Auto fanatic SHAUN CHICHARITO gears up for three big releases
Honda Civic
While the rest of the world already has the Civic, we are finally going to see this premium sedan return to our Indian shores. While the old Civic subscribed to the traditional Japanese tuner design language, the new one is top notch premium and will once again rival its arch nemesis, the Toyota Corolla Altis and the Skoda Octavia. Expect the 1.8 L Petrol engine that’s on sale in Asian markets along with a diesel offering to be made available to us.
Approx price: Rs 18 – Rs 24 lakh
Audi Q8
We have known the Audi Q7 to be the godfather of SUVs for a while now, with the commanding 7 seater being the preferred choice for Bollywood stars and bigshot politicians alike. Now, Audi has decided to go a step further with the Q8. The Q8 is actually a smaller 5 seater coupe SUV that aims to lock horns with BMW’s X6. The styling guarantees eyeballs wherever you go and the 3.0 L V6 engine combined with Audi’s famous Quattro all wheel drive should ensure that it’s just as much go as show.
Approx price: Rs 1 – Rs 1.20 crore
Tata Harrier
If you are in the market for a mid-sized SUV, wait for the Harrier’s launch on January 23. The first love child from the Tata-Jaguar Land Rover alliance, it aims to blend the ruggedness and reliability of the former with the comfort, performance and technology of the latter. Expect the Harrier to be feature-loaded with multiple driving modes, equipped with six airbags for safety and even fitted with a segment first dual screen set-up for the infotainment system! The 2.0 Diesel mill churning 140 PS should be good enough to catch up with Jeep’s hot selling Compass.
Approx price: Rs 14 – Rs 21 lakh