Auto Monitor - 20 May 2013

Mercedes Benz which has been trounced by two of its ace rivals BMW and

Audi in India for many months now is clandestinely trying to regain its position in terms of sales volume. The company has identified that the strategy going forward is to look at enhancing its presence in the compact cat-

egory. The German carmaker has chalked out ambitious plans to add at least three more products in this segment. The first is an A-Class that Mercedes Benz will launch on May 30 in both diesel and petrol variants. The second launch includes diesel variants of the B-class in August, while it plans to launch a compact Sports Utility Vehicle, GLA, later on. The luxury carmaker will continue to import A-Class and B-Class as completely built units.

“We will launch the A class on May 30. We expect the B-Class diesel in three months time and we will reveal the details around June,” said Eberhard Kern, Managing Director and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India on the side-lines of an event recently.

Compact SUVs by the two other luxury carmakers, BMW

X1 and Audi Q3, are already being sold in India in the same seg-ment. Mercedes Benz, though late in bringing in the compact SUV, expects to see a rise in sales with this new move. The petrol variant of the A Class will report-edly have a 1.6 litre turbo motor, while the diesel engine variant

may have a 1.5 litre engine.Simultaneously, the company

continues with its product offen-sive on other lines. It is doubling the capacity of its Chakan plant from the current 10,000 units by the end of the year. Mercedes...

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Swiss technology major Oerlikon Drive System (ODS) is investing $60 million in its third plant

in India in Gujarat. With the plant expected to begin operations by 2015, the company hopes that India will contribute at least 25 percent to its global turnover. To achieve these numbers, the com-pany will place 3,000 of its 6,000 employees in India. For reasons obvious, the company’s glob-al CEO Heriberto Diarte will be based out of New Delhi.

ODS produces transmission and axles for high-end CVs sees India as a high potential market. It is also seeking to avail the cost competitive manufacturing base the country offers.

“India is still a cheaper manu-

facturing base compared to most other countries. While we make hi-tech products, we constant-ly strive to find cost solutions and think that a combination of good workforce and automation will offer a solution,” he added. Besides plants in India, Oerlikon has plants in the US and Italy. Simultaneously, Oerlikon has recently expanded capacity at its

Belgaum plant at an investment of $15 million and installed a new heat treatment unit.

Construction at the new Gujarat plant is expected to start by Q4-13 or Q1-14. The company has acquired 35 acres of land at an investment of $9 million, part of the company’s $60 million investment plant over the next four years. Phase I of production is expected to start by mid-2015.

“The idea is to transfer two production lines of synchroniz-ers and transmission assembly from Noida to the new plant.

All types of synchronizers cli-ents will be catered to from the Gujarat plant,” Heriberto added.

The shift will enable Oerlikon to produce difficult and hi-tech/high performance gears and clutches that require high level of technology at the Noida plant. “At Noida, we have mature engineers that makes for good capabilities. It’s easy to improve technology when you have a base,” he added.

Once the Gujarat plant is in operation, it is expected to earn about $100 million which will be a 50:50 contribution to local as

well as exports market.In India, the company’s man-

ufacturing activities are more than 90 percent localized and employs around 2,500 work force here and has a global workforce of 5,500 employees. The group’s global turnover was $800 mil-lion of which India contributes around $150 million which is around 20 percent.

Commenting on the move, Khurshed Thanawalla, Country Representative, Oerlikon India, says “India is key to Oerlikon’s ambitious growth plans, and the relocation of one of Drive Systems’ CEO is reflective of this. India is important as a market as well as a manufacturing hub for Drive Systems and we would ben-efit from Heriberto Diarte being based out of India.”

The company entered India around two decades ago with two subsidiaries Oerlikon Graziano and Oerlikon Fairfield and their respective major production plants in Noida and Belgaum. Now it earns 60 percent of reve-nue from domestic market and 40 percent from exports.

The list of its customers includes Indian companies like Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, JCB and India oper-ations of New Holland, John Deere, Carraro, etc.

Oerlikon to set up third plant in Gujarat

Pg 10 Pg 14

The art of war Meeting StandardsMichael Perschke, Head, Audi India

INTERVIEW INNOVATION

Invests $60 mn; to shift production of synchronizers, transmission from Noida to the new plant

May launch diesel B Class in August, A Class to roll out in both petrol and diesel on May 30

Nabeel A Khan New Delhi

Nabeel A Khan New Delhi

2013 Automotive Industry Perspective

The company has acquired

35 acres of land at an investment of

$9 million, part of the company’s $60 million

investment plant over the next

4 years.

Kern’s master plan

Contd. on Pg 8

Eberhard Kern, MD and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India and tennis legend Boris Becker at the launch of the new GL-Class in Delhi.

GL-Class @ `77.5 lakhPg 8

A recent Assocham study “Automobile Industry in India: Saturated and Potential States” states that Indore has significant potential to emerge as an automotive manufacturing hub. It also states that the

state government needs to take steps to lure auto majors housed at the Gurgaon-Manesar automobile belt in the NCR of Delhi.

This is not a new suggestion. Since the last decade, various association bodies have been constantly questioning this penchant for concentrating commercial activities in a few states and thus creating a torrent of migration, while crowding these cities. There are some side-effects too. Excessive migration means more construction that thus leads to pollution. A city can accommodate only so many people. A flood gush will only harm the ecology while tampering with its infrastructure.

If more companies had to venture out to newer states for setting up manufacturing units, it would disperse some of the population while creating infrastructure and jobs in those states.

It would also not create so much labour related issues and also help those living in tier 2 and tier 3 cities find employment. Assocham, in its report, has suggested that the automobile hub should be created on a cluster approach based

on industrial ownership or a public-private partnership (PPP) to create a conducive and competitive business environment thereby providing appropriate research and training facilities, supportive labour market and requisite infrastructure. The apex chamber has also suggested the state government to focus on developing a supplier base of manufacturers of parts like axle, brake, clutch, engine, gear, shaft, valves and other electrical auto components.

What would also help is if the smaller states offered some tax breaks and subsidies, it might encourage the industrialists to consider them as options, and venture there.

At least it will offer the current commercial cities some respite.

Finding newer states

QUOTABLE QUOTESStephen Odell, Executive VP and President of Europe, Middle East and Africa, Ford

Eberhard Kern, Mercedes Benz India, MD & CEO

The Russian market will be the largest in Europe in the coming years and represent an important growth opportunity.

We are enhancing our production to cater to the increasing demand for luxury sedans and SUV in the domestic market.

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CONTENTS

BorgWarner expands cooperation with JLR 20BorgWarner Will build new production line and engineering centre in Bradford, UK, and establish a master’s degree program at local university.

Ssangyong posts highest monthly sales since 2006 20BorgWarner will provide its turbocharging technologies for Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR’s) new family of four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines, expected to launch in 2015.

The rubber test 12Apollo will soon launch its Vredestein brand in India which caters to the high-performance and sports/supercar segment in several markets abroad.

The art of war 10Michael Perschke explains what he did right to get to where the company is.

Bike wars 08Honda has upped the ante for its closest competitors. The knives are now out.

CORPORATEGL-Class @ `77.5 lakh 08Mercedes-Benz is baring its teeth to show that it can also showcase some muscle.

Dürr extends Eco+Paintshop at BMW Brilliance 15Dürr was commissioned to set up an automotive paint shop for BMW Brilliance in Shenyang, China and has already received a follow-on order from BMW Brilliance to increase production capacity.

Continental hands over PRORETA research vehicle to TU Darmstadt 17For PRORETA research project, TU Darmstadt and Continental have been working on an integrated driver assistance concept for avoiding accidents.

22THE OTHER SIDE

Alok Trgunayat, Business Head, Ecocat Alok Trigunayat has three decades of experience in the automotive industry and is currently in charge of the Indian operations of Ecocat India Ltd.

Shining bright 12Gulf Oil continues to keep growing despite the slowdown in the automotive market by renewing focus on distribution, innovative products and tie up with more OEMs.

08

08

17

20

10

Auto Monitor

N E W S820 MAY 2013

Contd. From Pg 1

Ceat is switching focus to the utility vehi-cle, small CV and two-wheeler segment

in a strategic shift away from truck and bus tyres in the near to medium terms. It will not make major investments in creating manufacturing capacity even as the company looks to make

deeper inroads in the other seg-ments and overseas markets. Ceat is looking to launch 100-odd designs and products in domestic and export markets by 2014-end.

Ceat gained 54 percent rev-enue from products catering to trucks and bus segment last fis-cal, according to a recent analyst presentation by the company. It is also looking to gain a larger share of overseas markets such as Sri Lanka, Latin America and Bangladesh, pointed out Anant

Goenka, MD, Ceat, in a confer-ence call with analysts after the announcement of fiscal 2012-13 results.

He added that the compa-ny may find it difficult to grow volumes and become a market leader in all vehicle segments. Hence the plan is to diversify by digressing to other segments. The company will invest `60-65 crore current fiscal in addition to around `12 crore incremental investments in the Bangladesh JV

with AK Khan & Co. The JV is tar-geting a market share of around 40 percent by 2016. Both partners have committed an investment of around `275 crore with first

phase production capacity of around 65 tonnes per day, grow-ing to 110 tonnes per day with the completion of the second phase.

Ceat manufactures over ten million tyres every year and enjoys a major market share in the light truck and truck tyre markets.

...currently produces S-Class, E-Class and ML-Class at this plant and by September will also include the GL-Class.

The A-Class, a premium lux-ury hatchback, was launched in the European market exactly a year ago and has received good response. The company’s Rastatt plant in Germany, where the car is produced, is running three shifts to meet the high demand for the vehicle.

While announcing that it plans to be fully armed with a portfolio in terms of product launches and network expansion, it denied that the moves were being made with an ambition to outnumber its rivals in terms of sales and reach the top spot. “We are here for profitable sustainability and with more products like the A-Class

coming in, we should be able to strengthen our position in India,” Kern said. Mercedes Benz report-ed sales of 2,009 units for Q1 2013 which is a growth of 5.3 percent over the corresponding period last year when total sales stood at 1,908 units. The company hopes to grow by double digit in the next quarter. The E-Class has been the single largest contributor to sales volumes in Q1 2013 period with more than 800 units sold.

Switching gearsCeat to build non-CV tyre capacity in strategic business shift, will introduce 100 products by next year.

There’s a lot of power in dreams, at least for Honda two wheelers. The Japanese manufac-

turer became the second largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the country by the end of fiscal 2013 edging past motorcycle manu-facturer Bajaj. Hero MotoCorp is firmly in sight and although catching up with Hero is still a few years away, Honda is doing it at a brisk pace. What makes Honda such a formidable com-petitor and why haven’t Hero and Bajaj found an answer to their loss in market share?

In 1997, Honda split from Kinetic to start its own subsidi-ary to produce scooters in India. That’s when Honda had to take a NOC from its then motorcycle partner Hero Honda. According to the NOC, Honda was not to manufacture motorcycles for the next five years and Hero was not to make scooters. Honda adhered to this NOC. Once clear of this NOC, Honda started manufacturing its own motorcycles but the compe-tition didn’t bother Hero Honda much because Honda wasn’t in the commuter segment which amounted to 70 percent of Hero Honda’s sales. The trouble arose in 2010 when Honda launched the Twister. The 110cc was direct competition to the Passion and

the Splendor which didn’t go well with Hero. Hero wasn’t allowed to set up an independent R&D by Honda thus creating much frustration for Hero Honda. The two split by the end of 2010 and the industry assumed that Hero being the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the world, will easily sustain Honda’s pull-out for at least half a decade till the BS-IV norms come into effect for two-wheelers and the engines are in need for a update.

