Motown India June 2019

MOTOWN INDIA Vol 9 / Issue 9 JUNE 2019

VOL-9 • ISSUE-9 • JUNE 2019 • `300/-

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INDIA

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FIRST DRIVE

HYUNDAI VENUE

compact, connected & peppy

RNI No DEL ENG/2010/34562

FIRST DRIVE MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS

B2B SECTION

FIRST RIDE HONDA CB300R

TRACK TEST REVIEW TVS RR 310 SLIPPER CLUTCH

VOLVO CAR GROUP SIGNS MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR BATTERY SUPPLY DEALS WITH CATL, LG CHEM | JLR’S SENSORY STEERING HELPS KEEP DRIVERS’ EYES ON THE ROAD

Artwork created by MPPL team

Kerala beckons!

WWW.KERALAHOUSEBOATONLINE.COM For bookings call: +91- 9895809251

CONTE NTS VOL 9 | ISSUE 09 | JUNE 2019

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 Social Media Incharge: Aarti Sinha Social Media Correspondents: Tapash, Inder ---------------------------------------------------------------------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 155/9, Ground Floor, Kishangarh, 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.

----------------------------------------------------------------------This issue of Motown India magazine contains 52 pages including both covers.

----------------------------------------------------------------------EDITORIAL ADVISORS Alexander T. & Annie Jacob

B 2C S E CTI ON

08

CAR NEWS: MINI John Cooper Works

Hatch launched at `43.50 lakh

12

BIKE NEWS: All-new

BMW F 850 GS Adventure launched at `15.40 lakh

14 WHEELZ & ROADZ: Hyundai Venue - Very Compact, Connected & Peppy

18

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WHEELZ & ROADZ: MINI John Cooper Works - The works!

4 | MOTOWN INDIA | JUNE 2019

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22

LATEST/MOTOWNINDIA VIDEOS LATEST V IDEOS

WHEELZ & ROADZ: Honda CB300R - A Little Storm HYUNDAI VENUE - FIRST DRIVE

B 2 B S E CTI O N

39

48 TVS APACHE RR 310 SLIPPER CLUTCH - TRACK TEST REVIEW

B2B NEWS: Volvo Car

Group signs multi-billion dollar battery supply deals with CATL, LG Chem

CV NEWS: Mahindra is India’s Most Attractive Tractor brand

50 TECHNOLOGY: JLR’s sensory steering helps keep drivers’ eyes on the

MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS - FIRST DRIVE

HERO PLEASURE+ - FIRST RIDE

road

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JUNE 2019 | MOTOWN INDIA | 5

FRANK TALK

P. THARYAN

Stop bribing auto journalists

H

6 | MOTOWN INDIA | JUNE 2019

ave you ever watched some of the political rallies in India where you see hundreds and thousands of people, a majority of them very poor, huddled together in buses and trucks, brought to the venue where the big leaders speaks? I am sure you have seen pictures at least. The poor blokes are usually offered anywhere Between Rs 100 to Rs 500 to attend the rally, besides food to eat and sometimes some other items like blankets and clothes, depending on the weather. In a way they are bribed to come to the show. Yes BRIBED!

then offered goody bags at the end of each press conference.

The story is quite similar in the world of automotive journalism. I have been journalist for the last 32 years, a good part of it as an economic journalist as well as an automotive journalist. Why does an invite by an automobile company for a press conference always mention the fact that it will be followed by lunch or dinner or high tea? It’s obvious, they want the journalists to come, both the good ones and the dubious ones. But what is really, really disgusting is that the journalists are

Why bribe us? The trend is getting dangerous. I have been pleading with the auto companies and PR agencies to desist from giving out a goody bag. Many a times I refuse a packet thrust to me, many a times, thankfully I am not offered a packet,. Yes, there have been several occasion, I have succumbed to greed and accepted the goody bag.

What is a goody bag? It could be a laptop bag, it could be a camera, a GoPro, it could be a pen knife, it could be clothes and jackets, it could be a Bluetooth music system, but it’s always something that costs more than a few hundred rupees and could also be as expensive as Rs 25,000. In short, the auto companies and their PR agencies bribe us.

Now it is practice that has been going on ever since auto companies started holding press conferences and drives in the country.

Now the situation is worse. Thanks to social media sites like facebook, twitter, youtube

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and Instagram, every Tom, Dick and Harry is an auto journalist in this country. No standard is maintained, no style is followed, just some cheap entertainment and you begin to get a fan following that runs into hundreds of thousands. You can buy your followers, boost your reach and the more money you invest in social media, the more your posts get popular.

All this is like running a race using steroids. There is no respectable place for organic growth. With those numbers in their kitty, these new breed of influencers is at par with auto journalists. Auto companies love them and they too are invited to all press conferences and drives. These influencers are definitely good entertainers and their fans are as clueless or as backward as that of a notorious Godman. If gifts were one pain that needed to be tackled, today we have influencers in the garb of auto journalists!

To make matters worse, auto companies themselves have a huge presence on the different social media platforms. They boast of millions of followers and hundreds of thousands of “likes�.

They are so obsessed by the social media sites that

they do not realise that there is a huge mismatch between these numbers and their real sales figures.

Their production and sales continue to be dismal, even while they seem to be getting popular on the different social media platforms.

The interesting part is when the auto industry needs to talk about any serious issue pertaining to policies or technology; you will not find a single influencer around. It’s obvious that their skills are limited to the circus!

Meanwhile, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has been appealing to auto companies not to dole out gifts after a press conference, especially during auto expos. But their pleas always fall on deaf ears. The 2020 Auto Expo is round the corner. Now with the large contingent of auto journalists that comprise of journalists from the print media, television channels and social media, expected to cover the 2020 expo, one needs to really look out for pick pockets and scoundrels. The least they can do is stop bribing members of the once hallowed Fourth Estate!

Picture for representation purpose only.

Image Designed by jemastock / Freepik

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JUNE 2019 | MOTOWN INDIA | 7

CAR NEWS

MINI John Cooper Works Hatch launched at `43.50 lakh The MINI John Cooper Works Hatch was introduced in India.

The new MINI John Cooper Works takes the go-kart feeling to its extreme. The MINI 3-door Hatch will be available at all MINI dealerships as a Completely Built-Up Unit (CBU) unit from June onward. The car is available at an ex-showroom price of Rs 43,50,000.

The MINI John Cooper Works Hatch is fitted with an 8-speed Sports Steptronic automatic transmission with shift paddles.

The shift by wire technology for automatic transmission comes with an electronic gear selector that is ergonomically shaped for more comfortable handling. The car is powered by a 2.0 litre, 4-cylinder TwinPower Turbo engine that can hit 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds, delivering a peak output of 231 hp and a maximum torque of 320 Nm. The car was unveiled in the presence of Dr. Hans-Christian

8 | MOTOWN INDIA | JUNE 2019

Baertels, President (act.), BMW Group India.

The hexagonal radiator grille at the centre section has a characteristic honeycomb pattern with a cross member at the bottom edge finished in red. The exclusive John Cooper Works bonnet stripes add a distinctively race-inspired look. LED headlamps are standard and are surrounded

by LED daytime running lights incorporating the direction indicators.

A symbol of racing pedigree – the John Cooper Works badge is emblazoned in the front, side scuttles and tailgate. The MINI John Cooper Works Hatch enhances its racing genes even further with a contrasting paint finish for the roof and mirror caps in white, black or exclusively for MINI John Cooper Works in Chilli Red. Aerodynamic features include

the front apron with integral air ducts, side sills and the sporty 17” JCW Track Spoke Light Alloy Wheels in Black. The 4-piston, fixed-caliper brakes are in bold Chilli Red with a John Cooper Works badge. The sporty John Cooper Works front and rear bumpers as well as rear spoiler give an extra aerodynamic edge.

The car has chrome plated double exhaust tailpipes.

The interior comes with John Cooper Works sport seats integrated with headrests in Carbon Black Dinamica Leather and red accents as standard.

The ultimate ‘go-kart’ feeling is enhanced with the John Cooper Works sports leather steering wheel which comes with paddle shifters and automatically adjusted steering sensitivity.

John Cooper Works DNA can be found in every detail, like the John Cooper Works stainless steel pedal caps and the the door sills with an integrated John Cooper Works badge.

The MINI Excitement Pack features exterior MINI Logo projection, LED interior and ambient lighting which illuminates the cabin with a choice 12 selectable colours.

The optional panorama glass roof allows ample amounts of natural light and fresh air in the cabin.

The MINI John Cooper Works Hatch comes with high contrast MINI Head-Up Display, which provides information regarding the media outputs, navigation and telephone options directly in the line of sight for the driver.

As a standard feature, Harman Kardon Hi-Fi Audio System, featuring 12 high performance speakers and an eight-channel digital amplifier, delivers 360 watts of crisp, natural and powerful sound.

The iconic circular central instrument panel is surrounded by an LED ring offering a colour display in 6.5-inches.

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CAR NEWS

Mahindra Introduces new base W3 variant XUV500 at `12.23 lakh Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd has launched an all new entry level ‘W3 Variant” of its popular SUV, the Plush XUV500 at a price of Rs 12.23 lakh (exshowroom, Mumbai).

KEY FEATURES OF THE W3 VARIANT ARE:• ∫ cheetah-inspired design, ∫ mHawk155 engine with 153hp & 360 Nm Torque ∫ 6th Generation eVGT (electronically controlled variable geometry turbocharger) ∫ 6-speed Manual Transmission, ∫ Projector Headlamps ∫ Jacquard Fabric Upholstery ∫ Dual Front Airbags ∫ ABS with EBD ∫ Disc Brakes on all 4 Wheels ∫ Electrically Operated Dual HVAC ∫ Power-adjustable ORVMs ∫ Engine Immobilizer.

Hyundai launches connected SUV Venue at `6.50 lakh onward Hyundai Motor India launched the Venue, a fully connected SUV in New Delhi at a price of Rs 6.60 lakh onward. The Venue was launched in the presence of S S Kim, MD & CEO, Hyundai Motor India. The Venue comes with Blue Link Technology, 33 new connected features of which 10 are India specific features. The Venue will have three engine options--Kappa 1.0 Turbo GDi petrol, 1.2 litre and a 1.4 litre diesel. The company has also introduced a 7-speed dual clutch transmission for the Venue.

