.png){kind=small}
The Indian Auto Expo is conducted every 2 years and has been platform for the OEMs to showcase their portfolio that could be launched in the Indian market. The Indian Auto Expo is Asia’s biggest Automobile Show and the current edition is 15th in the series. The 2020 Auto Expo has been jointly organized by the SIAM – Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, CII – Confederation of Indian Industry and ACMA – Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India.
We have consolidated the list of Winner OEMs that will make an impact basis the concepts/upcoming vehicles shown at the expo –
Kia Motors:
At the 2018 Expo, Kia was still trying to figure out what excites us (besides an SUV.) Now, they know it very well. So, the products on display were as mass-market as they get without diluting the brand.
The Kia Carnival looks like another brilliant shot at a segment, left unattended by any carmaker in India. It starts where the Innova Crysta tops out. Even if you are considering the Rs. 20.0 lakh version of the Crysta, there’s no reason for not considering one of the lower variants of the Carnival. And, if you want luxury, there’s the Limo variant with ottoman for second-row occupants. This is a car that’ll easily do 500 units every month for the next 2 years or so. Kia needs to be ready to do 1000 units a month should the demand to improve.
Kia Sonet
The other car worth noting is the Sonet. It will be the first car capable of receiving over-the-air software updates thus eliminating the need to visit the service centre for software tweaks. It saves time and money for both, the dealers and the customers.
There were also 2 electric cars – Soul and Niro. Both had stickers advertising their driving range of 450km on a single charge. It’s difficult to understand how the Soul with a 30kWh battery can match the 450km range of the Niro, which has a 64kWh battery pack. They’re both decent-looking, nonetheless. The boxy Soul has a stronger SUV vibe than the Niro, but it could do better with slightly higher ground clearance. What’s nice is that it’s based on the Kona’s platform. So, bringing it to market should not take a long time if the segment shows signs of picking up speed. The Xceed and Stonic crossovers will allow Kia to see how the potential buyers react to these cars at the auto show. 2. Tata Motors
Unlike the other Indian carmaker, Tata has evolved significantly in recent years and their ability to go-to-market on short notice is commendable. Tata moved quickly to bring a sub-compact SUV Nexon to the market, they soon followed it up with the Harrier to capture the upper end of the SUV market, they updated the Nexon and have a well-priced electric version too to capture the electric SUV trend and now they intend to capture a substantial share of the premium hatchback segment ruled entirely by just 2 cars. The Altroz Electric showcased at the Expo keeps the doors open for a (slightly) affordable electric car from Tata if the Nexon EV and Altroz gain momentum.
Tata HBX
The rugged HBX concept aims to bring the SUV form factor to the masses with an even more affordable price tag. Tata just took a page out of the 2-wheeler industry by bringing nostalgia to the Expo in the form of Sierra concept. It features an edge-to-edge glass pane and covers its futuristic footprint with an electric powertrain. With such an exciting lineup, there’s a lot to gaze at at the expo and a lot to look forward to from Tata in the coming years. 3. Morris Garage (MG)
MG also put up a fantastic show with a ton of cars to engage the expo visitors. Besides the Hector and ZS, MG had ZS petrol to soon compete with the Creta and Seltos and the Gloster to challenge the Fortuner and Endeavour. MG also had the micro electric E200, Marvel X SUV concept, eMG6 mid-size plug-in hybrid sedan and the MG3 premium hatchback.
MG RC-6
The outrageous (or exciting, depending on how you see it) but very practical and stylish RC 6 sedan/crossover/SUV/coupe/fastback was also present at the Auto Expo. It’s as big as a Toyota Camry and Skoda Superb but stands out more than either of those two cars with an almost 200mm ground clearance. Along with cars like the MG3, eMG6 plug-in hybrid, 360M, G10 and E200, MG covered all the bases in body styles, price points and powertrains.
While it’s certainly exciting to have such a wide variety of cars at the expo for the visitors, it conveys that MG is yet to outline its long-term roadmap. They’re still figuring out what to do next and are not as focussed as Kia.