS NTORQ 125 Our favourite scooter of the year 2018 was the TVS Ntorq 125. This 125cc offering from TVS really impressed us with how great it looked and a powerful engine that was actually fun to play with. The most impressive aspect, however, was the fully digital instrument panel which can be connected to a smartphone using Bluetooth.
FAVOURITE MPV OF 2018: MAHINDRA MARAZZO According to us, an MPV’s prime goal should be to offer loads of space to occupants and the Marazzo achieves that easily thanks to the amount of space in the third row. It is actually usable and more than what most other big vehicles tend to offer. The 4-star Global NCAP crash test rating is just icing on the cake for the Marazzo!
FAVOURITE LUXURY VEHICLE OF 2018: NEW LEXUS ES 300H A vehicle that made us feel all rich and pampered us was the Lexus ES 300h. The amount of smart features like HUD, driving modes and three-zone climate control and the hybrid nature of the ES 300h makes it our pick for this year. The breathtaking exterior is matched by an equally fascinating interior.
FAVOURITE COMPACT SUV OF 2018: VOLVO XC40 R-DESIGN Long time readers would be aware of how we value safety and the XC40 being a Volvo already gets a good head start. The fact that it gets radar based assist features, a capable engine with paddle shifters and sharp looks land it the crown of our favourite Compact SUV this year.
FAVOURITE 500CC+ MOTORCYCLE OF 2018: SUZUKI GSX S750 The mid-segment naked bike from Suzuki was a lot of fun on the track and we found it very maneuverable despite the massive and mean looking facade of the bike. The easy start function is a nice little touch and the brakes were a godsend.
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NEW NISSAN KICKS
KICK -ASS Report: P. Tharyan; Photography: Afsar Baig
W
hen I come across any vehicle that calls itself an SUV I am tempted to take it on the road less travelled just to test it out whether it is a worthy SUV or not, even though it may not have any four wheel drive. The same was with the Nissan Kicks I got to drive in the expansive
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terrains of the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. I could drive as fast as I could, brake as hard as I could, or overcome any hurdle as I wanted and enjoy as much as I desired. The new Nissan Kicks built on the Renault Duster platform is a good looking vehicle (remember companies like Renault, Mitsubishi and Nissan
are real brothers in the world of automobiles).
EXTERIOR DESIGN AND FEATURES From the front, the dual tone vehicle looks bold and purposeful with its V motion mesh grille, wide bumpers, front under guard, LED projector lamps, cornering fog lamps, DRLs and the boomerang
shaped LED signature lamp. The vehicle comes with rain sensing wipers. As you move to the side, you get to see the floating roof rack design which brings out the smart element in this vehicle. On both sides are the aspheric ORVMs to reduce blind spots. Not to be missed is the shark fin antenna. The SUV sits on
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S P EC IFIC ATIONS ENGINE 1461cc K9K dCi Diesel TRANSMISSION 6 Speed Manual Transmission
POWER 108.50hp@3850rpm TORQUE 240Nm@1750rpm TYRES 215/60 R17 PRICE TBA
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215/60 R17 tyres fitted on machined alloy wheels. The side mouldings and smart wheel arches add to the beauty of the side profile. You also notice that the doors in this vehicle fully cover the bottom area. As you move to the back, the design element continues to remain exciting with wide bumpers, skid plate and the iconic boomerang shaped LED signature lamps.
INTERIOR DESIGN AND FEATURES Moving inside, you get to see a mix of fine premium leather and plastic. The interiors are luxurious dual tone brown and black theme with carbon fibre finish. The dash area can be described as a gliding wing design with the steering coming in matt chrome finish. The dashboard and door trims come with a soft touch feel. The glove compartment is illuminated. The seats
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are of leather with prominent stitches. The seats in front come with enough comfort and space, while at the rear it’s good for two because three adults could be a squeeze there. The seats at the rear offer a lot of comfort but a bit more under thigh support could have been nice.
The steering can be adjusted for tilt but is not telescopic. Space within the cabin is adequate with loads of shoulder room and knee room. The vehicle comes with Auto AC as standard, a first in class, and also rear ac vents. The driver arm rest is fixed and does not have any storage, while
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the rear arm rest comes with two cup holders. There is ample storage area on the inside door panels and a small space to keep your smart key in the cavity of the dashboard on the right side of the steering wheel. The boot area is very cavernous with space of 400 litres. The rear seats are not split but can be folded nevertheless. The parcel tray at the rear comes in two pieces and one close to the rear seat can be flipped open from inside to access the boot area. The car has plenty of technology to boot. It comes with first in class around view camera which get gets its feed from cameras placed under the ORVMS, rear and the front grill area. The vehicle has an 8 inches floating touch screen infotainment system which is Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatible with voice recognition both SIRI and OK Google. The Nissan Connect comes with 50+ features. For the people in front there is a USB slot and a 12V socket while for the rear there is only one 12V charging socket.
SAFETY AND PERFORMANCE With a ground clearance of 210mm, a turning radius of 5.2 metres, with features like hill start assist and vehicle dynamic control, I had nothing
to fear on the sandy terrains of the Rann of Kutch. This vehicle comes with an option of a 1.5 litre H4K 4 cylinder in line petrol engine as well as 1.5 litre K9K dCi four cylinder in line diesel engine. While the former is mated to a manual five speed gear box, the latter is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. There is no option of an automatic as of now. I was driving the diesel variant. First, I drove the vehicle on the beautiful roads from Bhuj to Rann of Kutch in Gujarat and back and I must tell you that the diesel engine performed well. The engine churns out a peak power of 108.50hp@3850rpm and 240Nm of peak torque at 1750rpm. With discs in front and drums at the back, the vehicle was very dependable when it came to braking. While I was impressed by the high torque kicking in initially and the smooth acceleration, I was a tad disappointed when I took it to speeds close to 160kmph on the roads. The vehicle did tend to vibrate a lot which made me a bit uneasy. But at speeds till 130kmph, the vehicle was well planted on the road and rock solid. The suspension of the vehicle surprised me with its perfect tuning, offering immense drive comfort throughout.
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The steering mounted controls on both side of the steering wheel are dedicated to cruise control and speed limitor, with an additional button on the right of the steering on the dash activating these features. Next to it is an Eco mode button. As for voice navigation and volume control, one has to move the fingers to a few buttons behind the steering on the right. The six-speed manual transmission performed rather well. Unfortunately, the rattle of the diesel engine can be heard inside so a bit more insulation can help improve the cabin noise levels. Of course, it’s not as bad as hearing the engine from the outside! The vehicle comes with four air bags. These include dual front and front side. Other safety features include ABS with EBD and brake assist.
VERDICT The high point of my drive was thrashing it around the flat lands of the Rann of Kutch and raising a bit of dust on the very damp ground. Had the soil been bone dry, I could have actually raised a storm! With some wonderful features and technology, this new Nissan Kicks offers a comfortable as well as spirited drive. It’s truly a kick-ass product.
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NEW ISUZU MU-X 4X4
CHIEFTAIN MATERIAL
T
Report: P. Tharyan; Photography: Afsar Baig
he new Isuzu mu-X which was launched late 2018 is a face lifted version of the previous model. The design of the new Isuzu 4X4 mu-X which has been inspired by an eagle now gets smart looking LED DRLs. There is also a Bi-LED auto leveling projector headlamp. You also get a large 18-inches multi spoke twist design diamondcut alloy wheels that look smart. The rear gets redesigned tail-lights, two-tone spoiler and a shark fin antenna with gun metal finish. The ground clearance of this vehicle has gone up to 230mm which is 10mm more than the previous version. On the inside is a new ‘Lava Black’ finish, Passive Entry and Start Stop System, a reworked Multi Information Display and 8 speaker surround sound system.
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The vehicle now comes with six airbags. The SUV also has other safety features like ABS with EBD, TCS, EBA, ESC, Hill Start Assist, Hill Descent Control and rear parking camera. The new mu-X retains the same 3.0L Ddi VGS Turbo diesel engine that is good for 174hp and 380Nm of. There is a 5-speed Sequential Shift automatic transmission and the ability to switch to 4X4 on the fly. At Around Rs 26.26 lakh ex-showroom price, it is competing with the likes of the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour and the Mahindra Alturas G4. The competition is extremely tough out there. As a standalone product, the new Isuzu mu-X has a lot of features, yet it misses out on several features.
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S P EC IFIC ATION S ENGINE 2999cc, turbo diesel, in-line 4-cylinder, DOHC, 16-valve TRANSMISSION 5-speed Sequential Shift AT and ability to switch to 4X4 on the fly POWER 174hp@3600rpm TORQUE 380Nm@1800-2800rpm TYRES 255 / 60 R18 PRICE `26.26 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi)
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NEW 2018 ISUZU MU-X: PROS SAFETY I am a stickler for safety and this vehicle has now got six air bags. These include one for the driver, one for the front passenger, front side and full length curtain on either side. Then there are a plethora of other features like 4-Channel 4-Sensor ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System) with EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control System (TCS), Hill Start Assist (HSA), Hill Descent Control (HDC), Engine immobilizer, collapsible steering column etc
4X4 SYSTEM I was impressed by the 4x4 system of the vehicle with its Terrain Command control with ‘shift-onthe-fly’ 4-high selection at up to 100kmph. Coupled with the increased ground clearance which is now 230mm, the vehicle is now a true off roader.
SUSPENSION This heavy -duty ladder construction chassis mounted vehicle comes with rock solid suspension which takes the smooth and the tough with considerable ease. The front suspension comprises Independent, double wishbone, coil springs, gas shock absorbers, and a stabiliser bar, while the rear comprises penta link coil suspension, gas shock absorbers with a stabiliser bar
CARGO SPACE Apart from storage space for bottle and other knick knacks, there is a lot of cargo space. Behind the third row there is 235 litres of space, but with the 3rd row folded it is 878 litres and with 2nd & 3rd row folded flat, the space increases to 1830 litres.
UNDERBODY PROTECTION Built on the true spirit of an off roader, this vehicle has Under-front steel plate skid plate, Steel plate sump guards, Steel plate transfer protector, Steel plate on leading edge of fuel tank and Fuel tank fire protector.
SEATS Seats in this vehicle are comfortable with the front ones being bucket seats with the driver seat being 6-way power adjustable. The 2nd row is 60:40 split with fold away centre arm rest, besides these seats are one-touch fold & tumble. The third row seats are 50:50 split-fold and they too are one-touch fold. Both the 2nd and 3rd row seats can be folded flat. The headrests are adjustable for all seats, including centre seat
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NEW 2018 ISUZU MU-X: CONS NO PARKING SENSORS The new Isuzu mu-X does not come with parking sensors. Yes, it has a reverse parking camera but reversing it can be a lot painful with the sensors missing.
NO SUNROOF The vehicle does not have a sunroof. Competitors offer this for their customers.
NO PADDLE SHIFTERS This vehicle comes with an automatic transmission with provision to change gears manually. But sadly, it does not come with paddle shifters.
THIRD ROW SPACE COMPROMISED The third row space is compromised. This space is not meant for adults at all.
