Delhi’s Auto Expo is the biggest automotive event of the country. The bi-annual Auto Expo pulls in international manufacturers vying to exploit the Indian market, which is said to be one of the fastest growing automobile markets in the world.
In 2018, the event saw many manufacturers coming up with their plans for the country and abroad, and showcasing their lineups. This year’s highlight is a new company making it’s entry into India, KIA Motors, a South Korean brand and a sister company of Hyundai.
The Auto Expo is looked upon by manufacturers, customers and enthusiasts cumulatively, to experience what the industry has to offer at its best.
Honda
Honda have come to this year’s Auto Expo with some of their upcoming models, as well as a few widely appreciated concepts like the Sports EV and the NEU-V concept.
The Sports EV concept has been critically acclaimed by journalists and industry players since its first unveiling at the Tokya Motor Show in October 2017. It has been said the car perfectly gives an idea of what is there for the future, while not going completely against the traditional styling.
Honda also unveiled the next generations of their Amaze, CR-V and Civic along with the concepts cars.
KIA
Korea’s KIA Motors has also set foot in the Indian market with the official announcement to set base in Andhra Pradesh. The company is showcasing more than 16 cars at the Auto Expo.
KIA showcased their SP compact SUV, set to launch in India by 2019. The SP will be the first KIA to be ever sold in India. Along with SP, they also showcased their Stinger GT, the 350bhp V6 sports sedan.
Renault
French carmaker Renault entered the 2018 Auto Expo with some of their most exciting concepts and cars. With the likes of the Trezor and the Zoe e-sport concept, Renault is sure to get a great response at this year’s event.
Zoe concept, Renault’s electric hatchback, will likely have a range of about 400 km on a single charge. The Trezor is an all-electric grand tourer and rumour has it that the car can propel form standstill to 100 kmph in less than four seconds.
Hyundai
Hyundai India has a number of vehicles on display at the Auto Expo 2018, but the show stealers at the stall are the new Hyundai Elite i20, the Hyundai Ioniq EV and their hybrid cars.
Tata Motors
Tata Motors has largely focused on electric vehicles, this year. The company is taking a futuristic direction in terms of design.
Tata's RaceMo – a supercar that will be available in petrol and electric versions was the centre of attention at the Auto Expo 2018. The 45X concept on display looked straight out of a futuristic movie set.
Along with the concept cars, was Tata Motors' fleet of electric vehicles – ranging from the commercial Starbus electric to the Tata Tigor electric sedan and the Tata Tiago electric hatchback.
Mahindra
Mahindra came into the Auto Expo with a series with of concept cars and electric vehicles.
The most striking and unusual, however, was the Stinger concept, which is supposed to be a drop top SUV based on the TUV 300 model. It's not just a TUV300 without a roof, but a highly stylised vehicle with full LCD instrumentation. Along with the Stinger concept, the Mahindra lineup saw more unusual cars like the Atom.
The Atom is a futuristic electric cab, which could one day replace autorickshaws. It has a large glass area and low floor, with easily accessible doors, making it ideal for the urban commute.
Mahindra also showcased a facelifted version of the e2O electric hatchback, the e-KUV100, which runs on the same motor that the Mahindra e-Verito uses, among other electric vehicles and concepts.
BMW
BMW India launched the 2018 edition of its M5 performance sedan at the Auto Expo 2018 in New Delhi. This sports sedan is priced at a whopping Rs 1.43 crore. Besides the M5, it also launched the touring version of its 6-series, the 6GT (Gran Turismo) at a price of Rs. 58.9 lakh ex-showroom.
BMW came to Auto Expo 2018 with these two launches, along with a wide range of vehicles on display. Both the new launches garnered great amount of attention. The matte finish on the M5 looks great and gives the car quite a sporty feel. What impressed us most in the 6 series GT were its interiors and the overall styling.
Here’s what the 6 Series GT looks like from the inside:
Not taking away from the M5’s plush interiors, here’s a 360° view of what it’s like in the sports sedan:
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