Two global premieres in the country
It’s for the first time in my over 20 years of automotive journalism that there have been not one but two global premieres in the country in one week. And that too following up on another global world premiere a month before that and another car launch which can also be technically be called a global premiere just a few days earlier.
Yes, some companies are giving
India top billing, designing and engineering cars first for the country and that can only be good for the
Indian car buyer. We started off with the Hyundai Venue and followed it up with the MG Hector (even though the SUV exists under its Chinese name elsewhere). And then we have had the Renault Triber followed up with the Kia Seltos. And the trend is not going to end because both Kia and the upcoming brand Citroen will showcase many cars designed and engineered with India in mind.
Both the global premieres last week are very promising. On first glance the Triber seems to be a very capable vehicle, with great flexibility and practicality thrown in – it can be a great option to the entry level hatches. The Seltos on the other hand is upping the game for compact SUVs with cars loaded with equipment and taking the style aspect to the next level. Whether they are able to make a dent in a subdued market remains to be seen though.
The latest sub-compact SUV on the block seems to be doing well despite the current state of the markets and we have pitted it against the competition to see how good the Venue really is. Our road test for this issue will answer the question comprehensively.
Apart from that there is all the usual stuff in the issue including the world premiere of the Mercedes GLB that we attended in the US and also the first drive of the Volkswagen T-Cross, the small SUV that will be the basis for a new generation of VW Group cars in India.
So enjoy another cracking issue of AUTO TODAY and remember to ride and drive safe and always on the correct side of the road. And if you can’t wait till the end of July for our next issue you can always hear us on 104.8 FM every Saturday at 9am on Full Throttle with Sarthak.