courtesy:autocarindia
Audi
Audi
While Mercedes and BMW chose to bring luxury hatchbacks here, Audi thinks our market isn’t ready yet; it has, instead, brought its A3 sedan here. The A3 sedan is compact and will come with two engine options – a 1.8-litre TSI petrol and a 2.0-litre TDI diesel. In a surprise move, Audi revealed the A3 Cabriolet to India; the car will go on sale alongside the regular A3 sedan. Also on display were the stunning RS7, R8 V10, and the 700bhp Quattro Concept.
BMW launched its 3-series GT at the show with a price-tag of Rs 42.75 lakh. The GT is a slightly longer version of the regular 3-series sedan so there’s a lot more space in the cabin, even the rear seats recline, sure to appeal to the chauffeur driven. BMW also showcased the futuristic i8 hybrid, which the company claims touches 100kph in 4.4 seconds. The German carmaker also showcased the all-new X5 and the potent M6 Gran Coupe. Also, Mini officially brought the John Cooper Works brand to India.
The American carmaker took the wraps off its stylish Adra concept, which, interestingly, was developed entirely in India by the company’s designers at the company’s technical centre in Bangalore. A competitor to the Ford EcoSport and Renault Duster, the Adra is likely to be powered by a 1.3-litre diesel engine when it is launched.
Other cars at the stall were the facelifed Beat which starts at Rs 4.06 lakh for the base petrol and goes up to Rs 6.10 lakh for the top-end diesel. Chevrolet brought not just one but two of its muscle cars from the American market, the Camaro and the Corvette Stingray.
Nissan’s budget brand showed the Go hatchback and Go+ MPV at the show. The carmaker still hasn’t revealed prices yet. Also on display was a stylish concept for future entry-level Datsun hatchback, called the redi-GO.
Getting the most attention at the Fiat stall was the new Avventura, basically an off-road, semi-rugged crossover based on the Punto's platform, complete with a tail-gate-mounted spare wheel and ground clearance of 200mm. The updated Linea, with a new front end, was also displayed alongside the performance-oriented Fiat 500 Abarth.
Ford
If you thought the F-type was stunning, wait till you get a load of the F-type coupé in the flesh at the JLR stall. Jaguar also had its C-X17 SUV concept and Project 7 sportscar concept there. The carmaker also announced that it will start assembling the XJ saloon in India. And, the company showcased its most expensive Rangie yet, the Range Rover LWB, which shared space with the 2014 Evoque that now comes with a nine-speed gearbox.
Jaguar XJ sedan to be assembled in India
Auto Expo 2014 Jaguar - Land Rover Photo gallery
JLR showcased F-type coupe & LWB Range Rover
Ford globally unveiled the Figo compact sedan concept which is in line with Ford’s global design language. The production version of the sub-four-metre concept will be powered by both petrol and diesel engine options and will be launched before the hatchback.
Also shown was the updated Fiesta sedan. The new, almost Aston-Martin like face and the updated interiors will go some way in boosting the car’s appeal. Engine options though continue unchanged. Ford also had an mildly updated 2014 Endeavour on display.
Honda showed two production ready cars at the Expo, the Mobilio MPV and the next-generation Jazz. The Mobilio, based on the Brio platform, is a seven-seat people mover that shares a lot with the tiny hatch. It will get the 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engines from the City and will be priced to compete with the Maruti Ertiga when it is launched.
The next-generation Jazz is based on the City's platform and will be more heavily localised when it goes on sale and will be offered with a diesel engine. Honda also showed the XS-1, a compact SUV concept which previews a seven-seat Toyota Innova-sized soft roader that will be built on Honda’s new 2GA platform.
The company also had there its stunning NSX supercar concept that has a mid-mounted V6 petrol motor coupled to a pair of electric motors for true supercar performance.
Hyundai launched the all-new Santa Fe at the Auto Expo 2014 with prices beginning at Rs 26.3 lakh. The seven-seat SUV comes with all the bells and whistles that we’ve come to expect from a Hyundai, and it comes with a choice of both 2WD and 4WD. Also there was the Grand i10-based Xcent saloon. The sub-four-metre Xcent is Hyundai’s first proper rival to the Swift Dzire and the Honda Amaze.
