The year 2018 started off with the Auto Expo and we saw manufacturers take this stage to showcase all their cars that will be making their way into the Indian market in the next couple of years. We'd already told you that a number of those cars will be launched in the Indian market in the first half of the year itself and well, come next month, there's more coming our way. We've already told you about the launches individually, but here's a more comprehensive and quick look at what will be launching in May this year.
(Mini Countryman)
The BMW Group is all set to launch the Countryman hatchback in India on May 3. The Countryman is the largest offering in the British automaker's line-up and can be also termed as the more practical derivative of the MINI 2-door hatchback. The 2018 MINI Countryman shares its underpinnings with the BMW X1 with both cars being locally assembled at the BMW facility in Chennai. The SUV is an extremely popular offering for MINI India, and local assembly should keep costs low on the model. The Countryman will be offered in two petrol trims and one diesel. The new generation MINI Countryman is based on a completely new design language and has been re-engineered from the ground up. The SUV retains the distinct identity associated with the British brand, while you do see that there is a wider yet familiar grille in place, along with new LED headlamps and pronounced wheel arches. The new Countryman is visibly larger as well and offers more space on the inside. Loaded on tech and goodies, features on the 2018 Countryman will include a 6.5-inch or 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, MINI driving modes, Cruise Control, Park Assistant and Head-Up Display. The car also gets a host of safety tech front and passenger airbags, Brake Assist, Dynamic Stability Control, Crash Sensor, ABS, Cornering Brake Control and Run-flat tyres as standard. Power on the 2018 MINI Countryman will come from the 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine tuned to produce 189 bhp and peak torque of 280 Nm. The petrol version can sprint from 0-100 kmph in 7.5 seconds with a top speed of 225 kmph. There will be a diesel version as well powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder oil burner churning out 188 bhp and 400 Nm of peak torque. Both engines will come paired to an 8-speed Steptronic transmission. The diesel is no slouch either and can hit 0-100 kmph in 7.7 seconds with a top speed of 220 kmph.
Also Read: 2018 MINI Countryman Launch Details Revealed
Launch: May 3, 2018
Expected Price: Rs. 35 lakh
(Tata Nexon AMT)
There is little to distinguish the Nexon AMT from the Nexon manual models. While most features and designs, even the engines remain the same, there are a few differences in the Nexon AMT as compared to the standard Nexon models. Let us take a look at the differences and everything that you need to know about the new Tata Nexon AMT. The biggest difference of course, is the AMT or automated manual transmission unit. Instead of a regular gearbox, the Nexon AMT gets a 6-speed AMT unit; wherein in the ratios for the petrol AMT and the diesel AMT remain the same, more or less. The regular gear knob makes way for an AMT shifter which has 'R', 'N' and 'A' marked on it along with 'M' and plus/minus signs. There is also a rotary knob which can be used to select the driving mode and has been carried over from the regular Nexon manual models. The AMT will be offered on both the petrol and diesel engines.
Also Read: 2018 Tata Nexon AMT Hyprdrive Review
Expected Launch: May 2018
Expected Price: Rs. 7 lakh - Rs. 10 lakh
(New Gen Honda Amaze)
The face of the new-gen Amaze has been inspired from the Accord, with a fresh new grille, newly designed headlamp cluster and it also gets an LED position light. It gets a new, bolder bumper as well. The silhouette of the car too has changed, getting a slightly lowered roof-line in order to make it more aerodynamic. But the biggest change however is in the feature list and that's where the Honda Amaze will differ when compared to its rivals. It will come with rear parking sensors, rear camera, and a new set of alloy wheels. The cabin too is all new and we'll see the new-gen Amaze come with the Digipad 2.0 and it will come with Apple CarPlay as also Android Auto. There's a multi-function steering wheel too as also automatic climate control. The Amaze will also come with cruise control and on the petrol automatic there will be paddle shifters on offer. Adding to the convenience is a Push button Start/Stop button. Honda only showcased the petrol version of the car which comes with the same 1.2-litre engine remains unchanged and there's the 1.5-litre diesel engine on offer as well. The transmission options will include the 5-speed manual gearbox that will come as standard for both petrol and diesel models and the CVT option on the diesel and petrol as well.
Also Read: New Generation Honda Amaze India Launch Details Announced
Also Read: New Gen Honda Amaze Review
Launch: May 16, 2018
Expected Price: Rs. 5.5 lakh - Rs. 7.5 lakh
(Toyota Yaris sedan)
Toyota Kirloskar Motor will be launching the Yaris compact sedan next month but the company has already announced the pricing for the car. The introductory price starts from Rs. 8.75 lakh for the base variant, while the range topping variant goes up to Rs. 14.07 lakh (both prices ex-showroom, India). While the deliveries will start in May as well, Toyota has officially commenced to take bookings of the new Yaris for a token amount of Rs. 50,000. The Toyota Yaris is a new product for India and we recently drove the 'Baby Corolla' and came back mighty impressed with it. For the new Toyota Yaris, the company has managed a competitive pricing considering it rivals the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Honda City and the Hyundai Verna in the segment. The new Toyota Yaris will be offered in 4 variants - J, G, V, VX offered in either petrol manual of petrol automatic right from the base variant. Toyota is providing with 7 airbags including curtain and knee airbags, front parking sensors, rear parking sensor with a camera, ABS with EBD, stability control and disc brakes for all four wheels. To put things into perspective, the Toyota Yaris received a 5-star safety rating in the ASEAN NCAP crash test. The Yaris gets a 1.5-litre petrol engine that churns out 108 bhp of max power and 140Nm of peak torque, and comes mated to either a 6-Speed manual gearbox or an optional 7-step CVT automatic gearbox. The company claims that the manual transmission returns fuel efficiency of 17.1kmpl, while the CVT returns 17.8kmpl.
