Sales slumped as the government raised diesel prices 13.4%. However, auto makers are hoping the market will recover during the October-November festival season.
GM India predicts the Sail U-VA hatchback, notchback sedan and Enjoy multipurpose vehicle will help it match the industrywide growth rate projected for the rest of the year.
The Reva will come with a solar-charging unit called Sun2Car, which the auto maker says will provide free, clean energy to power the vehicle over its lifetime.
The auto makers have brought cross-badging to India to save development and manufacturing costs and shorten the time frame from drawing board to market.
The small CUV debuts next year in India, followed by other growing markets such as China, South America and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Sales are exceeding both government and internal industry forecasts, which earlier had scaled back 2012 projections for car deliveries to 9% from 11% and for light trucks to 3% from 5%.
Mahindra says it has learned from past failures in the car segment: the 1995 launch of the Escort in a JV with Ford, followed 10 years later by the Logan, the product of a partnership with Renault.
Despite its commitment to expanding its Manesar operations, the auto maker is building an assembly plant in Gujarat. It is among several car companies drawn to the western state by its peaceable and productive...