The sight of a camouflaged car is always exciting for us auto journalists as it gives us many possibilities of what lies underneath. It could be just a minor update or a completely new car, one can never tell but can only speculate and that is something we love doing. Every month, we get a plethora of spy shots of (some India bound, some not so much) cars testing in various locations. Here then are our top five picks from the month of January as well as one India exclusive of the next generation 911 doing its rounds in the snow.
Audi Q8
This will be the new flagship SUV from Ingolstadt and slot in above the Q7 to take on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GLS as well as the yet-to-be-revealed BMW X7. The car has been previewed in concept form at Detroit 2017 and is expected to be offered with petrol, diesel and hybrid engine options.
New Porsche 911 and Cabriolet (India exclusive)
Porsche may have just revealed a new set of updates for its signature 911 range but the German sports car maker is already testing the next generation of its famous two door everyday sports car. Pictures reveal that the car (both in hardtop and convertible) will, retain the same design as the current car but will obviously get aerodynamic and possibly an uprated version of the flat-six turbo charged engine.
BMW X7
Like the Audi Q8, BMW too will introduce a new flagship SUV to take on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GLS, Range Rover and of course the Audi Q8. It will have all the necessary BMW design traits and features. We believe that it will share its engine and underpinnings with the 7 Series sedan.
Next generation Mercedes-Benz GLA
Mercedes’ smallest SUV has been major success for the automaker since it was launched in 2013. An updated model was unveiled this year at Detroit indicating that the next generation will be launched in late 2019. From what we can see, the car will retain its familiar shape but get the latest Mercedes-Benz design elements. Expect this car in India in mid-2020.
Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1
This latest generation Chevrolet Corvette will bring back the ZR1 badge will more performance than ever before. The 2018 model in fact will churn out more power than the last ZR1 that was based on the C6 Corvette. Power should come from a supercharged V8 developing over 700bhp. All that power will be routed through a manual transmission or a 10-speed automatic.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class facelift
The mdi-level sedan from Stuttgart has been on sale in India since 2015 and globally since 2014. Now as a part of the mid-life update Mercedes-Benz will facelift the C-Class. Expect some tweaks in the design, updated feature list but with no change in mechanicals or the engines
source”cnbc”