Tata Gravitas to Maruti Swift Hybrid - Upcoming Cars Under 15 Lakh in India 2020-2021

Gone are the days when buying a new car was a very big deal that was beyond the reach of most. While the price-conscious Indian market has witnessed a number of budget-friendly cars from various automakers like Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra, Tata among others, buyers’ demand for something a little more premium has been rising in recent years. If you have some extra money and are in the market for a car below 15 lakh, here’s our complete list of upcoming cars under 15 lakhs in India in 2020 – 2021.

1. Tata Gravitas

The wait for the upcoming Tata Gravitas – the three-row sibling of the popular Tata Harrier is shorter and shorter now. Debuted at the Auto Expo 2020, the Tata Gravitas launch is slated for some time in late this year or early 2021, depending on the situation. The upcoming 7 seater car will become the flagship model sitting above the Harrier in the company’s product range.

While the Tata Gravitas 2020 looks quite similar to the Harrier, the former features a couple of cosmetic tweaks like extended rear overhangs, new sporty-looking 17-inch machined-cut alloy wheels along with an extra row of seats. On the inside, the Tata Gravitas interior will be loaded with many premium features for the utmost comfort such as an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 9-speaker audio system and automatic AC, etc. Being the second Tata car to be developed on the modular OMEGA Arc platform, the Tata Gravitas will source the power from a tried and tested 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine good for 170 BHP of max power and 350 Nm of peak torque. Reports also suggested that the Gravitas will be fitted with another 1.6-litre petrol mill at a later date.

2. Mahindra XUV300 Turbo Sportz

Mahindra & Mahindra is gearing up for some new products in India, namely the 2020 Mahindra Thar and the Mahindra XUV300 Turbo Sportz. While the new-gen Thar is all set to go on sale this month, the company hasn’t announced the launch timeline of the XUV300 Sportz. Once launched, the Mahindra XUV300 Sportz will be one of the worthy cars under 15 lakh in India.

Powering the XUV300 Turbo Sportz will be a BS6-compliant 1.2-litre petrol engine that can belt out 110 PS of power and 200 Nm of peak torque, making it more powerful than the existing XUV300 models. The Mahindra XUV300 Sportz will be launched with all the bells and whistles of the regular XUV300, some of which are a touchscreen infotainment system, voice control, cruise control, power steering, keyless entry and more. Without any doubt, the XUV300 Sportz will be costlier than the standard versions. The estimated prices of the Mahindra XUV300 Sportz may sit at around Rs 12.34 lakh mark, thus making it one of the much-anticipated upcoming cars under 15 lakh in India 2020-21.

3. Tata Altroz EV

Next up in our list of upcoming cars in India under 15 lakhs is the electric version of the Tata Altroz – the Altroz EV. Seeing the increasing popularity of electric vehicles across India, Tata has started its EVs path with the Tigor EV and Nexon EV which witness a fair share of success in the domestic space.

On the outside, the upcoming car is expected to look much like the IC-engined Altroz hatchback while receiving some tweaks to its cabin. The Tata Altroz EV interior is said to feature a semi-digital instrument cluster, auto AC, a touchscreen for the infotainment with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay support and others.

The electric iteration of Altroz will get the drivetrain from the Nexon EV sibling but for a milder state of tune. The electric hatch might come with a 30 kWh lithium0ion batter pack. The power and torque output of the Tata Altroz EV is said to be rated at 90 PS/ 200 Nm of torque that’s identical to what we get from the Nexon diesel. Tata is expected to launch the Altroz EV towards the year-end of 2020.

4. Force Gurkha

The Force Gurkha is not far from us. As far as we know, Force Motors is preparing for the introduction of the new Gurkha in the country during the festive season. Before its launch, the upcoming Force Gurkha has been spotted testing on multiple occasions on the Indian roads.

When the Force Gurkha was first showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo, it comes as a bit of let-down for the enthusiasts as it looks quite no different to the previous-gen model. However, the carmaker did give the Gurkha some subtle changes outside and inside, including a new stylish-looking, LED DRLs around the headlamps together with a single-window at the rear replacing the dual-pane setup of the outgoing model. The massive change can be found on the Force Gurkha interior that now boasts of a dual-tone interior theme, a refreshed dashboard layout with a touchscreen infotainment system- a step forward for an off-road SUV.

The Force Gurkha 2020 will be powered by a BS6-ready 2.6-litre diesel engine that comes mated to a manual transmission. Expected to sit in the price bracket of around Rs 7 -13 lakh, the Force Gurkha makes it the list of upcoming cars under 15 lakh in India.

5. Tata Hexa

Tata won’t be giving up on the Hexa yet. The domestic-grown automaker is getting ready for the new Tata Hexa BS6 that is among the hotly-awaited upcoming cars in India next year.