INTRODUCTORY PRICE

E

S

SX

1.2 KAPPA PETROL

5MT

Rs 6,50,000

Rs 7,20,000

1.O TURBO PETROL 1.4 U2 DIESEL

6MT

Rs 8,21,000

7DCT

Rs 9,35,000

6MT

Rs 7,75,000

Rs 8,45,000

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SX (O) Rs 9,54,000

Rs 10,60,000 Rs 1,10,500(SX+)

Rs 9,78,000

Rs 10,84,000

JUNE 2019 | MOTOWN INDIA | 9

CAR NEWS

Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza Sports Limited Edition Maruti Suzuki customers can now convert their Vitara Brezza sports utility vehicle into a Sports Limited edition at an additional price of Rs 29,990.

Customers can choose from a wide range of accessories including new seat covers, designer mats, slide cladding, body graphics, front and rear garnish, leather steering cover, door sill-guard, wheel arch kit and neck cushion, among others.

In 2018-19, Maruti Suzuki sold over 1,57,880 units of Vitara Brezza, leading the segment with a market share of over 44 per cent.

Made in India BS 6 Long Wheel Base Mercedes E-Class launched Mercedes-Benz India has launched the first ever BS 6Long Wheelbase E-Class luxury business sedan. The new BS 6 LWB E-Class was launched by Martin Schwenk, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India. Prices for the vehicle start at Rs 57,50,000.

The New Long wheelbase E-Class not only features two state-of-the-art BS 6 compliant petrol and diesel engines but also hosts new interior appointments and feature additions. These include an intuitive rear touchpad, Burmester high-end surround sound system, widescreen digital cockpit (12.3 inch) and a rear wireless charger.

The E 220 d features the BS 6 OM 654 1950 cc, in-line 4 diesel engine that churns out 194hp and 400 Nm of torque, 0 -100 km/h in 7.3 secs. The E 200 features the BS 6 M 264 engine 1991 cc, 197hp 320 Nm of torque, 0 -100 in 8 secs.

10 | MOTOWN INDIA | JUNE 2019

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BIKE NEWS

Triumph Motorcycles launches the new Scrambler 1200 XC Triumph Motorcycles India has launched its all new Scrambler 1200 XC in India. The new Scrambler 1200 XC is now available in India at an ex-showroom price of Rs 10,73,000 exshowroom. Packed with a high power 1200cc Bonneville twin engine, with a dedicated Scrambler tune, the Scrambler 1200 delivers 89hp @ 7,400 rpm with a peak torque output of 110 Nm @ 3,950rpm.

The 270° firing interval ensures a smooth, linear power delivery from the slick six-speed gearbox. The Scrambler’s power is 12.5% more than the Bonneville T120 and 38% more than the 2019 Street Scrambler.

The Scrambler 1200 XC also features a high first major service interval of 10,000 miles/16,000 km. With a unique Öhlins collaboration, plus a dedicated new Scrambler chassis tailored for focused off-road capability and comfortable rider ergonomics, the new Scrambler 1200 has been developed to deliver a first-in-class dual purpose ‘classic and adventure’ capability.

This machine features a totally unique new fully-adjustable twin-spring Öhlins rear suspension units that deliver category leading wheel travel and suspension capability, for amazing off-road capability and ground clearance. The dual purpose XC delivers 200mm of travel and is equipped with piggy-back reservoirs.

Greaves launches high-speed electric scooter Ampere Zeal Greaves Cotton, one of India’s leading diversified engineering companies, has rolled out the high-speed electric scooter - Zeal - under FAME II policy of the government. Ampere Vehicles, the e-Mobility arm of Greaves Cotton and the maker of Zeal, has a significant presence in the Indian electric two wheeler industry along with a range of low-speed, affordable electric scooters that are currently popular with commuters making a switch from conventional to electric two-wheelers.

high performance electric scooter, a viable mobility option for Indians.

Zeal sports an accentuated look with attractive styling and body graphics, LED headlights, dual speed mode (economy and power), powerful acceleration (0-50kmph in 14 secs), superior performance and anti-theft alarm. The next generation electric scooter comes in five high gloss metallic colour options.

Zeal has a top speed of 55 kmph and a range of 75 km with charge time of 5.5 hours. Under the FAME II benefit, Zeal will attract Rs. 18,000 in subsidy for the customer, thus making this

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Ampere’s electric vehicles come with one to three-year warranty and strong after-sales service across a network of over 300+ Greaves Retail stores and in over 5000 aftermarket outlets across the country.

JUNE 2019 | MOTOWN INDIA | 11

BIKE NEWS

All-new BMW F 850 GS Adventure launched at `15.40 lakh BMW Motorrad has launched the all-new BMW F 850 GS Adventure motorcycle. The allnew BMW F 850 GS Adventure will be available as completely built-up units (CBU). The BMW F 850 GS Adventure Pro will cost Rs 15,40,000, ex showroom.

Iconic design features such as the asymmetric headlamp and the GS typical flyline clearly identify it as a member of the BMW Motorrad GS family. Starting from the front “beak” of the GS, the flyline extends over the fuel tank and seat to the rear.

The motorcycle has LED headlights, LED daytime riding light and LED turn indicators.

The low double seat, ensures better access to the ground and facilitates handling while standing. It comes with wide enduro footrests, adjustable shift and foot brake levers and centre stand. High-positioned air intake, ground clearance, functionally designed surfaces and a precise panel alignment underline the off-road attributes.

The all-new BMW F 850 GS Adventure comes with two riding modes - “Rain” and Road”. These come as standard. Also included in the standard features is the automatic stability control (ASC), which ensures a high degree of rider safety. With the riding modes “Rain” and “Road”, the riding characteristics can be adapted to the majority of road conditions.

The standard ASC ensures a high level of riding safety due to the best possible traction.

Riders can choose optional riding modes – ‘Dynamic’ and ‘Enduro’ along with Dynamic

Traction Control (DTC) dynamic traction control and the banking capable ABS Pro. Dynamic ESA opens up new dimensions of rider safety, performance and comfort. The new self-boosting anti-hopping clutch reduces engine drag torque and adds significant riding safety- especially in braking manoeuvres associated with downshifting.

The all-new BMW F 850 GS Adventure is equipped with a completely new instrument cluster design, consisting of an analogue tachometer and a multifunctional display, alongside a number of control lamps. Fast and clear

information is available with the optional equipment known as Connectivity, with a 6.5 inch full-colour TFT display.

Integrating operation via the BMW Motorrad multicontroller, it gives the rider quick access to vehicle and connectivity functions.

Phone and media functions can be used without having to install an app. The rider can easily make telephone calls and enjoy listening to music with Bluetooth connection. In addition, the BMW Motorrad Connected app offers everyday-suitable and practice-oriented arrow navigation directly via the TFT display.

The visual appeal is emphasised by equipment features such as engine protection bars and stainless steel luggage rack. The all-new BMW F 850 GS Adventure features a two-cylinder in-line engine with a displacement of 853 cc. It generates 95 hp @ 8,250 rpm. An extremely powerful and emotional sound is produced by a crankshaft journal offset of 90 degrees and firing interval of 270/450 degrees.

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BIKE NEWS

Bajaj Auto unveils all-new Avenger Street 160 ABS at `82,253 Bajaj Auto has launched the all-new Avenger Street 160 with ABS. Bajaj Auto aims at consolidating its leadership position in the Sports segment by introducing the new Avenger Street 160. The Avenger Street 160 will come in ‘Ebony Black’ and ‘Spicy Red’ colours. The Avenger Street 160 will be available at Rs. 82,253/- (exshowroom Delhi).

the Bajaj Avenger has carved a niche for itself as a leisure cruiser. The Avenger Street 160 with ABS blends the ‘roadster’ and ‘cruiser’ design languages with street control handlebar, low-slung seat and alloy wheels. The new Avenger Street 160 will bring a sporty cruiser experience

to the large set of emerging 150-160cc users. Sharply different from other sports offerings in its segment, this bike will create a mass appeal of its own for those young customers seeking cruiser style.

The Avenger Street 160 boasts of single channel ABS along with a roadster design headlamp with LED DRLs, new graphics with larger Insignia, low & long profile, black alloy wheels and rubberized rear grab.

Since its introduction in 2005,

Hero MotoCorp launches Maestro Edge 125, ‘retro-styled’ new Pleasure+ 110 scooters Maestro Edge 125 is India’s first scooter with fuel-injection technology Hero MotoCorp has further strengthened its scooter portfolio with the launch of two new scooters - Maestro Edge 125 and Pleasure+ 110. Following its successful foray in the 125cc scooter segment with Destini 125, Hero MotoCorp launched India’s first scooter with Fuel Injection WO technology - the

Maestro Edge 125. The Fl variant of the scooter is priced at Rs 62,700/-

scooter is priced at Rs. 47,300/, ex-showroom Delhi.

The i3S (carburetor) variants are priced at Rs 58,500/- (Drum) and Rs. 60,000/- (Disc), all ex-showroom Delhi. The Pleasure+ 110

With these launches, Hero MotoCorp has now rolled out seven new products - including premium motorcycles and scooters in a short span of time. Closely following the launch of its all-new X range of motorcycles - XPulse 200, XPulse 200T and Xtreme 200S - the new scooters are targeted at the Hero MotoCorp’s presence in the scooter segment. The company will commence the retail sales of the scooters over the next few weeks.

Present at the launch of the scooters were Dr. Markus Braunsperger, Chief Technology Officer, Maio Le Masson, Head of Global Product Planning and Sanjay Bhan, Head of Sales, After sales, and Parts, Hero MotoCorp (Ride Reports on Pages 28)

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JUNE 2019 | MOTOWN INDIA | 13

WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience

HYUNDAI VENUE

VERY COMPACT, CONNECTED & PEPPY

S P EC I F ICAT IO NS ENGINE 998cc,1.0 Kappa T- GDI Petrol TRANSMISSION 6-Speed MT POWER 118hp@6,000rpm TORQUE 171.6Nm@1,500-4,000rpm FUEL EFFICIENCY 18.27 kmpl TYRES 195/65 R15 PRICE `6.50 lakh (Ex-Showroom Delhi)

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WHEELZ & ROADZ

A driving experience

T

Report: P. Tharyan; Photography: Afsar Baig

he new Hyundai Venue is a connected sub compact SUV that will compete with the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Mahindra XUV300, Ford EcoSport and Tata Nexon. So can it beat its rivals just on the basis of its connected features?

We check it out.

EXTERIORS The Hyundai Venue compact SUV has a dark chrome front grille which includes the new Hyundai signature face. The projector headlamps are cube shaped with LED DRLs surrounding it. It also has projector fog lamps. Silver skid plates add to the style quotient.

The side profile of this SUV clearly indicates a sloping roof with several sporty elements to enhance its appeal.

