Fiat may have been done with the Fiat Uno in India however they are yet to close on its brand name even after so many years. This is quite evident from the fact that they had a display car at one of their show rooms in Italy. This display car was a cabriolet version of the Fiat Uno and it shows Fiat’s promise that even though the world may think that the Fiat Uno may be dead, its platform still holds promise. News is that this cabriolet version of the Fiat Uno is to be powered by the same 1.4 liter T-jet motor doing duties in India under the Fiat Linea. However this engine makes 152 Bhp as opposed to the 114 Bhp in the saloon.
What we would like from Fiat India would be to bring this Fiat Uno cabriolet for India as a brand building exercise. Something which even the Fiat 500 hasn’t been able to do as of now. If they want, they can even introduce the same T-jet motor in the Fiat Uno cabriolet for India. The interiors also reek of higher quality than all the other Fiat cars found in India. If Fiat India do bring this car and price it somewhat close to the Rs.5 lakhs mark, then they have got a sure shot winner in their hands. Seems that there would be many new concept cars in India.
Following on similar lines, a new Chrysler 200 is been introduced as a replacement for the Chrysler 300. If you thought that the Chrysler 300 was a car for the scary types, then the Chrysler 200 is one of those cars which would please their sons. The Chrysler 300 is designed to be in less intimidating It is still going to be a rear wheel drive and one which would have the 2.4 liter 4 cylinder as well as a 3.6 V6 engines in the offing. All these engines are petrol ones and the base engine would be offered with the option of a 4 speed automatic. Standard for both the engines however is the 6 speed manual. This car will try to take on the Mercedes, BMW and Jaguar cars with its rear wheel drive configuration. It would be priced also lower than its compatriots. However considering the financial condition that the company is going through, it would be noteworthy to see if they can bring up this launch.
That the Ford Focus in India would be a rarity until 2012 is well known however this same vehicle is not sold across the world as well. It is currently sold in the US as well as some of the European countries. It is one of the hottest hatchback on sale from the Ford stables. If and at all, Ford India plan to launch the Ford Focus in India before this time, it would create a mini revolt within the premium hatchback segment as apart from the Maruti Suzuki Swift, there is no other hatchback which has a great engine combination as well as fun to drive. Ford sells the Ford Focus in 3 trims across the world and those are the standard Focus, little spruced up ST version and the hottest Ford Focus RS version. For the European markets, the next generation ST would be out soon however it would carry a 4 cylinder 2 liter engine. However this engine would put out 247 Bhp, aided by EcoBoost, Ford parlance for turbocharging. It was also shown in a new concept form recently at one of the shows. The ONE FORD strategy would only be in effect by 2012 and hence the reason for delay in bringing this model to the Indian public. Under this strategy, the Ford Figo would also be marketed across the world and of course, India would be the one which would be building up majority of the export volumes for this small but capable hatch.
Ssangyong Motors, the wholly owned subsidiary of Indian car manufacturer Mahindra and Mahindra is known for making one of the world’s ugliest cars. Yes, if at all there was a survey for the world’s ugliest cars, the entire Ssangyong Motors range would sweep away all the awards. However recently shown as a concept, the new Ssangyong Korando car is one such car which begs to differ. It has a Maserati kind of nose and the rest of the body looks like the current generation Chevy Captiva in India. This should tick off one car from the Ssangyong Motors range from the ugliest cars in the world list. Ugly or not, almost all the cars in the manufacturer’s lineup are successful models and they sell really well. It should look beautiful since it has been designed by Italdesign Giugiaro, the one from Italy.
Honda is not one of the manufacturers to be left behind in this prototype race and they are building a new small car namely the Honda Brio for the developing market. This car had been displayed at the Thailand Motor Show and would most likely make it to production grounds soon. It is destined that this car would emphasize the quotient of space inside defined for a small car. It would have class leading space for a small car as well as one of the most fuel efficient engines. It would also have a quick motor for efficient performance. Moreover, it would be priced at a starting price of Rs.5 lakhs for the Indian consumer. Imagine, a Rs.5 lakhs new Honda hatchback. This would be a sure shot hit, the new concept cars from Honda.
To celebrate its 30 years of four wheel drive or Quattro as the company would like to call it, Audi have unveiled many new concept cars. It is based on an extended wheelbase of the Audi TT platform. It would have a new face than the Audi TT. It would have drilled aluminium alloy wheels and a kerb weight of just 1300 kgs. It would make about 408 Bhp from its 3.2 liter FSI engine. This concept took about 2 years of finessing before it was displayed to the world. If it would make into production lines or not isn’t quite sure yet however we do hope that it makes into production. Now we aren’t sure how many new concept cars in India would be launched however we can definitely cross our fingers on that.
