12Th AUTO EXPO: RARE SPARKLE in GLOOMY MARKET ENVIRONMENT

EVENT AUTO EXPO 2014 12th AUTO EXPO: RARE SPARKLE IN GLOOMY MARKET ENVIRONMENT Chevrolet Adra Concept With automobile sales failing to lift market spirits for over a year, the biennial Auto Expo spectacle in New Delhi in early February, was being looked upon as an opportunity to revive lost momentum, and regain wavering confi- dence among vehicle and component manufacturers. Growing demand for space at the earlier venue meant the event had to be split – the Motor Show went to the Expo Mart at Greater Noida, while the Components show stayed at Pragati Maidan. Jointly organised by the Automotive Component Manufacturers Associa- tion (ACMA), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Society of Indi- an Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), this year’s show – 12th since it start- ed in 1986 – put all speculations to rest about the viability of holding two separate events, with both the manufacturers and suppliers expressing satisfaction about the way the shows were organised and business was conducted. Through this report, we bring to you a summary of the trends and devel- opments that both the shows highlighted. Volkswagen Taigun Concept 44 www.autotechreview.com AUTO EXPO 2014 – MOTOR SHOW Over 5.6 lakh visitors thronged the India Expo Centre and Mart at Greater Noida, venue for the Auto Expo – Motor Show, which saw almost 50 companies across all automotive segments showcasing and launching products. The average footfall of over 100,000 people every day only reflects the continued enthusiasm of the Indian population for automobiles. TRENDS AT THE SHOW Like most major automotive shows, the 12th Auto Expo too highlighted some present as well as upcoming trends for the Indian market. The introduction of electric or hybrid versions of existing models was one such trend witnessed. Manufac- turers across vehicle segments – two-, three- or four-wheelers – showcased their fast selling models with electric engines, or at least hybrid powertrains. This can be considered as an indicator that the Indian automotive industry is beginning to gear up technically to the reality that alternate fuel vehicles will be the future of mobility. Companies like Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, TVS, Hero, Bajaj and many more displayed hybrid, as well as complete Vehicle makers showcased a number of concept vehicles in addition to launching new products. Indian two- electric variants of their existing models. wheeler companies showcased more of future technology than foreign brands Technology to manufacture electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles displayed a solar-powered vehicle. The on MUVs are not very large, and there- (HEVs) is something major OEMs event also served as a platform for Indian fore end up being highly efficient in the already possess. Government policies manufacturers to introduce futuristic transport of people and goods. The big- and subsidies to support the optimum products, exhibiting their engineering gest passenger car segment in the Indian pricing of these products are the main capability and displaying the direction the context, hatchbacks, also saw multiple factors that are holding back these com- two-wheeler market is taking. products at various price points. Hatch- panies from launching such products. A segment that has seen the maxi- backs from pretty much every single Since alternative fuel-powered engines mum action in the last couple of years is manufacturer were showcased with new result in very low, or sometimes even that of compact sports utility vehicles features or upgrades, if not being com- zero emissions, environment friendly (SUVs). At the Auto Expo this year, four- customers would take interest in such wheeler manufacturers displayed a deep vehicles. The Auto Expo also served as a inclination towards this body style, with good platform for OEMs to gauge cus- many manufacturers wither showcasing tomer response for these technologies. production models, or concepts that Most Indian two-wheeler manufactur- could offer alternatives to full-size SUVs ers introduced multiple futuristic prod- in the market. Apt for urban conditions, ucts. Two-wheelers with latest technologi- the compact SUVs not just offer SUV-like cal advances and larger, yet efficient, features, but also deliver on fuel econ- engines were showcased at the show. omy that at times is on par with sedans Some unique products revealed in the or even hatchbacks. two-wheeler segment included products Multi-utility vehicles (MUVs) were the powered by diesel and electric engines by other segment that attracted considerable Hero MotoCorp. A Chinese company even interest among carmakers. The engines Scania was one of the few CV makers at the show autotechreview March 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 3 45 EVENT AUTO EXPO 2014 sion (AMT), but other companies are soon to pick up the technology. AMTs are a cost-effective method to transition to automatic transmissions, since they are essentially manual gearboxes that have a bolt-on