As the news of a seven-seater C-segment SUV being tested by Nissan in India gathers speed (besides the news that Renault will launch the new Duster as the Bigster in the next few months), the Renault Group and Nissan have announced new strategic projects. 
The most important of these is the restructuring of the Indian Renault Nissan Alliance entity with Renault Group buying out the 51 percent stake of Nissan, making Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd (RNAIPL) its fully owned subsidiary. 
Despite this change, Nissan will maintain its presence in India with a strong focus on enhancing market coverage. RNAIPL will continue to support Nissan’s production of models, including the New Nissan Magnite in India. 
With Nissan choosing Renault Group to develop and produce a derivative of Twingo that it has designed, the restructuring of the Indian business that was until now a well-honed alliance effort with almost equal-equal investment by both the auto makers, the Renault Group and Nissan have entered into a new alliance agreement that would increase the flexibility of each of the two regarding their cross-shareholdings. This would be done by setting the lock-up undertaking at 10 percent instead of the current 15 percent. 
Nissan would be released from its commitment to invest in Ampere while continuing the agreed product projects.
 Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault Group, commented on the significant development: “As a long-time partner of Nissan within the Alliance and as its main shareholder, Renault Group has a strong interest in seeing Nissan turnaround its performance as quickly as possible. Pragmatism and business-oriented mindset were at the core of our discussions to identify the most effective ways of supporting their recovery plan while developing value-creating business opportunities for Renault Group. This Framework Agreement, beneficial for both parties, is the proof of the agile and efficient mindset of the new Alliance. It also confirms the attractiveness of our products with Twingo as well as our ambition to grow our business on international markets. India is a key automotive market and Renault Group will put in place an efficient industrial footprint and ecosystem.”
 “Nissan is committed to preserving the value and benefits of our strategic partnership within the Alliance while implementing turnaround measures to enhance efficiencies. Our goal is to create a more agile and effective business model that allows us to respond quickly to changing market conditions and conserve cash for future investments. We remain committed to the Indian market, delivering vehicles tailored to local consumer needs while ensuring top-notch sales and service for our existing and future customers. India will remain a hub for our research and development, digital and other knowledge services. Our plans for new SUVs in the India market remain intact, and we will continue our vehicle exports to other markets under the “One Car, One World” business strategy for India," said Ivan Espinosa, President and CEO of Nissan. 
 

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European automotive group Stellantis has appointed Sandeep Bhambra as the head of design for the Citroen and DS Automobiles brands, effective 2 November 2026.

Bhambra succeeds Pierre Leclercq at Citroen and Thierry Metroz at DS Automobiles, reporting directly to Gilles Vidal, Head of Design for Stellantis European brands. He will also join the management teams of both brands under Xavier Chardon, CEO of Citroen and DS Automobiles.

Leclercq transitions to Head of Design for Opel and Vauxhall, succeeding Mark Adams, who is retiring. Thierry Metroz will transition to support Gilles Vidal on European design strategy.

"The arrival of Sandeep Bhambra marks a new step in our ambition to strengthen the identity and appeal of our brands. His experience, creativity and vision of Design will be valuable assets in supporting Citroën and DS Automobiles in expressing strong and distinctive identities, true to their heritage while firmly looking to the future. I would also like to thank Pierre Leclercq for his work and contribution to Citroën. His talent and vision have helped shape several key projects and reinforce the brand’s distinctive character. I wish him every success in his new role at Opel," said Xavier Chardon.

Gilles Vidal said, "I am particularly pleased to entrust Sandeep with the responsibility for the Design of Citroën and DS Automobiles. His background, combining creativity, strong product expertise and a strategic vision of Design, will be a major asset in supporting the ambitions and transformation of both brands. I would also like to warmly thank Pierre Leclercq for his commitment and contribution to the development of Citroën Design, and wish him every success in his new role leading Design at Opel. Finally, I would like to thank Thierry Metroz for his talent, passion and contribution to DS Automobiles Design. His experience and vision will be invaluable in his new role."

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BendPak has launched the OctaFlex Series, turning its eight-arm car lift concept into production reality. The two-post lift aims to improve bay productivity, technician ergonomics and operational precision, making cab-off repairs, EV battery replacement and other demanding tasks efficient enough to pay for itself. The OctaFlex 12DPS is now shipping and will appear at the SEMA Show from 3–6 November in Upper South Hall Booth #36129.

After introducing the concept in 2024, BendPak spent two years refining it through customer feedback and lab testing. The OctaFlex 12DPS pairs a traditional 12,000-pound-capacity two-post lift with an integrated 6,000-pound lift-assist system, described as an industry first. Four primary arms support the vehicle while four secondary arms raise, lower or hold cabs, drivetrains, EV batteries, suspension assemblies and other heavy components without extra equipment, helpers or bays. The auxiliary arms move out of the way when not needed, allowing standard two-post operation.

