Get set to vroom right into the New Year in style! The year 2008 is going to be a sumptuous treat for all automobile lovers. Right from the compact cars to the concept cars to hybrid cars to SUV’s to luxury vehicles, Indian roads will be treated to all kinds of cars. So if you have plans of buying a car this year, you can be sure that the wide variety is going to leave you fascinated as well as confused! You will be able to choose from at least 15 cars in the small car segment and around 20 models in the mid-size segment.
The car that has generated maximum hype and has all eyes eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of, is the Rs. 1 lakh car of Tata Motors. The “People’s Car” will be pitted against concept cars like Maruti Suzuki’s Splash and A-Star, hatchbacks like Swift, Getz, U-VA Troika, Skoda Fabia and the Fiat Grande Punto, Next Gen Palio, etc. Then, there are cars that are sure to make an impact in the mid-size segment, like Hyundai i20, Sandero from Renault, Volkswagen Jetta, Fiat Linea, etc. Fiat is all set to make a comeback on the Indian roads in style with cars like Bravo, Grande Punto and Cinquecento.
For all those who love to see SUV’s or macho cars in their garage and rule the road with a sense of power and pride, this year will be a feast. Mitsubishi is rolling out the SUV Outlander, GM is coming out with Captiva, Hyundai is launching the Santa Fe and the icing on the cake is provided by the BMW X6. Apart from SUV’s, one can also expect to see MUV’s (multi utility vehicles) like Ingenio from Mahindra & Mahindra, the next generation Sumo from Tata Motors, etc. Then of course, you have the new variety of hybrid vehicles debuting this year like Honda Civic, Tata Indica and M & M Scorpio SUV.
Those who love to travel in the lap of luxury can pamper themselves by going for luxury sedans like the brand new Mercedes C-Class, BMW M3, M5 and M6, Alfa Romeo 159, etc. While all the excitement that is generated seems perfect, one question that will hound a prospective buyer is about the pricing. The good news is that there is something for everyone! So, the middle class can go for the People’s Car, or the mid-size segments cars, while those who can shell out more money can go for entry-level sedans and luxury cars.