Also Read: Toyota Yaris Launched In India
Also Read: Toyota Yaris Sedan Review
Launch: May 18, 2018
Price: Rs. 8.75 lakh - Rs. 14.07 lakh
(Hyundai i20 facelift)
Hyundai had previously launched the automatic in the i20 in 2016 and it was a 4-speed unit that the car got this time around. But there are a few changes that we might get to see when the CVT is launched in May as it is likely to be a 5-speed unit. The CVT will be made available with the 1.2-litre petrol engine which is tuned for 82 bhp and 115 Nm of peak torque. Clearly the 1.4-litre with the torque convertor were proving to be a bit expensive for the Indian market and hence the decision to shift to something more affordable. We already have seen the changes that the new i20 gets at the Auto Expo. It comes with the new black cascading grille, revised headlamps with new LED daytime running lamps, and a new bumper housing the new arrowhead foglamps, and an integrated spoiler. The rear, on the other hand, looks a lot fresher with the new taillamp cluster, new sculpted hatch door, and an all-new rear bumper with large matte black insert and reflectors. The cabin is not all new but there are quite a few changes that you see being made. The infotainment cluster is all new and features a larger touchscreen panel. It now comes loaded with inbuilt navigation, Apple Carplay and Android Auto like earlier but with a nicer and more responsive screen.
Also Read: Facelifted Hyundai i20 Review
Launch: May 2018
Expected Price: Rs. 7 lakh
(Mahindra MPV)
Mahindra has been eyeing entering the MPV space yet again with a new car that promises to be more capable, better looking and even well equipped. The spy shots that we've shown you give us a general idea about the exterior design as also what the cabin will be like. While we thought that the company would showcase the MPV at the Auto Expo 2018, we were surprised to not see it there. However, the launch is just around the corner. The exterior design gets Mahindra's signature chrome toothed grille with horizontal headlamps equipped with projector lights and LED daytime running lights. Other features could include an electric sunroof, sporty alloy wheels, plastic underbody cladding and more. Under the hood, the Mahindra U321 MPV is expected to feature the company's tried and tested 2.2-litre mHawk engine with some minor tuning suitable for an MPV. However, one cannot rule out a 1.6-litre diesel unit which the company has co-developed with Ssangyong.
Also Read: Upcoming Mahindra MPV U321 Spotted Up Close; Launch Later This Year
Expected Launch: May 2018
Expected Price: Rs. 10 lakh - Rs. 13 lakh
(Mercedes-Benz AMG E63 S 4MATIC+)
Mercedes-Benz India announced that it'll be launching the AMG E63 S 4MATIC+ sedan on May 4, 2018. The company had revealed the new versions in October 2016 and the cars made its official debut at the 2016 Los Angeles Motor Show. The E63 S 4Matic+ is the most powerful version of the E-Class. Visually, the Mercedes-AMG E63 S retains the handsome exterior profile and smooth character lines of the E-Class Sedan. However, there are a few changes that set it apart from the luxurious sedan. There's a new single slat grille, a new front bumper housing slightly larger air intakes and a sporty exhaust setup at the rear. The wheel arches that are a little more than half an inch wider than on the standard car and you also get matte-black AMG 20-inch alloy wheels. Under the hood is a turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine under the hood which uses twin-scroll technology to improve performance and reduce turbo lag. The AMG E63 S churns out 603 bhp and develops 850 Nm of peak torque. Transmission duties are handled by a nine-speed AMG Speedshift dual-clutch transmission and also feature Mercedes' signature 4Matic all-wheel drive system. This efficient transmission propels the E63 S from a standstill to 100 kmph in just 3.3 seconds.
Also Read: Mercedes-AMG E63 S 4MATIC + India Launch Details Revealed
Launch: May 4, 2018
Expected Price: Rs. 1 crore onwards
(New Ferrari Portofino Convertible)
Ferrari is all set to launch the Portofino in India in May. The new Ferrari Portofino, named after one of Italy's prettiest costal towns, also gets a new shade of red - Rosso Portofino to go along with the new car. The new Ferrari Portofino will pack a front mounted 592 bhp V8 twin-turbo engine making it the most powerful retractable hard top convertible sportscar in the world. It takes its proportions from the California T and makes everything much sharper and more aggressive. The front facia features a smiling look as most other Ferraris get currently with the large central grille and sleek sharp LED headlamps. The front bumper also gets large twin secondary intakes while the front fender gets air fins and a vent to channel the air out of the front wheel arches. The profile on the new Ferrari Portofino is sharper and features a carbon fibre side skirt while the iconic rear wheel arch haunches are accentuated and lead into the tail lamps. The new car features twin tail lamps that are set apart and a quad exhaust setup while the boot lid in a lot more contoured now. The large bootlid that featured on the California still features on the Portofino too and the metal folding roof folds neatly into the boot. It gets a 3.8-litre V8 engine makes 592 bhp and 760 Nm of peak torque. The Portofino will get from 0-100 kmph in just 3.5 seconds and will have a top speed of 320 kmph. The new Portofino also gets an electronic rear differential, electronic power steering and the Ferrari signature magnetorheological suspension that uses iron filings in the suspension to stiffen or soften the damping instantly at the touch of a button.
Also Read: New Ferrari Portofino Unveiled, To Replace California T
Expected Launch: May 2018
Expected Price: Rs. 3.5 crore
