Now that the auto expo is over and the major OEMS have showcased their future plans, there is a slight indicator towards the changes in the average Indian consumer. In what is predominantly a small car market, it seems that Indian’s might now be looking at larger SUVs to fill their drive ways with. The majority of the exciting launches where mostly cross over SUVs such as the Ford EcoSport and the Renault Duster, not to mention that even the leader of small car manufacturers showcased a mini SUV concept the XA Alpha. These cars are all slated to cost under Rs 8 lakhs and we think they might become huge hits sicne they also will boast diesel engines and very small efficient petrol engines. The trend could very well be changing in India which had been hailed the land of the hatchback. Even though small cars will continue to outshine any other segment, the fact of the matter remains that Indians are admiring the larger cars that are coming and that to with great interest. A prime example could be the Mahindra XUV500 which got a superb welcome and outsold all their vehicles. With the way the market is heading we would have thought the complete opposite of this trend, but then again when has a market analyst ever been right?

International Cars and Motors Ltd., who are most famous for their Rhino compact SUV, are currently rumored to be in talks with Chinese manufacturer Great Wall Motors to bring in a special SUV for the Indian market. The Chinese car maker has witnessed most success with its Haval SUV which sold 140,000 units across the globe in 2010. If what is suspected is to be true, then Indian customers might be offered this very same SUV. As we already know the low cost SUV space is already heating up in the country with almost all car makers now offering products in this segment, so it’s no surprise that ICML are trying to get a foothold in it as well. The Haval SUV features a 2.4 litre petrol engine that can produce a very healthy 134bhp, and it also comes with a diesel 2.5 litre that can produce 107bhp. However we most likely suspect that the diesel variant will be the only variant to come to India at a price range similar to the Mahindra XUV500 and Tata Aria.

Thanks to the legendary Indian custom car designer DC, the country might be looking at finally having its first totally in-house built super car. The Avanti as it is called has been completely designed and developed by DC Motors. Avanti could very well be India’s first ever super car production. It has got some exciting specs and will feature a Ford 2.0 litre engine that can churn out more than 250bhp, perfect for Indian roads. And what’s even more amazing is that the stylish looking car will only cost around Rs 30 lakh. There is also word out that the car might get a bigger V6 engine with 390bhp. Apparently DC will make only 200 of these bad boys in the next year and will look to push production up to 2000 annually by 2015. This could very well be the future of Indian super cars as we know it. Bravo DC.

Some exciting news for Indian engineers was made when Tata Technologies was selected by Michelin to display its electric MObility (eMO) engineering study EV as part of the prestigious Michelin Challenge Design display at the 2012 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. Tata Technologies is a part of Tata Motors and is a leading global provider of engineering ser¬vices and product development IT. Tata had earlier showcased its engineering capabilities with the Nano 4 years ago and this could very well be the next best thing for them in terms of innovativeness. But one thing we do know for sure is that India will never see such a concept, at least not for the next gazillion years. So while Tata shows of to the world, we are still waiting for something exciting to come to the Indian market.

Bajaj which is traditionally a two-wheeler manufacturer has just unveiled its latest product, which is in fact a small car. Yes, we have already known about the project but we were kept in the dark about the exact specifications and details. Well now we have them and we are sorry to say that we are not impressed.

At first glance the car, called the RE60, looks like a toy for an 8 year old. Its tiny to the core, extremely light weight, and worst of all it features an atom sized engine with a 200cc displacement and has only 20bhp. The interiors are also dreadful, but then again for the cost of this car you can’t really expect much, so I will stop the criticism there since its only aim is to be practical and convenient for the low income Indian, and that purpose I am sure it will serve well.

Price has not been revealed to us but they will be as we get closer to the production date. However the tiny car with minimalist everything does make the Nano look like a luxury vehicle. So it’s hard to say whether or not the Bajaj small car will even come close to the Nano in terms of competing.

The 11th edition of the Delhi Auto Expo is almost over and all the new cars have been revealed. The expo attracted hundreds of thousands of people and had cars and girls galore. Many of the manufacturers launched new cars but they were mostly a let down with the exception of a few stars shining brightly here and there.  This was because most of the cars launched were  similar to those already existing in the market but with a few minor refreshments thrown in here and there. The cars that are worth a mention were mainly either concepts or high end luxury automobiles. Even the motorbike manufacturers failed to deliver except for the new entry by British manufacturer Triumph.

Audi showcased their European mini compact SUV seller, the Q3, which got a lot of attention from the media. Unfortunately it is not even remotely close to being an exciting car, especially given its price tag. In the compact SUV segment, the stars were the Renault Duster which will be priced at around 8 lakhs and Ford’s almost ready EcoSport, which will also be available very soon and costs less than 10 lakhs. Now that is great news, considering that both of these cars look much better than the pricey Audi Q3.

In the small car segment there was nothing special to look at. Honda’s Brio we have already seen, and the same goes for the Nissan Micra, Toyota Etios and Maruti Swift. The only new car entry was the Pulse from Renault which is basically a Micra.  The most exciting launch of the entire expo was most notably the Mini from BMW and was the most favored by the crowd. However, even though the Mini brand has a cult following, we still doubt it will get gain much ground in the Indian market due to the high prices.

