The auto industry is facing bad times but this hasn’t affected manufacturers’ plans to introduce new products. Autocar India gives you a preview of the new models expected in 2002, some which you knew about and some of which you didn’t.

We said the Panther would be launched in India sometime this year when we broke the news in our October 2000 issue. So what’s happened? We’ve now learnt that the Panther’s launch has been delayed because GM India is pursuing an aggressive localisation programme. GM India plans to price the Panther very

aggressively and the only way it can achieve its target price is with over 70 percent of localisation. To achieve such a level of local content takes time and hence the Panther will only be out on the roads at the end of 2002. Designed, manufactured and sold in Indonesia by Isuzu (it may be badged a Chevrolet in India), the Panther is a large, low-cost SUV whose value will appeal to the Indian customer. Though the no-nonsense design borders on boring, especially in comparison to vehicles like the Safari, it is nowhere near as unappetising as the Qualis. Good proportions, finish and attention to detail mean the Panther has an upmarket look and feel the Qualis would kill for. The design of the chassis and underpinnings of the Panther follow the tried and tested route, body on ladder frame, independently suspended at the front but with leaf springs at the rear. The trump card here is the 2.5-litre direct injection turbocharged diesel which produces bags of torque.

The Adventure is essentially the new Siena

Weekend but with a lot more attitude. Chunky high profile tyres, tough-looking bumpers, a bull bar and raised suspension (40mm higher) makes the Adventure a serious wagon for the outdoors, and some. The current Weekend has been criticised for low ground clearance and the Adventure will address that concern. The Adventure also comes with the new styling elements from the Palio like the slender grille and clear headlamps.

The Adventure with its rugged looks and sturdier tyres and suspension would be more suited to Indian conditions than the regular Weekend. The Adventure will come with a choice of three engines: the familiar 1.2 and 1.6-litre petrols and the 1.7 turbo diesel.

Buoyed by the success of the Palio, it’s only a matter of time before Fiat launches the new Siena,

which we expect will hit the roads early next year. The front end of the new Siena is identical to the Palio. The fussy ‘handlebar’ front grille has been replaced by a slimmer, neater grille, clear headlamps and a new bumper. While the side profile and doors remain largely the same as the old car, Giugiaro (the famed Italian design house which carried out the redesign) has worked wonders at the rear. Gone is that bulbous boot, replaced by a more sharper design with more angular tail-lamps. The numberplate is now positioned in the centre of the boot lid and a hint of a tail spoiler cleverly breaks up the mass at the rear. These styling changes have dramatically improved the looks of the new Siena which no longer looks dumpy like its predecessor.

Though the Palio and the current Siena share the same interior design, it is likely that the new Siena will come with the new and restyled interiors from the Brazilian model. This includes a slick, redesigned dashboard and gorgeous red-and-black dials.

The new Siena is likely to be powered by the same 1.2 and 1.6 engines currently doing duty in the Palio.

If the Palio’s aggressive price is any indication of Fiat’s pricing strategy, then expect the Siena to cost not much more than the current model.

Indian customers are starved of good, upmarket and reasonably powerful SUVs. Ford is ready to satisfy that need when it launches the Escape by the middle of next year. This medium-sized SUV will

be imported from Japan where it is made in the Mazda plant and also sold in that market as the Mazda Tribute. Slightly smaller than the Safari, the Escape seems just right for Indian conditions. However, unlike most other UVs in India, there are no seats in the extreme rear.

Though an SUV on the outside, under the skin the Escape is more like a saloon using a basic front-wheel drive which is augmented by an active part-time four-wheel-drive system. In slippery conditions the ‘Rotary Blade Coupling’ (RBC) four-wheel-drive system for added traction and safety comes into use. If the front wheels begin losing traction, the RBC system is activated and it transmits some of the power to the rear wheels.

The Escape will only be powered by a petrol engine, likely to be a 1.9- litre 127bhp unit. A diesel engine will be missed. Priced at an estimated Rs 14-15 lakh, the Escape could draw away some Safari customers.