Car buying becomes all the more fun as better models hit the market. We look at the upcoming ones, and see if they deserve your time, money, and of course, space on your driveway.
Datsun redi-GO
Launch date: June 1; Expected price: Rs 2.45 lakh onwards
The upcoming smallest Datsun is the redi-GO. Based on the same platform as the Renault Kwid, the redi-GO shares its engine (0.8-liter unit that makes 53 hp) with the very successful Renault. Styling, on the other hand, is very different, as the redi-GO takes the more conventional approach in that regard. It’s expected to be priced very aggressively, not just to unsettle the Alto’s monopoly even further, but it might also keep a check on the Kwid as well.
Mercedes Benz GLC
Launch date: June 2; Expected price: Rs 40 lakh onwards
To be positioned above the GLA and below the GLE, the GLC is going to give buyers a new segment to explore. It will be available in both petrol and diesel engine options, while both of them will get a 9-speed automatic gearbox and AWD as standard. You’ll get five colours to choose from, and five drive modes on the go.
Kwid 1-liter and AMT
Expected launch: June-July 2016; Expected price: Rs 3.15 lakh onwards
To take its rivalry with the Alto siblings to the next level, the Renault Kwid will get two new versions: a more powerful one with the larger 1-liter engine, and a more convenient one with Renault’s Easy-R AMT gearbox. Early reports suggest that the latter will only be available on the 1-liter engined version but an official announcement is yet to be made. The new range will cater to a wider audience, and the prospective buyer will have more models to choose from.
Honda Brio (Facelift)
Expected launch: June-July 2016; Expected price: Rs 4.35 lakh onwards
Honda is ready to fix the Brio’s Achilles Heel, the staid interior, with the Brio facelift. The car is said to have reached the production line already, and is likely to be launched soon. Honda will retain the peppy (and hugely revered) 1.2-liter petrol engine, while the transmission choices aren’t reported to have changed, either, unlike in the Amaze that gets the standard 5-speed manual and the optional CVT automatic.
Volkswagen Ameo
Expected launch: July 2016; Expected price: Rs 5.5 lakh onwards
The first compact sedan from Volkswagen looks to be as promising as the idea itself. It’s based on the same platform as the Polo, so dynamics wise it’s likely to be up there with the best of the segment. While the base petrol isn’t interesting, the 1.5-liter diesel will be available with an optional 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox, making it the Ameo of a kind in the segment. And that’s not all, there will be cruise control available on the Ameo, too. No other compact sedan gets that, yet!