Mahindra Marazzo Automatic to Toyota Innova Crysta facelift: Upcoming MPVs in India

Of late, MPVs have started getting popular in India. The segment has been showing continuous growth which has made many auto manufacturers interested in MPVs again. Up till now, the Toyota Innova Crysta was the only popular MPV on sale in India while the Maruti Suzuki was a cheap alternative for those who wanted a sub-10 lakh MPV-ish vehicle. The launch of the Mahindra Marazzo and new Maruti Suzuki Ertiga has shown that people have an interest in MPVs if made right. If you too want a spacious and comfortable vehicle for your family but can’t decide which one to buy, here is a list of upcoming MPVs in India.

Renault RBC

Expected launch Timeline: July 2019

Renault is expected to finally launch the Kwid based MPV, codenamed the RBC, by July this year. It will be built upon Renault’s CMF-A+ platform and will be less than four meters in length to get the small car benefits tax benefit, though it will have a third row. The MPV will be powered by an updated version of the Kwid’s 1.0-litre petrol engine which will probably be turbocharged to counter the increased load. A diesel engine is, however, not expected as the company doesn’t have a suitable powertrain yet. The car will be feature rich and will come with safety equipment like ABS and rear parking sensors as standard on the whole range. It will be priced around the mid segment hatchback price range so as to gain an upper hand in value for money proposition.

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga 1.5 diesel

Expected launch Timeline: April-May 2019

Maruti Suzuki will update the current diesel engine of the Ertiga in the coming months with an all-new 1.5-litre diesel unit. It will be BSVI ready and it was earlier expected that the company will launch the new engine by March itself. Talking about the engine, the 1.5-litre four-cylinder unit will churn out about 94 Bhp of power along with 225 Nm of torque. The same engine will also be made available in the Ciaz and the S-cross while the current 1.3 litre diesel unit will be discontinued.

Toyota branded Ertiga

Expected launch Timeline: End 2020

Toyota and Maruti Suzuki have entered in a partnership that will allow both the manufacturers to share platforms and expertise. Therefore, both brands will manufacture several cross-branded products like a Toyota branded Vitara Brezza, Ciaz and Ertiga. Maruti will also launch its own version of Corolla later in 2020. Coming to the Ertiga, Toyota will probably not launch the exact same car as the Ertiga but an MPV that will be based on it. Expect the launch to happen sometime in 2020.

Mahindra Marazzo Automatic

Expected launch Timeline: End 2019 

One of the sore points of the Mahindra Marazzo was the absence of an automatic transmission option. Currently, the car is available only with a 6-speed manual transmission. However, Mahindra will launch the AMT automatic variants of the Marazzo in the market before this year ends. Automatics are getting more and more popular with each passing day and it is especially necessary for an MPV to have an auto box as an option. The same gearbox will also be made available on the newly launched XUV300 subcompact SUV.

Mitsubishi Xpander

Expected launch Timeline: 2020

Mitsubishi is planning to launch an all new MPV in India which will go by the name of Xpander. The Xpander will come with class-leading space and features and will be able to seat seven adults comfortably. It is expected to be priced in the same range as the Marazzo. The car is equipped with a touchscreen infotainment system, Auto Climate, projector headlamps, LED DRLs and alloy wheels to name a few. It will be powered by a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine. Transmission options include a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic transmission.

Kia Carnival

Expected launch Timeline: 2020

Kia has done all its preparations for its upcoming debut in India and the first vehicle that it will launch will be the SP2i based SUV. However, the next product that Kia will launch will be the Carnival MPV. It will be positioned slightly above the Toyota Innova Crysta but will also be larger and more spacious that the Toyota MPV. The Carnival will be powered by a 2.2 E-VGT diesel engine that produces 199 Bhp of power at 3,800 rpm along with 441 Nm of torque at 1,750-2,750 rpm. Transmission duties will be done by an 8 speed automatic gearbox. Expect it to be launched duing the first quarter of 2020.

Toyota Innova Crysta facelift

Expected launch Timeline: end 2019 or early 2020

India’s most popular MPV will also receive a facelift this year. The Toyota Innova Crysta has been running for long without any updates and with the competition readying itself for new challenges, Toyota too has planned to give an update to the Innova Crysta. The MPV will get updated front and rear end designs with tweaked bumpers and headlights. On the inside, the car will get added features along with a few design tweaks. Also, it is expected that toyota will update the engines to obey the upcoming BSVI norms.