New Maruti Alto to Hyundai Grand i10: 6 upcoming hatchbacks to WATCH-OUT for

Hatchbacks make for the biggest chunk of sales in the automotive sector. India has always been a small and affordable car market and therefore almost every locally manufacturing auto company has at least one hatchback in their model lineup.

Some like Maruti are majorly hatchback focused companies and quite successful too. The upcoming year will see a slew of new hatchbacks being launched and many being discontinued. Here are 6 upcoming hatchback which will be fighting for buyers attention in the coming time.

Maruti Suzuki WagonR

Expected launch: first quarter of 2019

Maruti Suzuki will upgrade the WagonR  in order to make it compliant with the upcoming safety and emission norms. The new car will sport the typical tall boy design and come with a bolder design language. The engine and transmission are expected to be the same as on the current model, albeit with some tweaks.

With the new Santro already leading in the interiors and features race, the new Wagon R is expected to come loaded with features. This includes driver side airbag, ABS+EBD, reverse parking sensors, speed alert and seat belt reminder among many others. It will aslo most probably come with a touch infotainment system to appeal the buyers.

Maruti Suzuki Alto

Expected launch: 2019 Q3 

The Alto has been the best selling car for Maruti Suzuki. The picture above is of the JDM spec Alto. The Indian version, most probably will sport a different design structure. The entry level hatchback by Maruti is rumoured to use a new 600 cc motor ths time around, though nothing is confirmed as of now.

The new 660-cc engine, found on the Japanese Alto, is a three-cylinder unit that produces a maximum of 51 Bhp power and 63 Nm torque. However, the Indian version may come with a different engine to suit the local conditions. The all-new Alto will come with features like driver-side airbags, ABS and a reverse parking sensor as standard fitment.

Hyundai Grand i10

Expected launch: October 2019 

 

Hyundai will bring in a new i10 Grand in some time from now. The car has already been spotted testing many times and the final production version is not long away. The new car will get a hexagonal front grille and wider headlamps and tail-lamps. The new Grand i10 will get a wider stance and a lower height than the ongoing model.

We expect Hyundai to add more features to the already feature rich car and it could get a larger touchscreen infotainment system. A sunroof could also make an appearance, though it will be limited to the top spec model. The 1.2 litre petrol and 1.2 litre diesel engine to be carried without any major change However, the current torque converter automatic transmission will be replaced by a new AMT gearbox.

Ford Figo (facelift)

Expected launch: March 2019

Ford has already launched the facelifted Aspire compact sedan and the Figo will follow the suit. It will feature the same cellular grille which is introduced in the Aspire facelift. Bigger and more stylish alloys will also come fitted onto the new car, along with a refreshed front end design. The cabin will feature the same design and theme but updated upholstery could come as a part of the facelift.

In terms of features, Ford’s SYNC 3 infotainment system will make an appearance on the facelift Figo. Safety features like ABS with EBD, front dual airbags and ISOFIX child seat mounts will come as standard equipment. The Figo facelift will continue to use the 1.2-litre and 1.5-litre 3-cylinder Dragon series petrol engines along with the current 1.5-litre diesel engine.

Tata Tiago XZ Plus

Expected launch: 12th December, 2018 

Tata had recently launched the updated version of its Tigor compact hatchback. The company is now planning to launch a new variant of its popular Tiago hatchback which will be a top of line variant. Through some of the leaked images, it is evident that the new Tiago variant will be inspired by the Tigor facelift design.

It gets new 15-inch alloy wheels from the Tigor, new grille and blacked out headlamps which again are inspired by the new Tigor. The car in the picture above is seen in a new Titanium Grey paint shade with black contrasting roof, which looks quite sporty. It could come with a new 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system that made its debut on the Tigor, especially since now the Hyundai Santro offers one too.

Tata 45X

Expected launch: 2019 End

The Tata 45X will be the company’s answer to the likes of Maruti Suzuki Baleno and Hyundai i20 among others. It was first showcased as a concept alongside the (Harrier) at the Delhi Auto Expo 2018. Like the Harrier, the production-spec 45X is expected to stay quite true to its concept design.

The H5X is based on Tata’s new IMPACT design 2.0 philosophy. On the design front, like the above render, the car will get slated sweptback headlamps, prominent shoulder line, sloping roof line and wraparound tail lights, among many other elements. Though there has been mo information on the engines yet, we expect the H5X to borrow the engines and gearboxes from the Nexon compact SUV.