The bold wheel arches, the 16 inches diamond cut alloy wheels, the roof rails, shark fin antenna, chrome finish outside door handles and the sun roof enhance the vehicles appeal.

As you move to the back, you get to see LED tail lamps with a crystal effect and an overall well designed rear. The

vehicle has a length of 3995mm, width of 1770mm and a height of 1605mm with roof rack. It has a wheel base of 2500mm.

INTERIORS Three interior colour themes are being offered for customers. The Venue I drove had a black single tone interior though there are a khaki dual tone and denim dual tone on offer. Everything is very sporty and top notch in the cabin. The seats both in front and rear are very comfortable and score big on under thigh support, apart from ample headroom and knee room. The boot area too is quite voluminous.

An 8 inches touch screen, a sporty front design, a supervision cluster for multiple information, Fully Automatic Temperature Control with digital display, AC vents with silver surround, high gloss finish on centre fascia, gear knob, AC and audio knobs, leatherette wrapped steering and metal finish inside door handles are some of the plush interior features. The steering wheel can be adjusted for tilt but it is not telescopic.

Apart from its several luxury and comfort features, the Venue comes with Blue Link Technology that is being offered in the top variants. There are around 33 new connected features of which 10 are India specific features.

But it is only the DCT variant that gets one additional feature of the Bluelink which in essence means you can remote start and stop your car and also switch on and set your air-conditioner even before you step inside. Overall, it is the Bluelink technology which is one of the high points of this vehicle.

Since the Venue comes with an embedded SIM, one can use the Hyundai BlueLink app to lock and unlock your car, control the horn

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JUNE 2019 | MOTOWN INDIA | 15

WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience

and lights, get real time traffic information, set your destination through the app which gets synchronised with the navigation offered by the company, track your car, geo fence it, immobilise the car in case of a theft, track the idle start position of the car (this is useful when your driver switches on the aircon and takes a nap in your car while waiting for your), etc.

You must be wondering how this technology will come to your aid when you are driving your vehicle.

Well, it’s simple, you will notice that there are three buttons on the bottom of your inside rear view mirror. Well one is for an SOS, i.e. when you need an emergency medical help, you can call for an ambulance immediately.

The second button is for road side assistance and the third is

16 | MOTOWN INDIA | JUNE 2019

for the BlueLink call centre. The moment you press the button, you can speak to an operator who in turn can help you with any of your queries related to navigation or you need to reach to a particular spot.

The information will immediately be relayed to your navigation map so as to guide you. There is also a button on the steering wheel which can be used for voice navigation.

The system is both Apple Car play & Android Auto compatible.

As far as the mobile network is

strong for both your mobile phone and the one embedded in your vehicle, the going is great. But since we were driving in some hilly areas beyond Shillong in Meghalaya, we missed out on the connectivity and hence this affected the performance of the BlueLink.

In short, the technology has its limitations.

PERFORMANCE AND SAFETY The new Hyundai Venue

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WHEELZ & ROADZ

A driving experience

comes with three engine options, a 1.2 litre kappa petrol, a one litre turbo petrol and a 1.4 litre diesel. We got to drive the 1 litre 3 cylinder GDI turo engine model mated to a manual six speed transmission. There is also an option of a 7 speed Dual Clutch Transmission which is an automatic with this 1 litre engine.

There is no denying the fact that the 1 litre GDI turo engine is a peppy machine. Since it’s a small fellow churning out around

118hp @ 6000rpm and a peak torque of 171.6Nm between 1500 to 4000 rpm, you can actually hear it scream its heart out. Yes, there is a bit of turbo lag, but that can be ignored. This is quite noticeable when you are on an uphill drive. You are bound to downshift several times to get the punch from the machine.

But ride and handling comes easy and good with the Hyundai Venue. The ride quality is brilliant and on highways and straight roads it is quick on its feet. While

Standard Safety Features in the vehicle include Dual Front Airbags, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX, seatbelt reminder, rear parking sensors and speed sensing auto door lock & crash sensing auto door unlock, the top end variant gets a lot more safer. Here the features include six airbags, hill assist control, electronic stability control, vehicle stability management, auto headlamps with escort function, cornering lamps, rear camera with rear parking sensors and power window with auto Up/Down.

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VERDICT For a sub compact SUV, the Venue has just set a new benchmark in its segment in the country with a whole host of connected features. But will an Indian consumer opt for such connected features in a car, especially when they would always have to be at the mercy of a strong mobile network? For an answer, I guess we have to wait for some time.

JUNE 2019 | MOTOWN INDIA | 17

WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience

MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS

T H E W O R KS !

18 | MOTOWN INDIA | JUNE 2019

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WHEELZ & ROADZ

A driving experience

Report: Aakash S. Paul; Photography: Afsar Baig

SP EC I F ICAT IO NS ENGINE 2.0L TwinPower Turbo, 4-cylinder

Petrol

TRANSMISSION 8-speed Steptronic

O

ver the years MINIs have evolved a lot. And I do not mean that it has just evolved in terms of their design, or engine or equipment; that they surely have. But the MINIs have evolved from being just a concept in the mind of a man to an actual car, to something that won famed rallies. It has evolved beyond the conventions of being a four wheeler, a hatch or terms like that. It has become an emotion. I had the pleasure of driving the latest and greatest MINI John Cooper Works on the Madras Motor Race Track in Chennai and all I could feel were emotions; emotions of all sorts - excitement, joy, fear and more!

DESIGN AND STYLING This new MINI has a look similar to the ones that preceded it, but with a car like this you really do not want to change much. It has the round bug lamps with an LED DRL ring and the iconic Union Jack tail lamps. But you are reminded that this is the JCW edition, thanks to the many badges found all over the car including the front grill, side and tail-gate along with race stripes on the bonnet. Our test mule came fitted with the optional panoramic sunroof. The front grille with a honeycomb mesh inside looks good and so do the front air intakes on the bumper. These are not dummy intakes and they actually serve the purpose of cooling the engine and brakes.

Sport AT

POWER 231hp TORQUE 320Nm FUEL EFFICIENCY 16.5kmpl TYRES 265/65 R17 PRICE `43.5 lakh (Ex-Showroom Delhi)

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WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience

The interiors have been given a treatment similar to the exteriors. The basic design and layout remains intact but there are some extra details sprinkled on top. The JCW seats being one of them. The manually adjustable front seats provide good amount of comfort and keep you held in place even when the G-forces are being exerted at odd angles. The JCW variant also gets special stainless steel pedals and leather steering. You get plenty of kit as standard, including a heads up display, two airbags, touchscreen infotainment system with rear view camera and Harman Kardon sound system.

ENGINE AND PERFORMANCE But you do not buy a MINI JCW for the looks or convenience features alone; you buy it for what is under the hood. Under the hood of

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WHEELZ & ROADZ

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this new MINI is the same 2.0L TwinPowerTurbo, 4-cylinder petrol engine but it has been tuned to produce 231hp and 320Nm. The change in power and torque figures can easily be felt, more so if you just drove a non-JCW MINI just before this one, like I did. The acceleration of this little monster is so much more improved. You get the kick of the turbo low down and from then on the twin exhaust roars, making even drivers who have seen many summers in their life feel young. It has a low gurgle down below that turns into a full-fledged scream as you open the throttle. Getting up to 100kmph is no big task for this car.

Only post 150kmph do you start to feel that this car is getting close to its limit. The 8-speed Steptronic Sport automatic transmission does a decent job of shifting seamlessly for the most part but if you want a snappier response then you must use the paddle shifts. The MINI JCW gets a stiffer suspension and you can make the acceleration and steering response better by switching to the Sport mode.

There are loads of electronic aids to help novice drivers including ABS, EBD, Brake Assist, Corner Braking

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Control and Dynamic Stability Control. This makes the car a lot more forgiving. The steering has been weighted nicely and does not require too much turning even on a race track, although, I would have liked a little more feedback from it. You have disc brakes on all four wheels and they pack in a good bite and feedback but you have to pay attention while braking at high speeds as the back tends to slip out.

The stiffer suspension and chassis make the car feel a lot more held together around a corner.

VERDICT The MINIs that do not don the JCW badge are very potent machines, capable of accelerating fast and going distances while looking good.

But if you want something even more exciting and track focused then the JCW variant will be for you. It goes around the track like a compact bullet launched from a handgun. As I mentioned earlier, the MINI is more than just a car, it is an emotion. You can’t really put a price on emotion.

But this MINI John Cooper Works comes for a starting price of Rs 43.5 lakh (ex-showroom India).

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WHEELZ & ROADZ A riding experience

HONDA CB300R

A LITTLE STORM

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WHEELZ & ROADZ

A riding experience

A

Report: Aakash S. Paul; Photography: Afsar Baig

light machine, with the right amount of power and an eye catching retro modern look. That might sound too good to be true but the new Honda CB300R is exactly that. Are there any hidden worries that might not reveal themselves at first glance? We find out by riding the bike around Delhi.

DESIGN & STYLING The CB300R looks charming from almost every angle.

The overall body design looks like a naked street fighter and has modern hints. The headlamp, taillamp and turn indicators are all LED. They definitely look nice and modern. The fuel tank has muscular lines on the tank and silver shrouds on the side. They are made of plastic but look good. The tail-lamp is the slimmest one on any Honda bike and the entire tail section looks very sleek. The riding position is neutral and one can endure a long ride on this bike.

But you might want to consider replacing the seat.

The cushion is a bit hard but it is decently broad and long. Even the pillion seat is usable.

The instrument panel is a digital unit that houses stats like speedometer, odometer, two trip meters, tachometer, time, lap timer, average fuel consumption and more. What I find odd is Honda leaving out a gear position indicator. It is a very basic feature that you would expect in a bike of this stature. However, there is a gear change indicator above the digital display. There are two buttons on the left side of the display for switching between the different stats but these buttons are a little hard to press, especially if you are wearing gloves.

SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE 286.01cc Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, SI TRANSMISSION 6-Speed POWER 30hp@8,000rpm TORQUE 27.4Nm@6,500rpm TYRES Front: 100/70 R17 Tubeless Rear: 150/60 R17 Tubeless

PRICE `2.41 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi)

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While the controls on the handlebar are nicely finished and of good quality, the horn button has been placed a little odd. It is placed where you would expect the turn indicator switch to be. While the turn indicator switch is placed at the bottom, which is where the horn switch should be.

ENGINE & PERFORMANCE There is a 286cc liquid cooled, single cylinder engine at the heart of the CB300R. The engine is mated to a 6-speed transmission and the gear shifts are one of the smoothest I have experienced in a while.

