2014 Honda Mobilio and More: Weekly Recap

This week was rather hectic for the Indian automobile market, considering the arrival of two new cars among so many other things. We, at NDTVAuto, had our hands full this week, and we wouldn't have it any other way. Not only did we keep you posted about the latest in the world of automobiles, we also went out and reviewed the 2014 Volkswagen Polo facelift, and the 2014 Fiat Punto Evo. In case you missed anything, here's a rundown of everything that happened this week.

1. Launches: Honda Mobilio, Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG and BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid

Honda showcased Honda Mobilio, one of the most anticipated vehicles of the year and its first MPV in India, at the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo in February, and finally launched the vehicle on July 23, 2014. The 7-seater MPV's price ranges from Rs. 6.49 lakh to Rs. 10.86 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The next one on the list is the Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG, which was officially launched in India on July 22, 2014 and will cost Rs 68.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The other German to bring in a new car this week was BMW, who launched its first hybrid sedan in the country, 7 Series ActiveHybrid, on July 23, 2014 for Rs 1.35 crore.

2. Reviews: 2014 Volkswagen Polo Facelift and 2014 Fiat Punto Evo

Volkswagen brought in the 2014 Polo Facelift on July 15, 2014, and the hatchback did not disappoint. Defying the norms associated with the term 'facelift', the new Polo received the biggest updates under the hood. The car's engine portfolio in India has been refreshed with an all-new 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel engine. It packs in a lot and is equally fun to drive.

Read: 2014 Volkswagen Polo Facelift Review

We also reviewed the upcoming 2014 Fiat Punto, which will be known as the Punto Evo upon its arrival here. The India-bound hatchback's new face will be exclusive to our market.

And as long as we are on the subject of looks and design, this one tries to tread upon the German road instead of sticking to its traditional Italian values. The Punto Evo retains its predecessor's engine options - a 1.2-litre petrol or a 1.3-litre diesel - and adds a sporty 1.4-litre petrol to its engine options.

Read: 2014 Fiat Punto Evo Review

3. Bookings open: Tata Zest and Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class

Tata has been busy setting the stage for the arrival of the first of its many bets for resuscitation in the Indian market i.e. the Tata Zest sedan for some time now. The latest news to come out from the Tata camp this week was that the company started accepting bookings for the sedan. Interested customers can now book the Tata Zest on the company's official website by paying a token amount of Rs. 21,000.

The other manufacturer to commence bookings for its upcoming car is Mercedes-Benz. The company is now accepting pre-orders for the GLA-Class for a booking amount of Rs 2 lakh. The crossover is expected to be launched here in October, with the deliveries beginning in November.

4. Now that the major stuff is covered, here's the rest of it. Starting off with this week's biggest newsmaker aka the Honda Mobilio; the MPV has already received 5,800 bookings, which means that the car might soon have a waiting period. Also, its sporty RS variant will arrive here in September, 2014.

Moving on to the Germans, Mercedes-Benz announced that the CLA-Class launch in India will happen within the next 6 months. Next up is Fiat and we believe that the Fiat Avventura's launch is not far away since the company has now started teasing the new car on its website. The teaser image shows a preview of the inspiration behind the car's projector head-lamps.

In international news, Aston Martin confirmed a bespoke product programme for a new super saloon that will mark the return of the historic Lagonda badge, though via a 'strictly limited series'.

Also read: New Cars to Be Launched in August 2014

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