Automobilestillnow

               Come 2017, the Honda City will get a new rival in the Toyota Vios. Sharing its styling with the bigger Corolla Altis, it’s a more exciting-looking car than the Etios. Its spacious interior is an upmarket affair and comes with features like climate control, steering-mounted audio controls, and a touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone connectivity. Safety too will be a highlight on the Vios, with ABS, ESP and airbags likely to be standard fitment. It will get retuned versions of the Etios’s 1.5-litre petrol and 1.4-litre diesel engine.  Current -gen car used for representative purpose Coming:  Mid 2017 Price:  Rs 8-10 lakh Engines:  1.5 P, 1.4 D

         Although the new Q5 looks like a Q7 head on, the rest of the car looks pretty much unchanged. But this Mercedes GLC rival is actually all new, and thanks to its modular underpinnings which it shares with the new A4 and Q7, it’s as much as 90kg lighter than before.  The resemblance to the Q7 continues into the interior too, where fit, finish and equipment levels have taken a huge step up in the new Q5. It gets the de rigueur 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit instrument cluster, an 8.3-inch free-standing screen for the MMI infotainment system. The unit offers Wi-Fi connectivity along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Also, it’s amply spacious for five and comes with a massive 610-litre boot. It’s likely to arrive by late 2017 with 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engines producing 252hp and 190hp respectively. For India, an eight-speed auto ’box and all-wheel drive will be standard too. Coming:  Late 2017 Price:  Rs 62 lak...

                         Massive SUVs, wearing the big ‘L’ badge, aren’t rare on our roads. While the models were privately imported until now, with Lexus – Toyota’s luxury brand – entering India, the LX could soon be bought from an official showroom. It’s a rich man’s Land Cruiser that will ferry seven around in the lap of luxury. Initially, the model be fully imported and so, will be pricey. However, unlike the Land Cruiser, you do get the luxury, equipment styling and the Lexus badge.    Coming:  March 2017 Price:  Rs 1.5 crore Engines:  5.7 P, 4.5 D

What is it? Funky, fun, youthful, pricey... these aren’t words you’d typically associate with Maruti. But the Ignis is just that and it stands quite apart from its stablemates. This isn’t to say Marutis are boring. We recently had the Brezza which has a dash of flair, but since the Swift, launched back in 2005, Maruti hasn't really brought out a car that really oozes panache. The AA plus platform (now in its fifth generation) is newer than the Baleno's ‘B’ platform, but both share the engineering approach and principles. The Ignis' USP is its low weight; the base model tips the scales at 825kg, making it lighter than the bantamweight Baleno. The other highlight is that the Ignis already meets the Indian crash norms that'll come into effect later this year. What’s it like on the outside? The design is polarising and won’t go down well with everyone, but this is a good thing. The car was built for the youth and for those young at heart and doesn't stick to t...