The 2020 Auto Expo saw a lot of unveils and most of them will be launched in India this year itself. We have compiled a list of top 10 cars that’s launching this year from the Auto Expo.
The 2020 Auto Expo had very less participants as compared to other years but it still was very action packed. From crazy concepts cars, to new launches and quite a few unveils, the Auto Expo had it all. In fact, there were quite a few cars that have been unveiled at the Auto Expo in production form or close-to-production form and will be hitting the market very soon. Here we have compiled a list of ten cars that have been unveiled at the 2020 Auto Expo and will be seeing their market launch within this year.
Tata HBX Concept
Tata had the funky looking HBX concept at their stands at the 2020 Auto Expo. Now, we have seen the HBX concept before but this micro-SUV from Tata was shown in close-to-production form at the Auto Expo. The display car was dressed up as a rugged off-roader replete with a roof carriage, knobby off-road tyres and beefy bumpers. While all this will not come on the production car, the HBX reveals a fair few production-spec details too. The split-headlamp design, the large wheel arches, most of the body panels, all of it will make it into production. In fact, Tata says that the HBX is almost 97% production ready and it will hit the market around the festive season.
Tata Gravitas
Tata unveiled the 7-seater Gravitas SUV at the 2020 Auto Expo. It now replaces Harrier as Tata’s flagship product in the market. The overall design is similar to the recently launched 2020 BS6 Harrier but you notice the difference when you see the car in profile. Tata Gravitas is longer, wider and taller than the Harrier. It gets individual captain seats on the front two rows and a three-seater seat on the third. The roofline will be different and slightly taller to make in a roomy cabin for the third-row passengers. Under the hood, the Gravitas gets the same FCA-sourced 2.0 Litre turbo-diesel engine which now produces 170 BHP an 350 Nm of peak torque. This is expected to launched in India around mid-2020.
Kia Sonet Concept
The Kia Sonet Concept is a very important car for Kia as it previews the Kia sub-compact SUV that will take on the likes of the Hyundai Venue and the Tata Nexon. In fact, the Kia Sonet will be sharing its underpinnings and powertrains with that of Hyundai Venue. That aside, there’s nothing that quite links the two cars. The Sonet boasts of a very attractive design and yes, the production-spec car will look largely similar to the concept here. The LED headlamps, chunky bumpers, the tiger-nose grille, an upright stance with a floating roof effect, all work very well. Kia didn’t show the Sonet’s interior but a class-leading 10.25-inch touchscreen can be expected on the final product, which comes in August 2020. This too is expected to hit the roads around the festive season.
Hyundai Creta
One of the biggest show stoppers at this year’s Auto Expo has to be the new Hyundai Creta. The second-generation Hyundai Creta has been completely redesigned from grounds up and it boasts of a radical new design and brand new interiors as well. The new Hyundai Creta shares its underpinnings with that of the Kia Seltos. Being sister cars, the new Creta will also be sharing its powertrains with that of the Kia Seltos. Hyundai will equip the Creta with features to the brim and just like its predecessor, the new Creta will be an extremely value-for-money offering. The Hyundai Creta is in fact one of the cars that will see its market launch at the earliest. It is expected to hit the showrooms by mid-March or April at the latest.
Volkswagen T-Roc
The Volkswagen T-Roc is a mid-size SUV and it will be one of the first VW SUVs to reach dealerships with its launch slated to take place in the coming months in India. It will be brought to India as a Completely Built Unit (CBU), under the 2,500 cars import rule. On account of being a CBU, it will be somewhat expensive but Volkswagen intends to position the T-Roc in India as a premium offering. In fact, Volkswagen dealers have already started taking bookings for the T-Roc SUV for a token amount of Rs 25,000. The T-Roc in India will be available in a single, full-loaded variant. It is expected to be priced around Rs. 23 lakhs (ex-showroom) and will compete with the Jeep Compass and the upcoming Hyundai Tucson facelift in our market.
