Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares has stepped down due to differences with the board, a news report in the CNN.com (Business) has mentioned. It has also mentioned that Tavares faced criticism for the lack lustre performance of the Group brands – formed with the coming together of FCA and PSA Groups – during the nine months of the current calendar year in the US. 
The announcement of Tavares’ departure comes at a time when popular group brands such as Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge have seen sales drop as the ‘affordable’ models are discontinued under the wake of a ‘lean’ strategy and in what looks like an attempt to elevate the brands to offer premium luxury vehicles. 
In India too, the Jeep vehicles are priced much higher than they may be worthy of. It is no surprise therefore that they are being undercut by Jeep-like vehicles from brands like Mahindra, which costs many million Rupees less. 
Beginning its journey in Mumbai after Independence by assembling Willys CJ3 Jeep under license from Willys Corporation, Mahindra has grown to be a leading utility and SUV vehicles manufacture in India. It has also found a strong footing in export markets of US, Australia and South Africa with its 4x4 vehicles. 
Also failing to extensively refresh or introduce next generation models such as the Compass in India, Jeep is not doing great in India either, the figures indicate. The other brand, Citroen seems to be better positioned and more agile in its ability to learn and adapt to the market requirements in the country. It too is yet to show its prowess to set the sales charts on fire in India.   
Criticised to have taken the lean strategy a bit too far to come back and bite the group where it hurts the most, Tavares’ stepping down comes at a time when dealers across many parts of the world struggle to move the inventory on their lots. 
Several workers laid off at several plants of the group – particularly in the US – have also criticised Tavares for the situation Stellantis got into in that market. 
The situation in other markets is claimed to be not very different either. 
The process to appoint the new permanent CEO is underway with a Special Committee of the Board expected to announce one in the first half of 2025 calendar year, as per the report. A new Interim Executive Committee, chaired by John Elkann, will be established, the report further mentions. 
Global sales volume for the first half of this year fell 10 percent in the case of Stellantis. In the third quarter, it plunged 20 percent. 
With many loyal buyers of Dodge and Jeep vehicles keeping away as the prices have risen way beyond, sales in US have been down by 17 percent in the first nine months of the year. 

Axalta Coating Systems, a leading global coatings company, has announced Evergreen Sprint as its Global Automotive Color of the Year for 2025.

Axalta has been introducing its automotive colour of the year for 11 years, and this is the second time that a green hue has been highlighted. Evergreen Sprint honours the renowned British racing green, a hue that has adorned the best racing vehicles and represents performance and speed. It is a deep, rich forest green. Axalta's newest hue is ideal for all car types because it combines the excitement of motorsport with a hint of refinement for sedans and SUVs.

Dan Benton, Global Color Marketing Director, Axalta, said, “This striking hue revs up our global automotive colour of the year. Evergreen Sprint stands out on the road and evokes the spirit of competition and adventure. The dynamic colour is sure to attract the hearts of passionate drivers.”

Philadelphia-headquartered Axalta Coating Systems has announced ‘Evergreen Sprint’ as its 2025 Global Automotive Colour of the Year. The American company supplies basecoats and clearcoats for colour and beautification along with primers, electrocoats and powder applications for surface protection.

The latest result also marks the 11th year Axalta has introduced its automotive colour of the year, and interestingly it is also the second time a green shade has been featured in the list.

The company describes evergreen sprint colour as a rich, deep forest green that pays homage to the legendary British racing green. According to Axalta the shade has graced the finest racing machines and symbolises speed and performance. It also captures the thrill of motorsport while bringing a touch of sophistication to sedans and SUVs.

Dan Benton, Global Colour Marketing Director, Axalta, said, “This striking hue revs up our global automotive colour of the year. Evergreen Sprint stands out on the road and evokes the spirit of competition and adventure. The dynamic colour is sure to attract the hearts of passionate drivers.”

Since 2015, experts at Axalta collaborate to come out with the up-and-coming shades for the automotive market. According to Axalta’s Global Automotive 2023 Colour Popularity Report, green was found on approximately 2 percent of vehicles worldwide. 

BASF Coatings has released its report titled ‘Colour Report For Automotive OEM Coatings’ to provide a detailed exploration of the recent colour trends in the automotive industry.

BASF Coatings computed the colour distribution mentioned in the report using the information that was available about the manufacture of automobiles worldwide and the application of paint to passenger cars. According to the report, as buyers stray from conventional favourites like white and silver, the worldwide automobile colour landscape continues to change in 2024. According to the report, this change is opening the door for a more varied palette, warm neutrals and vivid colours to become more popular throughout the business. In particular, customers still prefer white, but warm hues like yellow and beige are becoming more and more desirable, and green is becoming more and more popular everywhere. Additionally, achromatic hues like grey and black are becoming more popular.

The report also highlights the region-wise trend in automotive coating based on consumer preference. As per the report, beige is gaining popularity in the EMEA region as achromatic colours continue steady growth in the region, increasing from 72 percent in 2021 to almost 80 percent in 2024. White remains the most preferred colour, while grey comes second.

In the Americas, grey is shining as one of the most versatile and captivating colours with almost 20 percent of the total market share. Compared to 2023, black colour has decreased by two percentage points, while white has had a five percentage point loss, which is even more notable.

The Asia Pacific market, on the other hand, is dominated by black colour. With achromatic colours remaining the top choice for 83 percent of consumers, black colour secured a gain of two percentage points in popularity, while white saw a decline of over two points. Chromatic colours with soft tones, particularly yellow, are also on the rise in this region, the report says.

Raymond Group, a leading diversified group with business interests in textile, apparel and realty, has announced the Raymond 100 Autofest as part of its centenary year celebration.

The three-day event organised by Super Car Club Garage (SCCG) starting from 10 January 2025 will take place at JK Gram, Thane, Maharashtra. The Raymond 100 Autofest will bring together supercars, superbikes, vintage classic to modern rivals, showcasing a range of automotive design language. Global racing icons, Mika Hakkinen and Narain Karthikeyan, alongside motorsport veteran Gaurav Gill are also expected to be part of the event. Amongst the various classic vehicles present over at the event, the centre piece will be cricket legend Ravi Shastri’s iconic Audi 100, restored by the Super Car Club Garage (SCCG).

The third-gen Audi 100, which went on sale internationally around 1982, was declared as a ‘national asset’ by Shastri himself after Gautam Singhania, Chairman & Managing Director, Raymond Group, handed over the restored vehicle to him.

“The Raymond 100 Autofest is more than a showcase of automobiles; it’s a celebration of passion, ingenuity and our deep connection with the community. This event encapsulates our ethos of excellence and evolution, much like the automotive world we’re celebrating – a perfect ode to our remarkable 100-year journey,” said Singhania.