Why wait for 2012?: Rs 10 lakh - Rs 15 lakh cars

MINI

Expected: Mid 2012, Price: Rs 15 lakh – Rs 40 lakh

Few current cars combine retro-cool, practicality and exceptional driving dynamics the way the new crop of MINIs do. India will finally see these sweet numbers roll into India soon. The official announcement has already been made and the MINI range, including the One, the Cooper, the diesel-powered Cooper D and the Countryman will join its retro-modern contemporaries, the VW Beetle and the Fiat 500. The BMW-owned brand may be making a late entry into the Indian market, but is looking to do things differently by considering an assembly set-up in the BMW plant near Chennai. If implemented, this should give the MINIs a price edge over the CBU Fiat 500 and VW Beetle. Expect prices to start at Rs 15 lakh for the base models, and go up to Rs 40 lakh for the bells and whistles John Cooper Works models.

Chevrolet Cruze upgrade

Expected: Early 2012, Expected price: Rs 12 lakh – Rs 14.50 lakh

The muscle car from Chevrolet, that’s pretty much what the Cruze is. Already known for its muscular lines and that stonker of a diesel engine, the Cruze is what diesel power is all about. An upgrade is due soon and it will include fresh new interiors, a minor visual upgrade and most importantly a power bump up as well. The Cruze definitely needs a midlife update to keep sales strong for Chevy and ward off all the new competition heading its way.

2012 Honda Civic

Expected: Mid 2012, Price: Rs 14 lakh – Rs 16 lakh

When it was launched in India a few years ago, the Civic was really a revolution in terms of styling. But now with the rest of the world having received an update to the Civic, India isn’t too far behind, and Honda is known to not delay bringing its offerings to India. Visually, the new Civic still maintains a lot of the original car’s sharp lines, but the overall styling has been toned down a bit, which should make it more appealing to a larger variety of buyers.
An updated version of the 1.8-litre iVTEC mill should be available which will give the car a small bump up in performance as well. Honda has recently got their pricing bang-on with the Brio and the Jazz, so this new Civic should fare no different in that department either.

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Mahindra Ssangyong Korando

Expected: Mid 2012 Price: Rs 14 lakh – Rs 15 lakh

After the successful launch of the much awaited global SUV from Mahindra, the XUV5OO, Mahindra will launch the mid-sizer Korando with its south Korean partner Ssangyong,. The Korando is expected to be available in the country with a 2-litre, four-cylinder inline with a variable geometry turbo option for a diesel version. The maximum power output of the Korando is expected to be around 175PS at 4000rpm and 360Nm of torque at 2000-3000rpm. Both automatic and manual versions should be available.
The drive system is expected to be the adaptable four-wheel and two-wheel drive as in the Korean models, with ABD with EBD, ESP and airbags as standard. Features may include automatic climate control with dual air-conditioning.

2012 Tata Safari

Coming in March 2011, Expected price: Rs 8 lakh – Rs 12 lakh

The Safari has been aching for a facelift, but apparently the Aria took up most of the R&D time at Tata Motors. A refreshed Tata Safari is on its way, with a new front end and tail lamps. The same 2.2-litre DiCOR engine will power the SUV, but the new look will be timely.

Toyota Innova (face-lift)

Expected: Early 2012, Price: Rs 9 lakh – Rs 13 lakh

Updated Price after 2012 Delhi Auto Expo: Rs.9.40 lakh - Rs.13.19 lakh

Since it was launched way back in 2005, the Toyota Innova has been the company’s best-selling MPV and among the top sellers in the country. A couple of years back, Toyota gave it a minor face-lift, but apart from that, there has been no real change from the original. There’s a good chance that we’ll be getting a new Innova next year but this will still be more on the lines of a face-lift rather than an all-new car, although the face-lift will be rather substantial.
This face-lifted Innova is already on sale in the East Asian market as the Grand New Kijang Innova, and Toyota has never delayed bringing over their latest goodies to India. But being a face-lift, the price is not likely to change.

Nissan NV200 van

Expected: Early 2012, Price: Rs 12 lakh

We're bullish about this MPV from Nissan, which will make its appearance in 2012 in all likelihood. Plans for this Innova beater have been brewing at Nissan India for a while, but now with their commercial vehicle JV with Ashok Leyland, the time is ripe for the vehicle to make its entry. Nissan has a long history of people movers like the Vanette, and the NV200 goes in this same direction with modernity and technology. While internationally the van comes with 1.6 petrol and a 2-litre diesel engine, it will receive the 1.5-litre dCi engine for India in all likelihood. Expect a 10-seater configuration, and a price point of around Rs 12 lakh.

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