Delhi Auto Expo 2012: The Extravaganza

 

With over 1,500 participants from over 23 countries the 11th Auto Expo in New Delhi has now opened its gates. Even amidst Delhi's winter chills the largest automotive show in India has already picked up mighty steam and in its week long rundown from the 5th to the 11th of January, it will be host to some of the most sensational two-wheeler, four-wheeler, technology and commercial vehicle launches all under one single roof - Pragati Maidan. Among the slew of highly anticipated launches, unveiling and Indian debuts at the event is the Ford EcoSport, Maruti Suzuki Ertiga MPV, the all-new Hyundai Sonata, the Nissan Evalia (NV200), seven motorcycles by Triumph, the Audi Q3 compact SUV and the street-fighter model from Ducati, the 795. Catch all the latest buzz at the 2012 Dehi Auto Expo only on Don's Blog.

 After an extensive testing and last minute updates, almost all the 18 OEMs participating in the Indian Auto Expo have finalized their new car models and concepts for one of the most renowned Auto exhibitions in the world. The popularity of the Indian Auto Expo has reached to an extent where the global luxury car manufacturers to the Indian auto makers are vying to be a part of this Auto Expo 2012.

  Visitors crowd the Harley Davidson motorcycle stall at a press preview of Auto Expo in New Delhi.                                         The five-day automobile event begins Saturday.

                         Visitors check out BMW's Mini Cooper which will be launched in India shortly

                                                        Newly unveiled Ducati Monster 795

                                              Global Ford Ecosport SUV Unveiled at Auto Expo

                                                  The newly launched Chevrolet Captiva

                                                 Chevrolet showcases Sail hatch

  The first of the two is the new MPV by GM, developed in collaboration with the Chinese SAIC. It’s an MPV, and  surprisingly GM have christened it as the MPV Concept only. The MPV, when put in production will compete with Maruti’s Ertiga, Mahindra Xylo, and the Innova.

                                                                Renault Pulse

 Peter Schwarzenbaver(2nd L), board member of Audi AG and Michael Perschke, MD, Audi India along with actors      Katrina Kaif and Lisa Ray pose with the company's Q3 2.0 T quattro car during its unveiling ceremony.

                                                           Ranbir Kapoor at the Nissan car launch 

                                                John Abrahim launching the Yamaha's new bike

                                          Visitors look at the newly launched Mercedes-Benz concept

                                                               Bajaj unveils RE60

                    Managing director Triumph motorcycles Ashish Joshi speaks during the launch of 'Rocket III'  

                                                      Volkswagen XL1 concept car

      Design director Jaguar Iam Cullam (L), Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata (C) and design director Land Rover Gerry              Mcgovern (R) pose with the new Land Rover Defender 100 concept car at the 2012 India Auto Expo.

 Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata (L) and his successor Cyrus Mistry (R) pose with the new Tata Safari Storme car.

 Managing Director and CEO Hyundai Motors India, H.W.Park (C) poses with the newly launched 'Sonata' during the 2012 India Auto Expo.

Shinzo Nakanishi, chief executive and managing director of Maruti Suzuki poses with company's new compact SUV XA Alpha car after unveiling it at Auto Expo.

                           A model poses with the TVS RTR 250-FX motorbike during the 2012 India Auto Expo.

                                                          Renault Duster uncovered, launch expected by Diwali 

                                                 BMW M5 launched at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo

                                                          Mahindra reveals Rexton SUV, launch likely by mid 2012

The world's leading car makers jostle for space in New Delhi.

Ford EcoSport 360 view

A 360-degree view of the Ford EcoSport CUV, announced at the Ford press conference during the 2012 Auto Expo in New Delhi, India.

Ford Motor Co on Wednesday launched the EcoSport, its new global compact sports utility vehicle, and said it will invest $142 million in the company's Chennai plant in south India to manufacture the model for the domestic and export markets.

The EcoSport is the second of eight new global models that Ford plans to launch in India, the company said in a statement, as it targets Asian and African markets in a push to increase annual global sales to 8 million vehicles by 2015.

Ford, which sold just under 100,000 cars in India in 2011, a rise of 15 percent from the previous year, has said it expected Asian sales volumes to double to account for a third of the carmaker's global sales by 2020.

"The Indian market will be the third largest by the end of the decade behind the U.S. and China," Joe Hinrichs, group vice-president and Asia Pacific and Africa president told reporters.

"We are still bullish on India and we expect significant growth as per capita income rises in tier-II and -III cities."

India's car sales, which grew 30 percent in the year that ended in March 2011, are expected to be flat in the current financial year, an industry body said last month, as high interest rates and rising input costs bite.

Ford will invest $142 million in its 200,000 vehicles-a-year plant in Chennai, where the carmaker builds its Figo and Fiesta models, to buy equipment required to manufacture the EcoSport, said Michael Boneham, managing director of Ford India.

The 2012 India Auto Expo, held once every two years, begins on Thursday in New Delhi.