Isuzu had on display its D-max Space Cab. Aimed at the owner-driven utility vehicle market, the D-max Space Cab is what the company calls ‘India’s first multi-utility pick-up’. The company also showed its recently launched MU-7 SUV.
Jaguar XJ sedan to be assembled in India
Auto Expo 2014 Jaguar - Land Rover Photo gallery
JLR showcased F-type coupe & LWB Range Rover
The Indian carmaker had a host of electric cars on display. The spotlight though was on the Halo electric sportscar that is claimed to accelerate to 100kph from standstill in under eight seconds. A top speed of 160kph and a range of 200km is also likely.
The other EVs there were the electric Verito with a range of 80km and a top speed of 85kph and the updated E2O which gets a new ‘Quick Charge’ port for even faster charging. Also on display was the company’s Formula E championship race car. The open wheel racer is powered by an electric motor and makes about 270bhp. A hybrid XUV 5OO was also on display alongside the Quanto with an automated manual transmission.
Maruti displayed its Authentics concept, which the company is now calling the ‘Ciaz’. The striking concept previews what the next generation SX4 will look like. Alongside the Ciaz was the SX4 S-cross, a crossover that’s scheduled to be launched in India soon. The other star of the stall was Maruti’s all-new Celerio, which was launched with quite an attractive price-tag starting from Rs 3.9 lakh.
Mercedes had on display the production-ready version of its GLA-class SUV. The compact SUV is based on the same MFA platform as the A-class and CLA, and is Merc’s first proper rival to the likes of the Audi Q3 and the BMW X1. Also sharing space with the GLA was the CLA 45 AMG. It’s got a 2.0-litre petrol engine that puts out 360bhp, making it the most powerful four-cylinder engine in the world, yet the most efficient in its class.
Nissan showcased its mildly updated Sunny at the show. Most of the changes are limited to the front – the grille is more pronounced, the headlights are larger and extend into the bumper, and there are new alloy wheels as well. Nissan also had at the Expo its race-winning GT-R GT500 and the Friend-Me concept, which points to what future Nissan sedans will look like.
The wicked KWID concept looks straight out of a video game. The great news is that a lot of its design elements could make it to the next-generation Duster. Also at the stand were the updated Koleos SUV that gets a bump in power by 23bhp and the facelifted Fluence sedan, which now wears the new Renault face and looks much more appealing.
The facelifted Yeti made an appearance at the Auto Expo 2014. To be launched in the latter half of 2014, it will be offered with the 2.0-litre diesel engine with two power output options. The facelifted Superb was also showcased.
Skoda showcases the facelifted Superb, Yeti
The SsangYong LIV-1 concept SUV was showcased which could very well be the next-generation Rexton.
The big news maker this year was Tata Motors. It unveiled two brand new offerings, the Bolt hatchback and the Zest sedan, both based on a heavily modified X1 platform of the Vista. The cars look decidedly modern and will be powered by the new 1.2-litre Revotron petrol engine. The Zest will also get an automated manual gearbox when it is launched.
The Nexon concept previews the company’s future design language and points to the upcoming compact SUV. The Connectnext concept previews the company’s push towards more connectivity options in its future line-up.
A couple of variants of the Nano, an automatic that is likely to be launched next year, and the Twist Active with a regular opening hatch were also on display.
The next-generation Corolla was unveiled at the Auto Expo 2014 and the sharply designed car shows Toyota’s push at making cars look more appealing. The car is longer and wider and the wheelbase has been stretched by 100mm to make more space at the rear.
Toyota also showed the rugged Etios Cross, basically an Etios Liva hatch with additional body cladding. Engine options remain the same as on the hatchback.
Volkswagen had the compact Taigun SUV concept at the Auto Expo 2014. The SUV is based on the Up hatchback platform and is powered by a 1.0-litre petrol engine. The company is currently evaluating the feasibility of launching the car here in India.
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