10 BIGGEST car, motorcycle & scooter launches of the 2018 Auto Expo: Maruti Swift to Yamaha R15

2018 Auto Expo saw a participation from many Indian and international manufacturers. While many new concepts, unveilings and showcases happened at the event, there were a few exciting launches too. We bring you all the launches that took place at India’s biggest exhibition.

Maruti Suzuki Swift

Maruti launched the all-new Swift at a starting price of Rs. 4.99 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi. The new hatchback is available in 12 variants and the top-of-the-line diesel variant is priced at Rs. 8.29 lakh. The car is made on a new HEARTECT platform that makes it lighter than the predecessor.

The all-new Swift was being delivered to various dealerships across India. Maruti has not changed the engine specifications of the all-new Swift. It is still powered by the 1.2-litre diesel and 1.3-litre diesel engine options. Despite being powered by the same engines, the performance has become better while the fuel efficiency has gone up due to the lighter body weight. Both the engine options get AMT automatics as options.

Hyundai Elite i20

Hyundai launched the facelifted version of the Elite i20 at a starting price of Rs. 5.35 lakh. The car gets minor changes to the exterior like the new grille, new alloy wheels and updated tail lamps. Everything else stays the same. The car is available in 10 variants and the top end diesel costs Rs. 9.15 lakh.

The new Elite i20 uses the same 1.2-litre VTVT petrol engine that generates 82 Bhp – 115 Nm and 1.4-litre diesel that produces 89 Bhp – 220 Nm. The diesel transmission gets a 6-speed manual box while the petrol gets a 5-speed manual and a CVT automatic gearbox.

DC TCA

DC launched their new sportscar TCA which is an acronym of Titanium, Carbon Fibre and Aluminum. The car is priced at Rs. 45 lakh, ex-showroom and the production will be limited to 299 units. The car will be built at DC Design’s factory at Talegaon, Maharashtra.

The TCA is powered by a 3.8-litre V8 engine that produces a maximum power of 320 Bhp. It is paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission that sends the power to the rear wheels. It can do 0-100 km/h in 4.5 seconds. The DC TCA is the second car from the design house after the launch of Avanti.

Yamaha YZF-R15 version 3.0

Yamaha has launched the much-awaited version 3.0 of the YZF-R15 in India. The bike is priced at Rs. 1.25 lakh, ex-showroom and gets many changes over the predecessor. The new YZF-R15 is more powerful than the previous version and is powered by a 155cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine. The engine produces a maximum power of 19.2 Bhp and 14.7 Nm.

The new R15 also gets new LED headlamps, 6-speed transmission with slipper clutch, higher fuel efficiency, and a new Deltabox frame. The bike gets disc brakes on both the wheels but ABS is missing. The bike misses out on internationally available features like USD forks, Metzeler tyres and aluminium footpegs to reduce the cost.

Yamaha YZF-R3

Yamaha stopped the sale of the YZF-R3 in India after the BS IV emissions were implemented on the two-wheelers. The R3 was the best selling bike in the segment and Yamaha has re-launched the product after a brief absence. The Yamaha YZF-R3 is priced at Rs. 3.48 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi and will be assembled in India.

It is powered by a 321cc, four-stroke parallel-twin engine that generates a maximum of 40 Bhp at 10,750 rpm and 29.6 Nm at 9,000 rpm. The bike gets a 6-speed gearbox as standard. The YZF-R3 can do 0-100 km/h in 6 seconds and can reach over 180 km/h. It gets Metzeler tyres and ABS as standard.

UM Renegade Thor

UM has launched world’s first electric cruiser bike with a transmission in India. The bike is priced at Rs. 9.9 lakh and is a CBU model. The bike is powered by an electric motor that develops around 40 Bhp and 70 Nm. The cruiser can reach a top speed of 180 km/h.

The Thor has lithium-ion batteries that can make the bike go for 270 km on a single charge. The batteries can be charged in about 40 mins through the quick charge. It gets standard ABS, 17-inch wheel at the front and 15-inch wheel at the rear.

UM Renegade Duty

UM launched new affordable Duty series of Renegade in two variants – S and Ace. The bike is priced at Rs. 1.1 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi. Both the bike are powered by the same 223cc, single-cylinder, oil-cooled engine that generates a maximum of 17 Bhp and 17 Nm.

The cruise bikes get 10-litre fuel tank capacity with 41 km/l fuel efficiency. The bikes get 360 optional LED lighting system that adds LED lamps on the side of the bike for better visibility at night. It competes with the likes of Bajaj Avenger and Suzuki Intruder in the market.

Twenty Two Flow

Twenty-Two Motors launched a new electric scooter called Flow. The new artificial intelligence based scooter if priced at Rs. 74,740, ex-showroom, Delhi. The Flow gets many advanced techs like cloud server based information storage, GPS security system, phone app-based control and more.

The scooter is powered by a 90 Nm electric motor that takes power from lithium-ion batteries. The scooter can be charged within five hours and can do 80 km on a full charge. The battery capacity can be doubled, which in turn can double the range of the electric scooter.

Menza Lucat

Menza has launched its first electric bike in India named as Lucat. The bike is priced at Rs. 2.49 lakh and is termed as India’s first urban electric bike. The Lucat looks quite unconventional and is a factory custom bike that can be altered as per customer’s needs. The bike gets full LED headlamps, flat clip-on handlebar, cantilevered tailpiece, spoked rims and twin-tube swing arm.

It is powered by a DC motor that generates 18 kW and 60 Nm. the battery pack is a 72V lithium-ion pack that charges completely in 4 hours and also gets fast charging option. The battery lasts for about 100 km per charge in city traffic and 150 km on the highway.

Emflux One

Emflux is another Indian start-up that has launched the One. It is an electric sports bike that is first of its kind in India. It is priced at Rs. 6 lakh for the standard version and Rs. 11 lakh for the upgraded version that gets additional features like monobloc Brembo brakes, forged alloy wheels, and carbon fibre panels.

The bike is powered by 9.7 KWh battery pack that has an output of 53 kW and 73 Nm. The bike also gets dual channel ABS, and Pirelli Diablo tyres. It has a range of 200 km on a full charge and the battery pack takes about an hour to get fully charged. Bookings will start soon and the deliveries will start in April 2019.