Nissan Magnite Crosses 150,000 Sales Milestone

Nissan Magnite Crosses 150,000 Sales Milestone

Nissan Motor India has recently achieved a new sales milestone. The company's popular compact SUV the Nissan Magnite has crossed 150,000 unit sales in August 2024, since its launch in December 2020. 

In August, the company also reported its highest-ever monthly wholesales for FY2025 with 10,624 units sold, that includes export shipments of 8,361 units and domestic dispatches of 2,263 units. 

This also marks a record for Nissan Motor India with its highest monthly export volume in the last 5-years. It is a significant achievement for the company and is aligned with Nissan’s ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ philosophy. Domestic wholesale accounted for 2,263 units, leading to a YoY growth of a modest 0.2 percent and MoM growth of 12.5 percent. Export wholesale accounted for 8,361 units, leading to a YoY growth of 336 percent and MoM growth of 91 percent for August 2024. 

Saurabh Vatsa, MD, Nissan Motor India said, “The month of August has been remarkable despite the decline in overall Total Industry Volume (TIV). However, the combined efforts of the Nissan Motor India team along with our dealer partners have delivered great results for the company and customers. The renewed strategy of Nissan’s focus on domestic and exports business is delivering great results for India. The Nissan Magnite is proof that a robust platform, timeless product, and enhanced customer centricity can continue to deliver consistent outcomes, which is evident in the 1.5 lakh milestone that Nissan has crossed this month.”

Nissan Motor India has been expanding its network footprint across the country. With recent additions in Bengaluru, Srinagar, Salem, Delhi and Durgapur, Nissan now possesses a network of 273 touchpoints, providing quality sales and service experiences to customers nationwide. The automaker aims to cross 300 touchpoints this fiscal year.

The Nissan Magnite is currently exported to over 17 global markets, with recent launches in Seychelles, Bangladesh, Uganda, and Brunei. In recent years, Nissan Motor India has focused on exports to Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait. 

 

Honda Cars India Crosses 200,000 Export Milestone

Honda Cars India

Japanese auto major Honda Cars India (HCIL) has hit a major manufacturing and export landmark, announcing today that it has surpassed 200,000 cumulative units exported from its Indian operations. This achievement underscores the growing global acceptance of Honda's 'Made-in-India' models and reinforces the country's strength as a premium automotive manufacturing hub.

The celebrated milestone has been significantly fuelled by two key models: the Honda City sedan and the new mid-size SUV, the Honda Elevate, which together account for 78 percent of the total export volume.

Honda's export journey from India began with smaller volumes sent to neighbouring markets. The pace has accelerated dramatically in recent years:

  • The first 50,000 units were exported primarily to SAARC, South Africa and SADC countries up until 2021.
  • The next 50,000 units were reached in the subsequent two-and-a-half years, with exports expanding to Left Hand Drive markets like the Middle East, Mexico and Turkey for the Honda City.
  • The most recent 100,000 units were achieved in just the last two years, driven by massive demand for the Elevate in new markets, including Japan, South America and Caribbean nations.

Kunal Behl, Vice-President, Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India, said, “Achieving 200,000 export units fills Honda Cars India with immense pride. This milestone underscores the global recognition of our India-made cars. It also reflects the dedication of our skilled teams and robust manufacturing capabilities. Exports are an integral part of HCIL’s business and revenue strategy, and we remain committed to strengthening this area going forward. We are dedicated to the ‘Make in India’ initiative, serving both our domestic market and global customers.”

Over the years, HCIL has exported vehicles to 33 countries. The largest recipient markets include: Japan – 30 percent, South Africa and SADC countries – 26 percent, Mexico - 19 percent and Turkey – 16 percent.

While the City and Elevate are the current leaders, the remaining 22 percent of the total export volume includes a diverse portfolio of models, such as the Brio, Amaze, Jazz, BR-V, Mobilio, City e:HEV, Accord and CR-V.

The Honda Elevate has been key to expanding HCIL's global footprint, driving a significant portion of the most recent export growth.

