Update: We now have just a few weeks to go for the 2010 Auto Expo, to be held at Pragati Maidan from 5th to 11th January 2010.
A lot of news has come out in the last few months, since we first wrote this story. Many new cars announced, many new motorcycles.. guess it is time to take another look at all that is going to appear before us at the Auto Expo!
Motorcycles: There are going to be quite a few. Everything from 100 cc bikes to 1000cc and higher superbikes will be on display. A bunch of new SUVs and MPVs will also make their appearance. Not to mention a couple of electrics, and a hybrid or two!
Here are some of the latest headlines on upcoming car and bike launches during the 2010 Auto Expo.
Update 2: Toyota Etios is the EFC small car mentioned below.
Update 1: Maruti Suzuki EECO – the new Versa. Quite possibly the Suzuki APV.
Chevrolet Beat small carGM’s big entry for the Auto Expo is the small car Beat, which is ready to hit the showrooms.
Everyone seems to love the aggressive lines on the small car to be positioned above the Spark and below the Aveo U-VA.
Toyota’s small car for India might be the biggest news at the Auto Expo. The company has not had a single failure in India. And now there is a small car concept coming up in both hatchback and sedan versions. Launch date? End 2010, maybe.
Fiat’s Linea will finally get a powerful engine. 1400 cc petrol turbo, 120 PS. Nirvana? Quite close for Linea fans, actually. Finally they can chase down a new Honda City! There are also unconfirmed rumours about a diesel 1600 cc Linea coming up.
We are atually not sure if this is going to be the AVanza PMV which Toyota already sells in some markets, or an all-new MPV positioned below the Innova. There is going to be an MPV, certainly.
The most famous hybrid car in the world is going to be launched at the Auto Expo 2010. Toyota does not plan to sell this in large numbers, obviously. But a hybrid will help the brand image for sure.
Maruti Suzuki has not officially confirmed the Kizashi for an India launch, but everyone thinks it is coming to us at the Auto Expo. We do too. This will be M
aruti’s first high end car in India in a long time.Auto Expo 2010 New Delhi to see new car and bike launches
More updates and tidbits about upcoming launches
Gear up! We have around 7 months to go for the 2010 Auto Expo. Time for a curtain-raiser, we think. After all, the last Auto Expo at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi was a major hit – thanks to the high profile launch of the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano. Nano was not the only attraction, though. That was when we saw the prototypes of the Yamaha FZ-16 which was launched later to rule Indian roads. The Tata Xenon was introduced to us there. Even Cadillac’s display got a fair amount of attention. And that is just a few of the participants and products.
This time around too, the Auto Expo is expected to open up to the automotive world a handful of developments and many an auto launch.
The 2010 Auto Expo too will host launches from many an Indian auto maker, as well as global brands. The exact dates are not finalised yet; we hope to get some info on that soon.
Many believe that the 2008 Auto Expo at Pragati Maidan was where the Auto Expo finally came of age. Helped in large measure by the hype surrounding the Tata Nano, no doubt. Indian media was there in full force, and not to mention the world media, who went back a much chastised lot.
Over the last couple of months, a few companies have said that certain models would possibly be introduced during the Auto Expo 2010.
Skoda’s new cars for the 2010 Auto Expo
International brand Skoda is looking at the forthcoming Auto Expo and is planning to make it a platform to showcase its Yeti. The Skoda Yeti will be assembled as CKD at Skoda’s Aurangabad plant. The car maker had launched its Fabia in 2008, the last time the Expo was held in Delhi. Yeti will come with the same suspension, brakes and transmission as in the Skoda Fabia. While engine choice will range from 1.6 to 2.0-litre petrols and include the VW Group’s 1.9-litre turbodiesel, the Yeti is also being said to be readied with a diesel engine sourced from Octavia. The car maker hopes the Yeti will fight it out with the Mahindra Scorpio, Tata Safari and soon to be launched Tata Motors’ IndiCruz.
Bajaj Auto-KTM motorcycles for 2010
On the two wheeler front too, the 2010 Auto Expo seems to have generated interest. Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM, in which the Pune-based Bajaj Auto upped its stake to 32 per cent in March this year, said last week that it will introduce a 125cc street bike which will also hopefully be displayed at the 10th Auto Expo in in January 2010. The bike will go on sale in Europe and India simultaneously, during the first quarter of 2010.
The company had been facing plummeting sales and reduced profitability of late and hence the company is planning to scale back its production. It is being said that KTM is also working on developing various other kind of vehicles that are aimed at sustainable mobility in the future. These would a battery-powered off-road bike and a Nano-like small car.
While there is still a long way off for the Auto Expo 2010, you can expect the usual participants from industries such as components, auto electrics, accessories, oil and lubricants, tyre companies, and AV solutions.
Expect all Indian car and motorcycle manufacturers to showcase their prestigious international models, concept vehicles and upcoming cars and bikes. The 2010 Auto Expo will likely continue on the path set by the 2008 Auto Expo – to be an automobile exhibition for Asia with a clear focus on small cars for the developing markets.
