2015 Frankfurt Motor Show: 12 of this year’s most exciting near production-ready cars

ZEEGNITION / Ishaan Rastogi

With an unholy number of supercar and ultra-luxurious automobile brands scrambling to grace Indian shores, newly unveiled vehicles at most international motor shows are more and more likely to find their way into the country. Taking this into account, have a look at what are expected to be some of the biggest showstoppers at the 66th IAA Frankfurt Motor Show.

Suzuki Baleno

The eagerly anticipated Baleno hatchback is finally set for its international unveiling at the 66th IAA Frankfurt Motor Show. The premium hatchback is likely to begin selling in India through the newly initiated Nexa dealerships by early 2016 and will come in above the hot-selling Swift. The Baleno started off as the ik-2 concept which was showcased at Geneva and will compete against other B-segment premium hatchbacks like the Hyundai i20 and Honda Jazz. Some of its key features are likely to include a newly designed 1.0-litre Boosterjet petrol engine as well as a Fiat sourced diesel engine.

Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen will show its new look Tiguan SUV at Frankfurt this year. The compact SUV is based on the company’s MQB platform and features the use of more hot-formed high-tensile strength steel in its chassis with a claimed weight reduction of 80kgs. Sources also indicate that the car that has been destined for Indian shores for quite some time now, will be available with standard wheelbase 5-seat configuration and a longer wheelbase 7-seat configuration.

Mini Clubman

The BMW owned, new age Mini Clubman is set to debut at Frankfurt this year and with its increased interior space, will likely enter the premium compact segment. Both the 3-door and 5-door variations will be showcased with a new diesel version expected as well. The Clubman has a good chance of arriving in India sometime next year.

Mercedes GLC and C-Class Coupe

The Mercedes’ GLK replacement called the GLC is likely to attract a lot of attention at the Mercedes-Benz stand at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. This is the first time that the C-Class based SUV will be sold with a right hand drive configuration. The GLC will slot in above the GLA in the Mercedes-Benz portfolio and will hit Indian shores within the upcoming year.

Another incoming Mercedes is the stunning C-Class Coupe. With the immense worldwide success of the C-Class showing the company just how much customers have taken a liking to the newest iteration of the C-Class platform, the German manufacturer will show-off this slick two-door edition in Frankfurt.

Ssangyong Tivoli

The Ssangyong Tivoli has been on Mahindra’s radar as a future prospect in India for some time now. The Korean manufacturer will display an elongated version that seats seven at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The car will be showcased as a pre-production concept which has been codenamed the XLV-Air.

Additionally, the company will also display an updated Korando-based concept SUV called the XAV-Adventure. As of now, the company has only officially unveiled a couple of sketched of its upcoming cars.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet

Following the S-Class Coupe, Mercedes will add another feather to its luxury-convertibles cap by unveiling the S-Class Cabriolet in Frankfurt. The S-Class hasn’t received the convertible treatment for over 40 years now so the S550 Cabriolet will definitely be turning a lot of heads. So far, the company has only published a few teaser images showcasing the convertible limousines sumptuous interiors.

Lamborghini Huracan Spyder

The Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder will be one of the star performers at this year’s auto show in Frankfurt. The drop-top Lambo will feature the same tech-specs as its fully garbed hard top twin albeit with a soft folding top which should inject a whole lot of oomph into its already sizzling design.

Ferrari 488 Spider

Ferrari will try and steal the spotlight at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show with its 488 GTB based drop-top which has aptly been called the 488 Spider as opposed to 488 GTS which it was rumoured to have been called. The twin-turbocharged V8 that is belted onto the famous Italians’ newest convertible is a newly developed unit that generates 670PS of power capable of launching the car from a halt to 100km/h in just three seconds! Now that Ferrari has officially been re-launched in India, expect to see the 488 Spider arrive in the sub-continent in the near future.

Bentley Bentayga

With the SUV segment on a roll in present market trends, Bentley will showcase its Bentayga luxury SUV at this year’s motor show in Frankfurt. The big-Bentley will come packed with the best in luxury features along with a whopping 600+ PS capable W12 engine. Let’s hope to see this behemoth hit India sometime soon!

Rolls Royce Dawn

The launch of a new Rolls is always a momentous occasion. As a result, the world’s most fabled luxury car manufacturer will expect to see a huge crowd gather for the official unveiling of its new Dawn drop-top. The Dawn gets its name from the fabulous ’52 Silver Dawn and is in effect a convertible Wraith Coupe. In terms of pricing, the relatively small Rolls is expected to slot in between the Wraith and the company’s flagship sedan, the Phantom Drophead Coupe.

Maserati Levante

Joining the luxury SUV party at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show will be the Maserati Levante SUV. The Italian carmaker has placed a lot of faith in its new SUV project and has insisted that the Levante will help recover the company’s profits after launching next year. The Maserati Ghibli-based Levante will compete with the likes of the Porsche Cayenne and newcomers Jaguar F-Pace and Bentley Bentayga.

Jaguar F-Pace

And finally we come to the Jaguar F-Pace. Tata-owned British manufacturer, Jaguar, is set to complete the set of upcoming uber-luxurious SUV’s with the unveiling of the F-Pace SUV at Frankfurt this year. Since its sister-company, Land Rover, is already an industry benchmark for making excellent off roaders, the F-Pace, which is based on the XE compact sedan platform, is more likely to offer sporty drive dynamics while sitting in the lap of luxury.