Rumours about Toyota Fortuner are ripe, as they have been for a year. Fortuner will bring a smile to many a face. For, in the SUV segment, the big brother of Fortuner, the Landcruiser, is the king. Fortuner would be in the same mould but not as expensive. That’s because it has the same platform as Innova and this would cut costs considerably. It is a four-wheel drive with an option for low and high gears.

This would be preferred by many a serious off-roader. It has high ground clearance. It would be essentially an Innova on the inside, remember they share the same platform. What should appeal to all is that Fortuner is available both in petrol and diesel engine. The petrol engine is a hi-tech VVTi and the oil burner is a common rail diesel. If and when it hits the market it is rumoured that the price would be very competitive, like about Rs 12 lakh.

Hyundai is bringing out two cars in the second half of 2006. Azera, a four-door luxury sedan, will be around Rs 20 lakh. Tuscani, a two-door sports coupe, will be around Rs 25 lakh. It will be the first time a true-blue sports car at an affordable price will be in the market. Mercedes has the new SLK series and Porsche has the latest 911 Turbo but at prices that are astronomical.

General motors will be replacing Corsa with Chevy Aveo. It will be available as a hatchback or a notchback or a sedan. All variants have 1400 cc four-cylinder engines. The prices will range from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5.5 lakh. Even though the car is a Chevrolet and will support the bow-tie logo, they will be made in Korea.

We all know it. The French do it differently. They always have and leading the way on how to do it differently is Citroen, which introduced front-wheel drive — traction avant — in 1934. It was a revolutionary idea then but today eight out of 10 cars on the road are front-wheel drive. The automobile marvel that is Citroen is going to grace our roads. Other than traction avant, Citroen also pioneered the hydropneumatic suspension with which the ground clearance can be increased at the touch of a button. Just what a pot-holed road demands. These two features are the high point of any Citroen.

The Citroen C-6 has these features, and boasts of a host of innovations that few Indian drivers have experienced, like a heads-up display (HUD) where information from the instruments is reflected in the windshield, a technique borrowed from fighter aircraft. Citroen has the C-4, C-5 and C-6. All cars have petrol and diesel engine options. Which one will come to India? No prize for the correct answer. Obviously, the diesel, we love diesel-engined cars. It is again guessed that this marvel on wheels could be yours for around Rs 35 lakh.

Mahindra has tied up with Renault of France and the end result could be a Mahindra Logan on our roads. The Logan has a formidable reputation as a well-built, functional, drivable and affordable car in many parts of the world. It will have an option of a 1400cc or 1600cc engine. The prices will start at Rs 4 lakh. It will be available at the end of the year.

Volkswagon (VW) is firmly planting its feet on Indian roads by offering Lamborghini Gallardo, a super-super car. By way of introduction, Gallardo competes with Porsche 911 Tourbos and Ferraris. It has terrific looks, terrific acceleration and speed and costs Rs 1.5 crore. Volkswagon will be content to sell two cars next year.

Volkswagon is also bringing in Phaeton. The petrol engine is V.12, pumping out 4500 bhp. The prices start at half a crore.

And you can now order the world’s fastest car, Bugatti Veyron. It has an eight-litre engine, 16 cylinders, 64 values, four turbos and thumps out 1000 bhp. That’s right, one thousand. The top speed is over 300 kmph and it’s made by VW — the Beetle people. Only 300 units will be made. The price will be about Rs 7 crore. Go for it. There is no waiting list.