The Indian Auto Expo is just around the corner and we here are some car brands and launches that you just cannot miss out on-
Jeep Renegade
The Jeep Compass has been a runaway hit for the American brand in India and now the carmaker plans to get into the top players in the sales chart.
Just like the Compass, the Renegade will be priced very aggressively and we can even expect prices to start from under the Rs. 10 Lakh mark. This entry-level off-roader will take on the likes of Hyundai Creta and Renault Duster. Last year, the company had imported two units of the Renegade – two-wheel and 4-wheel drive. In fact, the company has also started testing the SUV on Indian roads. The SUV is built on the Small-Wide platform that also underpins the Compass, sharing components from the later. It gets a 6.5-inch UConnect touchscreen infotainment system with satellite navigation. Feature list include fabric seats, automatic air-conditioning, gear knob and multi-functional steering wheel. Designed by the Ian Hedge and Jeremy Glover, the Jeep Renegade compact SUV will certainly appeal the young and urban enthusiasts. Most of the design and styling elements will be carried over from the Wrangler. Under the hood would be a 1.6-litre diesel engine which will have enough grunt to power the this compact SUV.
Honda Civic
The Honda civic is all set to make a comeback at this year’s auto expo and the same has been making the news ever since. It was a runaway hit when it was first launched in the Indian market back in the day, Now, the Honda Civic is coming back to India! Expect Honda to showcase the Civic at the Auto Expo 2018 before launching it here. According to our source, the Civic will come with a 1.8 Petrol and a 1.5 L Diesel engine. Honda is targeting a starting price of around 14 lakhs for the upcoming Civic. The Civic will one of multiple upcoming Honda Cars at Auto Expo 2018 that Honda hopes will help revive sales in India.
Maruti Suzuki Swift
Swift has been an ace seller for Maruti Suzuki in India every since it has been launched in India. Even the Swift based compact sedan- the Dzire churns out big numbers for the Indian carmaker and has been topping the sales chart since a long time. At the upcoming Indian Auto Expo, Maruti will most likely showcase the new Swift which has already been launched in some international markets. It will most likely retain the current engine options i.e a 1.3-litre diesel engine and a 1.2-litre petrol engine and will come mated with an option of an automatic or a manual transmission- just like its sedan counterpart.
Ford Kuga
Ford has been doing well in the Indian market especially in the SUV domain. The new EcoSport along with the Endeavour have been steady on the sales charts and the American carmaker now plans to launch the Kuga in India by the end of this month. Under the hood of the Kuga, we can expect a 1.5-litre mill which will be good enough to produce a hefty 148 bhp of power along with an option of a 2.0-litre which will be offered with different tunes. Prices are expected to start from Rs. 12 lakh, hence competing directly with the Hyundai Creta.
Kia Rio
Kia will be entering the Indian market and the carmaker has already started acquiring dealerships for itself in India for the same. Rio sedan is in its fourth generation now and will be the carmaker’s main product for the India operations. Build on an all-new platform, the next-generation model gets increased length of 4384mm (15mm longer) and wheelbase of 2580mm (up by 10mm). However, the width and height has been reduced to offer a more balanced ride. Internationally, it comes with a 1.6-litre petrol engine developing 132PS and 147.78Nm. This engine is mated to a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission. It is likely to get the diesel engine of the Hyundai Verna when it comes to India. It’ll rival the Maruti Ciaz and the Honda City.
Hyundai Kona
Korean carmaker Hyundai has been doing well in the Indian market and will be updating its hatchback i20 soon as well. Keeping up with the changing trends, they will be launching a new model called the Kona hopefully at the Auto Expo. The Hyundai Kona design would be based on the Hyundai Elite i20 platform with aggressive styling features and versatile interiors like Creta. The exteriors will have new headlights with daytime running lights, ORVMs with integrated indicators and stylish tail lamps. The interiors will have premium-quality trims, multi-information instrument cluster and advanced infotainment system. The safety features of dual airbags, ABS with EBD and parking assistant system would be featured as a standard.
Under the hood, the petrol version of Kona is expected to feature a 1.4 L 4-cylinder engine with power of 120 PS whereas the diesel version can be expected to be available with 1.4 L and 1.6 L engine versions. The transmission system will have a 6-speed manual gearbox and the 4-speed automatic transmission can be expected in the top variants of the petrol version.
Log on to Exhibit Auto for more updates from the Indian Auto Industry and a real time update from the Indian Auto Expo.