But just three years into the split, Honda has caused a major dent in Hero’s fortunes, meticu-lously snatching market share from not only Hero but also the next biggest 2-wheeler manu-facturer, Bajaj. The two-wheeler segment grew 2.9 percent in 2012-13. Scooters grew 14 percent and the large motorcycle segment grew by a miniscule 0.12 per-cent. Naturally, if Honda was to increase share in India, it had to be at the others’ expense. By March 2013, Hero, Bajaj and Honda together had about 80 percent of the market share and Honda had grown 31 percent. Bajaj was the big loser as a result losing 4 percent in sales and Hero sales dropped 2.2 percent.

A Bajaj dealer from the west-ern region said the problem Bajaj is facing right now is that motor-cycles above 150cc aren’t selling and quality of parts, especially the engines of Honda are better. Sales fall doesn’t affect dealers

much as the margins on sale of motorcycles are small. Even a Hero dealer agrees with this fact. Dealers mainly make money from services and spares.

A source on condition of anonymity said there is much confusion between the two brands even after three years of the split. Customers walking into Hero deal-erships mistakenly enquire about Honda products and probably it’s a similar case at the other end. This has benefited Honda greatly since customers were aware that mechanically, Hero Hondas were more Honda than Hero and so second time customers must have switched brands.

HMSI has a sales and service network of over 1,950 outlets. This includes 654 dealers, 670 branches/sub-dealers and 626 service set-ups across India. Expansion is happening at a brisk rate so it’s natural that sales are going to rise. What’s staggering is in just one year, motorcycle sales of Honda has risen 54 percent selling over 4 lakh motorcycles

more than the previous year. Bajaj sales have fallen by over one lakh. Since 2010, Hero has launched just one motorcycle, the Impulse, which hasn’t done well for the company. After such a strong technology partner like Honda, finding a quality partner was tough, even for a deep pock-ets company like Hero. Sales were bound to dip. A 4.7 percent drop in motorcycles sales amounting to over 2.7 lakh for 2012-13 shows a trend for the coming year, one of Honda continuing to increase presence in India, and Hero and Bajaj coming to grips with the rapidly expanding Honda.

Honda plans to overtake Hero by 2015-16. That’s just three years from now and at the pace Honda is growing, if it continues, Hero and Bajaj will fall at an equally fast rate. Industry analyst Pradeep Saxena of TNS Automotive says, “If Honda continues to maintain a similar growth rate for the coming years, it will mean that their pace is higher than the market growth. Hero and Bajaj as a result will bear the brunt

of Honda’s growth.” For this year, Honda has said that they expect 43 percent growth in sales in the coming year. That’s somewhere in the region of 3.7 million units, right on track to trounce Hero by 2015-16. Honda plans to introduce a new product every quarter to keep the excitement going in the brand. Also, by the end of next year, the company is targeting around 2,500 sales outlets, that’s over 1.5 dealer-ships every day for the next year.

Hero, on the other hand, is struggling with arresting falling sales. Their global alliance with Engines Engineering to enhance their technology and design capa-bilities will bear fruit only towards Q4 2013 or early 2014 with the launch their first jointly developed motorcycle. The scooter segment is a saving grace for the company, growing at a healthy 33 percent in 2012-13. Bajaj’s focus on per-formance motorcycles, the KTM arm and the 200NS for example, has cost them for the near future. The Indian market has just start-ed accepting motorcycles above 200cc. It will take time for the mar-ket to mature to a point where the definition of commuter motorcy-cles is altered to a step above the current 100cc space and sales of larger capacity motorcycles will be significant enough for companies to shift priorities.

The chase for the top spot is heating up. After a strong year, Honda sales continued to grow 49 percent in motorcycles and 15.5 percent in scooters for the month of April. Will it be too late by end of 2014 for Hero and Bajaj to respond or will Honda’s prolific growth rate slow down sooner rather than later? We’ll keep you posted.

Bike wars

Our Bureau Mumbai

The German luxury carmak-er Mercedes-Benz has launched its premium sports utility vehi-cle GL-Class for `77.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The com-pany has brought in 100 units as ‘Launch Edition” as CBUs of which almost all are booked, it claims. By September, the SUV will be assembled at the com-pany’s Pune plant. India will be the second country after the US to produce the GL Class.

The new GL350 CDI also comes with a full 360 degree surround camera, another first, from the Mercedes-Benz portfolio and has enhanced technologies like DSR, ESP, 4ETS, 4MATIC, AIRMATIC, etc. The company also claims 14.8 percent lower fuel consump-

tion. The ECO start-stop feature reduces fuel consumption and emissions by automatical-ly switching off the engine in traffic.

Eberhard Kern, MD and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India said, “2013 is the ‘Year of Offensive’ for Mercedes-Benz India and we are excited to present the all new GL-Class to our valued custom-ers. Exclusivity and dynamism are two of the most enigmat-ic features of an ultimate SUV and the GL-Class imbibes both these as it established the SUV image of Mercedes-Benz in India with its launch in 2010. We have already succeeded with the new M-Class and now the intro-duction of the new GL-Class will further strengthen our domi-

nance in the luxury large SUV segment. The GL-Class with its proven off-roading prowess and luxurious appointments exudes the absolute supremacy state-ment during on and off-road situations and is ideal to suit the taste of the growing num-ber of off-roading aficionados in India.”

The SUV is available with the optimized, upgraded V6 die-sel engine. The 2987cc engine produces 619Nm of torque @1600-2400 and a power 190/258 @3600rpm. The engine coupled with 7G-TRONIC Plus Automatic transmission offers high level of responsiveness wherein the car can reach 0-100kph is reached in 7.9 seconds, with the top speed at 220 km/hr.

GL-Class @ `77.5 lakh

The A-Class was launched in the

European market exactly a year ago and

has received good response.

Ceat gained 54 percent revenue

from products catering to trucks and bus

segment last fiscal, according to a recent

analyst presentation by the company.

Anand Mohan Mumbai

Auto Monitor

I N T E R V I E W1020 MAY 2013

You took charge of Audi operations in India in 2010. As per SIAM data from April 2010-Feb, BMW sold around 6000 units, Mercedes 5800, and Audi 3000 units. Today Audi is num-ber one. How were you able to achieve this in such a short phase?

I don’t think there is one silver bullet answer to this ques-tion. I think we have consistently worked hard on four or five action points. One was to build a strong brand, and to build a strong brand you need a very strong product portfolio. We have intro-duced a lot of products. When I came in we introduced the R8 V10, R8 V10 Spyder, RS5, A6, A7 and the A8. The product and the brand were the primary focus and then we started increasing the dealer network. By the end of 2010 we were present in some 14 locations. We increased that by three to four in 2011, my first year. Last year we went from 15 new and renovated locations to 25 by the end of 2012. We will be expanding our dealer network to 33 or 34 locations by the end of this year. We intend to cover a lot more new markets and you can rest assured that in most of the cities which Audi enters, we become number one in six to twelve months.

The next action point that we had after brand, product and dealer network, was to improve customer service and customer experience on the sales as well as aftersales front. In 2012 we launched the Audi Sportscar Experience with the R8 V10. We improved our customer service, our service plan and increased our service capacity, which was very important. We invested a lot in the development of human manpower at the dealerships. I think we pay the best salaries in the industry when it comes to service people. We also intro-duced very innovative financial service products and that helped too. These things in my opinion

have helped in putting the bits and pieces together and taking the brand to the next level.

Audi India achieved 63 percent growth last year. What is your market strategy going forward?

This year we will look at more controlled growth because last year we grew very fast. We need to give dealers a chance to con-solidate their processes, invest in quality and make sure they can follow us. This year we will grow the network but not at the same speed or volume. This will allow every dealer to settle down, get the right people, train them and get them to the next level. We would like to achieve a 20 percent flat growth this year, which is a good number consid-ering that the market is under pressure. I think this will build a base for 2014 and the following years.

Do you intend to contin-ue with the aggressive finance schemes that all your dealers have been offering?

I wouldn’t call them aggres-sive and would rather call them progressive, which better suits Audi. We were the first luxu-ry car brand to introduce an 84-month finance scheme. We have special packages like the one for the A6 where we have a four-year extended warranty, four-year free service as a part of a special offer, which is also an important thing. We do not believe in penetrating only the existing market. We actually want to grow the market and reach out to new customers. One of the big target groups which became our customers espe-cially for the Q3 and A4 are the salaried customers.

In the past we dominat-ed the market with our buyers being entrepreneurs, owners of small to medium enterpris-es and promoters of a business. Over the last 18 months we saw

a lot of salaried clients coming to us who draw good salaries in the range of five to six lakhs a month and are looking at an EMI option anywhere between 25 to 50 to 75,000 rupees a month. They look forward to pampering themselves with a nice luxury car after they have taken care of their basic property needs. The salaried customers are a com-pletely new segment so I think that’s where we will grow in the market rather than compete in the normal market.

Mercedes is planning to bring in the A-Class, Volvo the V40 and BMW the 1 series. There are reports of Audi brining in the A3 as Mercedes intends to enter the premium hatchback segment to bring in volumes. What is going to be Audi’s new product launch strategy?

Just because you have a cheaper car doesn’t mean that you will immediately get bigger numbers. Look at the B-Class. They hardly sell 50 to 100 cars a month. Merely having a different price point doesn’t do justice to a luxury brand. The product that one introduces needs to fit in with the overall brand strategy. That’s why we still believe that the Q3 still has a lot of substance in that segment. For example, if one is able to have an A-Class at `21 or 22 or 23 lakh, and if I were to offer you a Q3 at `25 or 26 lakh, then what would people buy? They would prefer an SUV.

I think the Q3 can still be a big game changer. We have not yet leveraged the full potential of the Q3 because we have just started building it in India in July. We will offer many more variants and possibilities with the Q3, and to be honest it is a lifestyle product with one buy-ing into the ‘Q Life’. The A-Class is not a lifestyle product but a hatchback. No matter how much you talk about it, or promote the B-Class as a sports tourer it still remains an MPV. I feel Indians

on the broader scale are still conservative about body style and especially in the ̀ 20-25 lakh segment you have a ratio of price to size. To sell a small car at `20-25 lakh will be a challenge.

You know the competition inside out since you have worked with BMW and Mercedes Benz as well. How is that helping you in pushing the Audi brand for-ward in India?

It is a big help. According to a Chinese war strategist whose books I read, ‘If you want to win, know your competition’. It is like a chess game. You can always anticipate what your opponent will do, but the good thing is you are always one step ahead. So I know pretty well the general behaviour of BMW and Mercedes Benz. In most things they do, we are always a step ahead. In 2010 we were a step behind, in 2011 we waded in deep, and in 2012 the majority of things we did were copied by competition.

At Audi, I think we are more entrepreneurial and we take more risks and we are faster at execution. I would compare Audi in India against Mercedes in India as a guerrilla army. By the time the others find out where the competition is, we have already surrounded them and they are under attack. We know exactly what our game is, have a very strong and dynamic team and along with our committed dealer partners it’s not too dif-ficult to win.

How long do you intend to continue your strong associa-tion with Bollywood to leverage the Audi brand?

