Auto Expo 2020 Top Highlights of Day 2 : Launches and Updates

The second day of the eponymous Auto Expo 2020 witnessed new launches and ushered in the next generation of cars revealing of much-awaited models and the unveiling of concept cars. Read on to know more about some of the biggest highlights of day 2.

1. 2020 Hyundai Creta

   

   Hyundai revealed the all-new next generation Creta on the second day of Auto Expo 2020. The details of the engine were not revealed but it will probably share the same power train with its Korean sister Kia Seltos.

   The exterior is on par with modern style quotients. The front and rear end get a complete makeover with a new grille. Onto the interiors, The Creta has a new option of making its interiors all black.

2. Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza Facelift

   

   One of the major reveals on day 2 of the Auto Expo 2020 is the Vitara Brezza with its much needed, first-ever facelift. The best selling compact SUV in the country gets some important styling tweaks. Before it looked as if it belonged to an old age home, the new facelift makes it ready to attend the first day of college. The car now sports a cleaner and more muscular grille, new LED headlamps. They also revised the rear end so it’s got a better booty now.

   But the most important changes took place under the hood. The new car gets a BS6 compliant 1.5 l turbo petrol engine which produces 105 hp of power, 15 hp more than the old one. It will launch within a few months.

3. Renault Duster 1.3-litre Turbo Petrol

   

   The Renault Duster is one of the best selling SUVs in India. We are talking about SUV in its truest sense, not one of those teeny-tiny boxes with rugged plastic intended to con the common man. So it was only natural that Renault made some improvements to tackle growing competition in the segment.

   The engine gets a long-overdue overhaul in the new version. The ancient 1.5 l K9K diesel engine is replaced with BS6 compliant 1.3 l turbo petrol. The new engine produces 153 hp and also has a peak torque of 250 Nm. Not many differences can be spotted in the exterior other than silly-looking red-inserts and redesigned 17-inch alloys.

4. Force Gurkha 2020

   

   If anybody hoped that ugly looking but sturdy and affordable rugged SUVs that produce enough smoke to kill more polar bears than an Eskimo with a huge axe will go extinct with the introduction of tighter emission norms, they are all wrong. Force motors have decided to make it the sole purpose of existence to keep on going no matter what the government or anybody who cares about design says.

   Force Motors has introduced the new Gurkha at the Auto Expo 2020 with LED-laden round headlights, new bumper and grille. It gets a new BS6 compliant engine for the 4-wheel drive variant. Other than that, the new car still carries on the boxy stance, purely utilitarian cabin and the same-old power train straight from the Mesopotamian era.

5. MG Hector Plus

   

   The MG Hector plus is a much-awaited 3-row version of the popular SUV and it is on display at the Auto Expo 2020. It’s a full 40 mm longer than the regular Hector and even took the trouble to tweak the exterior to help differentiate it from the standard model.

   The engine and the power train are the same as that on the standard model. The 5-seater version was a raging success for the British carmaker and they expect to repeat the same level of success with this car too. The car will launch in the second half of 2020.

6. Haima EV E1

   

   Electric cars are all the rage at Auto Expo 2020. Everybody who is somebody in the world of automobile manufactures has to show with a car that does not contribute to melting the glaciers. Or they just won’t be somebody any more. So comes as no surprise when a relatively unheard of Chinese manufacturer shows up with a fully electric hatchback under 10 lakhs. One reason is that they have always been good at making toys.

   The E1 packs a battery of 34kWh which can give a range of 302 km on a single charge. The range extends to 352 kms if driven at a constant speed of 60 kmph. That’s faster than walking and there is no pollution.

7. Volkswagen I.D. Crozz Concept

   

   The German carmaker Volkswagen enjoys a global reputation for its superior and reliable engineering. The cars in their portfolio are brilliant under the hood. But nobody in their right mind would stand back and take a second look at them. The exterior design is, simply put, boring. Which is why the new I.D.Crozz concept came as a shock to the eyes. It’s an elegantly designed car. It’s neat, does not scream at us to look at it and it’s classy.

   The electric SUV concept that was on display at the Auto Expo 2020 features a dual-motor setup. It produces a combined output of 306 hp and a peak torque of 450 Nm. It has a claimed range of 500 km. The car will hit the markets in 2021.

8. Mercedes-Benz V-Class Marco Polo

   

   One of the more unusual launches at the Auto Expo 2020 came from Mercedes Benz. They are adding new products to their Indian portfolio and expanding operations in India. As a result, they have come up with a car that is just not a car, but a mobile home.

   It is not clear what inspired the name Marco Polo. Space inside suggests only one rational explanation. Because this car targets buyers who are ideally homeless and also because people might soon get bored of living in a car, the name suggests them to indulge themselves in a game of Marco Polo to alleviate boredom. It is that spacious. The mobile home from the Mercedes has a sofa-cum-bed, a 4-litre fridge and a fully equipped kitchen. The only thing that’s missing is a bath-tub. The prices start at 1.38 crore (ex-showroom).