SMALL DEAD PEDAL The dead pedal is very small, badly designed and is not placed correctly for the left foot to rest.
STEERING WHEEL IS NOT TELESCOPIC The steering wheel is tilt adjustable but is not telescopic.
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MINI COUNTRYMAN COOPER S JCW INSPIRED
MAXI COOL
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Report: P. Tharyan; Photography: Afsar Baig
U
nlike the conventional MINI Cooper S 3-door convertible we drove earlier, the Mini Countryman Cooper S JCW Inspired variant is a fullfledged four-door car which can seat five adults comfortably, has decent luggage space and yet has the chic MINI tag attached to its name. The MINI Countryman comes in three variants with leatherette Carbon Black as standard upholstery and leather Cross Punch Carbon Black for the all-
new MINI Countryman Cooper S JCW Inspired. The three variants are the MINI Countryman Cooper S (Petrol), the MINI Countryman Cooper SD (Diesel) and the MINI Countryman Cooper S JCW Inspired (Petrol). We got the Cooper S JCW Inspired Petrol variant for a review. The Cooper S JCW Inspired is powered by a petrol 1998cc, 4 cylinder engine that produces around 192 hp and a peak torque of 280Nm with a 0 to 100kmph in 7.5 seconds. The British Racing Green colour is offered exclusively for the MINI Countryman Cooper S JCW Inspired.
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S P EC IFIC ATIONS ENGINE 1998cc, 4 cylinder, Petrol TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic steptronic with shift paddles
POWER 192hp TORQUE 280Nm FUEL EFFICIENCY 14.41 kmpl WHEELS 18-inch light alloys PRICE `41.40 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi)
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LET ME TALK ABOUT ITS COOL FEATURES, RATHER THAN DOING THE USUAL REVIEW OF A CAR
01
The car is equipped with John Cooper Works aerodynamic kit which is basically a rear roof spoiler and smart 18-inch JCW thrill spoke alloy wheels. The car has a British Racing Green colour with white roof, mirror caps and bonnet stripes in white.
02
The car has LED headlights, LED fog lights, rear fog lights, chrome plated double exhaust tailpipe finisher, roof rails and not to miss a panorama glass roof. The roof-rails are in satinfinished aluminium. The car has silvercoloured side sill tops. The distinctive, slightly asymmetrically rounded contour of the LED headlamp together with the radiator grille produces a smart front view.
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03
This car also comes with Comfort Access System which in essence means that it puts an end to searching for car keys in your trouser pockets, jackets or handbags. All you have to do is to approach the MINI, open the door and press the start button. The unique key is recognised remotely by the comfort access sensors. This is the MINI way of explaining the keyless entry feature.
04
The all-new MINI Countryman is some 20 cm longer than its predecessor and approximately 3 cm wider. Its wheelbase has been extended by 7.5 cm. This growth has resulted in increased seating space for five adults. The raised seating position ensures a good view for those inside.
05
Using the cargo function, boot capacity can be increased from 450 litres to 1,309 litres by folding down the rear backrest with its 40:20:40 split. This constitutes a maximum increase of 220 litres as compared to the predecessor model. The Automatic Tailgate combined with Comfort Access System allows the boot to be opened and closed just by waving your foot under the rear fender.
06
There is also a picnic bench which once pulled out keeps the fender covered and also has space for you and your loved one to cosy up without spoiling your clothes. We find this the coolest of all the cool functions!
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07
Inside you get to notice the JSW door entry strips and stainless steel pedal covers. The John Cooper Works magic continues in the illuminated cockpit with the JCW sports leather steering wheel that comes with steering mounted controls.
08
The steering wheel can be adjusted for rake and reach. For the driver there is a smart Head UP Display. Driver Assistance Systems include Cruise Control, Park Assistant and Rear View Camera.
12
MINI Driving Modes enable an individualised vehicle set-up. In addition to the standard MID mode there is a choice of SPORT and GREEN mode.
09
Luxury and utility inside include ‘leather cross punch’ sport seats, 2 zone automatic air conditioning, centre arm rest for front and rear ,Harmon Kardon hi-fi speaker system, MINI Find Mate and the MINI Wired Package. The sports seats for the driver and front passenger can be adjusted for height and there are electric seat adjustments with memory function. The MINI Wired Package includes Navigation System Professional and MINI Connected XL 8.8” screen with Touch Controller and Bluetooth mobile connectivity.
13
Driving is fun with the auto start/stop function, brake energy recuperation, active cooling air flaps and electromechanical power steering.
14
The 8-speed sports automatic steptronic transmission in the MINI Countryman Cooper S JCW Inspired with paddle shifters makes for a very sporty drive.
15
Safety has not been compromised in this car as it comes with front and passenger air bag. Then there are features like Brake Assist, 3-Point Seat Belts, Dynamic Stability Control, Crash Sensor, Antilock Braking System, Cornering Brake Control and Run-flat tyres as standard.
10
The iconic circular central instrument panel is surrounded by an LED ring offering a brilliant colour display in 8.8-inch touchscreen. The intuitive use is complemented by the controller on the middle console for easy operation of multimedia, phone and car functions.
11
The MINI Excitement Pack features LED interior and ambient lighting which illuminates the cockpit with a choice of selectable colours as well as projection of the MINI logo from the exterior mirror on the driver’s side when opening and closing the car door.
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FEATURES
R O YA L E N F I E L D T O U R O F N O R T H E A S T 2 0 1 8
BLUE RECLUSE
Pictures courtesy: Royal Enfield
Have you seen skies so blue that they almost start to have a shade of purple? Have you ever seen trees that stretch themselves out to allow people to traverse across chasms? Have you ever seen people so humble that they feel like some long lost relatives? Have you seen waters as clear as the soul of saints? No? Neither had I. But I along with 40 other people were about to witness all of it on our Tour of North East 2018 trip organised by Royal Enfield over the course of 11 days. NEERAJ PANWAR
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FEATURES
I
had to take a flight from Delhi to Guwahati, from where we had to start our journey. I landed there in the afternoon and after reaching the hotel was treated to the sight of a dozen Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycles lined up neatly in a single file. Controlling my urge to get on one, I went inside and participated in the proceedings. To my delight, the good folks at RE handed us the keys to our bikes and asked us to take them for a spin and get lunch. So all of us took
our respective bikes and got some appetizing food and even fueled up the bikes for the ride the next day. The reason for this activity was to allow the riders to get to know the bikes and also figure out if there were any changes that were needed. There was a mechanic who was seeing to everyone’s needs and assisting people in fitting any accessories that they might want on their ride. There was a briefing session in the
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evening and we were given some basics to follow. There was even a medical workshop to prepare the riders for first aid in case of an emergency. With all that out of the way, it was time to grab some dinner and retire for the day. We were to leave Guwahati and reach Cherrapunjee on the first day and the ride was about 200 kms. The ride began roughly at 9AM and that was going to be standard for the days to follow. On the way we
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FEATURES were to visit the fabled Dain Thlen Falls which takes its name after a python. About 5km before the waterfalls, we encountered some really bad and broken roads, though I was not bothered by this development as it allowed me to stand tall on my Himalayan and feel the suspension do its work. The bike swerved easily and with grace. Sadly, once we did reach the waterfall, we found it to be mostly dried up and not as charming as it might have looked at other times during the year. We then stopped on the Meghalaya state highway to have a cup (or two for some others) of tea. After the refreshing drink and a bit of rest we headed for our destination of the day and reached there by evening.
The next day we went to a village called Mawlynnong, which happens to be the cleanest village in India. In fact, it can put many major Indian cities to shame when it comes to cleanliness. If I begin to describe how clean this place is then that would cover this entire article. But in a nutshell, there is a small entry fee which is used for maintenance and every household has to participate in keeping the place clean. From one clean place to another, we visited the Umngot river which is, once again, the cleanest in India. The water was so clear that you could see the river bed below. We found the best stretch of road on the third day of our trip.
It was just our bikes and the open highway taking us from Shillong to Kaziranga. The 100 plus kilometers that we rode on the lonely highway was something like a meditation; a time where you were with others but still a sacred solitude surrounding you, in a good way. All that changed once we were about 30km from our destination. The road shrunk to a single lane and deteriorated drastically. Once again, being on a Himalayan motorcycle meant that these potholes and gravel had no way to slow us down. We reached Hotel Landmark Woods by 2PM and had lunch. Post that it was time to grab a glimpse of the wildlife in the Kaziranga National Park. All of us were packed in several open Jeeps and
for once we were not the ones behind the wheel. This allowed us a bit more freedom to appreciate what we saw all around. We saw rhinos and elephants among many other creatures of the wild. On the fourth day we explored the resort where we were staying at. It even had a small pond of its own which was home to fishes and ducks. As a result of the morning exploration, we left the hotel late, at about 1PM. This leg of our journey saw us pass many tea plantations and even visit one. At a certain point it was time to load our bikes on a ferry because our bikes weren’t amphibious enough to cross the Brahmaputra River. The 45-minute ride on the tranquil
Sela Pass
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FEATURES
Neeraj enjoying the fresh air and scenary
Clifton Shipway, from RE proved he had several more skills besides riding
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FEATURES
Dain Thlem Falls
waters under a sky that seemed to stretch for leagues in all directions was truly a view that invoked feelings of wonder and bliss within my heart. Once we stepped on land again, we rode for a little while and reached Dekasang Majuli where we enjoyed a cultural dance of Assam around a bonfire and some light chatter over the embers. To get from Majuli to Ziro we had to cross the Brahmhaputra River again. Our lunch was at a dhaba near the Arunachal Pradesh border. The roads there were rather rocky; actually calling them roads would be a
stretch (pun intended). Ziro was supposed to be a place where we would spend the next day just resting and visiting any spots of interest. We visited the local villages and saw the traditional dance and even went to the Kiwi wine factory. Then came a visit to the Shiv Mandir in Kardo after which we went to Viewer’s Point from where you could presumably see the entire Ziro valley. However, we found that that was not the case really. The next leg of the journey would take us to Chariali. But how could we start our ride without some good old tea and biscuit?
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Rhinos and elephants were plenty to be seen
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FEATURES
River so clean!
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FEATURES
We found a few shops that were not entirely in the best of shape, bunched together. Among them was Rose Bakery which was actually neat and tidy. So that is where we went to fuel ourselves before heading out. The roads were actually very good but we had to negotiate our way through city traffic for the most part, which admittedly took away some of the fun out of it. The road to Dirang, which was our next destination, was under construction and as a result the road was open only during certain hours of the day. This meant that we would have to leave early, really early. So while the sun still had to make an appearance, we left at 4AM. Though people did feel a little drowsy, the need to cross the under-construction part of the journey was pressing. The road was basically gravel and mud and leaving early in the morning meant limited visibility till the sun came out. Since Biswanath Chariali was in Assam and Dirang in
Arunachal Pradesh, we had to stop at the Arunachal Border to register our bikes. We passed Bomdilla and reached Dirang where we finally were treated to some good roads. Our stop in Dirang was Norphel Retreat. Because we left so early in the morning, we were able to reach the hotel by afternoon and treated ourselves to some much needed sleep and rest. We left Dirang and crossed Sapper and stopped in Baisakhi for tea. There was an army cantonment and a small museum dedicated to the India-China war which we visited. Next came Sela Pass which is known for its unpredictable weather conditions. The temperature there was below zero so I had to stop at a small tea stall housed in one of four little houses where I treated myself to two cups of tea and a delicious bowl of Maggi. For lunch we had momos which might not sound like much but these were huge and appetizing. Just four pieces were enough to fill most people up.
