Delhi Auto Expo 2016: Five cars to look out for

Ford, Honda, Maruti Suzuki, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen are all showcasing important new models to the Indian market in Delhi

The sixth-generation US-bred performance car gets a change in suspension to improve its ride, as well as a bigger cabin than the model it replaces, with a big boost in interior quality.

Honda BR-V

There’s lots of excitement over Honda’s bike line-up at the Auto Expo, and its cars deserve a look as well.

The manufacturer isn’t bringing the HR-V to India, but it’s instead looking to capitalise on the rapidly growing small SUV segment by launching the Brio-based BR-V.  It will be against rivals like the Renault Duster and Hyundai Creta, but the Honda BR-V has one-up on them in terms of practicality thanks to a third row of seats that will mean it can accommodate up to seven passengers. Production will take place at Honda’s Tapukara factory in Rajasthan.

Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza

Following successful launches of the Baleno and S-Cross last year, Maruti Suzuki will kick-off 2016 with the Vitara Brezza compact SUV.

Borrowing from the styling of the Vitara, which is sold overseas, the smaller Vitara Brezza has been conceived, designed and developed entirely by a team of in-house Maruti engineers. Thought to be powered by Maruti’s current crop of engines, which could include the 1.2- and 1.4-litre petrol and 1.3-litre diesel engines motors, an AMT-equipped model could eventually join the range. Hyundai is also rumoured to be plotting a compact SUV that could steal the limelight from the Vitara Brezza at the Auto Expo. 

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class

The German manufacturer was the best-selling luxury brand in the country last year, and it will look to cement its place at the top of the sales charts in 2016. First up for this year is the launch the of GLC-Class crossover to rival premium offerings from BMW and Audi.

It’s available in two variants of the 2.1-litre diesel engine mated to the new nine-speed automatic gearbox and it gets a new name to go in line with Mercedes’ new SUV nomenclature. The GLC-Class is closely aligned to the C-Class sedan in terms of styling and interior features, but gets an increased ride height, longer wheelbase, and more space inside.

Volkswagen Ameo

The compact sedan has been made specifically for the Indian market and will be built at VW’s Pune plant in the first half of this year. VW has invested Rs 720 crore towards the development of the Ameo as part of its long-term investment in India and it’s thought the sedan will come packed with features, commanding a higher price than rivals like the Honda Amaze.

The compact sedan has been made specifically for the Indian market and will be built at VW’s Pune plant in the first half of this year. VW has invested Rs 720 crore towards the development of the Ameo as part of its long-term investment in India and it’s thought the sedan will come packed with features, commanding a higher price than rivals like the Honda Amaze.

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Bajaj V range unveiled

The new V15 motorcycle from Bajaj will be launched towards the end of March; to be priced somewhere between Rs 60,000 and Rs 70,000.

Even before they were revealed, Bajaj’s new 'V' family of motorcycles gained instant appreciation and fame for having been made from the metal of the scrapped warship, INS Vikrant. The video that teased the 'V' family gave us only a glimpse of the new motorcycle, or motorcycles, that were to come. Now Bajaj has taken the wraps off the new V range and here’s when we come to know just how exciting the motorcycles are.

Cruiser? Or, Café racer

The new V is more café-racer albeit with a hint of cruiser. This is down to the stance because of the 18-inch front and 16-inch rear tyres. Its contemporary design mixes sporty and muscular bringing a new flavour to the commuter space. Bajaj has taken many cracks at the commuter space and this family of motorcycles looks set to live alongside their successful and more simple-looking Discover range. From the wind deflector on the headlamp to the boat-tail rear, and the swoopy design in between, there’s a lot to like on the V. The chrome dual shock absorbers at the rear, the white contrast stitching on the seat, the removable cowl for the rear seat and the smart instrument cluster, all make it very appealing. The instrument cluster features a fuel gauge that switches from green to red as the fuel level dips really low. Chunky tyres give it a stronger stance and the smart, slim ten-spoke alloy wheels are hung off telescopic forks with blacked-out siders.

Underneath it all…

When it comes to the chassis the V has a fairly conventional setup that is aimed to provide durability and reliability. The chassis is a dual-cradle setup and uses stouter than usual 33mm diameter telescopic forks at the front and twin shock absorbers at the rear. The engine is an air-cooled DTS-i 150cc two-valve, four-stroke motor. In keeping with its target audience a kick-start has been offered as standard with an electric start variant on offer. This engine makes 11.8bhp of power. That puts the V about 2bhp down on power compared to its 150cc siblings in the Discover family.

The V also boasts of 1.3kgm of torque. Due to its two-valve head, it offers a solid 1.2kgm of torque from 3,000rpm, while peak torque is available at 5,500rpm. Fuel efficiency though hasn’t been disclosed yet, but you can expect that the V will surpass the Discover 150’s company claimed fuel efficiency of 75kpl by a big margin.  The V15 isnt a motorcycle for high speed cruising but will be easy to ride. The V15 will offer a real word fuel economy figure of about 60kpl with pillion on board, according to company sources. 

Production will commence on February 5, 2016, with the  launch scheduled to take place towards the end of March. Prices will be revealed closer to delivery date, and are expected to be somewhere between Rs 60,000 and 70,000.  

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