Seven Things to Watch Out For at the Auto Expo 2012

Expect high adrenaline, heart thumping excitement, lots of it. Quite a lot of it manufactured by automakers in a desperate bid to forget a bad year. The current economic climate may be gloomy, but car companies are preparing to go all out to make you believe that you need a vehicle in 2012. So what do they have up their sleeve?

1. Big is beautiful: Don’t bank on too many new car launches though. Expect in the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) segment. That’s the space quite a few auto makers are going after. It is a pretty nascent category where a single company, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has been ruling the roost for decades now. And Indians don’t particularly hate big cars. As long as they are value for money and economical on the pocket.

Maruti Suzuki’s entry into the MPV segment with the Eritga should be interesting. India’s largest car maker is best known for its budget cars. That’s what the company does best. However, in recent times it has turned its attention beyond small cars. Last year’s launch of its luxury sedan Kizashi never took off.  Hopefully, it would have at least been a good learning experience for Maruti.

Two other auto makers have also announced plans for the MPV segment: M&M and Toyota.

Late in 2011, M&M tasted success with its XUV 500. This Auto Expo, you will see more utility vehicles from the M&M stable (thanks to its Ssangyong buyout). M&M has long been looking at the premium SUV space and this is where its Ssangyong acquisition will fit it. Expect some indication on the arrival of its premium SUVs—Ssangyong Rexton and the Korando.

Toyota Kirloskar Motors is looking at facelifts for practically every model they sell in India. So there should a new, improved version of both the Innova and the Fortuner. Ford will be doing a teaser of their Ecosport sports utility vehicle, a relatively small SUV based on the Fiesta platform. Expect Renault, the French car maker to display the Duster, the affordable SUV which should be launched in 2012. Which means sometime in the near future, Renault will be competing with its erstwhile partner M&M. That sure will be a battle to watch out for.

2. Give your old car a new facelift
Now here’s the other thing. This Auto Expo will be high on facelifts. That’s because most global car companies who matter have already put their stake on the ground here. So, in 2010, the excitement was around multinationals like Toyota, Honda and Hyundai entering the small car segment. That’s done. Both the Honda Brio and the Toyota Liva haven’t really set the sales charts on fire. Expect Toyota to show upgrades of the Liva and the Etios. Expect Honda to get their Robot, the Asimo back. That’s Honda’s way of telling you how technologically advanced the company is; a robot which can talk and walk. But that smart robot can’t sell cars. Which is the big problem facing Honda.

Expect facelifts from Fiat too. Last time around, Fiat had a bevvy of beauties to pose with their cars. That created quite a buzz. For one, I’m looking forward to a repeat of that show.

Hyundai will put on display both the new Elantra and the Sonata. And of course, Shah Rukh Khan, their brand ambassador. Expect a facelift of the Ford Figo, the company’s money spinner in India. Of course, the new Ford Fiesta should also be there but please don’t mistake it for a new car. It has been on sale for quite sometime now. That is in case you haven’t noticed.  

3. Show, not sell: In 2010, Volkswagen was the giant to watch out for. In the last two years, VW has done well and given its competitors a run for their money. Their small car, UP, will generate excitement. So will the new Beetle. That’s the idea. Nope, they won’t be on sale in India for quite sometime to come. Nothing much to look forward to at Nissan. As for the Renault Pulse, it is just a Nissan Micra so don’t bother yourself. Suzuki will also unveil a few concept cars from its global stable.
4. The newbies are here: Now Auto shows also gain traction on the back of new companies to look out for. Last time around it was the Harley Davidson stall.  An incredible line-up of big bikes and loud music meant that the place was packed almost all the time. At Auto Expo 2012, you will see the comeback of Peugeot, the French car company which floundered in India in the 1990s with the Peugeot 309. Right now, they don’t matter. But, the excitement quotient will get a boost from the presence of two other companies, Mini Cooper from the BMW stable and Triumph Motorcycles, the iconic British manufacturer. Their stalls should have a full house with both auto ethusiasts and eager buyers with money in the pocket. Expect launches from both companies.
5. Heroic moves:  This will be the first Auto Expo where Hero Honda will not have a stall. Hero Motor Corp, India’s largest motorcycle company is now on its own. You will get to see the Hero Impulse, an on-off road motorcycle. Expect Honda to showcase its 100cc commuter bike. While Hero would like you to believe that the split with Honda changes nothing, this year it will square up to formidable competition both from its erstwhile partner Honda and a resurgent Bajaj Auto. 

6. The cat will be out of the bag: Expect Bajaj to display the all new Pulsar range. The folks at Bajaj say the new range will nothing like what you’ve seen before; new design, new engine—the works. But the big surprise will undoubtedly be its ultra-low cost car or light commercial vehicle, depending on which camp you belong to: the Renault-Nissan or the Bajaj camp. This vehicle got a lot of media attention in 2011 primarily because of the flip-flop on whether it would be a Tata Nano killer or just another light commercial vehicle. The controversy will finally be put to rest in January. Imagine the scenario: the Renault-Nissan guys walking over to the Bajaj stall to check out the new vehicle. So far, even though they’ve been partners on this project, the Renault-Nissan folks have no clue what the vehicle looks like. Wow, that will be fun.
7. Revving up on green: In the zero emission vehicle category, expect to see the Mahindra Reva and the Nissan Leaf. India’s EV pioneer Chetan Maini may have received a shot in the arm after his sell-out to Mahindra. The new four-door version of the Reva is expected to be on display—and is bound to attract attention.

(Forbes India will be bringing you all the action from Pragati Maiden. Follow our wall-to-wall coverage on forbesindia.com)