The 2012 Auto Expo was the 11th edition of India's largest automobile event, which was held at Pragati Maidan, located in the national capital, New Delhi. It saw the participation of brands from all over the world, which included the likes of Tata Motors, Audi, Chevrolet, Volkswagen, Toyota, BMW, Jaguar, Hyundai, Maruti Suzuki, Mercedes-Benz, Skoda and Nissan. This mega event saw the unveiling of many production and concept vehicles. The 2012 Auto Expo was an important platform for one of India's leading vehicle manufacturers, Mahindra & Mahindra. Incredibly, there were as many as 27 vehicles that were put on display in the firm's pavilion at the 2012 Auto Expo. The Indian auto maker made a lot of headlines as it showcased vehicles from its SsangYong portfolio, namely Rexton, Actyon Sports, XIV-1 Concept and Korando E. Notably, SsangYong is a South Korean auto maker that was acquired by Mahindra & Mahindra in the year 2011.
Officials from Mahindra & Mahindra, present at the proceedings, spoke about the firm's plans to develop a common platform with SsangYong to produce two vehicles. According to sources that were attending the mega event, Mahindra & Mahindra had allocated a budget of around Rs. 800 crore for these products. This investment was expected to spent over a period of three four years. "We are developing an all new platform with SsangYong. It will be for two different products, but with same platform and engine... It will take 3-4 years to develop. When we develop a platform for one product, it takes Rs. 600-800 crore. As this new platform will be for two products, it will require more than that amount,” said Pawan Goenka, the President for Automotive and Farm Sector at Mahindra & Mahindra.
At the 2012 Auto Expo, Mahindra & Mahindra unveiled the Rexton Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), which it said, would be launched in the next six months. Officials from the firm said that Rexton was going to be brought to India through the Completely Knocked Down (CKD) route. In addition, it was said that the South Korean firm will be looking to continue its operations in Russia and in the coming time, expand to Brazil and China as well. Speaking about Russia, Pawan Goenka said, "We are looking to increase the local production from Russia. By next year, we will add more models to our CKD line-ups there."
True to its word, Mahindra & Mahindra launched the Rexton SUV in India in the month of October, 2012. The automatic and manual transmission variants of the Rexton SUV, from the SsangYong banner, were introduced at prices of Rs. 17.67 lakh and Rs. 19.67 lakh (Ex-showroom, Mumbai), respectively. Industry experts praised the Rexton utility vehicle for its robust appearance and technological advancement. This SUV, since its launch, has been competing with the likes of Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. The Rexton is powered by a 2.0-litre engine, which produces peak power of 154 bhp and up to 360 Nm of torque. Yoo-Il Lee, the Chief Executive Officer of SsangYong, said, "This is the best possible market for SsangYong. I am very confident that India will become SsangYong's second-largest export market.” The other SsangYong vehicles unveiled at the 2012 Auto Expo, Korando E, Actyon Sports and XIV–1 Concept.
Apart from the SsangYong vehicles, Mahindra & Mahindra showcased the Reva-NXR electric concept car. According to reports, the firm wanted to change local transportation system in India by launching this car. Anand Mahindra, the Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra, said, "We want to change the way people commute. And we want to do it in a way that is responsible, that is clean, that does not tax the planet and that makes the experience of commuting guilt-free and a very joyous one. A first step in that direction has been the NeXt Generation concept of Electric Vehicles (EVs) from Mahindra Reva. Today, we usher in a new paradigm to bring in products and mobility solutions which will bear testimony to our commitment to a cleaner environment and the mobility needs of tomorrow's consumers.”
Elaborating on the need of a more comfortable mode of transportation, Pawan Goenka said, "Just imagine travelling from Connaught Place to Delhi international airport for an energy cost of Rs. 10 and doing so in air-conditioned, climate controlled comfort in your own car without emitting a single molecule of harmful gases. That is how we believe we could shape the future of mobility."
