While the Indian automobile industry is undergoing difficult times owing to slow sales, all the manufacturers are still in hope to witness good times ahead. Many are working on all-new models with hopes to grow further amidst this slowdown. Following is a list of five most talked about all new four-wheelers - from Renault Triber to Kia Seltos - which are set to hit the showroom floors in the month of August.
Renault Triber
With the Triber, Renault is hoping to bring back the lost ground, since all of its products in current lineup are performing below average in terms of sales. For starters, the Renault Triber, which is scheduled to launch on August 22, is a sub-four metre compact MPV based on the same platform as that of Renault’s most affordable product in India, the Kwid.
Renault has tried to infuse its expertise in making SUVs into the Triber as well, which is quite evident from the way it looks. The aggressive front-end, black body cladding all around, faux skid plates at front and rear and roof rails do give it some SUV styling. On the inside too, Renault has cleverly maximised the space, and the third-row can be folded down to increase the boot space up to 625 litres, which is simply the best in its segment.
Renault has equipped the Triber with premium features like a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, push-button start with keyless entry, projector headlamps, LED DRLs, alloy wheels and a digital instrument cluster.
Renault has retuned the 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine from the Kwid for the Triber to produce 72 PS of maximum power and 96 Nm of peak torque. With prices expected to start at INR 4.4 lakh (ex-showroom), the Renault Triber will take on the Datsun Go Plus, the only other sub-four metre compact MPV.
2019 Hyundai Grand i10
The third-gen Hyundai i10, or Hyundai Grand i10 as we'll get in India and many other emerging markets now, will be launched on 20 August. This time, there will be no play of two wheelbase versions, as Europe will switch to the long-wheelbase version. Hyundai may continue with the i10 name without the 'Grand' prefix in the Old Continent, though.
The all-new Hyundai Grand i10 won't have significant changes in terms of dimensions (and even proportions), and that's comparing to the long-wheelbase version currently sold here, not the Euro-spec standard wheelbase version. It will feature a funkier design, at least at the front, with sportier headlamps that have a sleeker footprint and pack projector lighting and likely LED DRL as well, a more expressive Cascading grille, circular LED fog lamps and a beltline featuring a swift kick upwards at the rear. The interior too will be fully new, and the most prominent change here will be the inclusion of a floating touchscreen infotainment system with connected vehicle technologies.
Another major change in the new Hyundai Grand i10 is the revised powertrain lineup. The old model's 83 PS 1.2L Kappa VTVT petrol engine and the 75 PS U2 1.2L CRDi diesel engine will have upgraded to BS-VI. While the 5-speed manual transmission will be carried over, the 4-speed automatic transmission will have been replaced with the 5-speed automated manual transmission of the Hyundai Santro.
BMW 3 Series
Among all the luxury manufacturers, BMW is driving in overdrive gear, with consecutive launches strengthening its position in the market. After the launch of prominent models like X5 and X7 SUVs and 7 Series sedan, BMW is gearing to launch the all-new seventh-gen 3 Series sedan in India on 20 August.
While the basic design of the 3 Series remains almost unchanged, BMW has carried out substantial changes to headlamps and tail lamps to make them look sleeker. Also, the new 3 Series is dimensionally bigger than the model it replaces, which is an attempt to make the cabin more spacious.
Like the exterior, the cabin of the new BMW 3 Series has been tweaked, the most prominent changes of which include BMW Live Cockpit - a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster and a new 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant.
In India, the all-new BMW 3 Series will be offered in two engine variants. One will be the 330i with a 2.0-litre petrol unit which produces 258 PS of power and 400 Nm of torque and the other will be the 330d with a 2.0-litre diesel engine which belts out 190 PS of power and 400 Nm of torque. Common to both will be rear-wheel drivetrain layout and an 8-speed automatic gearbox.
Maruti XL6
Set to be launched on 21 August, the XL6 will be Maruti Suzuki’s fifth offering at the NEXA premium outlets, through which it is already selling Baleno, S-Cross, Ciaz and Ignis. The Maruti XL6 is based on the Maruti Ertiga, and is basically its rugged-looking, 6-seat version.
Visually, the Maruti XL6 has a completely different front fascia with an all new hexagonal grille, bigger headlamps with LED projectors and daytime running LEDs and skid plates. The side and rear profiles of the Maruti XL6 too have mild inclusions in the form of side body cladding and roof rails. On stepping inside, one will find the biggest changes in the form of captain seats in the second row and all-black interior, with leather upholstery and cruise control as new feature additions.
Maruti Suzuki will be plonking in the same 1.5-litre petrol engine from the Ertiga into the XL6, which produces 105 PS of power and 138 Nm of torque. To be offered with both 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic gearboxes, the engine will feature mild-hybrid technology.
Kia Seltos
After much hype and a number of speculations, Kia is finally launching the Seltos on 21 August. The first product from Kia has already garnered a tremendous response, and 6000+ pre-bookings received on the very first day is a positive testimony to it.
The Kia Seltos looks quite aggressive with an upright stance and new modern design cues like extended daytime running LEDs, full LED headlamps and tail lamps and 18-inch premium crystal cut alloy wheels. On the inside too, the cabin is likely to attract tech-savvy buyers a lot with features like a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with integrated SIM card and UVO connected vehicle technology, 8.0-inch head-up display, ambient lighting, 8-speaker Bose audio system, 7-inch MID and a 360-degree parking camera.
However, the biggest talking point of the Kia Seltos is its extensive engine and gearbox combinations. The Kia Seltos will have three engine options – 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol (115 PS/144 Nm), 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol (140 PS/242 Nm) and 1.5-litre diesel engine (115 PS/250 Nm), with a 6-speed manual gearbox common to all these engines. In addition, the naturally aspirated petrol will be offered with a CVT, the turbocharged diesel engine will be offered with a 6-speed MT and the turbocharged petrol engine will be offered with a 7-speed DCT.
[Image Source 1: bobaedream.co.kr]
[Image Source 2: gaadiwaadi.com]
