Festive Season Launch Frenzy – 10 new cars in the next 1 month

Snapshot – The festive season in India means car launches, left, right and center. In the next one month, nearly 10 car launches will take place and this long list of launches will include all-new cars, facelifts and variant changes. CarToq rounds up details of the 10 car launches that will happen in the next one month. 

Volkswagen Vento Facelift

The facelifted Volkswagen Vento will be launched in India on the 24th of September, 2014. The car will borrow styling elements and features from the Polo Facelift. The major new mechanical changes on the Vento Facelift will involve a new, 1.5 liter TDI turbo diesel engine and a 6 speed, dual clutch DSG automatic gearbox. Apart from the Diesel Automatic option, the Vento Facelift will also be available with turbo petrol and naturally aspirated petrol engine variants. The Vento Diesel DSG is expected to start at around the 10 lakh rupee mark.

Renault Duster AWD

Renault will target lifestyle SUV buyers in India with the Duster’s AWD variant. The Duster AWD will be launched on the 24th of September, in two variants RxL 110 PS and RxZ 110 PS. For the Duster AWD, expect to pay about a lakh rupees more than equivalent front wheel driven variants. For the extra money, you get ESP, independent rear suspension and cruise control, in addition to the Haldex clutch equipped all wheel drive mechanism. The Duster AWD is likely to start at 11.8 lakh rupees.

Mahindra Scorpio Facelift

Mahindra will launch the facelifted Scorpio SUV on the 25th of this month. Though the Scorpio retains a ladder frame chassis and butch lines, the SUV has been worked upon comprehensively. From handling to the looks, Mahindra has loaded the SUV with a slew of updates. Revised suspension, wider track widths, new features, projector headlamps, a new gearbox and a brand new exterior design are the various updates on the SUV. The 2.5 liter M2DiCR and 2.2 liter mHawk turbo diesel engines will continue to operate in the Scorpio. Expect prices of the Scorpio Facelift to start at a little above the 8 lakh rupee mark.

Skoda Rapid 1.5 TDI

The Rapid will get a big facelift in the next 12-18 months. In the interim, Skoda India will equip the car with the new, 1.5 liter TDI turbo diesel engine. Other changes on the car are likely to include a Black Edition treatment, giving the Rapid more visual appeal. It remains to be seen of Skoda also offers the 1.5 liter diesel-DSG automatic combination. Such a combination seems unlikely though, as Skoda and Volkswagen are seeking higher differentiation among their badge engineered products. Prices of the Rapid 1.5 TDI are likely to be similar to the outgoing 1.6 TDI model.

Maruti Suzuki Swift Facelift

The Swift will get a mild facelift very soon. Production of the facelifted Swift has already begun at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar factory. The new Swift will get minor detailing changes on the outside, such as daytime running LEDs and refreshed alloy wheels. On the inside, the car will gain a feature or two. While an automatic gearbox equipped Swift Petrol has found place among the speculations, the car will retain 1.2 liter petrol and 1.3 liter turbo diesel engines. A slight price bump up is likely for the facelifted Swift.

Maruti Suzuki Dzire Facelift

Like the Swift, the Dzire will get a mild makeover. Most changes on the Dzire will mirror that on the Swift. Production of the facelifted Dzire has also commenced. The car will not see any mechanical changes though. The facelift for the Dzire is purely to keep the car exciting enough for buyers, who continue to buy the compact sedan in droves. With the facelift, the Dzire would have received another shot in the arm to retain its leadership position. Expect a marginal price increase for the facelifted model.

Mercedes Benz GLA Crossover

The GLA crossover could well be Mercedes Benz’s ticket to taking the leadership position in India. The luxury crossover will be pitted against the likes of the Audi Q3, the BMW X1 and the Volvo V40. Turbo petrol and turbo diesel engines will be offered on the GLA, which gets a 183 mm ground clearance and a front wheel drive layout. In terms of pricing, the GLA is expected to be pegged in between the Audi Q3 and the BMW X1, at a little under 30 lakh rupees for the base variant.

Fiat Avventura

The Avventura is a pseudo-crossover that is based on the Punto EVO’s underpinnings. Compared to rivals such as the Toyota Etios Cross and the Volkswagen Cross Polo, the Avventura comes closest to a crossover in terms of styling by means of a hefty 210 mm ground clearance, spare wheel on the hatch lid and 16 inch wheels. The Avventura will get 1.4 liter petrol and 1.3 liter turbo diesel engines that it will share with the Punto EVO. On the inside, detailing changes will add to the Avventura’s crossover appeal. Variant to variant, the Avventura is expected to be about 50,000 pricier than the Punto EVO.

Maruti Suzuki Ciaz

Maruti Suzuki’s Honda City challenger, the Ciaz C-Segment sedan, will be launched on the 1st of October. The car is the largest in its class and comes packed with features never ever offered on a Maruti Suzuki priced at under the 10 lakh rupee mark. The Ciaz uses the Ertiga’s platform and plenty of parts sharing is the result. This parts sharing, which spans engines, transmissions and many other bits, is likely to make the Ciaz a very attractively priced car. Our bet is that the Ciaz will undercut the Honda City in terms of pricing? What’s yours?

Mercedes Benz GLA 45 AMG

The GLA crossover’s high performance sibling, the GLA 45 AMG, will be launched in October. The AMG spec car will be one of the fastest crossovers in India. The 2 liter turbo petrol engine powering the GLA 45 AMG puts out 360 Bhp-450 Nm, which is enough to propel the car to a top speed of 250 Kph. While the 4MATIC all wheel drive system will provide copious grip, the GLA 45 AMG will get a 7 speed dual clutch automatic transmission to handle gear shifting affairs. Expect a price tag in the vicinity of the 70 lakh rupee mark.