Global luxury car manufacturers are making a beeline for a share of the ever growing luxury car pie in the Indian market and Mini is not to be left behind. Mini already has the Cooper, the Convertible and the Countryman on sale in India. Mini got the new generation convertible to India close on the heels of its global launch and had also announced the arrival of the Clubman at the Auto Expo 2016.
he Clubman is built on the UKL2 platform and will get the 2.0-litre 112bhp turbocharged diesel engine that develops 270Nm of torque from 1750rpm. This engine is already available with the Mini Countryman and is mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox powering the front wheels. It may also get the 1.6-litre petrol engine option.
The Mini Clubman is slotted above the Countryman globally and may be assembled in India as the Countryman is also being locally assembled. The expected price tag is between Rs 40 to Rs 45 lakh ex-showroom, Mumbai.
2.volvo new v40
expect upcoming date : December 2016
expected prize: 25-30 L
he Volvo V40 is the smallest Volvo you can buy in India and it is anything but small. After its launch in June 2013, Volvo is set to update the V40 this year. Incidentally, the V40 has also been updated globally a few months back and will make it to India right away.
The V40 is available in two avatars – the Cross Country and the hatchback. While the body shell and styling elements are same, the Cross Country gets added cladding and ground clearance to justify the tag. The new V40 will get the Thor’s hammer headlamps with the signature daytime running lamps and flanking the vertically slatted grille. The side profile is the same except for new alloy wheels. The beautiful tail section has not been touched.
As for the interior, it is spacious and plush. The vertical tablet-like screen takes centre stage on the dashboard. The V40 is a premium car and hence is offered with almost all the bells and whistles depending upon the trim. The top-spec R-Design gets special contrast stitched leather upholstery, electrically operated sunroof, power seats and a three-zone climate control.
3.maruti suziki balano 1.0 ltr
expect upcoming date : 20 December 2016
expected prize: 7.8 - 8.50L
Maruti Suzuki will soon make the Baleno a lot feistier by introducing the hatchback with a turbocharged petrol engine. Unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, the 1-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine christened ‘BoosterJet’ will make its India debut at the 2016 Auto Expo.
Competition
The Baleno range competes with the likes of Honda Jazz and Hyundai Elite i20 here in India. The Baleno 1-litre BoosterJet, meanwhile, will compete with the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI as its arch rival.
4. Volkswagen Passat GTE
expect upcoming date : December 2016
expected prize: 20-25 L
Volkswagen has unveiled the next generation Passat at the Auto Expo 2016 and is expected to replace the existing car soon. Built on the versatile MQB platform, the new Passat was showcased with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
The new Passat gets the Volkswagen family face with a wide horizontally slatted front grille which fuses into the swept back headlamps. Daytime running lamps have been integrated into the intelligent LED headlamps. While the sleek straight lines remain the same, the new tail lamps look premium. The blue detailing highlights the hybrid powertrain.
5. Nissan X-Trail Hybrid
expect upcoming date : December 2016
expected prize: 30-35 L
Earlier shown at the 2016 Auto Expo, the Nissan X-Trail Hybrid is on its way to the showrooms here in India. While Nissan India officially sold the first and the second generation of the X-Trail, the brand never had the current-gen model (introduced in 2013) up until now. The third-gen model, in fact, will be introduced in the eco-friendly hybrid form.
