While many new cars and SUVs are headed our way in the next year, there is a handful of vehicles that will mark the relaunch of a brand. One of the popular brands that made a comeback is the Santro, which returned to the market in an all-new avatar on 23 October. Similarly, there are at least five cars that will relaunch in their reincarnated versions.
5 Cars that will relaunch in a new avatar
New Honda Civic
The Honda Civic, which despite being absent for five years, is a featured brand from Honda Cars India. It will make a comeback early next year. The new version of the famous D1-segmenter that's headed our way is the recently updated tenth generation model. In India, the latest version of the Civic will rival the Skoda Octavia, Hyundai Elantra, and Toyota Corolla Altis. This segment is indeed SUV dominated, but the company feels a stream of buyers would be existing Civic owners.
The new model will launch here in two engine variants - 1.8-litre i-VTEC petrol and 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel. The petrol engine will output a maximum power of 141 PS along with a peak torque of 174 Nm. The oil-burner will come from the CR-V and will offer 120 PS/300 Nm. Transmission choices for the diesel engine variant will include a 6-speed manual and a ZF-sourced 9-speed automatic unit. On the other hand, the petrol engine could be available with a CVT only.
New Maruti Zen
The production version of the Future-S Concept is expected to revive the Maruti Zen nameplate. Reportedly, the alleged Maruti Zen reincarnation is just a year away from its launch. The next generation of the Maruti Zen will perch above the Alto 800 and close to where the Alto K10 is positioned.
The new version of the Maruti Zen should have a crossover-ish design, a bold stance, and a high ground clearance. These elements should help it pose a serious threat to the moderately successful Renault Kwid (avg. monthly sales volume between April-September 2018 - 5,335 units). The new model is expected to draw its juice from a BSVI-compliant version of the K10B 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine that powers the Wagon R and the Alto K10.
Mahindra Inferno/G4 Ssangyong Rexton
Several publications report that the Mahindra-badged G4 Ssangyong Rexton would launch on 19 November as the Mahindra Inferno. The new flagship model will look almost entirely like the G4 Ssangyong Rexton, with the only difference arising out of the new front grille and Mahindra badges. The large-size SUV will be powered by a 2.2-litre e-XDi220 LET turbocharged diesel engine that will come mated to a Mercedes-sourced 7-speed automatic transmission. The motor outputs a maximum power of 183 bhp along with a peak torque of 420 Nm. It will be available with a 4WD system with three modes- 4-wheel drive low, 2-wheel high and 4-wheel high.
While the G4 Ssangyong Rexton is available with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine in several international markets, lack of buyer interest in petrol-powered large SUVs will make the diesel variant the volume spinner.
Hyundai Santa Fe
The Hyundai Santa Fe will make a comeback in India in the form of the fourth generation model. While earlier reports had somewhat ruled out the launch of flagship SUV in India, Puneet Anand, Sr General Manager (Marketing), Hyundai Motor India Ltd. revealed to IndianAutosBlog.com this month that the latest generation Santa Fe is India-bound.
The latest generation Hyundai Santa Fe sports its South Korean carmaker's most recent design theme for SUVs. Its front-end is characterised by a bold Cascading grille and a Composite light three-tier light setup. The latter comprises sleek DRLs at the hood-level, headlights in the mid-level, and fog lamps at the bottom level. This makes the latest iteration of the flagship SUV look a lot more aggressive than its earlier version.
The side profile is characterised by a larger DLO, flared wheel arches, and more stylish ORVMs. The rear, which carries stylish LED taillamps and a well-sculpted tailgate, has a passing resemblance with the posterior of the earlier version.
Globally, the fourth generation Hyundai Santa Fe is on sale with three engine options - 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol, 2.0-litre turbo-diesel, and 2.2-litre turbo-diesel. All the power plants are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. A 4WD system is optional.
Nissan X-Trail
With the government nearly there to allow carmakers to import 2,500 units of vehicles without going through the homologation process, Nissan India will be encouraged to retake a look at the X-Trail hybrid. Speculations of the third-generation Nissan X-Trail being India-bound first arose back in 2015 with the company confirming discussions. The general disinterest of car buyers in expensive hybrid vehicles, however, has kept the manufacturer from bringing the globally successful model to our shores.
The third generation Nissan X-Trail made its first public appearance at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show and received a mid-cycle makeover in September 2016. The hybrid powerplant of the company's global SUV comprises the MR20DD 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine that outputs 147 PS/207 and the RM31 electric motor that generates 41 PS/160 Nm.
