Japanese automotive major Honda Motor Co has appointed Takashi Nakajima as the new President and CEO of Honda Cars India (HCIL) effective 1 April 2025.

He will succeed Takuya Tsumura, who is set to move to Japan at Honda head office after completing his India tenure.

The carmaker shared that Tsumura played a key role in strengthening Honda Cars India’s brand positioning in the country, along with driving profitability and customer centric solutions. He played a key role in introducing new models including the Honda City e:HEV, Honda Elevate SUV, 3rd Gen Amaze.

Tsumura is also credited for laying a strong foundation for future model launches including Honda’s first electric vehicle for India.

On the other hand, Nakajima joined Honda in 1994 and has been associated with Honda Motor Co. for more than three decades. He comes with vast experience working in several international markets such as Japan, China, Spain, Czech Republic and Russia. He has held different roles across Business Planning, Product Planning, Marketing and Sales Promotion. He last severed as the President of Honda Motor Russia since 2021.

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Mumbai-based automotive major Mahindra & Mahindra has marked a 25 percent YoY growth for its wholesales for March 2026. The company sold a total of 60,272 passenger vehicles, as against 48,048 units sold last year.

For FY2026, the company reported its best-ever yearly wholesales for both SUVs and CVs.

Mahindra reported sales of 6.6 million passenger vehicles in FY2026, which was 20 percent higher than 5.51 million units sold a year ago.

On the exports front, the company witnessed a decline of 4 percent last month, with wholesales coming at 3,968 units, as against 4,143 units a year ago. But for FY2026, the company reported a healthy 18 percent uptick with 40,990 units exported as against 34,654 units in FY2025.

In terms of commercial vehicle sales, the company sold  24,928 units in March 2026, up 11 percent YoY. This includes 3,526 units of LCVs under 2-tonne and 21,402 LCVs in the 2-3.5-tonne segment. For FY2026, CV sales came at 289,597 units, up 13 percent YoY, as against 256,055 units a year ago.

Nalinikanth Gollagunta, CEO, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “The Financial year ended on a very positive note, with Mahindra clocking its highest-ever volumes in both SUVs & LCVs (<3.5T) segments, a significant milestone for the company. In March, we achieved SUV sales of 60,272 units, a growth of 25 percent and LCV <3.5T sales of 24,928 units, a growth of 11 percent YoY. Total vehicle sales stood at 99,969 units, a 21 percent YoY growth.”

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European automaker Stellantis India has launched its Stellantis Brand House (SBH) dealership in Goa, operated by Caculo Motors. The 3S (Sales, Service, and Spares) facility was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Goa, Dr Pramod Sawant, alongside Shailesh Hazela, Managing Director and CEO of Stellantis India.

The dual-brand retail format brings the Jeep and Citroen portfolios under one roof. The facility is designed as a ‘phygital’ ecosystem, integrating digital and physical touchpoints to manage customer engagement and transactions.

The Stellantis Brand House is spread across 4,000 square metres, a workshop featuring 10 bays equipped for routine and specialised maintenance. On-site spares and technical teams for both American and French automotive brands.

The facility aims to serve North and South Goa, targeting the lifestyle and youth-driven segments of the market. The Jeep brand focuses on off-road capability and adventure, while Citroen emphasises comfort and modular design.

Dr Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister of Goa, said, “Heartiest congratulations to the Caculo family on completing 100 remarkable years in the automobile industry. As a proud Goan family, they have played a pioneering role in bringing automobiles to Goa, with four generations dedicated to this business. From introducing international brands through Caculo Mall to creating employment for over 500 people, their contribution to both the automobile and service sectors has opened immense opportunities in the state.”

Shailesh Hazela, said, “Goa is an important and evolving market, with customers who value comfort, reliability, design, and capability. With this new Citroen SBH dealership, we are strengthening our commitment to Goa and ensuring that customers here have seamless access to our offerings—whether they seek the comfort-first approach of Citroen or the adventure DNA of Jeep. We are delighted to partner with the Caculo Group, whose legacy of trust and customer satisfaction aligns strongly with our own values.”

