MAHINDRA RENAULT SANDERO

Mahindra Renault is planning to launch its new hatchback Renault Sandero in India by 2010. The Nashik plant of the company will be used to assemble the vehicle. Sandero has five doors and is very spacious compared to other cars in the small car category. The car is 4.02 meters in length and has a storage capacity of 320 litres.

The launch of Sandero will give Renault an entry to the growing small car market of India. Mahindra will also make an entry into the small car market, something the company has avoided so far and focused on the utility vehicles and SUVs.

Sandero is likely to be launched in both petrol and diesel versions. The petrol engine is below 1200cc category and diesel below 1500cc with an overall length below 4 meters. Mahindra Renault Sandero will come with Anti Lock Braking system, a rail direct injection 1.5 dCi engine, and padded doors. The rear doors of the Mahindra Renault Sandero will open up to an angle of 67°.

Earlier, the Mahindra Renault Sandero was to be built in Renault-Nissan’s new manufacturing facility near Chennai, but now it has been decided that Renault will build Sandero at the Nashik facility.

 Expected Launch: Jul 2010 Expected Price: Not Available

HYUNDAI AVANTE

           Hyundai Elantra is now set to come in its new form Avante. Expected to hit Indian roads in mid-2008, the car was displayed at the 9th Auto
Expo in New Delhi early this year. The car has all nice details and
has a very contemporary looks both in exteriors as well as interiors. It has got roomy cabin, sleek dashboard architecture and all the controls and instruments feature soothing blue backlighting. It also has got twin front airbags and digital climate control. It is a refined machine and has very little wind and road noise intrusion with great body control.

Avante looks good head on but the grille design disappoints and so does the bumper which could have been more chiseled. The car looks its best from the rear with the corolla type tail lamps and a chunky bumper. The side has a wave crease running along which is in sync with the way the C pillar flows into the boot section.

Avante would be launched with a 2 litre DOHC petrol engine and a 1.6 litre CRDi diesel engine and priced between Rs. 9-11 lakh. This pricing would pit Avante against successful sedans like Honda Civic, Skoda Octavia, Toyota Corolla and Chevrolet Optra.

Expected Launch: Jun 2010  Expected Price: 11,00,000