MT Bureau

Tata Motors has entered the premium hatchback segment with Altroz which will be available in five trim levels at an introductory price starting from INR 5.29 lakh for the petrol version and INR 6.99 lakh for the diesel. It is the first vehicle developed on the new ALFA architecture and the second one showing Impact 2.0 design language.

With its striking design, bouquet of industry-first features and the most recent achievement of Global NCAP 5-star rating, Altroz has set the GOLD Standard in Safety, Design, Driving Dynamics, Technology and Customer Delight. Altroz will come with 6 different factory-fitted customizable options to be chosen from 4 packs of Rhythm, Style, Luxe and Urban.

Tata Motors has also launched 3 fully BSVI-ready cars. Leading the line-up with the Altroz, they are Tiago, Tigor (safest in its category) and Nexon. With Altroz and Nexon, Tata Motors has BS-VI ready diesel variants in their respective segments.

Guenter Butschek, CEO and Managing Director, Tata Motors, said, “We have started writing a new chapter. We promised to kick-start the year with a product offensive and here we are. The future of efficient, green, sustainable mobility solutions needs to translate into reality and we have made a start by bringing the new generation of BS-VI solutions to the market. The new face of Tata passenger cars are not only BSVI-ready, but are designed and developed to enhance the value proposition for our aspiring customers. With Altroz, the class defining, new premium hatchback, we are expanding our market coverage further. We have lots more in store for 2020 and we have just commenced unveiling our well-defined future product portfolio.”

The new Nexon will be available in 1.2L Revotron turbocharged petrol BS-VI engine and 1.5L Revotorq turbocharged diesel BS-VI engine with a starting price of INR 6.95 lakh and INR 8.45 lakh respectively. Staying on course, Nexon 2020 has been developed to take the drive experience to NEX LEVEL with best-in-class safety features and will be the first car from Tata Motors to feature the ‘iRA Tech’ – the new connected car technology, which has been designed specifically for India and caters to its unique driving conditions. ‘iRA Tech’ consists of technologies such as What3Words, Connected Safety, Natural Voice system and the Tribes app. The Nexon 2020 will be offered in 6-speed manual and AMT options.

Tiago 2020 will be the successor to the highly successful first generation Tiago, which is currently being driven by 2.5 lakh happy customers. The Tiago 2020 sports a more confident, mature design while being young, premium and fun. The car will be available in both manual and AMT options. It will be available in a 1.2L Revotron petrol BS-VI engine at a starting price of INR 4.60 lakh.   

Tigor 2020 will be available at a starting price of INR 5.75 lakh and will come with a 1.2L Revotron petrol BS-VI engine. The new Tigor exhibits a poised, understated and executive-oriented design. It will also be offered in manual and AMT transmissions.

Mayank Pareek, President, Passenger Vehicles Business Unit (PVBU), Tata Motors, said, “We are elated to begin 2020 in style with our new generation of passenger cars. This is a landmark achievement for us as we set new industry benchmarks. These new models are beyond BS-VI and will redefine every segment they are meant for with class-leading design, safety, technology and driving dynamics. We are also taking a significant step and defining what the new PV range brand promise is, through a new campaign -‘Drive New Forever.’ We are all set to ride the demand trend for new launches and excite our customers with a new product portfolio.” (MT)

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Cars24 has unveiled a refreshed brand identity, moving from its original transactional focus towards a car ownership ecosystem.

Founded in 2015, the company originally utilised an all-caps logo – CARS24 – to establish a presence in a fragmented market. The updated identity shifts the name to sentence case, Cars24, which the company states reflects maturity and a focus on trust.

The core of the redesign features an open circular logo. According to the company, this form represents the continuity of car ownership, where vehicles change hands and user needs evolve. The open shape is intended to signal flexibility rather than closure.

The brand has also replaced its traditional blue with a brighter shade. This ‘younger blue’ is intended to make the brand appear more attentive and human as it scales its operations.

The identity update was the result of over 1,200 hours of design and iteration. The goal of the project was to create a look that remains relevant as the company expands its services beyond buying and selling into broader ownership systems.

Vikram Chopra, Founder & CEO, Cars24, said, “When we started, being loud helped. But as the company and the team grew up, the work started speaking for itself. This change is about reflecting who we are today, calmer, more human and focused on earning trust over time.”

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Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has reported the dispatch of over 585,000 vehicles using the railway network in CY2025, which marked an 18 percent growth compared to CY2024.

Over the last decade, the company's use of rail for outbound logistics has risen from 5.1 percent in 2016 to approximately 26 percent in 2025. The shift aims to reduce carbon emissions, oil imports and road congestion.