Volkswagen UK Appoints Simon Lynch As Fleet Sales Head

Volkswagen UK Appoints Simon Lynch As Fleet Sales Head

Volkswagen UK has appointed Simon Lynch to the position of Head of Fleet Sales, effective 8 December 2025. This appointment finalises a recent restructuring of the UK team, which also includes Kevin Rendell assuming responsibility for Network Sales and Owen Shepherd moving to become Head of Product and Planning.

Lynch joins from his current role as Head of Aftersales Retailer Operations at Volkswagen Group UK. Since first joining Volkswagen Group UK in 2006, he has built a comprehensive background, holding various positions in finance, network risk, product marketing and sales, including a prior role as Head of Aftersales for Škoda.

Rod McLeod, Director, Volkswagen UK, said, “I am pleased to welcome Simon to the Volkswagen UK team and to complete my leadership team reshuffle. The next few years will be especially exciting for Volkswagen, with the launches of the ID. Polo and new T-Roc, and fleet customers are more important than ever to our brand evolution. I’m looking forward to leading the new team into 2026 and beyond.”

Lynch said, “I’m looking forward to returning to the Volkswagen brand and heading up the Fleet Sales team. Both the brand and the fleet market are in an exciting phase of change, with electrification, digitalisation and the way people buy and use cars all evolving at pace. Volkswagen has a fantastic team and I’m delighted to be playing my part in developing the UK’s best-selling brand.”

Volkswagen Group UK Appoints Catherine Baker To Board Of Management As Director Of Aftersales

Volkswagen Group UK Appoints Catherine Baker To Board Of Management As Director Of Aftersales

Volkswagen Group UK has announced the appointment of Catherine Baker to its Board of Management as the new Director of One Aftersales. She will be taking over from Sylvain Charbonnier, who is leaving the UK after a four-year tenure to assume a new position within the global Volkswagen Group.

Bringing three decades of automotive industry expertise to the role, Baker has a strong commercial and strategic background. She originally joined the UK division in 2018 and has since occupied several senior positions, including her most recent role as Head of Group Parts Operations. Her career prior to Volkswagen included experience at Mercedes-Benz. Baker is also recognised as an influential advocate for diversity and inclusion within the company.

In her new capacity, she will lead the One Aftersales division, which manages all post-sale activities for the Group's five brands: SEAT, CUPRA, Škoda, Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. The department’s responsibilities extend beyond daily service operations to encompass business development, the parts supply chain and technical support functions.

Damien O’Sullivan, Managing Director, Volkswagen Group UK, said, “I’m delighted to welcome Catherine to the Board and look forward to working with her in developing the next generation of aftersales propositions. I’d like to thank Sylvain for his considerable contribution and wish him well for his future in the Volkswagen Group.”

Baker said, “I’m excited to be joining the board of management at such a pivotal time. The move to electrification and digitalisation as well as evolving consumer expectations are changing the way we do business and look after our customers. I’m looking forward to taking over from Sylvain and leading the One Aftersales team into the next decade.”

BMW To Open Bookings For MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 On September 22

BMW Mini John Cooper Works ALL4

MINI India, part of the German luxury brand BMW Group, has announced that it will open the pre-launch bookings for the all-new MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 on 22 September 2025.

The MINI John Cooper Works models are known for their exhilarating performance. The Countryman ALL4 will come with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder TwinPower Turbo engine. Thanks to its all-wheel drive system, the new MINI JCW Countryman ALL4 is also very capable off the road and will be launched in India on 14 October 2025.

At present, the company has set up 11 authorised MINI dealerships in India, including Bird Automotive (Delhi & Gurugram), Bavaria Motors (Pune), EVM Autokraft (Kochi), Gallops Autohaus (Ahmedabad), Infinity Cars (Mumbai), Krishna Automobiles (Chandigarh), KUN Exclusive (Chennai), KUN Exclusive (Hyderabad), KUN Exclusive (Bengaluru) and OSL Prestige (Kolkata).