Auto Expo 2016: Top 10 Cars

The 2016 Delhi Auto Expo was all about showing not only India, but the world that the car manufacturers here are all set to bombard the country with countless new cars. Of course all car manufacturers wanted a piece of the pie and that's why we witnessed 92 launches and unveilings which included more than 20 global unveilings. It was difficult to pick out the top but there were some which outdid the others and here's our list of the top 10 cars at the show

1) Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza
 

The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza marks the country's largest carmaker's entry into the highly-competitive sub-compact SUV segment, which fields cars like Ford EcoSport and Mahindra TUV300. Scheduled to be launched in March, the Maruti Vitara Brezza will only come in diesel trim and will be offered in a total of six variants - LDi, LDi (O), VDi, VDi (O), ZDi and ZDi+.

The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza will be available only with the 1.3-litre diesel engine as of now, while a petrol engine will be added later in 2016. Furthermore, the automatic variant could come either by 2016 or 2017. One must note, that Maruti Suzuki expects to sell over 5000 units every month. Expect the price of the car to start from Rs. 6 lakh and that's clearly very enticing.

2) Ford Mustang
 

The much awaited 6th generation of the American muscle car will soon be launched in India and for those who want a glimpse of the car, the Auto Expo is the best place to meet and greet it. The car will go on sale in India from the 2nd quarter this year. The India-spec Ford Mustang GT will arrive via CBU and the expected to come bearing a price tag of around 60 lakh.

Under the hood the new Ford Mustang GT will be offered with only one engine option - the 5.0-litre V8 which throws out 435bhp of power and 524Nm of peak torque. Transmission duties are performed by a 6-speed Select Shift autobox with steering-mounted paddle shifters.

3) Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai has showcased the 3rd generation Tucson premium compact SUV at the Auto Expo 2016. The new Tucson bridges the gap between the Creta and Santa Fe in Hyundai's Indian SUV line-up. The car falls in line with the company's Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 (FS2.0) design philosophy and look quite similar to its bigger sibling (Santa Fe).

The Hyundai Tucson's soft touch and visibly upmarket interiors come riddled with high-tech features both in terms of comfort and safety. The car features an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment unit with in-built sat-nav, Smart Parking Assist System (SPAS), electric tailgate, blind spot assistance, autonomous braking, heated seats and steering wheel, seat ventilation, power adjustable seats, heated reclining rear seats, and Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS). The car will be launched in India this year and will compete with the likes of the Nissan X-Trail and the Honda CR-V.

4) BMW X1

The next-gen BMW X1 was at the 2016 Auto Expo. Currently being offered only with a diesel variant, the new BMW X1's price starts at 29.9 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), and goes all the way up to 39.9 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The new BMW X1 SUV is based on the UKL platform that allows it to shed 135Kgs. It also gets improved cabin space, thanks to the taller and wider body shell. The all-new BMW X1's wheelbase has been increased by 90mm, and also sports an 85-litre increase in boot space and a 37mm increase in rear knee room. Well, BMW has tried to bring in a lot of changes in the car and it's now more appealing than ever.

5) Toyota Innova Crysta

The new Toyota Innova was finally been unveiled in India at Auto Expo and is likely to go on sale in the country by the end of 2016. The MPV's second generation model, which was launched in Indonesia in November last year, is based on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform. It's in fact the most awaited of launches in India.

Toyota has made a number of changes to the exterior and interior of the MPV. The Toyota Innova Crysta is more premium and sophisticated than it has ever been and we hope that there are a host of changes made to the driving dynamics as well. The 2016 Innova's cabin gets automatic climate control, power windows, steering-mounted controls, touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, and USB and AUX-IN. However, most of these features are only available in the top-end variants.

Moving on to the MPV's engine options, the new Toyota Innova is offered with a choice of 2 engines - a 2.0-litre VVT-i petrol and the new 2.4-litre GD diesel. While the petrol motor puts out 137bhp along with 183Nm of peak torque, the diesel unit promises 147bhp and 342Nm (manual) and 360Nm (automatic) of maximum torque. Transmission options include a manual and a 6-speed automatic.

6) Honda BR-V

Based on the extended Brio platform, the Honda BR-V seems to have taken some of its design cues from the Mobilio MPV. Though features such as improved ground clearance, black plastic cladding around body, roof rails and 16-inch alloy wheels render it a compact SUV look.

Also Read: Honda BR-V First Drive Review

Powering the Honda BR-V could be the same 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol and 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel powertrains that do duty on some of Honda's existing cars including the City. Transmission options on offer could be a 5-speed manual gearbox and a CVT automatic. Yes, it is a 7-seater and from the looks of it a bit more spacious, especially in the third row. We expect the car to hit the Indian car market in the festive season of 2016.

7) Audi R8 V10

The new Audi R8 is a real looker and comes with a single-frame front grille with a honeycomb pattern, flanked by standard flat LED head-lights or optional laser lighting clusters, which double the range to 600 meters.

The side profile of the car gets curved contours and a prominent shoulder line interconnecting the wheels, and also dividing the side blades in two. This makes the R8 look longer than before, according to Audi. The LED tail-lights sit above the generously sized air inlets that give the R8 its muscular stance. The Plus model gets a carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) fixed rear wing. The large diffuser sits between trapezoidal exhaust pipes, while the rear window provides for a view of the engine.

The Audi R8 V10 Plus is powered by a 5.2-litre naturally-aspirated V10 engine which has an output of 610bhp. In terms of performance, the car does the 0-100Km/h sprint in 3.2 seconds and has a top speed of 330Km/h.

8) Tata Nexon

This compact SUV has been developed on the X1 platform, and has been positioned between the Zest and the Safari Storme. The Tata Nexon shares its exterior and interior design elements, and the features with the Zica hatchback. Power for the vehicle comes from a 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine, along with a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. Transmission options come in the form of a five-speed manual and the F-Tronic AMT on the diesel.The Tata Nexon is Tata's entry in the highly competitive compact SUV segment in India. Tata Nexon first made its way to India as a concept at the 2014 Auto Expo, and will target cars like the Ford EcoSport and Mahindra TUV300 among others.

9) Jaguar XE

The new Jaguar XE sports saloon has been officially launched in India with prices starting at 39.90 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) at the 2016 Auto Expo. The most attainable offering from the car maker rivals the likes of Mercedes C-Class, BMW 3-Series as well as the Audi A4 in the segment offering the highly appreciated styling coupled with frugal yet powerful engines on board.

Measuring 4672mm in length, 1850mm in width and 4672mm in height with a wheelbase of 2835mm, the Jaguar XE is based on an all-new monocoque platform made of 75 percent lightweight aluminium that helps in extensive weight savings. The car also gets a sophisticated suspension with a double wishbone setup at the front and an independent integral link system at the rear, translated from the bigger models.

The lightweight chassis on the Jaguar XE is mated to the powerful newly developed Ingenium family of engines under the hood. A 2.0-litre unit produces 180PS at 4000rpm and 430Nm of torque between 1750-2500rpm on the diesel, while the petrol motor of the same capacity belts out 200PS at 5500rpm and 320Nm of torque between 1750-4000rpm. Both motors come paired to an 8-speed automatic gearbox.

10) Jeep Wrangler and Cherokee
 

We've waited to see this brand in India for a long time and finally it's here. The company is planning to open separate dealerships in all major cities in the country, though it might initially use Fiat's existing network to initially sell its cars. All the Jeep products will come as CBUs (completely built-up units), though the company may later on start assembling them here using completely knocked-down units. The cars will be launched in India in the next few months and we'll see both the Cherokee and the Wrangler on our roads soon.