Buddhist Monastery in Tawang
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FEATURES
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FEATURES
Bumla is a high altitude area that, combined with the fact that some people wanted to rest, resulted in only some of us going to Bumla. We saw the valiant Indian Armed forces practising with their canons. It was quite the experience and filled us all with adrenaline making us forget the cold temperatures. It had begun to snow a little. We saw the China border where we got free Samosa and tea from the Army Cantonment. Since the roads were bad, the 35km long journey took us 3 hours to complete. We visited a Buddhist monastery in Tawang which had some really alluring imagery. From Dirang, it was time to come back to Guwahati. This time when we reached Sela Pass, it was snowing which made riding somewhat difficult. Visibility dropped and so did the temperature. The saving grace was that we found the only eatery in north east which was selling chole and samose. On our way back to Guwahati, we also visited and crossed the Bhutan border. The road was wide but was a single lane road allowing us to cover large distances. Then we reached Guwahati and had a closing ceremony where every rider was awarded a certificate of completion. Needless to say, the trip was enjoyed by everyone. Despite the lengths that we covered there were no strict boundaries laid
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to capture the spirit of exploring which I appreciated the most. The gun wagon was there with us at all times helping fix any mechanical issues with the bike. The coordinators were really kind, helpful and very efficient in handling the large group. This trip saw many female riders and people who were not ardent riders as well. Still each one left Guwahati with a wide smile, appreciating the scenic spots we covered and the RE Himalayan adventure we experienced!
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SCALES NEW HEIGHTS WITH NEW LAUNCHES Report & Photography: Motown India Bureau
T
he 5th edition of bauma Conexpo India 2018 held from December 11 to 14, 2018 saw 700 companies from 26 countries showcasing their machines, products and innovative technologies for the construction industry. Around 39,173 leading industry professionals gathered at HUDA Ground in Gurugram on the outskirts of Delhi.
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While the outdoor area comprised of some big names like Case New Holland, Caterpillar, Balkrishna Tires, Comansa, Doosan Infrastructure, Escorts Ltd, Hyundai Construction, Indo Farm Equipments, JCB India, JK Tyre & Industries, Komatsu, Larsen & Toubro, Liugong India, Mascons, Putzemeister Concrete, Sany Heavy Industries, Schwing Stetter India, Tata Hitachi, Terex India,
Volvo Construction, Volvo Group, Volvo Trucks, Volvo Penta and Wirtgen India - part of the John Deere company, and many more, it was the sheer size and utility of the products that enthralled the visitors. Spread over 195,000 square metres, the Conexpo show saw more than 5000 buyer seller meetings, conferences
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2018
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and meetings, demo areas, skill development workshops and participation from companies based out of several foreign countries. Apart from the large outdoor space, there were two indoor halls that accommodated hundreds of companies both from India and abroad that had a major footing in the construction equipment trade. “I am proud and very happy to announce that bauma Conexpo India 2018 was a great success. We saw growth in all areas. Together with our strong partner iCEMA (Indian Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association) we have prepared an excellent platform for the industry to present their products to the market. The partnership was crucial for our success and allowed us to align even more closely with the Indian construction machinery
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industry’s needs. For me as an Indian and cosmopolitan it is not only a collaboration on a professional level, but also a matter close to my heart“, says Bhupinder Singh, CEO of bC Expo India.
ABOVE: BKT stall BELOW: Caterpillar pavilion
crawler excavators are going to see a massive increase in sales over the next five years. For the first time, bauma Conexpo
Overall, bauma Conexpo India counted 39,173 participants, a growth of 20 percent compared to 2016. Apart from Indian visitors, the trade fair also welcomed buyer delegations from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and other countries in the region. By 2025, India is expected to become the third largest market for the global construction industry. This growth is mainly attributable to large infrastructure projects. Over the next nine years, analysts expect an average real growth of 6.2 percent per year. According to forecasts, bulldozers, backhoe loaders and
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India featured a Buyer Seller Forum, giving visitors the additional chance to network with potential business partners. The initiative proved to be a success and brought together technology providers and buyers. The next bauma CONEXPO INDIA will take place in 2020 in Delhi.
BELOW: Tata Hitachi pavilion
Hyundai Construction Equipment India pavilion Larsen & Toubro pavilion
China pavilion
Doosan Bobcat India pavillion
Sany Heavy Industry India pavilion
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BELOW: Case New Holland Construction Equipment India unveiled Case 1110EX soil compactor
CASE INDIA ADDS CASE 1110 EX TO ITS EXISTING FLEET OF COMPACTORS Case Construction Equipment, a brand of CNH Industrial, unveiled its latest product Case 1110EX soil compactor at the bauma Conexpo. This will be available for the Indian market from 2019 onwards
Case India manufactures its industry-leading compactors and backhoe loaders at its Pithampur plant in Madhya Pradesh. In addition to meeting domestic needs, this facility also exports to markets in the Asia Pacific region, Africa and the Middle East.
The Case 1110 EX is specially designed with operator comfort in mind. With its closed HVAC cabin and a more powerful engine, the compactor is highly suitable for heavier application usage. It is a product that will cater to activities as diverse as urban construction, road building, infrastructure, and mining
The Case 1110EX soil compactor comes with a new-generation FPT Industrial S8000 engine that delivers up to 110hp@2300 rpm and torque of 430Nm@1400 rpm. More than 2 million S8000 engines across the world are testament to the reliability of this proven power. The soil compactor also features a turbocharged after cooled engine with
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an internal Exhaust Gas Recirculation system for ensuring best-in-class fuel economy. The maximum applied force of the soil compactor is in the range of 34 tonnes, which is regarded as the best in industry. Moving a step ahead of the curve, the machine has been launched with a ROPS/FOPS HVAC cabin, which keeps operator comfort and safety in mind. Additionally, the optimised HVAC Cabin gives an excellent front and rear drum/ nozzle visibility, making the drive and compaction process easier and safer. Case Construction Equipment sells and supports a full line of construction equipment around the world, including the No. 1 loader/backhoes, excavators,
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motor graders, wheel loaders, vibratory compaction rollers, crawler dozers, skid steers, compact track loaders and rough-terrain forklifts. Through Case dealers, customers have access to a true professional partner with worldclass equipment and aftermarket support, industry-leading warranties and flexible financing.
ESCORTS LTD, KUBOTA CORPORATION ENTER GLOBAL JOINT VENTURE TO PRODUCE HIGH END TRACTORS Escorts Ltd, India’s leading player in Agri Machinery and engineering and Kubota Corporation, Japan’s biggest tractor manufacturer, announced their global joint venture to manufacture high end technology tractors for domestic and export geographies. The agreement on the joint venture was signed by Nikhil Nanda, Chairman and Managing Director, Escorts Limited and Masatoshi Kimata, President
and Representative Director, Kubota Corporation, Japan. The joint venture will leverage leading Japanese technology from Kubota and Indian engineering excellence of Escorts to cater to an expanding market for higher efficiency, value-oriented utility tractors for a global leadership position. With an initial investment of 300 crore, the 60:40 manufacturing joint venture between Kubota and Escorts respectively will enable both partners to optimize their current and future capabilities in the segment globally. The JV will aim to take leading position in domestic and export markets in medium to long term.
JCB INDIA LAUNCHES ITS NEW ‘INTELLI’GENT SERIES OF MACHINES JCB India Limited, India’s leading manufacturer of earthmoving and
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construction equipment, introduced its new range of products with ‘intelli’gent technology at expo.
ABOVE: Escorts Ltd. pavilion
The company launched three new state-of-the-art excavators, the JCB 140 Xtra the JCB 205 Xtra and the JCB 215 Xtra with Intelli-control and a new Wheeled Loader, the JCB 432ZX Plus. JCB India is leveraging digital technology by integrating Big Data and Internet of Things in its products and services. The new range showcased at bauma Conexpo India came packed with ‘Intelli’ technologies – the IntelliControl, Intelli-Compaction and the Intelli-Load, all having been designed keeping the customer in focus. The Intelli-Control introduced in the JCB 140LC Xtra, the JCB 205 Xtra and the JCB 215 Xtra Excavators comes with new features such as a 7 inch colour camera ready LCD screen, dial
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type throttle, three power modes – Eco, Power and Power+ and One Touch Auto Idle. It also gives information on the amount of fuel in the tank and along with upcoming Service reminders. The JCB 116 Soil Compactor is a first in the industry to have IntelliCompaction integrated with Livelink. Intelli-Compaction provides relative compaction value, which helps in achieving consistent and uniform compaction throughout the patch. The digital display shows high/ low frequency and amplitude values for compaction control.
ABOVE: JCB India Limited launched JCB 140 Xtra and JCB 205 Xtra excavators
The Intelli-Load in the JCB 455ZX Wheeled Loader helps in the real time monitoring of individual weight of the loaded bucket, total accumulated weight, and number of loaded buckets. The Intelli-Control, IntelliCompaction and Intelli-Load are all integrated with Livelink, the company’s advanced telematics technology, which enables predictive maintenance, location and monitoring to achieve high uptime of the equipment. This is an Industry first feature, enabling
transmission of the monitored values to a server for analytics and report generation.
Volvo products at the show.
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JK TYRE STRENGTHENS ITS PRESENCE IN THE OFF-THEROAD (OTR) TYRE SEGMENT JK Tyre & Industries Ltd, India’s leading tyre manufacturer, launched 14.00-25 36 PR Mine Champion E4/L4 OTR tyre at the show. The new premium tyre has specifically been developed for new-age tipper trucks and wheel loaders for mining applications. The product was unveiled by Rajiv Prasad, President- India Operations, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd., at the JK Tyre pavilion. Vikram Malhotra, Marketing Director, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd, was also present at the launch.
Apollo Tyres Stall
ABOVE: JK Tyre officials at the launch of 14.00-25 36 PR Mine Champion E4/L4 OTR tyre
The MINE Champion joins JK Tyre’s comprehensive OTR segment product range that is highly efficient for application in Industrial and Mining segments.
Ceat Tyres Stall
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The MINE Champion is a premium product, which comes equipped with a distinct tread pattern, developed using high-end computational simulations, thereby providing excellent traction, flushing and contact pressure distribution. The strong nylon construction provides excellent casing strength and reliability during rigorous applications. The new-age SILICA-based dual tread compound results in excellent cut resistance and cooler running, during hauling operations.
MRF Tyres Stall
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Liugong India pavilion
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LIUGONG INDIA LAUNCHES NEW PRODUCTS LiuGong India, a 100% subsidiary of Guangxi LiuGong, world’s largest manufacturer of wheel loaders launched and showcased its new range of products for Indian market which are designed to overcome any challenges. The company launched two new products viz. Motor Grader 4180D & Wheel Loader CLG 848H.
