Carmakers are slowly electrifying their vehicle ranges in the Indian market, and a few strong hybrid cars are expected to launch here soon
In the Indian car market, plenty of new models are set to launch within the next few years. Many carmakers are now electrifying their lineups in India, and we already have a few mild-hybrid and EV models on sale here. Now, strong hybrid cars are also slated to be introduced in our country soon.
Here, we have listed seven strong hybrid vehicles that are either confirmed or speculated to launch in the Indian market in the near future.
1. Honda City e:HEV
Honda City e:HEV was unveiled in India just recently, and it is scheduled to go on sale here around early May 2022. This hybrid sedan has the same overall design as the regular version, with only a few hybrid-specific changes all around.
Honda City e:HEV has a 1.5-litre NA petrol engine under the hood, paired with two electric motors (an integrated starter-generator and a propulsion motor) and a lithium-ion battery. This powertrain has three driving modes – EV mode, hybrid mode, and engine mode – which can be switched between automatically, to balance fuel economy and performance.
2. Maruti-Toyota midsize SUV
Maruti Suzuki and Toyota are co-developing a new midsize SUV for the Indian market, which is expected to launch later this year. This SUV will go on sale under both brands, and it will likely replace S-Cross in Maruti’s lineup.
As per reports, this upcoming Maruti-Toyota SUV will get a strong hybrid powertrain, which will help it be extremely economical to run. There will be plenty of premium features on offer as well, like an electric sunroof, a large touchscreen infotainment system, 360-degree camera, head-up display, etc.
3. Next-gen Toyota Fortuner
Toyota Fortuner is set to undergo a generation change soon, and the new-gen model will have a lot of changes. There would be some additional premium features on offer here, including a sunroof, a larger touchscreen infotainment system, improved Toyota Connect tech, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), etc.
The next-generation Toyota Fortuner will have hybrid powertrain options available in select markets over the globe. Considering how Toyota is promoting self-charging hybrid technology in India, we expect our country to be one of these markets.
4. Toyota RAV4 hybrid
Toyota has been road testing RAV4 hybrid in India for quite some time now, and plenty of spy pictures of it have been floating around the internet. As per speculations, it will be brought to our market via the CBU import route sometime later this year.
Toyota RAV4 hybrid is powered by a 2.5-litre NA petrol engine, paired with either one electric motor (FWD variant) or two-electric motors (AWD variant). We’re not sure which variant would be offered in India.
5. Next-gen Toyota Innova Crysta
Toyota is currently working on the next-generation version of Innova Crysta, and test mules of it have already been spotted a few times on Indian roads. The next-gen MPV will get hybrid powertrain options for a few international markets, and we expect the same to launch in the Indian market as well.
The manufacturer had previously confirmed that the next-gen Innova would drop the current IMV-2 ladder-frame architecture in favour of a monocoque platform. This should result in better interior space management and better overall comfort levels.
6. New Toyota C-MPV
Toyota is working on a new C-segment MPV for the Indian market, which will be positioned below Innova Crysta (some reports suggest it will replace Innova, but we’re not sure). With UVs now outselling hatchbacks and sedans, we expect Toyota to expand its SUV and MPV lineup in India significantly.
This new MPV will be a rival to Kia Carens, and as per speculations, it will get the same hybrid powertrain as the upcoming Maruti-Toyota midsize SUV. More details about the powertrain will likely be revealed (or be leaked online) soon.
7. Honda midsize SUV
Honda is working on a new SUV for the Indian market, to take on the likes of Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. This new model is scheduled to launch in 2023, and it is expected to share its architecture with Honda City.
Honda’s upcoming SUV for the Indian market is expected to get the same 1.5L NA petrol and 1.5L turbo-diesel engine options as City. Other than that, the 1.5L i-MMD hybrid powertrain from City e:HEV is also expected to be offered here.