Showing posts with label Car. Show all posts

Wax your car/bike for spotless shine

Vista Car Care™, an automotive detailing brand from the house of Resil Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. Vista is introducing its latest innovation, HI Shine wax, an advanced wax polish that lends a sparkling shine to your vehicles.

For those who are passionate about their cars and bikes and also seek premium quality products, this is the perfect solution. This new innovation is extremely beneficial in a fast-paced society like ours. Wax can possibly be the only line of defense from the scratch, environmental abuse and the eyesore bird poop. HI Shine wax keeps your vehicle’s surface free of contamination.

Vista HI Shine wax provides a sacrificial layer to subside the haziness of the paint and unveil the new shine on your car/bike. The high-end finish will give a noticeably deeper, richer and vibrant look to your car/bike. This new innovation is extremely beneficial in a fast-paced society like ours.

The wax gives a captivating look to your car by making the paint look like a reflection in a pool of water. The product is highly economical and reliable to use at any given time. Wax your car/bike to get your vehicle noticed.

Wax your car/bike for spotless shine

About Resil Chemicals

Resil Chemicals is an innovation-driven, diversified chemical and performance materials manufacturer. In textiles, Resil provides cutting-edge solutions for the complete range of specialty finishes and auxiliaries. With a heritage of more than 25 years of product development and innovation for the textile industry, Resil is today one of Asia’s leading innovative formulators of silicone for textiles. The product range covers finishing, pre-treatment and specialty processes. Resil was one of the first companies to begin a process of transformation by exploring the power of silicones in diverse industries. The Company has developed into new markets and now serves agriculture, paper, leather, personal care and many other specialty chemical industries. Resil has a whole new range of products based on emerging technologies such as antimicrobials for various industrial applications (mainly textiles, plastics, and leather). Advanced Functional Materials for various specialty applications can also be customized on request.

For more information about Resil Chemicals &;Vista Car Care, please visit www.resil.com,

www.vistacarcare.com

Voler car launches its operations for the first time in Maharashtra- Pune

Aims to tap the growing rental car service market in Pune

#it's my drive
-door step delivery
no hidden charges,pay for what you use
car rentals start at just rs 55/hour
Zero Security deposit
Cars with insurance
Fleet ranges from hatchbacks to Audi Q3

Pune, December 09, 2016: Voler, one of the leading self-drive car rental companies in the country, today announced its expansion into western India, with the launch of its Pune operations. Adding to company’s successful operations in Delhi and Bengaluru, this announcement makes Voler one of the most prominent self-drive rental service currently in Pune with a fleet ranging from mini-hatchbacks to luxury segment. The Company plans to launch its services in major cities like Chandigarh, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai very soon.

Voler’s unique product, positioning and the operating model makes the self-drive car rental service accessible for users across Pune via its Home Delivery & Pickup Service. It’s pay per use, rental starting at just Rs 55/hour, backed by car insurance and 24*7 roadside assistance support service liberates users from the hassles that come with owning a car.

The exclusive model of unlimited kilometers, zero security deposit and transparent pricing has been widely accepted by the consumers across the country. The user base in Delhi & Bangalore has grown by 5 times in just last 6 months with 50% traffic coming from its new-age mobile applications on Android and iOS platforms.

Voler has designed its model around the best consumer experience and safety by using best in class technology and safety controls that keeps our consumer always connected through real time inputs about the car, speed, location and the car’s health.

Speaking at the launch, CEO and Founder, Vikas Parasrampuria said, “It gives us immense pleasure to announce the launch of our premium car rental service in Maharashtra. Pune was our first choice in Maharashtra simply because of the fact that it’s a youth driven market clubbed with its proximity to numerous holiday destinations. We believe Pune has a market size for more than 5000 cars whereas the current penetration is less than 10% at this stage and growing by more than 400% each year. . As a high potential market, our aim is to give a high-end experience to the customers by providing luxuries cars at their doorstep. ”

About Voler:

Voler Cars, founded in 2010 by a first generation entrepreneur, with vast experience in handling a large fleet, technology and consumers has emerged as one of the leading players in the Urban mobility space. It reaches over 1mn+ people annually and manages over 2,000-vehicle fleet in various segments across categories at any given point that is supported by a trained team of more than 250 people across India. It has synergized its strength in the Indian employee transportation arena by providing solutions to India’s leading multinational IT & ITeS companies with a commitment to become the largest in the sector by 2020. With its Self-drive car rental model it aims so be largest urban mobility solutions provider by 2020.

