Over the years it has been running, the 12th Auto Expo sees the event having grown so large it must now be held in two venues. Its purpose is to exhibit concept cars and new models about to enter the Indian market. This then filters through to the UK, as many companies put out twin announcements for cars due to be released to both nations.
This year’s Auto is the largest it has ever been, with a change of venue to provide a massive 70,000 square meter exhibition section where all announcements are made. Additionally there is another 18,000 square meters of outdoor room which is focussed more on entertaining the punters, with such things as training on how to drive a motorbike on offer, while torture tracks are also laid out.
With the additional space, the 2014 had a greater number of cars than ever; here is a small selection of the cars which were particularly interesting:
BMW i8
To raise Indian awareness of their move into electric sports cars, German giants BMW has shown off their technical masterpiece the i8 to much approval from their audience. While there has been no information as to whether it will ever be sold in India, its mid-2014 UK release date gives petrol heads something to look forward to.
Ford Fiesta
At this year’s Auto Expo, Ford were keen to show off their new Fiesta. This five door model is essentially a miniature saloon in style. This remodelling has already been made available in the UK, but to India’s market it was completely new. Along with the new look, their exhibition also showed off their new motors, particularly the 1.5-litre diesel which promises to be incredibly fuel efficient.
Hyundai HND-9
Despite its enormous size, this car still managed to look brilliant in Auto Expo. The new ‘fluidic design’ which Hyundai has developed was on display in this sports coupe, which, powered by a turbocharged 3.3-litre engine drew plenty of heads. Unfortunately there is no word on a release date or its production at the time of writing.
Hyundai Xcent
The new compact sedan from Korean giants is set to be available from march this year in India, both in a range of petrol and small diesel engines. However if this is too small for you, the Vauxhall Insignia from Bristol Street Motors which would be perfect.
Jaguar Project 7
The star of the show at Auto Expo, this stunning development car was built for the Goodwood Festival of Speed. While it will never be available commercially and will never come to India it still acquired masses of fans and was easily the shows most photographed car.
Renault Kwid
Despite only being a concept, the Renault Kwid offers a fascinating insight into Renaults plans for how they will shape future city driving cars. Smaller than the Nissan Juke, but still a crossover, this cars smooth and fashionable look was only marred by slightly baffling yellow accents.
