Well begun is half done; and to give 2015 a head start, a handful of automakers are lined-up with their new model rolling down the sales floor over this month.
Datsun GO+
Datsun’s second offering for India, the GO+ MPV, has been already driven by numerous media personnel, including us, and it resulted to be more of utility nature with the kink of sophistication. The claim of GO+ as a 7-seater, actually the third row can fit only children, made us to entitle it as ‘part-estate and part-MPV’. Though the design is carried over from the hatchback GO, but the designers made it to look way more as a ‘new car’ than a reworked model. With only option of 1.2-litre petrol engine under its hood, for delivering 67bhp, it can easily rival the Honda Mobilio and Maruti Ertiga bearing all the tax benefits for a car measured under 4-metres.
Launch: January 15.
Tata Bolt
Tata’s strategic move towards a new brand development, under the stratified banner of Horizonext, will see a Bolt hatchback rolling down the sales floor this month. For some, in fact many of us, it is a Vista with a makeover. But as per the renowned car testers, this hatchback is spacious, good on drivability and packs generous amount of features. Pre booking are underway, but unlike the Zest, there wouldn’t be any AMT gearbox on its drivetrain. Apparently, thatv maybe planned at a later stage to let the Zest makes its sales, but not in the initial period at least.
Launch: January 20.
Mercedes-Benz CLA
Earlier, back a couple of years, the three million in pockets of an Indian would get him a proper Mercedes-Benz or any other German sedan, but now the entire starting-range now have shifted upwards to Rs 40 lakh bracket (talking as of on-road price in Mumbai). The leftover slot in the vicinity of Rs 25-30 lakh turned down in the immense need of getting filled with a proper replacement, which the CLA will do rightly. An effort from Audi by the means of A3 doesn’t look as good as this Merc. The raking roofline of CLA for a coupe like feel, and the elegance combined with sportiness, is what the CLA delivers apart from everyone else.
Launch: January 22.
