The 12th Auto Expo gets underway today at Greater Noida, and will be on till the coming Tuesday. Forty seven domestic and global vehicle majors will showcase their new offerings and concepts.
As many as 70 new launches are expected this time, compared to 58 launches in 2012, making this year's expo one of the biggest to date. Among global majors, Datsun and Isuzu Motors of Japan, Italian bikemaker Moto Morini and Indo-South Korean JV DSK Hyosung will be making their debut in India at the show.
Also read: Industry pins hopes on Auto Expo; 70 models to be showcased
Organisers are hopeful of one lakh footfalls per day on public days from Feb 7-11.
Sonia Shenoy of CNBC-TV18 on what to expect:
Exciting passenger car pipeline:
* Maruti is set to launch Celerio in the hatchback segment - a replacement for the A-Star. Celerio will have Auto manual transmission, and the Cervo targeting erstwhile Maruti-800 customers.
* Hyundai will showcase its much anticipated compact sedan pitted against the hugely successful Dzire (Maruti) and Amaze (Honda).
* Honda will re-launch the previously unsuccessful Jazz hatchback
* Tata Motors will launch its Falcon 4 and Falcon 5 models in the hatchback and compact sedan segments respectively.
Exciting utility vehicle launches
*Maruti will enter the compact SUV space with the launch of XA Alpha (previously displayed in Auto Expo 2012), pitted against the Ford Ecosport and Renault Duster.
*Tata Motors and Chevrolet would also be showcasing concept vehicles in the same segment.
*Honda will launch the Mobilio
*Renault to launch the Lodgy
*Datsun to launch the Go + in the MPV segment
(all these SUV's and MPV's will be pitted against Maruti's Ertiga and Nissan's Evalia)
Promising 2-wheeler segment
*Most two-wheeler players will introduce a range of products in both motorcycles and scooters.
*Hero Motors has already unveiled five new products in the run-up to the expo, including two motorcycles, two scooters and a diesel-hybrid concept.
*Bajaj Auto is expected to showcase Pulsar variants besides a cruiser concept and a new Discover.
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