With the 2020 festive season just around the corner, a host of two-wheeler as well as four-wheeler manufacturers are working on launching new products in the Indian market
2020 was set off to a brilliant start, with a host of new car launches in the beginning of the year, followed by the 2020 Auto Expo in February, where a host of upcoming cars and bikes were revealed. However, the launch spree was cut short due to unprecedented circumstances.
With the world slowly recovering from the economic downturn, automobile manufacturers are working on finally introducing their products that were originally set for a launch in the past couple of months, but couldn’t be launched. Here is a list of 7 new cars and bikes which are set to be launched in September 2020, take a read to know more in detail about them –
1. Kia Sonet
Kia Motors is all set to launch its third product in the Indian market on September 18, i.e., the Sonet sub-4m SUV. We already know that the upcoming Sonet will be sharing its platform as well as powertrains with the Venue, but it should be noted that the former will get a range of new features over the donor car.
Its equipment list will consist of features like a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a digital MID, UVO connected-car tech, ventilated front seats, Bose premium audio system with LED sound mood lights, an electric sunroof, multi-drive and traction modes etc.
Powering the Sonet will be three different powertrains, including a 1.2-litre four-cylinder NA petrol engine rated at 83 PS/115 Nm; a 1.0-litre three-cylinder TGDi turbo petrol engine that makes 120 PS of maximum power and 172 Nm of peak torque; as well as a 1.5-litre diesel motor that puts out 100 PS and 240 Nm (115 PS and 250 Nm with automatic).
2. Skoda Rapid automatic
Skoda launched the BS6-compliant version of the Rapid in the country a few months back, and while no major visual updates were introduced for the sedan, the car was introduced with an all-new 1.0-litre three-cylinder TSI turbo petrol powertrain. However, the only transmission option until now was a 6-speed manual gearbox.
Now, things are set to change and Skoda will soon be launching the Rapid automatic, which will come equipped with a 6-speed torque converter auto gearbox. The 1.0-litre TSI ngine returns a fuel efficiency of 18.27 kmpl when had with the 6MT, but the AT gearbox will return 16.24 kmpl. Bookings for the Rapid automatic have already commenced.
3. Toyota Urban Cruiser
After launching the Maruti Baleno-based Glanza hatchback, Toyota will now be borrowing another car from Maruti Suzuki to be rebadged and sold under its name. The Vitara Brezza-based Urban Cruiser will be a sub-4m SUV that will retain almost everything that the donor car comes with, albeit a few visual changes.
The 1.5-litre petrol engine with mild-hybrid tech from the Vitara Brezza will also be carried over to the Urban Cruiser. This engine generates 105 PS of maximum power and 138 Nm of peak torque. The transmission options will include a 5-speed manual gearbox as well as an optional 4-speed torque converter AT.
4. Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 Coupe
The GLE Coupe is, as the name suggests, the coupe version of the Mercedes-Benz GLE SUV that’s already on sale in India. Mercedes-Benz previously did offer the last-gen AMG GLE 43 Coupe in the Indian market, and the new AMG GLE 53 Coupe will be the successor to it.
The 2020 AMG GLE 53 Coupe will be offered in India with a 3.0-litre, twin-turbo, straight-six petrol engine that makes 435 PS and 520 Nm, and gets Mercedes-Benz’s EQ Boost 48V mild-hybrid system. The transmission duties are handled by a 9-speed automatic transmission, and the car also gets Merc’s 4Matic+ all-wheel drive setup as standard.
5. Mercedes Benz EQC
Originally scheduled to be launched in India in April, the fully-electric Merecedes-Benz EQC SUV’s debut in the country has been delayed for so long. However, the car is all set to be launched by the end of this month, and will go on to become the first luxury all-electric car to go on sale in our country.
The EQC will be brought here through the CBU route, and is expected to be priced from Rs 1.5 crore (ex-showroom). The car has a dual-electric motor setup; one mounted at the front and one at the back, which enables an all-wheel drive configuration. The two electric motors together produce 408 PS of power and and 760 Nm of torque.
The EQC gets an 80 kWh lithium-ion battery which provides the car with a claimed range of 417 km on the WLTP cycle. A 7.4 kW regular wall charger will charge up the EQC in approximately 10 hours, while a 110 kW fast charger will take the battery from 10% to 80% charge in just 40 minutes.
6. Audi Q2
Audi is all set to bring its smallest SUV to the Indian market, i.e. the Q2. While the small SUV received a mid-life refresh with some cosmetic tweaks, tech updates and updated powertrains for the European markets recently, Audi will only be bringing the pre-facelift version to our country.
The India-spec Q2 will likely be offered with features like dual-zone climate control, connected car tech, a digital cockpit instrument cluster, a 8.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Bang & Olufsen sound system and a set of driver assist systems as well.
The foreign-spec Audi Q2 is offered with the same 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine that performs duties on the VW T-Roc and Skoda Karoq as well. This engine puts out 150 PS power and 250 Nm torque. However, the India-spec model could even be offered with a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol unit with a 190 PS power output.
7. Royal Enfield Meteor
Royal Enfield is all set to launch a replacement for its Thunderbird called the ‘Meteor 350’. The new 350 cc bike will be based on an all-new J platform, and will be equipped with a new 349 cc, air-oil cooled, SOHC, single-cylinder engine that makes 20.48 PS of power and 27 Nm torque.
The Meteor 350 will go on to become the most feature-rich Royal Enfield bike on sale, since it will be equipped with features like a semi-digital instrument cluster with Bluetooth connectivity and a small colour TFT screen to display turn-by-turn navigation. The Meteor 350 will also get a USB charging port.