Great deals on wheels

What did the seventh Auto Expo, held in Delhi from January 15 to 20, have to offer? H. Kishie Singh reports.

SINCE the automobile, today, occupies centrestage not only in our lives but also in the country’s economy, the Auto Expo is an eagerly awaited event, both for manufacture and the consumer.

In the two-wheeler section, Aprilia of Italy has tied up with Hero Motors to introduce a new line of scooters. The initial offering will be the Sonic, which has the style of a bike and the practicality of a scooter. Atlantic 500 and RSV 1000 will follow.

The Centra from TVS is sure to make waves. With the revolutionary Variable Timing-intelligent (VT-i) engine, they claim a 100 km-per-litre fuel consumption, hence the name. It has looks too, with a trapezoidal headlight and a stylish fuel tank. It also has a 5-step adjustable shock absorber.

Highs and lows The 1928 Rolls-Royce Phantom: Once voted the best car in the world * For the first time Nissan made it debut in India with the SUV X-Trail. * Daimler-Chrysler showcased the Maybach, costing Rs 5 crore. * Audi uncovered the stunning T.T. Coupe. Audi will also be sold in India. * Suzuki had the Concept-S, the Twin, a hybrid small car with fuel cell technology. They displayed the 1300-cc mobike, the Hayabusa — the world’s fastest. * There is a vast difference between an expo and a disco. The unbearable sound levels at the Expo made conversation impossible. * The entry fee of Rs 300 did not deter the crowds that made work and photography a nightmare. Business hours should have been observed, for the Expo is serious business. * Many of the displays were disappointing. Instead of wasting money on teenyboppers for doing a song-and-dance routine, exhibitors could have invested in better stall designs and decor. * Though the Expo is an international event, no steps were taken to keep the exhibition site clean. Pragati Maidan was littered with garbage. There were a number of stray dogs, and urchins could be seen chasing plastic bags. The toilets, with broken taps, were unhygienic and inadequate. * Since Daimler-Chrysler alone had cars worth about Rs 50 crore on display, the entire Expo must have showcased vehicles costing an astronomical figure. To exhibit these beautiful machines in such poor surroundings does not speak much for the organisers.

Skoda, surprised at the positive response to the Octavia, will be introducing the Elegence and the Superb. The Superb has a 2.5 litre V-6 engine with 187 bhp. This will compete with the E-class Mercedes. A newer model of the Octavia, the L & K (The initials of Laurin and Klement, founders of Skoda), will also be available. Skoda also intends to introduce the Fabia with a choice of 1.6 litre or 1.8 litre engine. It will be available as a sedan or station wagon (estate).

Most people were fascinated by the Maybach displayed by Daimler-Chrysler. However, it was the Audi T.T. Coupe that stole the show. The car has simply stunning looks with performance to match. It has a 1.8-litre turbo-charged engine. Audi has finally realised that India is an important market and they will make their presence felt this year.

The Maybach starts at a price of Rs 3.5 crore and the top-end model goes up to Rs 5 crore. This is not a misprint! They hope to sell a dozen cars this year. However, there was no visible queue of buyers! But Daimler Chrysler choose to be confident.

The car is simply amazing. It has the engine of Formula-One racing cars in V-12 configuration. The engine has 750 components, which are hand assembled. The interior luxury level sets a new standard. It has 10 air bags, luxury seats which are heated and ventilated, rear seats that tilt, folding tables at the rear, two cordless phones, panoramic glass roof, etc. There is a glass partition behind the driver seats to afford privacy to the rear seat occupants. It is clear glass but at the touch of a button it turns opaque. It has everything except the proverbial kitchen sink! The short wheel base Maybach is 5.7 metre long and the long wheel base is 6.2 metres!

