All the star cars of Auto Expo 2016

This year’s Auto Expo is the biggest in its history, with SUVs and crossovers playing a prominent role as manufacturers display their upcoming cars to the Indian market. Here are the main talking points, segment by segment.

SUVs
Some might say that the compact sedan segment has had its day in the sun. If that’s so, what’s clearly taking over from it is the compact SUV. Maruti, Hyundai, Tata and Honda each showed off their intent to enter this segment with the Vitara Brezza, HND-14 Carlino concept, Nexon and BR-V, respectively. Then, of course, one of the pioneers of the compact SUV segment, the Renault Duster, was given a facelift and a new AMT gearbox. Maruti also showed the Ignis, and Chevrolet the Beat Active, which aren’t compact SUVs, but are both really attractive ‘cross hatchbacks’.

A little further up the ranks are a couple of more premium SUVs, the Hyundai Tucson, Volkswagen Tiguan and Nissan X-Trail, all of which aim to find that sweet spot in the Rs 17-30 lakh range, between mainstream and luxury. Hot on their heels, however, is the all-new, more spacious, front-wheel-drive BMW X1 and punching a little higher is Merc’s answer to the BMW X3, the handsome and plush new GLC. But when you’re talking about SUVs, it doesn’t get much more hardcore than Jeep, which is finally launching in India this year, and showed its first two models, the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler Unlimited.

In the realm of ultra-luxury SUVs, you could go one of two ways. There’s the Range Rover SVAutobiography, the ultimate expression of luxury from JLR, or then there’s the Mercedes-Benz G500 4x4² with its jacked-up suspension and yellow paint, that simply spits in the face of established luxury. Not left-field enough for you, how about the Mahindra XUV Aero – a concept car that shows us what M&M thinks a coupé-SUV should be.

What is likely to be one of the biggest launches of 2016 – the brand new Toyota Innova Crysta MPV came with a few surprises, namely a more powerful diesel engine option, and the promise of a petrol variant.

Sedans
Much like Auto Expo 2014, this edition of the motorshow had its share of compact sedans as well. Volkswagen set the ball rolling with the reveal of the nice-looking Polo-based Ameo in the run-up to the Auto Expo. The compact sedan that’s been developed for India is expected to be positioned as the premium offering in the segment and will be priced higher than rivals.

On the other hand, we can expect keen pricing for the production version of Tata’s Kite 5. Basically, the sedan version of the soon-to-be-launched Zica hatchback, the Kite 5, at least in concept form, looks rather attractive. The same can also be said of the Chevrolet Beat Essentia which is a sedan version of the next-gen Beat. Designed largely in India, the Essentia that's expected in our market in 2017 will be a crucial car for Chevrolet as it seeks to increase sales.

At the other end of the sedan spectrum, there was a lot from the luxury carmakers. Audi showcased the India-bound latest A4, Jaguar launched the XE and showed the XF and BMW launched the luxurious all-new 7-series.  

Performance cars
Leading the pack of performance showstoppers was the Audi R8 V10 Plus which was launched at Rs 2.47 crore, with a 610bhp 5.2-litre V10 plonked on the back. Next up, the Nissan GT-R finally arrived on Indian shores and the carmaker announced that it will launch its flagship performance offering in September this year.

More than 50 years after it was first unveiled, the Ford Mustang made its way into the country with an official launch planned in the second quarter of 2016. The US carmaker aims to create a niche in India by giving the country its first ever muscle car.

Interestingly, Volkswagen has decided to launch the Polo GTI in India in three-door guise. Scheduled to go on sale in September 2016, the hot hatch could be priced above the Rs 20-lakh mark.

Jeep’s entry into the market also included the Grand Cherokee SRT, which features a potent 6.4-litre V8 petrol under the hood making 461bhp and will be out for the BMW X5 following its launch.

Hybrids
The national debate that arose in light of Delhi’s air pollution levels has prompted a strong focus on electric and hybrid vehicles. What makes this newfound emphasis on hybrids especially intriguing is that manufacturers are re-introducing vehicles to the Indian market in hybrid configuration – three of five hybrids unveiled at the 2016 Auto Expo fit this bill.

The Nissan X-Trail, the Volkswagen Passat GTE and the Honda Accord are all coming back to India after hiatuses of varying durations, and all of them get hybrid powertrains, at least in a variant. The X-Trail, back after two years, will come in a hybrid-only configuration while the VW Passat and the Honda Accord will be offered with hybrids as variants.

Homegrown automaker Mahindra & Mahindra was visibly very gung-ho about electric vehicles. Its first move was the unveiling of the revised Formula E racecar, followed by the unveiling of an all-electric version of the Verito, christened the E-Verito, which will go on sale in March 2016. Mahindra also showed a race-spec version of the e2o Reva, called the e2o Sport.

Also unveiled was a new generation of the original hybrid: the Toyota Prius.