With typical precision, the engineers have been putting the finishing touches to the next-generation bestseller. They are currently setting up the new car for optimum acoustic comfort in the interior, excellent driving safety at high speeds and Vauxhall-typical steering and pedal feel. Since February, the Vauxhall experts for chassis, powertrain, electronics and lighting have been using the Arctic winter for the tuning of chassis and assistance systems on frozen lakes and narrow country roads in Swedish Lapland.

NextGen

The next Vauxhall Mokka generation is a completely new design based on the company's highly efficient CMP multi-energy platform (Common Modular Platform). This modular platform offers maximum flexibility in vehicle development. The CMP also allows the use of purely battery-electric drive as well as internal combustion engines. The customer has the choice. Thanks to the use of high-strength steels, the vehicle weight is low and the body stability is high. The new Mokka weighs up to 120 kilograms less than the previous model – with almost the same wheelbase and tyre sizes. With the electric Mokka-e, the batteries are installed deep in the vehicle floor, which lowers the centre of gravity and at the same time increases torsional rigidity by a further 30 per cent – excellent prerequisites for dynamic driving. Customers can look forward to a very agile second-generation Mokka, which will be available in dealerships from early 2021. Until then, the testing continues at full speed.

Testing, Fine-tuning At Arctic Circle

Engineer Gunnar Nees never tires of turning lap after lap on ice. He regularly stops for few minutes, reaches for the laptop, reads out measured values, and logs every mile covered. In the vast Arctic wilderness, it is still freezing cold in March. Exactly the right conditions for orchestrating the harmony between ABS, ESP, assistance systems and the rest of the new chassis.

The development cars are still hiding behind a green and black camouflage, with 3D-like graphics that blur the vehicle’s contours. The engineer behind the steering wheel has come to the far north to set up the chassis. Like every Vauxhall, the new Mokka must respond precisely to steering inputs and give good feedback, be comfortable and at the same time have a firm enough ride. A Vauxhall must not display uncontrolled body movements, for example, when the vehicle is driving over a large bump at medium speed. The Vauxhall philosophy calls for safe and relaxing driving on the motorway. A Vauxhall must remain easily controllable in all situations and be fun to drive at the same time.

These characteristics must be present under all weather conditions everywhere – at the icy Arctic Circle as well as in high summer at the Mediterranean. However, nothing should change in terms of precise handling and consistently good-natured driving behaviour. Parts, components and systems are continuously fine-tuned by the company engineers: dampers, springs, steering. In addition, the control software is adapted: for ideal pedal feel when accelerating and braking, for the right amount of steering power assistance and for the interaction between all assistance systems.

High-speed Driving

Back in Germany the same test engineer pilots the Mokka-prototype on home ground at the Rodgau-Dudenhofen Test Centre. Karsten Bohle, Project Coordinator, Second-generation Mokka, joins Gunnar Nees.

“We are all looking forward to seeing the new Mokka on the road in customer’s hands. The test drives are running like clockwork, also because our new baby, with its low weight and compact external dimensions, reacts well to adjustments. Handling and comfort are super. The Mokka is a joy to drive; the development work has been great fun,” said Bohle.

The new Mokka is ready to take its final exams at the Test Centre. While shaken, ride comfort and interior acoustics must remain unstirred – not even by the torture track. Here, not far from the Opel-Vauxhall base in Rüsselsheim, the tracks are replicas of the trickiest road surfaces in Europe. The engineers have tested here for decades and built up a huge wealth of experience. They repeatedly adjust springs and dampers, the balance between responsiveness and sporty precision continuously improved. The new car features particularly low road noise for optimum acoustic comfort, which the high-quality materials in the interior further increase. Squeaks and rattles are taboo.