electro-hydraulic unit to control gear shifts. This also makes the engine almost as efficient as the one with a manual transmission, if not better. It was also noted that Tata will launch AMT versions of their new Zest showcased at the expo, making them the first to do so on diesel engines. Mahindra too will soon launch its Quanto with AMT along with some other upgrades. The expo also saw large number of international luxury and premium car manufacturers like Toyota, Honda, BMW and Mercedes launching or displaying global products in India. These companies exhibited concepts that showed their interest in the Indian market, and pro- vided a peek into the future models that these companies are looking to introduce in the country. In the commercial vehicle (CV) space, quite a few large players opted not to par- Many global companies showcased low-cost products for India, while some Indian companies displayed their ticipate in this year’s expo. The others technology for premium segments meanwhile, made up for their absence by showcasing a large number of products. A plete new launches. chargers or superchargers to downsized number of light CVs were showcased by engines, therefore, is a method being companies, emphasising the Indian mar- employed by companies in order to satisfy ket’s requirement for smaller CVs that can TECHNOLOGY TRENDS the needs of customers. Hybrid power- be more versatile and efficient. A number trains capable of being charged by the pri- of manufacturers also showcased buses From a technical perspective, two-wheeler mary petrol or diesel engine is also that they launched, or planned to launch. manufacturers displayed lower and mid- another approach that manufacturers We see that even new entrants into the variant products with safety and perfor- resort to. Indian CV sector plan on introducing mance features on new launches that The new Maruti Celerio may have products that are doing well for them in were previously seen only in top-end been the first to introduce and commer- other markets around the globe. vehicles. Technologies carried over from cialise the automated manual transmis- One of the stars of the show was the race models were also on display along with newly developed technologies related to frame and body design, brak- ing, lighting and emissions. Four-wheeler OEMs displayed a number of new vehicles and concepts at the Auto Expo, with a lot of focus on electrifi- cation and down-sizing of powertrains. Carmakers have learnt a lot more about the Indian market during its slowdown over the last couple of years, and have come to terms with customers’ demands. These demands are of lower total cost of ownership, higher efficiency of engines, as well as keeping in mind the requirement of the vehicle being environmentally friendly. Adding components like turbo- The BMW i8, thanks to extensive marketing and its stunning design, turned out to be a show stopper 46 www.autotechreview.com The components show attracted lesser but serious and focussed visitors this year after separation of the two events BMW i8 plug-in hybrid super car, which has a 2 l turbocharged engine which gen- more efficiency, achieved by way of alter- pulled in large crowds. The i8 is made up erates 360 hp of maximum power, and nate fuel, downsized and hybrid engines, of a lightweight construction, which helps 450 Nm of torque. Its engine is mated to a among others, therefore making it clear the car be fast, nimble and efficient. It is dual clutch seven-speed transmission, that being efficient and environmentally powered by a 131 hp electric motor that is with an all-wheel drive system. Other friendly is the order of the day. located on the front axle, as well as a 231 notable launches from a future technology hp, 1.5 l, three-cylinder BMW TwinPower perspective were the Volkswagen Taigun turbo petrol engine. Concept, Audi A3 sedan, Datsun redi-GO AUTO EXPO – COMPONENTS Another important launch at the Auto concept, Mercedes-Benz Concept GLA, Expo was the Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 Renault Kwid Concept and the Chevrolet The components show at the 12th Auto AMG, which is said to have the most Adra Concept. Expo saw participation from over 20 powerful series production four-cylinder Overall, there was a very high level of countries, with 650 exhibiting companies petrol engine in the world. CLA 45 AMG importance given to vehicles offering displaying technologies and components. With India becoming a global centre for product development and manufacturing, the component show was of high importance for many global companies to show- case their products. The component show had companies representing various sec- tors, from design and development, component manufacturing and validation, to tool manufacturing and many more. Com- ponent manufacturers representing every segment within the automotive sector were present at the show. While domestic companies showcased products that were relevant to mostly Indian applications, a large number of these components were seen delivering global standards.

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