Looking back: Sedan launches in 2012

The year 2012 saw some interesting launches among sedans, one of which went on to break records for being one of the largest-selling sedans in the country, not that was not already. Looking at sedans priced under Rs. 25 lakh, there were seven big launches during the year.

Let’s take a look at the sedans launched in 2012 and how they seem to be faring.

Maruti Dzire

February 2012

The Maruti Swift Dzire was launched in February and has since been a runaway hit on the sales charts. The Dzire has sold over 132,500 cars since its launch this year, which is a staggering number by any count, selling over 13,000 cars a month.

The Dzire comes in seven variants – four petrol and three diesel. The top-end variants feature climate control, powered mirrors, integrated music system, steering audio controls and alloy wheels. The petrol Dzire is powered by a 1.2 litre engine putting out 86 bhp of power and the diesel has a 1.3 litre engine putting out 74 bhp of power. The car measures just under 4-metres in length allowing it to benefit from excise duty sops.

Prices for the Dzire range between Rs. 4.91 lakh and Rs. 7.37 lakh. Also read: Maruti Dzire road test and review  

 

Hyundai Sonata

April 2012

The Hyundai Sonata was launched in April 2012, replacing the earlier Embera and becoming a larger, more luxurious car. It is available only as a petrol variant with a diesel Sonata being planned for sometime in 2013.

This fluidic Sonata comes in two variants – a six-speed manual transmission variant priced at Rs. 18.6 lakh and an automatic for Rs. 20.5 lakh. The car is powered by a 2.4 litre petrol engine putting out 198 bhp of power. The Sonata is loaded with features and given its price and space, it can give more luxurious cars a run for their money.

Given that it is a petrol only car, it has not been selling very well. The car has been doing a measly 20 units per month only. Also read: Hyundai Sonata road test and review  

 

Chevrolet Cruze

June 2012

The new Chevrolet Cruze was launched in June 2012 with a more powerful engine and added features. There are no big external changes to the car, but the heart is all new, making one of the most powerful cars in its segment even more powerful.

The new Cruze comes with a 2-litre Z-Series diesel engine putting out 163bhp of power and 380 Nm of torque. It comes with a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic transmission. The manual has a claimed fuel efficiency of 17.3 kmpl, while the automatic has a mileage of 13.9 kmpl.

The Cruze has been doing reasonably well since its launch, selling just about 320 odd units a month, although it did clock over 500 units in the month of its launch. Sales in this segment have dropped in the past year. Also read: 2012 Chevrolet Cruze launched  

 

Mahindra Verito

July 2012

Mahindra launched a refreshed Verito in July. The car got a new front-end with new headlamps, grille, bumper and the rear too was given a makeover with new tail-lamps. There were considerable changes to the interiors too, which have made the Verito a better looking car than it previous was. In fact, the Verito was voted as better looking than the Etios in a CarToq poll. Also read: Verito voted better looking than Etios

The Verito is offered with a 1.4 litre petrol engine and a 1.5 litre diesel, although it is the diesel that is the largest selling model. The Verito is priced between Rs. 5.28 lakh and Rs. 7.15 lakh making it quite a competitive car in its price segment. The Verito has sold more than 7,700 cars since its launch in July this year, performing much better than its pre-refresh version.

 

Hyundai Elantra

August 2012

The Hyundai Elantra re-entered the Indian market this year in a new fluidic design form. The new Elantra is available in seven variants, three petrol and four diesel. The car is priced between Rs. 12.51 lakh to Rs. 15.85 lakh.

The Elantra has a long list of features in its top-end variant from dual zone climate control down to air-cooled front seats to pamper it occupants. The diesel is slightly underpowered, sharing the same 1.6 litre 126 bhp diesel engine with the Verna, but it is quite fuel efficient. The petrol Elantra has a 1.8 litre engine putting out 148 bhp of power.

The Elantra has been selling fairly well, and has managed to grab the top spot in its segment, although sales of all cars in the segment have fallen. The Elantra has sold 2,654 cars in the past four months, an average of over 600 cars a month. Also read: Hyundai Elantra road test

 

Toyota Camry

August 2012

The new Toyota Camry is just a slightly better restyled version of its previous self. The car is priced at Rs. 23.8 lakh and is a car that caters to business executives who want a reliable car to be ferried around in rather than one for an enthusiastic driver.

The Camry is powered by a 2.4 litre petrol engine putting out 179 bhp of power and comes with a six-speed automatic transmission. The car has plenty of features, but not as much as its competition. The Camry is not really a hot-seller and the car has sold just over 250 cars since its launch in August. Also read: Toyota Camry road test and review 

 

Renault Scala

September 2012

The Renault Scala is a badge-engineered version of the Nissan Sunny, although a fair number of cosmetic changes have been carried out to give the car an identity of its own. The Scala comes in four variants – two petrol and two diesel. The diesel Scala has a 1.5 litre diesel engine putting out 85 bhp of power while the petrol has a 1.6 litre engine putting out 98 bhp of power.

The selling point of the Scala has been the limousine-like space it offers, with some bit of styling flair too. It is better looking than the Nissan Sunny, but also a lot pricier. The Scala is priced between Rs. 6.99 lakh and Rs. 9.57 lakh. Since its launch in September, the Scala has sold 2,352 units, which is a decent average for Renault of over 700 units a month. Also read: Renault Scala road test and review