5 Cars That Will Launch After Lockdown - New Honda City to Mahindra Thar

According to top market analysts, the Indian automotive industry will see a surge in buyership once the lockdown ends. This is hopeful news for every car manufacturer, as there has been a huge decline in car sales at the moment. There are plenty of car launches lined-up for after the lockdown. Some of these were scheduled to happen prior to the outbreak, but were then postponed. Others are new products that had been in the pipeline and will soon be available in the market.

Here, we’ve picked the top five cars that will be launched in India post-lockdown.

New Honda City

Honda Cars India was planning to introduce the next-generation City sedan early this year, but their entire schedule had to be postponed. Even the media drives were cancelled, and we were unable to bring you a first drive review and our initial assessment. We sure hope we get to experience the car as soon as possible.

The next-gen model is expected to be powered by the same engines as the previous model, a 1.5-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel unit. The car will feature major design changes on both, the exterior and the interior. We may also see upgrades in the equipment list, like a larger 8.0-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system.

Maruti S-Cross Petrol

For the unaware, Maruti Suzuki has decided to drop diesel engines from their entire line-up post the BSVI deadline. Maruti Vitara Brezza, a car which was formerly only available with a 1.3-litre diesel engine, has already switched to a 1.5-litre petrol motor. The S-Cross, which was also available with the same diesel engine, will now exclusively be available with the same petrol one as the Brezza.

Unlike the Brezza, the S-Cross is not a very popular car. Indian buyers have largely ignored the car, which is why the company wasn’t too keen on launching the S-Cross at the 2020 Auto Expo, but decided to wait as long as possible to retire the diesel model. We, expect to see the new model in the market soon, and with minimal changes over the outgoing model, apart from the engine. There’s a possibility of a mild cosmetic upgrade, but there has been no confirmation on this.

Datsun Redi-GO facelift

Datsun India has recently teased the new redi-GO facelift online, thus silencing reports that the company might be planning to shut operations in India. The facelift model shows sharper styling than the current model, but the tallboy look will be preserved, primarily for better interior space.

There will be no changes to the engine options. The entry-level models will continue to draw power from a 0.8-litre engine and the higher variants will have a 1.0-litre mill, both of them petrol-powered. These powerplants are also shared with the Renault Kwid. The redi-GO is also expected to have better equipment, at least in the higher trim levels.

Mahindra Thar

Automobile enthusiasts all over the country are anxiously waiting for the next-generation Mahindra Thar to launch in India. The car already has a massive fan-following, and with improvements in the new model, the Thar is expected to be a big hit.

The new model will feature plenty of changes over the outgoing-version. The chassis will be new, as will be the engine options. For the first time ever, Mahindra will sell the Thar with a petrol motor under the hood, which will help keep the price tag low for the entry-level variants. Creature comforts will be a high priority in the new Thar, unlike the old one, which only had bare minimum on offer.

Nissan Magnite

Nissan India is currently developing new sub-4-metre SUV, based on the CMF-A+ platform as the Renault Triber. Nissan’s previous SUV entry, the Kicks, had managed to set the sales charts on fire. The company is hoping that its new SUV will help bring the brand on the same footing as its rival carmakers in our market.

The prospect of a subcompact Nissan SUV is quite a promising one. Its sister brand, Renault, has been doing well with other products based on the same platform, namely the Kwid and Triber. Also, Renault has plans to introduce new petrol engines soon, which will soon debut in the Duster. The same engines could also power the Magnite.