This week in Auto: Car sales in top gear, Skoda launches Kodiaq

With the festivals around the corner, car makers are upping production to meet the expected surge in demand. New models will thus likely face a backlog of orders. A number of new launches happened this week but all in the premium segments ranging from a flashy scooter to a fully-loaded luxury sedan. Here is the list of developments in the automotive space this week.

Car sales hit high gear

Demand for Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata Motors, Honda and Volkswagen hit top gear last month as consumers flocked to showrooms ahead of the festive season. Maruti Suzuki clocked 1.5 lakh sales on the back of strong demand for the Dzire, Baleno and Brezza.

While Hyundai volumes peaked due to i20 and Grand i10, Tata Motors saw demand swell for the Nexon SUV. New launches, better credit facilities, coupled with some on-going offers by dealers helped spruce up retail demand. The momentum is expected to remain buoyant till Diwali.

Skoda launches Kodiaq at Rs 34.49 lakh

Czech car brand Skoda launched the much-awaited premium sports utility vehicle Kodiaq at Rs 34.49 lakh. This new all-wheel drive, seven-seater SUV will compete for space against the Toyota Fortuner and Volkswagen Tiguan, Mercedes-Benz GLA, BMW X1 and Audi Q3.

Based on the Volkswagen’s all-new MQB platform which also houses the Tiguan, Kodiaq marks Skoda’s return to the SUV segment which it had abandoned after the discontinuation of Yeti. The Kodiaq will come with a 2.0-litre diesel engine delivering 150hp and 340Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic unit that sends power to all-four-wheels.

Audi launches A5 at Rs 54 lakh

German luxury car giant Audi launched three derivatives of the A5 with prices starting at Rs 54 lakh. The A5 Sportback is priced at Rs 54.02 lakh, the A5 Carbriolet is priced at Rs 67.51 lakh and the S5 is priced at Rs 70.6 lakh.

The A5 sports a 2.0 litre engine that generates peak power of 190 bhp with a top speed of 235 kmph. The sedan can achieve 0-100 kmph in 7.9 seconds as per the company. The S5, however, is bigger and faster. The car has a 3 litre engine producing 354 bhp in peak power and a top speed of 250 kmph. This car can do 0-100 kmph in 4.7 seconds.

Hyundai launches Tucson 4WD at Rs 25.19 lakh

Korean car brand Hyundai launched the four wheel drive version of the Tucson at Rs 25.19 lakh. The 4WD System comes with - ‘On Demand 4WD Functioning’ which automatically implements Rear Wheel Traction Control by assessing road conditions and maintain utmost traction on rough, lose or slippery surfaces, improving stability while cornering.

Further the Tucson GL trims in both petrol and diesel have been reinforced with safety features like Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), Hill Assist Control (HAC), Down Hill Brake Control  (DBC) & Brake Assist enhancing the safety and driving performance.

Mahindra forays into road construction equipment segment

Mahindra & Mahindra has entered the road construction equipment segment with the launch of its first Motor Grader - the Mahindra RoadMaster G75 under the aegis of its Construction Equipment business.

Priced at Rs 35 lakh the G75 is powered by a 79 HP DiTEC engine developed by Mahindra which is coupled with a 3 m (10 ft) wide blade. This equipment is optimized to deliver zero compromise grading at 33% as compared to conventional motor graders.

 *M&M to launch two EVs, invest 600cr and form JVs

Mahindra & Mahindra the pioneer in electric vehicle (EV) technology has lined up investments of Rs 600 crore into the EV space which will be deployed for setting up a battery assembly plant, motor, power electronics and product development.

The company will be launching two electric cars with the first one coming by the end of next year and the other coming in middle of 2019. The company will set up a battery plant and form two joint ventures for motors and for power electronics. These will be available for purchase to anyone who wants to buy. The battery plant will be owned by Mahindra.