good motoring
Car bonanza in the offing
H.Kishie Singh

The new Beetle will have a 2-litre engine and a six-speed automatic gearbox

Mention the cars that came in the market this past year, he said casually, and also what to expect next year. He knows about the power cuts in Punjab. To send a simple e-mail with my write-up requires shaking the electricity pole, may be even climbing it to "adjust" the wires.

But what to expect next year? I would have to polish my crystal ball and plug it in. Guess what? Power cut. No bijli, inverter dead, UPS totally interrupted. Life can be challenging.

Finally things started to work. Bijli came, e-mail worked and an e-mail from V.W. started the ball rolling. No need for the crystal ball. This month — December, 2009 — the V.W. Polo has been given the Car of the Year Award for 2010. Howzzat for jumping the gun? Fiftynine members from 23 European countries decided this award. "The new Polo stands for German engineering craftsmanship and superior cutting edge technology", said Professor Martin Winterkorn, chairman of the V.W. Group.

The Polo hatchback has a 1.2-litre petrol engine, or a 1.2-litre three-cylinder diesel. German engineering, German quality and a price tag of just only Rs 4 lakh should find favour with Indian buyers.

`A0Closer home the Fiat Linea was given the Car of the Year Award by Autocar India. No doubt Fiat makes some of the most desirable cars. Any Italian car is a beauty. The Italians design their cars with women in mind. Sleek, svelte, stylish, sporty and built for comfort and performance.

Presenting a direct challenge to the Jazz was Maruti's Ritz. As is to be expected, Maruti was the winner. The little beauty has everything in terms of looks, luxury and performance, plus the price. The top of the line costs about Rs 5 lakh, and that’s the diesel engine version.

The sales chart was set on fire by Toyota's Fortuner. After drooling for years, the Fortuner was finally launched and it was sold out in days. Overpriced as it was, it is the name Toyota that sold.

`A0Nissan launched the Teana. A good-looking car loaded with never-before seen features. It is expensive but the luxuries offered are worth the price.

Nissan also introduced the X-Trail SUV which, in terms of speed, acceleration and fuel efficiency, outperforms all other SUVs in the market.

Keeping up this charge, Nissan will bring out the Micra by March next year. The Micra has found worldwide acceptance and the 1200 cc engine should do well in India.

Volvo has decided to bring the smaller versions of its existing models in India. The S 60 sedan and XC 60 SUV should be on the roads by mid 2010. Expect nothing less than perfection and performance, which is a trademark of Volvo.

Remember Premier Automobiles? Of course, every one does. The Premier Padmini was the standard household car decades ago. Premier is introducing a SUV type compact made in China called the Rio. In China it was known as the Nomad; before that it was a Daihatsu. A price of Rs 4 lakh may make it an attractive buy.

Hyundai will introduce the Santa Fe, which has been on the roads around the world for some time. It is a crossover based on the Sonata platform. It replaces the Tuscon, will have a 2.2-litre diesel engine and four-wheel drive. Price? About Rs 18 lakh, and that could be a deterrent to buyers.

Hyundai is also looking to bring out a small car which will be priced at Rs 2 lakh. Watch out Nano and Maruti 800. It will be a three-cylinder 800 cc Epsilon series engine, same as in the Santro.

Another offering from Ford will be the Figo. A 1.2- litre petrol engine and a 4-litre diesel engine will power the Figo. A price of Rs 3.5 lakh will make it an attractive buy.

And the best surprise. V.W. will bring the new Beetle to India. It is the car that hasn't really changed shape in over 70 years. The original was so good. The new Beetle will have a 2-litre engine and a six-speed automatic gearbox. The price. It is only a guess. About Rs 20 lakh.

Happy motoring.