Nine cars to get discontinued in 2019 due to BSVI norms

2018 was an eventful year for the automotive scene in India. A slew of launches were made this year including new cars and facelifted variants. The year was started by Auto Expo which saw a host of announcements and details about future launches. However, many vehicles have also been discontinued from the market, many of which had gained a cult status in the country. One of the main reason for these cars getting axed is that from 2020, only BS VI compliant vehicles would be allowed for sale and the Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assesment Program (BNVSAP) would be in place too. Let’s now take a look at nine such cars that will not make it to 2019 with us.

Tata Nano

The Nano was Ratan Tata’s dream project and it tool many years to develop the car. The main aim of Tata was to create a car which was affordable for the masses and provide a safe travelling alternative to 2-wheelers. However, despite all the sincere effort behind its development, the Nano never took off and became a sales failure. The very concept which was behind its development became a sales hurdle. No one wanted to buy a car that had been branded as the cheapest car on sale. Following the continuous low sales, Tata has reportedly decided to shun production, tough no official statement has been passed yet. Also, the car will continue to be made on order basis.

Hyundai Eon

Even though the all-new Santro has been slotted between the entry-level Eon and the Grand i10 hatchback, we may not see the Eon after the mandatory safety rules come into effect. The Hyundai Eon takes on the likes of Maruti Alto 800 in the market but is not as popular as the rivals. Hyundai has not officially said that a next-generation of Eon would be in place. Eventually, the Santro would take the place Eon in the market.

Honda Brio

Honda Brio is the entry-level offering from the Japanese car manufacturer in India. Honda has unveiled the all-new Brio in the international market but it will not be launched in the Indian market. The all-new Brio is made on an all-new platform, which will increase the price of the vehicle in the price-sensitive Indian market. Also, Honda has indicated that they will only focus on the vehicles that are positioned between the Jazz and the CR-V in the Indian market.

Mahindra Verito Vibe

The Verito Vibe was Mahindra attempt to create a hatchback which looked different and offered good space. It was based on the Verito sedan. Compared to the competition, it lacked the features and engines to able to assure customers to buy one. It was among the company’s biggest flops and therefore no surprise that Mahindra wants to axe it. Also, the company is now said to have reportedly shift its focus towards utility vehicles and premium segment vehicles.

Maruti Suzuki Omni

Maruti Suzuki would drop the good old Omni van from the line-up due to the stricter safety rules that will be mandatory for all the vehicles. The rule will kick in by October 2020 and that’s when the last Omni would roll out from the production line. The Omni would be replaced with the Eeco in the market. The amount of development and research that would be needed to make Omni meet the safety standard is quite high and according to RC Bhargava, Chairman, Maruti Suzuki, Omni will not get upgraded to meet the safety norms.

Tata Indica

Tata’s first fully ingeniously developed hatchback, the Indica became a runaway success for the company since its launch. Though it was taken off production earlier this year, it was among the first hatchback to challenge the supremacy of Maruti Suzuki cars in India. The car saw many generation changes and later on became fleet operator’s favorite. however, new competition along with changing rules meant that the car had to be laid to rest.

 

Maruti Suzuki Gypsy

The Maruti Suzuki Gypsy is the oldest car in production in India. It was launched in 1985 and since then it has been an integral part of the paramilitary and army forces of the country. Even though there have been rumours of the all-new Jimny being launched to replace the Gypsy, nothing official has come from Maruti Suzuki and in all likeliness, the Gypsy would be taken off the production. Even now, the Gypsy is made-to-order and the demand of the vehicle by the civilians is quite low.

Mahindra Verito

Mahindra Verito was never a very popular vehicle in the market. The sedan was first launched with Mahindra-Renault badge in the Indian market and was later rebadged as Mahindra Verito. The Verito is currently being offered in diesel and electric versions but with the stricter safety norms in place, Mahindra may not work to make the Verito safer as it is quite unpopular in the Indian market.

Tata Indigo

The Tata Indigo sedan was based on the Indica platform and is among the top selling product from the company yet. While the other iterations of the sedan were already discontinued from the market, the eCS too has been given a rest now. The car was a great budget option and offered decent amount of cabin as well as boot space. It was especially popular among the taxi operators, which led to quite big chuk of its sales coming from cab sector.