2024 was also a landmark year for Autocar India as we celebrated our 300th issue as well as our 25-year anniversary back to back.
The year 2024 has been quite eventful for the auto industry. From the inaugural Bharat Mobility Global Expo and ground-breaking infrastructure projects to us breaking Guinness records and the industry losing a titan, there have been both highs and lows in the past 12 months. So, here’s a quick summary of all the highlights from this year that defined the automotive industry.
Vinfast announced India entry plans
At the start of the year, Vietnamese EV marker VinFast signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government to set up a manufacturing plant with an annual capacity of up to 1.5 lakh units per year in the state. VinFast said it plans to invest USD 500 million (around Rs 425 crore) in the project’s first phase, which spans five years from the commencement date. The MoU states that VinFast will invest a total of USD 2 billion (around Rs 16,600 crore) to manufacture and export vehicles from India. The Tamil Nadu government has noted that VinFast’s investment is the largest in the state’s history. The pact also marks the Vietnamese company’s third manufacturing plant globally; the first is in the brand’s home country, and the second is in the US.
New infrastructure projects
Mumbai saw the inauguration of two ground-breaking infrastructure projects: the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link road (Atal Setu) in January and the Mumbai Coastal Road, the Dharmveer Swarajya Rakshak Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Coastal Road, in March. We got exclusive access to them before they opened and reported it all to you.
Autocar India has exclusive access to the Atal Setu before it was opened to the public.
The Atal Setu is India’s longest sea bridge, with 16.5km out of the total 21.8km built over the Arabian Sea. The high-speed corridor connects South Mumbai to the new international airport being constructed in Navi Mumbai, cutting down travel time from well over an hour to about 20 minutes. The 6-lane highway is a feat of engineering featuring seven orthotropic steel decks spanning 90 to 180 metres to allow for shipping traffic while not hampering the migration path of native birds.
The Coastal Road has significantly reduced commute time for South Mumbaikars.
As for the Coastal Road, a significant length of it is now open, connecting the western suburb of Bandra to Breach Candy and Marine Drive via the existing Bandra-Worli Sea Link, with sections over reclaimed land and the sea, along with a 2km tunnel below the sea, marking a first for India. Each 11-metre-wide tunnel (separate ones for South- and North-bound traffic) has one emergency and two regular lanes. The travel time from Bandra to the South of Mumbai has reduced significantly, especially during peak hours.
First edition of Bharat Mobility Global Expo
The inaugural Bharat Mobility Global Expo (BMGE) was held from February 1 to 3 in New Delhi and is said to have attracted approximately 800 exhibitors and 1.5 lakh registered visitors. Unlike its predecessor, the Auto Expo (which has been merged into the BMGE, along with the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India’s flagship aftermarket expo, the ACMA Automechanika New Delhi), the Bharat Mobility Global Expo is an annual event aimed at showcasing India’s prowess in mobility. Among the showstoppers of the 2024 edition were Tata Motors’ Curvv, Nexon iCNG and Harrier EV, the Skoda Enyaq iV electric SUV, Maruti Suzuki’s WagonR Flex Fuel and eVX concept, and the Toyota Innova Hycross Flex Fuel hybrid.
MG’s partnership with JSW Group
MG Motor’s parent company, SAIC Motor, and India’s JSW Group entered into a strategic joint venture in November 2023 and, in March 2024, announced the creation of the JV and its name: JSW MG Motor India Pvt Ltd. Not only did this mark the entry of the JSW Group into the mainstream automobile market, it is among the few joint ventures featuring a Chinese partner in the Indian market. At the time of the announcement, the JV stated it aims to sell 10 lakh new energy vehicles (NEVs, powered by all-electric or electrified powertrains) in India by 2030 and capture one-third of the NEV market.
President of SAIC Wang Xiaoqiu and JSW Group’s Parth Jindal along with other senior executives at the MG Office in London.
The JSW Group has started constructing a battery-producing plant in Odisha that is said to begin production late this year or early 2026. Since its formation, JSW MG Motor India has brought out the Windsor EV and introduced the concept of battery rental, bringing the initial price of EVs down. It also plans to launch a separate MG Select retail network for premium vehicles such as the upcoming Cyberster convertible and Mifa 9 MPV.
Autocar India’s anniversary issues
2024 was especially momentous for us at Autocar India as we celebrated our 300th issue in August and our 25th anniversary in September. For our 300th issue, along with a host of exclusive drives (Mercedes E-Class LWB, Porsche 911 T-Hybrid, Lotus Emeya) and hot-of-the-press news, we took a nostalgic look at the times we cracked 300kph, the most memorable 300km road trips, and more.
The 300th issue and the 25-year anniversary issue came back to back.
For our silver anniversary, we pulled out all stops with a massive 400-page issue featuring exclusive drives of the MG Windsor and the Maybach EQS SUV, the breaking of a world record (see next page), our signature Off-road Day filled with hardcore mud-plugging off-roaders, a car designed by our very own members called the ‘Auto Car’ (with inputs from Tata Motors’ design team), and even movie star John Abraham playing guest editor!
Ford returns to India
After nearly six months of hints and speculation, Ford confirmed its intent to restart manufacturing in India at its Maraimalai Nagar plant in Tamil Nadu. The American brand shuttered its manufacturing facilities in 2021 but kept a toehold in the retail market by continuing service operations.
Ford announced manufacturing plans for exports from its Sanand plant.