While the production cars didn’t have much to show, the concept cars showcased did save the day for most OEMs. BMW, along with its fabulous M5, showcased the super sexy connected Drive concept car which had all eyes fixated on its topless grey metallic body. Another showstopper came from the Americans in the avatar of the deadly and sinister Corvette Stingray Concept which is our personal favorite car of the entire show. Other honorable mentions go to the VW XL1 concept, Suzuki’s XA Alpha concept and Jaguar’s lustful C-X16 concept. While these cars were the best to look at, it was still the launch of Bajaj’s small car that was the talk of the town, but we won’t even mention it because it features only a 200 cc engine and looks like a fully covered auto rickshaw.

To sum it up, we could say that the Auto Expo 2012 was a complete let down and the main reason would be the chaos and the maddening crowds.  The show was unbearable for those that actually came to see the cars and not the scantily dressed women. Most of the brands let us down and we hope they step their game up soon! India deserves better.

Just weeks after the Swedish company Saab declared bankruptcy, we hear of Mahindra and Mahindra are very much interested in the company. Indian manufacturers Mahindra are looking to buy either part of the company or grab the whole pie. Though this has not yet been confirmed, the Indian company might just look at it as a prospect to increase and improve their footprint in the international markets to continue with their aggressive expansion plans. Saab who filed for bankruptcy after the company ran out of cash is also looking for a new owner.

With production coming to a standstill in March and the subsequent $263 million in losses affecting the company terribly, the Swedish company is basically left with no choice. Mahindra has been at the forefront of acquisitions last year after they struck a deal with Korean SUV-maker Ssangyong and also grabbed a majority stake in the electric car maker Reva. Though the Mahindra-Renault joint venture fell apart, the company’s quest to increase their global presence will push them to making some more deals. If the company does manage to grab Saab, it would come at a very low price and hopefully will allow the Indian maker to learn a thing or two about making top quality sedans for the Indian customer.

For some unknown reason Fiat India will not participate in the 2012 edition of the Delhi Auto Expo. This was the reason why the Italian manufacturer decided to unveil its 2012 Linea and Punto a day before the biggest auto event in Asia gets underway.

I would like to think that the reason they choose not to exhibit their cars in the expo is because they have nothing to show really, as they have no new entrants for the Indian market at this time.

Moving forward, the 2012 edition of the Fiat Linea and the Punto have got some pretty good changes. Firstly both cars will receive a higher ground clearance which is crucial for Indian roads. The new editions of the cars will also get wider wheels to help with stability and ground hold, while the alloy rims also have been increased in size in a few variants. The interior features have also been updated as now all models and variants will feature CD and MP3 players and automatic air conditioning as standard.

There will also be a host of new colours and technology features including safety features such as ABS with EBD and dual front airbags. The interior colour tone will also change from the matte black to a dual tone grey and black finish. Overall both models look pretty impressive, but its still a shame that the Italian will miss the Delhi Auto Expo and fail to grab the attention of us with their new and concept cars.

In a one of a kind collaboration between Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces and Jaguar, the Indian company has launched the worlds very first Jaguar Suite at the famous 51 Buckingham Gate, Taj Suites and Residences, London. The room is the brain child of Jaguar’s in-house Design Director Ian Callum and features specially-commissioned artwork and displays. The subtle references to Jaguar’s timeless style will be familiar to those who know and love these motoring masterpieces.

The Jaguar experience begins at the door, with sleek wood panelling greeting guests on arrival. Small Jaguar wave motifs and Jaguar trapeze detailing accompany an array of carefully selected collector’s items that adorn the walls. Intriguing design features are evident throughout, from the minimalistic clean-fuel fireplace referencing the shape of the brand’s hallmark back window, to the finest Italian leather that lines the cars, ebony veneer doors and custom-made Jaguar wallpaper.

The luxury suite is 1832 square feet and features two bedrooms, a study, living room, dining and meeting room, a guest cloak room and a kitchen. To complete the luxurious experience of staying in such a room guests will also have their very own butler service, complimentary internet and complementary private bar. The cherry on top is your very own chauffeur driven Jaguar for your entire stay. Yes, this automotive suite does sound like a dream for a car enthusiast, but if you are planning to spend a night here a midst such legendary Jaguar memorabilia, be prepared to shell out $7500 for just one night.

The much anticipated i1 Series is all set to begin. And in case you haven’t heard anything about the sport, the i1 Supercar Series is the all new motorsport racing league promoted by Machdar Motorsport and will consist of 10 races with 9 teams representing different Indian cities. The races will be held in India, UAE, Malaysia, Bahrain and Qatar, making the event India’s first ever global racing series. The series is fully supported and approved by the FIA and the teams will race the Radical Sportscars’ SR3 roadster with each team being represented by two drivers. Although the series will see a number of famous international drivers, at least one driver from each team must be of Indian origin. Teams will compete for a USD 2 Million prize.

Some of the famous drivers signed on to participate include Jacques Villeneuve, Giancarlo Fisichella, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Karun Chandhok, Jean Alesi, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, while famous local drivers such as Jani, Armaan Ebrahim, Parthiva Sureswaren, Zaamin Jaffer, Mathias Lauda, Aditya Patel will also compete.

A successful pre-season test has already been concluded  at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi where three time Formula One race winner Heinz-Harald Frentzen topped the times, followed by Giancarlo Fisichella and India’s Karun Chandhok. Indian drivers Armaan Ebrahim and Parthiva Sureshwaren also impressed finishing in 7th and 8th positions. This is very exciting news for Indian motorsport and hopefully we are witness to a revolution to the sport in India where cricket already is getting boring.