Upcoming Hatchback Cars That Would Make It To India In 2020

As we know, the increasing popularity of SUVs and crossovers has seriously affected the sales of small hatchbacks, which once held the lion’s share of the Indian car sales sometime back. However, there is still a huge demographic of buyers in the market who prefer small hatchback cars for their high practicality and affordability. So, if don’t want to jump on the SUV bandwagon, here are some of the upcoming hatchbacks in India in 2020 for you, compiled by our experts at IndianAuto.

1. Tata Altroz

• Expected Launch: January 2020

• Expected Price: Rs 5 - 8 Lakh

The premium Tata Altroz is one of the most-awaited upcoming small cars in India in 2020. The all-new Altroz will see the brand’s first entry into the premium hatchback segment to rival the segment-leader Maruti Baleno and Hyundai i20. Tata first unveiled the Altroz at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show earlier this year and now the India-spec production-model will now be showcased in December 2019 with the launch lined up for January 2020. However, ahead of its domestic unveil, spy shots of the Tata Altroz has emerged sharply on the Internet that drops some hints at how the India-spec car is different from the international-spec model.

The Tata Altroz retains the DNA of the 45X concept car but there’re still some cosmetic changes on the production-ready model. The production-model Altroz comes with a bigger front grille, larger headlamps and sculpted front bumpers. The biggest change is in the form of a new set of alloy wheels, which features a more conservative design as compared to the concept units. The glass area of the Altroz is also bigger for better visibility. The rear end gets a unique design, with tail lamps resembling that of the Tata Harrier. Slotted in the premium hatch segment, the Tata Altroz promises to have a feature-laden cabin on tap. The latest spy shots have also revealed the Altroz’s premium interior.

Tata Altroz Launch Details & Booking Amount Revealed | Confirmed By Dealers

Mechanically, the new Altroz can be had with two engine options under the bonnet – an 85 HP 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine powering the Tata Tiago and a detuned version of 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol motor seen on the Tata Nexon SUV. To give the competition a tough fight, Tata Motors is expected to keep the new Altroz competitive at the range of Rs 5 – 8 Lakh (estimated, ex-showroom).

2. Tata Tiago facelift

• Expected launch: Auto Expo 2020

• Expected Price: Rs 4.30 – 6.50 Lakh

Among the upcoming Tata cars in India in next months, Tata Tiago facelift also draws a great deal of attention from auto enthusiasts. To keep it fresh after more than three years on sale, the popular Tata Tiago is bound to get an update in early days of next year, probably among the fleet of Tata cars at Auto Expo 2020. Though it’s still a few months away, we do have a host of details of the upcoming hatchback, thanks to a batch of Tiago facelift’s spy images. The upcoming Tata car is sure to get a host of design tweaks and new features over the previous version both inside and out.

Similar to the Altroz, the facelifted Tiago will follow the company’s latest Impact 2.0 design philosophy. The update will give the Tiago facelift a more angular nose, sharper headlamps with LED DRLs, a revised bumper, fog lamps and more prominent horizontal-slatted smiling front grille. The forthcoming car will carry over the same side profile from the current model. The rear fascia sports a tweaked bumper, revamped taillights, and a new rearview camera that has been given a miss on the outgoing version. The interior of the Tata Tiago facelift is expected to take inspirations from the Altroz too, with the infusion of more soft-touch materials and premium driver’s assistance.

Powering the upcoming Tata Tiago facelift will be the same 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol mill but tuned for BSVI compliance. The power and torque output might remain the same as well. With the imminent facelift, Tata Motor is likely to ditch the diesel engine from Tiago’s engine lineup as the home-grown carmaker would not sell diesel cars in the BSVI era.

3. 2020 Maruti Ignis Facelift

• Expected Launch: Mid-2020

• Expected Price: Rs 4.8 Lakh

In the segment of hatchbacks with crossover-ish inspirations, the Maruti Ignis comes as a good example. The “micro-SUV” is set to get a mid-life update for some time next year, likely during mid-2020. That said, the Maruti Ignis facelift won’t be among the Maruti cars attending 2020 Auto Expo.