The answer is forever. To be completely honest Bollywood is still a trendsetter for India whether it’s fashion or lifestyle. Storytelling in the old movies revolved around one man, one woman, a lot of dance and music. While the new movies tell you stories of millionaires who rise

from the slums, then there are movies like Barfi or Race 2. The new movies tell different stories about India and this country loves movies. So whatever you do in Bollywood, it is guaranteed that the story will be seen, read and talked about. Nowadays Bollywood reaches out faster to Tier II and Tier III cities. Earlier, a trend from Mumbai took three years to reach the Tier II or Tier III cities while today it takes a maximum of 12 months to reach Bhopal or Raipur.

If Katrina Kaif, Salman Khan or Ranbir Kapoor do something then it gets seen and heard by the entire country. We will not give up our strong associa-tion with Bollywood because we have invested heavily in it. Half of Bollywood lives the ‘Q Life’ especially with the Q7, and that is a key differentiator for Audi. Our competitors say that we give cars to Bollywood for free which is not true. Even the celebrities pay and buy the cars from us.

Your plan is to introduce something new every six weeks from now on. What exactly are you looking at to get customers excited?

Well I think it will start largely with the Sportscar Experience. We had around 300 people who came to BIC and the Chennai track to drive the R8 V10 in a sporty mode. We also took the Q Drive all across the country and we had over 2,000 people driving the Q7 in an off-road environ-ment. This year we also broke the lap record at the BIC. We will have the Sportscar Experience travel across the country to 14-16 cities. The Q Drives will start in July. We believe in a very simple marketing strategy which we call ‘Butts-on-Seats’. We want people to love the Audi, drive the Audi and buy the Audi because we are very confident that once you have driven an Audi you won’t want to drive anything else.

The art of warHaving grown 63 percent in 2012, Audi India is now looking at expanding its dealer network and a more controlled 20 percent growth for this year. Pradeb Biswas speaks to Michael Perschke, Head, Audi India, to find out more about his strategy of taking the Audi brand forward and maintaining its position as the number one luxury car manufacturer in India.

Auto Monitor

N E W S1220 MAY 2013

Let’s face it. Car buyers consider every possible aspect – performance, efficiency, styling, fea-

tures, et al, when buying a car, but rarely give thought to the tyres. The tyres are the only part of the car which actually touches the tarmac, and thus one of the most crucial but often sidelined components.

Tyre manufacturers on the other hand, are constantly inno-vating. The wide range of cars available today have also made for a wide choice of tyres, OEM and aftermarket both. There has been a lot of movement in the

tyre industry lately. New tyre launches may not be as common as car launches, but there is a lot happening. For that matter, tyre tests do excite us. After all, testing a tyre is one of the most critical handling tests.

Apollo Tyres recently flew us to Amsterdam to test some new rubber developed by them. Not the kind of rubber you would associate Amsterdam with, but the type they develop and pro-duce in the Netherlands and in India for our cars. We even took a look at Apollo’s state-of-the-art R&D centre in the Netherlands, where over a hundred Indian engineers are stationed to devel-op better tyres.

Earlier known primarily for its commercial vehicle tyres,

Apollo is putting in serious effort to increase its presence in the passenger car tyre seg-ment. They will soon launch its Vredestein brand in India which caters to the high-performance and sports/supercar segment in several markets abroad. Apollo says the growth of the mass mar-ket has slowed down in India, but the high-end car segment is growing at double the rate. Vredestein has already made inroads of sorts with Audi’s Sportscar Experience. Audi India uses Vredestein tyres on its R8, RS5 and S4 for the Sportscar Experience held primarily at the Buddh International Circuit. A formal launch is in the offing and Apollo plans to compete with brands like Michelin and Pirelli in the luxury and ultra-high-per-formance car segment.

They also launched a new tyre range, christened the 4G range in India. These don’t have anything to do with mobile internet speeds, but rather offer reduced tyre noise and optimum grip levels at high speeds, according to Apollo. We were taken to the Zandvoort cir-cuit near Amsterdam which hosted Formula One races until 1985 and is an old yet revered circuit.

We experienced the Aspire 4G in a BMW 328i, albeit driven by professional drivers. Tyre noise was noticeably low, and grip lev-els seemed impressive even when braking from 200 kmph. These

W-rated tyres are tested for up to 270 kmph and are available in 16- and 17-inch sizes. We drove the Mercedez Benz A-Class for a couple of laps on a part of the circuit, and the BMW 1 Series for a quick slalom run off it, both cars shod with the Alnac 4G. The Alnacs use an asymmetric design to reduce tyre noise. Available in 15- and 16-inch sizes, these are H and V rated for up to 210kmph and 240kmph, respectively.

Next came a wet handling test in the Audi A3, once again with the Alnacs. This was the most comprehensive test as we got to accelerate and brake hard from as fast as 80-100 kmph on a wet surface, and then per-form fast slalom runs in the wet. Grip levels were impressive. Apollo also launched the Amazer

4G, T-rated tyres for hatchbacks and entry-level sedans. These boast of longer life and impressive grip in typical Indian conditions. These however were not available for testing. Apollo also flew down over a 100 dealers from India, to give them an idea of the strides the company is making in the tyre market. One of their newest achievements is becoming OE sup-pliers to Volkswagen for its Passat sedan globally. They will also be supplying Indian-made tyres to Volkswagen for the Volkswagen Polo in Brazil. Apollo is quite clear about wanting to dominate the passenger car segment in the country, and all we can say is that when brands fight for space, it is the consumer who wins. We can look forward to tyres that we use daily getting better and better.

The rubber testA trip to the Netherlands to check out Apollo Tyres’ latest exploits.

A t a time when the automobile indus-try is experiencing its most difficult

phase in a decade, one compa-ny continues to grow and surge ahead. Despite a massive decline in automobile sales across seg-ments, Gulf Oil Corporation is aiming at two to three times the market growth rate. To achieve this, the automobile lubricants manufacturer intends to focus on improving distribution, launch innovative products and tie up with more OEMs.

Ravi Chawla, President and CEO, Gulf Oil Corporation, said, “We continue to successfully maintain our growth momentum inspite of the slowdown. Earlier we were growing at almost three times the market rate but even last year was a challenge for us. The slowdown has not affected our production as we are still growing over the market rate.,” he added.

Also there is the aftermarket to look at, the long drain lubri-cants are coming in, the growth in the range of volumes will be two to three percent overall. We have come down in terms of per-centage but the momentum is

still two to three times the mar-ket growth.

In terms of sales the lubricants market is worth around $4.85 bil-lion. Gulf Oil Corporation has a seven percent market share in the automotive lubricants market. A Ken research report titled ‘India Lubricants Industry Outlook to 2017 - Focus on Automotive Lubricants and Transforming Channel from Retail PSU’s to Bazaar Trade’, found that the overall lubricants market record-ed sales of $16,117 million in FY 2006.

The report says that during the economic slowdown of 2010 the lubricants market witnessed a growth in sales by around 10.9 percent in 2010. It also states that the lubricants market has grown at 19 percent CAGR over the last six years. The study expects the country’s lubricants industry to grow at 12 percent CAGR in FY 2017. The study found that people are likely to spend more on lubri-cants owing to the increasing population of automobile owners as disposable incomes rise.

The company claims to be a major player in the new genera-tion diesel engine oil segment, and says its range of motorcycle oils have also been well received by consumers. “From the past four or five years we are trying to focus on certain segments like

the high-end commercial vehicle segment with our new generation diesel engine oils along with the motorcycle and car oil segments. These are the three focus areas for us. We continue to develop our initiatives, in ground distribution activities and activities concern-ing the consumers, the trade and the influencers,” added Chawla.

Sticking to its strategy of launching innovative products, Gulf Oil Corporation launched the Formula GX last month which is an evolved version of its Gulf Formula G. The Gulf Formula GX is a fully synthetic passenger car oil which is intended for usage in the luxury car segment. This engine oil is globally approved by BMW, Volkswagen and Mercedes Benz. The company says that it is one of the best products in its portfolio and is approved by the European Automobile Manufacturer’s Association and adheres to American Petroleum Institute’s API SN Service Specification.

“Synthetic oil is definitely a current trend among buyers who are automobile enthusiasts. But it does not offer much in terms of market share, which is around just four or five percent of the overall lubricants market. The fully synthetic market compris-es of just one percent while the semi-synthetic makes up the rest. The market is growing as a lot of

cars under the warranty period are being filled with synthetic oil at the dealership level, also the warranty gets void in case non synthetic oil is used,” said Vamsi Krishna Valluri, Senior Product Manager, Gulf Oil Corporation.

The company is increasing its distribution across the country along with its brand activities in the aftermarket and looking to tie up with more OEM’s. Currently Gulf Oil Corporation has tie ups with mainly commercial vehicle manufacturers.

“We have one successful tie-up with Mahindra for certain engines from its three-wheeler range to the Bolero, and we have a product called Mahindra Extend,” added Chawla.

“India is still a do-it-for-me product market where the mechanic plays a role. So the involvement of consumers is less. Our strategy is to get into

rural markets and also get more into the modern trade. We will go along with modern concepts like retailing and explanation of products to consumers. But that would take some time in India unlike the western markets which are all do-it-yourself. Our strategy going forward includes involve-ment both at the retailer and the mechanic level with us hosting service camps and training for the mechanics,” added Chawla.

Gulf Oil says its recently launched Formula GX will be a focus area for them in terms of marketing strategy going for-ward. The company also sees a lot of scope and growth potential in the diesel engine and pet-rol engine passenger cars. The company is currently register-ing good growth in Tamil Nadu in certain segments, and is also popular among buyers in the North market.

Shining bright

Ravi Chawla, President and CEO, Gulf Oil Corporation.

Gulf Oil continues to keep growing despite the slowdown in the automotive market.

Abhay Verma Amsterdam

Pradeb Biswas Mumbai

Auto Monitor

I N N O V A T I O N1420 MAY 2013

The North American automotive industry has emerged from the reces-sion in far better shape

and more quickly than predict-ed. While overall sales volumes are lower than in the peak years of the mid-2000s, manufactur-ers and suppliers are healthier and stronger. Sales are exceed-ing expectations, costs are down, and the industry has established a much more stable platform for profitable growth.

Here we will focus on how changes in the industry are affecting the environment for innovation, an enduring and crit-ical component for success in the automotive sector.

Right now, the automotive industry is in a phase of both rapid and broad technological innovation that spans several scientific disciplines—chemis-try (batteries), materials science (lightweight materials), and consumer electronics (infotain-ment), to name a few. Given the span of innovation, it’s becom-ing exceedingly difficult and too costly for OEMs to “go deep” across all technologies.

The industry will need to inno-vate rapidly in order to remain competitive in an ever-changing market, where the goals include hitting more stringent fuel econ-omy standards, boosting the electronics in cars, developing common platforms around the globe, and attracting younger buyers. Doing this requires sig-nificant R&D dollars, both within OEMs and increasingly across a broader innovation landscape.

Understanding this shift will confer real advantage to those that think strategically, act decisively, and execute their game plan. In the following sections, we frame the auto industry’s current chal-lenges along three dimensions: the innovation environment, the changing role of OEMs and sup-pliers, and strategies for the future.

The innovation environment

Technology has always played a central role in the auto indus-try. Recently, however, the pace and the complexity of technolo-gy development have increased. More than ever, advances are taking place in systems that have highly intricate linkages throughout the entire vehicle and rely on a wider variety of diverse disciplines.

With numerous options and no clear winner, OEMs and sup-pliers are placing bets on a wide range of battery and compo-nent technologies. Some of these require step changes in devel-opment, such as designing and manufacturing automotive-scale advanced lithium-ion batter-ies for electrical vehicles. The addition of such a large onboard energy storage device in turn creates new requirements—like advanced thermal manage-ment techniques to maintain narrow temperature operating zones—as well as opportunities to leverage that electrical energy in new ways and improve overall vehicle performance.

