Autocar Professional’s January 15 issue is out!

It’s been an action-packed start to the new year. The first 15 days of 2021 were filled with a good dose of drama, strategy and innovation. Which is why Autocar Professional’s January 15, 2021 issue is laden with details about how companies are reworking their India strategy and new businesses developing models that promise sustainable profitability.

This 48-page issue is crisp, concise and curated with news, views and trends that can help keep you a step ahead, in terms of automotive industry news.

• Skoda Auto Volkswagen India puts the pedal to the metal on its India 2.0 strategy. Skoda Auto leads from the front with the Vision IN concept now named Kushaq. This midsize SUV will be followed by the VW Taigun.
• Skoda Auto India Brand Director, Zac Hollis highlights the importance of improving the customer perception of the Skoda brand apart from the speedy and extensive expansion plans.

JV lost, JV gained
The fortnight saw two globally talked-about joint ventures pan out radically different.

• Mahindra & Mahindra and Ford shelved their planned joint venture, given current global growth challenges. What lies ahead for the two OEMs in India? Find out in this analysis.
• PSA and FCA’s merged entity – Stellantis – will become the fourth largest automaker in the world. Does it have an India connect? You’ll be surprised.

Reality check for Honda and India Auto Inc
Lack of sustained consumer demand and low cash flow globally are pinching the bottomline for automakers. It’s no different in India. Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI), which is focussing on high efficiency and cost-effectiveness to tide over the current crisis, recently announced a Voluntary Retirement Scheme.

Volume buzz
However, it’s not all gloom and doom across the Indian automobile sector.

• India comes across as a key volume driver for South Korean automaker Kia Motors. We get you a detailed stat-laden insight into the car maker.

• Tata Motors had latched on to the safety mantra to drive its passenger vehicle volumes, given the recent good run on the GNCAP rating chart.

Mobility experiments
New forms of mobility are gaining traction and more companies are exploring alternatives as they look at re-energising growth in a post-Covid world.

• Folks Motor has revealed a hybrid-electric retrofit solutions for cars in India.
• Hero Cycles is keen on creating a niche for electric bicycles as a delivery option in the ride to sustainability. Chairman and MD Pankaj Munjal speaks to Autocar Professional
• Israel’s Vayyar Imaging looks to become the enabler of safer mobility globally. Ian Podkamein, head of the company’s automotive division, reveals the strategy.

But that is not all. This issue is brimming with the fortnight’s big news including the resounding jump in tractor sales for Mahindra and Sonalika and Bajaj Auto becoming the world’s most valuable two-wheeler company. Grab your copy for the latest details. You could also download the digital variant.

How you can read this issue 
Autocar Professional magazine is also available through all good newsagents and for download from Magzster. You can also buy one-off copies of Autocar Professional magazine – contact Ganesh at ganesh@haymarketsac.com. Alternatively, never miss an issue – subscribe to Autocar Professional  today