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When VW reported group deliveries in India had more than doubled in 2011, it looked as if the market would help the automaker achieve its goal of being No. 1 in global sales. Things have changed since then, forcing VW to rework its plans.

After a period of rapid expansion, India's car market entered a slump indirectly triggered by the U.S. Federal Reserve's announcement that it would start to gradually phase out its ultra-loose monetary policy.

VW India boss Mahesh Kodumudi explains to Automotive News Europe what measures the automaker is taking to reverse its slide in the key market.

A key challenge facing companies in India is litigation over transfer pricing. Foreign companies are debating with the government whether business between two companies with the same parent is artificially mispriced to lower tax bills.

When Volkswagen reported group deliveries in India had more than doubled in 2011, it looked as if the market would help the automaker acheive its goal of being No. 1 in global sales.

The latest issue of the Automotive News Europe monthly e-magazine is ready for you to view. This month's edition looks at what struggling European automakers are doing to gain a foothold in the key Indian market.

Alfa Romeo has started development on three new models that will be key to the struggling brand's turnaround.

Infiniti Chairman Andy Palmer is working to reposition the brand as a design- and technology-driven alternative to Germany's premium automakers.

From his small dealership between New York City and Connecticut, 78-year-old Alfredo Gulla has waited nearly 20 years for his beloved Alfa Romeo to return.

Kia is evaluating which nameplates it will assemble as part of "a range" of compact models to be built at the plant in Monterrey that Kia announced last week.

That tsunami of cheap cars from China predicted to hit U.S. shores has been slow in coming.

General Motors has retreated from a controversial policy that required dealership service technicians to essentially punch a time clock for every repair order.

The re-engineered 2016 Hyundai Elantra gets major changes to its sheet metal and proportions. This spy photo shows a longer and sleeker sedan, with bigger front and rear overhangs and a hood that looks stretched from the current version.

Volvo's U.S. dealerships will receive about a third of the 80,000 XC90 units built annually when the brand's redesigned flagship crossover is running at full capacity.

Buick-GMC chief Duncan Aldred believes that the campaign that's been running since March just might be starting to do something that a lineup of handsome sheet metal could not: transform Buick's old-fogey image.

Wolfgang Ziebart, head of product development for Jaguar Land Rover, is guiding the expansion of the Land Rover and Jaguar ranges.

Bernie Moreno was 28 and had no auto retailing experience when Boston dealer Herb Chambers hired him as general manager of a Saturn store.

Pros: The 2015 Ford Fiesta Sedan is a small modern sedan with nifty interior and exterior styling. It has an impressive selection of normally-aspirated and turbocharged engines as well as many standard technological features. The Fiesta is well-built with quality materials and delivers outstanding fuel economy.

Cons: The 2015 Ford Fiesta Sedan has significantly less luggage capacity than its 5-door hatchback sibling. The numerous available options rapidly inflate the original starting price.

Photo: Ford

2015 Ford Fiesta Sedan Price: For 2015, Ford proposes a selection of three different versions of the Fiesta Sedan, starting with the 5-speed manual Fiesta S at $14,999, followed by the 5-speed manual SE Sedan at $15,999 and the 6-speed automatic at $17,249. The luxurious 5-speed manual Titanium Sedan starts at $19,849, and climbs to $21,099 for the 6-speed automatic.

2015 Ford Fiesta Sedan Fuel Economy: The Fiesta Sedan with manual 5-speed transmission has an estimated fuel economy rating of 8.5/6.5 L/100 km (city/highway); the automatic transmission version is rated at 8.7/6.4 L/100 km.

Improvements and Changes: The 3-cylinder EcoBoost is new for 2015, along with a 5-speed-only manual transmission option for the base S model.

2015 Ford Fiesta Powertrain: The Fiesta Sedan is equipped with a 1.6 litre normally-aspirated engine that delivers 120 hp and 112 lb-ft of torque in the 2015 Fiesta Sedan, along with an optional all-new turbocharged 123 hp 3-cylinder 148 lb-ft EcoBoost engine for those who want more power. The power output for both engines may be comparable, but the additional torque in the turbocharged 1 litre engine makes a huge difference in performance.

Cargo Capacity: The luggage compartment of the 2015 Fiesta Sedan Hatch has a capacity of 363 litres.

Safety: Safety features in the 2015 Ford Fiesta Sedan include ABS brakes, electronic braking assistance, electronic brake force distribution, electronic stability control, launch control, imminent crash assistance and hill assist.
Comparing the 2015 Ford Fiesta Sedan: Comparable models in this subcompact category include the Honda Fit, the Hyundai Accent, the Kia Rio, the Mazda2, the Mitsubishi Mirage, the Toyota Yaris and the Nissan Versa.

