Photo Credits: pg 2- anchor _1
SLUG: ON THE ROAD
2015 was a great year for the automobile industry. We saw loads of new car launches and quite a few hits. Amongst the ones most popular last year were the Hyundai Creta and the Renault Kwid. The Hyundai Creta is a compact SUV and has received close to 75,000 orders. The Renault Kwid on the other hand is an entry level hatchback that won hearts of buyers across India mainly due to its styling. The car has a SUV-ish look that has compelled more than 80,000 customers to book the Kwid and is the only reason why we feel SUVs are again going to be the biggest attention-getters’ this year among new car launches. There is a whole list of new SUVs to be launched but here are the ones which we feel will hold the most importance in the year 2016 and could be game-changers for their respective companies.
First thing that will come to your mind is what does ‘K’ in the name stand for. Well, Mahindra wants to connect specifically with a younger audience this time around with a ‘Kool’ product. The Mahindra KUV100 is the company’s smallest SUV and for the first time will debut a petrol engine. A 1.2-litre 82BHP petrol motor under the brand new ‘mFalcon’ series along with a new 1.2-litre 77BHP diesel engine will power the car. It has been built on an all new monocoque platform and will compete with cars like the Maruti Swift, Ford Figo and the Hyundai Grand i10. Mahindra has also appointed Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan as its brand ambassador. Pricing for the all new Mahindra KUV100 will remain as a secret until the 15th of January. Bookings for the car have already opened at your nearest Mahindra dealership.
You can safely call the 2016 Honda BR-V as a younger sibling to the Honda CR-V. The Honda BR-V is a 7-seater compact SUV that will be priced to take on the likes of the Hyundai Creta and Renault Duster. Its biggest USP will be the 7-seat layout which none of its direct competitors offer. It will be powered by both petrol and diesel power plants unlike the bigger CR-V. The new compact offering from Honda will be powered by 1.5-litre petrol that develops 116BHP and a 1.5-litre diesel that churns out 99BHP. Both engines will get a 6-speed manual gearbox but only the petrol BR-V will be offered with a 7-step CVT automatic transmission. Launch is expected to happen at the 2016 Delhi Auto Expo that is going to be held from the 5th to 9th February.
The Ssangyong Tivoli is Mahindra’s answer to the Honda BR-V and Hyundai Creta. Mahindra-owned Korean car manufacturer Ssangyong will launch the Tivoli SUV in the Indian market this year. Prototypes of this car have been spotted testing out on public roads pointing out to an India-launch pretty soon. It will be priced in between the 9 -15 lakh Rupee range and the company could showcase the car at the upcoming Delhi Auto Expo. It will be powered by bigger iterations of the recently launched ‘mFalcon’ engine family; likely is a 1.6-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel. Mahindra might also offer an automatic to round off the deal.
The latest generation Toyota Fortuner will launch in India this year. This rugged SUV from the Japanese carmaker gets a complete overhaul in its newest avatar and will be also powered by a new pair of diesel engines – a 2.4-litre 4-cylinder mill that develops 148BHP and a 2.8-litre 4-cylinder oil burner with 177BHP on tap. It will be offered with both manual and automatic transmission and will also get a more upmarket interior. Launch is expected to happen in the third quarter of 2016 with prices expected to start from the 25-lakh Rupee mark.
JLR will be launching the Range Rover Evoque Convertible in the first half of 2016. This car will be positioned as a niche product in the company’s line-up and won’t be exactly cheap to buy. The soft top on this car can roll down in 18 seconds and roll back up in 21 seconds at speeds up to 48Km/hr. It will be powered by a pair of 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engines mated to a 9-speed automatic gearbox and will be imported into the country as a CBU. The car weighs approximately 100Kgs more than the standard Evoque but give this car a glance and tell us you haven’t got your jaws dropped. Actually this is the sole reason why the Evoque Convertible makes it to this list. It is expected to cost a hefty Rs. 70 lakhs when launched.
