Top 5 Hatchbacks At Auto Expo 2018 – New Swift, 45X, Elite i20, Future-S & Tiago
Modified On Feb 12, 2018 06:35 PM By Raunak
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Four out of five of these hatchbacks are being showcased for the first time ever
While some mass market automakers skipped the Auto Expo 2018, it was still buzzing with quite a few reveals and launches, especially in the hatchback space. Here are the top 5 hatchbacks to watch out for at the 14th edition of the Auto Expo.
Let us begin with one of the most striking concepts, the Tata 45X.
Tata 45X concept
Tata has certainly achieved an impressive feat with the 45X concept hatchback that made its global premiere at the Auto Expo 2018. It looks stunning and is underpinned by Tata’s new lightweight and modular platform, the ALFA (Agile Light Flexible Advanced). And most importantly, its production-spec avatar could see the light of the day in 2019.
Based on Tata’s new Impact 2.0 design philosophy, the 45X bears no resemblance to its existing siblings, same as the H5X SUV concept. The cabin, loaded with screens, including a fully digital instrument cluster, looks futuristic too.
Pictured: Tata 45X concept, the production-spec model will be a sub-4m offering like its rivals
Sadly, it is enclosed in a glass shell and you can only check out the interior bits in the official pictures and videos. As Tata is all about details and intricacies these days, it has gone on to place a Ganesha idol on top of the dash just to add that Indian touch to this world-class concept!
The production-spec model will go up against hatchbacks like the Baleno and the Elite i20 in the premium space. It is likely to get the Nexon’s powertrain options - the 1.2-litre turbo petrol and the 1.5-litre diesel, with a standard 6-speed manual and an optional AMT. There is a scope for a performance-oriented version as well like the Tiago’s.
Maruti Future-S concept
India is Maruti Suzuki’s playground and the Indo-Japanese automaker was expected to make at least one world premiere at the biennial event. And it didn’t disappoint; the Future-S concept was unveiled to the world for the first time in NCR last week at the Expo. The compact car concept has SUV like traits and might as well spawn into a model that could be launched by 2020. The pint-sized high rider is roughly the same size as the Ignis and its production version would be retailed from regular MS Arena dealerships.
Maruti Suzuki Swift
The third-gen Maruti Swift not only made its public premiere at the Expo, but was also launched at a starting price of Rs 4.99 lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi). The base asking price of the 2018 Swift is just Rs 19,000 more than the previous model. With an evolved styling, new lightweight platform and additional fancier features, the Swift looks armed to set sales charts on fire once again.
Hyundai Elite i20
After four years, the Hyundai Elite i20 a.k.a the second-gen i20 got a midlife update at the Auto Expo 2018. Like the pre-facelift model, the updated i20 has made its global debut at the Expo, where it was also launched at Rs 5.35 lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi).
The pre-facelift model was undoubtedly one of the most feature-loaded hatchbacks in the premium space and now the refreshed model has taken its premium quotient a notch above with additional goodies. Mechanically, it remains unaltered, save for the discontinuation of the pricier 1.4-litre petrol automatic powertrain. It is likely to get a new CVT automatic with the existing petrol engine in some time.
Tata Tiago JTP and EV
Tata has showcased two diametrically opposite iterations of the Tiago at the Expo. While one promises exciting performance with 110PS on tap, the other offers zero tailpipe emissions with 130km of EV range. The former is the go-fast version of the hatchback, the Tiago JTP (Jayem Tata Performance), while the latter is an EV version, the Tiago EV. And interestingly, both of them will make it to production and are expected to be launched this year itself.
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