LiuGong India has completed 16 years of business in India. The company’s products have emerged as one-point solution for both road and mining industry. LiuGong has a joint venture with Cummins and ZF who are the pioneers in manufacturing engines and transmission respectively. LiuGong
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India has its manufacturing facility supported by R&D Centre & Training Centre at Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh. More than 4600 LiuGong machines are working successfully at various Indian companies in road construction, mining, and hydropower sectors and pipe handling. Liugong in India is increasing its market share year on year basis for its 3-ton class of wheel loader.
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EICHER PRO 3016 AMT
DRIVER READY
S P EC IFIC ATIONS
Report: P. Tharyan; Photography: Afsar Baig
ENGINE E494 3.8 litre 4Cyl 4V CRS engine with Volvo group EMS 3.0
olvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles, a joint venture company of Eicher Group and Volvo Group of Sweden will soon be introducing an Automated Manual Transmission truck in the medium duty truck segment in the country. The new VECV Pro 3016 AMT model will be India’s first AMT truck in this segment. The only instance of an AMT coming into the truck territory was when Ashok Leyland had introduced the AMT in their Dost LCVs which failed to take off in a big way.
TRANSMISSION Eicher ET40S6 / AMT
V
But an AMT in the mid duty segment is expected to bring about a revolution in the Indian trucking industry. Truckers in India, unlike those in developed countries have always led miserable lives, thanks to outdated technologies, bad infrastructure, horribly made truck interiors and lots of other reasons. All that could change with the new Eicher Pro 3016 AMT. Motown India got a chance to drive this truck at the Pithampur plant of VECV in Madhya Pradesh. Like a car, this AMT too has the feature of an
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Auto Mode as well as a manual mode. On the AMT gear lever, you have two buttons on either side. One is the N which means Neutral, the other is the F button which means function. Since this is an AMT, there is no clutch pedal. Instead there is a dead pedal where your left foot rests. Once you gently press the F button on the right side of the gear lever, you need to shift this lever to the front thereby putting the vehicle in the Drive mode. A backward movement of the gear lever means the vehicle gets into the reverse gear. All these commands are reflected on the digital screen in front.
( 6 Forward, 1 Reverse) - 115CD
POWER 165 hp@2600 rpm TORQUE 520Nm@1400-1800rpm CARGO BODY Length (ft) 20/24/31.5 Width 2332mm/7.6ft TYRES 10R20 – 16PR (Standard radial Tyres) PRICE TBA
Just near the gear lever on the floor console, you have three buttons which are marked C, E/P and M/A. The C means crawler mode, E/P denotes Eco and Power modes and M/A denotes Manual and Automatic modes. When the vehicle is in the Manual mode you have to use the same lever which you shifted earlier to change the gears as you do in a vehicle with manual gears. When it is in A or Automatic mode, then all you need is to accelerate and steer the vehicle.
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FIRST DRIVE
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Now for the C button. You activate that button when you want the Crawler mode. Crawler mode is ideal for steep inclines, especially in hilly areas. As for E and P modes, well the Eco is for getting the best fuel average because your power and torque are controlled and you are in no hurry to reach your destination. P is activated when you need to move faster. It is common knowledge that the turnaround time is faster using the P mode. The AMT technology offers a whole host of advantages for the driver. There is less fatigue for the driver. The mileage also improves because AMT ensures smarter driving, than driving with manual transmission. The risk of accidents due to driver’s mistake reduces with an AMT as the driver is less tired. AMT also eliminates the error of wrong gear shifting. Then there are drivers who are not so skilled and who use the manual gears wrongly. This not only brings down fuel efficiency, damaging the gear box and even damaging the goods inside the vehicle because of all the jerks etc. All this leads to high maintenance for the
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truck operator. Apart from the crawler mode to carry heavy loads and travel steep inclines, this new VECV Pro 3016 AMT comes with a hill start assist which prevents vehicle roll back. The vehicle also comes with a Launching Kick-down feature. Kick down is the rate of change of pedal position and this feature activates when the driver taps the full throttle at a higher rate than defined for kick down. You cannot afford to
have mindless acceleration for trucks. Trucks with heavy loads have to take off from stationery position very steadily. There is also another feature called Running kick down. This feature comes into play while the vehicle is running and useful for overtaking the vehicle. The vehicle has a large sleeper cabin just behind the driver seat which is meant for the driver to rest. It is like a small bedroom for the driver when
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he has to relax. As for driving comfort, the vehicle has large ORVMs on either side which can be adjusted manually. The one on his left has a mirror on top that helps the driver to get a clear picture of the floor level and it comes handy when he is parking the vehicle close to the kerb. The truck has a cruise control feature too. This new Pro 3016 AMT is powered by an E494 3.8 litre 4 valve 4 Cylinder CRS SCR Technology BSIV Engine delivering 165hp@2600rpm and 520Nm@1400-1600rpm Torque. The engine is mated to an ET40S6 AMT. It is a 6-speed gearbox. The Pro 3016 AMT comes with Volvo group’s Engine Management System EMS 3.0, Fuel Coaching, Cruise Control, IDIS – Intelligent Driver Information Systems and Advanced on board Diagnostics. IDIS helps to gauge the driving ability of the driver. The EPS or the Engine Protection System helps protect the engine through a series of error sign codes which are displayed on the instrument panel. The driver seat is adjustable for distance, height, forward and backward tilt. The steering wheel is
also adjustable for tilt and is telescopic. The vehicle has a Gross vehicle weight or gvw of 16200 kgs or 16.2T. As per the government’s new definition this is now 18.2T which means it can carry legally a weight of 11.5 tonnes as against 10.2 Tonnes earlier. The front axle consists of forged reverse Elliot, while the rear is a 395DH heavy duty full floating. The ladder type design of the chassis has a modular frame. The front suspension consists of a parabolic leaf spring with anti roll bar while the rear suspension consists of a siemi elliptic leaf spring with helpers. Essentially this new VECV Pro 3016 is suitable for applications such as eCommerce, Consumer Goods, Parcel & Courier, Pharmaceuticals, Industrial Goods, Agriculture produce, Poultry and Dairy products. Finally Indian truck drivers have a more efficient truck to
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look forward to. Also let me tell you that this truck comes with a tiltable cab which means accessing the engine and transmission area is so easy. In fact it is so easy to tilt the cab that even a petite lady can do this physically. Also it is very easy for any person, whether a man or a woman, short or tall, to climb up into the driver seat. There are two steps for doing so.
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John Deere celebrates 20 years in India with new tractor launch Sees double digit market share in India and also “significant growth” John Deere, a leading tractor manufacturer in India launched a new model of tractor 3028 EN on the occasion of completing 20 years of doing business in India. The tractor was launched in the presence of Satish Nadiger, Managing Director, John Deere India and the top management of the company. Nadiger stated that his company is expecting significant growth for its products in both the domestic as well as export markets. The company will soon be expanding its production capacities in India for not only tractors but also engines and transmissions. The new four-wheel-drive 3028 EN tractor launched by the company offers advanced technology and features suited for orchard and paddy farming. John Deere has been providing Indian farmers with technologically-advanced products that offer a wide range of farm solutions including tractors, harvesters and implements. The company’s journey in India began 20 years ago with the introduction of advanced product features such as power steering, oil immersed disk brakes, planetary
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ABOVE: Satish Nadiger, Managing Director, John Deere India
reduction, force feed lubrication and high torque machines, said Nadiger, pointing out that John Deere was the first to introduce these features in India and they have now become industry standard.
The tractor was launched at the company’s manufacturing plant in Pune, Maharashtra. The company has another tractor manufacturing plant in Dewas in Madhya Pradesh, besides a harvester manufacturing plant in
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Sirhind in Punjab. It also has an electronics system manufacturing plant and an engineering and technology centre in Pune , besides parts distribution centre in Nagpur in Maharashtra. It also has a captive finance company to provide financing solutions to John Deere customers. John Deere is part of the US 37 billion dollar Deere & Co. based in the United States. The Deere Group is more than 180 years old and is into products for agriculture, lawn and garden, construction, forestry, engines & drivelines, etc. Clocking a higher than the average industry growth, John Deere has been recording a growth of 34pc annually. It has a total production capacity of 132,000 tractor units at its two tractor manufacturing plants in the country, with Pune having a capacity of 72,000 units p.a and Dewas having a capacity of 60,000 units p.a. The company is the largest exporter of agricultural products out of India, exporting to 110 countries that include North America, South America, Brazil, Australia, Europe and Asia, among others. Though John Deere is only fifth in terms of market share in domestic sales in India, it is rapidly moving towards double digit market share and is just a shade behind players like Escorts and International Tractors Ltd. The biggest players in the Indian tractor industry are Mahindra & Mahindra, followed by Chennai based
Deere combine harvesters have created holistic farming solutions, he added.
ABOVE: John Deere India manufacturing plant in Pune, Maharashtra
TAFE. More than 80per cent of the tractors sold in India are in the range of 31 to 50hp. “We have sold more than 70,000 units of tractors in the domestic market this year and exported 24,000 units,” said Nadiger. He pointed out that today his company has more than 525 dealers with several branches, thereby creating more than a 1000 touch points which provide a host of services for their customers. The John Deere Technology Centre in Pune which employs more than 4,000 engineers provides services and solutions adding value in areas of product engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, IT solutions and customer support services to various John Deere businesses globally. Nadiger said product features such as perma-clutch, front PTO, power reverser, telematics and airconditioned cabin have been welcome features for customers. Adding ‘Green System’ farm implements and John
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WIRTGEN GROUP One additional item that strengthens John Deere’s presence in India is the 2017 acquisition of the Euros 3.5 billion Wirtgen Group, which has a factory in Pune. The Wirtgen Group is the world’s largest road construction company. This new acquisition will only be adding to the company revenues in the coming years. The Wirtgen Group products are sold under the brand names Wirtgen, Vogele, Hamm and Kleemann. Wirtgen branded products include cold milling machines for road construction, hot recyclers, and surface mining machines. The Vogele branded machines include slipform pavers from Mini class to highway class. There are also special class and powerfeeders from the Vogele stable. Hamm branded products include articulated tandem rollers, rubber wheeled rollers and different compactors. Kleemann branded products include crushers and screens for professional rock and stone processing, mobile jaw crushers, mobile impact crushers and many more. Thus, John Deere today has a massive presence in India with products that cater to farms as well as roads. The journey henceforth is now going to be exciting for this group and as Satish Nadiger says, “ this growth will be very significant”
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Argo Tractors, International Tractors Limited sign partnership agreement A partnership agreement has been officially signed between Argo Tractors, the Italian industrial Group manufacturer of Landini, McCormick and Valpadana brand tractors and International Tractors Limited, Indian manufacturer of Solis and Sonalika brand tractors. The agreement was signed in the presence of Valerio Morra, President of Argo Tractors and Deepak Mittal, Managing Director of International tractors. At the bottom of this strategic agreement will be the provision by ITL of six tractor models, between 45hp to 90hp, under the license of Landini and McCormick brands, exclusively intended to Low Regulation Countries. This agreement , says Valerio Morra, “marks the beginning
of our project with a long-term perspective, implementing for our Group a worldwide growth strategy, as outlined during the recent EIMA show in Bologna, always focusing on our main pillar, the tractor. The cooperation with the International Tractors Limited will grant us the complete product range offered to Low Regulation Countries adding a family of basic tractors totally complementary to our
product line-up. At the same time, we will provide, with our brands, the customary levels of distribution and high-quality after-sales service”. The strategic agreement was signed by Valerio Morra and Gaurav Saxena - President & CEO, International Tractors Limited, India. International Tractors Ltd. is an Indian full tractor manufacturing
company producing tractors in the range of 20HP to 120HP. It stands as the no.1 brand in four countries, as the 6th largest tractor manufacturer globally by volumes and is recognised in both domestic as well as international markets as a formidable player. It has established a state-of-the-art integrated tractor manufacturing plant, strategically located in Hoshiarpur, Punjab. Sonalika ITL has presence in more than 100 countries and has crossed 100,000 tractors sales globally last year. About 2000 plus dealers in the domestic and export markets and 6000 employees are the major strength of the group. ITL has overseas assembly facilities as well in Brazil, Turkey and Algeria besides the Indian production base.
