10 cars & SUVs from the Frankfurt Motor Show heading to India

The Frankfurt Motorshow, or the IAA as it is known as is underway and there have been quite a few special models that have been showcased. While most of them are hybrid/electric concepts that are far from reaching Indian shores, there are 10 cars that will be making their way to India in the near future. Here they are:

Suzuki Swift Sport

Suzuki revealed the all-new Swift Sport officially at the Frankfurt Motorshow. The car has been highly anticipated and Maruti even hinted that the Sport would be making it to India sometime next year. Power comes from a 1.4 liter turbo petrol engine (Boosterjet) that produces 138 Bhp and 230 Nm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox that sends power to the front wheels. While the new Swift Sport is bigger than the outgoing model, it also happens to be lighter as well, weighing in at 970 kgs. Given the Abarth Punto is massively fast and has similar power, the Swift Sport with its light weight advantage will easily be able to be the fastest affordable hot hatch in the country, when it is launched.

Renault Duster

After its initial reveal, we now have more information on the all-new Duster, which will make its way to India sometime next year. While it was reported that the Duster will get a 7-seat option, that has not happened as the company wanted to stick to the core values behind the Duster, which is cheap and rugged. The main highlight has to be the fact the vehicle is now a lot more up market, be it on the outside or the inside. The car now gets LED DRLs which make it look more sporty . On the inside, the interiors have been spruced up quite a lot, an area where the Duster was beginning to show its age. The new dashboard, instruments, touch screen system and climate control look a lot more funky and cool now, as opposed to the outgoing version. We expect the 1.5 petrol and the diesel to be on offer in India.

Skoda Karoq

Skoda is looking to take over the compact SUV market with the Karoq. The company has just discontinued the Yeti and the Karoq will be its replacement. The company is already evaluating its Indian launch, to take on the Compass. The Karoq is a mini Kodiaq, when it comes to looks. It will feature fog lamps up in the bumper, will get LED lights with LED DRLs and a similar bumper to that on the Kodiaq. At 4.3 meters, the vehicle is not very long and has a wheelbase of 2.6 meters. It gets the large touch screen system, ambient lighting, digital instrument cluster and the option to make the car a WiFi hotspot. As far as engines are concerned, we are not sure on what will make it to India, as there are lot of engines on offer in the global market. We expect the 2.0 TDI to be offered though.

Hyundai Kona EV

Hyundai dropped plans of bringing in hybrid vehicles to the Indian market due to the new taxation policy under GST. What they have said though is that they will bring in an electric version of the Kona, which is what they are evaluating right now. The Kona is a compact SUV which has been given a trendy look to it. Hyundai unveiled the electric version of the vehicle at Frankfurt. It has a range of 384 kms. It will be launched sometime next year. Specifications of the vehicle are still not clear though.

BMW 6GT

BMW is working on a rival to the E Class LWB. Currently, BMW sells the 5 Series as a normal wheel base version, while Mercedes is selling the E Class as a LWB version only. To take on that, BMW will be launching the new 6GT (replacement for the 5GT) in the Indian market. The car will be made in India as a CKD product to keep pricing in check. Under the hood, the global model gets a whole host of engine options. We expect the 630i and the 630d to be offered in the Indian market (630i is a 2.0 liter 4-cylinder turbo petrol unit making 255 Bhp and 400 Nm, 630d is an inline 6-cylinder engine making 262 Bhp and 620 Nm)

Continued below: 10 cars from Frankfurt Motorshow heading to India