Alternate fuel cars and small SUVs will be the dictum in 2012.- See the trends .

Alternate fuel cars and small SUVs will be the dictum in 2012.- See the trends .

Some amazing alternate fuel cars recently displayed at the Auto Expo indicate that domestic and foreign auto makers are becoming seriously concerned about the availability and prices of auto fuels. Unfortunately, electric and hybrid vehicles are expensive and a little impractical while fuel cell and hydrogen cars are still a rather distant dream. The big investments in these technologies, however, show that the industry is gearing up for a, not too distant, time when petrol and diesel will become so expensive that alternative propulsion will become attractive.

India’s car demand remains strong, despite the Maruti strike that affected the industry last year and the average buyer is getting younger (30) every year. We will, therefore, see more demand for small SUVs like the Premier Rio and the soon-to-be-launched Ford EcoSport or Maruti XA alpha. Sports cars may also grow and the new BMW mini is likely to attract many competitors. Though luxury cars are growing at a furious space, the success of the quite affordable BMW X1 has attracted competition from the new Audi Q3. A beautiful Mercedes A Classe will soon follow.

Buyers today are confused by the bewildering choice of cars with new models being launched almost every week so they are in no hurry to get themselves a new set of wheels. They are also beginning to realise that every modern car is reliable and fuel efficient so their main concerns are service, spares and resale prices. They are, however, seriously concerned about traffic congestion and the universal shortage of parking space. This is creating a demand for large hatchbacks like the Hyundai i20, Nissan Micra, Renault Pulse and slightly smaller ones like the Maruti Swift and Ritz, Fiat Punto, Ford Figo and Tata Indica.