AUTO EXPO 2020

The 2020 Auto Expo saw the participation of 108 exhibitors who displayed over 352 products, which also includes eight global premiers and over 70 launches across the segment by two- and four-wheeler manufacturers. While the overall enthusiasm of the event wasn’t as much as the previous iterations with prominent automobile manufacturers opting out of the show, the 2020 Auto Expo marked the debut of brands like Great Wall Motors, one of the largest names in China, and FAW Haima. A larger focus was on electric vehicles, future mobility and green technology, the show was also used as a platform to showcase cars and motorcycles that will be launched shortly.

CONCEPT H

Showing how serious Great Wall Motors is about India, in choosing the Expo as the venue for the global reveal of the Concept H from its Haval sub-brand. The plug-in hybrid concept previews a future mid-size SUV from the Chinese brand, and with not much information to go by, it’s likely to be its first product for India. That’s great news, considering how good it looks! Bold, masculine and sharp, with unique lighting elements around the SUV, the profile shows that not much would need to change to make it production-ready. Cool touches inside include the virtual gear selector, and floating console with detailed diamond cut interior trim.

VISION 2025

Going a step further, the Vision 2025 is Haval’s idea of what future SUVs should look like. And it looks suspiciously like Jaguar’s big SUV. Nonetheless, it shows a futuristic take on Haval’s signature grille, packs suicide doors and a whole lot of technology inside. This includes in-car 5G connectivity, face recognition for driver modes and seating, and autonomous driving systems. Haval, quite optimistically, expects level four autonomous to be the norm by 2023.

F7/F7X

The F7 and F7X show two flavours of Haval’s premium SUV, which at 4.6m long are barely a smidge shorter than MG’s Hector. Likely to slot in around the Jeep Compass’ price point, the two show how well-crafted Haval’s interiors are, with swathes of leather-covered surfaces and textures across the cabin. Internationally, a 2-litre turbo petrol provides power, with 190PS and 340Nm on offer, mated to a 7-speed DCT. While a front-wheel-drive model is available, Haval would do well to bring in the all-wheel-drive model, seeing as there’s a dearth of mild off-road capable SUVs in the segment.

F5