Manoj M Caculo, Chairman & Managing Director, Caculo Group, said, “For more than ten decades, the Caculo Group has remained committed to delivering quality and trust to customers across Goa. We are proud to partner with Stellantis to bring Citroën’s global expertise and customer-first philosophy to the state. This modern SBH facility reflects our dedication to offering world‑class automotive experiences to every customer who walks through our doors.”

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Kia India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has announced that its new Seltos SUV has secured a five-star safety rating under the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (BNCAP). The vehicle achieved a combined score of 76.70, the highest recorded for an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle tested by the agency to date.

The assessment resulted in a score of 31.70 points for Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) and 45.00 points for Child Occupant Protection (COP). These figures represent the highest AOP score for an ICE vehicle under the BNCAP protocol.

The SUV is built on the K3 platform, which utilises reinforced hot-stamped components and high-strength steel. This architecture is engineered for crash energy management by absorbing and distributing impact forces during a collision.

The Seltos incorporates a range of active and passive safety technologies. Its Standard Safety Pack includes six airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) as standard across all variants.

It gets ADAS Level 2, which includes a suite of 21 autonomous features, including Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist and Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go. The Seltos SUV also features a 360-degree surround camera, Blind View Monitor and side parking sensors to improve situational awareness.

The BNCAP certificate was presented to Kia India by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways. The Seltos is the second Kia model to achieve this rating, following the Kia Syros.

Gwanggu Lee, MD and CEO, Kia India, said, “Safety is an integral part of Kia’s product philosophy as we continue our journey towards becoming one of the most trusted mobility brands in India. The All-New Kia Seltos achieving a 5-star rating, along with the highest-ever Adult Occupant Protection score across ICE vehicles under BNCAP, across ICE vehicles under BNCAP, with one of the strongest Child Occupant Protection scores recorded to date, has emerged as the highest-scoring ICE vehicle overall under BNCAP. This is a strong validation of our engineering capabilities and intent where every aspect of the vehicle, from its structure to its advanced safety technologies, has been developed with occupant protection at its core, making it a strong choice as a family SUV. This milestone sets a new benchmark for safety and reflects our commitment to bringing globally benchmarked safety standards to customers in India.”

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Hyundai Motor India (HMIL), one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has announced that its new Venue and Venue N Line SUVs have received a 5-star safety rating from the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (BNCAP). The rating applies to both adult and child occupant protection, with the vehicles scoring 31.147 in Adult Occupant Protection (AOP).

The Venue is built on the Global K1 enhanced platform. Its body structure utilises 71 percent high-strength steel, including ultra-high-strength and hot-stamped steel, to improve crash protection.

As standard, it gets 33 safety features across all variants, including six airbags, three-point seatbelts for all seats and Electronic Stability Control (ESC). The SUV is equipped with four-disc brakes, Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) and an electric parking brake with auto hold. It also gets a Surround View Monitor (SVM), a Blind View Monitor (BVM) and a Highline Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

The models feature Hyundai SmartSense Level 2 ADAS, providing a suite of 21 intelligent features. This technology uses sensors and cameras to assist with collision avoidance, lane maintenance, and driver awareness.

The BNCAP certificate was presented by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, to Tarun Garg, Managing Director & CEO of Hyundai Motor India. Since its launch, the new Venue has recorded over 100,000 bookings in the Indian market.

Nitin Gadkari, said, “Congratulations to Hyundai Motor India Limited on achieving 5‑Star Bharat NCAP safety rating for both adult and child occupant for their recently launched Hyundai Venue and Venue N Line. This achievement reflects Hyundai’s strong commitment to enhancing vehicle safety in line with Indian road conditions and evolving customer expectations, while making advanced safety technologies more accessible to a broader segment of the market.”

Tarun Garg, stated, “We are extremely proud that the all-new Hyundai Venue and Venue N Line have secured 5‑Star safety rating under Bharat NCAP testing, reaffirming our unwavering commitment to offer world‑class products to our customers. This achievement further strengthens our commitment to making advanced safety technologies accessible to a wider set of customers in India.”

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