AUTO MILEAGE LABEL BY APRIL

 Car and two-wheeler makers are gearing up to meet the April 1 deadline set by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) to disclose the fuel efficiency of their vehicles.

Some manufacturers have already adhered to the new norms, while others are speeding up to meet the deadline. Hyundai Motor India, Fiat India, Honda Siel Cars, Toyota Motors, Hero Honda and Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India are willing to comply with the norms.

We will not only comply with the directive, but will also do it much ahead of the deadline, said Rajiv Mitra, spokesperson for Honda Motor India. Sandeep Singh, deputy managing director (marketing) of Toyota Kirloskar Motors, said, We will begin to display fuel efficiency on our models soon.

At the annual convention of SIAM in September last year, the industry body had asked auto manufacturers to implement the voluntary labelling programme, under which they were required to display information about the fuel efficiency of vehicles.

The whole objective behind such a move is to help customers take an informed decision. It will help buyers make comparisons and analyse better, said K.K Gandhi, executive director (technical), SIAM. Two-wheeler manufacturers are also ready to conform to the directive. N.K. Rattan, sales and marketing head of Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India, said, It is a collective effort by the industry and we will co-operate.

Maruti Suzuki India was the first to follow the directive. Tata Motors was next in line.
Maruti Suzuki had disclosed the fuel efficiency of its entire range of vehicles. The three government approved agencies Automotive Research Association of India, Vehicles Research and Development Establishment and International Centre of Automotive Technology have tested its 12 models.

All companies have to take a standard test conducted under similar conditions, which makes it easy for the customer to choose a brand. Maruti Suzukis first car M800 has been certified a mileage of 16.1 km per litre, while Alto can cover 18.1 km per litre.
Tata Motors most fuel-efficient compact car is the Indica Vista with a mileage of 20.9 kilometres per litre.