Auto Expo 2016: Cars you should not miss!

Words: Aatish Mishra

The thirteenth edition of the Indian Auto Expo will be held from February 5-9 at the India Expo Mart in Greater Noida. Over 1.2 lakh visitors witnessed the Expo every day in 2014 despite shifting the location from a centralised Pragati Maidan to the India Expo Mart in Greater Noida and this year, the turn out is expected to be even greater. Indoor exhibition space has gone up to 73,000 square metres spread across 14 permanent halls, six more than in 2014. The Expo opens doors to the public at 10am on the weekend and 1pm on weekdays.
Eighty new vehicles will be unveiled at the Auto Expo this year and almost all manufacturers producing cars in India will be displaying their products. If that’s reason enough to go, our short list of the ones we are keen to see should help you out at the fairgrounds. evo India will also be there at Hall 16, so come drop in!

Audi A4

The A4 will be Audi’s big launch for 2016. While visual changes aren’t drastic, the new A4 is based on the VW group’s shared MLB platform making it more spacious on the inside and 120kg lighter. Expect the current 2.0-litre diesel to continue alongside the 1.8-litre petrol with only front-wheel-drive to start with.

BMW X1

Head over to the BMW stall to check out the radical new BMW X1. Why radical? Because in a significant shift for BMW, the new X1 will be front-wheel-drive. Based on the UKL2 platform, it can be equipped with BMW’s xDrive AWD system. With a more SUV-like stance, it does away with the estate-like looks of the past.

Chevrolet Camaro

You won’t want to miss Chevrolet’s iconic muscle car, the Camaro at this year’s Expo. Chevrolet will be making a big splash on the performance front and the Camaro will be sharing space with the new Corvette that has come in for high praise, and is being touted as a genuine rival to Porsches, AMGs and Ms.

Datsun Go-Cross

We’ve known it for sometime now that Datsun has been preparing a cross-over version of the Go+ and it will be launched at the Expo. The Go-Cross will get distinctive styling that includes plenty of plastic cladding and roof rails for the off-road cachet. The redi-Go, Datsun’s take on the Renault Kwid and based on the CMF-A platform will be the other big launch.

Fiat Egea

Expect to see the replacement to the Linea at the Expo. While it is called the Egea in Turkish markets and the Tipo in other European markets, Fiat haven’t yet announced what they’ll be calling it in India, if they bring it here. It is larger, more spacious, more luxurious and is the deseprately needed Linea replacement.

Ford Mustang

It is happening! Ford have finally decided to make a right hand drive Mustang and that means it will be coming to our shores very, very soon. In its sixth generation, this Mustang comes with four-cylinder, V6 and V8 engine options but it is the V6 that will most likely make it to India. Time to ride the pony!

Honda BR-V

Based on the same platform as the Brio and Amaze, this compact SUV will take on the likes of the Hyundai Creta. It will have the same petrol and diesel engines as the City along with a CVT automatic transmission option. Unlike the Hyundai, the BR-V offers a third row of seats, which should be a major trump card.

Hyundai i20 WRC

A real treat for rally nuts, Hyundai will be showcasing the 2016 Hyundai i20 WRC car which is based on the Elite i20 sold in India. Of course beneath the familar shell this car is a completely different animal with a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine good for 300bhp and 400Nm of torque, a sequential gearbox and four-wheel-drive.

Isuzu MU-X


The MU-X replaced the MU-7 internationally in 2013, but Isuzu brought the MU-7 to India just last year. Isuzu are setting up a plant at Sri City in Andhra Pradesh and will begin assembly of this seven-seater in India in a few months. The MU-X gets a 3-litre diesel mated to a five-speed automatic.

Jaguar XE

Jaguar’s entry-level sedan, the XE will be launched on the first press day of the Expo (February 3). Bookings for the car are already open and it is available in two petrol derivatives — one making 197bhp and the other making 237bhp. It is the only car in the segment to come with an aluminium monocoque structure.

Jeep Wrangler

Finally the Jeep brand will be launched in India with the official unveil at the Auto Expo. The four-door Wrangler Unlimited gets a 2.8-litre diesel engine that makes 197bhp, an automatic gearbox and plenty of off-road cred. The 2-door Wrangler Sport, Jeep Grand Cherokee and the smoking hot SRT 8 variant will also be shown.

Lexus RX Hybrid

Lexus has long been rumoured to come to India and wraps should finally be off at the Expo with the trump card being hybrid powertrains. The Indian range will probably start with the RX SUV powered by a 3.5-litre V6 mated to an electric motor that pumps out a total of 303bhp and topped up by the full-size LX which is based on the Land Cruiser LC200. The ES, GS and LS saloons will also be shown.

Mahindra Formula E

Mahindra racing is the only Indian team to have competed in the inaugural season of Formula E and has extended its partnership in the innovative series. While the powertrain used in the first season was standardised, this year each team can develop its own motor, inverter, gearbox and cooling system.

Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza

Wraps will be taken off Maruti Suzuki’s compact SUV christened the Vitara Brezza. Entirely designed and developed by Maruti in India with executive director C V Raman as the chief engineer (the first time an Indian has led a Suzuki project) this will be the star attraction at the biggest manufacturer stand at the Expo.

Maruti Suzuki Ignis

First unveiled at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, the Ignis will be on display at Maruti Suzuki’s stall. It has a 1.2-litre displacement dual-jet petrol engine and comes with SHVS technology, just like the current Ciaz and Ertiga do. This hatch will be the Wagon R replacement and will be positioned just below the Swift.

Mercedes-Benz GLC

Based on the same platform as the C-Class, the GLC is an SUV that sits under the GLE. It will be launched later in the year, one of the 12 new vehicles Mercedes-Benz has promised for 2016. What will grab eyeballs though is the G500 4×4 Squared, the four-wheel-drive version of the mad 6×6 G-Wagen.

Nissan GT-R

Yes, it is coming! After much dithering, Nissan is set to bite the bullet and officially launch the GT-R in India. The AWD sportscar gets a 3.8-litre V6 with mind bending performance figures — 542bhp and 632Nm of torque, enough to make some very expensive cars look very small in its rear view mirror. Price? Around Rs 2 crore.

Renault 

Renault’s take on the crossover genre, the Kadjar, is based on the very successful Nissan Qashqai. It made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in 2015 and is slated to be a replacement to the Koleos. The Kadjar comes with both FWD and AWD drivetrain options.

SsangYong Tivoli

The Tivoli is the first new model that SsangYong have made after the Mahindra & Mahindra takeover in February 2011. The Tivoli will be powered by Mahindra’s newly developed 1.6-litre mFalcon engines. This compact SUV is already on sale in Korea and SsangYong should launch it in India soon.

Tata Hexa

The Aria never really took off and Tata is set to replace it with the Hexa. Based on the Aria’s platform, the Hexa’s styling is in line with Tata’s new design language. It has the same 2.2-litre engine that features in the recently launched Safari Storme Varicor 400 but with much better refinement and fit and finish.

Toyota Innova

Taller and wider than the MPV it replaces, the new Innova is powered by a 2.4-litre four cyliner diesel engine that makes 147bhp, 50bhp more than the current Innova. It also has 342Nm of torque, nearly 100Nm more than the older one. The new Innova could also get an automatic gearbox.

Volkswagen Polo GTI

The most potent Polo (save for the WRC car, of course) has been spied testing in India on multiple occasions. Powered by a 1.8-litre TSI engine that makes 189bhp and 320Nm, it can accelerate from a standstill to 100kmph in 6.7 seconds and will be a highlight at the VW stand, apart from the Ameo compact sedan.

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