Along with the highly popular always in-demand cars like Alto, Swift, Grand i10, Seltos etc, these 7 cars will likely to be in forefront on the demand side from prospective buyers
The automotive industry, just like a majority of other industries is currently facing huge losses and going through one of the worst times in history. However, 2020 has been the year of new launches, with a range of cars being launched until now, and many other set to hit the market soon. Here is a list of 7 cars we believe will help bring the auto industry right back on track –
1. Hyundai Creta
Hyundai launched a new-gen model for the Creta recently, and the new car gave away the previous-gen model’s conventional looks for a bold styling. The 2020 Creta shares its underpinnings with the Kia Seltos, and is offered with the same 1.5-litre NA petrol (115 PS/144 Nm), 1.5-litre diesel (115 PS/250 Nm) and 1.4-litre turbo petrol (140 PS/242 Nm) powertrains as the latter.
Just like the outgoing model, the 2020 Creta is loaded up to the brim with features including a panoramic sunroof, a 7-inch screen for the instrument cluster, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment screen, connected-car tech, paddle shifters, ambient lighting, different driving modes and more.
2. Maruti Suzuki Dzire facelift
The Maruti Suzuki Dzire received a mid-life facelift recently, and the car is now being offered with the Baleno’s BS6-compliant 1.2-litre DualJet petrol engine that comes with the idle start-stop function. The engine puts out 90 PS power and 113 Nm torque as against the 83 PS/113 Nm the pre-facelift Dzire’s 1.2-litre engine made.
The Dzire facelift also gets some new features in the form of cruise control, auto folding ORVMs with welcome function, a semi-digital instrument cluster, Electronic Stability Assist with Hill-Hold Assist (automatic) as well as the latest version of Maruti Suzuki’s SmartPlay infotainment system.
3. Hyundai Verna facelift
The current-gen Hyundai Verna received a mid-cycle refresh since it had been over two and a half years since the current-gen model had arrived in the country. Hyundai has equipped the facelifted Verna with a large cascading front grille, that puts the car in line with Hyundai’s Sensuous Sportiness design language, while some other minor tweaks have also been made.
The 2020 Verna borrows Creta’s 1.5-litre petrol and diesel powertrain, along with Venue’s 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol motor that is rated at 120 PS/172 Nm. The said engine is only offered with a 7-speed DCT gearbox. Hyundai has priced the updated Verna between Rs 9.31 – 15.10 lakh.
4. Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza petrol
Maruti Suzuki showcased a mid-life facelift of the Vitara Brezza at the 2020 Auto Expo, which brought along a few cosmetic tweaks, and some new features as well. However, the biggest change was the discontinuation of the 1.3-litre DDiS diesel engine that was previously offered with the car, which has now been replaced with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder NA petrol engine producing 105 PS power and 138 Nm torque.
The Vitara Brezza has been one of the highest-selling sub-4m SUVs in the Indian market ever since its launch, and we believe that the facelifted version will carry forward the nameplate’s success in the country.
5. New-gen Honda City
Honda is all set to launch a new-gen model for the City in the Indian market soon, and just like its predecessor, we believe that the new model will also be a hit. Honda revealed a few features that the new sedan would come equipped with, which include full LED headlamps with 9 LED shells, one-touch electric sunroof, lane watch camera, Honda Connect connected car tech with Alexa Remote Support etc.
6. 2020 Tata Nexon
Tata launched a mid-life facelift for the Nexon in January this year, and the updated car has gained a lot of new features like an electric sunroof, a digital instrument cluster, tyre pressure monitoring system, telematics services etc with the update, which puts it up against its feature-loaded rivals in the sub-4m SUV segment.
Powering the car is a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine (110 PS/170 Nm) and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder oil burner (110 PS/260 Nm). What works in favour of the Nexon is the superior build quality and safety features that brought the SUV a five-star safety rating in Global NCAP’s crash tests.
7. New-gen Mahindra Thar
Mahindra has been working on a new-gen model of the Thar since a pretty long time now, and test mules of the SUV have been spied numerous times. On the outside, the updates will be evolutionary, not revolutionary, and overall boxy design will be retained.
New features like LED DRLs, alloy wheels, premium seats with extra cushioning, front-facing rear seats, a touchscreen infotainment system, colour MID and automatic climate control are all expected to be offered with the new-gen model to make it feel more premium than before. If reports are to believed, Mahindra will be launching the new-gen Thar in the third quarter of this year.