Audi India German luxury car buoyant about Southern India

India 6 December 2016: Audi, the German luxury car manufacturer, which has continued its growth momentum with an impressive 11192 deliveries to the customers in 2015 marking the 9th successive year of growth for the company, is confident of further growth. This confidence stems from company’s consistent performance since its inception in India.

Audi has been the preferred choice of luxury mobility for car enthusiasts in India. Last year was another year of growth for the company as it remained focused towards its aim to provide the best luxury car buying experience for its customers. Unique initiatives like the Audi Mobile Terminal brought the showroom right to the customer’s doorstep, especially in tier II and tier III cities, where it received a positive response from the customers who are significantly contributing to the transformation of the luxury landscape in India. This coupled with a robust dealer footprint, wide product range and on top of it a very motivated and committed team ensured that its growth is sustainable and its here for the long run.

Buoyant about its prospects in the Southern market, the brand had brought the Audi Mobile Terminal, a portable showroom designed to provide a full Audi experience to customers across Tier II, Tier III cities across India last year and had received exciting response. Complete with car on display, Audi Exclusive Elements and an Audi Lounge, the Mobile Terminal takes the brand to the doorstep of the Audi customer, while showcasing Audi brand values experientially. Besides displaying the cars and Audi accessories, the Mobile Terminal concept serves as a hub for conducting test drives and enables customers and prospects to connect with Audi dealers for enquiries, new bookings and after sales support, in the comfort of the Audi Lounge. The Audi Mobile Terminal is visiting Hubli, Bellary, Mysore, Salem, Tirunelveili, Nagerkoil, Trichy and Pondicherry.

Audi has already established itself as the luxury choice for young achievers, with its progressive design, advanced engineering and innovative customer engagement approach.

The Audi TT Coupe is one of the important cars in Audi’s portfolio of sporty performance cars. A design icon, the Audi TT Coupé embodies dynamics, emotion and technology in their purest forms – in design, the engines, chassis and the innovative operating concept.

Re-engineered for more power, the all-new Audi TT Coupé blends dynamic aesthetics with innovative technology and inspired performance. A design icon, the all-new Audi TT Coupé combines classic TT DNA with that of the legendary Audi Sport models, truly embodying ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’. A pleasure to drive, the futuristic interiors with brushed aluminum inlays, finely stitched leather sports seats, and innovative Audi virtual cockpit truly embody the sportiness, progressiveness and sophistication of the Audi brand and is the perfect car for young and dynamic customers in India.

The National Capital Region contributes significantly to the overall sale of Audi in India. The company has also seen a huge potential in tier-II and tier-III cities across Southern India, where customers are exhibiting an increased appetite for luxury cars and are aware of the product portfolio and quality the brand offers.

The emergence of a more progressive, discerning class from smaller cities such as Mangalore who understand, value and aspire to own a luxury brand like Audi, are significantly contributing to the transformation of the luxury landscape in India.

It is notable that Audi India has presence in Southern India through dealerships in Madurai, Mangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Bengaluru, Kochi, Kozhikode, Hyderabad and Vizag.

RENAULT INDIA LAUNCHES THE NEW LODGY STEPWAY RANGE

· With 16 new enhancements and a perfect combination of superior performance, comfort, safety, space and unmatched fuel efficiency

· The best equipped MPV to be offered at an introductory price of INR 9.43 Lakh

Chandigarh, December 5, 2016 - Renault India, one of the fastest growing automotive brands in India, today announced the launch of its all new Renault LODGY STEPWAY range. Built with 16 new enhancements to its exteriors and interiors, the new Lodgy STEPWAY will offer a perfect blend of design, space, performance, safety and class-leading fuel efficiency. The LODGY STEPWAY range is launched at an introductory price of INR 9.43 Lakh (ex-Delhi), making it the best equipped MPV in this price range.

