Four Hot Car & SUV Launches for October

The festive season is underway in India, and car launches are happening left, right and center. Over the next one month, each week will see at least one new car getting launched. That said, we profile the hottest car and SUV launches for October 2015.

Fiat Punto Abarth

The Punto Abarth is launch ready, and its price announcement is days away. Bookings are already open for this very fast hatchback, which could be priced under 10 lakh rupees, playing the value-for-money card. The car, which gets a visual makeover, will use a 1.4 liter T-Jet turbo petrol engine in 145 Bhp-212 Nm state of tune. A 5 speed manual gearbox, disc brakes on all four wheels, tweaked suspension and sportier interiors are the other changes. How does a 0-100 Kph timing of 8.8 seconds sound. Well, that’s what Fiat hopes will bring the “high performance” faithful to Abarth badged showrooms.

Chevrolet Trailblazer

The Trailblazer will arrive in October too, and the big, butch SUV will have unique positioning. Powered by a 2.8 liter turbo diesel motor putting out 200 Bhp-500 Nm, the Trailblazer will be sold with a 7 speed automatic gearbox that powers its rear wheels. A manual gearbox and a four wheel drive layout are two surprising omissions. Brought into the country as a completely built unit (CBU), the Trailblazer’s pricing could be pegged in between 30-32 lakh rupees. The SUV will compete against the Toyota Fortuner and the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. It will be General Motors’ second luxury SUV offering for India, after the Captiva.

Maruti Ertiga Facelift

 

The facelifted Ertiga is expected to be launched on the 10th of October. The MPV will get a visual makeover on the outside and additional features on the inside. Automatic wing mirrors, a start-stop button and Bluetooth phone connect are three such features. The major mechanical change is expected to be the Smart Hybrid Vehicle System (SHVS) technology for the diesel powered Ertiga. The 1.4 liter K-Series petrol engine could continue unchanged. Maruti could also offer a 4 speed automatic gearbox on the petrol powered MPV. A small price increase is in order given the additional features and technology on offer.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

The Baleno B+ segment premium hatchback was shown at Frankfurt, and is expected to be launched in India by the end of October. 26th of next month is what the grapevine suggests, as far as the launch date goes. The Baleno will be the most expensive hatchback ever from Maruti Suzuki, and will sit above the Swift in terms of positioning. A Jazz-i20 competitor, the new Maruti hatch will be sold through NEXA dealerships. A 1.2 liter K-Series petrol engine with 5 speed manual and CVT automatic gearboxes, and a 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet turbo diesel engine with a 5 speed manual gearbox will be offered on the car. Prices are likely to start from the whereabouts of 5 lakh rupees.