They are so easy to shift that one could probably do it bare feet! Even slotting the neutral is effortless and you will not accidently be engaging the first or second gear. The smooth shifts make you forgive the fact that the gearing is a bit short for a bike that is

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WHEELZ & ROADZ

A riding experience

essentially meant for cruising. The power output is 30hp while peak torque stands at 27.4Nm. Honda has tuned the engine to extract a lot of beef even in the early revs, making overtakes efficient and giving you a jolt every time you twist the throttle. The only hassle here, and a big one, is the fact that the engine vibrates a lot after 6000rpm. As you go higher, it becomes so unpleasant that you just want to come back down.

The suspension setup is great because it is supple enough for daily usage. The rear monoshock is a bit stiff than the USD forks at the front. The front forks are 5-step adjustable while the rear is 7-step adjustable, so there is room for tweaks. In terms of braking, there is a hubless, large disc at the front and a disc at the rear. You get dual channel ABS and there is an IMU controlling the brake response. I really like the bite and progression that the front brake provides, the rear brake on the other hand lacks a little bit compared to the front. The tyres are decent for normal usage and taking corners and highway rides.

VERDICT The Honda CB300R is a very agile performer that can easily cruise at highway speeds. Its light weight and supple suspension setup make it great for daily commute. Though it is plagued by vibrations once you do get high up in the rpm band and it is also a bit too expensive, costing Rs 2.41 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). But then one must realise that this is a niche product not meant to sell in loads. So if you are one of the few who are smitten by the looks and aesthetic of this Neo Sport CafĂŠ Racer by Honda, then by all means, give this a go. If you are looking for a more sensible buy then I would suggest you look elsewhere.

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WHEELZ & ROADZ A riding experience

TVS APACHE RR 310 SLIPPER CLUTCH

AIMING FOR APEX

W

Report: Motown India Bureau; Photography: Afsar Baig

e are no strangers to TVS’ flagship motorcycle, the Apache RR 310.

We have spent a substantial amount of time with the vehicle and have admired it for its various virtues. Be it its race inspired design, its satisfying performance or the city suiting ergonomics. So we were intrigued when we heard that TVS wanted us to test a new version of the bike. What more could have they changed added to this already pleasing package?

S P EC IFIC ATIONS ENGINE 312.3cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder 4-stroke TRANSMISSION 6-Speed POWER 34hp@9700rpm TORQUE 27.3Nm@7700rpm TYRES Front: 110/70 R 17 M/C 54H Tubeless Rear: 150/60 R 17 M/C 66H Tubeless

PRICE `2.27 lakh (Ex-Showroom Delhi)

DESIGN & STYLING In the past, we have sung praises of the way the RR 310 looks. The company also realises the fact and has not fiddled with the exterior and rather has just opted to introduce a new colour, Phantom Black.

This new colour looks very nice and stealthy and will appeal to people looking for something much more understated when compared to the vibrant and loud red. This glossy black paint scheme replaces the previous matte option.

ENGINE & PERFORMANCE The engine of the Apache RR 310 remains the same but a slipper clutch has now been added to the mix.

The addition of the slipper clutch allows for faster downshifts around the track while avoiding rear wheel hop. We did put the tech through its paces by shifting down the gears quickly as we approached a corner and the bike held its own. While this feature might not be super helpful in the city, the assist clutch will definitely be a pleasant boon for riders.

TVS say that the assist clutch reduces the force required to pull the clutch by about 20pc. While we did not have enough time to verify how true that is, the clutch definitely felt easier to work with. During our earlier stints with the bike, we did wish for a

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lighter clutch and that wish has been fulfilled. Other than this, the company claims to have retuned the ECU for better low speed ride quality. Seeing as how we were on a track, it was not something that we tested. I was, however, slightly disappointed to find the vibration around the 5000-6000rpm mark still present. The rest of the mechanicals are exactly the same so the bike brakes the same way it used to and rides over bumps the same way it used to.

VERDICT While the changes are very few, it is important to note that TVS has raised the cost of the bike by only around Rs 3000. So just like the previous version, the 2019 refresh of the TVS Apache RR 310 is a great value for money proposition. The slip and assist clutch features are welcome additions along with a few tweaks under the hood. The new black colour is also enticing and will fancy the eyes of some Batman fans. Existing owners can also take advantage of the mechanical updates. The ECU remap is being done for free while the slipper clutch can be retrofitted for a small cost.

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WHEELZ & ROADZ

A riding experience

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WHEELZ & ROADZ A riding experience

HERO MAESTRO EDGE 125 FI

SENSIBLE & SMART

T

Report: Aakash S. Paul; Photography: Afsar Baig

he 125cc scooter segment in India has been witnessing a lot of fun activities recently. There have been a number of capable contenders that have surfaced and buyers have a lot to choose from. To further spice things up, Hero MotoCorp has launched their latest, Maestro Edge 125. It is the first India made Fuel Injected 125cc scooter and we rode it briefly to see what this famed technology brings to the table.

DESIGN AND STYLING The Maestro Edge 125 looks very similar to the current Maestro 110 and that is not essentially a bad thing. The scooter has a confident stance and handsome looks with sharp creases on the front and sides. The

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front has a beak like downward flow which is accented by the long turn indicators. A prominent new addition on the front is the triangular LED DRL which will give Marvel fans an instant flashback of Tony Stark. The main headlamp is still a halogen unit.

S P EC IFIC ATIO N S ENGINE 124.6cc air-cooled, 4-stroke, single cylinder, OHC TRANSMISSION Variomatic Drive POWER 9.2hp@7,000rpm

The dual-tone colour scheme gives the scooter a rather premium look. The floorboard, front inside panel and the area surrounding the instrument panel are all painted in one colour while the rest of the scooter in another. The instrument cluster itself looks good. It is sadly not a completely digital console and neither does it boast of Bluetooth connectivity. There is a large analogue dial, flanked by indicators on the left and a small digital display on

TORQUE 10.2Nm@5,000rpm TYRES Front: 90/90-12 Rear: 90/100-10

PRICE `62,700 (Ex-Showroom Delhi)

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WHEELZ & ROADZ

A riding experience

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WHEELZ & ROADZ A riding experience

the right. The digital display shows you the odometer, trip meter and fuel level.

The tail lamp looks muscular and spreads across the rear section of the scooter. At its centre is the external fuel lid which can be opened from the main ignition key.

You do not get any storage compartments in the front but the under seat storage is decent and comes with a boot light. The floorboard has plenty of space for even taller people like me and it also provides good grip to your feet so that they do not slide. Sadly the scooter does not come with a fully digital instrument cluster.

ENGINE AND PERFORMANCE The 124.6cc air cooled engine in the Hero Maestro is the same as seen on their previous 125cc scooter, Destini 125. Hero has made certain tweaks though. More importantly, this scooter is available with a carburetted and fuel injected version.

There is currently no scooter in the Indian market that has fuel injection. While the carb variant produces 8.7hp, the FI variant produces 9.2hp, which is one of the best in the segment. The peak torque figure remains the same for both the scooters at 10.2Nm. To ride, the scooter feels smooth and can pull all the way up to 70kmph without much hesitation. Even maintaining speeds of 80-85kmph is not a problem for it. The Maestro Edge 125 also gets i3s (Idle Start Stop System) but only in the carb variant. I guess adding i3s to the FI variant would have driven the cost up substantially.

The telescopic forks at the front and single spring at the rear provide good amount of comfort when going over potholes. Yet the suspension is not so soft that the scooter becomes too unstable through corners. The Maestro Edge comes with Hero’s Integrated Braking System and you can

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also opt to have a front disc brake. The disc brake surely increases the stopping forces available at hand and gives you a good bite.

VERDICT The Maestro Edge is available in three variants with the cheapest being the carb+drum which costs Rs 58,500. The price tag is not too expensive and the feature set given is also respectable. One must remember that fuel injection is something that is currently not being offered by any other competitor and the scooter is also plenty potent in terms of carrying you around. Yes it misses out some features in order to keep the costs low. But if you want a scooter that does not look too flashy, has enough juice to zip you through the city and not be too heavy on the pocket, then the Maestro Edge 125 is worth a look.

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HERO PLEASURE+

FUN FOR ALL

SP EC I F ICAT IO NS ENGINE 110.9cc air-cooled, 4-stroke, single cylinder, OHC TRANSMISSION Variomatic Drive POWER 8.1hp@7,500rpm TORQUE 8.7Nm@5,500rpm TYRES Front: 90/100-10 (Tubeless) Rear: 90/100-10 (Tubeless)

PRICE `49,300 (Ex-Showroom Delhi)

T

Report: Aakash S. Paul; Photography: Afsar Baig

he Hero Pleasure has been the flag bearer for females looking for an entry level scooter that could help them zip around the city. It has been the reason behind the tag lie “Why should boys have all the fun?”

But now the company has decided to upgrade the scooter and also open it up to the male fraternity too. The

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result? Pleasure+ which now gets a bigger engine, redefined looks and new features. So is the result as enticing as the previous offering and more importantly, does it live up to its name?

DESIGN AND STYLING The new Hero Pleasure+ has a fresh new look. The scooter has conventionally been designed to

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appeal to females but with this new 110cc model, Hero aims to appeal to anyone and everyone. The Pleasure+ is still petite and not too cumbersome to handle. It gets a retro modern touch with silver bezel around the halogen headlamp and a chunk of the same material between the turn indicators. I personally am not a big fan of the retro touch but admit that the less busy design scheme does make the scooter smart in appearance. Even the build quality looks pleasing with no ugly and unfinished bits visible to the eye.

The instrument cluster is simple and utilitarian. Hero has thankfully included a fuel level indicator, which some players in this segment tend to ignore. The speedometer is large and you also get a side stand indicator. The seat cushion is very comfortable and long enough to accommodate two people. I did find the floorboard a little too cramped for my liking, but people with smaller legs will have no issues. In place of a lockable box, Hero has installed two pockets on the front inside panel and you can keep things like your mobile, small purse, a water bottle or anything of similar size. Under the pockets is a USB charging port that is also fairly easy to access. The underseat storage is large enough to house an open face helmet and gets a boot light for easier operation during low light

conditions.

ENGINE AND PERFORMANCE The Hero Pleasure+ gets a slightly bigger 110.9cc air cooled engine that produces 8.1hp of peak power and 8.7Nm of torque. Though these are decent numbers on paper, the scooter lacks a bit in the initial rev range. You need to accelerate a bit before you can go on zipping. But then again, this is not meant to be a fast and zippy scooter. Rather, the calm mannerisms of the Pleasure+ will be welcoming towards novice riders.