Olectra-BYD electric bus eBuzz K9 starts trial for Delhi Government The State Government of Delhi has initiated the trials of zero emission and noise free OlectraBYD 12-metre electric bus eBuzz K9 with a 35+1 (Driver) seating capacity. The eBuzz K9 from Olectra-BYD was flagged off by the Transport Minister of Delhi Kailash Gahlot from Delhi Secretariat. These trials, which will be conducted for three months, will enable the authorities to evaluate the efficiency and competency of the buses in the standard road conditions of Delhi. Under an endeavor to promote
usage of zero-emission electric vehicles, the Delhi government aims to induct electric buses in the public transport system. According to a study from the World Health Organization, 9 out of every 10 people in the world breathe air that contains high levels of pollutants and kills 7 million people each year. It further highlighted that air pollution is mainly responsible for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), causing 24% of all adult deaths from heart disease, 25% from stroke, 43% from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 29% from lung cancer.
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eBuzz K9 model is driven by a lithium-ion iron phosphate battery providing running up to 300 kms on a single recharge. Olectra-BYD buses are designed and manufactured under a strategic tie-up between Olectra Greentech Ltd and BYD Auto Industry Co. Ltd, the world’s largest electric vehicle company.
Kerala proving its durability and ability to run on different terrains and traffic conditions. OlectraBYD buses have completed more than 5,00,000 kms on Indian roads and have reduced CO2 emissions up to 524 tonnes till now which would have required 2,619 trees instead.
The electric buses from Olectra-BYD have already been commercially running in Himachal Pradesh, Mumbai, Telangana and
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B2B NEWS
8th EV Expo 2018 concludes successfully with new launches Electric vehicle manufacturers like Goenka Electric Motors, Mahindra Electric, ETO Motors, Soni E-vehicle, Altius Technologies, Geekay E-Bicycles, HIM Technoforge, Thukral Electric Bikes, Champion Polyplast and others launched and showcased their latest electric vehicles at 8th EV Expo 2018 held in New Delhi from December 22 to 24, 2018. The show dedicated to electric vehicle technology concluded successfully at Pragati Maidan. The show witnessed a number of new launches- from advanced fast charging batteries, charging solutions and electric vehicles ranging from e-cycles to e-scooters/bikes, 3 wheelers and 4 wheelers. The expo witnessed a steady flow of visitors on all three days which saw the participation of around 150 national and international companies. Union Road Transport & Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the Expo on December 21 and unveiled a number of
ABOVE: Union Minister Anant Geete unveils e-rickshaw from Goenka Electric Motor Vehicles during the 8th EV Expo 2018 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi
electric-vehicles. Keto, a joint venture between India’s Eto Motors Pvt Ltd. and Hong Kong based Kyto Green Technologies, announced an investment of $10 million in India to manufacture electric-autorickshaws. Anant Geete, Minister of Heavy Industries unveiled an electric auto manufactured by Eto motors.
Goenka Electric Motors (GEM) showcased electric-bus from Olectra BYD and unveiled the crowd puller- a concept 3 wheeled electric all terrain bike (ATB) named ‘Sniper’. Mahindra Electric presented their range of electric-autos and e-cars. Altius Technologies unveiled technology to convert all kind of vehicles running on fossil fuels into electric-vehicles at about 15-20% cost of the new vehicle. The show also witnessed the launch of smart e-bicycles model X1 and Z1 by Ludhiana based GeeKay e-bicycles. Designed in Switzerland and made in India these manual and electrical e-bikes have a 250W motor and controller, LED Lights, key start, horn, gel batteries and covers 2540km in one charge. Another company, Soni E-vehicle launched 3 wheeled electric teavending e-carts fitted with LED TV, induction as well as gas cooking. Bosn of China showcased a small electric car. The economically priced e-car would cost around Rs 1.25 lakh and can seat four passengers. This vehicle was also a crowd puller at the show.
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B2B NEWS
Champion Polyplast launched an upgraded version of 4 wheeled 6-seater electric campus vehicle running on 110AH lithium ion battery and latest e-auto rickshaw under their brand ‘Saarthi’. New e-vehicles were launched by companies like HIM Technoforge, Thukral Electric, Speego Vehicles, Pubang ETRON, Autolite (India), AVAN Motors and Tejasgreen Automotive.
EVEXPO 2018 is supported by Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India, MSME, ICAT (International Centre for Automotive Technology), NSIC & PMKVY (Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna).
The show also saw the launch of latest smart e-vehicle charging solutions and batteries by Coslight India, IGR PHINIX & Okaya Power.
Anuj Sharma, Chairman E-rickshaw Committee, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said “We launched specially designed electric Tea/food vending carts to give shape to the vision of a young entrepreneur who plans to introduce around 100 of these e-carts across Delhi-NCR to give employment to around 200 jobless youth. This initiative is supported by Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojna and PMKVY (Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana). This gives an eco friendly option to vendors who are manually pulling carts to take advantage of these electric powered, pollution-free,
A full-day conference with the theme “Electric Vehicles- Sustainable Transformation of Indian Mobility” was also held during on the first day of the show. The conference was inaugurated by Babul Supriyo, Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Rajiv Arora, Organiser, 8th Ev Expo, 2018 said “This edition was around 40% bigger than our last show at same venue in 2017. Many announcements for big investments into e-vehicle industry were made and MoUs and JVs signed during the expo. We look forward to our next edition at Lucknow from May 24-26, 2019”.
ABOVE: Avan Motors showcased new models
comfortable and compact e-carts with gas burner as well as induction cooking and 32 inch LED TV for customers. The response received at the Expo was overwhelming” China had the highest number of foreign exhibitors with around 35 Chinese companies showcasing their E-Vehicle products. Prominent ones were Pubang Etron Electric Motor Pvt Ltd, Zhejiang Narada Power Source Co. Ltd. , CY International, Jiangsu Jintaibao Machinery Manufacturing Co. Ltd., etc
Ashok Leyland, Israel’s Elbit Systems sign MOU for high mobility vehicles Ashok Leyland has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Elbit Systems of Israel. As part of this agreement, Ashok Leyland will provide High Mobility vehicles (HMV) for mounting Elbit Systems’ artillery guns and systems. The integrated systems are targeted for worldwide export markets.
Ashok Leyland has expertise in design, manufacturing of logistic vehicles, combat support High Mobility Vehicles (HMV) and armoured vehicles for the defence forces. Elbit Systems, Israel, is a high technology company globally engaged in a range of defense areas including land
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systems, artillery systems and platforms, howitzers, mortars and ammunition. This collaboration will strengthen its defense business and provide an opportunity to export these integrated systems worldwide. Vinod K. Dasari, MD, Ashok Leyland, said, “Ashok Leyland is proud to be associated with
ELBIT Systems and we are certain this partnership will expand our reach globally. It underlines our capabilities of making and designing in India, for the world. This step is also in line with our strategy of increasing contribution from our Defence Business which will help us de-risk our overall business.”
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B2B NEWS
Cero is India’s first authorised recycler of vehicles Cero (Mahindra MSTC Recycling Pvt. Ltd.) has become India’s first authorised recycler for motor vehicles, having received accreditation by the Delhi Government on December 21, 2018. Cero, a joint venture between Mahindra Accelo and MSTC (a Government of India enterprise under the Ministry of Steel) has established India’s first organised, fully compliant, pollution free recycling facility at Greater Noida. The company is planning to start operations very soon at five other locations and subsequently across the country. End of Life vehicles are collected, depolluted and dismantled at this state of the art facility. The facility embraces a zero pollution objective, (hence the name Cero which means ‘Zero’ in Spanish), and the automated plant has the capacity to recycle old trucks, buses, cars, two / three wheelers and consumer durables. The Cero facility follows Environmental compliances ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and all international quality norms. Zhooben Bhiwandiwala, President – Mahindra Partners and Group Legal, Member
so in a responsible, environmentally compliant manner. This is where the services of an accredited recycler like Cero offers a complaint pollution free certification.
of the Group Executive Board, “This accreditation recognises Mahindra’s leadership commitment in addressing issues of sustainability by focusing on the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle principle. Cero aims to organise the end of life vehicle eco-system which is currently entirely unorganised & inefficient. Cero’s parent organisation, Mahindra Accelo, has already signed up for the Science Based targets Initiative launched at the Bonn Climate Conference in May 2018.”
Owners of old vehicles can now contact Cero for a seamless end to end experience supported by official certification. It handles the entire value chain from collection of the vehicle till its official de-registration at the RTO. The customer is issued an official certificate of destruction to ensure the vehicle / engine is not being used illegally. A customer can call Cero’s toll free number 1800-267-6000 or log on to http://www.cerorecyling.com/ and register an inquiry. Once an enquiry is registered, the entire process is handled by the Cero team. Customers get fairly compensated for the salvage value of the vehicle. One can also choose to donate one’s vehicle, with the proceeds being contributed to the Nanhi Kali programme of the Mahindra Foundation. An official 80G certificate for tax exemption will be issued to the owner.
There are an estimated 40 lakh vehicles which have been deregistered by the Delhi Transport Department and cannot legally ply in Delhi. Scrapping of old vehicles leads to recovery of many metals, especially steel which makes up 65-70% of a vehicle. Organised steel recovery will significantly reduce the country’s dependence on imported steel scrap. Sumit Issar, Managing Director, Mahindra Accelo, “Large urban cities like Delhi are facing serious health hazards due to old polluting vehicles that are on the roads. Citizens who want to dispose their vehicles have extremely limited options for doing
Picture for representation purpose only.
The growing trajectory of vehicles in the market, many of which are old and unsuitable for roads, is one of the key causes of ever rising pollution levels. A 15 year old passenger car is responsible for polluting air 8 times more than a new one, and a 15 year old truck is responsible for polluting air 10 times more than a new one. The National Green tribunal (NGT) had prohibited the plying of 15-year-old petrol and 10-year-old diesel vehicles in Delhi-NCR, and the transport department had announced that such vehicles will be impounded if found violating the rile. Describing the pollution situation as “very critical”, the Supreme Court too had directed the transport department to publish a list of such vehicles on its portal.