Media-Nav system with rear view camera display

Lodgy_Side 3-4th City Shot_V5

RENAULT LODGY INTERIOR SIDECUT TOP SHOT HIRES_SILVER

Stepway_Side Profile Shot_RED PAINT_V6

Commenting on the launch of the New LODGY STEPWAY range, Sumit Sawhney, Country CEO and Managing Director, Renault India Operations, said, “India is an important market for Renault’s global growth plans and we have a thorough business strategy to grow our presence across the country. This is reflected by our product enhancement strategy, our rapid network expansion and fervent efforts to ensure customer delight. We have expanded our product portfolio to best suit the Indian customer and we have entered new segments to drive volumes. Renault Lodgy marked our entry in the MPV segment and is a breakthrough product that has redefined the benchmark of performance and convenience in the segment. We have kept Lodgy contemporary and appealing with sustained life-cycle management action and we are confident that the new LODGY STEPWAY range will further strengthen Lodgy’s position in the MPV segment. It will play an important role in building the Renault brand in India as we look forward to the resurgence of the MPV segment given the thrust on infrastructure development.”

The new Renault LODGY STEPWAY range will be available in both 85 PS and 110 PS and in 5 variants including RxL 85 PS & 110 PS and RxZ 85 PS & 110 PS (available in 7& 8 seater options). The LODGY STEPWAY comes in 6 exciting colours – Pearl White, Moonlight Silver, Planet Grey, Royal Orchid and the latest additions being Slate Grey and Fiery Red.

The MPV segment in India largely appeals to customers looking for a compelling value proposition. In line with that, Renault has also announced attractive positioning across the range, and delivers on cost efficiencies led by leading mileage and low maintenance costs, superior drive performance with SUV like ride and handling, power, suspension and ground clearance.

SUPERIOR DRIVEABILITY AND EFFICIENCY:

The Renault LODGY STEPWAY will be powered by the proven K9K 1.5 litre dCi (Common Rail Direct Injection) engine, and will be available in 85PS and110PS options. The more powerful diesel variant will deliver 110PS of maximum power and peak torque of 245Nm@1750rpm. The engine is mated to a first-in-segment 6-speed manual transmission for 110PS variant. This is matched by its excellent fuel efficiency of 19.98 kmpl (ARAI). The alternate variant of the same 1.5 litre dCi engine produces 85PS of maximum power and 200Nm@1900rpm of peak torque with a 5-speed manual transmission, and delivers an excellent fuel efficiency of 21.04 kmpl (ARAI).

CLASSY INTERIORS:

The new Lodgy STEPWAY range has the longest wheel base with best in class interior space and roominess in all 3 rows. It combines high class sophistication, comfort and appealing design elements that add to the classy interiors. The Lodgy STEPWAY comes with abundant space, has great ergonomics and is comfortable in terms of seating configurations available. It comes with 7 & 8 seating options in Gris Fume and Beige Alpaga premium leather blended upholstery. It offers 56 combinations of seat versatility and smart storage space for all 3 row. The 2^nd and 3^rd row tumble-and-fold seats with 60:40 split are easy to access and offer ample leg space. The 3^rd row can be folded easily or even removed to accommodate extra luggage. The car comes with generous boot space of 207 litres which could be expanded to 1861 litres. To augment the style quotient of the comfortable interior, the STEPWAY range comes with a premium two-tone dashboard bearing piano black centre fascia with chrome surround.

STYLISH EXTERIORS:

The stunning new Lodgy STEPWAY features a distinctive jewel-studded front grille along with attractive fog lamps adding to its aesthetic appeal. The wheel arch cladding and black tape on rocker panel continue to be STEPWAY elements. The 16” Panache Metal Alloy wheels also lend a better control on the roads. Additionally, the arrowhead tail lamps with stylish dark metal finish roof rails and STEPWAY decal leave a lasting impression.