This could be a great first two-wheeler for people who feel intimidated by the concept of riding bikes or bigger scooters.

It even has a very soft suspension setup that takes care of potholes and speed breakers with ease.

The performance of the front brakes is sadly lacklustre. You get drum brakes, both at the front and rear and Hero is also employing their Integrated Braking System (IBS) in this. IBS engages the front brakes when you pull the rear brake lever for increased stopping power. The bite and response from the rear brake is likeable but pressing the front brake yields very little stopping force. In case you decide to completely jam the brakes, then expect a wheel lockup. Apart from this, the 10-inch tubeless tyres are not corner carvers but can maintain decent grip on the roads. The scooter can reach and maintain speeds of 50-60kmph, which is what you would mostly be doing in the city. Go beyond 60kmph and you will feel vibrations, especially on the floorboard.

VERDICT At a starting price of Rs 47,300 for the non alloy variant and Rs 49,300 for the alloy wheel variant, the new Hero Pleasure+ is a tempting option for those looking for daily use at an affordable price. In case you want to travel short distances and ferry goods then the proposition becomes even more mouthwatering. The scooter would become an instant recommendation if Hero is able to deal with the front brake and vibration issues.

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FEATURES

Cricketing legend BRETT LEE unveils Giant bicycles franchise model Former Australian cricket champion Brett Lee unveiled the franchise model for world’s leading bicycle brand, Giant India – Element Retail, along with a brand new limited edition range of cycles. Recognised as one of the world’s fastest bowlers, Brett Lee has earned a name for himself as a champion and high-performing player. His excellent performance on and off the field makes him a perfect fit for Giant- a brand reputed for its range of high quality performance bicycles Element Retail hosted a meet-and-greet at Giant’s flagship store in the city where Brett Lee unveiled Giant’s new pan India franchise module. This module is designed to increase the brand’s visibility and presence across the country.

Element Retail got the distribution license for Giant bicycles in India in August 2018 and launched its first flagship store in Mumbai and since then they have been spreading quite well Pan India. Founded by Aditya Bafna and Varun Bagadiya in 2013, Element Retail has been steadily growing their portfolio in the fitness segment and has brands like Asics, Speedo, Jockey, and Apple.

Being a fitness enthusiast, Brett Lee believes that cycling should be a part of everyone’s routine. Commenting on his collaboration with Giant Bicycle, Lee commented, “I have always believed that a lifestyle built around fitness is something that everybody should adopt. Giant is synonymous around the world for its high quality, performance bicycles and I’m excited to partner with them and encourage everybody in India to pedal their way to fitness. And cycling is a great and fun way of integrating exercise into one’s daily routine.”

STEELBIRD to Introduce SB-51 rally helmets for cars, motorcycles Asia’s largest helmet manufacturer, Steelbird Hi-Tech India is all to introduce the SB-51 Rally Helmet in the Indian market, a two-in-one helmet for cars as well as motorcycles.

This rally helmet can be used specially for car rallies, and can surely be a substitute to the expensive rally helmets. The helmets have a unique design, attractive looks and the biggest USP of this helmet is that is has an extended mouthguard which serves as a protective shield for the microphone of the

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bluetooth device.

The extended mouth guard helps in giving high quality of sound as the wind blast is not direct on the microphone of the Bluetooth device. The helmet has been designed in Italy and is perfect Bluetooth replaceable helmet.

The helmet offers premium replaceable interiors which are designed keeping the comfort of the rider in mind. Also it has the provision in the interiors to easily place the

speakers of the bluetooth device. The helmet is available in a carbon fibre surface finish which is only available in the non-painted version. The carbon fibre surface finish comes in red, white and black colour.

Without the carbon fibre finish the helmet is available in an array of colours like battle green, hot pink, midnight black, desert storm, maroon, moon yellow, royal brown etc, in both mat and glossy finish.

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FEATURES

Epicurean Delight: Champagne chest by ROLLS-ROYCE Motor Cars The House of Rolls-Royce has presented a Champagne Chest, the latest addition to the Rolls-Royce accessory portfolio. The RollsRoyce Champagne Chest is available to acquire through Rolls-Royce dealerships, with prices starting from £37,000.00 (Rs 3,176,733 approx.) excluding local taxes.

Rich in the understanding of true luxury and epicurean pleasure, the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Design Collective envisioned an accoutrement intended to delight, suitable for the most extravagant of environments from a super yacht to the terrace of a private residence. The Champagne Chest endows conviviality with one’s closest friends, family or business associates.

The Champagne Chest is distinguishably Rolls-Royce, embodying the meticulous attention-to-detail and commitment to remarkable handcraftsmanship, characteristic of the marque. The chassis, made from machined aluminium and carbon fibre, is swathed in Natural Grain black leather embossed with the enigmatic Spirit of Ecstasy and flanked by Tudor Oak wood, materials found in the marque’s motor cars. Naturally, should a patron wish to create a Bespoke colour-way, this would of course, be possible.

At the touch of a button a sense of theatre ensues as the case opens to reveal the finery of a perfectly appointed Champagne set for four guests. The exterior lid metamorphoses into a beautiful serving tray made of Tudor Oak wood with a laser-cut stainless steel inlay. Four cotton napkins with finely embroidered ‘RR’ monograms are discreetly hidden under the lacquered Tudor Oak table.

The Chest is illuminated from the central bay, presenting four hand-blown crystal champagne flutes arranged to evoke memories of a V12 engine. The glass of each is masterfully joined by a polished aluminium base, etched with the ‘RR’ monogram.

The sides of the Chest automatically deploy, revealing two hammocks adorned in ‘Hotspur Red’ Rolls-Royce leather to cradle one’s preferred ensemble of either champagne, caviar or canapés.

Thermal Champagne Coolers made from black anodised aluminium and carbon fibre each proudly bear the ‘RR’ emblem, ensure the champagne is maintained at the optimum temperature.

A caviar configuration is available, whereby two thermal caviar caissons, each accommodating a 30g tin, are complemented by two blini caissons proving an irresistible accompaniment to chilled champagne. Two exquisite Mother-of-Pearl spoons with anodised aluminium handles are housed magnetically at the top of the hammock, designed so as not to impair the delicate flavour of the caviar. An additional arrangement of three porcelain bowls concealed in a matching thermal capsule can be specified should patrons wish to present their guests with an alternative accompaniment to champagne.

Extending the scope for personalisation beyond the confines of automotive luxury, the Accessory Collection comprises exceptional collector’s pieces, designed to augment personal experiences to a Rolls-Royce standard.

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FEATURES

REVIEW GOZERO MILE EPAC

Crossing the first Mile

I

t is not often that we review budget friendly cycles. But this time around we got our hands on the Go Zero Mile.

The cycle costs Rs 29,999 and is one of the first products in India by the British cycle makers GoZero Mobility.

The company has done a good job of styling the cycle with a blue, black and orange colour scheme. The orange accent on the rims is especially a nice touch. There is a small console on the left of the handlebar. The console gets an on/off button to engage or disengage the electric motor’s function. There is a 4-level LED indicator for the battery level and a Mode button to switch between the three levels of assist. Last but in no way the least is the button to switch on/off a light situated at the front. The light is a great addition to the package as it can be really helpful when riding at night. The fit and finish of the cycle is generally good but I did feel that there were a few bits that would require the company’s attention.

The 300Wh lithium-ion battery has been fixed on the cycle frame and can be easily detached using a key. This makes charging very easy. You can simply detach the battery and carry it to a convenient charging spot. The battery has a range of 45km on a single charge but that figure tends to vary depending on a number of environmental factors. Charging the battery takes close to 2.5 hours.

As mentioned before, there are three assist modes on this cycle. Switching between them is easy but I felt that there was not much differentiation between the medium and high mode. A little tweaking would be required to rectify that. In case you get really tired, you can just use the accelerator and move at a speed of up to 25kmph. Riding the cycle is fun and easy even if you are not using the assist modes. But the rear

does feel a bit heavy, especially when you lift the cycle. This is partly due to the motor inside the rear wheel hub. In terms of suspension, you get forks at the front that can help absorb some undulations but there is nothing at the back. Braking is facilitated by disc brakes on both wheels and the rear brake has a nice feel and bite. The front brake, however, packed in less bite when compared to the rear. The tubeless tyres are also good for everyday usage.

I was quite impressed by the GoZero Mile overall. It is a functional and relatively affordable option for people who want to buy an environment friendly ride option as either a mode of transport or as a hobby.

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B2B NEWS

Ather Energy raises $51 million in latest round of funding led by Sachin Bansal Ather Energy, India’s first intelligent electric scooter manufacturer, raised an investment of $ 51 million (Rs 355 crore) in its latest round of funding, led by Sachin Bansal’s investment of $32 million.

Ather Energy was one of the earliest start-up investments of Sachin Bansal when he invested $0.5 Mn in the firm as an Angel investor in 2014. Hero MotoCorp has converted its Convertible Debt of $19 Mn as a part of this round. In addition to this, InnoVen Capital has extended an $8 Mn venture debt.

The company’s flagship Ather 450 opened for pre-orders in Bengaluru in June 2018 with deliveries beginning in September 2018. The scooters have piqued the interest of automobile and tech enthusiasts alike, selling out stocks till September 2019. Ather is now entering an aggressive expansion phase, with the opening of pre-orders in

Chennai in the coming weeks, and eventually scaling to 30 cities by the end of 2023.

To meet the projected demand in the coming years, the company is planning a new manufacturing facility which will be designed to produce 1 million vehicles a year. Ather Energy will also set up 6500 Ather Grid fast charging points across the country over the next 5 years with a projected investment of Rs 130 crore.

In the past six months, the Ather 450 owners have clocked more than 6 lakh km in Bengaluru and Ather Grid, company’s public charging network, has 31 fast charging points in Bengaluru and 7 fast charging points in Chennai. Ather is the first in the country to offer innovative purchase options like lease, with monthly payments as low as Rs 2517, which make the intelligent electric scooter accessible to the 18 million Indian two-wheeler market.

22Motors acquires patent for Hill Assist feature 22Motors, the new age electric mobility solutions company, obtained a worldwide patent for its invention of the hill assist control feature, a first in two-wheelers globally. The patent was filed on February 7, 2019 and was granted on May 9, 2019.

