Upcoming Cars in India
The Indian automotive industry is a densely populated space. From affordable vehicles to literally estate holding cars, we’ve had the opportunity to experience almost about everything. But the future, as always, lies ahead.
1. Audi A4 Facelift
Audi has taken the wraps off of what appears to be the face-lifted Audi A4. Audi has given it a major mid-life update in order to help it to stay afloat among its rivalry. Changes, however, are limited to the design and the addition of mild-hybrid powertrains.
The face-lifted A4 looks a little sharper now, with that wider new grille design. Even the headlamps have been re-profiled to look edgier, while the front bumper looks more sculpted. The lines along the side of the A4 are now more defined. At the rear, the bumper looks sharper and the dual exhausts look large and sporty. On the 'S' variant, the car gets 19-inch wheels, while the other ones come shod with 17-inch or 18-inch wheels.
2. Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan
Mercedes-Benz has already announced that they will bring in around 10 models to India this year. The company has already confirmed the launch of the GLA and their fully-electric offering - the EQC. Aside from these two models, the Stuttgart-based carmaker is also slated to replace the CLA. The first-generation CLA has already been discontinued. As a replacement to the entry-level luxury sedan, Mercedes-Benz will bring in the A-Class sedan to India. Keeping in mind that luxury cars in India are primarily chauffeur driven, the CLA's coupe-line roofline resulted in limited headroom for the rear passengers. With that in mind Mercedes-Benz will bring in the A-Class sedan to India.
3. Nissan Leaf EV
₹ 40 - 45 Lakh
Nissan's Leaf is being evaluated for India, as the car has been spotted testing without camouflage, in a bright shade of red with a glossy black finish up front and at the rear. The Leaf happens to be Nissan's best-selling electric vehicle on foreign turf, and is named the Leaf e+. This new model gets a larger battery pack which helps in an increased range per charge. The Leaf e+ is already selling in some international markets, like Japan.
4. Citroen C5 Aircross
Citroen, the PSA group-owned brand has confirmed the launch of its flagship model in India – the C5 Aircross. It is slated to be Citroen’s first product for India, and will start rolling off showroom floors by late 2020. The car has also been spied testing as a mule in the country, quite a number of times. The French car maker has even started producing engines and gearboxes at its Hosur plant in Tamil Nadu. Citroen had also showcased the C5 Aircross in India recently. With an array of features on offer, powerful engines and a solidly built cabin, the C5 Aircross is bound to be a 30 lakh-rupee SUV with all the possible bells and whistles a buyer would expect in the premium luxury crossover segment.
5. Mercedes-Benz New GLA
₹ 42 - 50 Lakh
Mercedes-Benz showcased their next-generation entry-level SUV, the GLA, at the Auto Expo 2020. The new SUV will be launched in October this year.
The new GLA looks all grown up and more rugged than the current model, as it’s taller by 104mm, with a 30mm longer wheelbase. This translates into more headroom in the first row and improved legroom for the rear passengers, even though the new SUV is 14mm shorter than its predecessor. Mercedes-Benz has purposely shortened the new GLA’s front and rear overhangs to make it a bit more comfortable off-roader. It also now comes with protective cladding all around.
6. Volvo V60
₹ 50 Lakh
Volvo is going full throttle with their new range of products. It started with the launch of the XC90 in May 2015, and since then they haven’t taken a break. The Swedish car maker recently took the wraps off their mid-sized V60 estate.
This new offering from Volvo is based on their Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA) that also underpins the XC60, S90 and V90 as well as the XC90 range. The design of the new V60 is in line with Volvo’s new range of products. It gets the signature rectangular grille with the popular Thor Hammer headlights on either side. The bumper is sharply crafted, giving the estate an aggressive stance. The V60 looks like a scaled down version of the V90 estate from its side and rear profiles.
7. Audi Q2
₹ 28 - 32 Lakh
The Audi Q2 was revealed for the first time at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. Audi has seen a lot of success in the SUV market with the Q3, Q5 and the Q7. This time Audi has decided to cater to market below the Q3 with the new Q2. Being the smallest SUV from the Audi portfolio, measures in at 4.19 meters in length, 1.79 meters wide and 1.51 meters tall with a wheelbase of 2.60 meters. The Q2 will be offered with a range of engines, which in the petrol line up will include a 114bhp 1.0-litre 3-cylinder unit, a 1.4-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged unit and a 2.0-litre turbo with 187bhp. The diesel engine range will include a 1.6-litre and a 2.0-litre turbo diesel unit with a range topping 187bhp version. The 2.0-litre engines will come mated to Audi’s S Tronic dual clutch automatic gearbox. In international markets, the Q2 will get a manual gearbox and an optional automatic, however, in India, only the automatic will be offered.
