50 New cars for 2012 - Part 3

Mini Cooper 

The epitome of retro cool, Mini is finally coming to India. Indian market dynamics might suggest small cars with premium price tags won’t work here but BMW-owned Mini thinks otherwise. The manufacturer sees a big opportunity in India and is even carrying out feasibility studies for local assembly at BMW’s Chennai plant, so prices will be far more affordable than VW’s fully imported Beetle. 

Mini will kickstart its Indian venture with the launch of the Cooper hatchback. The design is classic Mini and the retro interiors with the big dials look the part too. A four-seater only in name, minimal rear seat space makes this three-door hatchback best suited for two occupants. 

The Cooper hatchback will be followed by the convertible and also the interesting Countryman crossover. All Minis will come with 1.6 petrol and diesel engines.

Engines: 1.6-litre petrol, 1.6-litre diesel

Power/Torque: 122bhp/16.3kgm,

112bhp/25.5kgm

Kerb weight: 1165kg

L/W/H: 3723/1913/1407mm

Expected: Mid-2012 

Price: Rs 12 lakh

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster

If the SLS AMG coupé wasn’t extreme enough, Mercedes-Benz has just revealed the SLS AMG Roadster, which is scheduled for an India launch towards the end of 2012. The Roadster loses the coupé’s gullwing doors and instead features new frameless doors with conventional hinges. Its three-layer roof comes with a glass rear window and can be opened on the fly at speeds upto 50kph. Weight gain has been well restricted with the Roadster weighing just 40kg more than its coupé sibling. Performance from the 563bhp 6.2-litre V8 will be staggering. The figures say it all – 0-100kph in a claimed 3.8sec and a top speed of 321kph. The Roadster won’t come cheap though.

Factfile:

Engine: 6.2-litre petrol V8

Power/Torque: 563bhp/66.3kgm

Kerb weight: 1735kg

L/W/H: 4638/1261/2075mm

Expected: Late-2012

Price: Rs 2.4 crore

Mercedes Benz M-Class

To Join Mercedes’ line-up will be the smart new M-class SUV. The lines are softer, the eye-like headlights with their LED detailing are pleasing, and the whole look is less brutish than before. A stylised cabin with Merc-typical luxury bits make the interiors a comfortable place to be in. The dash design in particular is a huge improvement over the staid styling of the old car’s. Ride quality should be a huge improvement and Merc’s Airmatic air suspension could be offered as an option to discerning customers with deep pockets. As with the current car, Mercedes is likely to offer just a single engine – the 3-litre V6 diesel in ML 350 CDI guise. A raft of updates will see the engine improve in both efficiency and power which will see a bump up to 258bhp. Prices are likely to see a rise too when the car is launched in mid-2012. 

Factfile: 

Engine: 3-litre diesel

Power/Torque: 258bhp/63.2kgm

Kerb weight: 2175kg

L/W/H: 4804/1926/1796mm

Expected: End-2012

Price: Rs 60 lakh

Mercedes-Benz B-Class

The latest B-Class is an important model for India. Why? It is the first car to be launched off Mercedes-Benz’s new front-wheel- drive (MFA) platform which will form the basis of a new generation of smaller (read cheaper) Mercs. At 4.3 metres long, the B-class is part- large hatch and part-mini-MPV. Interior packaging is good, so there will be ample space inside. The dashboard borrows elements from the SLS AMG and the CLS, adding to the luxurious cabin ambience.

A 1.8-litre diesel and a new 1.6-litre turbo-petrol will power the B-class and the transmissions could include a seven-speed dual-clutch ’box. Priced from around Rs 18 lakh, the B-class will be the most affordable Merc in India. But will choosy Indian customers take to the car’s unusual body style?