UNCOMPROMISING SAFETY:

Safety is of paramount importance to Renault and the vehicle is loaded with a host of safety features. The engine is optimally combined with smart features like cruise control with speed limiter to bring an effortless driving performance. When it comes to safety, ABS combined with EBD and Brake Assist offer better control in emergency braking situations while the driver and passenger airbags provide extra protection in the event of a collision. The rear wiper, washer and defogger provide easy driving even in adverse weather conditions which is now available from RXL Stepway variant onwards.

PACKED WITH FEATURES:

With The LODGY STEPWAY range, travelling comes with an ideal combination of uncompromising comfort and elegant style. Some of the key value added features include the 2^nd and 3^rdrow smart-sense AC ensuring efficient cooling in all 3 rows while the 8–way adjustable driver’s seat ensures a comfortable and relaxed drive. Other convenient features like electrically adjustable ORVMs, central locking with keyless entry, headlight turn on reminder, and 12V charging sockets across 3 rows for both drivers and passengers. To accentuate further, an on-board trip computer with helps one to keep track of outside ambient temperature, average fuel economy, and instantaneous fuel economy, distance to empty and average speed.

While the newly added Gear Shift indicator enables one to drive at optimum gears to achieve better fuel efficiency. The addition of the advanced 7” touch screen MediaNAV console with AUX, USB and Bluetooth leave a long lasting impression. Also it comes with rear parking sensors with camera for the ease of parking.

UNMATCHED OWNERSHIP EXPERIENCE:

In its efforts to offer customers of the LODGY STEPWAY range a hassle-free ownership experience, Renault also announced – 3CARE, an initiative that provides comprehensive maintenance which includes 3 years of warranty (up to 60,000 kms), 3 years of Road Side Assistance (up to 60,000 Kms) and 3 years of Periodic Maintenance Service (up to 30,000 Kms). All this will be offered at a minimal cost starting at INR 22,142 and will ensure that customers enjoy complete peace of mind while driving the Perfect MPV.

RENAULT LODGY STEPWAY SPECIFICATIONS

Length	4522 mm
Width	1767 mm
Height	1709 mm
Wheelbase	2810 mm
Engine type	dci diesel with fixed geometry turbo; dci diesel with VGT
Displacement	1461cc
Steering type	Electro hydraulic power steering
Power	85 PS @ 3750 rpm; 110 PS @ 4000 rpm
Torque	200 Nm @ 1900 rpm ; 245 Nm @ 1750 rpm
Kerb weight	1302-1354 Kg for Lodgy 85 PS; 1360-1366 Kg for Lodgy 110 PS
Tyre size	185/65 R15 /195/55 R16 (RXZ Stepway 110PS)
Front suspension	McPherson strut with anti-roll bar
Rear suspension	Torsion beam with anti-roll bar
Boot volume	207 litres that expands to 1861 litres
Fuel tank volume	50 litres

PRICES OF RENAULT LODGY STEPWAY RANGE

Variants	LodgyStepway RXL 85PS 8S	LodgyStepway RXL 110PS 8S	LodgyStepway RXZ 85PS 8S	LodgyStepway RXZ 110PS 8S	LodgyStepway RXZ 110PS 7S
Price (ex-Delhi)	9,43,831	10,09,831	10,17,831	10,96,831	11,26,831

ABOUT RENAULT

Renault India Pvt. Ltd. is a fully owned subsidiary of Renault S.A.S. France. Renault India cars are manufactured in the manufacturing facility located in Oragadam, Chennai, with a capacity of 480,000 units per annum. Currently, Renault India also has a widespread presence of more than 250 sales and service facilities across the country with benchmark sales and service quality.

Renault India’s product line up and services have seen strong recognition among customers and industry experts alike, winning more than 60 titles, including 31 accolades for Duster as well as awards for Pulse and Scala, making Renault India one of the most awarded automotive brands in a single year in India. The recently launched Renault KWID has already bagged 25 awards, which include 9 Car of the Year Awards.

