 "Maruti Vitara Brezza")
As many as 85 passenger cars, sports utility vehicles (SUVs), two-wheelers and commercial vehicles will be launched at the Auto Expo this years. The number of launches is nearly twice compared to 2012 and five more than 2014.
Here are a list of five cars to watch out for this year:
Maruti Vitara Brezza
Maruti Vitara Brezza is one of the most awaited product launches of the year. This is amongst the most ambitious moves by the car market leader who has in recent past struggled to move beyond small cars. The Brezza is a compact SUV segment (sub-four meter) which in due course will be fought keen by many players.
Powered by a 1.3 litre multi-jet diesel engine the Brezza will be Maruti’s first serious attempt in the SUV segment though it also has the Grand Vitara which is comparatively bigger. In terms of styling the Brezza gets a H-shaped chrome grille, high wheel arches while makes it stand-out from any other Maruti car. This SUV will also prove to be the litmus test for Maruti Suzuki engineers.
Honda BRV
Bold Runabout Vehicle or BR-V is Honda’s attempt at taking a crack at the compact SUV segment. However, unlike its competition the BR-V won’t be a sub-four meter product. Instead this new Honda will be a seven seater and slightly shorter than the Renault Duster but almost as long as the Mahindra Scorpio.
Unlike the Vitara Brezza this launch will not be BR-V’s global premier as the vehicle has already been unveiled in Indonesia. This will be the fourth product by Honda using the Brio platform (Mobilio and Amaze are the other models). Honda has carried over some of the design elements of the Mobilio onto the BR-V which may not prove well considering that the Mobilio has struggled to remain afloat.
Jaguar XE
In the luxury vehicle space the Jaguar XE is the most awaited car of the year as it announces the entry of the Tata Motors-controlled legendary brand into the volume space. The XE will compete against the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series.
The XE, which is already on sale internationally, is the most affordable by the British brand. The sedan sports lightweight aluminium architecture and has one of the most appealing exterior designs in its category and beyond. In fact the Jaguar XE was awarded the Most Beautiful Car of 2014 at the Festival Automobile International held in Paris.
Tata Zica Sedan
Tata Motors unveiled the Zica hatchback to the world in December. The car defined Tata Motors abilities and pushed it to another level. With its dynamic design, robust ride and handling the Zica looked set to create a new space for itself in the crowded market. The same is expected from the compact sedan based on the Zica platform.
This new sub-four meter sedan will complement Tata’s existing offering Zest. Both the Zica and sedan are built by engineers based in Pune, Italy and the UK. While Zest sales has made a quiet comeback its sales are still below expectation when compared to the market leader Maruti Suzuki Dzire.
JEEP Wrangler
The launch of the Jeep Wrangler is a comeback for the iconic sports utility vehicle (SUV) brand to India. Despite a delay of almost three years due to price related issues, there is enough buzz in the market about the Chrysler brand which is now owned by Italy’s Fiat. Along with the Wrangler Jeep has brought the Cherokee.
These Jeep launches are an attempt by Fiat to revive its sagging fortunes in India plagued by mounting losses and dipping market share. With Indian consumers warming up to SUVs like many of the developed international markets Jeep will find many takers despite their high price tags.
