Auto Expo 2014: Top cars to watch out for

SUVs may be the flavour of the season right now, but India also loves its hatchbacks and sedans. Amid the sea of radical concepts, rakish sports cars and, of course, off-roaders, there will be loads of brand new hatchbacks and saloons on display at Auto Expo 2014. Here’s our list of the best ones to keep an eye out for at the 2014 Auto Expo.

 

 

 

 

 

Big on space yet small on price, the Datsun Go will cost less than Rs 4 lakh when it goes on sale this March. Powered by a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine, it promises to be fuel efficient as well. Take a close look at the Datsun because it truly has the potential to shake up the small car market.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Audi is finally entering the entry luxury car fray with the Audi A3 sedan. Slated to be priced upward of 

Rs 22 lakh, it promises to make the Audi brand a lot more accessible. But before you think otherwise, you should know Audi has not stinted on the A3 – it’s just as well put together as its more expensive siblings. Sure, it won't be the most spacious car for the money but will no doubt appeal to those who want to dip their toes into German luxury. It will be available with a 1.8-litre turbo-petrol and a 2.0-litre diesel, both mated to Audi's S-Tronic twin-clutch transmission. There will be no Quattro version though and the A3 is purely front-wheel drive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tata Motor’s mission to inject desirability into its range has resulted in the new Bolt hatchback and Zest compact sedan. The dup are based on a thoroughly updated version of the existing Vista’s X1 platform and their design is quite different too. As you can tell, Tata has gone the distance with comprehensive sheet metal changes to give its new cars a distinctive look.

 

 

The design of the cabin is new too and there’s lots of gizmos part of standard equipment. Engine options will include a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol and the tried and tested 1.3-litre Multijet diesel. Additionally, the diesel will be offered with a Automated Manual Transmission and Tata say the petrol will receive this approximately a year from now. The two cars go on sale in the second half of 2014. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The star of Ford’s display at the Auto Expo will be the Figo Concept compact sedan. It’s got modern and might we add eye catching Ford styling cues in its Aston Martin-like trapezoidal grille and smart headlamps. Also, despite its compact sub-four metre length, the design looks very balanced. The Figo compact sedan will go on sale in India in 2015 and will be followed by a proper hatchback. We can’t wait for this one!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The new Jazz shares its platform with the new City and by that measure, promises to be an excellent all-rounder. And, this time around it will, in addition to the 1.2-litre petrol, feature the 1.5-litre Earth Dreams diesel which should improve its appeal by a big margin. Also in its favour is the fact that it will have a high level of local content, so it will be priced competitively. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toyota wants to change its image as the maker of bland cars and the new Corolla points at just that. Gone are the safe lines of the old car and in its place has come a sharper, more youthful look. There are lots of changes on the inside as well -- Toyota has concentrated on making the cabin feel more premium and the 100mm addition to the wheelbase liberates more space inside too. The engines will be the same though and that means you will possibly get mildly updated versions of the 1.8-litre petrol and the 1.4-litre diesel.