Aircel customer wins Mercedes B-Class in Aircel iPlayiWin contest in Odisha

Bollywood actress Chitrangda Singh felicitates winners

Bhubaneshwar, November 25, 2016: Aircel, one of India’s leading innovative telecom players, today felicitated the bumper prize winner of its Aircel iPlayiWin, an exciting general knowledge-based PAN-India consumer engagement contest. Bollywood actress Ms Chitrangda Singh presented the Mega Prize, a brand new Mercedes B-Class car, to Mr Sabas Kaddari, who scored the maximum points in this Value Added Services (VAS) contest. The other winners of the contest won prizes such as motorcycles, Diamonds, Laptops, Mobile Phones, etc.

Aircel customer wins Mercedes B-Class in Aircel iPlayiWin contest in Odisha

Rajeev Gupta, Circle Business Head – Odisha, Aircel, congratulated the winners and said, “At Aircel, our efforts revolve around delighting our customers in everything we do, whether through our products and services or through engaging contests. Aircel iPlayiWin is a fresh concept and a disruptive innovation in its space, which has seen unprecedented success in the past and garnered a tremendous response from our customers. We’re confident that with such mega prizes, the contest will keep our customers gripped with its unique features and deepen our bond with them.”

Lauding the winners, Ms Chitrangda Singh said, “Today I am thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful contest. Aircel is known as an innovative brand and Aircel iPlayiWin is a very innovative contest that builds an instant connect with the customers. I congratulate all the winners for their success and would also encourage other customers to be a part of this wonderful contest Aircel iPlayiWin that would help them win exciting prizes."

Besides the bumper prize winner, Mr Babuni Jena, Mr Likan Dhala and Mr Giridari Kumana won a brand new motorcycle each, Ms Sufia Khatun won a diamond, Mr Aditya Kumar Pandey laptop, Mr Ashish Kumar Swain I-Phone 6 and Mr Raghunath Maharana, Mr Hemanta Satapathy, Mr Pradeep Kumar Mishra and Mr Prasanta Behera won a Samsung smartphone each.

Mr. Kaddari, winner of the Mega Prize, said: “Winning a car in Aircel iPlayiWin was way beyond my expectations while taking part in the quiz. I’m so glad that I participated in this contest and got a chance to win my favourite car! I thank the team at Aircel for giving me this wonderful surprise and I will surely participate in all their contests as they are simple to follow and easy to win!”

Aircel iPlayiWin, a knowledge-based contest launched in 2014, was conceived to engage customers in a meaningful way, wherein customers were encouraged to subscribe to the service by dialing 51001/510010. Customers then had to answer a maximum of 20 simple multiple choice questions daily for a period of 90 days. For each correct answer, the contestant gets two points and winners are announced on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. The mega prize winner is declared after the end of the contest. Currently, in its third year, Aircel iPlayiWin has successfully deepened customer engagement and created tremendous buzz among thousands of customers across the country. The contest garnered great popularity in a short span of time, as customers instantly connected with it.

About Aircel Limited

Aircel is one of India’s leading innovative mobile service providers. The company is a pan-India 2G operator with 3G spectrum in 13 circles and is credited with the fastest 3G roll out ever in the Indian telecom space. As a young data led telecom player, Aircel has constantly been at the helm of introducing innovative and value for money products and services for its customers, be it the Aircel Pocket Internet, taking the first step in making 3G affordable for the masses or launching revolutionary Industry first data products aimed at fuelling Internet adoption. The company has been the proud recipient of coveted awards such as Voice&Data Special Leadership Recognition in ‘Customer Service’ category, ET Telecom Award 2014 for its innovative customer care research model, Aegis Graham Bell award 2015, in Innovation for its “Zero Premium Assurance” solution for high service availability, Data Quest Award 2015 for ‘Excellence in Implementation and Use of Technology for Business Benefits’.

