Hey, Your Top Automobile News for April 19, 2021

Your Daily Automobile updates From Around The World [  The Automobile News](  [Hyundai Enters U.S. Pickup Market With New Santa Cruz ‘Sport Adventure Vehicle’]( - Hyundai is entering the U.S. pickup market with the Santa Cruz, a small SUV-like vehicle that’s scheduled to go on sale this summer. - Hyundai is calling the 2022 Santa Cruz a “Sport Adventure Vehicle” because it has the characteristics of an SUV or crossover, but the bed of a pickup truck. - It’s a vehicle style that has produced mixed results in the American automotive industry. Hyundai Motor is entering the U.S. pickup market with the Santa Cruz, a small SUV-like vehicle that’s scheduled to go on sale this summer. Hyundai is calling the 2022 Santa Cruz a “Sport Adventure Vehicle.” It has many characteristics of a compact SUV or crossover, but the bed of a pickup truck. That type of vehicle style has come and gone several times throughout the American auto industry. Most notably, the Ford Ranchero and Chevrolet El Camino starting in the 1950s and 1960s, and, more recently, the Subaru Baja from the 2000s. The Santa Cruz is expected to lure car or crossover buyers more than those who have owned a larger, more traditional pickup, according to industry analysts. They say specifically buyers from outdoor-oriented brands such as Jeep and Subaru. “I think it could do really well,” said Brian Moody, executive editor at Autotrader. “It feels like the research from automakers is indicating that people are wanting more and more types of vehicles that can take you off-road.” [Read Full Article](   [Maharashtra COVID-19 Curbs: Automotive Companies Keep Plants Running With Limited Workforce]( The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government is allowing manufacturing units to continue production but with riders. Amid curfew-like curbs imposed under section 144 by the Maharashtra government to contain the spread of coronavirus, automotive companies have been allowed to continue vehicle production with a limited workforce. Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), Tata Motors, Mercedes-Benz and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles had kept their vehicle and engine making plants operational on April 15 which marked the first of the 15-day lockdown period. All these manufacturers have their factories in the Pune district which is the worst affected district by COVID-19 in the state. Says Rajeshwar Tripathi, Chief Human Resources Officer, Automotive and Farm Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra, “In accordance with the ‘Break the Chain’ guidelines shared by the Maharashtra government, our plants are operational with lower levels of manning and following strict adherence to social distancing, hygiene protocols and safety, including compulsory testing for COVID at the plant and maintaining high standards of safety for our associates. All our offices in Maharashtra remain closed.” M&M has vehicle making plants in Chakan, Pune, Nashik, and Kandivali in Mumbai. Tata Motors has plants in Pimpri-Chinchwad while Mercedes-Benz also has its plant in Chakan. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has a plant in Ranjangaon. [Read Full Article](   [Here’s What We Love About The First-Gen Audi RS4]( Like any fast Audi should be, the RS4 was subtle, refined, and could make everyday driving a breeze. But it doesn’t stop there. Really, you name a vehicle type, and Audi Sport GmbH — the subsidiary group responsible for its RS division — has created a viable contender for the top of its class. What made all of this possible, though, was the foundations laid by the subsidiary group during its formative years. The halcyon days of the ’90s and early ’00s were legendary when it came to Audi’s RS division, with a list of cars that would make your average supercar driver nervous at the drag strip. And one of those was, of course, the first-generation Audi RS4, the B5. On that note, let’s take a detailed look back at the first-generation Audi RS4 and what made it so special. The History Behind The First-Generation Audi RS4 Audi’s performance subsidiary, Audi Sport GmbH — or quattro GmbH, as it was named then — was established in 1983. It was named after the famous fire-spitting rally car with the same name — the Quattro — and was initially founded to help develop performance Audis and components. It wasn’t until 1991, though, that the first car developed by the subsidiary would go on sale: the Audi S2. It was also the first car to receive Audi’s S badge, meaning “Sport.” It was, in many ways, the spiritual successor to the iconic Quattro, not only in terms of looks but performance, too. [Read Full Article](     Connect with the automobile news on Facebook and Twitter [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Linkedin]( You received this email because you operate or create content for a website/service and based on your website it seemed like this could be important information to you and your users. This newsletter is managed by [Postbox Consultancy Services Pvt. Ltd](.C-4/5, IBD Emporia, Kolar Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, INDIA, 462042 Want to change how you receive these emails? [Update your preferences]( or [Unsubscribe](