The steering and suspension get their Vauxhall ‘feel’ on the Dudenhofen handling course. Two tie rods at the McPherson strut turrets are standard equipment; they provide further stiffness at the front end, adding a touch more precision and agility. The new car turns into corners eagerly, is easy to handle at the limit and the assistance systems function perfectly. Then comes the ultimate discipline – the high-speed oval with its steep banking, followed by the long straight. This test demands rock-solid stability at all speeds. In real life, it also results in a huge safety benefit when taking avoidance manoeuvres at lower speeds. The engineers only award their seal of approval for the autobahn when they return satisfied from the high-speed oval. The new Mokka has already passed this test with flying colours. However, testing, testing and yet more testing will continue until the summer. When the Mokka has achieved production readiness, cars will start rolling off the assembly line at the end of the year. (MT)

Mumbai-based automotive major Mahindra & Mahindra has announced its wholesales for April 2025 at 84,170 vehicles, a growth of 19 percent, including exports.

The auto major sold a total of 52,330 SUVs in the domestic market, which was 28 percent higher than 41,008 SUVs sold for the same period last year. Commercial vehicle sales in the domestic market came at 22,989 units, which was 4 percent YoY. 

Veejay Nakra, President, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “Building on the strong momentum of last year's performance, we began the year on a strong note in April by achieving SUV sales of 52,330 units, a growth of 28 percent and total vehicle sales of 84,170 units, a 19 percent growth over the same month last year. These numbers indicate the strength of our portfolio and customer offerings.”

JSW MG Motor India, a leading passenger vehicles manufacturer, has announced its wholesales for April 2025.

The company reported sales of 5,829 units, which was 23 percent higher over April 2024, when it sold 4,725 vehicles.

Interestingly, the automaker's popular offering, the Windsor EV, has continued to be the top-selling electric passenger vehicle for the seventh month in a row.

JSW MG Motor India's Windsor EV has now gone home to over 20,000 customers.

Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest carmaker, has reported its wholesales of 179,791 units in April 2025, marking a 7 percent increase compared to 168,089 units sold in April 2024. The growth was primarily propelled by strong performance in utility vehicles and a sharp rise in export volumes.

Domestic sales, including passenger and light commercial vehicles, remained flat with 142,053 units, as compared to 140,448 units in April 2024. Within this, light commercial vehicles (LCVs) like the Super Carry saw a significant jump of 34.2 percent, with sales rising to 3,349 units from 2,496 units last year.

In the passenger vehicle segment, SUVs such as the Brezza, Ertiga, Grand Vitara and others recorded a 4.4 percent increase, selling 59,022 units compared to 56,553 in the previous year. However, sales for Eeco declined by 5.2 percent, while the mini segment (Alto, S-Presso) saw a sharp 45 percent drop, falling to 6,332 units from 11,519 units. The compact segment, which includes high-volume models like the Baleno and Swift, grew by 8.1 percent, reaching 61,591 units.

Sales to Toyota Kirloskar Motor rose sharply by 79.2 percent, from 5,481 units to 9,827 units, indicating a growing demand for cross-badged products.

The standout performer was the export segment, which surged 26 percent to 27,911 units from 22,160 units in April 2024. This strong export growth helped bolster the company’s overall numbers despite weaknesses in domestic sub-segments.

While some product lines such as the mid-size sedan Ciaz (-63 percent) continue to struggle.

Tata Motors reported total wholesales of 72,753 units for April 2025, reflecting a 6 percent year-on-year decline from 77,521 units in April 2024.

The passenger vehicle (PV) segment, including electric vehicles, accounted for 45,532 units, down 5 percent from 47,983 units in the same month last year. Within this, domestic PV sales dropped 6 percent to 45,199 units, while international business (IB) sales rose significantly to 333 units, up from 100 units. Electric vehicle sales (domestic + IB) declined 16 percent year-on-year to 5,318 units.

Commercial vehicle (CV) sales stood at 27,221 units, marking an 8 percent YoY drop from 29,538 units in April 2024. Domestic CV sales contracted 10 percent to 25,764 units, while CV exports (IB) grew 43 percent to 1,457 units. Key sub-segments like Small Commercial Vehicles (SCV) and pickups saw a steep 23 percent decline.

Despite growth in certain categories like ILMCV trucks and passenger carriers, overall sales momentum was tempered across both PV and CV segments.