7 new car & SUV launches in October 2017

The big festive season of 2017 is here and automakers have lined a slew of exciting new cars and SUVs for India. Here are 7 new cars that’ll be launched in the next one month.

Skoda Kodiaq

On the 4th of October, Skoda will get back into the SUV segment in India with the Kodiaq, an all-new 7 seat soft-roader built on the MQB platform. Powered by a 2 liter turbo diesel engine with 148 Bhp-340 Nm, the Kodiaq gets all wheel drive and a 7 speed twin clutch automatic gearbox.

However, it doesn’t get a dedicated off-road mode for the all wheel drive system, which means that the system will work more of a grip enhancer than a tool to go off road with. The Kodiaq is expected to be priced between 30 and 35 lakhs. Competitors include the Toyota Fortuner and the Ford Endeavour.

Volkswagen Passat

At around the same time, on the 10th of October, Volkswagen will bring in it’s priciest car for India – the 8th generation Passat. The luxury sedan is based on the MQB platform, and is assembled in India, at Skoda’s Aurangabad factory. The car will be sold with a solitary 2 liter turbo diesel engine good for 174 Bhp-350 Nm.

This motor will be mated to a 6 speed DSG dual clutch automatic gearbox. Production has already begun. The car could be priced at nearly 30 lakh rupees. The Passat goes against the Toyota Camry, the Honda Accord and the Skoda Superb.

Ford EcoSport

Ford will launch a facelifted EcoSport this Diwali. The compact SUV gets a fresh face with plenty of changes up front. At the rear, the spare wheel on the hatch lid is retained. On the inside too, the cabin gets freshened up with a bunch of changes while the petrol engines under the hood are likely to get an update.

Ford will offer the 1.5 liter, naturally aspirated Dragon petrol motor, good for about 120 Bhp. The EcoBoost 1 liter turbo petrol (125 Bhp-170 Nm) and the 1.5 liter TDCI turbo diesel (98.6 Bhp-205 Nm) are likely to carry on unchanged. 5 speed manual and 6 speed twin clutch automatic transmission options will drive the front wheels. The new Ford will square off against the Maruti Brezza and the newly launched Tata Nexon.

Renault Captur

Renault wants to stanch falling car sales in India, and the Captur crossover will be deployed just for that. Based on the Duster platform, the Captur we’ll get is longer than the European version (which is based on the Clio hatch). The crossover will share its 1.5 liter petrol (105 Bhp-145 Nm) and dieselp-240 Nm) (108 Bh engines, and gearboxes with the Duster, but will feel more premium. Street presence is also slightly better. The Captur is expected to be priced at about 12 lakh rupees, taking on the Mahindra XUV500. A Diwali launch is likely.

Maruti Suzuki S-Cross

The S-Cross gets a midlife makeover, to come out more aggressive looking. This refresh is Maruti’s way of attracting compact SUV buyers from the Creta and Duster folds to the S-Cross camp. The front end of the facelifted model gets a toothy grille, new headlamps and a reprofiled bonnet. The rear is more or less unchanged, and so is the profile but for the new alloy wheel design.

The S-Cross dumps the torque monster of a 1.6 liter Fiat Multijet diesel motor, instead making do with the 1.3 liter unit, good for 89 Bhp-200 Nm. A5 speed manual gearbox is standard. Prices are likely to start from 8 lakh rupees, making the S-Cross the price warrior of its segment.

Mahindra KUV100 NXT

The KUV100 is just two years old and Mahindra is already working on a major facelift. Dubbed the NXT, the facelifted version will get a flurry of mechanical improvements. Revised air filter design for the petrol and diesel engines and stronger mounts are two key changes to add refinement.

Longer travel suspension and better approach and departure angles are other changes. Mahindra will also add new features including a touchscreen infotainment system. The 1.2 liter petrol and turbo diesel motors will be retained. Prices will start from under 5 lakhs, and the launch is expected to happen in the middle of October.

Maruti Celerio X

The Celerio X is the ‘cross’ version of this popular hatchback. New bumper inserts and cladding will be the major stylistic changes. The 1 liter K-Series engine (67 Bhp-90 Nm), and the 5 speed manual and AMT transmissions will be retained. The car will see a mild price increase of about 20,000 rupees from current levels (4-5.2 lakhs). A launch is slated for next month.