Upcoming new car launches in July 2020 include the new-generation Honda City, Jazz, Hyundai Tucson facelift, MG Hector Plus and Maruti Suzuki S-Cross petrol
The auto industry in India, which has been going through constrained times since the latter half of 2018, sunk deeper into depression during the COVID-19 pandemic that struck the country in March 2020. The months that followed saw sales slip to zero units in April 2020 following a complete lockdown announced by the Government of India. But now rising out of the Coronavirus crisis, the financially stressed Indian auto industry is showing some signs of revival.
Spurred by this stimulus, automakers in India are once again set to bring in new models, some of which were showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo earlier this year, but were put on hold considering the situation. There are 5 such upcoming launches which we have detailed below along with the Honda WR-V which has just been launched.
Maruti Suzuki S-Cross Petrol – Price INR 8.85 – 11.43 lakh
Maruti Suzuki was expected to launch the new S-Cross petrol variant in June, but that did not happen. Now set for launch in India, the new S-Cross petrol has been opened for bookings at a down payment of INR 11,000. To be offered in variants of Delta, Zeta and Alpha, with the base Sigma variant being done away with, pricing is set to commence from INR 9.90 lakh. It will be powered by a new 1.5 liter petrol engine making 105 hp power and 138 Nm torque while it will also get Maruti’s mild hybrid system for functions such as torque boost and idle start stop. For the first time, the S-Cross will get an automatic option in India with a 4 speed transmission apart from a standard 5 speed manual transmission.
Fifth-gen Honda City – Price INR 11 – 16 lakh
This new gen Honda City is set for launch in Indian market in the weeks ahead. It will be a direct competitor to the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Hyundai Verna and Skoda Rapid. It will be seen with Honda Connect App with Telematics Control Unit which offers a total of 32 connected features. This will be the only sedan in its segment to receive Amazon Alexa compatibility. The new Honda City receives several feature updates and will be powered by a 1.5 liter petrol and 1.5 liter diesel engine. The petrol unit will offer 119 hp power and 145 Nm torque while the diesel engine will be capable of 100 hp power and 200 Nm torque. Both engines get mated to a 6 speed manual gearbox as standard while the petrol unit will also get a CVT automatic transmission option.
Hyundai Tucson Facelift – Price INR 19.5 – 27.5 lakh
Having been unveiled at the 2020 Auto Expo in February, launch of the Tucson facelift was initially planned for April of this year. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, the launch plans were put on hold but the company has now revealed that launch date will be later this month. Hyundai Tucson facelift will be presented in two variants of GL Option and GLS. It will receive a few feature updates where its exterior design is concerned but it is the interior which gets complete makeover.
Hyundai Tucson facelift will receive both petrol and diesel engine options complying with BS6 emission standards. The 2.0 liter petrol engine will make 150 hp power and 192 Nm torque while the 2.0 liter turbocharged diesel engine will generate 182 hp power and 400 Nm torque. Both engines will get torque converter automatic gearboxes as standard with the diesel unit receiving a new 8 speed unit. The base variant will sport a two wheel drive system while the top of the line GLS variant gets an AWD.
2020 Honda Jazz – Price INR 8.45 lakh – 9.85 lakh
Following the launch of the Honda WR-V facelift, the Japanese automaker will also launch the new Honda Jazz hatchback. It will see several updates in exterior and interior designs with new bumpers, head lamps and front grille designs as compared to its current counterpart. The 2020 Honda Jazz will also drop its diesel engine in favor of a BS6 compliant 1.2 liter petrol engine which will be mated to a 5 speed manual and CVT automatic.
MG Hector Plus – Price INR 13.5 lakh – 17.75 lakh
The MG Hector Plus is a 6 (2+2+2) and 7 (2+3+2), three row variant of the MG Hector. It was also showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo and will be launched later this month. The MG Hector Plus which has entered production at the company plant in Halol, Gujarat, will be offered in 3 variants of Super, Smart and Sharp. The 6 seater versions will be launched in July while its 7 seater counterpart could be launched sometime ahead of the festive season in India.
Borrowing its engine lineup from the 5 seater MG Hector, the Hector Plus will get a 1.5 liter turbo petrol engine offering 143 hp power and 250 Nm torque mated to a 6 speed manual and 6 speed DCT. Its 1.5 liter hybrid turbo petrol engine will make 143 hp power and 250 Nm torque mated to a 6 speed manual transmission. There will also be a 2.0 liter turbo diesel engine on offer with the Hector Plus. Power and torque stand at 170 hp power and 350 Nm respectively. This motor is mated to a 6 speed manual gearbox. Only the Hector Plus Sharp petrol variant will receive a manual hybrid engine.
Already launched – Honda WR-V Facelift, Price INR 8.5 – 11 lakh
The BS6 compliant Honda WR-V Facelift has just been launched in India and is already at dealerships across the country. It is offered in two variants of SV and VX. The SV trim is priced at INR 8.50 lakh for the petrol and INR 9.30 lakh for the diesel variant while the Honda WR-V – VX variant petrol variant is priced at INR 9.80 lakh and diesel trim at INR 10.99 lakh.
Honda WR-V facelift continues to be powered by the same engine lineup albeit now complying with the new BS6 emission standards. The 1.2 liter petrol engine is capable of 90 hp peak power power and 110 Nm torque mated to a 5 speed manual transmission. Fuel efficiency is at 16.5 kmpl. The 1.5 liter diesel engine makes 100 hp peak power and 200 Nm torque mated to a 6 speed manual transmission with fuel efficiency at 23.7 kmpl. Honda Cars India has not introduced any automatic gearbox with this facelift.