Factfile:

Engines: 1.8-litre diesel, 1.6-litre turbo-petrol

Power/Torque: 135bhp/30.5kgm, 156bhp/25.5kgm

Kerb weight: 1395-1475kg

L/W/H: 4359/1786/1557mm

Expected: Late 2012

Price: Rs 18-22 lakh

Maruti Ertiga

Maruti’s first crack at the MPV segment will be in the form of the all-new Ertiga, with badging on this spied car revealing the name. Viewed from the front, the Ertiga looks similar to the Ritz hatchback while the peeled-back headlights that stretch to the pronounced wheel arches are reminiscent of the new Swift. The front bumper styling is quite sporty with a large air inlet and enclosures for the fog lights.

Tail styling looks rather generic though. The Ertiga brief was to seat seven people, which explains this mini-MPV’s 4.2-metre length and 2740mm wheelbase. An interesting detail worth a mention is the corrugated roof for added strength. Maruti has made all efforts to make its new mini-MPV as car-like as possible and in fact the dashboard and steering wheel have been carried over from the Swift. Lighter materials do their part in giving the interiors a more premium look. The Ertiga won’t have Innova levels of space but middle and last row occupants will get roof-mounted AC vents for improved cooling. Oddly, climate control will not be offered even on the top-end ZXi and ZDi variants.

Engine options will include the popular 1.3-litre Variable Geometry Turbo (VGT) diesel from the SX4. Suzuki will also debut its latest and largest engine from the K-series family on the MPV. Called the K14, this 1372cc VVT engine delivers a decent 95bhp. We expect this front-wheel drive MPV to exhibit almost car-like manners which will be integral to its appeal. The Ertiga will be competitively priced in the Rs 6-9 lakh range when launched at Auto Expo 2012.

Factfile:

Engines: 1.3-litre diesel, 1.4-litre petrol

Power/Torque: 90bhp/20.39kgm, 95bhp/13kgm

Kerb weight: NA

L/W/H: NA

Expected: January 2012

Price: Rs 6-9 lakh

New Maruti 800

Say hello to the successor to the iconic Maruti 800. Maruti’s low-cost car and answer to the Tata Nano and Hyundai Eon is in the final stages of testing and should go on sale within the first half of 2012.

To keep costs down, the new car is based on the existing Alto platform and will share a lot of running gear with its sibling. Powering the car will be the 796cc three-cylinder motor from the old 800, although it will be thoroughly updated to meet Bharat Stage V emission norms that will come into effect in 2015. A new 800cc engine could replace this motor post-2015.

The car’s design is fairly basic and there are a lot of flat panels as these are cheaper to make. We expect the interiors to be quite basic too though the slightly taller proportions of the Alto should make the car marginally more spacious and comfortable than the original 800. Maruti is aiming for a sub-Rs 2 lakh price for the base version of the car. Tata should be worried.

Factfile:

Engine: 0.8-litre petrol

Power/Torque: NA

Kerb weight: NA

L/W/H: NA

Expected: Early 2012

Price: Rs 1.9-2.5 lakh

New Maruti Swift Dzire

Maruti hit the bull’s-eye with the exclusive-to-India Swift Dzire. The next-generation Dzire that is based on the new Swift could go on to become an even bigger success, thanks to an estimated Rs 30,000 reduction in prices. The price reduction will be courtesy the car’s length being trimmed to just less than four metres to qualify it as a small car and take advantage of a lower rate of excise duty.
The current Dzire is 4160mm long and the new one has to be 160mm shorter at the least. To manage this, the new Dzire will get an incredibly short boot. While the rear section does not sync all that well with the rest of the car, the execution is far better than the original Dzire’s. However, boot space, a highlight on
the current Dzire, will be significantly less than before. Engines are likely to be shared with the new Swift. A full-size saloon is also understood to be under development.
Factfile:

Engines: 1.2-litre petrol, 1.3-litre diesel

Power/Torque: 86bhp/11.6kgm,

74bhp/19.4kgm

Kerb weight: NA

L/W/H: NA

Expected: January 2012

Price: Rs 5-7 lakh

Please come back tomorrow to read more!

50 New cars for 2012 - Part 1
50 New cars for 2012 - Part 2
50 New cars for 2012 - Part 4
50 New cars for 2012 - Part 5
50 New cars for 2012 - Part 6

Source: www.autocarindia.com