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Auto Expo 2016: The 18 most exciting car and bike launches at the Motor Show

Speed News Desk | Updated on: 14 February 2017, 5:35 IST

All eyes are on Greater Noida, where The Auto Expo 2016 has seen one star-studded launch after another. Car and bike manufacturers from across the globe are displaying the best automobiles at the motor show which will conclude on 9 February.

Take a look at what Volkswagen, Mercedez-Benz, Audi, BMW, Fiat, Yamaha, Maruti Suzuki and other carmakers have to offer:

01
Volkswagen goes the compact sedan way
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With the compact sedan segment generating a huge chunk of sales for Maruti Suzuki, Honda and Hyundai, it was just a matter of time till VW came up with a compact sedan version of its successful Polo hatchback. The Ameo, as it is christened, has been developed specially for the Indian automotive market and is the first sub metre sedan from VW in India. The word 'Ameo' is Latin speak for 'I Love' which stresses on its importance for the car in India and its price-sensitive markets. The Ameo gets the tried and tested 1.2 litre diesel unit.

02
Kwid gets a bigger heart
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The Renault Kwid was initially launched in October 2015 with a 800cc engine akin to the Alto 800 and the Hyundai Eon. But at the Auto Exp, the French manufacturer showcased the Kwid with a 1.0 litre engine which will soon make its debut in India.

03
Luxury goes topless
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The Mercedes class has always been considered as the benchmark when it came to ultra-luxury cars and has been the first choice for film stars, cricketers, football team managers and so on. But what if the deal was sweetened a bit more and the roof was taken off the S class? For the first time ever since 1971, Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the cabriolet version of the famed S class.

04
The Honda Africa Twin stands tall and proud at the 2026 Auto Expo
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With the advent of other premium motorcycle manufacturers, the Japanese brand has upped their game in last few months by launching the Honda CBR 650F and unveiling the famed ADV, Africa Twin. The Africa Twin is a Dakar Rally legend and is one of the most loved adventure touring motorcycles in India. The Africa Twin gets a 998cc, parallel-twin engine which generates 94bhp and 98Nm of torque and is mated to a 6 speed gearbox.

05
Blurring the lines between a scooter and a motorcycle
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Honda is on a roll at this year's edition of the Auto Expo. With one of the most oddball designs but complete practicality, Honda has managed to create a whole new two-wheeler segment with the Navi. Priced at Rs 39,500, the Honda Navi will surely take the fight to some of the entry level scooters and motorcycles.

06
The Trk 502 from Benelli
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Adventure tourers or ADVs are the flavour of the season when it comes to high-end motorcycles. And Benelli did not want to be left behind in the game, so it showed off the TRK 502, which essentially is a mid-sized adventure motorcycle. At the core is a newly developed 500cc engine which generates 48bhp and 45Nm of torque linked to a 6speed transmission with a hydarulic clutch.

07
BMW's master stroke
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BMW launched the all new 7 series at the 2016 Auto Expo. To do the honours, the German carmaker had called upon Indian Cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar, who also happens to be a brand ambassador for BMW for a while now The 7 series is the flagship BMW model and will be taking the Sclass and the Audi A8 head on for the crown of the ultimate luxury car.

08
Virat Kohli and Alia Bhatt at the launch of the Audi R8 V10 Plus
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The R8 V10 Plus is Audi's fastest and the most powerful road going car ever. Since its launch in 2007, the R8 has sold over 27,000 models worldwide. You will be surprised at the fact that the R8 V10 Plus shares almost 50 per cent of its components with the race spec R8s that race in the LMS cup series.

09
Toyota Kirloskar Motor unveils the improved Innova
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The Crysta is based on an all new chassis, which makes the new MPV lighter in weight than the previous model. Coming to the feature list, the new Innova Crysta comes with a new two slat hexagonal grille, sleeker and swept back projector headlamps, LED daytime running lamps, new fog lamps, bolder wheel arches, all new rear bumper and tail lamps.

10
Jeep makes its India debut
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2016 Auto Expo also saw the much awaited offcial debut of Jeep in India. The iconic American SUV brand unveiled the Grand Cherokee, the Grand Cherokee SRT and the Wrangler Unlimited. The Grand Cherokee is the flagship model of Jeep worldwide. The Grand Cherokee will be powered by a 3.0 litre V6 diesel engine that pumps out 237bhp and linked to a state of the art 8 speed ZF gearbox.

11
Suzuki takes the wraps off its Ignis Concept
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Apart from the Vitara Brezza and the Baleno RS, Suzuki also showcased the Ignis Concept, which it says can be launched before the year ends. The Ignis is a sub compact crossover similar to a compact SUV, but smaller. The Ignis will get a host of features such as a 4 wheel drive, hill descent control, dual camera braking system, lane change assist and so on.

12
Triumph's new range of Bonneville motorcycles
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Ever since Triumph entered India, it has been riding high on the success of its various motorcycle range such as the Bonneville, the Tigers and so on. At the Auto Expo, the British motorcycle maker launched the new and more powerful versions of the Bonneville Street Twin, the Bonneville T120 and the Thruxton R.

13
Toyota shows off the all new Prius
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The new Prius was unveiled globally in September last year by Toyota and has now made its India debut. The new Prius is built on a whole new platform which is the TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture). The chassis has a lower centre of gravity now and is also rigid than the outgoing model.

14
Renault Duster gets a facelift
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When launched, the Duster proved to be a game changer for Renault. It became one of the highest selling cars in India and spawned off what we know as the compact SUV space. The Duster facelift gets a few cosmetic tweaks such as a re-styled front fasica, new alloys, redesigned headlamps and taillamps. Apart from the looks, the Duster will now also get an AMT transmission variant. The Duster will be launched in the coming months.

15
Jaguar launches the XE
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Jaguar finally has a product that can go head to head with the Audi A4, BMW 3 series and the Mercedes-Benz Cclass in the XE sedan. The XE is built on a new chassis that uses 75 per cent aluminium in order to keep the weight in check and aid in performance and handling. The engine options include 2.0 litre petrol and diesel units which churn out 200bhp and 180bhp respectively. The XE comes packed with a long list of features which ensure comfort for its occupants. The starting price for the XE is Rs 39.9 lakh.

16
Revealed: The Suzuki Vitara Brezza
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One of the very few segments where Maruti Suzuki did not have a presence was the compact SUV space. With the unveiling of the Vitara Brezza, Maruti Suzuki is all set to change that. Brezza is Italian speak for fresh breeze. With its beefy stance, SUV like design and a variety of features, the Brezza is sure to give sleepless nights to other models in the segment. Scheduled for a March launch, the Vitara Brezza will be getting a 1.3 litre diesel engine at the moment and will be available in six variants.

17
India finally gets the Nissan GTR
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The Nissan GTR,one of the most iconic sportscars across the world, will finally arrive on Indian shores in September this year. The GTR is affectionately called the 'Godzilla' by automotive aficianados, owing to its monstrous power and torque outputs and its land of origin. The GTR is powered by a 3.8 litre V6 engine that can produce an enormous 554bhp and 632Nm of torque.

18
Meet the powerful Yamaha MT 09
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This time around, Yahama made a departure from its usual norm and launched the stunning streetfighter MT 09 in India at Rs 10.20 lakh. This is the first time that Yamaha has launched its MT series of motorcycles in India. The MT 09 has a newly developed 847cc, 3-cylinder, liquid €šcooled engine which puts out 113bhp and 87.5Nm of torque.

First published: 5 February 2016, 7:31 IST