The death toll of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is increasing every day leading to cancellation of public events across the globe including car launches
A few days ago, the deadly Coronavirus was declared pandemic as it continues to spread across the globe. The death toll in China and Italy is only increasing day in and day out while its wreaks havoc on other countries as well as the first death in India caused by COVID-19 has been reported in Karnataka. The stock markets are crashing and the global economy is facing a massive hit.
With countries enforcing restrictions on travel, public events involving large gathering of masses have been cancelled including motorsport events like Formula 1, which was originally scheduled to take place this weekend in Melbourne, Australia. The outbreak of COVID-19 has lead to production struggles for carmakers domestically and some of the top-draw launches have also been reserved to online.
The 2020 BMW X1 facelift’s local debut happened online on March 5 and it will be the similar case for the Volkswagen T-Roc. The premium SUV will be brought into the country via CBU route on March 18 and it was first showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo last month. Expected to be priced around Rs. 20 lakh (ex-showroom), the T-Roc is said to have received more than 300 bookings already.
The T-Roc will be retailed in a fully-loaded trim and it will be powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder TSI petrol engine pumping out 148 bhp maximum power and 240 Nm of peak torque. It is paired with a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission. Another eagerly awaited launch scheduled for this month is the all-new Hyundai Creta mid-size SUV.
The five-seater’s domestic launch has been divided into small batches courtesy of the COVID-19 scare. The second generation Creta resembles the latest ix25 SUV sold in China in terms of design but the interior is entirely different. It has become more premium than the outgoing model in every way and boasts a packed equipment list with connectivity features.
It will be powered by three engines: a 1.5-litre MPi petrol, a 1.5-litre U2 diesel and a 1.4-litre T-GDi petrol. All three engines are BSVI compliant and they can be found in the Kia Seltos as well. They will be paired with a six-speed manual or different automatic transmissions individually.