Car launches to watch out for at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo

The 2012 Delhi Auto Expo will likely be a people-flooded event as there are many interesting launches and concept cars to be lined up by your favorite car makers. The Auto Expo will also be a preview of which direction the Indian Auto industry will head in the next couple of years. Here is a compilation of some cars that will be showcased, launched or unveiled at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo to be held between January 7 and 11, 2012 at Pragati Maiden, New Delhi.

Mahindra Xylo mini

Mahindra will likely launch its much awaited mini multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), the Xylo mini. Being less than 4 metres in length, the Xylo mini qualifies for excise duty sops similar to small cars and this is the main USP of the car. AC, power windows, foldable rear seats, driver seat adjust, rear AC vents and rear wiper are some of the expected features in the upcoming Xylo mini. The Xylo mini will likely have adequate seating for five, and can seat seven at a pinch, with two tiny jump seats in the boot. It may be powered by a 1.5 litre, 3-cylinder diesel engine. The expected price range of the Xylo mini is Rs. 4.5 lakh to Rs. 6 lakh. The Xylo mini will face little competition from the not-so-popular Premier Rio sub-4 meter SUV. Read more about the Mahindra mini Xylo

Renault Pulse

The Renault Pulse small car is being unveiled at the debut Indian Grand Prix, with a launch scheduled for a month later. Full details such as variants, prices and specifications are expected to be revealed at the upcoming Delhi Auto Expo in January 2012. The Pulse will be based on Nissan’s V-platform on which the Nissan Micra is based. Renault’s upcoming car will likely be powered by 1.2-litre petrol (75 bhp/ 104 Nm) and 1.5-litre diesel (63 bhp/ 160 Nm) engines that power the Nissan Micra. The Pulse is expected to be priced in the range of Rs. 4 lakh – Rs. 7 lakh.  Renault is planning to position the Pulse in between the Maruti Suzuki Swift and Nissan Micra. The Pulse will have to compete with a host of cars such as Chevrolet Beat, Ford Figo, Maruti Suzuki Ritz, Tata Vista, Fiat Punto, Volkswagen Polo and Skoda Fabia. Read more about the Renault Pulse

Toyota Innova facelift

Toyota’s most successful product in India, the Innova will likely get a facelift treatment and could be unveiled at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. The new Innova will get redesigned headlamps and bumper. The upcoming Innova facelift’s rear will feature a new pair of tail lamps with brake lights, turn indicators and reverse fog lamps arranged in a new style. On the inside, expect changes in the 4-spoke wheel steering wheel design, AC vents and music system and new faux wood inserts on door panels. There will most likely be no changes in the dimensions or engines for the upcoming Innova. The Innova with its fresh looks will compete with the Mahindra Xylo, Tata Aria and the upcoming Nissan NV 200. Read more about the new Toyota Innova

Toyota Fortuner facelift

 

Toyota’s premium SUV, the Fortuner will likely get a facelift and could be unveiled at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. The upcoming Fortuner will have a redesigned front with thick horizontal chrome slats on the grille, a large air scoop over the bonnet and refreshed bumper. At the rear, the tail lamp cluster will get a clear lens treatment while the rear bumpers too have been mildly tweaked and have more muscular lines. The chrome slat on the boot lid will be carried forward in the new model as well. It is not clear whether there will be upgrades in the interior of the upcoming Fortuner. However, there will be no changes under the hood and the face-lifted Fortuner will retain the present models 3.0 litre diesel engine. The Fortuner facelift may be priced slightly above the current price (Rs. 20.14 lakh) and will compete with Ford Endeavour, Hyundai Santa Fe, Renault Koleos, Nissan X-Trail and Mitsubishi Outlander.

Maruti RIII (Ertiga)

(The photo above is of the concept Riii)

Maruti Suzuki will likely launch the RIII-concept based MPV, Ertiga, at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. The spy photos of the near production Maruti 7-seater MPV have been seen on the Internet in the past couple of months. As per the spy photos, the MPV will be spacious and will likely come in 6-seater and 7-seater options with a 2 +2 +2 and a 2+3+2 seating arrangement. Expect the front of the MPV to have a striking resemblance to its smaller sibling the Ritz small car and a bland rear with wide rear windscreen.  There are high expectations that the Maruti Suzuki MPV will likely be powered by the same 1.3 litre DDiS diesel engine that powers the diesel version of the SX4 and makes 89 bhp of power. The Ertiga will likely be priced in the Rs. 7 lakh – Rs. 9 lakh range and will lock horns with the Mahindra Xylo and base variants of the Toyota Innova.

BMW MINI

 

BMW has officially announced that it will launch its entire range of MINI models in India during 2012 and we expect the unveiling to happen at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. MINI has two brands, the MINI Cooper (hatchback body) and the MINI Countryman (stationwagon body). The MINI Cooper hatchback is available in a petrol version powered by a 1.6-litre (122 bhp/160 Nm) motor and diesel version powered by a 1.6-litre (110 bhp/240 Nm) motor. The Countryman diesel is powered by 1.6-litre (112 bhp/270 Nm) motor while the Countryman petrol is powered by a 1.6-litre (122 bhp/160 Nm) motor.  We can expect a price range of Rs 18 lakh – Rs. 32 lakh for the Cooper. The Countryman is expected to be priced in the Rs. 20 lakh – Rs. 25 lakh range. When launched in India, the Countryman will take on Honda CR-V, Skoda Yeti, Toyota Fortuner and its likes. The Cooper, on the other hand will likely enjoy a monopoly market for there will be no premium hatchback in India at the expected price of Rs. 18 lakh, but may tempt buyersof the Volkswagen Beetle and Fiat 500, the two iconic cars that enjoy cult status like the MINI brand.