At the same time, the greater penetration of smart phones and tablets is leading consumers to

expect more advanced electron-ic content in their automobiles, and with much faster refresh cycles than have been typical in the industry. In addition to basic infotainment systems that pro-vide vehicle information and entertainment options, more active driver-assistance technol-ogies such as collision avoidance and autonomous parking are becoming the norm.

Government policy also affects the development of new automotive technologies in the U.S. market. The new fuel efficien-cy standards, which take effect in 2017, will require automakers to reduce vehicle weight and drag—by incorporating new lightweight materials for auto body parts and internal components, for exam-ple. While lightweight materials such as high-strength steel and aluminum are likely to have a greater presence in the automo-bile, ultralightweight materials such as carbon fiber will also gain acceptance, as increased indus-try adoption drives scale that reduces the cost of such compo-nents to more competitive levels.

Developing these materials requires partnerships between materials suppliers, OEMs, and component manufacturers. Government regulation will also be a key factor in alternative pow-ertrains. For example, the means of calculating CAFE compliance for electric, plug-in hybrid, and flexible fuel vehicles, combined with the level and structure of subsidies for emerging power-trains and electric recharging infrastructure, will affect customer perceptions and eco-nomics substantially—and drive adoption of new technologies.

The changing role of OEMs and suppliers

For decades, automotive innovation has revolved around the R&D centers of the major automakers and Tier One sup-pliers, with the largest OEMs making the most significant R&D investments. This model is changing:1. OEMs can no longer afford

to operate with such a broad technological agenda, and they must focus on some R&D priorities while dropping oth-ers. We can already see some apparent priorities across OEMs in their focus on new powertrain technologies (e.g., hybrid-electric, all-electric, or fuel-cell).

2. Major suppliers are filling the gap, making significant investments in key emerging technologies such as batteries, motors, and vehicle position-ing and guidance.

Because OEMs themselves are likely to control a narrower por-tion of R&D, the dynamics and choices they make regarding which areas to specialize in are critical and will determine their future success. These factors will inevitably lead to more technol-ogy partnerships with suppliers, such as Chrysler’s purchase of diesel engines for pickups from Cummins.

The same principle applies to suppliers, which will shoulder a larger share of rising innovation costs as OEMs cede innova-

tion in strategic ways. This will force suppliers to decide where to make technology bets—a pro-cess that requires real discipline in evaluating the likelihood of success for a new and innovative product and the probability that others are developing equivalent or superior technology. In some cases, outsiders to the automo-tive industry will emerge with very real competitive advantages.

For example, in infotainment, consumer electronics compa-nies have scale and expertise that OEMs and automotive electron-ics suppliers cannot match, and they offer product development cycles that are faster than those of automakers. Given those advan-tages, OEMs may choose to let CE makers take the lead in creating open-architecture systems com-patible with consumer devices.

Strategies for the futureAll these complex, highly

interactive changes spell oppor-tunity. Winners in the North American auto industry five years from now will be those that develop a process for capitalizing on innovation from a wide range of sources—some proprietary and some open. They will need to manage the technology port-folio, evaluate scenarios (some of which may be highly uncertain), develop a better sense of market requirements, make selective bets, and adjust accordingly. Managing these investments and partnerships will be critical to their long-term success. Returns may take years to materialize, but companies that shortchange innovation today are ceding the future to rivals.

Implications for OEMsVehicle OEMs will need to

develop new ones in at least four ways:1. Become experts at manag-

ing a broad, far-reaching, and active innovation network; this requires technological capabilities that historically have not resided inside auto-motive OEMs.

2. Focus internally on select technologies that are abso-lutely essential and must

remain proprietary.3. Plan for and manage the

inherent uncertainty associ-ated with this new operating paradigm.

First, to survive in an environment of dispersed technology devel-opment, OEMs must cultivate an active and creative extend-ed network. Such an approach means striking a careful balance between reducing production costs through competitive sourc-ing incentives and partnering with the most technologically advanced entities, with an expec-tation that more adept partners will improve vehicle innovation.

Second, OEMs will also need to make sure they are focusing their limited R&D spend in the areas where it is most critical and will have the most impact, hence incorporating a make-versus-buy discipline to technological innovation. For example, where does the OEM need to control the technology absolutely? Where does the supplier have the scale to advance technology much more effectively?

Third, given the large num-ber of technologies under development and the complex-ity surrounding their eventual adoption, OEMs need to contin-ue to strengthen their ability to manage uncertainty.

Finally, to maintain power in a shifting innovation environ-ment, OEMs must retain and even strengthen their cross-system, vehicle integration expertise. Continuing to build this expertise will be essential to maintaining control and achieving high-level quality and reliability targets in an increasingly dispersed inno-vation environment. Ultimately, the OEM that gets this right has the highest probability of long-term success in the evolving general contracting/integrator operating model.

Implications for SuppliersIn light of an expanding inno-

vation role, suppliers may need to rethink their approach to con-tracting with OEMs and become more discerning in their evalua-tion of programs. For example, is there a clear path to recover costs

associated with serving OEMs in the long term? Is there a segmen-tation of sourcing relationships across vehicle OEMs that might warrant differential pricing and/or tiered service choices?

Finally, to improve the chance that their innovations will fit seamlessly and hence improve competitive positioning, sup-pliers will need to continue to expand their knowledge of the vehicle systems in which they play.

Industry-Wide ImplicationsOEMs and suppliers alike

will need to adapt their oper-ating principles to allow for a more thoughtful and strate-gic approach. They must decide which technologies to focus on in a proprietary manner and how to develop them in a way that will increasingly, and with greater certainty, gener-ate high returns on a growing investment in innovation. This requires an understanding of the technologies themselves, con-sumer preferences, and how to work within the complex new ecosystem of customers, part-ners, and suppliers. At the same time, companies must remain highly attuned to the role the government will play and close-ly monitor regulations that have the potential to shape automo-tive technologies.

Finally, to transform the business to execute against these innovation objectives, companies will need to bolster capabilities through business-wide digitization, improving the cost fitness of the organization, and strengthening the program and product management sys-tems designed to deliver the resultant product strategies.

These are complex issues, but there is no turning back. In an era of rapid and accelerating technological advances, com-panies must build the superior innovation capabilities essential to success.

Source: www.booz.comWriters: Scott Corwin, Brian Collie, Mike Beck, and Cheri Lantz

2013 Automotive Industry PerspectiveInnovation is more critical in the automotive industry today than ever before—and it is changing the balance between automakers and their suppliers.

Creative innovations will be the demand for OEMs, suppliers and the industry alike.

Auto Monitor

N E W S 1520 MAY 2013

Dürr extends Eco+Paintshop at BMW BrillianceI

n 2011 Dürr was com-missioned to set up an environment-friendly auto-motive paint shop for BMW

Brilliance in Shenyang, China. This year Dürr has already received a follow-on order from BMW Brilliance to increase pro-duction capacity.

The extension of the installa-tion to full nominal capacity has improved the energy consump-tion of the system to less than 500 kWh per vehicle. This figure is a third of what was common ten years ago. The energy-sav-ing measures of Dürr and BMW are effective already in the pre-treatment and electro-coating areas where RoDip M rotation-al dip coating (see pic) is used. It reduces the bath volume and therefore also the energy and chemical consumption.

The new, second painting line also uses the fully-auto-mated Integrated Paint Process

(IPP), which eliminates the need for a primer, and thus a drying phase as well. The spray booths are equipped with the EcoDryScrubber, the innova-tive dry separation system for overspray. This technology requires no water or chemicals. Recirculation of the process air results in a 60 percent energy saving in the spray booth. 65 painting lines around the world already produce or are cur-rently being equipped with the EcoDryScrubber.

As is the case with the first line, the paint is applied using 32 Dürr EcoRP E033 and EcoRP L133 painting robots. The compact design of the new-generation EcoBell3 atomizer enables both the exterior as well as the interior to be painted with a single rotating atomizer.

The other, already-installed t e c h n o l o g i e s e n a b l i n g environment-friendly, sustain-

able automotive painting will be adapted to the higher produc-tion capacity. These include heat recovery from the supply and exhaust air streams as well as the recovery of waste heat from the ovens with the help of waste heat boilers. As a further envi-ronmental protection measure, the exhaust air from the clear coat booth is purified before leaving the plant.

The extension of the installation to full nominal capacity has improved the energy consumption of the system to less than

500 kWh per vehicle. This figure is a third of

what was common ten years ago.

Garmin Corporation, a unit of Garmin Ltd., the global leader in satellite navi-gation, have launched four products in the Indian personal navigation device

(PND) market – the nüvi 42LM, nüvi 52LM, nüvi 2460 LM and the nüvi 2568 LM. With these launches, Garmin now has the largest number of PNDs in the Indian market. The four devices are priced at `8,990, ̀ 9,990, ̀ 13,990 and ̀ 16,990, respectively.

The launch comes exactly one year after the launch of the cheaper nüvi 40LM and nüvi 50LM devices. “With the launch of these devices we are ensuring that people get a world-class expe-rience in navigation. Being a company which has reached a mark of selling more than 110 mil-lion products, we take it as our responsibility to constantly upgrade our products and this is an attempt in that direction,” said Tony An, Sales and Marketing Director, Garmin Corporation.

Device features The major features include the New Guidance

User Interface which helps users in finding park-ing lots near their destination, and the photoReal Junction View which displays an actual picture of the traffic junction, where previous devic-es only provided an animation. Lane Assist for lane navigation, AdvancedHighway Mode for pinpointing highway exits, New House Search Algorithm for easier search, Text-to-speech which speaks street names in Indian English, Voice Guidance in Hindi and English, and Go To Office/ Go Home modes are the other features.

Additionally, the devices provide information about tourist spots and places of historical inter-est. Garmin has also tied up with Zomato.com to provide extensive information on recreational facilities. Hindi, Indian English and nine Indian regional languages are supported.

Garmin launches four new PNDs

The RoDip M reduces bath volume and therefore, energy and chemical consumption.

Auto Monitor

S A L E S A N A LY S I S1620 MAY 2013

-43.81%

-60.90%

-62.06%

-64.71%

-18.65%

-10.43%

19.44%

4.89%

59.93%

421.79%

Passenger Vehicles

Passenger Cars

OEMs 2012-13 2013-14

Fiat 1,000 391

Ford 7,019 3,944

GM 5,955 5,933

HM 78 407

HCIL 7,058 8,430

HMIL 35,000 32,364

M&M 1,497 568

MSIL 72,939 76,509

Nissan 3,460 1,221

Renault 589 942

Skoda 3,031 1,890

Tata 18,610 8,918

TKM 6,505 4,706

VW 5,613 4,566

Total 1,68,354 1,50,789

MPV

OEMs 2012-13 2013-14

M&M 2472 2359

Maruti 11,723 8,696

Tata 5,480 5,979

Total 19,675 17,034

UV

OEMs 2012-13 2013-14

Force 380 279

Ford 182 59

GM 1,966 2,263

HM 187 113

HCIL 17 58

HMIL 70 39

ICML 52 -

M&M 19,057 20,180

MSIL 5,593 5,318

Nissan 7 18

Renault 26 5,372

Skoda 75 44

Tata 3,523 2,519

TKM 7,873 4,301

Total 39,008 40,563

-44.29%

-100.00%

-4.92%

-41.33%

-26.58%

-39.57%

15.11%

241.18%

9.11%

-67.58%

-0.37%

-7.53%

If April 2013 sales are a sign of things to come, the auto-motive industry is in for a very tough year ahead. Last year, passenger car sales were down 6.7 percent, and if you think that was bad, think again because April 2013 saw a 10.4 percent drop in sales against the corresponding period last year. The only major car manufacturers who saw growth were Honda and Maruti.