Pros: Well-built and sturdy, the 2015 GMC Yukon is a comfortable, luxurious SUV. Moreover, GM's truck division has made a surprising amount of progress when it comes to road performance.

Cons: The 2015 GMC Yukon is quite bulky, so some might find it a bit hard to park, but it is a full-size SUV after all. Accordingly, the Yukon's price and fuel consumption are also full-sized.

Photo: GMC

2015 GMC Yukon Price: For 2015, GMC's SUV Yukon comes in four trims: the basic Yukon, the Denali, the XL and the XL Denali. Two versions of the basic Yukon are available, the SLE at $51,090 and the SLT at $60,950. The Denali is offered at $73,540. The XL is also available in two versions, the SLE at $54,080 and the SLT at $63,940. Finally, the XL Denali is sold for $76,530.

Fuel Economy: With a 5.3-litre V8, the 2WD GMC Yukon is rated at 14.9/10.1 L/100 km (city/highway); for 4WD, ratings can reach 15.4/10.8 L/100 km. Finally, Denali models, with a 6.2-litre, V8 engine, are rated at 16.8/11.4 L/100 km.

Improvements and Changes: This is an all-new Yukon.

2015 GMC Yukon Powertrain: Under the hood of basic and XL 2015 Yukon, GMC is offering a 5.3-litre, V8 SOHC that delivers 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque. The Denali is equipped with a 6.2-litre V8, which produces 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque.

Cargo Capacity: The 2015 GMC Yukon can fit 433 litres. Folding the third row seats and the middle seats increases cargo capacity to 1464 and to 2681 litres respectively. For XL models, cargo capacity can reach 1113, 2173 and 3429 litres.

Safety: The 2015 GMC Yukon safety features include ABS brakes with dynamic rear proportioning, brake assist, electronic brake force distribution, dynamic stability control, traction control, adaptive cruise control, collision alert, front and rear park assist as well as lane departure warning.

Comparing 2015 GMC Yukon: Other full-size SUVs in this segment are the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, the Ford Expedition, the Nissan Armada and the Toyota Sequoia.

From GMM

Max Verstappen says he was "prepared" for the waves of criticism about his formula one debut in 2015.

News that the 16-year-old Dutchman will make history as the sport's youngest ever race driver for Toro Rosso next year has been controversial.

Even his predecessor at the second Red Bull team, Daniel Ricciardo, has his doubts.

"I think Verstappen will answer on the track at the time of his debut and the months after it," the Australian said as he accepted the Lorenzo Bandini award in Italy.

"For me, I think a driver in formula one at 17 is too young, but that's only my personal opinion so it may be different, we'll see. For me, it's too young," the 25-year-old is quoted by Italy's Omnicorse.

Verstappen, whose father Jos raced in the 90s and even for Toro Rosso's former guise Minardi in 2003, gave his critics more fuel at the weekend as he appeared in a F1 car for the street demonstration in Rotterdam.

The 16-year-old crashed the Toro Rosso-liveried car head-first into the barrier, apparently as he fumbled with the complex controls of a modern F1 machine.



Earlier, Max Verstappen said that when he signed the deal with Red Bull, he expected criticism to follow.

"When you are being announced as the youngest ever formula one driver, you can expect it," he is quoted by the Dutch website RaceXpress.nl.

"I had prepared myself for it, and it's fine that everyone can have their own opinion. Next year we will see how it turns out," Max Verstappen added.

Rotterdam at the weekend was the first time Verstappen's F1 veteran father Jos had seen his son drive an F1 car, having missed the recent Rockingham shakedown.

"I felt no tension. When I see how calm he is and how he deals with everything, I just know it will be ok," said the former Benetton driver.

Verstappen snr said he is not sure what the next steps for Max will be, amid speculation he will appear for Toro Rosso on Friday mornings later this season.

"I have no clue," said Jos. "It changes from day to day. What we have decided is that it will be a little easier now in terms of publicity. After this weekend, Max should focus on his racing and his preparations."

Max agrees: "I do not know exactly what the programme looks like and whether I will run in practice sessions. Formula one is very different from F3 -- the cars have a lot more power, pulling very fast and just continuing to accelerate. I cannot wait to get on a real circuit and go flat out."

Finally, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said he sees no issue with Verstappen's controversial early debut.

"Why not?" he told Roger Benoit, the veteran correspondent for the Swiss newspaper Blick.

"If he has the talent, he should try it. I see no reason for an age limit. Maybe I'll try to make a comeback," the nearly 84-year-old Ecclestone joked.

The F1 chief executive also acknowledged that Verstappen's debut might be good for the sport in terms of opening the eyes of a younger generation of fans.

"Toto Wolff is always telling me the importance of social networks," Ecclestone said. "Let's see."