…and their heavyweight cousins

Ford EcoSport

Engine: 1.0-litre turbo-petrol, 1.5-litre diesel

Price: Rs.7-9 lakh

Expected: June 2013

Sharing a lot of its underpinnings with the new Ford Fiesta, the EcoSport, like most Fords before it, promises fantastic driver appeal and an accomplished ride. Powered by the 1.5-litre 89bhp diesel engine from the Fiesta and a new 123bhp, 1.0-litre turbo-petrol that offers the performance of a 1.6-litre engine with the efficiency of a smaller motor, there’s a lot to look forward to when the new Ford is launched. And, despite its sub-four-metre length, there’s decent space on the inside. The best part? It qualifies as a small car in the eyes of the Indian government and therefore will be priced very competitively.

VW Polo variants

Engine: 1.2-litre petrol, 1.6-litre diesel

Price: Rs.6-8 lakh Expected: March-December 2013

Volkswagen is keen to cash in on Indians’ craze for SUVs with a rugged version of its Polo hatchback. To be called the Cross Polo, the car will come with restyled bumpers, a matte plastic band along the lower portion of the body and roof rails. An SUV-like tailgate-mounted spare wheel is a possibility too. The Cross Polo won’t, however, come with any off-road hardware, though it will receive a new

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