SUVs saw a major spike in demand in 2011-12, and enjoyed phenomenal growth. This year there are signs of consolida-tion in the SUV segment, it having grown a stable 4 percent. Mahindra, the largest player in the SUV segment, grew by over 30 percent last year, but is now in for a much slower growth rate. India’s largest UV manufacturer showed a 5.9 percent growth in the month of April.

People movers haven’t done well either. Sales of the Ertiga fell in April causing Maruti’s MPV sales to fall 26 percent. The Ace and Magic Iris helped Tata Motors to grow by a robust 9.1 percent. Overall MPV sales were down 13.4 percent. Overall, passenger vehicle sales fell by 8.21 percent, from 2,27,037 units last year to 2,08,336 units this year. Luxury car manufac-turers Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar-Land Rover and Porsche have stopped revealing sales figures.

-27.66%

-37.64%

-52.08%

20561.54%

3.99%

-28.50%

-45.37%

5.89%

157.14%

-4.57%

-25.82%

-13.42%

* BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Jaguar Land Rover and Porsche monthly data not available** Figures from Jan-March 2013*** Data not available since August 2008 onwards

Two-Wheelers

Scooter/Scooterettees

OEMs 2012-13 2013-14

HML 40,354 55,573

HMSI 1,15,846 1,33,769

IYM - 10,219

M&M 2W

10,191 4,366

Piaggio 802 4,580

SMIL 27,995 24,309

TVS 32,736 28,659

Total 2,27,924 2,61,475

Mopeds/Electric

OEMs 2012-13 2013-14

TVS 67,582 62,716

Total 67,582 62,716

Motorcycles/StepThroughs

OEMs 2012-13 2013-14

BAL 2,00,228 1,99,838

HDMC 127 136

HML 4,94,473 4,32,657

HMSI 77,665 1,15,536

IYM 26,944 25,708

M&M 2W* - 991

RE 8,692 12,368

SMIL 2,637 5,236

TVS 50,842 51,419

Total 8,61,608 8,43,889

15.47%

37.71%

14.72%

471.07%

-57.16%

-13.17%

-12.45%

-0.19%

-12.50%

-4.59%

-2.06%

7.09%

48.76%

42.29%

98.56%

1.13%

7.20%

7.20%

In two-wheelers, the first month indicates another year of good growth for the scooter segment, helping the two-wheeler segment stay healthy overall. Scooter sales grew by 14.7 percent from 227,924 units in 2012 to 261,475 units in 2013. Hero MotoCorp is showing promise in the scooter segment with a impressive 37.7 percent rise in sales. Honda scooters have done well too, selling 1.33 lakh units, 15.5 per-cent more than the previous year. Suzuki and TVS haven’t had a good start to the year, falling 13.2 and 12.5 percent, respectively. Yamaha and Piaggio are off to a good start while Mahindra scooters have become the smallest player in the segment.

Honda’s growth in the motorcycle segment is hitting express pace growing at 48.8 percent over the corresponding period last year. While Honda has become the biggest gainer, Hero is turning out to be the biggest loser as a result. The largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the world slipped 12.5 percent in April. Bajaj sales have fallen flat, with the new Pulsar faring poorly due to its product positioning. Royal Enfield’s recent capacity expansion is helping the popular brand cater to the high demand.

TVS has lost a large chunk of market share, falling 5.53 percent in April 2013 compared to the same period last year.

1.58%

13.30%

4.81%

3.12%

7.19%

13.43%

12.85%

9.21%

13.92%

5.25%

61.90%

13.40%

Commercial Vehicles

LCVs (PC+GC)

OEMs 2012-13 2013-14

ALL 2,218 1,882

Force 1,537 1,743

HM 15 14

M&M 10,582 12,055

MNAL 599 431

Piaggio 400 421

Swaraj 189 306

Tata 19,863 20,177

VECV - Eicher

917 1,039

Total 36,320 38,068

3-Wheelers (PC+GC)

OEMs 2012-13 2013-14

Atul 2,182 2,250

Bajaj 12,352 14,011

M&M 4,659 4,036

Piaggio 11,100 12,526

Scooters 749 818

TVS 1,002 707

Total 32,044 34,348

M&HCVs (PC+GC)

OEMs 2012-13 2013-14

ALL 5,494 4,570

AMW 602 529

MNAL 429 273

Swaraj 420 414

Tata 9,829 10,002

VECV - Eicher

3,046 2,727

VECV - Volvo

60 39

Volvo Buses

57 56

Total 19,937 18,610

-28.05%

-15.15%

-6.67%

-16.82%

-13.37%

-29.44%

Commercial vehicle sales grew a miniscule 0.75 percent. The silver lining being that Tata Motors, the country’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, is in the positive after a poor year in the M&HCV segment. Every other M&HCV man-ufacturer is in the red. The segment overall fell 6.7 percent this month as a result.

The LCV segment has done well growing at a steady 4.8 percent. Mahindra, the country’s second largest LCV manu-facturer, posted a 13.9 percent rise in sales in March. Ashok Leyland had a bad month, showing reds in both the LCV and the M&HCV segment.

In the three-wheeler segment, Bajaj and Piaggio are off to a good start growing at 13.4 and 12.9 percent respectively. Atul Auto has not performed as well as it was doing last year, posting low single-digit growth. The three-wheeler segment grew overall by 7.2 percent with similar rises in the passenger and the goods carrier segment.

-12.13%

-36.36%

1.76%

-1.43%

-10.47%

-35.00%

-1.75%

-6.66%

Auto Monitor

N E W S 1720 MAY 2013

Continental hands over PRORETA research vehicle to TU Darmstadt

Continental has hand-ed over its research vehicle to Technische Universität (TU),

Darmstadt, bringing the PRORETA project into its second phase. As part of the third col-laborative PRORETA research project, TU Darmstadt and the international automotive suppli-er have been working for around two years on an integrated driver assistance concept for avoiding accidents and mitigating the con-sequences of accidents in urban traffic scenarios.

In addition to researching new advanced driver assistance sys-tems, the ones that are already available are being interlinked and functional synergies are being exploited. With regard to the interaction between system and driver, new and more pow-erful human-machine interfaces are being looked into. The concept

is based on a modular system architecture. After the jointly developed concept was incorporated into a Continental research vehicle, the second phase of the project will now focus on practical testing: the goal is to demonstrate the effectiveness of the con-cept under real-life driving conditions. The project will run until autumn 2014.

Individual assistance systems are interlinked

“In complex traffic scenarios such as urban traffic, it can be especially difficult to identify hazards and respond appropriately to a given situ-ation”, said Dr. Peter Rieth, Senior Vice President of Systems & Technology in Continental’s Chassis & Safety Division. This is where PRORETA 3 comes in. During the first phase of the project, the researchers developed a high-performance system architecture and more powerful functions for perceiving vehi-cle surroundings by interlinking various advanced driver assistance systems. “To date, assistance sys-tems such as Lane Keeping Assistant or collision warning have functioned as independent systems within the vehicle. By interlinking them, we can make optimum use of the existing sensor infra-structure in the vehicle”, said Professor Hermann Winner, head of the Fahrzeugtechnik institute at TU Darmstadt and PRORETA 3 project manager. To monitor the area around the vehicle, the research vehicle uses a production-ready sensor system fit-ted with a stereo camera and a long-range radar sensor at the front, and four short-range radar sen-sors for monitoring the side and rear of the vehicle.

Improved human-machine interface and safety corridor

Based on this system of sensors, the research-ers at TU Darmstadt have created the concept of a ‘safety corridor’. If the vehicle strays outside the safety corridor due to the driver making an error or being distracted, for instance, the driver is alert-ed and assisted where necessary through active system intervention with steering and braking. “In complex urban traffic scenarios, the interac-tion between driver and assistance system must be optimized so that the driver understands the instructions intuitively and can respond accord-ingly”, said Dr. Peter Rieth. PRORETA 3 has therefore involved the testing of various concepts that also include information about the driver’s behavior.

The research vehicle is equipped with an interior infrared camera which identifies the direction in which the driver is looking. The vehi-cle then knows if the driver is looking at the road ahead or somewhere else. Further information is provided by the way in which the driver oper-ates the steering wheel, accelerator and brake pedal, while the driver assistance systems pro-vide data on the level of risk. Together with an intelligent accelerator pedal that can communi-cate with the driver by exerting counterpressure or vibrating, and acoustic signals, the LED strip light known as Halo, Greek for ‘light ring’, also forms a key part of the human-machine inter-

face. The Halo is interlinked with both the interior infra-red camera and various driver assistance systems. This forms the core element of a human-machine interface designed to direct the driver’s attention to hazards around the vehicle depending on the surround-

ings, and driver status in cases where a hazard is detected out-side the driver’s field of vision. In this case, an early warning can be issued and the driver can then respond accordingly. If the haz-ard is within the driver’s field of vision, then only an acute alert is issued. If the driver is visual-

ly distracted, a warning can be issued if the situation has not yet become critical. The Halo covers the entire vehicle interior and can be illuminated in vari-ous colors to reflect the different levels of urgency. The driver per-ceives this peripherally and his attention is almost intuitively drawn back in the right direc-tion. Within the safety corridor, partially automated driving is also possible with the aid of a longitudinal and lateral guid-ance system – the system can perform certain driving maneu-vers independently, thereby supporting and relieving the stress on the driver.

PRORETA – a collaborative research project with a long-standing tradition

Da r m st adt Te ch n ic a l University and Continental’s Chassis & Safety Division have been working on joint research projects since the 1980s. The first PRORETA project (2002-2006) examined emergency braking and steer assistance when traf-fic ahead is moving or stationary. PRORETA 2 (2006-2009) focused on an overtaking assistant involv-ing oncoming vehicles. PRORETA 3 involves automotive engineer-ing, ergonomics, control theory & robotics, and control engineer-ing and mechatronics.

LED strip recognizes driver distraction and redirects the driver’s attention.

Camera checks if driver’s eyes are directed at a potentially dangerous situation.

