1. Maruti Suzuki Ciaz: 6th October
Maruti Suzuki has officially confirmed the launch of its Ciaz on October 6th, 2014. Maruti Suzuki is on a mission to reinvent itself and has set its course to success with a whole load of new models of which the first was the Celerio hatchback. It will soon be followed by the Ciaz sedan which is expected to launch sometime next month and will replace the SX4 sedan which has been on sale in India since 2006.
The Ciaz is believed to be based on the Ertiga platform, which in turn borrows from the Swift hatchback. This means Maruti will have the option of component sharing to cut cost and bring in economies of scale.
The petrol version of the Ciaz will be powered by the 1.4-litre K-Series engine from the Ertiga producing 93bhp and 130Nm of torque. The base variants will be available with a five-speed manual transmission. The diesel on the other hand is expected to be a 1.3-litre Multijet unit that produces 90bhp and 200Nm of torque. Both engines will be offered with a five-speed manual, while the petrol may also get the option of the AMT from the Celerio.
2. Fiat Avventura:
The Fiat Avventura was unveiled for the Indian market at the 2014 Auto Expo and will be officially launched for the India market by the end of this year. It is based on the Punto platform and will share much with it in terms of engine and underpinnings. It is the Italian automaker’s entry into the new hatchback compact crossover category which has been getting a lot of attention from Indian consumers over the last year-and-a-half. The only player in this segment is the VW Cross Polo but it will soon be joined by the Toyota Etios Cross and then by the Avventura.
This crossover will be equipped with the 1.3-litre Multijet diesel motor that comes with an ability to produce 90Bhp of maximum power, while generating 209Nm of peak torque. This power packed engine is coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission gearbox that delivers the torque output to the front wheels.
3. Maruti Suzuki Swift Facelift
India’s hottest hatchback has been on sale in its current avatar since 2011 and will soon get a facelift. Yes, we are talking about the Maruti Suzuki Swift which got a host of cosmetic updates in Europe and Japan last year and will make its way to India by the end of this year. Suzuki has stuck with the formula of continuity and has not changed anything in terms of overall design.
The facelifted Maruti Suzuki Swift is expected to continue with the 1.2-litre petrol mill and the 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine. The former produces 85bhp/114Nm while the latter does 74bhp/190Nm. Both engines are mated to a five-speed manual.
4. Tata Bolt
Tata Bolt, the new hatch from homegrown manufacturer is based on the X1 platform and may be refereed as a heavily modified Vista as it resembles a lot to the same. Covered in a camouflage, the car has already been spotted as a test mule, which suggests that the car will be available to perspective buyers by mid of 2014 which is also scheduled to be launched in October.
Tata Bolt will be made available in both petrol and diesel fuel trims and under the hood of gasoline model, power is generated by the company’s latest development, Revotron petrol engine. This 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine produces a power of 84bhp while the oil burner variant gets Fiat’s tried and tested 1.3 Multijet diesel engine developing a power of 74 bhp. The diesel engine is manufactured at Ranjangaon, based manufacturing plant near Pune, with a joint venture with Fiat.
5. Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire Facelift
India’s hottest hatchback the Maruti Suzuki Swift has been on sale in its current avatar since August 2011, while its compact sedan sibling came into the market in February 2012. Now both are up for a facelift. The former got a host of cosmetic updates in Europe and Japan last year and will soon make its way to India by the end of this year. In this anticipation, we expect that they will launch a facelifted Dzire a short while after the hatchback. Suzuki has stuck with the formula of continuity and has not changed anything in terms of overall design but has added chrome to up the premium factor of the car.
The facelifted Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire is expected to continue with the 1.2-litre petrol mill and the 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine. The former produces 85bhp/114Nm while the latter does 74bhp/190Nm. Both engines are mated to a five-speed manual.
6. Mahindra Ssangyong Korando
Mahindra Ssangyong Korando is a compact SUV that is going to be unveiled for the first time in Auto Expo 2012. It is a perfect example of the synergized work between parent company Mahindra and acquired South Korean firm Ssangyong. Korando is a perfect amalgamation that renders driving comfort of a sedan, sturdy space of an SUV and style of a luxury car. Korando was initially produced in South Korea from 1983–2006 as Korando jeeps. Many generations have been rolled out since then and a new model was produced again from 2010. The new Korando was well received from a design perspective, with many reviewers appreciating the design improvements over previous models.
New Mahindra Ssangyong Korando will come packed with 2.0-litre turbo-dieselengine. This power train will be capable of 173 bhp at 4000 rpm and a peak torque of 36O Nm at 2000-1000 rpm. As a front-wheel-driving car, the engine is placed over the drive wheels, which kind of improves the traction in unfavorable conditions like snow, mud, and gravel. A six-speed automatic transmission and optional smart all-wheel-drive system suggests that Korando will drive butter smooth on the road as it does off-road. Six speed manual transmission is also anticipated in Indian version.