8. Jaguar E-Pace
₹ 50 - 70 Lakh
Jaguar first introduced the E-Pace in July last year. While the car has been launched globally a few months back, it will only make its way to Indian shores at the 2018 Auto Expo in February 2018. In terms of design, the E-Pace looks somewhat identical to the F-Pace but the smaller face and roofline give way to its proportions. It may not look as intimidating as the F-Pace but the E-Pace too is a good-looking SUV. In fact, its proportions add a sense of practicality to the SUV thanks to its 480-litre boot.
9. MG Gloster
₹ 28 - 35 Lakh
At the Auto Expo 2020, MG Motor took the wraps off the Gloster SUV – the company’s answer to the likes of the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour et al. Based on the Maxus D90, the Gloster will be the flagship SUV for the brand when it gets launched around Diwali. With that in mind it comes with loaded to the brim with features including adaptive LED headlamps, heated ORVMs, panoramic sun roof, gesture-controlled boot and more. On the inside too it will come impressively well equipped with heated/cooling and massage seats at the front, three-zone climate control, ambient lighting, and a bundle of other features.
10. BMW i3
₹ 40 Lakh
The BMW i8 s a great showcase product for BMW in India as a hybrid electric sports car with its sleek design cues and performance oriented nature. BMW India is now planning to bring the compact all electric i3 models to our shores as well. As an all-electric model the i3 is designed to be an urban run about. Although, the lack of charging infrastructure will limit sales of the i3 in India. But then there is also a range extender model that is powered by a 647cc, twin cylinder petrol engine. The BMW i3 all electric model has a claimed driving range of 130 km while the hybrid models has a claimed driving range of 240 km.
11. Mercedes-Benz EQC
₹ 1.4 - 1.5 Crore
Mercedes-Benz has also announced that they will be stepping into the EV space this year with the EQC. The Stuttgart-based carmaker will be launching the EQC in April. To be brought into India as a CBU, the EQC is expected to be priced in the Rs 1.5 crore range.
Powering the EQC is an 80kWh battery pack that works in conjunction with two electric motors to deliver 407 horses and 765Nm. The EQC gets a claimed driving range of roughly 400km in a single full charge as per the WLTP cycle. As far as performance goes, the EQC can dismiss the 0-100km/h in just 5.1 seconds, and that’s quite impressive for a 2.5-tonne electric SUV.
12. BMW 8-Serie
The legendary BMW 8-Series nameplate has been resurrected for the 21st century. It is said to combine the luxury of a four-door sedan with sports car driving dynamics and performance. With the 8-Series, BMW makes its foray into the super luxury GT market.
The car boasts of a lightweight construction, using aluminium, carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic and magnesium. It looks pretty sensational from the outside, with that larger kidney grille, flanked by what are said to be the slimmest headlamps on a BMW ever. The front bumper looks aggressive with those huge air-inlets and the long bonnet. Its smooth-flowing lines on the sides look cool, while the rear-end too gets tapered LED tail lamps. The rear bumper too looks nothing short of menacing with those two exhausts set nicely in the lower half. The double-bubble-like roof can also be had in carbon-fibre.
13. Aston Martin Zagato
₹ 3.8 Crore
Aston Martin has announced that they will introduce a brand new car the DB11 as a replacement for the outgoing decade old DB9. The DB11 will also be the first turbo charged Aston Martin ever featuring a 5.3 litre V12 from their recent ties with AMG. The DB10 was a model only meant for James bond for the movie Spectre and therefore that nameplate has been retired with only 10 units built for the production of the film. The DB11 is scheduled to be unveiled at the Geneva Motorshow in 2016 and will be available in India once production commences.
14. Audi R8 Spyder
₹ 2.5 - 2.7 Crore
Subsequent to the introduction of the new R8 last year, Audi will soon bring its drop-top version to our shores. Audi developed the new R8 Spyder with the intension of making it lighter, stiffer and faster. And although it won’t go on sale in the ‘Plus’ trim, the power of 540 horses that it packs is enough to take the speedo needle north of 100km/h from standstill in just 3.6 seconds. The beauty of the R8 Spyder though is its weight. The Spyder’s aluminium space frame weighs 208kg, which is just 8kg heavier than the Coupe version while overall the R8 Spyder weighs 1,720kg - 80kg heavier than the standard car. While the Spyder, is just a wee bit slower than the coupe, it retains all the characteristics of its R8 that it has been known for all these years. With manageable performance and the potential to be an everyday supercar, the R8 does thrill, but in absolute style.
15. BMW i8 Roadster
BMW had a huge line-up of upcoming cars on display at the Auto Expo 2018, but the showstopper was undoubtedly the new i8 Roadster. Although this was the first time that the car was showcased in India, it has made its global debut previously at the 2017 Los Angeles Motor Show.
The i8 Roadster shares a lot of features with its coupe sibling. Except for the open top, both the i8 models look essentially identical. The body has been constructed using Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) to keep the weight in check. Thanks to that, the i8 Roadster is just 60kgs heavier than the coupe version. If you want to experience the wind in the hair feeling.
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