Kia India, a leading premium carmaker has surpassed a new milestone of exporting 100,000 units of CKD vehicles since it began shipment in June 2020 from its Anantapur manufacturing facility.

Interestingly, Kia India is one of the key export hubs for Kia Corporation accounting for 50 percent of the company’s global CKD exports. For CY2024, 38,000 CKD units are expected to be shipped from India to markets such as Uzbekistan, Ecuador, and Vietnam. The company currently exports the Seltos, Sonet and Carens SUVs from India.

Joonsu Cho, Chief Sales Officer, Kia India, said: “India is a key market for Kia Corporation, serving not only as a strong sales driver but also as an emerging export hub. This milestone highlights Kia India’s commitment to manufacturing excellence, innovation, and delivering value to global customers. We are proud to see models like the Seltos, Sonet, and Carens perform strongly in international markets. We are also grateful for the government’s export-friendly policies, which have played a crucial role in strengthening India’s position within the global automotive value chain. Looking ahead, we aim to expand our CKD footprint to the Middle East and Africa, to double our export volume by 2030.”

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Hyundai Motor India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has strengthened its Board with the elevation of Mukundan MS as Whole-time Director, effective 1 September 2026.

He is a mechanical engineer holding a Master of Business Administration (MBA), currently serves as Function Head of Production in the Chief Manufacturing Officer's office. His career spans 25 years across plant operations and production management, including supervision of capacity expansion at Hyundai's Chennai Plant 1 and integration of mixed internal combustion engine and electric vehicle assembly lines.

In addition, Young Geon Kim has been appointed to a leadership role effective 1 August 2026. Kim possesses three decades of experience in vehicle manufacturing, production technology and plant operations. Having joined Hyundai Motor India in 2025 following senior roles during the setup of Hyundai's Brazil manufacturing plant, he has overseen Genesis production readiness, Chennai plant integration and facility setup initiatives for the company.

On the other hand, Gopalakrishnan CS, Whole-time Director, Hyundai Motor India, is set to retire on 31 August 2026, due to superannuation.

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Hyundai Motor India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has announced its Q1 FY2027 results with revenue at INR 163 billion in revenue, which was marginally lower than INR 164 billion a year ago.

The EBITDA came at INR 15.11 billion, down 31 percent YoY, while net profit dropped 35 percent YoY to INR 8.88 billion.

Hyundai Motor India stated that fiscal 2027 began robustly, with cumulative sales in April and May growing 13 percent YoY and domestic volumes for the full quarter rose 5.4 percent to 139,374 units. However, a fire at a supplier facility constrained production in June, limiting overall growth. Total sales (including exports) stood at 178,082 vehicles, down 1.3 percent YoY, while exports fell to 38,708 units amid the residual impact of the US-Iran conflict on Middle East shipments and the production halt.

The company reported that its all-new Venue clocked its best-ever quarterly sales in the domestic market, while Aura and Exter attained highest-ever CNG penetration of 95 percent and 32 percent, respectively.

The rural market performed better than urban market, with penetration now reaching at an all-time high of 26 percent.

Supported by production normalisation, festive demand, new launches and capacity expansion, Hyundai Motor India expects to deliver its stated 8–10 percent volume growth guidance for FY2027 while driving sustainable and profitable growth.

Tarun Garg, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Hyundai Motor Indai, said, “Q1 FY2027 was a challenging quarter affected by multiple headwinds impacting volumes and profitability. With 100 percent normalisation of production, coupled with healthy demand environment and upcoming product pipeline, recovery is likely to gain pace from Q2 onwards across both domestic and export businesses. Looking ahead, we remain committed to achieving our stated guidance of 8-10 percent YoY volume growth for both domestic and exports as well as 11-14 percent EBITDA margin in FY27.”

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BMW Group India has launched the MINI Convertible Stardust Edition in India at an ex-showroom price of INR 6.29 million. The limited-run model is imported into the country as a completely built-up unit (CBU) and is available to order through the MINI India web portal, with customer deliveries starting immediately.

The BMW MINI Convertible Stardust Edition features a 2.0-litre four-cylinder TwinPower turbo petrol engine, which produces 150 kW (204 hp) at 5,000–6,500 rpm and 300 Nm torque at 1,450–4,500 rpm, featuring a 7-Speed Double-Clutch Steptronic Sport. It has a claimed acceleration from zero to 100 kmph in 6.9 Seconds and a top speed of 240 kmph.

The Stardust Edition comes in a Sparkling Copper Grey metallic paint finish paired with Vibrant Silver mirror caps and 18-inch JCW Rallye Spoke alloy wheels made from recycled aluminium. The vehicle features LED headlights with three selectable light signatures, alongside rear lights aligned flush to the bodywork.

