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Carmakers Line Up Launches To Boost Demand Ahead Of Festive Season

Going car shopping? Here are seven new models to choose from.

A car stands covered ahead of an unveiling. (Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg)
A car stands covered ahead of an unveiling. (Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg)

At least seven cars are expected to be launched in the next three months in India as automakers gear up to push sales during the upcoming festive season.

The excitement around three car launches in the last month—Mahindra Thar 2020, Kia Sonet and MG Gloster—bodes well for the upcoming cars in India. This comes on the back of a pick-up in auto sales as the lockdown to contain the Covid-19 outbreak was eased.

Mahindra, in a statement, said its Thar has already received more than 9,000 bookings in less than a week after it unveiled the sports utility vehicle’s price. Since its launch on Oct. 2, the off-roader has received over 36,000 enquiries and more than 3.3 lakh website visitors, the company said.

“The Thar’s response has been really good, and at a time when everyone is stuck at home, it’s the car that is for the outdoors,” Hormazd Sorabjee, editor of Autocar India magazine, told BloombergQuint over the phone. “Mahindra needs a big win, and clearly that’s what they are looking at with the Thar.”

Automakers were grappling with the worst slowdown in more than two decades even before the pandemic. The pandemic unleashed an economic disruption like never before, forcing auto companies to look at every possible way to revive demand.

A nascent revival in auto sales gathered momentum in September as the nation’s biggest automakers posted double-digit rise in the number of vehicles they dispatched to dealerships across the country.

Mahindra Thar 2020 has already received more than 9,000 bookings in less than a week since launch. (Photo: M&M)
Mahindra Thar 2020 has already received more than 9,000 bookings in less than a week since launch. (Photo: M&M)
Opinion
Auto Sales In September 2020 Point To Inventory Build-Up Before Festive Season

Here’s the list of upcoming car launches:

Hyundai Elite i20 2020

Hyundai Motor India Pvt. Ltd. is likely to launch the latest iteration of the Elite i20 some time later this month. The hatchback, sporting a brand new look, will be pitted against the Tata Altroz, Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Honda Jazz and Volkswagen Polo. The upcoming version is expected to get three engine options—a 1.2-litre petrol, a 1.5-litre diesel and a turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol.

Tata Gravitas

The seven-seater SUV by Tata Motors Ltd. is based on its Harrier platform and was unveiled at the Auto Expo 2020. It will take on the likes of MG Hector Plus, Jeep Compass, and Mahindra XUV500.

Maruti Swift Facelift

Already launched in Japan and the U.K., the facelift of one of Maruti Suzuki’s widely sold vehicles will be launched in India by the year-end. It’s expected to be pitted against the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios, Tata Tiago and the Ford Figo.

The Suzuki Swift. The facelift of one of Maruti Suzuki’s widely sold vehicles will be launched in India by the year-end. (Photo: Maruti Suzuki)
The Suzuki Swift. The facelift of one of Maruti Suzuki’s widely sold vehicles will be launched in India by the year-end. (Photo: Maruti Suzuki)

Audi Q2

The 2020 Audi Q2 will be the company’s most affordable and smallest SUV in India. While the company is yet to announce its launch date, it has already started bookings. The Q2 crossover SUV, which will be Audi’s fifth product launch of the year, can be booked for Rs 2 lakh at either dealerships or online.

The 2020 Audi Q2 will be the company’s most affordable and smallest SUV in India. (Photo: Audi India)
The 2020 Audi Q2 will be the company’s most affordable and smallest SUV in India. (Photo: Audi India)

Mercedes EQC

The Mercedes-Benz EQC, the German automaker's first all-electric vehicle with a range of 350 km, will be launched on Oct. 8. Expected to be priced at Rs 1 crore, this will also be the first EV in the luxury car segment in India.

The e-SUV’s 80kWH lithium-ion battery can be fully charged in 10 hours, but the same can be done in about 90 minutes with a DC charger. Mercedes has said it will provide a warranty cover of eight years on the battery.

Mercedes-Benz EQC. (Source: Mercedes-Benz)
Mercedes-Benz EQC. (Source: Mercedes-Benz)

BMW 2 series Gran Coupe

The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe will be the company’s smallest and the most affordable four-wheeler in the Indian market. Expected to be launched on Oct. 15, the BMW 2 series is already available for booking at Rs 50,000. The entry-level sedan will be available with a 2.0-litre diesel engine and has a starting price of Rs 30 lakh.

The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe will be the company’s smallest and the most affordable four-wheeler in India. (Photo: BMW India)
The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe will be the company’s smallest and the most affordable four-wheeler in India. (Photo: BMW India)

Land Rover Defender

After a starring role in James Bond movie Spectre, the Land Rover Defender is coming to India on Oct. 15. Bookings started at the end of last month.

In the international market, the standard Defender 110 (four-door) has a 296-BHP, turbocharged, 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine. The standard Defender 90 (two-door) has a turbo-and-supercharged 395-BHP, inline-six engine and 48-volt hybrid motor. It has a 10-speed automatic transmission and full-time all-wheel drive.

The off-roader will have a starting price of Rs 69.99 lakh, ex-showroom, in India.

Also Read: How Jeep Wrangler, Ford Bronco, and Land Rover Defender Stack Up

The Land Rover Defender will have a starting price of Rs 69.99 lakh, ex-showroom, in India. (Photo: JLR)
The Land Rover Defender will have a starting price of Rs 69.99 lakh, ex-showroom, in India. (Photo: JLR)

“It will be a proud moment for Land Rover to bring the iconic new Defender for the first time in India since we entered the country in 2009,” JLR India President and Managing Director Rohit Suri was quoted as saying in a statement.