Described as Project 327 by the South American industry watchers, the next generation Palio would most likely be formed on the Novo Uno platform. It will borrow heavily, in the styling department, from its elder brother – the Punto. In fact, this car could be referred to as the mini Punto when it hits markets starting 2012. The vehicle, like every other family member, has been designed in Italy. The 2012 Palio will have highly efficient Multi-air engines – a technology that Fiat showcased last year at the Geneva Motor Show.

The 2012 Palio could be presented in India with a 1.0 litre MultiAir petrol engine producing about 70-80bhp, and returning impressive fuel economy. The inclusion of variable-valve timing will make for an extremely peppy drive. There’s less clarity on the diesel front – perhaps Fiat could go with the 1.3-liter Multi-jet engine, or even a scaled down 3-cylinder version of this engine to keep things light and simple.

Fiat India’s comeback cars, the Linea and Grande Punto, have not sent people into a frenzy. The demand for the latter especially has died down, and Fiat needs to look at more affordable cars to give itself an opportunity for revival.

2011 Suzuki Swift

Revealed in Hungary just recently, the 2011 Suzuki Swift has no haters. Suzuki hasn’t bothered to fiddle with the design. I think they were unable to better it. But why fix it when it ain’t broke? Out goes cramped leg room, and any pointed elements on the front-end. You get the Kizashi-inspired nose and Suzuki 3-door inspired windows. Bigger headlamps, revamped interiors, and a redesigned dashboard will make the Suzuki Swift extremely lively.

There’s also the likelihood of highly exciting VW powertrains finding a place in the new Swift’s den. These engines have earned critical acclaim in VW cars all over the world, and it is a possibility which the Indian officials will be pondering over.

The 2011 Swift has grown by a few inches, so expect more leg room and boot space. The vehicle is expected to reach Indian shores in the following months with the tried-and-tested 1.3 Multi-jet engine. The car will also get Maruti Suzuki’s K-Series engine. It remains to be seen if the 1.2-liter will be carried over with a different state of tune.

2011 Hyundai H800



Hyundai officials have said on several occasions in the past that their 800cc hatchback will roll out of Chennai in 2011. The vehicle, according to sources, has entered real world testing. A few test mules, camouflaged severely, have started scheduled test runs in and around Chennai city.

The 800cc Hyundai small car (referred to by some as Hyundai HA) is going to sit under the Santro in the Hyundai India line-up. The H800 will be about the size of the Santro. It looks as though it could have some amount of content from the newer Hyundais (read – ix35 , new Verna, new Elantra). Don’t expect the vehicle to be quite as stylish as this illustration, as it’ll be built to a much lower price than the i10.

The H800 could be offered with an LPG fuel option, considering Hyundai has added LPG options to affordable cars recently. Like every Hyundai, you can expect this car to have a decent level of rear leg room and boot space. There’s no doubt that the modern H800 will cannibalize on the Santro’s numbers.

2012 VW Up!



The VW Up! would be the German company’s entry-level car for the Indian market as soon as it hits our shores in 2012. The vehicle will be manufactured at the company’s Pune facility on an entirely new platform, which is currently undergoing tests abroad.

The VW Up! isn’t a car – it’s a platform. Skoda and Seat, both VW brands, will offer hatchbacks using this platform for international markets. There are also several other body styles planned on this platform, but we expect a compact hatchback to arrive first. Skoda has said that it too is working on a smaller vehicle than the Fabia. We believe that Skoda is referring to the car that will base itself on the Up!.

The Up! has been shown as a concept in many international motor shows. The initial concept had a rear-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, but we’ve learnt that VW has scrapped this option in favour of the conventional front-engine, front-wheel drive layout. A lot of speculations have been put forward regarding the powertrains, which include a 1 litre TDI, as well as a 1.2 litre TDI engine among the diesel engine options. If you’re looking for petrols, it could come in the form of a naturally aspirated 0.8-litre mill with a 5-speed manual transmission.