The special feature will provide riders with a composed all-terrain journey while also eliminating any possibility of accidents when on inclined ground. On a gradient, hill-assist control automatically engages and stops the two-wheeler from rolling backwards and gives the rider a few seconds to accelerate forward. This system also prevents the vehicle from rolling backwards during bumper-to-bumper traffic, a feature useful in the urban areas.

22Motors’ upcoming model – the Flow – has three modes: Reverse mode, Cruise mode and Drag mode. With the inclusion of the reverse mode, 22Motors becomes the first two-wheeler globally to save their riders the hassle of manually backing up the vehicle every time they bring the scooter out of the parking area. The drag mode available on the scooter allows riders to continue riding the scooter during a breakdown at 3 kilometres per hour, which is the average walking speed, eliminating the need to drag the scooter. The features are a result of not only listening in closely to the consumer but deep diving into their needs.

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JUNE 2019 | MOTOWN INDIA | 37

B2B NEWS

Calsonic Kansei, Magneti Marelli unite under new worldwide brand – Marelli Leading automotive suppliers Calsonic Kansei and Magneti Marelli have announced that the company will unite under one worldwide brand – Marelli. The move to a single brand name is an important step in the integration of the two companies and positions Marelli to compete even more effectively on a global scale.

automotive supplier, which our people and our customers can be proud of. Creating one brand that is known across the world is an important step in pooling our combined resources and amplifying our global impact.

Marelli operates 170 facilities and R&D centers across Europe, North America, South America and Asia Pacific. As Marelli, the unified company is even better positioned to serve customers around the world, by building and diversifying its proposition. By coming together under one name, the company will even better leverage its unique skills to boost competitiveness through an ongoing focus on innovation, upon which Magneti Marelli has built its reputation, and “Monozukuri” - the excellence in product, process and quality which Calsonic Kansei is known for.

Beda Bolzenius, CEO, Marelli, said, “This is a pivotal time in the evolution of our company. The new brand is built on the idea of “Powering Progress Together” that reflects our focus on helping our customers confidently navigate and succeed in an unprecedentedly changing industry. Our goal is to build on the exceptionally strong heritage that each company has so successfully become known for, to create a world-leading

Minda Industries Limited announces merger of four subsidiaries Minda Industries limited (‘MIL’), the flagship company of Uno Minda Group has announced that the board has approved amalgamation of four domestic wholly owned subsidiaries (WOS) under MIL namely Minda Rinder Pvt. Ltd., Minda Distribution & Pvt. Ltd., Minda Auto Components Ltd. and MJ Castings Ltd.The rationale behind this merger is to create a stronger standalone entity to pursue the next leg of growth. This Scheme of amalgamation is subject to necessary statutory and regulatory approvals including the approval of the jurisdictional National Company Law Tribunals. The estimated implementation time-frame is expected by end of financial year. The merger is expected to drive a lot of operational, strategic synergies and create value for all stakeholders.

TURNOVER AND NET WORTH OF COMPANIES THAT ARE PROPOSED TO MERGED WITH MIL SUBSIDIARY TO BE MERGED

TURNOVER FOR YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 2019 (IN RUPEES CRORE)

NET WORTH AS ONE MARCH 31, 2019 (IN RUPEES CRORE)

Minda Rinder

631

83.52

Minda Distribution & Services

526

23.55

Minda Auto Components

353

24.08

MJ Castings Ltd

315

81.43

38 | MOTOWN INDIA | JUNE 2019

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B2B NEWS

Volvo Car Group signs multi-billion dollar battery supply deals with CATL, LG Chem Volvo Car Group has signed long-term agreements with leading battery makers CATL and LG Chem to ensure the multi-billion dollar supply of lithium ion batteries over the coming decade for next generation Volvo and Polestar models.

The agreements cover the global supply of battery modules for all models on the upcoming SPA2 and the existing CMA modular vehicle platforms and represent a major step towards realising Volvo Cars’ ambitious electrification strategy.

Volvo to be built in Ghent is the awardwinning XC40 small SUV. Already now, plug-in hybrid variants of the XC40 are manufactured there.

T8 Twin Engine on SPA

In 2017 Volvo Cars made the industry-leading commitment that all new Volvo cars launched from 2019 would be electrified. The company has since reinforced this strategy, by stating that it aims for fully electric cars to make up 50 per cent of its global sales volume by 2025.

“With today’s agreement we effectively secured our battery supply for the upcoming decade,” said Martina Buchhauser, senior vice president for procurement at Volvo Cars, adding that “By having two suppliers available in each region we also ensure that we have flexibility in our supply chain going forward.”

“The future of Volvo Cars is electric and we are firmly committed to moving beyond the internal combustion engine,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and CEO of Volvo Cars.

Volvo Cars’ first battery assembly line is currently under construction at its manufacturing plant in Ghent, Belgium. It will be finalised by the end of this year and the first fully electric

CATL of China and LG Chem of South Korea are renowned battery manufacturers, both of which have long and successful track records supplying lithium ion batteries to the global automotive industry. They fulfil Volvo Cars’ strict sourcing guidelines in terms of technology leadership, responsible supply chains and competitive cost models. In China, battery supply will benefit from the scale of the wider Geely Group.

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Plug-in hybrid battery pack mounted in an XC40 at Volvo Cars Ghent plant

The Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) currently underpins the XC40, as well as the fully electric Polestar 2 fastback and several models sold by LYNK & CO, Volvo’s sister brand which it co-owns with Geely. As of this year, all three models will be built on a single production line at a Volvo-operated manufacturing plant in Luqiao, China.

The upcoming SPA2 architecture is the next generation of Volvo’s inhouse developed Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) and will be launched early next decade. SPA is one of the most advanced vehicle platforms in the car industry and currently underpins all Volvo models in the 90 and 60 Series.

The first Volvo to be launched on SPA2 will be the next generation of the XC90 large SUV. Earlier this year, Volvo Cars revealed a number of upgraded and newlydeveloped electrified powertrain options, to be made available across its entire model range going forward.

It has upgraded its existing T8 and T6 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid powertrains, with plug-in options now available on every model it produces.

JUNE 2019 | MOTOWN INDIA | 39

B2B NEWS

CASE STUDY

Maruti E-Learning Academy in collaboration with Hughes Communications Motown India Bureau

M

aruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL, formerly Maruti Udyog Limited) is a subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan.

It is the leading manufacturer of passenger vehicles in India and makes more than 1.5 million cars a year with over 150 variants. It has a team of over 15000 people, spread over 1422 cities and towns all over India. In the past 10 years, while Suzuki Motor Corporation saw its total volumes increase from 2.62

40 | MOTOWN INDIA | JUNE 2019

million to 3.43 million.

BUSINESS REQUIREMENT: - Being one of the leading car makers in the country, Maruti over the years has grown into a huge workforce along with an everexpanding dealer network spread across the country.

- With a rapid expansion in the Indian car market, maintaining the leadership position required the company to invest in training this huge workforce and the dealer

network.

- Maruti was also looking at possible ways to help and spread a positive impact on the surrounding communities.

- The diversity of trades and the ever-growing car variants that MSIL introduced year after year (over 150 variants at last count) compounded the need for training.

- With strong business growth, Maruti needed to have skilled manpower in all aspects of Maruti’s growing business. Following the

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B2B NEWS

innovative approach, Maruti was looking to invest in technology-based solution which is stable, proven, and scalable.

programs.

- The model needed to be sustainable to stand the test of time and growing business requirements.

THE CHALLENGE:

SOLUTIONS OFFERED:

- The continuous influx of recruits and constant transfers within the organisation presented a bigger challenge.

- In addition to the employees, the dealers of MSIL also needed to be trained from time to time to be able to sell their products better.

- Not all employees, trainers, and partners could travel to the metro cities to attend frequent training

- To meet this challenge and to develop a new learning culture in the organization, the company started the initiative of creating a digital training academy for its employees and partners – the Maruti Suzuki Training Academy (MSTA) powered by Hughes Enterprise connectivity solutions.

- The Maruti Suzuki digital training academy is based on an interactive delivery platform supported through

a high-powered Ku- band satellite network by Hughes Communications.

Using Hughes Interactive Onsite Learning (IOL) platform, it seamlessly integrated the strengths and advantages of the traditional method of education with the latest in technology.

- The process involved three stages that include: (i) Studio integration at the Maruti Training Academy, (ii) classroom integration at the regional training offices, (iii) and creation of an interactive delivery platform through a high-powered Ku- band satellite network.

- The high-end interactive platform

Pictures for representation purpose only.

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JUNE 2019 | MOTOWN INDIA | 41

B2B NEWS

allows Maruti’s trainers to have high quality, interactive, real-time and two-way engagement with dispersed participants across the most remote locations individually or simultaneously.

- Courses were made accessible to the learners – as per their respective departments and roles. Custom e-learning courses ranging from those focusing on products, manufacturing, and good practices were used to educate employees in the area of their work.

- Apart from capability building interventions, the training academy also serves to encourage employees to be health conscious and spread awareness around road safety.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE IMPACT: Creating a more inclusive and connected organisation - One of the biggest benefits of

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the academy was that it reduced the learning gaps and enabled the huge workforce to learn continually and efficiently, supporting more than 60 branches/ regional offices of Maruti Suzuki.

- This has today evolved and expanded into a robust training infrastructure with over 100 classroom sites that span the entire workforce ecosystem – from employees to partners. With VSAT technology, Maruti today can reach partners without any lag.

- Within a few years, the academy became the platform of choice for the company to share updates on new products, corporate developments and driver greater efforts towards employee training.

- Message from the Chairman and MD are streamed live across offices with enterprise-grade connectivity allowing for interactive conversations

and Q&A, driving greater motivation among employees.

- In addition, the academy provided much-needed control to the organization towards developing and providing innovative content aligned as per the needs and the requirement of specialized business units. With automated reporting and user management data, managers were able to assess learners better and create more impactful learning paths for them.

- With high-speed connectivity, learners were now able to take part in sessions from their own work location without any need for travel, reducing both financial and resource impact on business.

- Since its launch, Hughes enabled this unique satellite communications model recording 99.9% uptime that ensured real-time engagements without any lag and delay.

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B2B NEWS

Cost Savings and improvement in workforce performance - With regular sessions and hands-on skill training, the company managed a continuous flow of skilled manpower and witnessed improvement in the worker’s overall performance.

- With the e-learning module complimented by instructor-led training, there was a visible change in performance by existing employees.

- By replacing traditional training methods with the technologyenabled approach, the organization made good cost savings too.

Connecting with Dealers and reducing the new vehicle launch to the retail timeline - More than 150 dealership sites across India (expected to grow up to 1000 sites) were connected to the

academy via a single network.

