Cars From Auto Expo 2018 That India Is Still Awaiting

Auto Expo 2018 was a blast. We saw a number of cars ranging from awe-inspiring concepts to production cars from around the world. By the end of it, we were breathless and moaning over our bank balances. But most visitors already knew that a lot of the show was just smoke and mirrors. Even though it is a showcase platform for future models, many exhibits never make it to the real world and even fewer make it to India. While we count down to Auto Expo 2020, here are some cars from the last edition that we would have loved to see in India: 

Hyundai Ioniq 

Similar to the Kona, Hyundai sells three variants of the Ioniq globally -- petrol-electric hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric. The self-charging hybrid and electric variants were shown at Auto Expo 2018. The electric variant made 120hp and had a range of 280km, while the hybrid had a 1.5kWh battery but was more powerful. The carmaker had been evaluating the Kona at the time, so that’s what we got. 

Kia Cars

Kia launched its first car in India on August 22 this year. By this time next year, we hope to have three Kias on sale. But in 2018, Kia’s stall at Auto Expo had a number of familiar international models. Sorento, Picanto, and Rio are long-running nameplates. There was the awesome Stinger GT, too. We would have loved to see either of these cars be Kia’s first, but the carmaker chose to debut an all-new model in the form of the Kia Seltos, and everyone knows what a good call that was!. Head here to read our comparo review of the Seltos.

Mahindra eKUV100

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We are still waiting for Mahindra to launch the eKUV100. It was proposed to be Mahindra’s first electric SUV. The company has a longer history of making EVs than Tata. But the latter has beaten it in the race to launch EVs in India. Like a 20-year old student still in Class XII, we expect to see the eKUV100 at the expo next year. Read our story about cars at Auto Expo 2020 here. We hope it finally makes it to the sparse segment of EVs in India. 

DC TCA 

After decades of building prototypes, DC finally launched the Avanti in 2015. This was not only DC’s first production car but also India’s first sportscar. Just three years later, it spawned the TCA. Supercar proportions and a coherent design had us all cheering for it at the Expo. But India never got a second sportscar. 

BMW i3

The i3s adorned BMW’s stall at Auto Expo 2018. It was a sportier version of the i3 hatchback, with wider wheels and a bit more grunt. But would you pay Volvo XC40 money for a hatchback? The company did get a fleet of i3s to the country for a feasibility study. We wonder what they concluded.  

BMW i8 roadster 

Convertibles are a dying breed in India and sportscars are too expensive. Unfortunately, BMW could solve only one of those problems with the i8 Roadster. Seen at Auto Expo 2018, the hybrid sportscar had dihedral doors made of carbon fibre. The i8 was already absurdly expensive, and the Roadster would have been, too.

Mahindra Thar Wanderlust 

It looks like a cross between a Humvee and an FJ40 Land Cruiser. Giant wheels and unbelievable wheel articulation and suspension travel. It was equipped with a winch, twin exhausts, a snorkel intake, and an off-roading jack. We know from SEMA why we’ll never see this at a dealership, but we’ll never know why Mahindra didn’t offer the kit on the stock Thar.