Of the 27 upcoming cars worth waiting for, Tata Altroz is launching first (June 2024), while Honda New Amaze is yet to make an appearance
As the festive season is nearing, car manufacturers are standing on their toes to launch new vehicles, facelifts or new editions. Pushing volumes in the festive season is the goal and manufacturers often start testing their upcoming vehicles right around this time. So, here are 21 upcoming cars that could launch around the all-important festive season.
1. Tata Nexon i-CNG
A CNG variant of Tata golden goose, Nexon, is underway and will challenge Brezza CNG. When i-CNG variant is launched, Nexon will be India’s first mainstream vehicle to offer four different fuel options simultaneously. Tata has showcased Nexon i-CNG before and it boasts twin-cylinder technology for a flat and usable boot.
2. Tata Curvv
Curvv will mark Tata Motors’ entry into compact SUV segment and is likely to be the most stylish and sophisticated. From flush door handles to a soothing coupe sloping roofline, Curvv has all the ingredients to captivate buyers. Powertrain options will include EV, Petrol and Diesel. As per speculations, Curvv and Curvv Diesel will launch first, followed by Curvv Petrol.
3. Maruti Suzuki eVX
After making a splash in compact SUV and sub 4m SUV space, Maruti Suzuki is now foraying into electric SUV space with its maiden EV called eVX. This will be a global model and is likely to have a world premier in Indian market. When launched, it will be the most sophisticated Maruti Suzuki ever sold in India and the all-electric powertrain could promise a 500 km range.
4. Maruti Suzuki Dzire
Sticking with Maruti Suzuki, the company is set to launch New Dzire and will be the first sub 4m sedan in India to feature a sunroof. Similar design attributes as Swift are expected, with a unique identity reserved for Dzire. Interiors should be identical to Swift, except for a couple of changes here and there.
5 & 6. Kia Clavis / Syros
Looking at Tata Punch’s success, Hyundai and Kia are keen on carving out a piece of this pie for themselves. Hyundai launched Exter and Kia is on the verge of launching a more premium version of it soon. The ICE version is likely to be called Syros and will be slightly less premium than the EV version, which is likely to take Clavis name. Or vice versa.
7. Tata Altroz Racer
If you thought Altroz i-Turbo was the sportiest avatar that Altroz could ever take, Tata Motors has other plans. This is where Altroz Racer comes into action. Sporty visuals and sporty performance are what Altroz Racer promises. Altroz i-Turbo makes 108 bhp and 140 Nm, while Altroz Racer is set to offer 110 bhp and 170 Nm. We hope it gets the 6-speed DCT or even the 7-speed DCT option on top of a 6-speed manual.
8. Mahindra Thar Armada
How can we forget one of India’s most anticipated launches, the Mahindra Thar Armada? This is a 5-Door version of Thar. It features a major interior overhaul and a subtle exterior revision as opposed to current 3-Door Thar. All three engines (1.5L Diesel, 2.0L Petrol and 2.2L Diesel) are likely to be ported to Armada as well. Same state of tune as current Thar or not, is not known yet.
9. Mahindra XUV.e8
The electric version of Mahindra XUV700 is under testing and will be sold under the new XUV.e lineup. Called XUV.e8, it still borrows quite a lot of side profile and rear section from XUV700 as seen with spy shots. While the front fascia has quite a lot of common elements with XUV.e9.
10. Mahindra XUV.e9
Speaking of, XUV.e9 is a coupe derivative of XUV.e8. It is spied testing alongside XUV.e8 and is likely to pack more performance than its non-coupe counterpart. Expect a top speed of 200+ km/h and a lot of visual bulk and road presence. Not in a bad way. We quite like its sloping coupe roofline.
11. Mahindra BE.05
This is the third vehicle in Mahindra’s electric convoy and testing is just as extensive as the other two. High temperature and high altitude testing for BE.05 is ongoing too. Being the smallest of all BE and XUV.e models, Mahindra BE.05 might emerge as Mahindra’s best-selling electric SUV or even India’s.
12. Hyundai Creta EV
Now that we mention BE.05, we have to mention Hyundai Creta EV, which has been spotted testing multiple times. It will bear all the new design elements from Creta facelift inside and out and will run on battery power. Specs and range are not out yet. But a claimed 450 km range on a single charge is likely.