7 Millionth car rolls out of Hyundai Motor India Limited

⦁ Targets to touch 10 million by 1st half of 2021

Chennai November 21, 2016: A top of the trim, white CRETA AT, which had the distinction of creating history in the HYUNDAI world by being the 7 millionth car, rolled off the production lines with MD, Mr. Y.K Koo and VP production, Mr. Ganesh Mani S. in the driver’s seat at HYUNDAI MOTOR INDIA’s state of the art facility in Sriperumpudur near Chennai at 16.51 IST today.

With this, HMI achieved the distinction of being the second best position amongst its overseas peers, only after China, in HYUNDAI MOTOR GROUP and the first auto manufacturer, in India to achieve this feat in a record time within 18 years of commercial operation, proving once again that HYUNDAI MOTOR INDIA can cross the 1 million mile stone, at an average of every 18 months. HMIL rolled out its first million car, a Santro, in 2006 just 8 years after commencement of commercial production in 1998. Thereafter, production picked up momentum, with the next million milestone being achieved within an average of 18 -19 months. The 5 millionth car was flagged off in October 2013 by HUYNDAI’s brand ambassador Shahrukh Khan.

7 Millionth car rolls out of Hyundai Motor India Limited

Mr. Y K Koo, MD & CEO, HMIL along with Mr. S T Kwon, Sr.Director (Production Division) and Mr. Ganesh Mani S Vice President

At an intimate event, congratulating employees on this very significant achievement, an exuberant Mr. Y.K Koo, Managing Director and CEO, Hyundai Motor India Limited said, “ HMIL has always set new benchmarks in terms of quality and customer delight by introducing new products with new technology and design to the Indian market, demonstrating superior manufacturing prowess. Our ‘Made in India’ products have impressed global and Indian customers alike. We now have to move to realize our vision as announced during our 20th year of foundation on May 6th 2016, of being the Market Leader, Great place to work, Most loved and trusted brand with Modern premium brand essence to touch 10 million units within the first half of 2021. I thank each one for his commitment towards making HUYNDAI, the most loved and trusted brand in India.” He further expressed on behalf of HYUNDAI, his sincere appreciation and gratitude to the government of Tamil Nadu for their contribution in HYUNDAI’s success.

HMIL has held the top exporter position consistently for 12 years since 2004 with a volume of 24,64,723 to date, while being instrumental in making Chennai port vibrant. That apart, they have played a playing a pivotal role in the economic development of Sriperumpudur region by contributing to the exchequer and also generating employment opportunities, both directly & indirectly.

About HMIL

Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company (HMC). HMIL is the largest passenger car exporter and the second largest car manufacturer in India. It currently has ten car models across segments – Eon, i10, Grand i10, Elite i20, Active i20, Xcent, Verna, Creta, Elantra, Tucson and Santa Fe. HMIL’s fully integrated state-of-the-art manufacturing plant near Chennai boasts advanced production, quality and testing capabilities.

HMIL forms a critical part of HMC’s global export hub. It currently exports to around 92 countries across Africa, Middle East, Latin America, Australia and the Asia Pacific. HMIL has been India’s number one exporter for the last 10 years consecutively. To support its growth and expansion plans, HMIL currently has 466 dealers and more than 1,159 service points across India. In its commitment to provide customers with cutting-edge global technology, Hyundai has a modern multi-million dollar R&D facility in Hyderabad. The R&D center endeavours to be a center of excellence in automobile engineering.

Mercedes-Benz ‘Safe Roads’ travels to the City of Joy, Kolkata to conclude the two-year multi-city roadshow

· Safe Roads, a unique CSR initiative to create road safety awareness in India, is a joint initiative of Mercedes-Benz headquarters and corporate entities operating in India (Mercedes-Benz India, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, Mercedes-Benz Research & Development India and Daimler Financial Services India)

· ‘Safe Roads’ is a road-show exhibition educating traffic safety through physical demonstrations, visual aids and research reports

· ‘Safe Roads’ initiative, flagged-off in New Delhi on 29th April, 2015 has since travelled to Ahmedabad, Pune, Mumbai, Kochi, Hyderabad and finally to Kolkata.