Auto Monitor

N O R T H A M E R I C A N A S S E M B LY1820 MAY 2013

North America Assembly Tracking 3-2013 (Tracking by Brand & Nameplate)AUTOFACTS Global Automotive Outlook

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

March 2013 Last 3 Months Year to Date

Ownership Org/ YOY Assembly YOY YOY Assembly YOY YOY Assembly YOY

Brand & Nameplate Volume % Chg Share % Share Chg Volume % Chg Share % Share Chg Volume % Chg Share % Share Chg

AutoAlliance International (USA) - -100.0% - (-1.1) - -100.0% - (-1.1) - -100.0% - (-1.1)

Ford Mustang - -100.0% - (-0.6) - -100.0% - (-0.6) - -100.0% - (-0.6)

Mazda Mazda6 - -100.0% - (-0.5) - -100.0% - (-0.5) - -100.0% - (-0.5)

BMW (Germany) 29,335 1.0% 2.1% 0.1 86,831 7.9% 2.2% 0.1 86,831 7.9% 2.2% 0.1

BMW X3 13,730 -0.2% 1.0% 0 40,641 7.2% 1.0% 0.1 40,641 7.2% 1.0% 0.1

BMW X5 12,759 16.2% 0.9% 0.1 37,766 25.3% 0.9% 0.2 37,766 25.3% 0.9% 0.2

BMW X6 2,846 -34.2% 0.2% (-0.1) 8,424 -32.0% 0.2% (-0.1) 8,424 -32.0% 0.2% (-0.1)

Chrysler Group LLC (USA) 2,08,043 -5.5% 15.0% (-0.5) 5,68,905 -5.7% 14.1% (-1.1) 5,68,905 -5.7% 14.1% (-1.1)

Chrysler 200 15,130 19.4% 1.1% 0.2 36,021 10.8% 0.9% 0.1 36,021 10.8% 0.9% 0.1

Chrysler 300 3,858 -48.4% 0.3% (-0.2) 16,340 -26.6% 0.4% (-0.2) 16,340 -26.6% 0.4% (-0.2)

Chrysler Town & Country 12,425 22.9% 0.9% 0.2 27,364 4.1% 0.7% 0 27,364 4.1% 0.7% 0

Dodge Avenger 11,592 30.9% 0.8% 0.2 35,579 49.0% 0.9% 0.3 35,579 49.0% 0.9% 0.3

Dodge Caravan 14,387 -19.3% 1.0% (-0.2) 36,177 -25.5% 0.9% (-0.3) 36,177 -25.5% 0.9% (-0.3)

Dodge Challenger 5,462 19.0% 0.4% 0.1 15,109 25.6% 0.4% 0.1 15,109 25.6% 0.4% 0.1

Dodge Charger 10,772 19.2% 0.8% 0.1 29,919 20.0% 0.7% 0.1 29,919 20.0% 0.7% 0.1

Dodge Dart 11,345 - 0.8% 0.8 25,148 - 0.6% 0.6 25,148 - 0.6% 0.6

Dodge Durango 6,773 48.2% 0.5% 0.2 15,757 45.8% 0.4% 0.1 15,757 45.8% 0.4% 0.1

Dodge Journey 12,786 -2.2% 0.9% (-0.0) 34,513 2.7% 0.9% 0 34,513 2.7% 0.9% 0

Fiat 500 5,740 -17.7% 0.4% (-0.1) 14,410 -25.1% 0.4% (-0.1) 14,410 -25.1% 0.4% (-0.1)

Fiat Freemont 1,743 -59.3% 0.1% (-0.2) 9,364 -38.7% 0.2% (-0.2) 9,364 -38.7% 0.2% (-0.2)

Jeep Compass 9,810 -30.2% 0.7% (-0.3) 31,278 -10.9% 0.8% (-0.1) 31,278 -10.9% 0.8% (-0.1)

Jeep Grand Cherokee 22,781 5.9% 1.6% 0.1 55,441 -11.4% 1.4% (-0.2) 55,441 -11.4% 1.4% (-0.2)

Jeep Liberty - -100.0% - (-0.7) - -100.0% - (-0.8) - -100.0% - (-0.8)

Jeep Patriot 8,074 -34.2% 0.6% (-0.3) 25,190 -29.5% 0.6% (-0.3) 25,190 -29.5% 0.6% (-0.3)

Jeep Wrangler 5,933 -19.1% 0.4% (-0.1) 17,608 -11.8% 0.4% (-0.1) 17,608 -11.8% 0.4% (-0.1)

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 10,805 -4.8% 0.8% (-0.0) 34,583 11.0% 0.9% 0.1 34,583 11.0% 0.9% 0.1

Lancia Flavia - -100.0% - (-0.0) 369 31.3% 0.0% 0 369 31.3% 0.0% 0

Lancia Grand Voyager 384 -59.6% 0.0% (-0.0) 1,627 -14.3% 0.0% (-0.0) 1,627 -14.3% 0.0% (-0.0)

Lancia Thema 429 21350.0% 0.0% 0 878 -4.0% 0.0% (-0.0) 878 -4.0% 0.0% (-0.0)

Ram Cargo Van 441 -58.3% 0.0% (-0.0) 1,910 -36.2% 0.0% (-0.0) 1,910 -36.2% 0.0% (-0.0)

Ram Pickup 37,228 -8.4% 2.7% (-0.2) 1,04,134 -4.1% 2.6% (-0.2) 1,04,134 -4.1% 2.6% (-0.2)

SRT Viper 145 - 0.0% 0 186 - 0.0% 0 186 - 0.0% 0

Chrysler Group LLC (USA) 2,08,043 -5.5% 15.0% (-0.5) 5,68,905 -5.7% 14.1% (-1.1) 5,68,905 -5.7% 14.1% (-1.1)

Volkswagen Routan - -100.0% - (-0.1) - -100.0% - (-0.1) - -100.0% - (-0.1)

Daimler AG (Germany) 16,512 -1.1% 1.2% 0 51,556 7.0% 1.3% 0.1 51,556 7.0% 1.3% 0.1

Freightliner Sprinter 174 -79.5% 0.0% (-0.0) 526 -78.3% 0.0% (-0.0) 526 -78.3% 0.0% (-0.0)

Mercedes-Benz GL-Class 5,080 44.3% 0.4% 0.1 17,357 69.5% 0.4% 0.2 17,357 69.5% 0.4% 0.2

Mercedes-Benz GL-Class AMG 26 - 0.0% 0 88 - 0.0% 0 88 - 0.0% 0

Mercedes-Benz M-Class 9,407 -10.5% 0.7% (-0.1) 28,990 -5.2% 0.7% (-0.1) 28,990 -5.2% 0.7% (-0.1)

Mercedes-Benz M-Class AMG 47 -11.3% 0.0% (-0.0) 145 -5.2% 0.0% (-0.0) 145 -5.2% 0.0% (-0.0)

Mercedes-Benz R-Class 450 -74.4% 0.0% (-0.1) 1,047 -78.1% 0.0% (-0.1) 1,047 -78.1% 0.0% (-0.1)

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 1,328 - 0.1% 0.1 3,403 - 0.1% 0.1 3,403 - 0.1% 0.1

Ford Motor Company (USA) 2,65,330 12.8% 19.1% 2.5 7,80,395 20.0% 19.4% 2.9 7,80,395 20.0% 19.4% 2.9

Ford C-MAX 4,973 - 0.4% 0.4 13,336 28274.5% 0.3% 0.3 13,336 28274.5% 0.3% 0.3

Ford Edge 16,635 27.6% 1.2% 0.3 49,804 16.9% 1.2% 0.2 49,804 16.9% 1.2% 0.2

Ford Escape 33,714 8.0% 2.4% 0.2 98,256 12.5% 2.4% 0.2 98,256 12.5% 2.4% 0.2

Ford E-Series 11,978 -23.5% 0.9% (-0.2) 33,634 -10.4% 0.8% (-0.1) 33,634 -10.4% 0.8% (-0.1)

Ford Expedition 5,650 -13.0% 0.4% (-0.1) 18,148 6.7% 0.5% 0 18,148 6.7% 0.5% 0

Ford Explorer 19,851 0.1% 1.4% 0 59,156 22.2% 1.5% 0.2 59,156 22.2% 1.5% 0.2

Ford Fiesta 11,737 -5.1% 0.8% (-0.0) 36,456 5.2% 0.9% 0 36,456 5.2% 0.9% 0

Ford Flex 2,917 7.1% 0.2% 0 8,871 8.5% 0.2% 0 8,871 8.5% 0.2% 0

Ford Focus 25,724 24.8% 1.9% 0.4 76,687 26.5% 1.9% 0.4 76,687 26.5% 1.9% 0.4

Ford F-Series 79,641 19.9% 5.7% 1.1 2,31,607 18.0% 5.8% 0.8 2,31,607 18.0% 5.8% 0.8

Ford Fusion 25,654 -15.1% 1.9% (-0.3) 78,708 10.2% 2.0% 0.2 78,708 10.2% 2.0% 0.2

Ford Mustang 9,549 - 0.7% 0.7 24,946 - 0.6% 0.6 24,946 - 0.6% 0.6

Ford Taurus 8,658 -0.3% 0.6% 0 24,788 13.4% 0.6% 0.1 24,788 13.4% 0.6% 0.1

Lincoln Mark LT 65 150.0% 0.0% 0 127 98.4% 0.0% 0 127 98.4% 0.0% 0

Lincoln MKS 820 -47.6% 0.1% (-0.1) 2,641 -31.2% 0.1% (-0.0) 2,641 -31.2% 0.1% (-0.0)

Lincoln MKT 472 -19.7% 0.0% (-0.0) 1,673 -22.7% 0.0% (-0.0) 1,673 -22.7% 0.0% (-0.0)

Lincoln MKX 1,284 -35.5% 0.1% (-0.0) 5,854 -22.4% 0.1% (-0.0) 5,854 -22.4% 0.1% (-0.0)

Lincoln MKZ 5,058 64.2% 0.4% 0.1 13,448 54.8% 0.3% 0.1 13,448 54.8% 0.3% 0.1

Lincoln Navigator 950 22.7% 0.1% 0 2,255 -4.7% 0.1% (-0.0) 2,255 -4.7% 0.1% (-0.0)

Fuji Heavy Industries (Japan) 24,660 -10.2% 1.8% (-0.2) 73,573 -8.0% 1.8% (-0.2) 73,573 -8.0% 1.8% (-0.2)

Subaru Legacy 3,833 -29.5% 0.3% (-0.1) 12,727 -18.0% 0.3% (-0.1) 12,727 -18.0% 0.3% (-0.1)

Subaru Outback 12,468 0.8% 0.9% 0 35,923 -1.3% 0.9% (-0.0) 35,923 -1.3% 0.9% (-0.0)

Fuji Heavy Industries (Japan) 24,660 -10.2% 1.8% (-0.2) 73,573 -8.0% 1.8% (-0.2) 73,573 -8.0% 1.8% (-0.2)

Subaru Tribeca 293 -22.9% 0.0% (-0.0) 721 -37.5% 0.0% (-0.0) 721 -37.5% 0.0% (-0.0)

Toyota Camry 8,066 -13.0% 0.6% (-0.1) 24,202 -10.1% 0.6% (-0.1) 24,202 -10.1% 0.6% (-0.1)

General Motors Company (USA) 2,79,250 -10.3% 20.1% (-1.8) 8,07,893 -6.3% 20.1% (-1.7) 8,07,893 -6.3% 20.1% (-1.7)

Buick Enclave 5,369 -15.3% 0.4% (-0.1) 15,299 -12.5% 0.4% (-0.1) 15,299 -12.5% 0.4% (-0.1)

Buick LaCrosse 3,471 -44.9% 0.3% (-0.2) 11,336 -17.7% 0.3% (-0.1) 11,336 -17.7% 0.3% (-0.1)

Buick Regal 1,701 24.8% 0.1% 0 4,997 4.2% 0.1% 0 4,997 4.2% 0.1% 0

Buick Verano 4,461 -10.3% 0.3% (-0.0) 13,320 -5.1% 0.3% (-0.0) 13,320 -5.1% 0.3% (-0.0)

Cadillac ATS 3,760 - 0.3% 0.3 9,591 - 0.2% 0.2 9,591 - 0.2% 0.2

Cadillac CTS 4,256 -19.5% 0.3% (-0.1) 7,242 -51.0% 0.2% (-0.2) 7,242 -51.0% 0.2% (-0.2)

Cadillac Escalade 1,593 40.5% 0.1% 0 2,871 -22.8% 0.1% (-0.0) 2,871 -22.8% 0.1% (-0.0)

Cadillac Escalade ESV 1,077 67.2% 0.1% 0 1,761 -5.0% 0.0% (-0.0) 1,761 -5.0% 0.0% (-0.0)

