The year in review: Top 16 in ‘16

As 2016 draws to a close, it’s time to take stock of the automotive journey through the year. It goes without saying that the year 2016 was a highly eventful year with surprises and disappointments across all fields – be it industry, politics, economics, sports, arts, films, wars, technology, social media and nearly everything else. The twists and turns around the world were reflected in India, which in turn echoed on the country’s automotive industry.

From dealing with the diesel ban to demonetisation and the government’s decision to leapfrog an emission level to BS VI in 2020, or the fall of Mitsubishi’s fortunes and consequent rise by its merger with Renault-Nissan, to the fast-changing passenger vehicle/ two-wheeler landscape in India, there was a constant flow of news throughout 2016.

Autocar Professional brings you the top 16 trending stories in 2016 – 16 in ’16. Yes, these are the Top 16 stories on our website.

1. Top 10 Two-Wheelers (Scooters/ Motorcycles)

Most readers are keen to know the best-selling vehicles are in a particular segment. Our exclusive and comprehensive analysis of the Top 10 two-wheelers in the country are much looked-forward to every month and often used as reference material by equity analysts and their ilk.

Top 10 Two-wheelers in June | Top 10 Scooters in May | Top 10 Motorcycles in February

2. India Sales Analysis

Our comprehensive analysis of monthly vehicle sales, across segments, in India, always draws a good number of netizens. And they are growing by the day.

India Sales Analysis: January | March | October

3. Bajaj Auto reveals new V brand and new 150cc commuter motorcycle

The Pune-based motorcycle manufacturer’s Bajaj V grabbed centre-stage with the news of  the use of INS Vikrant’s metal in the making of the bike. This was the first big-ticket two-wheeler launch in the build up to Auto Expo 2016.

4. Zero stars for all Indian cars in latest Global NCAP crash tests

Autocar Professional was the first media in India to break the news of the global automotive safety watchdog testing five high-selling Indian cars comprising the Renault Kwid, Maruti Suzuki Celerio, Maruti Suzuki Eeco, Mahindra Scorpio and Hyundai Eon, which resulted in zero star ratings for all the five cars.

5. Bajaj Auto-KTM alliance readies adventure-tourer to take on Royal Enfield

This was yet another exclusive story on the Bajaj-KTM alliance creating an all-new platform in the midsize motorcycle category to take on the Royal Enfield’s Himalayan adventure motorcycle. The story created ripples across social media platforms with motorcycle enthusiasts contemplating the new model.

6. Mahindra & Mahindra shows off all-new Blazo smart truck range

Labelled as the first smart truck in the country, Mahindra staked a lot of hopes on the modern range of trucks to enable the company gain market share in the M&HCV segment dominated for long by Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland.

7. Kinetic Green launches Safar e-three-wheeler at Rs 1.28 lakh

Giving a further fillip to the government’s FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric and Hybrid vehicles) scheme, Kinetic Green’s launch of the Safer e-rickshaw was our most-read electric story of the year. The fact that the company bagged a Rs 400 crore order from the Uttar Pradesh government was further testament to the importance of green mobility.

8. Bajaj Auto plots strategic launch pad for its 400cc midsized motorcycle

The Bajaj brand has always managed to create a buzz before any product launch. It was the same when news came out of the imminent launch of the Dominar 400, Bajaj’s most powerful motorcycle till date.

9. Surging Maruti Vitara Brezza demand leads to 5-month delivery time for top-end variant

When Maruti Suzuki launches a new product, India sits up and takes notice. That is what happened after the introduction of the company’s compact SUV – the Vitara Brezza. As buyers flocked showrooms, the waiting period for Maruti’s yet another successful car soared.

10. Made in India: Suzuki Hayabusa

Time stood still when the first production bike to blast past 300kph came to life at Suzuki Motorcycle India’s Gurgaon plant. This photo-feature gives you an inside view of the metalmorphosis.

11. Eicher forays into sub-5-tonne LCVs with Pro 1049 mini-truck

In the 3.5- to 6-tonne payload segment, Tata Motors with its hugely popular 407 has been a long-time market leader with no competition. As the competition heated up with Eicher Trucks looking to carve out a niche in the sub-5 tonne segment, so did the popularity of the story.

12. Maruti Baleno breezes past 100,000 sales in India

Less than a year since its launch, Maruti Suzuki India’s premium hatchback, the Baleno drove past the 100,000 unit sales landmark in the domestic market. What’s more, the Baleno was also one of the most searched cars online.

13. Tork Motorcycles to launch India’s first electric motorcycle in 2017

As more start-ups look to make electric transportation cool, practical and as affordable as conventional ones, the news of India’s first electric motorcycle by Pune-based Tork Motorcycles made the industry sit up and take notice of the disruption aimed at the two-wheeler market.

14. Hero MotoCorp reveals 4 new innovation-led two-wheelers

Any news from India’s largest selling two-wheeler company is sure to generate plenty of buzz. So when Hero MotoCorp revealed a quartet of new two-wheelers at the Auto Expo – the Splendor iSmart 110, Extreme 200 S, XF3R and the Duet-e scooter – motorcycle enthusiasts showed ample signs of interest in them.

15. Ashok Leyland grabs M&HCV market share from Tata Motors in 2015-16

The big news from FY2016 analysis of the CV sector was Ashok Leyland eating into Tata Motors’ share of M&HCVs, particularly benefiting in the higher-tonnage segment (25T, 31T, 35T and 37T).The popularity of Ashok Leyland was mainly due to the rising demand from infrastructure spend across the country, partial lifting of the ban on mining and fleet operators’ focus on renewing their fleets.

16. Interview with Satish Nadiger, managing director of John Deere India

With John Deere India focusing on the 41-50hp tractor segment, managing director Satish Nadiger spoke on the company’s growth plan, consolidation in markets less explored, evolving farmers' tractor requirements, shrinking crop cycles and the locally developed advanced JDLink technology, which directly impacts a farmer’s income.

Recommended: 2016 Flashback - Capturing the Automotive Moments in India

This feature was first published in Autocar Professional's 12th Anniversary issue. Subscribe to our magazine to get exclusive news, features and analysis.