Mercedes-Benz B-Class

Mercedes-Benz may unveil its next generation B-Class premium hatchback at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. The company believes that the A- and B-Class range that may have a great market potential in India and hence, the launch of these models will happen soon. There are few details about the next generation B-Class model.  At present, The B-Class too is also offered in Europe in several variants like the 180 CDI, 200 CDI, 150, 170, 200, 200 Turbo and 150 and 170 Blue Efficiency. The present B-Class model is slightly larger than the company’s smallest offering, the A-Class model and measures 4,135 mm in length, 1,778 mm in width and 1,623 mm in height. Expect the upcoming B-Class to have different looks and new dimensions as well. The next generation B-Class is expected to cost in the range of Rs. 15 lakh – Rs. 20 lakh. The car will compete with Volkswagen Beetle, Fiat 500 and the upcoming Mini Cooper premium hatchback from BMW. Read more about the Mercedes Benz B-Class

Nissan Sunny diesel

 

The Sunny sedan, launched by Nissanin September will be available in diesel version at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. The Sunny diesel will likely be powered by a powerful version of the 1.5-litre K9K diesel motor that powers the Micra diesel hatchback. The diesel engine for Sunny will likely make 85 bhp of power and 200 Nm of torque. The mileage of the Sunny diesel would be the USP of the car and will attract potential buyers looking for a spacious diesel sedan below Rs. 10 lakh. The Sunny diesel version will likely come with the same trim levels (variants) and features list like the Sunny petrol version. The expected price range of the Sunny diesel is Rs. 7.5 – 9.5 lakh and will compete with diesel versions of Maruti Suzuki SX4, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Verna, Volkswagen Vento, Fiat Linea and the upcoming Skoda Rapid.

Nissan NV200

The NV200 will be the first MPV in Nissan’s Indian product lineup and will likely be unveiled at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. The NV200 sold by Nissan in international markets, has a traditional minivan design with subtle dashes of new age elegance. The front bumper is huge and adds a little muscle to the otherwise mundane design. The side profile of the NV200 reveals strong character lines which give it a personality of its own. The rear of the NV200 is not particularly attractive to look at but suits its workhorse image. The MPV has a tall road stance. The NV200 may be offered in 6, 7 and 8 seats configuration. The NV200 is expected to be powered by the 1.5-litre diesel motor that powers the Micra diesel hatchback. However, the power and torque is expected to be 85 bhp and 200 Nm respectively higher than the Micra engine (63 bhp/160 Nm). The NV200 is expected to be priced in the range of Rs. 8 lakh – Rs. 13 lakh and will compete with the Toyota Innova and Mahindra Xylo. Read more about the Nissan NV200 MPV

Chevrolet Captiva

The Captiva facelift may be launched at the 2012 Auto Expo. The facelift version gets a bow-tie styled large split-grille similar to that seen on the Chevrolet Beat and Cruze models. While the side profile has no significant changes, the tail lamp cluster has been redesigned. The facelift version gets more chrome and a clear lens treatment. The interiors of the upcoming Captiva will get a grey-black treatment. However there are chances that the company may also offer bright beige interiors when the car is launched in India. The new Captiva will likely be powered by a more powerful 2.2 litre turbo diesel engine that will make 184 bhp of max power and 400 Nm of max torque. The engine will be mated to 6-speed manual and a possible automatic transmission. Expect the new Captiva to return a mileage of 15.6 kmpl. Chevrolet will likely offer the Captiva in both 4×2 and 4×4 variants. It will likely be priced higher than the current prices that range between Rs. 17.9 – Rs. 19.7 lakh.

Fiat Punto Evo

 

Fiat will likely launch the facelift version of the Punto, dubbed ‘Punto Evo’ at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. The Punto Evo is a cosmetic upgrade of the present model. The visible changes on the exterior in the upcoming Punto Evo includes modified front bumpers, new front grille with a thick chrome strip and smoked headlamps and redesigned foglamps. At the rear, the facelift version will get redesigned bumper and new detailing on taillamps cluster. Under the hood, the Punto Evo will have the  same 1.2-litre petrol and the 1.3-litre Multijet diesel as in the present model. The Punto Evo may be priced slightly higher than the current model with prices ranging between Rs. 4.31 lakh – Rs. 6.50 lakh. The Punto Evo will compete with Tata Vista, Maruti Suzuki Swift, Volkswagen Polo, Nissan Micra, Skoda Fabia and upcoming Renault Pulse.

Chevrolet Beat facelift

Chevrolet will likely unveil the facelift version of its small car, the Beat, at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. The new Beat bears a redesigned bow-tie grille with less aggressive looks, detailed headlamps and refreshed taillamps. The facelifted Beat also gets new alloys and sporty rear spoiler with integrated LED brake lights. On the inside, the upcoming new Beat is expected to come with Bluetooth connectivity, an LCD screen, new plastic materials and optional cruise control. The facelifted version will likely be powered by the same 1.2 litre petrol engine and 1.0 litre diesel engine that power the present model. The facelifted Beat may cost slightly more than the existing car. Currently, the Beat petrol is priced in the range of Rs. 3.83 lakh Rs. 4.73 lakh while the Beat diesel is priced in the range of Rs. 4.29 lakh – Rs. 5.45 lakh. The Beat facelift will compete with the likes of Ford Figo, Maruti Suzuki Ritz, Hyundai i10, Honda Brio and Nissan Micra.