The upcoming festive season period (until November) will see more than a dozen launches in the Indian passenger vehicles market. This period, which is considered an auspicious time to buy new products, sees government and private employees receive year-end bonuses which further increases purchasing power, and car makers especially are well aware of this.
Aside from the launches below, expect special editions to be launched on existing products, and healthy discounts offered across the range, and this list will be revised as new info comes in. Further, manufacturers will improve inventory to reduce waiting periods on popular models.
1. 2018 Maruti Ertiga - Last week of October 2018
Maruti Suzuki is reported to launch the second generation 2018 Maruti Ertiga in the last week of October 2018. The new MPV which rides on the lightweight Heartect platform will be powered by the new 1.5-liter petrol engine which debuted on the 2018 Ciaz and a diesel engine. Both units will be assisted by Suzuki's SHVS mild hybrid system with torque assist while helping the 2018 Ertiga offer segment-leading fuel efficiency.
2. Hyundai AH2 (2018 Hyundai Santro) - October 23
According to media reports, the Hyundai AH2 (codename) will have its market rollout and price announcement on October 23. Hyundai's all-new small car which will rival the Maruti Wagon R is expected to bring back the 'Santro' name for India and the 'Atos' for export markets. The 2018 Hyundai Santro will reportedly get powered by a 1.1-liter petrol engine (an updated version of the older i10's engine) paired to manual and an all-new Smart Auto automated manual transmission.
3. 2018 Honda CR-V - October 9
Honda Cars India is reported to launch the all-new 2018 Honda CR-V on October 9. The fifth generation CR-V will debut two highly anticipated features in the Indian market: availability of a diesel variant and flexibility of third-row seating. The new CR-V diesel will offer the 1.6-liter i-DTEC diesel engine paired to a 9-speed automatic transmission, and a 2.0-liter i-VTEC petrol paired to manual and CVT 'boxes. The 2018 CR-V will be assembled in India from Thai made CKD kits, however, the 1.6-liter diesel engine is highly localised already.
4. Tata Tiago NRG - September 12
The Tata Tiago NRG is will have its market launch on September 12. The Tiago NRG, which is nothing but the 'cross' variant of the Tiago, gets black body cladding, roof rails and 10 mm additional ground clearance. The NRG (Energy) will rival the Maruti Celerio X and base variants of the Ford Freestyle as it tries to add more fillip to the best-selling Tiago.
5. Jeep Compass Limited Plus - October 2018
Jeep India will add a new range-topping variant to the Compass range, the Limited Plus variant which will see feature additions in the form of a sunroof, a larger 8.4-inch touchscreen entertainment system, 18-inch alloy wheels, eight-way power adjustable driver's seat and four-way adjustable front passenger seat.
6. Tata Nexon Kraz edition - Just launched
The recently launched Tata Nexon Kraz edition celebrates the first anniversary of the Nexon, and gets unique detailing on the outside and inside. It sees a Tromso Black exterior with a contrast grey roof, and 'neo-green' highlights for the grille, wheels, door mirrors and centre console.
7. Updated Hyundai Grand i10 - Later this month
According to reports, Hyundai India will update the feature list of the Grand i10 by standardising ABS, EBD and dual front airbags. Additionally, the Magna variant will get roof rails and side impact beams on doors while the Sportz variant will see the addition of LED daytime running lights and a rear spoiler. The updated Grand i10 is reported to arrive at showrooms later in the month.
8. 2018 Mahindra Rexton - October 9
The 2018 Mahindra Rexton (codename Y400) will be reportedly launched on Oct 9 with a 2.2-liter diesel engine pumping out 181 PS and 420 Nm of torque. This time around, Mahindra will ditch the 'Ssangyong' branding, and instead redesign the grille with the Mahindra logo, as seen on the Auto Expo demo model. Rivals for the 2018 Rexton are the Ford Endeavour and segment leader Toyota Fortuner.
9. Mercedes C Class facelift - October 2018
As per reports, the Mercedes C Class facelift will be launched next month with redesigned front and rear bumpers, new Multibeam LED headlamps, new taillamps with LED elements, and new alloy wheel designs. The updated sedan will reportedly be powered a new 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine and the OM654 diesel engine borrowed from the new E Class.
10. Ford Aspire facelift - October 4
The Ford Aspire facelift with redesigned bumpers, a new center console with a touchscreen 6.5-inch SYNC multimedia system and the new 1.2-liter three-cylinder petrol engine will launch on October 4, Ford India has confirmed. The sedan was recently spotted undisguised.
11. Skoda Rapid Onyx & Skoda Superb Sportline - October-November 2018
Skoda Auto India plans on launching sporty editions on the Rapid and Superb, the latter having already popped up on the company website. Both cars will feature styling updates, but the mechanical package will remain the same. The launches are expected to conclude by Diwali.
12. Datsun Go & Datsun Go+ facelift - September-October 2018
The 2018 Datsun Go and 2018 Datsun Go Plus with updated exterior and a more upmarket interior with a touchscreen entertainment system, new door trims, seat upholstery, new rear seat belt and possibly improved structure for better crashworthiness is expected to launch in the coming weeks. There will be no changes to the engine.
13. 2018 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid - September 2018
Porsche India announced at the time of launching the new Cayenne in India that it will introduce the Cayenne E-Hybrid in September 2018. Porsche claims a fuel consumption of 30.03 kmpl (according to the New European Driving Cycle) making it the most efficient Cayenne.
14. 2018 Lexus ES300h - Today
Lexus India started accepting bookings for the 2018 ES300h in July 2018. The seventh generation ES is priced at INR 59.13 lakhs, ex-Showroom, and deliveries of the seventh generation sedan are expected to start following its launch today.
15. Mercedes E Class All Terrain - September 2018
Mercedes-Benz India is reported to launch the E Class station wagon in India by way of the crossover-esque E Class All Terrain. The E Class All Terrain will be the second Mercedes product in India to feature a BS6 compliant diesel engine capable of running on BS4 fuel.
16. BMW M2 Competition - By Diwali
BMW India will launch the M2 Competition with a 3.0-liter biturbo six-cylinder engine prior to Diwali. With 410 PS at 5,250-7,000 rpm and 550 Nm of torque at 2,350-5,200 rpm, the M2 Competition is capable of hitting 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds with the 7-speed DCT, and a top speed limited to 250 km/h.