The most exciting display by Maruti, back after a miss two years ago, was the Suzuki Hayabusa mobike. The engine, 1300cc, is powerful enough to power a Formula 3 race car! They also displayed the Concept-S, a very futuristic-looking car. It may, however, never hit the roads. Also on display was the Jimmy, which could be a new avatar of the aging but versatile Gypsy. The Jimmy has a shorter wheel base and a removable soft top. Suzuki also showed the Twin, a small car with fuel cell technology. Suzuki makes the biggest bikes and smallest cars. There is talk that the Esteem may be replaced.

The Tata Indica has a newer version, the Marina, which is a station wagon and has a large interior. It is available in 1.4 petrol or diesel engine.

The Hyundai Accent Viva is now available with a CRDI diesel engine. The Getz and the Elantra from Hyundai are also heading for Indian roads. 

The Getz is slightly longer then the Santro and will come with a 1.3 litre petrol or 1.5 litre diesel engine. It is being slotted between the Santro and the Accent. 

The Elantra has a 1.8 litre engine and will offer stiff competition to the Optra and Skoda.

There is a new buzzword in the auto industry — Common Rail Direct Injection (CRDI). This is the latest technology for diesel engines — suitable both for passenger cars or commercial vehicles. The CRDI engine is already available in some models in India.

Along with the latest automobile technology on display, there was a breath of fresh air from yesteryear in Hall 15. Members of the Heritage Motoring Club of India showed some of their vintage and classic cars. They were among the best in the country. Cadillacs, Buicks, Fords, Chevy, Rolls-Royce, Packard and a Minerva AL of 1928 vintage. This car is one of the seven in existence. 

They simply delighted the crowd. These beauties are about 50-60 and 70 years old but they have a charm all their own. It is a mute point if any of the latest cars on display today will evoke similar memories 50 years from now.

The latest entrant in India is the Japanese auto giant Nissan. Nissan has jumped into the SUV fray with the X-Trail. As is to be expected, it is a very large 4x4 and has a unique All Mode 4x4. Simply put on Auto Mode, most torque is delivered to the front wheels. In case of need the 4-Wheel Drive controller activates instantly and transfers torque to the rear wheels for extra traction to prevent wheel slip. The X-Trail features a 2.2 litre turbo diesel engine.

Having said all that about all the beautiful cars at Auto Expo, the future of the Indian automobile industry may be in the component sector.

The Indian automotive industry has attained a very high degree of proficiency in qualitative engineering products as well as trained manpower. Almost every auto manufacturer around the world is sourcing components from India. It is a major thrust that the Indian auto component industry has made and by the end of the current fiscal year will exceed $ 1 billion! It is expected to jump to five times that figure in three years. Little wonder that the feel-good factor is evident.

In the auto-component sector, the GNA Industries of Punjab have set a shinning example. The Punjabis have a love affair with machinery, be it a car, mobike, tractor, tank or MIG, and once in a while a visionary comes along. One such person was Ajeet Singh, the founder of GNA Industries. 

It was established in 1947. The three divisions — GNA Axles Ltd. (axle division), GNA Duraparts (gears division) and GNA Udyog Ltd. (Propeller Shafts Division) — have an annual turnover today exceeding US $ 30 million. In addition to their exports to a number of manufactures abroad, Maruti, Tata Ashok Leyland, Swaraj Mazda, Eicher, Mahindra, Escorts are some of the manufacturers in India who use GNA products as Original Equipment (OE).

Another reason for the feel-good factor: in the past years when a car was launched, the manufacturer would emphasis that the car had been made for India. 

No more the case now. Today the car is made in India!. One of the most respected names in automobiles, Mercedes-Benz, has that label. All the engines for the Mercedes-Benz cars in India are assembled by Bajaj Tempo Ltd.

Many of the big players were conspicuous by their absence at the Expo. G.M., Ford, Honda, Hero Honda, Toyota did not participate. 

When I asked a fellow journalist from Mumbai and a regular at Auto Expo for his views on this year’s Expo, he summed it up thus, "You order a large pizza but you get a medium. 

You don’t go hungry, but you’re not fully satisfied either!" That was Auto Expo 2004.