Mr. Manu Saale, Managing Director & CEO, MBRDI and Prof. Schöneburg, Director Mercedes-Benz Cars, Development Safety, Durability, Corrosi-

Prof. Schöneburg, Director Mercedes-Benz Cars, Development Safety, Durability, Corrosion Protection and Mr. Manu Saale, Managing Director

17 November 2016 Kolkata: Mercedes-Benz and its group companies Mercedes-Benz India (MBIL), Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) and Daimler Financial Services India (DFS) inaugurated Safe Roads at Kolkata, its final destination this year, as part of the two year multi-city safety awareness roadshow series that started in April 2015. Earlier this year, the road-show travelled to Kochi, followed by Hyderabad.

Safety is a core competency and a core value for Mercedes-Benz and its automotive brands. Mercedes-Benz in particular, is renowned worldwide for developing highly sophisticated safety systems. However, implementation of effective safety systems remains a challenge, as the road users often do not comply with traffic rules or do not use the safety systems onboard their vehicles. On Indian roads, approximately 140,000 people die every year of road accidents, largely caused due to ignorance of safety norms and rules. ‘Safe Roads’ was hence conceptualized by Mercedes-Benz, in an effort to reduce this startling fatality rate on Indian roads, by creating more awareness on road safety. Mercedes-Benz is convinced that such initiatives can begin an era of road safety awareness that supports a new culture of road safety for Indians. Over 70 percent of the fatalities can be reduced in the next ten years through education and enforcement of safety rules and by creating awareness.

Safe Roads Kolkata was inaugurated at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rodolfo Schöneburg, Director Mercedes-Benz Cars, responsible for Safety, Durability, Corrosion Protection and Mr. Manu Saale, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz R&D India on 17th November, 2016. The road-show will also be exhibited for public on 19th - 20th November, at the South City Mall.

‘Safe Roads’ is a road show that spreads the message of road safety through physical demonstration, visual aids and research reports. The physical demonstration will be undertaken with the use of exhibits that have been brought from Germany, providing a real life experience of safety measures that can potentially save lives during road accidents:

The most popular exhibit remains the Belt-Slide which enables visitors to experience the impact of seat belts in a simulated crash environment at low speed. The aim is to increase the percentage of seat belts usage for front row passengers including the driver.

New exhibits for this year include:

The Crashed Mercedes-Benz GLC: Visitors can witness an actual crashed vehicle. The passenger compartment of the GLC remained stable in the frontal offset barrier test. The car scored maximum points for its protection of the front passenger dummy, with good protection of all critical body areas. Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of both the driver and passenger. Also, GLC scored maximum points for its protection of the 1.5 year child dummy in the frontal offset tests. (Source: EuroNCAP website)

The Mercedes-Benz PRE-SAFE® Seat system enables visitors to experience the PRE-SAFE® features of the Seat. Using a network of sensors, PRE-SAFE® system can detect certain conditions that suggest an accident is about to occur. The PRE-SAFE® seat system then pre-tensions the front seat belts, adjusts the front head restraints and passenger seat to better prepare the occupants for more effective results from the restraint systems.

An absolute highlight is the Mercedes-Benz S 500. The S-Class will be on display to showcase a glimpse of future of safety. The S-Class illustrates trailblazing innovations in the field of active and passive safety.

From last year, we are showcasing the following important safety exhibits as well:

Airbags will also be on display (driver and passenger airbags, curtain airbags, knee bags, etc.)

A ‘Body in White’ (BiW) passenger car exhibit highlights some of the core elements of a car structure which have high tensile strength that can absorb most of the energy during a crash and minimize passenger car intrusions.

Alcohol goggles provide a unique experience. Wearing these special types of glasses simulates the common ‘walk-the-line’ activity which causes loss of balance and delayed reaction times. Visitors will feel their susceptibility to impairments and realize the potential severe consequences due to alcohol consumption.

