It may be that I am built wrong but whenever someone brings into conversation anything ascribing to a ‘compact sedan’, I shudder and wince perceptibly. What little is left of my mind whirrs, and I see a car designed by emaciating, old gentlemen with a tight belt around their waist.
Nonetheless, no matter what I think, there is huge demand for compact sedans in the market and manufacturers are entering or have plans to venture into this segment with one product at least. Here we list for you all the upcoming compact sedans around the 5-8 Lakh price bracket that will be launched to rival the existing ones:
Existing Compact Sedans:
- Tata Indigo eCS
- Maruti Swift Dzire
- Honda Amaze
- Hyundai Xcent
Upcoming Compact Sedans in India:
Republic of Indian is gearing up to welcome 5 new compact sedans from 5 motor manufacturers in India. Here is the updated list:
1. Tata Zest
Quick Points:
- Engine: Petrol & Diesel
- Transmission: Manual & AMT (on diesel)
- Launch: June-July 2014
- Expected Price Range: Rs 4.7-8 Lakhs
Falcon 5, as it was known until now, has got a name. Zest is what Tata has decided to call their upcoming compact sedan. And after Xcent, it is the most awaited compact sedan in the country. Zest will sit over the current Indigo eCS and is a much more premium and spacious offering. This sub-4 meter sedan will share the 1.2 litre turbocharged Revotron petrol engine with the smaller Bolt hatch.
Zest will also get the current 1.3L Quadrajet diesel powerplant derived from Manza, which produces 90PS of power and 200Nm of torque. However, the highlight of Zest will be the AMT (Automated Manual Gearbox) it will come equipped with and on the diesel!
According to our sources, Tata may launch the Zest sometime around June this year. Tata is also preparing another compact sedan based on X0, details of which you can read here.
2. Volkswagen Up based sedan or Vento CS
Quick Points:
- Engine: Petrol & Diesel
- Transmission: Manual & possibly Automatic
- Launch: 2015
- Expected Price Range: No Info
Surprisingly, Volkswagen is also in the sub-4 meter fray. They are working on two different products – Vento and upcoming Up! hatchback. So, it will either be a boot-cut version of Vento or a small sedan based on Up! which will be launched in India. Its launch is expected sometime next year with VW’s upcoming 1.5L diesel engine that is under development and will find way on other cars like Polo facelift and Vento as well. The petrol engine could be the 1.2L TSI motor or the regular NA 3-pot from Polo.
VW is not known to produce cars specific to any country in particular. However, the sub 4 meter segment in India appears to be too luring to resist. The company is now believed to be using the Polo-Vento platform, the PQ25, for the new car. Being a VW, quality is expected to be top notch but we hope they finally zero in on the Up! based sedan considering that Vento CS with a chopped boot would not really look anyway near as gorgeous as it does currently.
3. Ford Figo Compact Sedan
Quick Points:
- Engine: Petrol & Diesel
- Transmission: Manual & Automatic (expected)
- Launch: 2015
- Expected Price Range: 4.9-7.5 lakh
Yes, Ford is at it too! Recently they unveiled their Figo concept sedan which looked the best of the lot! However considering that it is still in its concept form, we may expect a lot of toning down on the production car.
It may use Ford’s 1.0L EcoBoost petrol motor as well as the 1.5L TDCI diesel engine to fall in the sub 4 meter ‘small’ car excise duty structure which is what it is made out for! Launch is expected sometime in 2015 at the earliest! A longer version of the car will be launched in Brazil and has been spied testing very recently.
Of what we can make out till now, Figo Concept can go on to become the best package considering its smart looks as well as that turbocharged EcoBoost petrol motor!
4. Maruti Dzire Facelift:
Quick Points:
- Engine: Petrol & Diesel
- Transmission: Manual & AMT (expected)
- Launch: September-October-2014
- Expected Price Range: Rs 4.8 Lakhs-7.5 Lakhs
Not a new offering this, but Maruti will also launch an updated version of their Dzire compact sedan which is the largest selling car in this segment, to better equip itself for the onslaught.
It is expected to get slightly altered cosmetic changes to the front as well as the rear. But more importantly, Maruti may make it feature rich and introduce features like cruise control, keyless entry and push button start. We may also see the introduction of the AMT gear box on either the petrol or the diesel engine which will remain the same 1.2L K-Series & 1.3L DDIS respectively.
Launch is expected towards the festive season this year itself.
5. Ambassador CS:
Quick Points:
- Engine: Diesel
- Transmission: Manual
- Launch: No Info
- Expected Price Range: May start from 4-4.5 Lakhs
If this comes as a bolt from the blue to you, do not blame us! The Ambassador compact is actually in the works since long and a few test mules have also been snapped in different parts of the country.
There are reports that Hindustan Motors is in talks with Fiat for its 1.3L Multijet diesel engine that powers more than 17 cars in our country. So, if what we see here on the screen actually makes it to production, our generations may just be a witness to possibly be the ugliest car one can see. We wish HM does a better job than just chopping the boot off.
This completes the list of all upcoming sub-4 meter compact sedans that are under works and will be launched in India soon. Which one of these are you aiming for?
Also Check Out: List of All 3 Upcoming Crossover Hatchbacks in India in 2014
very informative any will have to wait n watch Ford Figo sub 4metre sedan comes out