- This not only reduced the need for Maruti sales team to travel across and impart individual training and briefing on every new product but also helped the sales teams at these dealerships to learn more about the required skills on servicing and enhancing customer experience.

- This, in turn, reduced the time taken from launch to retail sale as now the company had the ability to conduct a briefing with all dealers at one go.

- With growing competition, extensive training sessions were organized to train sales person at varied dealerships inculcating the best practices and preparing them to better address customer needs and queries with deep dive into Maruti products and competitive product comparisons.

Supporting the communities - With the help of VSAT technology, the infrastructure grew from a single classroom facility in 2012 to cover more than 1 lakh trainees.

- Maruti also leveraged the advanced training network to support students learning at more than 150 odd Industrial training institutes (ITI) supported by Maruti across Delhi / NCR region.

- Special sessions have been introduced on soft-skills like communication, personality development, and language skills for the students.

Pictures for representation purpose only.

Sustaining the Impact: Maruti E-learning Academy aims to get a trained workforce for mission 2 million by 2020 itself. Also plans to expand this facility to various plants, vendors, and dealer partners at all locations.

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JUNE 2019 | MOTOWN INDIA | 43

B2B NEWS

BorgWarner JV with Romeo Power Technology to make EV batteries With global expertise supplying combustion, hybrid and electric vehicle propulsion solutions, BorgWarner is continuing to build its electrification portfolio and systems expertise by agreeing to form a joint venture with Romeo Power Technology, a technologyleading battery module and pack supplier.

This new joint venture will be split 60/40 with BorgWarner obtaining the larger share.

“This joint venture will not only complement our strong existing propulsion portfolio, but we expect it to fill a gap in the marketplace between battery cell manufacturers and hybrid and electric vehicle customers,” said Joel Wiegert, President and General Manager BorgWarner Morse Systems, adding that “We believe our global engineering and manufacturing footprint enables us to quickly commercialize cutting-edge technology, delivering even more value to our customers.”

BorgWarner believes bringing together BorgWarner’s customer, product launch and quality excellence with Romeo’s leading battery module and pack technology will meet a wide range of customers’ battery-electric vehicle needs. The battery modules and packs are expected to include intelligent battery management systems with proprietary algorithms for enhanced performance and cycle life, as well as proprietary thermal engineering for active and passive cooling. The addition of battery packs will energize BorgWarner’s existing product portfolio for hybrid and electric vehicles that includes electric motors, power electronics, high-voltage battery heaters, eAxle iDMs, onboard battery chargers and much more.

fantastic team that has accomplished a lot in the last four years. And now we’ll continue our progress, with the ability and resources to grow and accomplish our mission of advancing energy technology,” he added.

The joint venture will encompass the mobility portion of the battery pack business, initially focused on performance and light vehicles. BorgWarner will also take a 20 percent equity position in Romeo Power Technology and will fill two seats on its board. The equity investment and the joint venture are expected to close in the second quarter of 2019, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

BorgWarner’s strategic acquisition of companies involved in vehicle electrification, to complement its organic efforts, started in 2015 with the acquisition of Remy International, Inc. (Remy), a leading manufacturer of rotating

electrical components such as alternators, starter motors and electric traction motors for the automotive and commercial vehicle industry. In 2017, BorgWarner acquired Sevcon Inc., a global player in electrification technologies. Sevcon complemented BorgWarner’s power electronics capabilities and also added onboard charging to the portfolio. In February 2019, BorgWarner announced it formed Cascadia Motion and acquired two Oregon-based businesses, Rinehart Motion Systems LLC and AM Racing Inc. and merged their operations into a new, wholly owned company focused on electric and hybrid propulsion solutions for niche and emerging applications. These acquisitions, along with the joint venture announced, are significant milestones as BorgWarner continues to execute its strategy as a propulsion systems leader for combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles.

“This joint venture will help Romeo take a big step in the battery mobility sector by adding BorgWarner’s scale and resources,” said Michael Patterson, Romeo Power Technology Founder and CEO. “Romeo has a

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B2B NEWS

TVS Motor invests US$3.85 million in TagBox TVS Motor Company has invested US$3.85 Million in TagBox, a supply chain IIoT and Machine Learning platform company as part of its Series A funding round. This round was entirely led by TVS Motor Company Limited and its Singapore based Subsidiary, TVS Motor (Singapore) Pte. Limited.

TagBox plans to use the funds to strengthen product innovation and R&D while expanding its global footprint.

TagBox will continue to invest in their BoxLens and AssetLens platforms and develop new

predictive analytics and automation solutions to solve various customer use cases.

Rajesh Narasimhan, Board Member of TVS Motor Company and CEO of TVS Motor (Singapore) quoted “We evaluated many companies providing IoT solutions in the Supply Chain and logistics space and found TagBox’s product offerings and solutions to be an unique blend of IoT, Machine Learning and close-loop AI. Their ability to help organisations monitor, predict and prevent SKU health risk in the supply chain is a

clear differentiator. We are happy to invest in and strategically partner TagBox as they continue to pursue bottomline impact for Fortune 1000 companies by improving their supply chain processes while leveraging them for our own group businesses.

Our current investment in Tagbox is part of the initial set of investments being made in strategically relevant digital startups.”

“Organisations across the globe are increasingly adopting IoT and Machine Learning solutions to improve their

supply chains and operations.

We are excited that TVS Motor’s worldwide operations and experiences will help make our product and value proposition stronger and highly differentiated”, said Adarsh Kumar, CEO of TagBox. Adarsh further added, “We have already delivered ROI from our IoT based predictive insights solutions for leading Retail, E-commerce, Pharma, F&B, Dairy and Manufacturing companies in India and APAC. We believe it is now time to scale our product globally.”

Roy Kurian joins Tork Motors as Head, Sales & Marketing Tork Motors, India’s first electric motorcycle maker, has appointed former Yamaha India Senior Vice President Roy Kurian as head of Sales & Marketing, of its flagship product T6X. Roy will focus on introducing T6X to the world with its launch from the Pune office. He will also focus on strategic tie ups, marketing & distribution of the forthcoming models.

experience Roy brings to the table.”

“I am excited to be a part of the ‘future’ and it is the right time to dive in, learn & create a path for the inevitable EV space,” said Roy Kurian. Work on T6X began

in mid 2015 and the first prototype was unveiled in September 2016. With Bharat Forge coming on board as a strategic partner in early 2018, Tork Motors has made

progress on two fronts rapidly - technology and skilled resources. With T6X in its final stages, Tork plans its launch in Pune followed by Bangalore and other cities in India soon.

Roy joins Tork Motors after his 15 years stint at Yamaha India, a player in scooters & premium segment motorcycles.

Kapil Shelke, CEO & Founder, Tork Motors, said, “We are delighted to have a veteran like Roy join our team. We are set to achieve a strong impact on launch of India’s first electric motorcycle and are banking on the wealth of information and

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B2B NEWS

Panasonic launches first of its kind EV charging service for India Panasonic, a diversified technology company, has announced the launch of first of its kind smart EV charging service in India - Nymbus. A futuristic charging service combines physical components such as charging stations, swap stations, on board charges, telematics systems and the virtual components like cloud service, analytics, intuitive dashboard, and artificial intelligence to deliver onestop solution. Nymbus, is a unique technology platform by Panasonic India’s concentrated R&D efforts, designed and developed to cater to the growing mobility market in India.

As part of the first phase, Panasonic has partnered with electric mobility service

accordingly.

providers’ SmartE and qQuick, wherein Panasonic will be deploying the EV charging service on 150 SmartE electric three wheelers and on 25 qQuick 2 wheelers in the Delhi NCR region.

The solution is poised to

help individual EV users, EV fleet owners, e commerce & logistics companies to manage their fleet more efficiently and also the utility providers, vehicle, equipment and battery manufacturers to understand the user patterns and calibrate the products and services

The service comes equipped with telematics sensors on the vehicles, allowing users to generate real time data and reports from continuous operation thus enabling them to use their fleet in the most efficient way. Built to learn and gain intelligence over time, the systems are poised to assist the fleet managers in monitoring and managing the entire fleet such as finding out the efficiency of different li-ion battery packs, avoiding unnecessary charge trips due to lack of charging and real-time data, monitoring of vehicle data usage etc. The cloud and app service also allows EV and fleet owners to easily search and navigate the nearest charging point, thus reducing logistical challenges.

Hero Electric further expands its network in India Biggest electric vehicle brand in India, Hero Electric, announced further expansion of its dealer network in Eastern and Central parts of India leading to further strengthening its network across all key markets. The dealer facilities include advanced services, equipped with a fleet of highly trained and qualified professionals ensuring the highest levels of after-sales service and solutions to the existing customers.

With an aim to deliver

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sustainable commuting solutions in the country, Hero Electric has extended its network with eight new dealerships in Guwahati – Assam, Una – Gujarat, Kaithal & Rohtak - Haryana, Baranagar - Madhya Pradesh, Shirwal - Maharashtra, and Thenkasi Tamil Nadu. Hero Electric has planned to open fifteen new dealerships across cities like Amta - West Bengal, Timarani - Madhya Pradesh, Hazipur – Bihar, Pratapura – Chhattisgarh amongst others.

the best in class E2W sales and service facility along with the entire range of Hero Electric products available in India.

In line with the government’s vision and the recent FAME 2 policy, Hero electric wants to create awareness, educate, and ensure availability across India from Srinagar in the North to Kanyakumari in the South, Porbandar in the West to Guwahati in the East, ensuring that maximum number of people are able to try and buy electric 2 wheelers.

The dealerships would offer

“At Hero Electric, we aim to

provide eco-friendly mobility solutions to people. We are proud to have the largest dealer network across the country and recently crossed 600 touchpoints. Our ecofriendly products are accessible to many more people across India, enabling every Indian to have a chance to use zero emission, sustainable mobility solutions from Hero Electric.

We are planning to open over 1500 touch points in the next 2 years to penetrate the most interior parts of the country.” says Sohinder Gill, CEO Hero Electric India.

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B2B NEWS

Maruti Suzuki to harnesses solar power for manufacturing of cars Committed to positively contribute to the environment, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, took an important step to harness solar power to meet its energy needs. The company recently laid the foundation stone for a 5 MW solar power plant at the Gurugram facility.

The captive solar power plant is expected to be commissioned in FY 2019-20.