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JANUARY 2019 | MOTOWN INDIA | 59
B2B NEWS
Mahindra’s Igatpuri Plant Is India’s first carbon neutral facility The Mahindra Group took a big step forward in its commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2040, with its Igatpuri manufacturing plant recently becoming India’s first carbon neutral manufacturing facility. This was certified by Bureau Veritas (India) Pvt. Ltd. a global leader in Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC). Mahindra & Mahindra was the first company in the world to commit to doubling its energy productivity by 2030, signing on to The Climate Group’s EP100 programme. Using energy efficient lighting, efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), motors
and heat recovery projects, M&M has doubled the energy productivity of its automotive business almost 12 years ahead of schedule. Mahindra was also the first Indian company to announce its internal Carbon Price of $10 per ton of carbon emitted to fund investments required to pursue the path of carbon neutrality. The price was carefully arrived at based on international benchmarks and an assessment of what was required to achieve the goals set by the business on energy efficiency and renewable energy. The company has over 10
Mahindra Electric, SmartE enter into strategic partnership
Mahindra Electric Mobility Ltd has signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) to drive electric mobility forward in India. Under the MoU, SmartE will introduce the first 1,000 Mahindra Treo and Treo Yaari electric three wheelers in Delhi-NCR by March 2019. The company also plans to deploy a total of 10,000 Mahindra electric three-wheelers across the country by 2020. The MoU was signed by Mahesh Babu, CEO, Mahindra Electric and Goldie Srivastava, CoFounder and CEO, SmartE, in New Delhi. The two leading companies in the electric mobility market have come together, to offer convenient, affordable and zero-emission lastmile connectivity, not just for the NCR region but also for major cities around the country.
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years of experience in creating carbon sinks which has helped it to achieve this goal. M&M will be working on its carbon neutrality commitment with the international non-profit organization Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), which works with leading companies to raise the bar for corporate sustainability leadership. It will continue to work with EDF and other leading partners as it implements actions towards achieving carbon neutrality. M&M is also a
signatory of the Science Based Targets initiative which provides companies with a clear pathway for reducing emissions in line with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C above preindustrial levels. All these commitments are helping the company on its path toward carbon neutrality.
Mahindra First Choice Services buys key assets of Carnation Auto Mahindra First Choice Services (MFC Services) has entered into an asset acquisition agreement with the official liquidator of Carnation Auto (India) Pvt. Ltd. (CAPL). As a result, MFC Services will acquire key assets of Carnation’s car-servicing business including the trademark ‘Carnation’, its website, software licenses and Carnation’s workshop network. It will also drive MFC Services strategic vision of organising the unorganised Indian automotive aftermarket industry. Carnation Auto was started by Jagdish Khattar, the erstwhile Managing Director of Maruti Udyog Ltd (now Maruti Suzuki). The company aimed to develop India’s largest independent multi-brand automobile sales and service network. Carnation Auto raised its first round of funding of Rs 108 crore from Premji Invest and IFCI Ventures. It also received a loan of Rs 170 crore from Punjab National Bank for executing the nation-wide rollout
of its multi-brand auto solution hubs. But despite the best of Khattar and his son Kunal Khattar’s efforts, the company failed to turn around and slipped into massive losses. Khattar and his team were then left with no option but to liquidate his company. Rajeev Dubey, Group President (HR & Corporate Services) CEO (After-Market Sector) said, “This strategic acquisition will strengthen Mahindra First Choice Services’ business and its leadership position in the Indian automotive aftermarket industry. It will also bring new growth opportunities, thanks to synergies between the two brands, and expanded access to new institutional customers including insurance companies and fleets.”
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B2B NEWS
ICAT releases certification with high security features International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) has launched a new ICAT certification with high security features. This is a first of its kind initiative taken by any automotive certification agency in India for enhancing the security of the CMVR certificates which includes Type Approval Certificates (TAC) and Conformity of Production (COP) Certificates for vehicles, engines and components. The new ICAT certificate format consists of nine new and unique security features incorporated in the certificate. The most important security feature is the paper itself on which the certificate is to be printed as it is a special paper which is made especially according to ICAT’s specific requirements. The unique features in the certificate include High security paper, Printing
using the ultraviolet ink, Troymark, Microprint, Pantograph, Reverse Pantograph, Secure code, Print code and Digitally printed stamp and seal of ICAT. While some of the security features are generic in nature (i.e. same for all the certificates), the other features are specific for each certificate i.e. the contents or the information covered through these features will be specific for that particular certificate. Another distinction
is that some of the features are visible only through ultraviolet light. The certificates will be printed using special printers which have been imported by ICAT for this very purpose. With the new high security features it will become difficult to forge or counterfeit the ICAT certificate. The new Icat certificate format was released in the presence of Priyank Bharti, Joint Secretary, MORTH Neeti Sarkar, CEO, NATRiP
Implementation Society, K C Sharma, Advisor, MORTH, Dinesh Tyagi, Director, ICAT and Pamela Tikku, Senior General Manager, ICAT released a new ICAT certificate format. The event was attended by officials of SIAM, ACMA, several OEMs including Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen, Honda Cars, Mahindra, Tata Motors, etc., and component manufacturers including Denso. ICAT is the premier certification agency authorised by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) for providing testing and certification services to the vehicle and component manufacturers situated within India and abroad. In addition to the certification services, ICAT is providing extensive testing services for product development and validation.
International Passive Safety Seminar calls for road safety amid safe vehicles The 2nd International Passive Safety Seminar (iPASS-2018) was conducted at ICAT, Manesar on December 13 and 14, 2018. The theme of the seminar was “Safe Vehicle, Safe Life”. The seminar aimed to spread the awareness about vehicle safety requirement and related technologies amongst the automotive industry, government, OEMs and vehicle users. The event saw the presence of Chief Guest Neeti Sarkar (CEO & PD, NATRiP) and guests of honour CV Raman (Executive DirectorR&D, Maruti Suzuki), Velusamy R (Sr. Vice President, Mahindra & Mahindra), Akira Nakamura (CEO, AISIN Group), Mitsuhiro Nawashiro (MD, Toyoda Gosei),
DineshTyagi (Director-ICAT) and S.K.Kalia (CBO-ICAT Centre-2). Neeti Sarkar remarked that “There are multiple changes that are coming at the Indian automotive industry. There is a need for design engineers to be cognizant of the requirements of the Indian conditions and to design the vehicles accordingly, in order to meet the overall objective of the safety on the Indian roads.” Dinesh Tyagi, Director-ICAT, observed that “In India, as
we loom on the cusp of ever changing technologies, we must understand the challenges of today and turn them into the opportunities of tomorrow. Safety is not about protecting dummies, but about saving lives of people. We are now focusing on safety for the right reasons. It is not only a regulatory issue, or a cost issue, or a legal issue rather it is an issue about people saving people’s lives.” Around 150 delegates from across the country attended
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this seminar. Participation was received from different OEMs like Maruti Suzuki, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Volkswagen, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, JBM, Hyundai Motors etc. A huge response from component industry was also witnessed with participation from Toyoda Gosei, Joyson Safety, AISIN, Autoliv, Bharat Seats, Krishna Maruti, Denso etc. IPASS 2018 will help to promote the awareness about the need of passive safety technologies required in a vehicle in order to keep the occupants and pedestrian safe. The seminar focused on the accident data of India and different type of injuries and fatalities that occur in such accidents every day.
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B2B NEWS
Magenta Power, HPCL set up EV charging station at HPCL Staff Colony in Mumbai Magenta Power, a pioneer in renewable energy solutions and EV charging infrastructure space in India, has added another feather in its cap by installing an EV charging station “ChargeGrid” at the HPCL staff colony (HP Nagar East Housing Complex) in Chembur, Mumbai. HP Nagar East Housing Complex in Chembur, Mumbai is a Platinum rated residential complex and is the first PSU Colony across the nation to be certified as a green colony by Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). The colony has undertaken various sustainability development initiatives like Rooftop Solar Power Plant, Solar Water Heaters, Rain Water Harvesting, Organic Waste Converter, Energy Efficient Lighting etc. As a further commitment towards the Go Green and zero emission initiative, the colony has installed EV charging station within its premises in collaboration with Magenta Power. The charging station shall be connected and operated via Magenta’s ‘ChargeGrid App’ which shall allow cashless transactions and remote monitoring for the EV users. ChargeGrid App provides an integrated platform for viewing network of charging stations. The charger installed by Magenta Power shall have the ability to charge up to 3 electric vehicles at a time. It comes with an easy to use built-in touch screen feature so the users can conveniently charge without much hassle. The idea is to make charging experience as seamless as possible.
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Steelbird all set to roll out new BIS Standard (IS 4151:2015) helmets Asia’s largest helmet manufacturer Steelbird Hi-Tech India has announced that it has become the very first helmet brand in India to receive certifications and approvals for its products and facilities to meet the new BIS standard for helmets i.e. IS 4151:2015. Steelbird has already upgraded its manufacturing facilities , labs and designs to meet the requirements of new standard which will be in force from January 15, 2019. It has received prerequisite certifications and all Steelbird helmets are being produced as per the new guidelines. The new helmet standards IS 4151:2015 will replace the existing IS 4151:1993. This is a welcoming step in a bid to improve safety levels and curb poor quality helmet sales. Under the new standard, helmet manufacturers have to ensure good quality of four parts of the helmets which are shell, expanded polystyrene (EPS), chin straps and visor. The transport ministry has also announced that the sale of non-ISI standard helmets will now be treated as an offense, while the new helmets will be specified as two-wheeler helmets meant
for motorcyclists. Furthermore, the new guidelines issued by the transport ministry have revised the rules for testing the new motorcycle helmets. The impact absorption test has been modified with number of additional impact points. The tests now include the front impact test under various conditions of temperature and humidity. There will be new tests added to stimulate the abrasion of the helmet during an accident and the effectiveness of the retention system. There will also be an additional micro-slip test and abrasion test for the chin strip added. Another test for the retention system’s quick release mechanism has been added under the new guidelines. This standard specifies requirements for materials, construction, workmanship, finish and performance for protective helmet (with or without lower face cover) for everyday use by two wheeler riders. The helmets covered by this standard are not intended for high-speed competitive events. The standard specifies helmets of the sizes 500 mm, 520 mm, 540 mm, 560 mm, 570 mm, 580 mm, 600 mm and 620 mm. to match the head forms.
