Four SUVs, two sedans and 1 cruiser are among the upcoming 7 new car and bike launches for September 2020
With the 2020 festive season around the corner and the country just opening up after several months of constrained sales, auto makers are lining up new launches in the weeks ahead. The Indian four and two wheeler segment will see 6 new cars and 1 bike launching this month. Going by the shift in trends, four of the new cars will be SUVs. We bring you details of these upcoming launches along with expected prices.
1. Kia Sonet – Launch Date – 18th September; Expected Price – Rs.6.5-12.5 lakhs
This feature laden sub-4m meter SUV will launch on 18th September. It is Kia Motors’ third offering in India and the Sonet enters a sub compact SUV space currently commanded by the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and Hyundai Venue. The Sonet will be offered in two trims namely Tech Line and GT Line and three engine options – 1.2 liter petrol, 1.0 liter turbo-petrol and 1.5 liter diesel. It will woo buyers with its several segment-first features among which are a 10.25 inch touchscreen infotainment system, 7 speaker Bose audio system, LED sound mood lighting, front parking sensors and ventilated front seats.
2. Skoda Rapid Automatic – Launch Date – 18th September; Expected Price – Rs.8.5-12.5 lakhs
Skoda recently introduced the Rapid 1.0 TSI in India and now is now gearing up to introduce an automatic transmission with a new engine. The Rapid automatic sedan will be introduced on 18th September while bookings have already commenced at Rs.25,000. It will be powered by the same 1.0 liter turbo petrol engine that also powers the Polo and Vento making 109 hp power and 175 Nm torque and will be mated to a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission with a front wheel drive system. Once launched, the Skoda Rapid sedan will take on the Volkswagen Vento, Hyundai Verna, Honda City and the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz.
3. Toyota Urban Cruiser – Launch Date – September 2020; Expected Price – Rs.8.5-11 lakhs
Toyota Urban Cruiser compact SUV is the second shared model which is a part of the Toyota-Maruti Suzuki partnership in India, following the Toyota Glanza which launched last year. The Urban Cruiser is based on the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza. It will be offered in three trim levels – Mid, High and Premium.
Engine will be the familiar 1.5 liter petrol unit offering 105 hp power and mated to a 5-speed manual or 4-speed torque converter automatic with mild hybrid technology. It will be seen with some changes over the Brezza with revised front bumper, air dam and fog lamp assembly while interiors also sport some changes with seats finished in brown fabric upholstery. The Toyota Urban Cruiser, the company’s first offering in the compact SUV segment, will rival Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Tata Nexon and Mahindra XUV300.
4. Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 Coupe – Launch Date – 23rd September 2020; Expected Price – Rs.1.25 Crore
Mercedes-Benz India anounced launch of another AMG, and their first in 53 series. The new GLE 53 AMG Coupe will launch in India on 23rd September, while bookings opened earlier this month. The new GLE will now be a coupe version with a sweeping roofline, new Panamericana grille, sporty bumper and interiors with sports seats.
The new Coupe will be powered by a 3.0 liter turbo petrol engine making 435 hp power and 520 Nm torque. A 48V mild-hybrid system offers additional 22 hp power and 250 Nm torque. The engine gets mated to a 9-speed automatic gearbox with Mercedes’ 4 Matic+ AWD system. Acceleration from 0 to 100 kmph is pegged at 5.3 seconds and top speed at 250 kmph.
5. Mercedes Benz EQC – Launch Date – September 2020; Expected Price – Rs.1.5 Crores
Mercedes-Benz EQC pure electric SUV, set to launch in India by the end of this month, will be brought as a CBU – Completely Built Up. It will compete against the Jaguar I-Pace and Audi e-tron and is the company’s first fully electric offering in the Indian market. It will be offered in a single 400 4MATIC variant and get its power via two electric motors along with an 85 kWh lithium-ion battery pack to deliver a range of 400 km on WLTP cycle.
Acceleration from 0 to 100 kmph is achieved in 5.1 seconds with top speed pegged at 180 kmph. Charging will be via three options that will include a 7.4 kW home charger allowing for a full charge in 21 hours, a 7.4 kW AC wall box with charging time of 10 hours and a 110 kW DC fast charger offering a 100 percent charge in 90 minutes.
6. Audi Q2 – Launch Date – September 2020; Expected Price – Rs.35-40 lakhs
Teased ahead of festive launch in India, this baby SUV from Audi will be the most affordable of all the company’s offerings in India. The entry level SUV will be positioned on the VW Group’s MQB platform and will measure 4,191 mm in length, 1,794 mm in width and 1,508 mm in height. It will come powered by the same engine that powers the Volkswagen Tiguan AllSpace. This 2.0 liter turbocharged petrol engine makes 187 hp power and 320 Nm torque with transmission options to include a 7-Speed dual clutch automatic unit.
7. Royal Enfield Meteor 350 – Launch Date – 22nd September 2020; Expected Price – Rs.1.65-1.85 lakhs
The new Royal Enfield Meteor 350 will be a successor to the Thunderbird 350X. It will be the first bike to be based on Royal Enfield’s new J-Platform. The Meteor 350 will be presented in three variants namely Fireball, Stellar and Supernova, each of which will receive distinctive colour options and variant specific features. Tripper Navigation, a Bluetooth-enabled GPS system, will be offered as standard across all variants. A leaked document details its 350cc, air cooled, SOHC, single cylinder engine which is tuned to deliver 20.2 hp power and 27 Nm torque. Launch on 22nd Sep.