The company will invest around Rs 24 crore (Rs 240 Million), and will offset CO2 emissions to the tune of over 5390 tonnes annually, for the next 25 years. This is the second grid based solar power plant for Maruti Suzuki. The 1st Solar Power plant was set up in 2014 at Manesar, with 1 MW capacity. In 2018, this solar power plant was further expanded to 1.3 MW. The power generated from the solar power plant will be

synchronised with the captive power plant to cater to the internal energy needs of the Gurugram facility.

environment care initiatives in products, in manufacturing processes and in business operations.�

As a unique feature the photovoltaic solar panels of this carport style solar power plant will work as a roof at the new car parking area. While the solar panels generate clean energy, the cars parked underneath will be safe from strong climatic conditions.

The Company depends on cleaner and renewable sources of energy which form a major share (95%) of its total energy use. The energy requirement at the manufacturing facilities is met by Natural Gas-based captive power plant, supported by grid power. The new solar power plant will complement the power generating capability at the manufacturing plant.

Kenichi Ayukawa, MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, “Solar energy is abundant, versatile and efficient. This Solar Power initiative is in line with the Company’s philosophy to adopt environment friendly technologies and lower CO2 emissions. Through this solar power plant facility we will harness renewable energy for our business needs over next 25 years. Maruti Suzuki is committed to expand its

Other important energysaving initiatives by Maruti Suzuki: * Installation of solar rooftop plants (3x14.5 kW) to provide LED street lighting at Rohtak R&D facility and Gurugram plant * Installation of variable refrigerant flow airconditioners at Rohtak facility

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* Improvement in efficiency in power plant at Gurugram, by optimizing combustion air in Gas turbines * Reducing power losses by optimizing the number of transformers and its capacity in Gurugram plant * Installation of Variable frequency drive (VFD) in Chiller Water circulation pumps, UF & RO spray pumps and Air Compressors in Manesar to reduce energy consumption * Installation of energyefficient drives and pumps in Dough Kneader Machine (Gurugram) and water pumps (Manesar) respectively * Use of energy-efficient LED lighting in Gurugram, Manesar and R&D Centre at Rohtak The Manesar B plant commissioned in September 2011 was the first car plant in India that is 100 percent LED and is significantly more energy-efficient.

JUNE 2019 | MOTOWN INDIA | 47

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

Mahindra is India’s Most Attractive Tractor brand Based on TRA’s ‘India’s Most Attractive Brands – India Study 2018’ In a study covering 5,000 brands across 16 Indian cities, ‘Mahindra’ tractors, part of the Mahindra Group, have been recognised as India’s Most Attractive Tractor brand by Trust Research Advisory (TRA) in the fifth edition of its report, titled ‘India’s Most Attractive Brands’ – India Study 2018. The study is based on TRA’s proprietary ‘Brand Attractiveness Matrix’ which comprises 36 attributes of Brand Attractiveness.

On being conferred the TRA award, Rajesh Jejurikar, President, Farm Equipment Sector, M&M Ltd. said. “The TRA award is a recognition of our work in building a global customer focused brand, with the widest range of tractors for every kind of farming application. At Mahindra,

we constantly strive to work with the customer and connect with their needs to drive success.

While thanking TRA for this award, we will continue to work toward the development of newer products both in tractors, as well as the farm machinery space driven by our focus on innovation and technology”.

TRA’s ‘Buying Propensity’ index is a scientific methodology that gets to the root of the consumer’s buying process to understand and measure their buying keenness. It attempts to understand this through the overt, covert and contextual buying drivers of consumer influences. Creating Buying Propensity is to create a natural pull for the consumer toward the brand that is manifested on the

a dual role in building Brand Appeal. Firstly, it enhances the inherent attractiveness of the brand, & secondly, it also helps to communicate this attractiveness to customers across the Indian farming sector. Mahindra is synonymous with tractors, and as a brand it resonates highly on recall among all Indian tractor brands. We congratulate Mahindra on this achievement.” basis of the consumer’s Trust (the transactional drivers to buy) and Attractiveness (the psycho-sociocultural drives to buy).

Sachin Bhosle, Research Director, TRA Research, said, “Mahindra Tractors communication plays

Nippon Paint wet-on-wet painting technology for commercial vehicles industry Nippon Paint, Asia’s No 1 paint brand in terms of revenues, has pioneered a cutting edge technology for commercial vehicles painting. Nippon Paint has introduced its unique ‘Wet on Wet (WoW) Painting Technology’ in India, with a focus on delivering a lean and extremely efficient painting process to the CV OEMs and major bus body manufacturers.

The WoW technology solution will drastically reduce painting cycle time, energy requirement and labor cost and significantly improve productivity in the

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painting process. With rapid strides in product solutions, Nippon Paint aims to become the clear leader in the commercial vehicles segment space in India by 2021. The launch follows Nippon Paint’s recently-announced unique express painting system for the automotive aftermarket. Nippon Paint currently works with most of the leading OEMs in the country and is also a preferred player in the private bus-body segment in India. Nippon Paint is also working closely with the major State Transport Undertakings in India.

Sharad Malhotra, President Automotive, Commercial and Wood Coatings, Nippon Paint (India) states, “The Indian commercial vehicle industry is a focus sector for us. Our objective is to develop and introduce state-of-the-art high productivity solutions for the CV industry. We aim to drastically improve throughput for our customers without any major capital investment from their end. This is just the first step in our mission to introduce world-class products developed by our global R&D team that add tremendous value to our CV

and light industrial customers.”

Lewis Taylor, Global Technical Manager for Nippon Paint states, “The biggest challenge faced by commercial vehicle manufacturers in the painting process is how to optimse efficiency. Nippon Paint aims to solve this problem by delivering customized solutions that maximize efficiency based on customer-specific production lines and infrastructure. Our WoW technology solution minimizes sanding and baking processes, thereby delivering efficiency improvements of up to 50% and cost reduction of up to 20%.”

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COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

TAFE signs on Akshay Kumar as brand ambassador for Massey Ferguson tractors TAFE - Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited, the third largest tractor manufacturer in the world and second largest in India (by volumes), has announced a brand association with actor Akshay Kumar for Massey Ferguson tractors. Over the past 60 years, TAFE has been reshaping the agricultural landscape of India and the world with a global footprint across 100 countries and a cumulative sale of about 2.5 million tractors to date.

offers robust performance and uncompromising quality with over 125 products and variants.

Speaking on the association, TR Kesavan,

President& COO - Product Strategy and Corporate Relations, TAFE noted: “Massey Ferguson tractors with its superior performance and modern engineering is an industry leader in agriculture, haulage, infrastructure and

The globally renowned Massey Ferguson brand is one of the most iconic tractor brands, especially in India.

The Massey Ferguson range

industrial applications. We believe a dynamic, powerful and accomplished brand ambassador like Akshay will help build a strong connect with our customers.”

On his association with the Massey Ferguson brand, Bollywood Superstar Akshay Kumar said, “I look forward to my association with the legendary Massey Ferguson tractors from TAFE, one of the pioneers in agriculture mechanization.

Driving a Massey Ferguson with a loaded trailer, I could truly understand what makes it India’s most loved tractor. It was evident why it enjoys such tremendous loyalty and pride of ownership by our farmers.”

Tata Motors launches Intra compact truck at `5.35 lakh onward Strengthening its position as pioneers and leader of the Small Commercial Vehicles (SCV) segment, Tata Motors launched a range of new generation ‘compact truck’ – the Tata Intra.

With a best in class, 2512 mm x 1602 mm load body length, Tata INTRA comes in two variants- V10 and V20. The Intra range starts from Rs 5,35,000 onwards depending on the variant. The Tata Intra is powered by future ready engines, which are scalable to BSVI norms.

The Intra V20 comes with 1400 cc DI Engine with 70 HP and Intra V10 is powered with 800 CC DI engine delivering 40 hp, offering quick acceleration, faster trips and low turnaround time.

The vehicle has a standard power steering fitment and with low turning circle radius of 4.75m, it ensures easy maneuverability even

on narrow and congested roads. The power train is tuned to suit various duty cycles using Gear Shift Advisor or economy switch, leading to enhanced fuel efficiency. Intra also has a 5-speed gearbox with cable shift mechanism

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offering a pleasurable driving experience.

The truck was launched in the presence of Guenter Butschek, CEO and MD and Girish Wagh, President – Commercial Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors

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TECHNOLOGY

JLR’s sensory steering helps keep drivers’ eyes on the road A steering wheel developed by Jaguar Land Rover could help keep drivers’ eyes on the road – by using heat to tell drivers when to turn left or right.

The research, in partnership with Glasgow University, has created a ‘sensory steering wheel’, parts of which can be quickly heated and cooled to inform drivers where to turn, when to change lane or to warn of an approaching junction. This could be particularly useful when visibility is reduced through poor weather or the layout of the road.

The technology has also been applied to the gear-shift paddles to indicate when hand over from the driver to autonomous control in future self-driving vehicles is complete.

Driver distraction is a major contributor to road accidents around the world and accounts for 10 per cent of all fatal crashes in the USA alone. Jaguar Land Rover’s research suggests thermal cues could be a way to keep drivers fully focused on the road.

The cues work on both sides of the steering wheel, indicating the direction to turn by rapidly warming or cooling one side by a difference of up to 6oC. For comfort a driver could adjust the range of temperature change.

Studies have shown temperature-based instructions could also be used for nonurgent notifications, where vibrations could be deemed unnecessarily attention grabbing, for example as a

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warning when fuel is running low, or for upcoming events, such as points of interest. Thermal cues can also be used where audio feedback would be deemed too disruptive to cabin conversations or media playback.

Alexandros Mouzakitis, Jaguar Land Rover Electrical Research Senior Manager, said: “Safety is a number one priority for Jaguar Land Rover and we are

committed to continuously improving our vehicles with the latest technological developments as well as preparing the business for a selfdriving future.

“The ‘sensory steering wheel’ is all part of this vision, with thermal cues able to reduce the amount of time drivers have to take their eyes off the road.

“Research has shown people readily understand the heating and cooling dynamics to denote directions and the subtlety of temperature change can

be perfect for certain feedback that doesn’t require a more intrusive audio or vibration-based cue,” he added.

The Jaguar Land Rover-funded research is part of a PhD study undertaken by Patrizia Di Campli San Vito at Glasgow University as part of its Glasgow Interactive Systems Research Section (GIST).

Jaguar and Land Rover models already boast a wide range of sophisticated Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) designed to improve driver and vehicle safety, including the new generation Head-Up Display in the Range Rover Velar. The Velar also features capacitive steering wheel controls for common functions that combine with the Interactive Driver Display to help reduce driver distraction.

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