In BMW’s defence, the 7-series has always been a strong contender in this class, and BMW has chosen not to mess with it too much in this mid-life facelift. What it has done, however, is subtly improve the car, concentrating on making the rear-seat experience better and throwing in some new equipment.
The all-new A-Class will probably be the most important launch in a long while for Mercedes-Benz India. This car has the potential to really draw back in a lot of Merc fans with its great package, superb, new-age design and agile, fun to drive dynamics.
Honda’s new CR-V SUV does something the older model struggled to do – it commands attention. Shorter, lower, but with a longer roof, there is a nice balance to its fresh new lines.
Where the older model looked a bit of a frump, the higher-set nose of the new model, strong curved grille and angular chopped tail, injects a little class and carpark presence into Honda’s new midsized SUV.
Where the older model looked a bit of a frump, the higher-set nose of the new model, strong curved grille and angular chopped tail, injects a little class and carpark presence into Honda’s new midsized SUV.
The Cross Polo just gets special moulded side cladding, a raised stance and roof rails that go on to offer it the presence of a compact SUV. Visually the impact is quite good, and the larger rims also add to the allure. Volkswagen will probably use this variant to lure buyers from other segments and to enhance the appeal, this crossover wannabe could be offered with the special 1.5-litre diesel engine that is being developed for markets like India.
The Amaze will finally offer diesel relief for Honda in India. This is a sedan based on the Brio, so familiarity to the design and overall layout in the cabin is inevitable, but it is still likely to be most remembered for finally offering a diesel option to buyers here. A sub-1.5-litre diesel engine and a sub-four metre car will mean Honda will also manage to get some pricing power to take on the existing entry-sedans. The Amaze could be launched by April this year.
Ford India Private Limited (FIPL), a is going to unveil the much hyped Ford EcoSport compact Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) in domestic car market in 2013. The company has also confirmed that it is fully prepared for an 8 product strategy aimed at the Indian market, which are to be introduced by 2015. Further, it has been revealed that most of the upcoming eight Ford models are going to fall in the compact vehicle segments in the country.
The new Sail UV-A has had a luke warm start, though it is still too early in the day to really make a categorical observation. But, if the conservative styling was a bit of dampener in the hatch, the Sail’s sedan form may not seem all that unexciting. The sedan is likely to share the same engines as are offered in the hatch.
The next big launch from the JLR fold could well be the new F-Type sportscar. Likely to be debuted in India just months after its international launch, the F-Type has the potential to completely alter the brand image of Jaguar cars. Iconic already and talked about as a worthy successor to the E-Type, the new F-Type will mark the re-entry of Jaguar into the sportscar category.