As per Ministry of Road Transport & Highway, India (MORTH) 2015 report, India is a signatory to Brasilia Declaration and is committed to reduce the number of road accidents and fatalities by 50 per cent by 2020. However, with one of the highest motorization growth rate in the world accompanied by rapid expansion in road network and urbanization over the years, our country is faced with serious impacts on road safety levels. The total number of road accidents increased by 2.5 per cent from 4,89,400 in 2014 to 5,01,423 in 2015. The total number of persons killed in road accidents increased by 4.6 per cent from 1,39,671 in 2014 to 1,46,133 in 2015. Road accident injuries have also increased by 1.4 per cent from 4,93,474 in 2014 to 5,00,279 in 2015.

The severity of road accidents, measured in terms of number of persons killed per 100 accidents has increased from 28.5 in 2014 to 29.1 in 2015. The analysis of road accident data 2015 reveals that about 1,374 accidents and 400 deaths take place every day on Indian roads which further translates into 57 accidents and loss of 17 lives on an average every hour in our country. About 54.1 per cent of all persons killed in road accidents are in the 15 – 34 years age group during the year 2015.

During 2015, thirteen top states namely Tamil Nadu (69,059), Maharashtra (63,805), Madhya Pradesh (54,947), Karnataka (44,011), Kerala (39,014), Uttar Pradesh (32,385), Andhra Pradesh (24,258), Rajasthan (24,072), Gujarat (23,183), Telangana (21,252), Chhattisgarh (14,446), West Bengal (13,208) and Haryana (11,174) together accounted for 86.7 per cent of all road accidents in the country.

Kolkata Accident Data: 2015 (Source – MORTH Road Accident in India 2015)

A Total of 4347 Accidents were reported in Kolkata

422 people died due to road accidents in Kolkata

3329 people got injured due to road accidents in Kolkata

Drivers’ fault has been revealed as the single most responsible factor for road accidents, killings and injuries on all roads in the country over a long period of time. Drivers’ fault accounted for 77.1 per cent of total road accidents during 2015 as against 78.8 per cent during 2014. Within the category of drivers’ fault, road accidents caused and persons killed due to exceeding lawful speed/over speeding by drivers accounted for a share of 62.2 per cent (2,40,463 out of 3,86,481 accidents) and 61.0 per cent

(64,633 out of 1,06,021 deaths) respectively.

Prof. Dr.-Ing Rodolfo Schöneburg, Director Mercedes-Benz Cars, Development Safety, Durability, Corrosion Protection commented, “Safety is a core value for Daimler. All group companies prioritize on making their vehicles safe - for the user as well as for the environment they are operating in. When we learned about the accident and fatality rates in India, we decided to develop the ‘Safe Roads’ Initiative. This is also in line with our spirit of good corporate citizenship practices where we contribute and give back to the society we do business with. We hope that our initiative will bring in an era of road safety awareness and will support a new culture of road safety among the people in India. So far we have received very positive responses from the people of India for the initiative and we plan to take it forward in different forms, in the coming years.”

Manu Saale, MD & CEO, Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India added: “Technology, innovation and research go hand-in-hand in improving vehicle safety. Safe Roads was conceptualized by Mercedes-Benz, in an effort to reduce the startling fatality rate on Indian roads, by creating more awareness on road safety and also through responsible driver and passenger behavior. We have successfully covered 8 major cities including Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Kochi, Hyderabad and Kolkata in the past two years. We have had over 43,000 first-hand experience of our safety exhibits and with the responses on social media we have touched more than 10 million people. We hope that with ‘Safe Roads’ we have added value to enhance the road user’s awareness in India. Even though Kolkata would be the last city we visit this year in this format, we will continue on our mission to contribute towards the greater good of our society.”

Following the successful events we had at Kochi and Hyderabad, it’s a wrap-up for the Safe Roads initiative this year with our visit to Kolkata!

Four entities of Mercedes-Benz are currently operating in India:

Mercedes-Benz India Ltd. (MBIL) in Pune is responsible for production and sales and marketing of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars.

Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) produces medium and heavy duty trucks under the brand name Bharat Benz in Chennai, covering all activities for commercial vehicles.

Daimler Financial Services (DFS) for passenger cars and Bharat Benz Financial Services for commercial vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India Private Limited (MBRDI) in Bangalore is the largest Daimler Research and Development Centre of Mercedes-Benz outside Germany.