Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Kia and BMW are coming up with important launches in the next four days; all of them have the potential to become segment best-sellers
With the drastic sales slowdown over the last six months, carmakers are bracing up to launch new products in a bid to make the most out of the upcoming festive season months. Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) has seen major drop in volumes even for its top-selling models but the Ertiga had managed to avert the damage relatively.
Capitalising on the MPV’s popularity, Maruti Suzuki will be introducing the XL6 on August 21. The XL6 will be retailed only through Nexa premium dealerships and it comes with a raft of exterior changes to differentiate itself from the regular MPV. Emphasising its upmarket nature, it will only be offered as a six-seater with the middle-row captain seating arrangement.
It will be available in BSVI compliant 1.5-litre SHVS K15B petrol engine making 104.7 PS and 138 Nm and is mated to either a five-speed manual or a four-speed torque converter AT. Looking to take advantage of the positive sentiments prevailing among buyers festive period, Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) will be launching the Grand i10 Nios on August 20.
With thoroughly redesigned exterior and more premium interior, it will co-exist with the current Grand i10 and is expected to be priced between Rs. 5.2 lakh and Rs. 7.9 lakh (ex-showroom).
It has bigger dimensions than the regular Grand i10 and the top-end variants will boast features like an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, automatic climate control, grey/ivory interior theme, newly designed steering wheel and so on.
Kia Motor India Limited is entering the domestic market through the highly-promising Seltos on August 22. The mid-size SUV adopts the global design philosophy followed by the brand and has expansive range appealing for a wide range of customers.
It is powered by 1.5-litre petrol, 1.5-litre diesel and a 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine in the GT Line trim. From the luxury end of the scale, BMW India will be debuting the new avatar of its most popular nameplate in the country on August 21.
The 2019 BMW 3-Series will hop on to its seventh generation and is based on the all-new CLAR architecture that underpins the 5-er and 7-er.
It has bigger dimensions, lower centre of gravity and increased torsional rigidity. With a raft of cabin updates and technology inclusions, it is destined to make a strong impact against rivals such as Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4, Volvo S60 and Jaguar XE.
The Maruti Suzuki XL6, Hyundai Grand i10 Nios, Kia Seltos and new BMW 3-Series have the potential to shake up their respective segments. Especially, the Nios will likely give a tough competition to Maruti Suzuki Swift while Kia Seltos has its work cut out against mid-size SUV space leader Hyundai Creta along with Tata Harrier, MG Hector and others.