Auto recap, May 18: Maruti Dzire launch in South Africa, MG Windsor Pro delivery milestone, Ultraviolette CEO interview

The automotive industry is progressing rapidly, posing difficulties in staying informed about all the latest updates. At HT Auto, we are dedicated to delivering the most relevant and timely information as it becomes available. Below is a concise overview of the key highlights from Sunday, May 18.

What propelled Ultraviolette to take a top-down product strategy, reveals CEO

Ultraviolette Automotive has grabbed a lot of eyeballs with its high-performance electric two-wheelers, including motorcycles and scooters. The Indian EV startup that launched the Tesseract electric scooter and the Shockwave electric dual-purpose motorcycle earlier this year is now working on a range of upcoming two-wheelers across different segments. HT Auto had an interaction with Narayan Subramaniam, CEO and co-founder of Ultaviolette Automotive, to learn about the company's product strategy and more.

Made-in-India Maruti Suzuki Dzire launched in South Africa

The Maruti Suzuki Dzire has officially expanded its global footprint with a recent launch in South Africa, following its earlier debut in the Philippines. While the car continues to be built on the same successful platform that has won over Indian buyers, its South African version comes with a few important distinctions, both in features and pricing.

MG Windsor EV Pro deliveries commenced: 150 units handed over in a single day

MG Motor India has announced that it has delivered 150 units of the recently launched Windsor EV Pro on a single day in Bengaluru. The deliveries for the MG Windsor Pro commenced on May 16, 2025. The EV was launched recently and secured 8,000 bookings in just 24 hours. It is the new top-end variant in Windsor's lineup and comes with several new features over the standard Windsor EV. The MG Windsor Pro was launched in India at a price of ₹17.49 lakh (ex-showroom), which is available for the first 8,000 consumers. Also, the EV is available with the battery-as-a-service (Baas) option as well, which enables consumers to buy it at a cost of ₹12.49 lakh (introductory and ex-showroom). In this case, the buyer has to shell out an amount of ₹4.50 for each kilometre driven. With the introductory prices over, the Windsor Pro is priced at ₹18.09 lakh, ex-showroom, while with BaaS, the prices are up to ₹13.10 lakh.

Nissan’s global restructuring could spell the end of its India manufacturing operations: Reports

As Nissan Motor Co. embarks on a massive global cost-cutting and restructuring strategy, reports suggest the Japanese carmaker may shut down its manufacturing operations in India. While the company has not issued any official confirmation, multiple Japanese media outlets—including Yomiuri Shimbun and Kyodo News have reported that India is among the countries being considered for an exit. Earlier in April this year, Renault Group announced that it would acquire the remaining 51 per cent shareholding in the Renault-Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd (RNAIPL). The majority stake in the RNAIPL is currently held by Nissan Motor Corp. Purchasing this stake will allow Renault to take complete ownership of the Renault-Nissan Alliance's manufacturing plant in India.

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