From launches by Audi and BMW Motorrad India to an uptick in wholesale of passenger vehicles in India, here’s a wrap of the top auto stories this week.
BMW’s G 310 RR
BMW Motorrad India launched the all-new G 310 RR motorcycle in India on July 15. Touted to be BMW’s most-affordable fully-faired motorcycle, G 310 RR will be available in two variants — RR Sport which comes at Rs 2.85 lakh (ex-showroom) and RR Style Sport priced at Rs 2.99 lakh (ex-showroom).
2022 Audi A8 L edited launch
German luxury carmaker Audi launched the facelifted version of its flagship sedan, A8 L, in India on July 12 at a starting price of Rs 1.29 crore. Bookings for the new avatar are already underway through the company’s website and dealerships for a token amount of Rs 10 lakh. Compared to the outgoing model, the facelifted version of Audi A8 L gets a reprofiled front end, with a bolder chrome studded grille. Under the hood, it retained its 3.0-litre, turbo-petrol V6 engine with mild-hybrid tech.
Hyundai unveils Tucson
Hyundai India unveiled the new generation Tucson SUV, which will be launched with 29 first and best-in-segment features. The car comes with an updated exterior styling, a refreshed cabin, and ADAS features. According to the company, the new SUV will be launched in early August this year.
Tata Motors Nexon variant
Tata Motors launched a new variant of its compact SUV Nexon, XM+(S), at a starting price of Rs 9.75 lakh (ex-showroom). The new variant comes in between the XM (S) and the XZ+ trims. It has additional features like electric sunroof, rain sensing wipers, cooled glove box, rear AC vents, and a seven-inch infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple Car Play.
EV cells
Some of India’s top electric two-wheeler makers may not have used grade-A cells in all the vehicles produced and sold in the country, which may have resulted in the recent spate of fires.
Almost all companies submit grade-A cells for testing, a source in the testing agency Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) told CNBC-TV18.com. However, many may not be necessarily using the same in the vehicles, he said. Queries sent to companies like Okinawa, Ola, Jitendra and Pure EV remained unanswered.
Passenger vehicle dispatches rise
Wholesale passenger vehicles traffic in India surged 19 percent year-on-year in June amid improving semiconductor supply, data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) revealed. Passenger vehicle (PV) dispatches to dealers rose to 2,75,788 units in June this year against 2,31,633 units in the same month in 2021. Similarly, total two-wheeler wholesale dispatches rose to more than 13 lakh units in June 2022 compared to over 10 lakh units in the year-ago period.
