Upcoming Hatchbacks This Year

Year 2010 saw a number of hatchbacks making their debut in the Indian market. Volkswagen Polo, Ford Figo, Fiat Punto, Nissan Micra et al were the star attractions of last year. This year too there seem to be a few more hatchbacks that are likely to make their way into the countrys market. There are no official confirmed dates available but heres a look at what they have to offer:Honda Brio the compact hatchback by Honda Brio Price was scheduled to be previewed on March 17, but the company postponed it due to massive devastation in Japan. The car is now likely to be delayed. Brio is scheduled to hit Indian roads with a price tag of less than Rs 5 lakh and will be Hondas first compact hatchback built on the new 2CV concept equipped with features like a chrome stripe grill, bold looks, upward sweeping body lines and a forward inclined stance giving it a futuristic feel.

The car will be powered by a 1.2-litre Honda Jazz engine followed by a 1-litre motor in the future. Prominent headlamp pods set in black surrounds with a bit of chrome dominate the front while the all glass rear and low tail lights with a smoked-out effect make for an attractive rear. The car is 3.6 meters in length and promises to be good to drive and easy to handle.The Brio doesnt have a central console and the instrument panel, music system and all rest has been aligned straight. The concept model had a double DIN music system, a driver airbag and fixed head restraints for front seats.Toyota Etios Liva The launch of Liva has been deferred due to two main reasons the disaster in Japan and huge booking orders for the saloon variant. The Etios saloon is facing a waiting period of about six to eight months.

The Etios Liva will be powered by a 1.2 litre engine capable of generating 80bhp. It shares its platform with Etios saloon and thus will be one of the most spacious hatches in the market. It is pitted straight against the likes of Ford Figo, Volkswagen Polo, Fiat Punto, Nissan Micra, Maruti Swift et al. Keeping in mind the popularity of diesel engines Toyota plans is likely to fit the Etios saloon and Liva with a 1.4 diesel unit. This will be the same as the powermill that does duty in Corolla diesel sans the variable geometry turbo (VGT).Chevrolet Beat diesel The car was spotted testing somewhere in Gujarat and the pictures were floated on a leading auto magazines website recently. Beat diesel is likely to be powered by Fiats 1.3 Multijet, 936cc three-cylinder common-rail diesel engine capable of producing 57bhp and 14.52kgm of torque.

GM had recently added the LPG version option to Beats line up and will soon introduce the made in India 1.2-litre SMARTECH petrol engine. The Beat diesel is likely to be priced around Rs 4 4.60 lakh (ex-showroom price).Volkswagen Up The expected engines for the car are a 0.8 litre diesel mill and 1.2 litre petrol model. The diesel engine will be mated to a piston displacement of around 800cc, 2 cylinder, turbocharged diesel powertrain that would generate a top power of 51 hp and top torque of 100 Nm. The petrol engine of the VW Up might be incorporated with 1.2 litre, 4 cylinder petrol engine that may produce maximum power of 75 hp and highest torque of 183 Nm with the help of manual 6 speed gearbox and an optional automatic transmission. The car is likely to retail for a price tag of approx Rs 3,50,000 (ex-showroom, New Delhi).

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