The festive season always brings a lot of interesting launches to pamper the customers. This year, being no different, the industry has a whole flurry of launches lined up. For the past few months, the automotive sector has been experiencing some really tough times, however things have started to show signs of improvement…
So, want to know what’s coming your way? Here is a list of cars which will be launching in India within this month…
1. New 2015 Skoda Rapid:
- Launch Date: September 30, 2014
- Exp Price: 7 -10 Lakhs
- Competition: Honda City, Hyundai Verna etc
Skoda will be updating the Rapid with some new firepower and possibly a wee bit of changes to the exteriors. The four pot 1.5L TDI diesel, seen first on the new Polo, will be getting the higher powered 105PS trim. The buzz is that the Rapid might also get a new automatic DSG gearbox which has already been on sale in the international markets. The City and Verna rivaling sedan which also sees strong competition from its sister Vento, will have to be very cautious as it will have to fight a new player, the Ciaz as well.
Check spyshot & details of new Rapid
2. Renault Duster AWD:
- Launch Date: Second half of September 2014
- Exp Price: 12-13 lakhs
- Competition: Tata Safari, Mahindra XUV 500 etc
The Duster in its current 2WD avatar has been incredibly successful but one thing which has always been demanded by its fans is the 4WD option. The French manufacturer is going to introduce a 4WD variant sometime later this month. Going by the pics we have seen, there will be more than one trim which will be offered (good news for those running on a budget!).
It will only be available with the 1.5L dCi diesel engine making 110PS of power and 248Nm of torque. The compact SUV will be standing up against some seasoned 4WD’s like the Tata Safari and Mahindra’s Scorpio and XUV 500 (competition not on the basis of price but purely because of the lack of options)!
More details and pics of Duster 4WD
3. New Skoda Yeti Facelift: LAUNCHED
- Launch Date: September 10, 2014
Exp Price: 16-18 lakhs- Competition: Nothing compact that fits this price tag!
The new Yeti facelift was showcased for the first time in India at the Auto Expo in February and gets a highly civilized cosmetic surgery. The compact SUV looks neater and sharper!
Yeti facelift will come with the 2.0L diesel engine producing 109.5PS of power and 250Nm of torque with a 5 speed manual gearbox in the 2WD variant while the spruced up 4WD variant churns out 140PS of power and 320Nm of torque with a 6 speed manual gearbox. The SUV boasts of new headlamps, new grille, LED DRLs, new tail gate, new tail lamps and new bumpers to name a few significant changes. It also gets a new steering wheel. The new Yeti will be launched on September 10 in Mumbai.
Update: Yeti facelift has been launched in India. Check prices and all details here…
4. Mercedes Benz GLA
- Launch Date: September 30, 2014
- Exp Price: 26-30 lakhs
- Competition: Audi Q3, BMW X1
Based on the underpinnings of the A and B Class, the GLA is a compact crossover from Mercedes’ stable to fight out the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. One of the best looking crossover, the GLA will be available in two engine options, a 1.6L petrol producing 156PS of power and 250Nm of torque and a 2.2L diesel producing 170PS of power and 350Nm of torque. Both the engines will get a 7 speed dual clutch auto gearbox. The GLA will hit the roads on September 30, as official confirmed by Mercedes!
5. Lamborghini Huracan:
- Launch Date: September 22, 2014.
- Exp Price: 3.43 crores
- Competition: Flat in GK-1, Ferrari 458 Italia etc
Well, the Huracan does not really need an introduction. The Gallardo replacement gets a 5.2L V10 engine, which produces a gut wrenching 618.7PS of power and 569Nm of torque.
It has a top speed of 325kmph and can hit the ton in 3.2s flat! If you have a lot of money putrefying in your bank and have a love for speed, this is one of ‘the’ cars to buy. Oh and yes, do call us for a test drive once you have bought one.
6. Fiat Avventura:
- Launch Date: Second half of September 2014.
- Exp Price: 5.5-6.8 lakhs
- Competition: Toyota Etios Cross, Volkswagen Cross Polo
Fiat’s upcoming crossover is scheduled to launch soon and there is a possibility that it may be launched by the second half of this month or early next month (October).
The hatchback crossover based on the Punto Evo hatch gets an increased ride height and cool body cladding. Firepower is limited to 1.4L petrol producing 90PS of power and 115Nm of torque. Diesel will see the highly popular 1.3L multijet in 93PS and 209Nm tune. Oh and yes, it also gets an external spare wheel!
All Details and spy pics of Avventura
7. Scorpio Facelift
- Launch Date: 25th September 2014.
- Exp Price: 7.99 – 11 Lakhs
- Competition: Safari Storme, Renault Duster, Nissan Terrano
In an update, we have learnt that Mahindra will launch its long being-tested Scorpio facelift within this month on 25th of September. This will not be a minor facelift and instead, Mahindra is preparing a comprehensive makeover of the old workhorse which has been a fantastic seller for the company.
It will continue to be powered by the same set of 2.5L 75bhp and 2.2L 120bhp diesel engines but will get a lot of new equipment and changes to the exteriors and the much-needed interiors. Bookings are already open and you can pre-book your SUV if you want to drive one within the festive season.
All details and spy pics of Scorpio facelift
So, which one are you aiming for…