Cadillac Escalade EXT 441 80.0% 0.0% 0 1,167 84.7% 0.0% 0 1,167 84.7% 0.0% 0

Cadillac SRX 6,442 -16.0% 0.5% (-0.1) 17,844 -22.2% 0.4% (-0.1) 17,844 -22.2% 0.4% (-0.1)

Cadillac XTS 4,164 - 0.3% 0.3 9,879 - 0.2% 0.2 9,879 - 0.2% 0.2

Chevrolet Avalanche 3,205 53.2% 0.2% 0.1 10,275 60.8% 0.3% 0.1 10,275 60.8% 0.3% 0.1

Chevrolet Aveo 6,203 -13.8% 0.4% (-0.1) 19,796 -5.3% 0.5% (-0.0) 19,796 -5.3% 0.5% (-0.0)

Chevrolet Camaro 3,984 -44.9% 0.3% (-0.2) 20,111 -18.5% 0.5% (-0.1) 20,111 -18.5% 0.5% (-0.1)

Chevrolet Captiva 5,436 -2.2% 0.4% (-0.0) 14,719 4.6% 0.4% 0 14,719 4.6% 0.4% 0

Chevrolet Colorado - -100.0% - (-0.3) - -100.0% - (-0.3) - -100.0% - (-0.3)

Auto Monitor

N O R T H A M E R I C A N A S S E M B LY 1920 MAY 2013

Chevrolet Corvette - -100.0% - (-0.1) 3,155 -5.6% 0.1% (-0.0) 3,155 -5.6% 0.1% (-0.0)

Chevrolet Cruze 24,616 -7.1% 1.8% (-0.1) 70,683 -7.2% 1.8% (-0.2) 70,683 -7.2% 1.8% (-0.2)

Chevrolet Equinox 21,888 -7.8% 1.6% (-0.1) 68,001 0.0% 1.7% (-0.0) 68,001 0.0% 1.7% (-0.0)

Chevrolet Express 7,874 -1.0% 0.6% 0 18,241 -11.7% 0.5% (-0.1) 18,241 -11.7% 0.5% (-0.1)

Chevrolet Impala 14,760 -15.7% 1.1% (-0.2) 42,248 -15.8% 1.1% (-0.2) 42,248 -15.8% 1.1% (-0.2)

Chevrolet Malibu 13,130 -39.2% 0.9% (-0.6) 42,787 -35.1% 1.1% (-0.6) 42,787 -35.1% 1.1% (-0.6)

Chevrolet Silverado 47,889 -14.7% 3.5% (-0.5) 1,48,324 0.6% 3.7% (-0.0) 1,48,324 0.6% 3.7% (-0.0)

Chevrolet Sonic 11,383 25.9% 0.8% 0.2 36,318 40.4% 0.9% 0.2 36,318 40.4% 0.9% 0.2

Chevrolet Suburban 4,629 -22.9% 0.3% (-0.1) 9,013 -43.0% 0.2% (-0.2) 9,013 -43.0% 0.2% (-0.2)

Chevrolet Tahoe 11,325 -2.8% 0.8% (-0.0) 20,878 -31.9% 0.5% (-0.3) 20,878 -31.9% 0.5% (-0.3)

Chevrolet Traverse 7,923 -11.0% 0.6% (-0.1) 23,973 0.4% 0.6% (-0.0) 23,973 0.4% 0.6% (-0.0)

Chevrolet Trax 3,399 - 0.2% 0.2 11,394 - 0.3% 0.3 11,394 - 0.3% 0.3

Chevrolet Volt 2,744 131.4% 0.2% 0.1 8,924 152.6% 0.2% 0.1 8,924 152.6% 0.2% 0.1

General Motors Company (USA) 2,79,250 -10.3% 20.1% (-1.8) 8,07,893 -6.3% 20.1% (-1.7) 8,07,893 -6.3% 20.1% (-1.7)

GMC Acadia 10,239 23.3% 0.7% 0.2 31,037 39.3% 0.8% 0.2 31,037 39.3% 0.8% 0.2

GMC Canyon - -100.0% - (-0.1) - -100.0% - (-0.1) - -100.0% - (-0.1)

GMC Savana 2,291 -37.2% 0.2% (-0.1) 4,816 -47.0% 0.1% (-0.1) 4,816 -47.0% 0.1% (-0.1)

GMC Sierra Pickups 21,356 -13.9% 1.5% (-0.2) 63,392 0.6% 1.6% (-0.0) 63,392 0.6% 1.6% (-0.0)

GMC Terrain 10,661 -10.3% 0.8% (-0.1) 29,618 -12.6% 0.7% (-0.1) 29,618 -12.6% 0.7% (-0.1)

GMC Yukon 4,253 -21.4% 0.3% (-0.1) 8,646 -41.2% 0.2% (-0.2) 8,646 -41.2% 0.2% (-0.2)

GMC Yukon XL 3,136 0.1% 0.2% 0 5,937 -36.0% 0.1% (-0.1) 5,937 -36.0% 0.1% (-0.1)

Holden Volt 28 - 0.0% 0 95 - 0.0% 0 95 - 0.0% 0

Opel-Vauxhall Ampera 163 -87.4% 0.0% (-0.1) 205 -92.7% 0.0% (-0.1) 205 -92.7% 0.0% (-0.1)

Honda Motor Company (Japan) 1,50,823 -5.0% 10.9% (-0.3) 4,56,324 -0.9% 11.3% (-0.3) 4,56,324 -0.9% 11.3% (-0.3)

Acura ILX 91 - 0.0% 0 1,713 - 0.0% 0 1,713 - 0.0% 0

Acura MDX 2,521 -65.0% 0.2% (-0.3) 6,482 -67.7% 0.2% (-0.3) 6,482 -67.7% 0.2% (-0.3)

Acura RDX 5,280 175.0% 0.4% 0.2 15,847 691.6% 0.4% 0.3 15,847 691.6% 0.4% 0.3

Acura TL 4,822 29.6% 0.3% 0.1 12,445 -7.4% 0.3% (-0.0) 12,445 -7.4% 0.3% (-0.0)

Acura ZDX 61 -44.0% 0.0% (-0.0) 181 -45.5% 0.0% (-0.0) 181 -45.5% 0.0% (-0.0)

Honda Accord 36,122 -5.6% 2.6% (-0.1) 1,14,489 3.9% 2.8% 0.1 1,14,489 3.9% 2.8% 0.1

Honda Civic 41,641 -3.0% 3.0% (-0.0) 1,23,394 -3.3% 3.1% (-0.2) 1,23,394 -3.3% 3.1% (-0.2)

Honda Crosstour 898 -66.0% 0.1% (-0.1) 3,906 -49.3% 0.1% (-0.1) 3,906 -49.3% 0.1% (-0.1)

Honda CR-V 32,081 -1.3% 2.3% 0 95,450 6.7% 2.4% 0.1 95,450 6.7% 2.4% 0.1

Honda Odyssey 11,380 -20.4% 0.8% (-0.2) 33,404 -25.3% 0.8% (-0.3) 33,404 -25.3% 0.8% (-0.3)

Honda Pilot 13,530 -4.2% 1.0% (-0.0) 42,090 4.0% 1.0% 0 42,090 4.0% 1.0% 0

Honda Ridgeline 2,396 142.3% 0.2% 0.1 6,923 65.9% 0.2% 0.1 6,923 65.9% 0.2% 0.1

Hyundai Motor Company (South Korea) 65,247 16.6% 4.7% 0.8 1,94,652 13.8% 4.8% 0.5 1,94,652 13.8% 4.8% 0.5

Hyundai Elantra/i30 17,145 53.3% 1.2% 0.4 48,399 62.3% 1.2% 0.4 48,399 62.3% 1.2% 0.4

Hyundai Santa Fe - -100.0% - (-0.5) - -100.0% - (-0.6) - -100.0% - (-0.6)

Hyundai Santa Fe/ix45 8,224 - 0.6% 0.6 25,564 - 0.6% 0.6 25,564 - 0.6% 0.6

Hyundai Sonata/i40 17,258 -6.9% 1.2% (-0.1) 53,061 -8.6% 1.3% (-0.1) 53,061 -8.6% 1.3% (-0.1)

Kia Optima 10,780 7.7% 0.8% 0.1 35,390 21.8% 0.9% 0.1 35,390 21.8% 0.9% 0.1

Kia Sorento 11,840 33.6% 0.9% 0.2 32,238 8.8% 0.8% 0.1 32,238 8.8% 0.8% 0.1

Mitsubishi Motors Corp (Japan) 4,753 256.0% 0.3% 0.2 16,736 184.8% 0.4% 0.3 16,736 184.8% 0.4% 0.3

Mitsubishi Galant - -100.0% - (-0.1) - -100.0% - (-0.1) - -100.0% - (-0.1)

Mitsubishi Outlander Sport 4,753 - 0.3% 0.3 16,736 - 0.4% 0.4 16,736 - 0.4% 0.4

Nissan Motor (Japan) 1,26,207 6.5% 9.1% 0.7 3,64,757 5.9% 9.1% 0.4 3,64,757 5.9% 9.1% 0.4

Infiniti JX Series 3,807 30.3% 0.3% 0.1 11,651 252.4% 0.3% 0.2 11,651 252.4% 0.3% 0.2

Nissan Altima 36,970 18.7% 2.7% 0.5 1,00,374 11.6% 2.5% 0.2 1,00,374 11.6% 2.5% 0.2

Nissan Armada 632 -69.7% 0.0% (-0.1) 1,871 -70.5% 0.0% (-0.1) 1,871 -70.5% 0.0% (-0.1)

Nissan Frontier 8,137 -7.3% 0.6% (-0.0) 19,697 -9.2% 0.5% (-0.1) 19,697 -9.2% 0.5% (-0.1)

Nissan Leaf 2,475 - 0.2% 0.2 6,824 - 0.2% 0.2 6,824 - 0.2% 0.2

Nissan March 4,904 -19.5% 0.4% (-0.1) 10,519 -52.0% 0.3% (-0.3) 10,519 -52.0% 0.3% (-0.3)

Nissan Maxima 3,257 -51.7% 0.2% (-0.2) 11,743 -42.8% 0.3% (-0.2) 11,743 -42.8% 0.3% (-0.2)

Nissan NV200 1,118 - 0.1% 0.1 1,491 - 0.0% 0 1,491 - 0.0% 0

Nissan NV-Series 1,053 156.2% 0.1% 0 2,763 27.2% 0.1% 0 2,763 27.2% 0.1% 0

Nissan Pathfinder 11,881 392.4% 0.9% 0.7 31,725 312.4% 0.8% 0.6 31,725 312.4% 0.8% 0.6

Nissan Pickup 11,130 46.2% 0.8% 0.3 26,898 38.3% 0.7% 0.2 26,898 38.3% 0.7% 0.2

Nissan Sentra 12,001 1.9% 0.9% 0 48,358 29.1% 1.2% 0.3 48,358 29.1% 1.2% 0.3

Nissan Tiida 2,988 -81.1% 0.2% (-0.9) 12,995 -71.7% 0.3% (-0.8) 12,995 -71.7% 0.3% (-0.8)

Nissan Titan 759 -68.7% 0.1% (-0.1) 1,672 -77.2% 0.0% (-0.1) 1,672 -77.2% 0.0% (-0.1)

