Curtain raiser: 9 stunning cars at the 11th Auto Expo

Not even a month is left for the Indian Auto Expo -- one of the most awaited car events.

In 2012, the Auto Expo will witness more than 55 new cars that would take your breath away.

About 42 automobile manufacturers took part in the auto expo last year, but this year around, about 50 car makers will participate.

Sparkling cars will come from manufacturers like Maruti, Hyundai, Ford, Renault and Tata Motors.

So buckle up your seat belts and get ready for the 2012 Auto Expo to be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from January 7 to 11, 2012.

While some of these cars will be actually launched in India, some more will just be showcased, and others will be concepts.

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Renault Pulse

Renault India has been quite active lately in the Indian car market.

Earlier it launched its premium sedan, Renault Fluence in the country, which was pretty successful in wooing consumers.

Now Renault is ready to tap the most thriving car segment, i.e. the hatchback segment with its new car, Renault Pulse.

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Renault Pulse will be officially launched at the 2012 Auto Expo, New Delhi.

This hatchback car has a striking resemblance to Nissan Micra in terms of its space and appearance.

It is expected that the company will launch Renault Pulse in both diesel and petrol variants and keep the price between Rs 600,000 to 800,000.

As soon as it is launched in the Indian car market, it will certainly be facing a cut throat competition from hatchbacks like Maruti Swift, Hyundai i10 and i20, Volkswagen Polo, Ford Figo and Toyota Etios Liva.

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Maruti Ertiga

Maruti Suzuki is India's largest car manufacturer and at the 2012 Auto Expo, it is all geared up for the global unveiling of its brand new offering, Maruti Ertiga.

It's a brand new MPV from Maruti, which is based on the R III concept that was displayed at the 2010 Auto Expo.

Maruti Ertiga may not be as spacious as Toyota Innova, but as per Maruti's standard, this MPV will be of high standard.

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Besides the space, the car will come with maximum comfort features, which will comprise out-and-out AC vents for the passengers, comfortable interiors, high quality music system and much more.

This MPV by Maruti is expected to be priced under Rs 10 lakh (Rs 1 million).

The major competitors of Maruti Ertiga in the Indian car market will be Toyota Innova and Mahindra Xylo.

A compact SUV concept and three Kei cars will also be shown in the event.

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Mahindra Verito CS

It is the brand new sedan that is expected to be launched at the Auto Expo 2012.

It is basically the new name given to Mahindra Logan CS.

This new sedan by M&M will come with a smaller engine and a compact boot and is likely to be sold for around Rs 500,000.

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Mahindra Verito CS will be powered with 1.5 litre three cylinder of diesel motor that would be delivering a decent power of 70 to 75 PS.

Once launched in the country, Mahindra Verito CS will face tough competition from Tata Indigo CS, Maruti Swift Dzire, and Toyota Etios.

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Audi A4

2012 Auto Expo will not only witness car launches from Indian car makers, but also from German luxury car maker, Audi.

Audi India is all set to launch the Audi A4 facelift sedan in the country next year.

Once launched, Audi A4 facelift will face aggressive competition from BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C Class.

So what's so special in Audi A4 facelift?

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This new sedan by Audi will come powered with 2.0 litre of petrol engine which will churn out 333 BHP of power and is likely to be more fuel efficient as compared to its previous version.

Also the interiors are improved considerably in terms of steering wheel, superior MMI (multi media interface) and high quality upholstery.

The exact price of Audi A4 facelift is still unknown, but it could be expected between Rs 34 to 40 lakh (Rs 3.4 - 4 million).

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BMW Mini Cooper

Another German car maker that will launch its new car at the Auto Expo 2012 is BMW. BMW India is all set to bring its cute hatchback BMW Mini Cooper.

Mini brand basically specialises in manufacturing small cars owned by BMW.

BMW Mini Cooper was first introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2011.

There, the president of the firm, Andreas Schaaf mentioned that it might bring BMW Mini Cooper to India by 2012.

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Reports suggest that this car will be available for Rs 23 lakh (Rs 2.3 million).

Cars like Fiat 500 and Volkswagen Beetle were also launched in the country, but sadly failed to impress the consumers.

Hopefully, BMW Mini Cooper will do the trick.

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Ford Fiesta Automatic

Ford is known for offering some of the best quality sedans, hatchbacks and SUVs in the country.

Its Ford Fiesta sedan has been the best out of the lot so far.

Now, at the Auto Expo 2012, Ford India will launch Ford Fiesta Automatic that would have improved fuel economy along with fun to drive experience.

The new Ford Fiesta with dual clutch six speed automatic transmission is expected to be launched in petrol version.

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Therefore, it might be a possibility that the sales won't pick up so easily, all thanks to sky rocketing petrol prices.

The interiors will also be enhanced which would comprise of properly trimmed cabin, high quality material used in upholstery and powerful music system.

However, absence of conventional navigation system could come as a disappointment.

Ford Fiesta Automatic is likely to be sold with a price tag of Rs 10 lakh (Rs 1 million).

The major competitors of Ford Fiesta Automatic in India would be Skoda Rapid, Hyundai Verna, Honda City and Maruti SX4.

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2012 Volkswagen Touareg SUV

Volkswagen will also not fall behind at the Auto Expo 2012. The company is planning to launch 2012 Volkswagen Touareg SUV.

The looks of VW Touareg will be quite similar to its current version, but it will come jam-packed with features like huge amount space inside the cabin along with subtle and sophisticated interiors.

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Under the hood, 2012 Volkswagen Touareg will come with 3-litre diesel motor and is likely to come with a hefty price tag of Rs 60 lakh (Rs 6 million).

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Toyota Innova facelift

Toyota Innova could be called as the bread and butter for Toyota India.

This MPV is the most successful model launched by Toyota India so far.

Toyota India has given a notable makeover to this MPV and is all geared up to launch it at the Auto Expo 2012.

Toyota Innova facelift has many changes, which are noticeable on the interiors as well as on the exteriors.

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Under the hood, Toyota Innova facelift will sport intercooled, turbocharged D-4D 2 litre of diesel engine that will churn out 102 BHP of power.

There would be another variant, which will sport 2 litre of petrol engine that will produce 140 BHP of peak power.

However, no automatic transmission will feature in the new Toyota Innova.

As far as the price is concerned, Toyota Innova facelift is likely to come with a price tag of Rs 7 to 11 lakh (Rs 700,000 to Rs 1 million).

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Tata Merlin

The most awaited SUV from Tata Motors -- the Merlin -- will finally be launched at the Auto Expo 2012.

Tata Merlin is doing a whole round of testing to meet the global standards and will indeed come out shinning with new features inside-out.

Besides the 2.2 litre of DICOR engine, the car will come with new suspension system and improved steering unit.

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The interiors are enhanced nicely by refurbishing the center console, better upholstery material for the 7 seats (2+3+2), and many more.

Tata is not pretty regular with launching new vehicles at the Auto Expo since past few years but with Tata Merlin launching at the Auto Expo 2012, it would be a delight to see how consumers react to the new car by this time.

Hopefully, Tata Motors will follow its trend to offer vehicles at an affordable cost.

Apparently, Tata Merlin will carry a price tag of Rs 11 to 15 lakh (Rs 1.1 to 1.5 million).