Last year saw many newly launched SUVs making a big impact including Kia Seltos, MG Hector and Honda Civic
Almost every car manufacturer out there had to battle a prolonged sales slowdown almost through the last calendar year. Luckily, however, the lack-lustrous sales performance didn’t keep the carmakers from launching some really fantastic cars in the local market. In this article, we have decided to take a look at some of the best launches of 2019.
1. Tata Harrier
Available in a price range of Rs 13.69 – 20.25 Lakh, the Tata Harrier is currently the most modern model in its carmaker’s lineup. There are many firsts to the Harrier’s credits. It became the first production model to be based on the company’s IMPACT 2.0 design language.
It also became the first model to be underpinned by the company’s Land Rover L550-derived OMEGA platform. Moreover, it’s the first Tata model to receive the company’s 2.0-litre Multijet motor. With so much going in favour, this SUV is easily among the most well-sorted options in its segment.
2. MG Hector
The MG Hector is available in a price range of Rs 12.74 – 17.73 Lakh and comes across as a great option for those looking for a well-priced spacious SUV that is available with some segment-best features. The MG Hector is based on a Chinese SUV called Baojun 530 but comes with Fiat-Sourced diesel motor and Baojun’s petrol motor that has been fine-tuned to work well in the Indian environment.
It is also one of the first connected cars in the country and comes with a large-size portrait-style touchscreen infotainment unit. As we said, the Hector is even pretty spacious and appeals to everyone who needs a lot of space from their mid-size SUV.
3. Maruti Wagon R
Launched in early 2019, the third-gen Maruti Wagon R is on sale in a price range of Rs
4.51 – 5.99 Lakh. The latest Wagon R builds on the strengths of its previous iterations and offers more power through an optional 1.2-litre petrol engine, new features such as the SmartPlay Studio touchscreen infotainment unit and the lightweight-yet-stronger Heartect platform. The traditional strengths, coupled with the new additions, have made the Maruti Wagon R’s latest iteration its most successful version ever.
4. Hyundai Venue
The Hyundai Venue is the smallest SUV in the Korean carmaker’s lineup and has been on sale in a price range of Rs 6.7 – 11.51 Lakh. The Venue rivals the highly well-established Maruti Vitara Brezza. In fact, it has been even giving the top-selling SUV a run for its money.
This is largely due to the baby-Creta’s bold looks, a wide range of sufficiently powerful engine options including BS6 diesel engine, great ride quality, feature-laden cabin and Hyundai’s widespread customer-oriented service network. So far, the demand for the Venue has been pretty strong and we won’t be too surprised to see this SUV outclassing the segment-leading Maruti Vitara Brezza in the long run which comes only with a petrol motor.
5. Kia Seltos
The Kia Seltos has been the biggest blockbuster of the last year. Launched in the mid of last year, the Seltos has already sold more than 85,000 units, which makes it the one of the highest-selling SUV in the country. Kia’s maiden product for the Indian car market has been on sale in a price range of Rs 9.89 – 17.34 Lakh.
At this price point, the Seltos ends up rivalling everything from the Hyundai Creta to the MG Hector and the Tata Harrier. The Seltos has impressed everyone with its modern looks, a highly feature-laden and comfortable cabin, great dynamics, powerful engine options and a comfortable ride. From the looks of it, there won’t be any drop in the demand for this small SUV and it looks ready to make some new sales records in the coming future but will face a good competition from recently launched new Hyundai Creta.
6. Renault Triber
With the highly unpopular Datsun Go Plus notwithstanding, the Renault Triber, which retails in a price range of Rs 4.99 – 6.82 Lakh, is currently the most affordable MPV in the country. The Triber is based on an updated version of the Kwid’s platform and ducks under the 4 metre limit to gain from lower GST.
So far, the entry-level MPV has been fairly popular, which is mostly due to its highly flexible seating layout and a surprisingly spacious cabin for a car this small. Even the ride quality is pretty good and the low price helps the carmaker hide some of the flaws of its budget-end MPV. The Triber has been popular enough to help the Indian subsidiary of the French carmaker regain the market share it has been losing.
7. Honda Civic
The tenth-generation Honda Civic marked the return of the popular brand name to the country. Available in a price range of Rs 17.94 – 21.25 Lakh, the Civic rivals some well-sorted models like the Hyundai Elantra and the Skoda Octavia. In spite of the poor demand for D1-segment sedans, the Civic has been doing fairly well, which is mostly due to the great brand image it enjoys.
In its latest avatar, the large sedan impresses with its stunning exterior design, a feature-laden and sufficiently luxurious cabin, frugal petrol engine and well-sorted dynamics. As we said, the Honda Civic doesn’t have the kind of sales numbers that SUVs like the Kia Seltos enjoy, but it is still among the most important car launches of 2019. Last Month, Honda discontinued the diesel version of this sedan due to BS6 emission norms.