Some of country’s biggest automobile manufacturers showcased their latest products, both in concept and production form.
India’s biggest motor show returned this week after a longer break than the usual 2 years owing to the pandemic. This time too, some of the country’s biggest automobile manufacturers showcased their latest products, both in concept and production form, but the list of absentees was longer than last time. However, some much awaited cars were revealed at the Expo, and this included many electrics as well. Let’s take a look at the top 5 cars that made their debut at the 2023 Auto Expo.
Maruti Suzuki Jimny
The country’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, finally unveiled the muchawaited Jimny SUV for India in a never-before-seen 5-door format. The car became the centre of attraction as it grabbed many eyeballs from media and visitors alike. It comes with a standard 4WD system with a 4-low and runs on a 1.5 litre petrol engine that is mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed Automatic gearbox. Maruti has started taking bookings for the sub-4 meter SUV, which will be launched in the country in the next few months. India will be the first market in the world which will get the 5-door Jimny as till now it is only sold in a 3-door version everywhere.
Tata Sierra
The iconic nameplate of the Tata Sierra made waves at the Auto Expo in a production-ready avatar this time around. The SUV was shown in concept form at the previous Auto Expo, but now the brand has revealed that it will be launched as an electric vehicle by 2025. Tata also announced that before the Sierra EV, it will launch another electric SUV in the market, the Harrier EV, which will come with a range of at least 500 kms and be the first all-wheel-drive EV from the brand. In all, Tata Motors showcased 14 new vehicles and concepts at the show, including commercial vehicles.
Hyundai Ioniq 5
Korean carmaker Hyundai launched their 2nd electric car in India, the Ioniq 5 at the motor show. And doing the honours was none other than King Khan, the longstanding brand ambassador of the company in India. The car is aggressively priced at Rs. 44.95 lakh, ex-showroom, albeit only for the first 500 units. A powerful 72 .6 kWH battery gives a maximum range of 631 kms on the EV while a 350 kW DC fast charger ensures that the battery is charged from 10-80 % in just 18 minutes. Many sustainable materials are used inside the car, subscribing to its green philosophy.
Kia Carnival
Hyundai’s cousin Kia too made its presence felt at the motor show by unveiling the new-gen KA4 or the Carnival, which will most likely be launched in India later this year. The MPV gets a host of changes, both on the exterior and interior, and is also loaded with many technological advancements. The 4th generation of the MPV is likely to priced at a premium when compared to the outgoing model. Internationally, the car is equipped with many ADAS features, and it remains to be seen if they make their way to India as well.
Maruti Suzuki Finally, it was another new offering from Maruti Suzuki that made waves at the Auto Expo. The Baleno-based crossover SUV named Fronx was also shown to the world for the first time at the show. The Fronx comes with a host of engine and gearbox options, which includes a 1.0 litre turbo mill along with a torque converter and AMT gearshifts. Bookings for this new car have also begun, and it will be launched in the market even before the Jimny.
The author is a senior editor at carandbike.com