With India’s Auto Expo round the corner next week, a number of well-known global automakers are expected to introduce an array of low-priced, compact cars – thereby looking for an optimistic turnaround for the recession-hit auto industry.

Contrary to the distressing sales’ slump that most of the developed markets have been facing since last year, car sales in India would has seen an almost 16 percent rise this year to 1.4 million vehicles, thanks to the country’s robust economic growth as well as government incentives.

Since there are indications galore that small cars will dominate the car-market scene in the coming years, US bigwigs General Motors and Ford intend launching their small cars - Beat and Figo respectively - in January. Leading Japanese automakers, Toyota and Honda, to would use the Auto Expo platform to display the concept versions of their respective small cars.

In addition, Volkswagen, the world’s third-ranking carmaker will also unveil its small car Polo along with a sedan variant. Similarly, the year will also witness French carmaker Renault and its Japanese foil Nissan launching their respective hatchbacks.

Commenting on the expected small cars’ dominance, Dilip Chenoy, director-general of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, said: “The global slowdown has accelerated the progress of small cars worldwide and since India has always been strong in this, it is becoming a focal point for such activities.”