If you’re wheel-crazy like us, there’s no greater candyland in all of India than the Delhi Auto Expo. Its status as a bi-annual event gives every car manufacturer in India plenty of prep time to bring their bounty of cutting-edge, innovative and fast machines. The 2016 expo sets a new record with the number of cars on display – and that makes it much harder to put together our picks of the season. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most well stocked stables of the Indian automotive market.

Audi

The first R8 was one of the greatest ever first attempts at making a supercar, and the instantly recognizable car has received an all-new visual treatment that makes it a sharper, edgier version of its former self. But that’s not all. 50 per cent of its parts come from the race-bred R8 LMS, making it more powerful than ever. Its 5.2-litre V10 engine will come in two states of tune – 540 bhp and 610 bhp. Take your pick.

But that’s not all. Given our fondness for crossovers, Audi has decided to bring over the A6 Allroad to India as well. Prices haven’t been revealed but the car is a an A6 Avant with higher ground clearance, all-wheel drive and protective cladding which make it an excellent weekender.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BMW

Let’s start with the all-new X1, which at Rs 29.9 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi) still remains the most affordable BMW in the market. It looks a darned sight better than the old one and has lost a massive 135 kg. BMW has dispensed with the petrol engine and are only offering the car with a 2.0 litre diesel.

Then there’s BMW’s well-considered response to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class – the new BMW 7-Series, which has been priced at Rs 1.1 crore and provides more rear legroom than any other car in its class and cranks the comfort level up by a factor of 10. BMW has also thrown in something it calls gesture control, which allows you to control certain features by moving your hand in front of a section of the centre console. This is one limo that’s just as much fun in the back seat as it is up front.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ford

Ford Mustang

Kicking off our list is the legendary Ford Mustang. The auto expo is the hallowed portal through which the Mustang trots into the Indian markets, half a century after it was created to rule over celluloid and teenage minds. Even though one of its current variants comes with a fairly domestic 2.3-litre Ecoboost engine, the Mustang is best known for its trademark 5-litre V8 which, in its sixth generation, makes over 437 bhp. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, we’ll get the right-hand drive version.

Hyundai

Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai’s winning streak in India is longer than we care to trace back, and it’s safe to say that they seem to have another winner on their hands with the Tucson – which returns to India with an all-new design. Sitting right above the recently launched Creta, the new, third generation Tucson, in terms of design, appears to be a huge departure from the previous one, and looks similar to the larger Santa Fe.

Jaguar

Jaguar XE

For the longest time, Jaguar’s exclusive arsenal has been missing an entry-level luxury car similar to the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the BMW 3-Series – hot sellers for both manufacturers. Although the Jaguar XE arrives a little late, it arrives in style – a byword for all Jags in the world. The XE is a beautifully detailed compact luxury sedan with plenty of aluminium bits. We’ve been waiting for its arrival ever since its world premier in September 2015. Now, with a price tag of Rs 39.9 lakh, expect to see a lot more of these on the road.

Jaguar F-Pace

The F-Pace is Jaguar’s first attempt at making an SUV, so it goes without saying that there’s a lot riding on it. It also goes without saying that it’s easily one of the best looking SUVs in the business. Jaguar has managed to blend its traditional, svelte design cues into a robust looking frame – something several top-shelf car makers fail to do. Wisely enough, Jag decided to draw inspiration from their very own F-Type, while basing the F-Pace on the same platform as the XE and the XF.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz pretty much knocked it out of the park last year with a series of spectacular cars being launched, making last year a tough act to follow. But Merc has tried anyway

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet

Trust Mercedes-Benz to take something beautiful and make it better. The drop-top version of the S Coupe garnishes the car with another layer of sensationalism without adding an inch to its overall length. Press a button and 20-seconds later, you’re in one of the world’s most luxurious convertibles. Expect rubbernecking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Volkswagen

VW Passat GTE

The new Passat is a pretty slick looking machine (not that the old one was a minger). Given the success of cars like the Toyota Camry Hybrid, VW has decided to bring in a plug-in hybrid version of the car, with a 50 km electric range that supplements a 1.4-litre TSI engine.

VW Tiguan

The all-new, third generation Tiguan is VW’s first SUV to be based on the MQB platform, also found in the Skoda Octavia. It’s a little bigger and a little heavier than its predecessor, but that also means there’s more storage and seating space. The high-end variants also come with all-wheel drive technology, so rest assured that the Tiguan has what it takes to unsettle the likes of the BMW X3 and the Mercedes-Benz GLA.

VW Ameo

VW has clearly been bitten by the sub-compact sedan bug, and so decided to unveil the Ameo. It’s not what it looks like, unless it looks like a Polo with a boot, in which case it is exactly what it looks like.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 JEEP

Jeep Wrangler

India is no stranger to jeeps – the word became synonymous with any lightweight, barebones, off-road vehicle with a short wheelbase and a removable hard-top. The Jeep Wrangler is the evolutionary pinnacle of that sub-genre, and it has finally arrived in India, after Chrysler having teased us with it for nearly three years. The brand’s flagship car will be available as a long-wheelbase variant dubbed the Overland Sahara, and will have you frequenting the mountains far more than you need to.

Maurti Suzuki

Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza

The highly anticipated Vitara Brezza is the brand’s first foray into the sub-compact SUV segment. The sub-four metre SUV will go toe-to-toe against rivals like the Ford Ecosport and the Mahindra TUV300, and will be powered by the 1.3-litre diesel engine that can be found in cars like the Ritz and the S-Cross.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honda

Honda BR-V

Honda wants a piece of the compact SUV pie and with the BR-V, they’re about to get it. The car is based on the same platform as the Brio and the Mobilio, and will go up against the likes of the Maruti Suzuki S-Cross and the Hyundai Creta; unlike those two, it gets a third-row of seats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chevrolet

If the Mustang is coming to India, the Camaro had to follow, nipping at its heels. The car was showcased at the expo along with Chevrolet’s long standing halo car – the legendary Corvette. Quite a show of strength and quite a way to upstage their compatriots. Let’s hope both the cars make it here soon.