In 2025, Maruti Suzuki India inaugurated an in-plant railway siding at its Manesar facility. The company also became the first manufacturer to dispatch vehicles to the Kashmir valley using the railway bridge over the Chenab river.

Combined dispatches from in-plant sidings at Gujarat and Manesar accounted for 53 percent of the company's total rail volumes during the year. The manufacturer currently employs 45 flexi-deck rakes, with each train capable of transporting approximately 260 vehicles.

The company was the first automaker to receive an Automobile-Freight-Train-Operator (AFTO) license in 2013. Since FY2014-15, it has transported more than 2.8 million vehicles to 600 cities using a hub-and-spoke model.

Hisashi Takeuchi, MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “The year 2025 marks our highest-ever rail dispatch, with over 585,000 units. During the year, we strengthened our green logistic efforts through two landmark events – the inauguration of India’s largest automobile in-plant railway siding at our Manesar facility and second was we dispatched vehicles by rail to Kashmir valley through the world's highest railway arch bridge over Chenab river, a first by any automobile manufacturer. Our mid-term goal is to increase rail-based vehicle dispatches to 35 percent by FY 2030-31, contributing to India’s net-zero ambition by 2070. Maruti Suzuki India has adopted a comprehensive ‘Circular Mobility’ approach to sustainability, aiming to reduce its carbon footprint across the entire vehicle lifecycle – from design and production to logistics and end-of-life vehicle (ELV) management.”

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Japanese automotive major Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has announced a restructuring of its executive leadership and Board of Directors. The changes to the executive structure will take effect on 1 April 2026, while board appointments remain subject to the 122nd Ordinary General Shareholders' Meeting.

Koji Sato, currently President and Member of the Board of Directors, will transition to Vice Chairman and the newly created role of Chief Industry Officer (CIO). Kenta Kon, currently Operating Officer, has been appointed as the incoming President and Chief Executive Officer.

Under this structure, Sato will oversee industry collaboration and external relations. Kon will lead internal management, focusing on company-wide reforms and value chain integration.

The board cited the need for decision-making in a changing environment as the primary driver for the move. Sato’s role as CIO reflects his responsibilities as Chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) and Vice Chair of Keidanren (Japan Business Federation). These positions require him to lead policy proposals and industry-wide coordination to maintain international competitiveness.

The appointment of Kenta Kon as CEO follows his tenure as Chief Financial Officer, where he managed efforts to lower break-even volumes and improve the company's earnings structure. His experience at Woven by Toyota is expected to support the company’s transition into a mobility-focused organisation.

The board determined that Sato’s external commitments as a coordinator for the Japanese automotive industry required a structure that separates industry-level leadership from day-to-day corporate operations. The proposal for the new personnel structure was approved during a board meeting on 6 February.

The transition aims to improve Toyota’s earning power and strengthen partnerships within and beyond the automotive sector.

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Force Motors Limited reported its strongest third-quarter performance to date, with double-digit revenue growth and sharply higher profit margins for the three months ended December 31 2025, extending its record run in the 2025–26 financial year.

The Pune-based vehicle maker recorded standalone revenue of  INR 21.55 billion in the quarter, up 13 percent year on year. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rose 63 percent to INR 4.01 billion, while profit before tax, excluding exceptional items, increased 91 percent to INR 3.28 billion.

Including exceptional items, profit before tax rose to INR 5.39 billion, more than three times the level a year earlier, while profit after tax climbed 266 percent to INR 4.03 billion. The company reported no debt at the end of the quarter.

For the first nine months of the financial year, revenue rose 14 percent to INR 65.83 billion. EBITDA increased 43 percent to INR 11.45 billion, while profit before tax after exceptional items nearly doubled to INR 11.42 billion. Profit after tax for the period rose 153 percent to INR 9.38 billion.

Domestic volumes grew 25 percent during the nine-month period, supported by demand across the Urbania, Traveller, Gurkha (defence variants), Monobus and Trax platforms. Export volumes increased 30 per cent year on year, led by growth in light commercial vehicles, special vehicles and utility vehicles.

The Traveller platform-maintained segment leadership, with market share consistently above 70 percent, the company said.

Prasan Firodia, managing director of Force Motors Limited, said, “The performance in the third quarter reflects steady demand across our core product segments and improved operating leverage as volumes have scaled through the year. Growth has been broad-based, supported by continued traction in shared mobility, defence-related applications, and export markets.”

He added that demand visibility remained healthy in intra-city and inter-city passenger mobility, with institutional and fleet customers continuing to prioritise purpose-built platforms.

“Given the momentum we have gained and with Q4 underway, we are confident of closing the year on a strong note and delivering our best financial performance to date,” Firodia said.

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