Advik Group conducts groundbreaking ceremony for its 9th plant Advik Hi-Tech, a leading global automotive component manufacturer signaled the expansion of its global production network with the groundbreaking ceremony for its 9th plant and its 3rd in Pune. With this addition, the Advik Group now comprises of 9 production facilities spread across India, Indonesia, & Vietnam. The ceremony was held at the site of its new plant, adjacent to one of the company’s existing manufacturing facilities. The company will be investing Rs. 85 crore to build the new facility which will comprise manufacturing, assembling and testing facilities, creating more than 300 new jobs. The new plant spanning an initial 10000 Sq. meters is expected to be operational by August 2019, bringing the
total production floor space in Pune to 20000 sq. meters. The state of the art plant is designed with standardized lean processes combining energy efficient design, responsible water management, and user comfort to reduce the impact on the environment. The company has already started recruitment in manufacturing and related operations including production, engineering, logistics, and quality. Advik Hi-Tech is already the world leader in the manufacturing of oil pumps in the 2-wheeler & 4-wheeler segment along with water pump, tensioners and CBS - Combined Braking System, serving leading global OEMs like Baja Auto, Ducati Motor, Force Motors, Harley Davidson, Hero MotoCorp., HMSI, Kawasaki etc.
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B2B NEWS
TVS Tyres launches two new scooter tyre patterns TVS Tyres, one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of two & three wheeler tyres and off-highway tyres in India, announced the launch of two new scooter tyre patterns ‘Jumbo-XT’ and ‘Pancer-II’ across the country. Jumbo-XT has been designed with cutting-edge technology and has a new bold, rugged block type tread design which provides excellent grip. The tyre also features a unique parallel groove design, which helps in expelling water quickly and provide better grip in wet conditions. To provide better grip while cornering, Jumbo-XT has a rounded shoulder profile.
Pancer-II features a new aligned block type design and groove channels, which improves stability, delivering firm grip in wet as well as dry conditions while improving the overall mileage. The pattern has been designed to enhance
TVS Motor Company rolls out 50,000th unit of the BMW 310cc series motorcycle TVS Motor Company has rolled out the 50,000 unit of the BMW 310cc motorcycle. The motorcycle was rolled out from the Hosur plant of the company in the presence of Dr. Markus Schramm, Head of BMW Motorrad, and KN Radhakrishnan, Director & CEO, TVS Motor Company. In April 2013, TVS Motor Company and BMW Motorrad signed a long-term strategic partnership to manufacture sub-500cc motorcycles for the globe. This collaboration has resulted in the launch of three products on the 310cc platform namely BMW G 310 R, BMW 310 GS and TVS Motor Company’s TVS Apache RR 310.
water dispersion quickly enabling better riding during wet conditions. P. Vijayaraghavan, Director, TVS Srichakra Ltd, said, “We are proud to announce the launch of Jumbo-XT and Pancer-II scooter tyre
patterns. We believe the scooter segment in India is one of the primary drivers of growth in the domestic two-wheeler market and has witnessed a strong demand in the urban, semi-urban and rural areas across the country. Jumbo-XT and Pancer-II are technologically superior products with highest quality standards and have been tested rigorously to suit the varying road conditions.” Both Jumbo-XT and PancerII will be available in 90/100 -10 53J TL sizes. The new scooter tyre patterns will be widely available across all cities and towns in the country.
Apollo Tyres expands range of Manchester United branded tyres Taking forward its association with Manchester United Football Club, and with the increasing demand for the Apollo – Manchester United dual branded tyres from customers and business partners, Apollo Tyres has introduced five additional sizes of these tyres for the Indian market. Considering the increased demand from Manchester United fans across geographies, the company is also looking at extending the dual branded tyres for premium motorcycles as well. The new tyre sizes were unveiled by Manchester United Legends’ Wes Brown and Dwight Yorke, along with P K Mohamed, Chief Advisor, R&D, Apollo Tyres Ltd at the Chennaiyin FC training ground in Chennai. Apollo Tyres is also the principal sponsor of the Indian Super League (ISL) team from Chennai, Chennaiyin FC. The chosen sizes, are the ones which are very popular in India,
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covering a wide range of vehicle fitment. The company believes that consumers in this segment have a higher affinity towards football, and especially Manchester United. Developed at Apollo Tyres’ Global R&D Centre in Enschede, The Netherlands, these dual branded tyres will be produced in India for Man Utd fans. The dual branded limited edition tyres will be available in select sizes from Apollo’s existing Alnac 4G and Apterra range. These tyres have a modern and sporty tread pattern that is designed for superior handling in wet and dry conditions; shorter braking distance and low noise. The unique mix of compound ensures maximum traction and shorter braking distances on wet and dry surfaces. These tyres have been extensively tested at leading global test tracks such as IDIADA, Spain and ATP Papenburg, Germany, demonstrating excellent results.
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B2B NEWS
First Nissan Global Digital Hub inaugurated in India The first Nissan Global Digital Hub at Technopark was inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the presence of K.J. Alphons - Minister of State for Tourism, Kenji Hiramatsu - Japanese Ambassador to India, Shashi Tharoor – MP, Thiruvananthapuram and Tony Thomas, Chief Information Officer of Nissan. Inaugurating the facility, Pinarayi Vijayan said, “Nissan coming to Thiruvananthapuram marks the beginning of a new era for Kerala IT. We will do our best to ensure Kerala proves to be Nissan’s second home after Japan.” The state of the art facility located in Kerala’s IT hub, Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram will be the first of kind in a number of software and information technology development centers in Asia, Europe North America and Latin America. These centres will drive digital transformation
for Nissan’s business by placing digital technology at the heart of key operations and services. The hub in Thiruvananthapuram will allow Nissan to provide application portfolio
management, best-in-class user experiences, product development capabilities, data science, cyber security and connectivity as the automotive industry evolves, with growing use of autonomous, connected and electric vehicle technology.
Kia Motors India, AP Govt sign MoU to drive future eco mobility Kia Motors India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state of Andhra Pradesh to collaborate on the ‘Partnership for Future Eco Mobility’, The partnership reinforces Kia’s commitment to support the Andhra Pradesh government in growing the uptake of electric vehicles (EV) and the development of a local EV infrastructure.
car – a Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid and a Niro EV. Kia is also installing a vehicle charging station at Vijayawada, for representatives from the regional government to charge their new environmentally-friendly fleet.
The memorandum was signed in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Kookhyun Shim, Managing Director and CEO of Kia Motors India. As part of the agreement, Kia Motors has provided the government with three examples of its global bestselling eco
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The partnership signifies Kia’s long-term commitment to build eco-friendly vehicles at its new Anantapur plant in Andhra Pradesh, an important step for the future of clean mobility in the rapidly expanding Indian market.
The Andhra Pradesh government is developing 14 ‘smart cities’, enhancing the lives of residents and enabling businesses to optimize their resources. As part of Kia’s commitment to the market, the Korean brand is working with the regional government to design a new generation of transportation systems that best serve the citizens in each of these cities. This is part of a wider plan by Kia to offer alternative mobility within the Indian market. “Future mobility will be defined by connected and sustainable technologies that play an important role in bringing customer lifestyles and what’s good for the environment together,” said Kookhyun Shim.
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B2B NEWS
India’s Eco Rent a Car partners with Europcar in global foray French car rental company Europcar Mobility Group announced its new strategic partnership with ECO Rent a Car in India. With this partnership, both ECO and Europcar customers will benefit from a consistent high quality service worldwide. ECO customers will be now be able to access Europcar’s global car rental services directly from ECO website: www. ecorentacar.com. In the same way, Europcar customers will have access to ECO’s premium services through Europcar’s website www.europcar.com and will be able to either rent a car, or book a chauffeur driven service in India. This new partnership will enable Eco Rent
a Car to offer a global quality of service in India with their self drive and chauffeur driven products under the aegis of a global brand. For this Eco will be making various technology and service enhancements to its current product. At the same time Eco customers will also see the comfort and familiarity of the Eco brand embedded in over 3700 rental stations in over 130 countries across the glob.
Hero Electric raises `160 crore from Alpha Capital Advisors Hero Electric, the country’s largest electric two-wheeler manufacturer, announced it has raised Rs 160 crore from Alpha Capital Advisors, a Mumbai-based investment management firm. With this investment, Alpha Capital Advisors get a significant minority stake in the automaker. The year 2018 has been important for
Hero Electric, as the company unveiled a line-up of its global products in India and transitioned its entire product portfolio to lithium-ion battery-powered two-wheelers. It now plans to launch more key products in a phased manner. To achieve the vision of exponential growth and double sales every year, the company plans to make significant additions to its manufacturing capacity by setting up multiple plants over the next five years. It will also focus on India-centric, flexible and cost-effective innovations that will drive the growth of electric mobility. Over the past decade, Hero Electric has launched 15 electric two-wheelers in India. With 45% share of the country’s electric two-wheeler market, the company leads India’s electric mobility revolution.
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Drivezy to roll out 10,000 bikes, creating largest vehicle sharing fleet in India Bangalore-based vehicle sharing marketplace, Drivezy, announced that it has added 10,000 bikes onto the platform. The company will launch the bikes across Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mysore, Mangalore and Manipal. Founded in 2015, the company offers car, motorcycle and scooter sharing services across nine cities in India. It recently announced a US $ 20 million Series B funding and a $ 100M (Rs 716 crore approx.) asset financing deal with Anypay, under which the company will induct over 50,000 vehicles. Over the last one year, Drivezy has enlisted more than 4,000 two-wheelers in a bid to increase their footprint across the nation. The induction of the new fleet will bolster the company’s position as the market leader in the growing Indian vehicle sharing segment. Customers can rent vehicles from Drivezy on hourly, daily or monthly basis. With the addition of the new fleet, the company plans to launch a one-way two-wheeler rental service, that will allow customers to rent a scooter or a motorcycle from a location and drop it any other company location as per their convenience. Unlike the conventional roundtrip rental services, one-way rentals will absolve the customer from returning the vehicle at the point of origin. This will provide a greater degree of convenience and flexibility. This will allow customers to travel at half the price of cabs and offer economical options for last-mile connectivity across India. The company is aggressively scaling its bike and scooter rental divisions which have added 3,000 scooters in Bangalore and Hyderabad this year under a partnership with Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. Additionally, Drivezy has partnered with Oyo and Ola in Hyderabad and is looking at similar partnerships in the near future to expand the bike and car rental space.
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B2B NEWS
Maruti Suzuki inaugurates Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Manesar In a bid to enhance employability of youth, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, has undertaken various skill development initiatives under its CSR programme, the latest being the inauguration of a Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Government Polytechnic, Manesar in Haryana. Set up in collaboration with Government of Haryana, the CoE will be used to train and improve the level of technical education of polytechnic students in the state and effectively contribute to Skill India initiative. The state-of-the-art CoE is equipped with latest equipment and training tools. Facilities like Maruti Suzuki Basic training Lab, Safety
Lab, and Finishing Schools for Weld/Paint/ Assembly, Simulation workshop, Robotics Lab, AutoCAD (CAD/CAM/CAE) Lab, Electropneumatics Lab and Smart class rooms will be used to impart practical training. The facility is expected to benefit over 5,000 polytechnic students annually. It will serve as a training centre for students from Government Polytechnic, Manesar as well as students
Volkswagen concludes fifth season of skill development programme – Sarvottam Volkswagen India concluded its Fifth Season of ‘Sarvottam: Hunt for Champions’, an annual skill development programme. Started in 2012-2013 as RQWC-Retail Qualification World Championship, the programme aims to further invest in enhancing the skill sets of its dealership employees across Volkswagen network in India. This Season awarded a total of 24 finalists that participated under eight different categories such as - sales consultants, service advisors, lead CR Sales, lead CR Service, parts manager, master technician, body and paint technician.
from other polytechnics across the state and shop floor employees from automobile/auto component industry.
