Maruti Suzuki India Begins Exports Of Made-in-India Jimny 5-door To Japan
- By MT Bureau
- January 30, 2025
Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicles manufacturer, has announced that the ‘Made in India’ Jimny 5-door has been unveiled in Japan.
The Jimny 5-door model is exclusively manufactured in Maruti Suzuki’s facility in Gurugram, Haryana and is the second SUV after Fronx to be exported to Suzuki Motor Corporation’s domestic market (Japan) in FY2024-25.
It is interesting to note that Jimny has been a popular model for the Japanese automaker globally having sold more than 3.5 million units across 199 countries and regions. The iconic model had made a comeback in India at Auto Expo 2023, when it was first showcased by Maruti Suzuki.
In CY2024, Maruti Suzuki India exported over 323,000 passenger vehicles to around 100 countries, which translates to 43.5 percent market share in India’s total passenger vehicles export.
Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, "The introduction of ‘Made in India’ Jimny 5-door in Japan is a testament to the global level of excellence in our manufacturing capability. It is our second model to be exported to Japan in this fiscal year (FY 2024-25) after Fronx in August 2024. Jimny is the second most exported Maruti Suzuki car in FY 2024-25^. After its resounding success in markets like Mexico, Australia, and South Africa, we are confident that it will delight customers in Japan. The export of Jimny reaffirms our commitment towards ‘Make-in-India for the world’.”
Stellantis Unveils STLA One Global Modular Vehicle Architecture
- By MT Bureau
- May 21, 2026
European automotive major Stellantis has introduced STLA One, a new modular vehicle architecture designed to consolidate five existing platforms into a single, scalable system.
Scheduled for launch in 2027, the platform aims to support the company’s vehicle segments (B, C and D) and is projected to underpin more than 30 models, with production targets exceeding 2 million units annually by 2035.
The platform is claimed to be engineered to deliver a 20 percent improvement in cost efficiency through design modularity, increased component reuse and strategic battery technology choices.
STLA One is central to the company’s broader strategy, which aims for 50 percent of total volume to be produced on three global platforms by 2030. It is the first Stellantis architecture slated to integrate the full suite of the company's ‘STLA’ technology stack, including STLA Brain, STLA SmartCockpit and steer-by-wire systems.
It is designed with common interfaces to reduce complexity and speed up development times across different vehicle segments. The architecture is engineered to be ‘dedicated per energy by design,’ ensuring efficiency for various powertrain types (including electric and hybrid variants).
The platform will support Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery technology to improve affordability and reduce dependency on critical raw materials. It will also feature cell-to-body integration to reduce weight and complexity and will be 800-volt capable to support faster charging.
While the STLA One announcement represents a new modular approach for the B, C and D segments, it joins the broader family of Stellantis global platforms, which previously included the STLA Small, STLA Medium, STLA Large and STLA Frame architectures. The company’s overall strategy continues to focus on consolidating its diverse portfolio into fewer, more efficient and highly flexible platforms.
MINI India Expands Into Jharkhand With New Ranchi Dealership
- By MT Bureau
- May 21, 2026
MINI India, part of the BMW Group, has entered the Jharkhand market with the appointment of Titanium Autos as its authorised dealer partner in Ranchi. This opening is part of the brand’s 2026 expansion strategy, which has already seen market entries in Guwahati, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Surat.
The new Titanium Autos Retail.NEXT dealership, located at NH-33, Chakla, Ormanjhi, offers a multi-brand experience by housing BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad vehicles under one roof. The facility showcases eight BMWs, one MINI, and seven BMW Motorrad units, supported by a workshop featuring three mechanical bays and four body and paint bays.
The dealership utilises the BMW Group’s 'Retail.NEXT' immersive concept, focusing on a customer-centric environment that integrates modern architecture with digital tools.
Hardeep Singh Brar, President and CEO, BMW Group India, said, “MINI’s entry into Jharkhand marks an important step in expanding the brand’s presence in emerging premium markets across India. Jharkhand is witnessing a growing appetite for distinctive, design-led and engaging luxury mobility, making it a strategic market for MINI. We are pleased to appoint Titanium Autos as our dealer partner for Jharkhand.”