Maruti Suzuki is working on massive updates for its product range due to the push of BSVI emission standards. Recently, the largest-selling automaker has introduced the Alto 800 and Baleno in BSVI form, followed by the Maruti Swift, Ertiga, Dzire, and the newly-introduced Maruti S-Presso. An updated Maruti Ignis has been also put on cards. Sources revealed that the Ignis facelift will be packed with BSVI engines and accompanied by some cosmetic updates.

According to some recent reports, the facelifted Maruti Ignis will get a refreshed look. To live up the premium standards of Nexa cars, the company will give it a revised grille section with a U-shaped ring design as seen in the Maruti Vitara Brezza. Silver skid plate might be added on the lower bumpers while subtle design changes could be made on the rear end as well. The 2020 Maruti Ignis (facelift) will be powered by the BS6-spec 1.2-litre K12M petrol mill which currently produces 82PS of power and 113 Nm of torque. Transmission options include a 5-speed MT and an AMT unit.

4. Hyundai i20

• Expected Launch: mid-2020

• Expected Price: From Rs 5.5 Lakh

The immensely popular Hyundai i20 is set to get a complete generation-change in 2020 as part of the South Korean company's upcoming hatchback cars in India. A test mule of the upcoming 2020 Hyundai i20 has been spotted during its road test in India some weeks back, thus confirming the car would be more than an evolution of its preceding model.

The upcoming Hyundai car will get a new cascading grille flanked by a pair of LED headlamps at the front. The new i20’s headlights merge with the grille that makes it look similar to that of the Elantra facelift. The taillights could be tweaked for a sportier design language. The alloy wheels on the test mule show a new sharper five-spoke alloy design. Among various updates on the 2020 Hyundai i20, the major highlight is that it comes with a new digital instrument cluster along with a range of tech and features on the table.

Under the hood, the new i20 hatchback will employ a BSVI-ready 1.5-litre diesel engine and a 1.2-litre petrol motor. Both these engines we've already seen in the extremely successful Kia Seltos. The i20 might also be propelled by the 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine available on the top-end variant of the recently-launched Hyundai Venue compact SUV. Expect the new-gen i20 to be priced on par or at a slight premium over the current-gen model.

Also Read - 6 Upcoming Hyundai Cars That Will Make It To India In 2019-2020

5. WagonR-based Maruti XL5

• Expected Launch: Early 2020

• Expected Price: From Rs 5 – 6 Lakh

Maruti Suzuki is planning to give its irreplaceable WagonR a premium makeover. This new version, currently speculated to be called the XL5, is expected to see a market launch in early 2020, probably at the 2020 Auto Expo. Until now, Maruti Suzuki has remained tight-lipped about the new premium WagonR, but we’ve got a host of details about the upcoming tallboy hatchback. Just like the Maruti Ertiga and Maruti XL6, the upcoming Maruti XL5 is said to have the same underpinnings with the model that it’s based on, the WagonR, but with some major bling on-board.

Spy pictures of the heavily-disguised XL5 show us high-mounted LED taillamps. We expect the car to get LED headlamps with daytime running lamps at the front. The XL5 could finally have alloy wheels which are not available as a factory option on the Maruti WagonR. The upcoming XL5 is likely to come with the latest-gen SmartPlay Studio infotainment system as well as a four-speaker sound system. Features like auto climate control and auto headlamps are expected to the available on the top-trim as standard.

On the mechanical front, the company’s trusty BSVI-compliant K12B 1.2-litre engine option is expected to power the new premium hatchback. The more powerful 1.2-litre Dualjet engine option might make its way into some variants of the XL5 while the BSVI-spec K10B 1.0-litre engine is on cards too. Once launched, the premium version of Maruti WagonR will rival the likes of Tata Tiago, Hyundai Grand i10 Nios and Ford Figo, etc., at the expected price range of around Rs 5 - 6 Lakh.

This concludes our list of upcoming hatchbacks in India. You can also check out the following stories for updates on more upcoming cars in India:

1. Upcoming 7 seater cars in India

2. Upcoming 7-seater cars In India 2020: 10 Hot New MPVs and SUVs Arrive Next Year

3. Three Upcoming Jeep SUVs In India

4. Upcoming Kia Cars At Auto Expo 2020

5. Cars At Auto Expo 2020 - Upcoming Cars, New Launches, Images, Specs

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