While the company stated that the plan, for now, is to manufacture for exports, local assembly of the soon-to-arrive Ford Everest (the latest-gen Endeavour on sale internationally) is on the cards. A made-in-India affordable EV, based on a low-cost platform developed by a skunkworks team, is also said to be in the works, and if it does materialise, it’ll likely be produced at this plant.
Tata Curvv performs on-ground acrobatics with fighter jets
This special feature was in celebration of Suryakirans and Autocar India’s silver jubilee.
The Indian Air Force’s aerobatics team, the Suryakirans, is also celebrating their silver jubilee. As a tribute to these daredevils, we teamed up and attempted on-ground acrobatics in four Tata Curvv EVs along with the nine-member aerobatics team flying BAE Hawk fighter jets. While our efforts at driving in tandem and in some formation were feeble at the beginning, they eventually paid off, but it was still nothing compared to the precision flying and the skill, courage and speed that the Suryakirans showed off.
A new Guinness World Records title for Autocar India
We’ve made something of a habit of breaking records, and in September, we added another Guinness World Records title to the list. Our man Rahul piloted a Mercedes EQS from Bengaluru to Navi Mumbai, covering a distance of 949km on a single charge. In doing so, we can now claim the title of the “Longest distance in an EV on a single charge”, beating the previous record of 916.74km set in the UK in a Ford Mustang Mach E.
The Guinness World Record title with the Mercedes EQS is something we are really proud of.
Torrential rainfall, ongoing repair work on the highway and a tyre puncture posed further challenges to breaking the record, but as our editor said at the time, “You can never be prepared enough for what Indian roads throw at you, but some incredibly disciplined driving in a car like the EQS that has the best range and an efficient aerodynamic shape helped us overcome all obstacles to achieve this amazing distance without plugging in.”
Ratan Tata’s demise
Ratan Tata, the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, an icon of Indian industry and a towering figure respected globally, passed away at 86 in early October after a prolonged illness due to age-related health issues. It was under his leadership that Tata Motors transformed from a maker of trucks to a full-fledged automobile company, one that finally acquired Jaguar Land Rover. The Tata Indica was his brainchild, and it put the company in direct competition with global automotive giants. And while the Nano, another of Tata’s brainchild, may not have been a commercial success, it inspired many global automakers to develop low-cost cars, such as Renault, which launched the Kwid.
Ratan Tata was a towering figure not just for the Indian automotive industry, but even globally.
Luminaries from across the industry, from Ford Motor Company’s Bill Ford to Autocar India’s Hormazd Sorabjee, paid tribute to the Padma Vibhushan awardee, underscoring the legacy and impact of Ratan Naval Tata on the automotive landscape.
Hyundai Motor India made stock market debut
Hyundai Motor India came out with the country’s largest initial public offering (IPO) of Rs 27,870 crore (surpassing the Life Insurance Corporation’s Rs 21,000-crore offering in May 2022). The IPO was also the first by a carmaker in India in over two decades, following Maruti Suzuki’s listing in 2003. The Korean automaker diluted a 17.5 percent stake through the public issue, but none of the proceeds will come to Hyundai Motor India.
Hyundai diluted a 17.5 percent stake in its wholly-owned India unit.
The share sale, which was open from October 15th to 17th, witnessed tepid investor interest in the first two days. However, strong demand from qualified institutional buyers on the final day ensured its successful completion; it was subscribed 2.37 times. The company’s shares got listed at Rs 1,934 apiece on the NSE, which was 1.3 percent lower than the issue price of Rs 1,960. India is Hyundai’s third-largest market, accounting for around 14 percent of its global sales.
Jaguar’s rebranding
In November, Jaguar shocked the world by revealing its new logo and additional elements that will make up its new corporate identity, along with the Type 00 concept, which previews the brand’s first all-electric model. Jaguar managing director Rawdon Glover said the brief to the team was to think like a start-up and break with convention. From brand identity to the concept car, Jaguar is reinventing itself as an EV-only brand, which, as Jaguar’s boss says, is a plan for where the market will be, not where it is now.
Jaguar’s rebranding was a rather unpleasant surprise for most in the auto industry.
Historically, the Jaguar brand name was associated with elegance and subtlety, while the repositioning sees it move to a more vivid and exuberant design philosophy. The Tata-owned British brand has seen a lot of backlash and criticism with the new identity, but as Jaguar moves further up the price ladder, Glover noted that the bold and exuberant rebranding and styling should help attract new buyers.
Maruti Wagon R turned 25
Maruti Suzuki’s WagonR, the popular tall-boy hatchback, has joined the elite club of nameplates on sale in India for 25 years. Maruti says it has retailed over 32 lakh units of the WagonR since its launch in the country in December 1999, and sales of the model are still strong, with monthly dispatches to outlets averaging crossing 14,600 units in the last six months.
The WagonR’s success comes from its design. The tall-boy shape liberates room on the inside by using vertical space, which helps the hatchback score high on practicality.
The venerable Wagon R – India’s best selling car for last three years – completed 25 years in 2024.
However, the now-popular car, which is in its third generation, did face some growing pains. When the first-generation model was launched in India to compete with the Hyundai Santro, the tall-boy design was not well received. Historical data shows that it took the WagonR nine years to reach the 5 lakh sales mark but just four more years to hit the 10 lakh milestone, which it achieved in 2012.
The WagonR comes with two petrol engine options and even the factory-fit CNG version, which currently accounts for a whopping 40 percent of the model’s sales.
Also See:
All new mass-market EVs launching in 2025
New car and SUV launches lined up in January 2025
