AutoQ is weekly round-up of stories from the world of automotive.
1. All Bikes & Scooters to Come with Either ABS or CBS from 1 April
This isn’t an April Fool’s prank. It’s an official deadline that has to be met by all two-wheeler makers in the country. From 1 April all two-wheelers sold in the country have to incorporate either CBS (combined braking system) if they are below 125 cc or ABS (anti-lock braking system) if they are above 125 cc.
This deadline is the reason the last week has seen many dealers offering huge discounts on unsold inventory, to get non-ABS/CBS bikes and scooters out of their showrooms. Regional transport offices (RTOs) can refuse to register vehicles that do not comply with this directive.
So how exactly do these safety systems work? Read here to know the full story.
2. Eicher Motors Appoints Vinod Dasari as Royal Enfield CEO
Eicher Motors on Monday, 1 April, said it has appointed Vinod K Dasari as the chief executive officer of its Royal Enfield unit.
Dasari will also join the board of Eicher Motors as an executive director with immediate effect, the company said in a regulatory filing.
In order to propel Royal Enfield as a global motorcycling brand, Vinod Dasari takes over from Siddhartha Lal who will continue as the managing director of Eicher Motors Ltd. At Royal Enfield, Siddhartha will continue to support Vinod and the team on product and brand related areas," Eicher Motors said.
Read the story here.
3. Citroen Enters India With C5 Aircross SUV, To Be Launched in 2020
The PSA Groupe that owns the French brand Citroen has announced its entry into India. It showcased its first SUV for the Indian market the Citroen C5 Aircross in Chennai.
The C5 Aircross will be locally assembled at its plant in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, where it already makes engines. The Citroen C5 Aircross will be launched in 2020, followed by three new models from Citroen – one every year between 2021 and 2023.
But before this SUV is officially launched, the company has a lot of ground to cover.
Read the story here.
4. Internet-Enabled Cars: Infotainment Systems Aren’t Just For Music
Voice assistants, custom apps, over-the-air software updates, navigation, calls, streaming music – all functions you would expect in a smartphone today, except this is just some of the stuff that the 10.4-inch infotainment system in the upcoming MG Hector SUV has. And it's not just the Hector, connected cars is a thing, really.
Many cars sold in India these days come with some sort of connectivity features – be it a Nissan Terrano, Maruti Ciaz, Volkswagen Vento, Ford Endeavour or even a Honda Civic. But the levels of connectivity vary.
We are not talking about just Android Auto or Apple CarPlay or even Ford's SYNC 3 here. While some feature just bare basic telematics that allow you to track your car or get alerted when it is speeding or running low on fuel, systems like the one showcased by MG do a lot more.
Read the story here.
5. Micromax Co-Founder to Launch Electric Bike: 5 Things to Know
The mobile market has pretty much been saturated by brands like Xiaomi and Samsung among others in India. This has taken a big toll on local brands like Micromax, which has sort of forced its co-founder Rahul Sharma to look at other avenues for business in India.
Sharma tried his luck with brands like Yu Televentures, another mobile venture, and now he’s got his eyes on the two-wheeler electric vehicle business.
He’s going to do this with his latest venture called Revolt, which he’s said to be working on over the past two years and claims to have invested over Rs 500 crore to get it running.
Read here to know about the upcoming bike.
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