The soft-top roof incorporates a woven Union Jack graphic. The electrically operated fabric roof opens in 18 seconds at speeds up to 30 km/h and closes in 15 seconds. The soft top also includes a sunroof function that opens the front section by 40 centimetres at any speed. Luggage capacity measures 160 litres when the roof is lowered and increases to 215 litres when closed.

The interior features sports seats upholstered in Vescin, an artificial leather material made using recycled components. The dashboard layout centers around a circular OLED display running MINI Operating System 9, which handles instrumentation, infotainment, and smartphone integration via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Safety equipment includes airbags, dynamic stability control, cornering brake control, brake assist, a rear-view camera and a tyre pressure monitoring indicator. Vehicle support features include auto start-stop, brake energy recuperation and active cooling air ducts.

The vehicle comes with a two-year unlimited-kilometre warranty and two years of 24-hour roadside assistance. Service packages are available for terms ranging from three years or 40,000 kilometres up to 10 years or 100,000 kilometres, alongside extended warranty options.

Hardeep Singh Brar, President and CEO of BMW Group India, said, "The new MINI Convertible is the perfect car for those who are open to fun and also enjoy making a distinct lifestyle statement. With the 'Stardust' limited edition, we are dialing up that sense of exclusivity a notch higher. The thought behind this special car was to capture the shifting, indefinable colours of the sky at twilight - blending a deep dusk-grey paint with shimmering champagne details that mimic stardust. The Stardust edition is engineered for MINI fans who view their car not just as a mode of transport, but as a bold expression of individuality. It is a vehicle that remains magnificently rare by design, and even rarer on the road."

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German luxury carmaker Audi has introduced the Q9, a full-size SUV that serves as the top-tier model in its lineup. Measuring 5.31 metres long, 2.21 metres wide and 1.81 metres tall with a 3.14-metre wheelbase, the vehicle is the largest SUV produced by the brand to date.

Order books open in Germany at the end of July 2026, with European deliveries scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter. Prices start at EUR 108,400 for the 220 kW TDI model.

The Q9 expands the upper end of Audi's product line, incorporating curved digital OLED rear light panels, power-adjustable second-row seats, automatic doors and a panoramic sunroof measuring over 1.5 square metres.

Gernot Dollner, Chief Executive Officer, Audi, said, "The Audi Q9 is the new flagship of the Audi portfolio. With our first large full-size SUV, we are elevating our brand’s premium positioning. In the future, ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ will increasingly be defined by the in-car experience – because cars are much more than just a means of transportation. For many of our customers, they are becoming mobile living spaces. That is exactly what the Audi Q9 represents as the new flagship of our portfolio. Premium materials, individual electric seats in the second row, and automatic doors underscore our commitment to quality in the interior. When combined with the latest driver assist systems and a holistic user experience, it becomes clear where we are taking the Audi brand."

The Q9 is offered in 6-seat and 7-seat configurations. The seven-seat layout features a 35/30/35 split second row with Isofix mounting points across all three seats, alongside a power-folding third row. The six-seat option replaces the middle row with individual power-adjustable seats.

It includes automatic doors with obstacle detection sensors and soft-close mechanisms. Front sports seats feature power adjustments, with heating, ventilation and massage functions available on upgraded trims.

Cabin electronics centre on the curved MMI panoramic display, combining a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch central touch display. A 12.3-inch front passenger display with a display privacy filter is fitted as standard. The system operates on Android Automotive OS with integrated third-party applications, the Audi voice assistant and ChatGPT integration. The SUV come with a 22-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system delivering 1,360 watts, incorporating headrest speakers and seat-mounted tactile actuators.

The exterior features an upright Singleframe grille, offered in an advanced line trim with vertical slats or an S line trim with an open grille design and updated bumpers. Wheel options range from 20 to 23 inches.

The rear illumination uses curved digital OLED panels constructed with 0.1-millimetre glass substrates across six individual panels. The system integrates communication lighting that projects hazard symbols to surrounding traffic and projects turn signal indicators directly onto the road surface at night.

At launch, the Q9 will be available with a 220 kW V6 diesel engine in Germany, while a 180 kW version will also be offered in selected European markets. The 220 kW version delivers 630 Nm of torque, while the 180 kW diesel engine delivers 500 Nm.

Both the engines use an MHEV plus system, comprising a powertrain generator refined for the Q9, a belt alternator starter and a lithium iron phosphate battery.

An adaptive air suspension system comes standard, offering up to 90 millimetres of height adjustment. Driving assistance features include hands-free partial automated driving under the Adaptive Driving Assistant Plus framework at speeds up to 130 kmph on approved highways, supported by an eye-tracking camera on the steering column. Emergency Assist capabilities include automated lane-changing to the road shoulder if driver inactivity is detected.

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