Utkarsh Singhania, Dealer Principal, Titanium Autos, added, “Jharkhand represents a promising market with evolving customer aspirations, and we look forward to building a strong MINI presence through exceptional sales and service standards.”
Titanium Autos, which also represents the BMW Group in Guwahati and Patna, aims to provide comprehensive sales, service, and lifestyle offerings at this new location.
Hyundai Motor Group Showcases Hydrogen Ecosystem Vision At World Hydrogen Summit
- By MT Bureau
- May 21, 2026
South Korean automotive major Hyundai Motor Group is presenting its integrated hydrogen value chain at the World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam, Netherlands, which runs from 19th May to 21, 2026.
The exhibition highlights the Group's shift from a mobility provider to a comprehensive hydrogen ecosystem player, featuring technologies across production, infrastructure and fuel cell systems.
The exhibition centres on the Group’s hydrogen brand and business platform, HTWO, and features the all-new NEXO, which serves as the successor to the company's fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). This model represents the Group's continued development in hydrogen mobility and fuel cell expertise.
Furthermore, the company also showcased its hydrogen fuel cell systems designed for use beyond mobility, supporting stationary power solutions, industrial applications and integration into broader energy systems.
The Group is aiming to strengthen its role in Europe’s transition to hydrogen energy by leveraging real-world experience gained from deployments in Korea.
Mark Freymuller, CEO, Hyundai Energy & Hydrogen Europe, said, “Our goal is to become a reliable partner in Europe’s hydrogen journey. We see hydrogen not as a stand-alone technology, but as a key enabler for cleaner mobility, resilient energy systems, and new industrial opportunities. Europe has ambitious hydrogen plans, and we bring experience from successful deployments that can help turn these plans into robust ecosystems. Hyundai Motor Group has accumulated extensive real-world experience with hydrogen across the entire value chain in Korea. We now want to bring this system-level expertise to Europe, with proven technologies, industry-leading expertise, and the willingness to build lasting relationships with policymakers, industry, and infrastructure partners.”
Stellantis, Dongfeng Group Ink MoU For Europe-Based Joint Venture
- By MT Bureau
- May 20, 2026
Stellantis and Dongfeng Group have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding to expand their 34-year partnership. The companies intend to create a Europe-based joint venture focused on the sales, distribution, manufacturing, purchasing and engineering of Dongfeng’s new energy vehicles (NEVs).
The proposed 51/49 joint venture led by Stellantis will primarily focus on sales and distribution of Dongfeng’s Voyah-branded premium NEVs in designated European markets, utilising the network and after-sales infrastructure of Stellantis.
The entity will also manage joint purchasing and engineering, accessing Dongfeng’s NEV ecosystem. Furthermore, the partners are considering the production of Dongfeng NEVs at the Rennes plant in France.
Antonio Filosa, CEO, Stellantis, said, “The plans we are announcing today take our recently strengthened cooperation with Dongfeng to an all-new dimension of an international partnership to the benefit of customers around the world. With this new chapter in our collaboration, we will give our customers an even greater choice of competitive products and pricing, leveraging the best of Stellantis’ global footprint alongside Dongfeng’s access to China’s advanced new energy vehicles ecosystem.”
Qing Yang, Chairman, Dongfeng, added, “Dongfeng will further strengthen and expand our partnership with Stellantis, closely aligning with China’s national strategies of high-level opening up, dual circulation and stabilising foreign investment, business and employment. This also meets both shareholders’ development needs. Through coordination in technology, branding and global markets, it will unlock greater value from the joint venture, accelerate Dongfeng’s global expansion, support Stellantis’ global strategic shift and China presence.”
This development follows a recent announcement regarding the strengthening of the existing Dongfeng Peugeot Citroën Automobile Co (DPCA) joint venture. That entity is scheduled to produce Peugeot and Jeep-branded NEVs at its Wuhan plant for China and global export starting in 2027. Since its start, the DPCA joint venture has produced over 6.5 million vehicles.
The implementation of the new project remains subject to the finalisation of agreements and the receipt of necessary approvals.
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