Honda Cars India signs MoU with ASDC Honda Cars India Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Automotive Skill Development Council (ASDC) for accreditation of its premier training centre - Honda Vocational Training Institute (HVTI) in Tapukara, Alwar district, Rajasthan. The MoU was signed by Praveen Paranjape, Sr VP and Director (General Affairs), HCIL and Nikunj Sanghi, Chairman of ASDC. HVTI is Honda’s state of the art technical training centre was set up in October 2011 to develop skilled manpower equipped with automobile specific methodologies and create job opportunities for 12th Grade Pass out and ITI students. The accreditation from ASDC will enable HVTI to develop and impart vocational training to the youth using a curriculum and protocol preset by ASDC. All the trainees passing out from HVTI will benefit through the ASDC certified course which will further increase their future job prospects.
The Sarvottam Skill contest witnessed a total participation of 1500+ Volkswagen dealership employees across its network in India. The entries were further filtered from the online round to the regional round wherein 288 champions were identified to participate at the zonal round. Post competing in the rigorous competition, 72 contestants emerged eligible to compete for the coveted winner’s trophy that was hosted at the Volkswagen training academy in Chakan, Pune. The winners were awarded by Steffen Knapp, Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars at the Sarvottam National Conference in Mumbai.
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TECHNOLOGY
Concept car A48V from SEG Automotive, FEV Driving dynamically or driving efficiently? This does not need to be a contradiction anymore, thanks to the new concept vehicle A48V from the development service supplier FEV and automotive supplier SEG Automotive. Through 48V mild hybridization powered by the Boost Recuperation Machine (BRM) from SEG Automotive, driving not only becomes more enjoyable and fun, but also more efficient. “48V mild hybridisation offers great potential to increase the efficiency of conventional powertrains. For this purpose, a powerful 48V belt starter generator, in this case the BRM from SEG Automotive, replaces the conventional 12V generator. This requires only minor modifications of the powertrain and therefore entails comparatively low costs. The 48V BRM enables hybrid functions such as brake energy recovery (recuperation), electrical torque support, load point optimization and particularly smooth start/ stop engine starts. In addition, the increased electrical power enables the use of power hungry consumers or safety features. All the while the BRM from SEG Automotive significantly reduces CO2 emissions, helping the OEMs to reach the targets of CAFE norms mandated by Indian government� states Anil Kumar M R, Managing Director, SEG Automotive India Private Limited.
and immediately restarted and reengaged into the powertrain. In real operation, the BRM saves up to 15 percent fuel and to the same degree CO2.
to significantly improve responsiveness, efficiency and comfort. The use of the BRM from SEG Automotive is beneficial in two respects. It improves the response time of the fourcylinder engine significantly and at the same time decreases fuel consumption. With the aid of the electric compressor, the maximum torque of the combustion engine is reached at just 1600 rpm - 650 rpm earlier than in a standard AMG A45 vehicle. In addition, the boost function of the BRM provides additional torque to the combustion engine. This results in a significantly improved response of the engine and an even more intense acceleration experience. This is particularly noticeable driving off after a stop or at low rpms. At the same time, the BRM enables extremely comfortable start/ stop functionality. The high torque capacity of the BRM ensures an almost immediate engine start, which effectively avoids comfort-
impairing resonances, which can occur with conventional 12V start/stop systems. The BRM also makes a significant contribution to increasing efficiency. Upon braking, part of the kinetic energy is recovered and stored in the 48V battery. The coasting function opens up further potential: During coasting phases, the combustion engine is decoupled from the transmission and switched off. As a result, the vehicle can maintain kinetic energy and coast for longer by avoiding the friction losses of the combustion engine. When the driver wants to accelerate, the combustion engine is smoothly
In another cooperation project between FEV, SEG Automotive and the Chair of Internal Combustion Engines at RWTH Aachen University, the coasting function was further optimized by a predictive recuperation function. For this purpose, a camerabased sensor system detects the vehicles travelling ahead of the car. As the driver takes his foot off the accelerator, a prediction algorithm calculates whether it makes sense to switch into coasting mode or whether deceleration is necessary in order to avoid tailgating. The BRM automatically regulates the degree of deceleration so that the mechanical brake system is not required. This increases comfort, as the driver does not have to intervene and it raises the amount of energy recovered, which has again a positive effect on fuel consumption. The predictive coasting and recuperation strategy is a prime example of how the efficiency of the powertrain can be significantly increased by intelligent software functions.
The concept vehicle, which FEV developed in cooperation with SEG Automotive and the Chair of Internal Combustion Engines at RWTH Aachen University, uses a 48V BRM in combination with an electric compressor
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JANUARY 2019 | MOTOWN INDIA | 67
TECHNOLOGY
Hyundai Motor reveals world’s first smart fingerprint technology Hyundai Motor Company has announced the world’s first smart fingerprint technology that allows drivers to not only unlock doors but also start the vehicle. Hyundai plans to implement the technology initially in Santa Fe SUV model that is to be released in select markets on the first quarter of 2019. To unlock the vehicle, the driver needs to place a finger on the sensor located on the door handle. The encrypted fingerprint information will be identified and delivered to the fingerprint controller inside the vehicle. The driver can also easily start the vehicle by touching the ignition that is also equipped with a fingerprint scanning sensor. The technology also provides a customised driving environment. Matching information of driver preference with fingerprint data, the vehicle automatically adjusts seating positions, connected car features, and side-view mirror angles according to the driver. “In the future, Hyundai Motor plans to further
expand the application of the technology to allow the adjustment of temperature, steering wheel position, and many other features which will be tailored to driver’s preferences” said Albert Biermann, President and Head of Research & Development Division of the Hyundai Motor Company, adding that “This will ultimately offer quality driving experience to each and every Hyundai customer.” Hyundai also addressed the security issues on the smart fingerprint technology. With capacitance recognition, which detects differentials in the electricity level in various parts of the fingertip, the fingerprint technology efficiently prevents forgeries and fake finger prints. The technology’s chance of misrecognising other person’s finger print as the driver’s is only 1 in 50,000 making it five times more effective than conventional vehicle keys, including smart keys. Moreover, through real-time learning of fingerprints supported by ‘dynamic update’ system, the fingerprint system can continually improve its success rate. Hyundai will apply the fingerprint technology in select markets and gradually expand to the other markets. Hyundai Motor also plans to continue to implement other customisable technologies to vehicle lineup, to strengthen technological leadership in the future mobility market.
68 | MOTOWN INDIA | JANUARY 2019
ExxonMobil’s breakthrough Mobil SHC Elite technology ExxonMobil has launched Mobil SHC Elite, a breakthrough synthetic gear and bearing circulating oil that is specifically engineered to deliver long lasting protection for machines operating under extreme temperatures in industries such as general manufacturing, metals, energy, and pulp and paper. Extensive testing shows that Mobil SHC Elite can deliver 12 times the oil life of mineral oils and double the oil life of Mobil SHC 600 synthetic oils in continuous operating temperatures as high as 130°C (266°F), potentially replacing glycol-based lubricants in high temperature systems. This helps reduce the potential risk of mixing glycol-based products with incompatible mineral oils and most synthetic lubricants. The oil also protects equipment during intermittent temperature spikes of up to 150°C (302°F) and provides up to a 3.6% energy efficiency benefit versus mineral oils.
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TECHNOLOGY
BorgWarner eco friendly solutions at EV Japan 2019 in Tokyo BorgWarner will be showcasing showcase its advanced environmentally friendly solutions for electric vehicles at the EV Japan 2019, a leading exhibition for electric (EV) and hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) technologies. The company will display its efficient technologies from January 16 to 18, 2019. BorgWarner’s on-site portfolio covers both light and commercial vehicles and includes the company’s advanced technologies, such as the integrated drive module (iDM), highly efficient P2 hybrid modules and thermal management components such as the company’s battery and cabin heater solutions. “The electrification of propulsion systems is on the rise – not only in Japan, but globally,” said Scott Gallett, Vice President, Marketing, Public Relations and Government Affairs, BorgWarner, adding that “During this year’s EV Japan, we can demonstrate our extensive
know-how and showcase our competitive, efficient products as part of our vision of a cleaner and more energy-efficient world.” One of BorgWarner’s exhibition highlights is the iDM: available in three different size versions (iDM XS, iDM S and iDM M), this all-in-one propulsion solution combines integrated power electronics, efficient bar wound stator technology and a powerful transmission system. Visitors can also take a look at
BorgWarner’s P2 on-axis hybrid module. This easy-to-install technology places the electric motor directly between the internal combustion engine and the transmission and is able to convert a combustionpowered vehicle into a hybrid vehicle without the necessity of changing the transmission or engine.
As thermal management for EVs and HEVs is also a major challenge, BorgWarner is displaying its battery and cabin heater families on site
– including the High-Voltage Coolant Heater(HVCH), whose fast response time allows optimal battery and cabin temperature management. The company also offers a number of technologies for commercial vehicle electrification, for example its HVH electric motors. With their series-capable stator winding technology, the HVH electric motors deliver superior performance and an efficiency of more than 95 %. BorgWarner is also exhibiting its continuously variable transmission (CVT) chains, which offer high torque capacity and the flexibility to provide a wide range of drive ratios alongside highefficiency performance for improved fuel economy. Also on display: the eBooster electrically driven compressor, which supports the current 48volt electrification trend. This technology works independently of the exhaust gas flow, provides improved acceleration time and virtually eliminates turbo lag.
TOP LEVEL CHANGES IN MOTOWN MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA LTD has appointed MANOJ CHUGH as its President-Group Public Affairs & Member of the Group Executive Board with effect from January 1, 2019. Chugh was President- Enterprise Business, Tech Mahindra Limited, and he takes over this new role from S Ramkrishna who has retired from the company. An ICT industry veteran, over the last 36 years Chugh has managed and led businesses across the Hi-Tech & IT Services domains. His experience spans diverse business segments including Systems Integration, Satellite Communications, Networking, Information Infrastructure and Global IT Services. BIJU BALENDRAN is now the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RENAULT NISSAN AUTOMOTIVE INDIA (RNAIPL). Balendran replaces Colin MacDonald, the outgoing MD & CEO, RNAIPL. After successful completion of his tenure at RNAIPL, Colin MacDonald will move on to a new role based in Europe. Sambath Kumar has been appointed as the Chief Finance Officer (CFO) for Nissan India Operations. Balendran will be responsible for all the manufacturing operations of the Renault-Nissan Alliance factory at Oragadam, Chennai, while Kumar will lead finance for Nissan India Operations.
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JANUARY 2019 | MOTOWN INDIA | 69
At the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, we had a choice whether to get a kick out of para motoring in the skies or driving a Nissan Kicks on the ground. The choice was obvious! For a first drive report turn to page 18. Photography: Afsar Baig.
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Explore the backwaters of Kerala
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Experience motorised fun without wheels
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