The patent-pending series also features a magnetic pendant controller with two-speed controls, letting technicians stand back from the columns for better visibility. Each set of arms operates independently at normal or slow speed, supporting the fine alignment needed for EV battery installation or single-handed cab and chassis removal.

Dave’s Auto Center in Centerville, Utah, services trucks nationwide and performs multiple cab-offs daily across 25 bays. Owner Dave Bell said the installed OctaFlex saves hours, easing cab removal and allowing chassis work while the cab is airborne. He called it significantly more efficient than completing the cab-off before remaining repairs.

BendPak says shops save an average of two hours per cab-off. A bay pulling 20 cabs monthly at a USD 150 hourly rate could add USD 6,000 monthly, or USD 72,000 annually. Customers can calculate returns by visiting the OctaFlex page on the company website. Savings also come from eliminating a second technician and completing work in one bay instead of two.

Because OctaFlex holds chassis and cab, technicians stand comfortably with everything at eye level, improving ergonomics and eliminating manual lifting of heavy components. The lift features BendPak’s Automatic Swing Arm Restraint System with a 360-degree grip and 10 times traditional holding power. It is third-party tested and ALI Certified as model EV12DPS.

Jeff Kritzer, President and CEO, BendPak, said, “As dealers and independent repair shops continue to struggle with an ageing and shrinking technician workforce, they also face surging demand for labour-intensive tasks like cab-off repairs and EV service. OctaFlex eases the pressure by helping technicians handle complex jobs independently with greater efficiency and less physical strain, maximising throughput and profit potential.”

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Skoda Auto Volkswagen India (SAVWIPL) and the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand vehicle safety and crash testing infrastructure in Chakan, Pune.

Under the agreement, SAVWIPL will transfer a land parcel adjacent to its Chakan car manufacturing plant to ARAI. The site will be used by ARAI to construct an advanced crash test facility for future mobility vehicles, covering both battery electric vehicle (BEV) and internal combustion engine (ICE) models. The facility will expand domestic validation capacity for electric vehicles, support faster implementation of Bharat NCAP requirements and enable testing needed for international export markets.

H D Kumaraswamy, Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Steel, Government of India, said, "Expanding local R&D and safety testing infrastructure is essential as India's automotive sector advances. This initiative between ARAI and Škoda Auto Volkswagen India strengthens domestic testing capacity for electric vehicles and safety standards. By establishing this facility in Chakan, we are supporting the faster implementation of future Bharat NCAP requirements, helping address India-specific road safety challenges. It will also strengthen the capabilities of OEMs in India to develop vehicles that meet stringent export market requirements."

Piyush Arora, MD & CEO, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India, said, "Vehicle safety and local engineering capability are central to our operations in India. When ARAI required land for a specialised crash test facility adjacent to our Chakan plant, we adjusted our future expansion layout to support their request. As the company whose INDIA 2.0 vehicles were the first India-made cars to achieve 5-star Global NCAP ratings for both Adult and Child Occupant Protection, we have always believed that raising safety standards benefits the entire industry. This strategic partnership will help accelerate the development of safer vehicles in India by shortening EV development timelines, strengthening Bharat NCAP testing, and expanding the country's overall automotive engineering capabilities."

Dr Reji Mathai, Director, ARAI, said, "The future of mobility will be defined not only by innovation but also by the strength of the ecosystem that enables safe, sustainable, and globally competitive vehicle development. This MoU represents a strategic milestone in India’s automotive testing and safety infrastructure. As vehicle technologies evolve rapidly, the need for advanced validation, crashworthiness assessment, and regulatory compliance capabilities will continue to grow. We view this partnership as an important step towards building world-class capabilities that will serve the mobility sector for decades to come."

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Rajendra Petkar, President and long-time Head of Engineering at Tata Motors, is to step down after an illustrious career of nearly four decades, according to media reports.

Petkar has rich experience in vehicle engineering and technology development across passenger cars and commercial vehicles. He has played a key role in reshaping the latest product portfolio at Tata Motors as he drove technological transitions managing Emerging Mobility & Technology Strategy at the automaker.

In his tenure as President and Chief Technology Officer of Tata Motors, Petkar managed an engineering division of over 5,000 personnel spanning technical centres in India, the United Kingdom and Italy.

Petkar led the introduction of battery electric vehicle platforms, the commercialisation of hydrogen fuel cell buses and the initial deployment of hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE) trucks. Before re-joining Tata Motors, Petkar was deployed from Tata Technologies to Tata Motors between October 1999 and September 2015.

Beyond his corporate roles at Tata Motors, Petkar served as President of the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) from 2021 to 2023, Chairman of the Sustainable Mobility Group at the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), and Member of the National Automotive Board, alongside holding positions as an Independent Director across multiple corporate boards.

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