The imminent Tata Hexa will get rid of the outdated BS4 engines and comes with the BS6-ready units instead. It will employ a 2.2-litre VARICOR diesel engine that can deliver two different states of tune – 156 PS/ 400 Nm and 150 PS/ 320 Nm and comes coupled with either a 5-speed MT, 6-speed MT or a 6-speed AT option. According to some reports, the new Tata Hexa 2020 will carry the same design of the outgoing model, save for a few tweaks to the headlamps, taillamps and interior. The upcoming Tata Hexa is expected to come to us in early next year.

The all-new Honda HR-V might get the power from three engine options, including a 1.5-litre petrol and 1.6-litre diesel engine along with a 1.8-litre hybrid-petrol unit as seen under the hood of Honda Civic. The HR-V will be a well-loaded contemporary SUV that brings in many premium features like a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a panoramic sunroof, electrically-adjustable seats with LED headlamps and so forth. Being a mid-size SUV means that the Honda HR-V will fight tooth and nails with the likes of Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Renault Captur and Nissan Kicks, etc. in the segment.

7. Kia Sonet

While it’s still a while away from the launch of Kia Sonet, it has been quite a big name among the Indian auto aficionados. Kia just unveiled the Sonet to the Indian market just some time back, revealing almost all details of the upcoming car.

Based on the Hyundai Venue’s platform, the Sonet will be a prominent sub-four-metre SUV that rivals the likes of Maruti Vitara Brezza, Mahindra XUV300, Tata Nexon and Ford Ecosport and even the Venue itself. The upcoming Kia Sonet will be offered with multiple segment-first features and employs three engine options in its heart – an 82 BHP 1.2-litre petrol, a 118 BHP 1.0-litre turbo-petrol alongside a 99 BHP 1.5-litre diesel unit.

Just like the Seltos sibling, the Kia Sonet will also be loaded to the brims with modern features. The Kia Sonet features & specs have been revealed through a brochure scan recently. The all-new Sonet will be the third and most affordable offering from Kia in India with the expected price of around Rs 8 – 13 lakh (ex-showroom).  The Kia Sonet launch is set for September 2020. Needless to say, the Kia Sonet is essentially the hottest upcoming SUV cars under 15 lakhs in India this year.

8. Volkswagen Taigun

The next model in the list of upcoming cars under 15 lakhs in India is the Volkswagen Taigun SUV that was just debuted at the Auto Expo in February 2020. The VW Taigun was built on the heavily-localised MQB A0 IN platform that also underpins the new-gen VW Polo, Vento and new sub-4m SUV from the auto giant. VW Taigun will directly compete with the models like Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and Nissan Kicks and will be priced in-between Rs 10 – 15 lakh (estimated, ex-showroom).

Powering the forthcoming VW Taigun will be two petrol engines – a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbo and a 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo-petrol unit. The former is tuned to produce 113 BHP/ 170 Nm of torque while the latter can make 148 BHP/ 250 Nm of peak torque.

9. Skoda Vision IN

Skoda fans of India are looking forward to the launch of the Skoda Vision IN which was first unveiled at the year’s Expo even in Feb. Skoda has just announced its plan to introduce the Vision IN in India in April 2021 that will make it a capable attendant in the list of upcoming cars under 15 lakhs in our country.

According to the Czech company, Skoda Vision IN will come with a single BS6-compliant 3-cyl 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that we’ve seen on the Kamiq. This mill is expected to be available in two states of tune – 95 PS/ 175 Nm and 115 PS/ 200 Nm and come linked with a 6-speed MT and a 7-speed DGG automatic unit. The company is yet to announce the official moniker of the upcoming Skoda car, but we expect it to be named Kosmiq or Kliq. It will be another upcoming 5-seater SUV for India in the next years.

10. New-gen VW Vento/ Virtus

VW is looking to the Vento replacement which is most likely to be christened as the Virtus. Like the earlier VW Taigun, the VW Virtus will be based on the MQB A0 IN platform that is promised to keep its price in check.

The Virtus will be slightly bigger than the Vento and it will also face the rivalries from the Maruti Ciaz, Honda City and Hyundai Verna in the mid-size sedan department in India. As for the engines, the upcoming VW Virtus is anticipated to get a new 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol motor that comes with either a 6-speed MT or a 6-speed torque converter automatic option.

11. Maruti Swift Hybrid

One of the best-selling cars in our country, the Maruti Swift is set to come with a hybrid avatar next year. Also showcased at the Auto Expo 2020, the Maruti Swift Hybrid will look identical to the new Swift in terms of design but bring in a refreshed mechanical package.

Powering the Swift Hybrid will be a 1.2-litre petrol mill that will come paired with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack. The electric motor is set to churn out 91 PS of power and 118 Nm of torque while the electric motor is capable of generating additional power and torque of 13.5 PS and 30 Nm, respectively. Transmission choices for the Maruti Swift Hybrid will include a 5-speed AT with paddle shifters that are a quite big deal for the hatchback in the space.