13. Hyundai Alcazar Facelift
Alcazar is a stretched 7-seater version of Creta. All the interior elements we saw with Creta facelift will make their way to Alcazar facelift too. On the outside, Alcazar facelift will get a unique fascia for distinction. Main update to Alcazar is that it will get ADAS functionality for the first time.
14. Kia Carens Facelift
Little over a week ago, first Kia Carens facelift engineering unit was spotted testing in South Korea. Unlike Hyundai Alcazar, Kia Carens is positioned as a premium MPV and gets much lower pricing. Like Alcazar, ADAS suite will be primary update and Carens facelift might offer a panoramic sunroof as well.
15. New Kia Carnival
3rd Gen Kia Carnival in India has been discontinued and the company is prepping to launch 4th Gen facelifted version of Carnival. Test mules have been spotted without any camouflage in Andhra Pradesh state. Launch seems to be right around the corner, but can be pushed towards the festive season.
16. Citroen Basalt
Previously speculated to be called C3X, Citroen Basalt has been spotted in the flesh, without any camouflage. There are a lot of similarities with Basalt Concept. This is Citroen’s 2nd attempt at compact SUV space and is likely to establish a better sales proposition owing to its sloping coupe roofline. Powertrains will be similar to C3 Aircross.
17 & 18. Tata Harrier / Safari Petrol
Tata Motors is developing a Turbo Petrol engine to establish lower price points for both Harrier and Safari, which are diesel-only as of now. This 1.5L Turbo GDI Petrol engine will generate 170 bhp of peak power and 280 Nm of peak torque. Launch timeline for the GDI engine with Harrier and Safari might be around the festive season.
19 & 20. Tata Harrier / Safari EV
Since we are mentioning Harrier and Safari Petrol GDI engine variants, let us get their EV counterparts out of the way as well. Harrier EV has been showcased and launching Safari EV alongside it makes a lot of sense. We should expect a dual-motor variant when launched and a claimed 500 km range on a single charge.
21. MG Cloud EV
To expand its electric vehicle lineup, MG India has been keen on launching Cloud EV soon. When launched, it could take the MG Excelor EV name. If you are wondering, it is the same car as the Wuling Cloud EV and Baojun Yonduo EV. Up to 50 kWh of battery and 450 km of range can be expected.
22. MG Gloster Facelift
In the large SUV segment, MG Gloster is getting a facelift. It will be rebadged version of Maxus Territory or LDV 90 sold in various markets. Gloster facelift is going big on size quotient and it will make its rivals look from a smaller segment. The same powertrains as the current Gloster are likely.
23. Skoda Sub 4m SUV
This unnamed SUV is likely to establish better sales prospects for the Skoda brand. Testing has commenced and has been spotted multiple times. It will get a sole 1.0L 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine to strike B segment tax benefits. Pricing strategy would be interesting as it is targeting a price-sensitive segment.
24 & 25. Jeep Compass / Meridian Facelift
Jeep is working on a facelift for Meridian and Compass. We don’t see many prominent visual changes. So, whatever design distinctions are underway, they’ll be subtle. The primary addition is likely to be a new Turbo Petrol engine option along with ADAS suite co-developed with Bosch. Compass test mules didn’t show radars for ADAS at the time they were clicked.
26. Nissan Magnite Facelift
Currently riding a one-horse chariot, Nissan India is on the verge of facelifting its sole offering, Magnite. This sub 4m SUV is already quite feature-packed and is extremely price competitive. The facelift is expected to add a dash of newness and a few creature comforts like ventilated seats. Design changes seen with spy shots are very subtle. Also, whatever happened to the confirmed Renault Triber based Nissan sub 4m MPV, huh?
27. New Honda Amaze
We have put the new Amaze at the end because test mules of the same have not been spotted, nor has Honda showcased it anywhere. That said, Honda is quite good at keeping their new car developments in an invisible bubble. So, the chances of New Honda Amaze to have commenced testing are pretty high. It is speculated to share its platform with City for a more streamlined manufacturing process and reduce manufacturing costs.