Renault Duster Petrol
At the Auto Expo 2020, Renault showcased the Duster with a 1.3 Litre turbo petrol engine. As told earlier, Renault is going to discontinue diesel engines in India, completely. There were very minor changes on the cosmetic front, like new alloy wheels and red inserts over the body. Most likely, these changes would not come on the production version. The 1.3 Litre turbo petrol engine of Renault Duster produces 156 BHP 250 Nm of peak torque. This engine will further come paired with a 6-speed MT and a CVT gearbox. Renault recently launched the Duster facelift with got some cosmetic upgrades. There’s reshaped bumpers, new headlamps, new alloy wheels and added colour options as well. Inside the cabin, there’s just new upholstery colour. The Duster petrol is expected to hit the market by mid-2020.
Renault Triber AMT
Renault also showcased the Triber with an AMT gearbox at the 2020 Auto Expo. The 5-speed AMT gearbox will be paired to the same 1.0 Litre three-cylinder petrol engine of Triber. The engine produces 72 BHP and 96 Nm of peak torque. Now, the engine is BS6 compliant and the BS6 units are already being delivered.Further, the Triber AMT could get minor cosmetic upgrades on the exterior. The show car had new 16-inch alloy wheels(not on production-spec), slightly revised front and rear bumper, a new skid plate and dual-tone colour options. Inside the cabin, it gets refreshed theme for the dashboard and upholstery. The Triber will also gain a 1.0L turbo-petrol engine very soon. The Triber AMT will be launched in India in the second quarter of 2020.
MG Gloster
MG Motors officially took the wraps off the Gloster SUV in India. The MG Gloster is scheduled to be launched in India by Diwali 2020. The Gloster is going to be MG’s new flagship in India. When its launched in India, it will be a full-size SUV with three rows of seating like the Toyota Fortuner, the Ford Endeavor and Mahindra Alturas G4 in India. However, it is considerably larger than them and will be priced a little more than them too. In fact, its deemed to be a cheaper alternative to the Toyota Land Cruiser and Prado in India. Just like its rivals, the Gloster is also built on a ladder-frame chassis. It is expected to be powered by a 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel engine that will produce 218hp and 480Nm of peak torque.
Also Read : 2020 Auto Expo – Here are the Best Concept Cars from the Show!
Skoda Kodiaq Petrol
Just like Volkswagen, Skoda too has decided to discontinue their diesel engines in India. Thus, Skoda is going to offer a brand new petrol engine in the Kodiaq in India. The company has announced at the 2020 Auto Expo that the Kodiaq will be offered with a 2.0 liter TSI petrol engine which produces 190PS of power and with this engine, the Kodiaq can do the 0-100kph sprint in just 7.5 seconds. The 2.0 liter TSI engine will come mated to a 7-speed DSG gearbox and Skoda cliams a top-speed of 211 km/hr with the Kodiaq petrol. And its not just mechanical changes but Skoda is will also be improving the equipment levels. It will gain a virtual cockpit instrument cluster and a panoramic sunroof as well. The Skoda Kodiaq petrol will be launched in India in the second quarter of 2020.
Also Read : 2020 Auto Expo : GWM Showcases Haval F5 and F7 SUVs!
MG ZS Petrol
After launching the MG ZS EV in India, the manufacturer now brings in the regular ZS at the 2020 Auto Expo. MG ZS is a compact SUV that will go against Creta, Seltos and the new VW Taigun. The SUV is 4.31m long and gets a wheelbase of 2585mm. That makes it at par with its rivals in the segment and also a lot smaller than the Hector. MG ZS is powered by a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine that produces 111 BHP and 160 Nm of peak torque. Transmission options are likely to include a 6-speed MT and an automatic gearbox. It will be a petrol-only car in the highly competitive compact SUV space. The styling is almost identical to the ZS EV, with latter getting specific bits for an electric car. The ZS Petrol gets a revised headlamp, grille and bumpers. It petrol is expected to hit the market by the end of this year.