Nissan Tsuru 3,598 -19.6% 0.3% (-0.1) 14,326 7.2% 0.4% 0 14,326 7.2% 0.4% 0

Nissan Versa 20,190 35.7% 1.5% 0.4 58,367 40.7% 1.5% 0.4 58,367 40.7% 1.5% 0.4

Nissan Xterra 1,307 62.6% 0.1% 0 3,483 -33.9% 0.1% (-0.0) 3,483 -33.9% 0.1% (-0.0)

Suzuki Equator - -100.0% - (-0.0) - -100.0% - (-0.0) - -100.0% - (-0.0)

Tesla Motors (USA) 1,611 - 0.1% 0.1 4,891 - 0.1% 0.1 4,891 - 0.1% 0.1

Tesla Model S 1,611 - 0.1% 0.1 4,891 - 0.1% 0.1 4,891 - 0.1% 0.1

Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan) 1,49,554 -5.6% 10.8% (-0.4) 4,36,649 -0.7% 10.9% (-0.3) 4,36,649 -0.7% 10.9% (-0.3)

Lexus RX Series 7,513 -5.1% 0.5% (-0.0) 21,627 -4.4% 0.5% (-0.0) 21,627 -4.4% 0.5% (-0.0)

Toyota Avalon 9,615 179.5% 0.7% 0.5 27,322 176.7% 0.7% 0.4 27,322 176.7% 0.7% 0.4

Toyota Camry 32,285 -7.6% 2.3% (-0.1) 94,436 -8.3% 2.3% (-0.3) 94,436 -8.3% 2.3% (-0.3)

Toyota Corolla 26,695 -20.8% 1.9% (-0.5) 80,487 -3.5% 2.0% (-0.1) 80,487 -3.5% 2.0% (-0.1)

Toyota Highlander 11,659 -5.8% 0.8% (-0.0) 36,007 4.2% 0.9% 0 36,007 4.2% 0.9% 0

Toyota Matrix 1,715 -21.0% 0.1% (-0.0) 4,520 -30.5% 0.1% (-0.1) 4,520 -30.5% 0.1% (-0.1)

Toyota RAV4 18,552 7.7% 1.3% 0.1 42,278 -8.4% 1.1% (-0.1) 42,278 -8.4% 1.1% (-0.1)

Toyota Sequoia 2,204 1.8% 0.2% 0 6,812 11.7% 0.2% 0 6,812 11.7% 0.2% 0

Toyota Sienna 11,699 -7.6% 0.8% (-0.0) 36,382 -3.8% 0.9% (-0.1) 36,382 -3.8% 0.9% (-0.1)

Toyota Tacoma 13,898 -6.4% 1.0% (-0.0) 43,244 11.9% 1.1% 0.1 43,244 11.9% 1.1% 0.1

Toyota Tundra 9,126 -17.0% 0.7% (-0.1) 28,907 -12.3% 0.7% (-0.1) 28,907 -12.3% 0.7% (-0.1)

Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan) 1,49,554 -5.6% 10.8% (-0.4) 4,36,649 -0.7% 10.9% (-0.3) 4,36,649 -0.7% 10.9% (-0.3)

Toyota Venza 4,593 -23.2% 0.3% (-0.1) 14,627 -19.3% 0.4% (-0.1) 14,627 -19.3% 0.4% (-0.1)

Volkswagen (Germany) 64,570 -5.6% 4.7% (-0.2) 1,79,560 8.1% 4.5% 0.3 1,79,560 8.1% 4.5% 0.3

Volkswagen Beetle 12,034 32.6% 0.9% 0.2 29,777 64.5% 0.7% 0.3 29,777 64.5% 0.7% 0.3

Volkswagen Golf/Jetta Variant 7,439 -47.3% 0.5% (-0.5) 28,719 -16.5% 0.7% (-0.2) 28,719 -16.5% 0.7% (-0.2)

Volkswagen Jetta 26,800 -18.6% 1.9% (-0.4) 76,452 -4.7% 1.9% (-0.1) 76,452 -4.7% 1.9% (-0.1)

Volkswagen Passat 18,297 49.3% 1.3% 0.5 44,612 33.9% 1.1% 0.3 44,612 33.9% 1.1% 0.3

Total Light Vehicle 13,85,895 -2.2% 100.0% - 40,22,722 1.8% 100.0% - 40,22,722 1.8% 100.0% -

March 2013 Last 3 Months Year to Date

Ownership Org/ YOY Assembly YOY YOY Assembly YOY YOY Assembly YOY Brand & Nameplate Volume % Chg Share % Share Chg Volume % Chg Share % Share Chg Volume % Chg Share % Share Chg

Auto Monitor

N E W S2020 MAY 2013

BorgWarner will pro-vide its turbocharging technologies for Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR’s) new

family of four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines, expected to launch in 2015. To support JLR’s new Engine Manufacturing Centre near Wolverhampton, BorgWarner plans to expand on its existing production lines and build a new engineering center in Bradford, United Kingdom. In addition, BorgWarner is strengthening its close collabo-ration with the nearby University of Huddersfield by establishing a master’s degree program in tur-bocharger engineering.

“With our investment in local production and testing, BorgWarner will provide Jaguar Land Rover with fast-to-market, high-quality advanced technol-ogies adapted to their specific needs,” said Frederic Lissalde, President and General Manager, BorgWarner Turbo Systems.

“BorgWarner’s investment in innovation will also help support the local economy with highly skilled engineering and manu-facturing jobs, and our increased collaboration with the universi-ty will help develop the talent needed to drive turbocharging advancements for the future.”

Ian Harnett, Jaguar Land Rover’s Purchasing Director, said, “Jaguar Land Rover remains committed to enhancing and developing the automotive sup-ply chain in the UK. This contract is a great example of how we want to work in partnership with our supply chain to develop innova-tive solutions to support future growth. We are delighted that this contract will not only create high value manufacturing and engi-neering jobs in West Yorkshire but will support BorgWarner’s collaboration with the University of Huddersfield. This will ulti-mately help the UK become even more competitive as it is invest-

BorgWarner expands cooperation with JLR

Ssangyong Motor, part of the $15.9 bil-lion Mahindra Group, announced that it had sold 12,607 vehicles in April 2013, 5,115 vehicles in South Korea and 7,492 in

exports, including CKD kits. This is Ssangyong’s highest ever monthly sales since December 2006, and exceeds average monthly sales during January to March this year, when the company recorded the highest growth rate in the South Korean auto industry.

During January to March 2013 Ssangyong sold 31,265 vehicles (13,293 vehicles in the domestic market and 17,972 in exports including CKD, respectively). Commenting on the results, Dr. Pawan Goenka, President, Automotive and Farm Equipment Sector said, “This performance shows that the turnaround of Ssangyong con-tinues at a brisk pace. Our new and refreshed models are increasingly popular in the Korean and export markets.”

Total sales in April 2013 rose by 25.9 percent year-on-year and cumulative sales grew by 20.4 percent, compared to the same period last year. Ssangyong’s sales in South Korea have shown an upward trend for four consecutive months thanks to increased demand for the Korando series. The company expects the demand for the Korando to continue, and contribute to strong sales in the coming months.

ment in innovation that will make the difference to the growth in the UK economy.”

BorgWarner has produced turbocharging systems for several commercial engine manu-facturers in Bradford for nearly 35 years. The new production line will expand the company’s product offerings to include turbochargers for passenger cars. In addition, the new engineer-ing centre will provide application engineering, design, simulation, testing and validation as well as metallurgical labs. The new centre is support-ed by a grant from the government’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF), which supports projects that leverage private sector investment to create economic growth and sustainable employment in England.

Since 2011, BorgWarner has been collabo-rating with the University of Huddersfield on a Knowledge Transfer Partnership to research improvements in materials for turbocharger housings. The new master’s degree program in turbocharger engineering will offer students the opportunity to specialize in an advanced technology to improve fuel economy, reduce emissions and enhance performance for pas-senger cars and commercial vehicles.

Ssangyong posts highest monthly sales since 2006

Will build new production line and engineering centre in Bradford, UK, and establish a master’s degree program at local university.

Auto Monitor

C L A S S I F I E D S 2120 MAY 2013

G W Precision Tools India Pvt Ltd 17

T: +91-80-40431252

E: [email protected]

W: www.gwindia.in

Jyoti CNC Automation Pvt. Ltd. BIC

T: +91-2827-287081

E: [email protected]

W: www.jyoti.co.in

Lanxess India Private Limited FIC

T: +91-22-25871000

E: [email protected]

W: www.lanxess.in

Metro Tyres Ltd 11

T: +91-120-4147414

Moxie Engineering Pvt Ltd 21

T: +91-161-2671124

E: [email protected]

W: www.moxie.co.in

MREPC India 15

T: +603-27805888

E: [email protected]

W: www.mrepc.com

Padmini VNA Mechatronics Pvt. Ltd. 3

T: +91-124-3207398

E: [email protected]

W: www.padminivna.com

Tata Motors Ltd. 7

T: +91-22-66586195

E: [email protected]

W: www.tatamotors.com

ACE Micromatic Group 1, BC

T: +91-80-40200555

E: [email protected]

W: www.acemicromatic.net

Carl Zeiss India (Bangalore) Pvt Lt 9

T: +91-80-43438102

E: [email protected]

W: www.zeiss.co.in

Dhoot Transmission Pvt Ltd 13

E: [email protected]

W: www.dhoottransmission.com

Engineering Expo 20

T: +91-9819552270

E: [email protected]

W: www.engg-expo.com

Fox Solutions 5

T: +91-253-6618100

E: [email protected]

W: www.foxindia.net

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Auto Monitor

T H E O T H E R S I D E2220 MAY 2013

Illustration: Sachin PanditCompiled by: Nabeel A Khan

Getting Personalwith Alok Trgunayat, Business Head, Ecocat

In Real Life

If not in the auto industry, where would you be? Aerospace/consultancy

What car do you drive? What do you dream of driving? An Optra Magnum. I dream of driving an Audi or a BMW.

Your most recent indulgence… A lot of chaat for dinner last weekend!

What are you currently reading? Management principles based on Gandhiji philosophy.

What do you do when not talking auto? Reading, gym, meditation.

An outdoor activity you would miss office for… A spiritual retreat.

Where did you go for your last holiday? Bangkok/Pattaya

You get angry when… Responsibility is not taken and promises are not kept.

What is the one thing you would like to change about youself? Improve my work/life balance.

Best thing to have happened to you… A lovely family and work that I enjoy.

Alok Trigunayat has 30 years’ experience in the automotive indus-try in various OEMS and ancillaries such as L&T, DCM Toyota, Eicher Motors, Daewoo Motors, Subros, ICML and the Vikas Group.

He is currently in charge of the Indian operations of Ecocat India Ltd. He has wide experience in the areas of design, development, process, production and overall management.

He holds a B.Tech in mechani-cal engineering from Delhi College of Engineering, and an M. Tech in management and systems from IIT Delhi.

An experience I won’t forget…Once I was on a flight from Bangalore to Delhi which took off two hours late, at 10 PM. When we reached Delhi around 1 AM, the plane could not land due to fog, and was redirected to land at Ahmedabad around 2.30 AM. I managed to reach Delhi only the next day evening. It was a good lesson on how external uncontrollables can mess up plans. I now try to take such factors into account, though it is not always possible – nevertheless, it is a challenge!

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Regn. No. MH/MR/WEST/20/2012-2014. RNI No. MAHENG/2000/11414Licenced to post at Mumbai patrika channel sorting office G.P.O. Mumbai 400 001.Date Of Mailing:16th & 17th Fortnightly Issue. Date Of Publication: 13th of Every Month