The year 2016 saw game-changing car launches such as Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Tiago, Toyota Innova Crysta and others. The performance segment also saw launch of Nissan GT-R, Ford Mustang and Volkswagen Polo GTI. Now, the year 2017 is also equally exciting as many new cars will enter the market to cater every segment.
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Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors are set to start the year on a big note. Both the carmakers have slated big launches in January itself with Ignis and Hexa. Ignis is Maruti Suzuki's first in the compact crossover segment, while Hexa is the new flagship product of Tata Motors. Apart from these two carmakers, Toyota, Jeep and Hyundai are also gearing up for new launches in January. We have compiled all the details here for you.
Maruti Suzuki Ignis
Maruti Suzuki dealers have commenced booking for Ignis for a token amount of Rs 11,000 ahead of the January 13 launch. The compact car will be the third model to be sold via the Nexa premium chain.
Ignis will be available with a choice of a 1.2-litre VVT petrol engine and a 1.3-litre DDiS diesel engine. The powertrains will be mated to a choice of a five-speed manual or an AMT gearbox for both engine options. Like all the Nexa cars, Ignis will be offered in Alpha, Delta and Zeta variants with the top two trims also getting the option of an AMT gearbox. Ignis will boast of projector headlamps with LED daytime-running lights, 15-inch alloy wheels, Smartplay touch-screen infotainment system and automatic climate control depending upon the variant. Ignis is expected to get a price tag starting at Rs 4.5 lakh.
Tata Hexa
Tata Motors will launch its new flagship vehicle Hexa on January 18. Tata Motors would be offering the vehicle in six variants and nine trims. It will also come with the option of six and seven-seater configurations. Hexa will have the XT, XTA and XT 4×4 variants with the six-seat option, while the seven-seater will be available with XE, XM and XMA.
Hexa will draw power from a 2.2-litre Varicor engine. While the 2.2-litre Varicor 320 engine will generate 148bhp and 320Nm of torque in the base variants of Hexa, the same engine in remaining variants will develop 154bhp and 400Nm of torque. A five-speed manual gearbox is offered in the base variant of Hexa, while the six-speed manual and automatic gearbox will be offered in the other variants. Hexa will also boast of four drive modes — Auto, Comfort, Dynamic and Rough Road. Hexa prices have been rumoured in the range of Rs 13 lakh to Rs 19 lakh.
Jeep Grand Cherokee, Wrangler petrol
Jeep India had kick-started its India operations with the launch of Grand Cherokee and Wrangler in September 2016. Both the vehicles were launched with only diesel mills. Jeep will now add petrol iterations for both the SUVs in January. The Grand Cherokee petrol will draw power from a 395bhp 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine paired with an eight speed automatic gearbox. Wrangler will also get the same V6 motor while power will be down by 10bhp and will come paired with a five-speed automatic gearbox. The addition of petrol variant will make the Jeep range more affordable. Expect it to be around Rs 15 lakh less than the diesel models.
New Toyota Prius
Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has confirmed the arrival of Prius in January. The hybrid sedan's heart consists of a petrol engine along with an electric motor. The 1.8-litre, 4-cylinder DOHC VVT-I motor with EV44, Eco and Power modes develops 97bhp at 5,200rpm and 142Nm of torque at 3,600rpm. The motor works in tandem with 71bhp and 136Nm torque producing the electric motor that sources power from lithium-ion/nickel-metal hydride batteries.
Toyota claims that Prius comes with 10 percent increase in fuel economy and a 40 percent increase in thermal efficiency. The new car is 60mm longer, 15mm wider and 20mm lower than its predecessor and the extra length provides a spacious cabin for the passengers. Boot capacity has also increased from 445-litres to 502-litres. The version is expected to be priced from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 40 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
Hyundai Grand i10 facelift
The face-lifted avatar of Grand i10 is expected to enter India in the first month of 2017. The new Grand i10 will come with a new front grille which Hyundai calls as Cascading grille. The car will sport reworked front bumper and a set of new, round LED daytime running lights, positioned at the top edges of the grille. It will get sportier rear bumper design with a dual-tone finish. Inside the cabin, the face-lifted Grand i10 could get a new touchscreen infotainment system.
Mechanically, Grand i10 is likely to remain untouched in the new avatar. Currently, Hyundai Grand i10 petrol variant is powered by a 1.2-litre Kappa engine that can churn out 82bhp and 116 Nm. The diesel model of the vehicle houses a 1.1-litre three cylinder U2 VGT motor engine that delivers 70bhp power and 163 Nm of torque.
Since the i10 production has been stopped in India, Hyundai India may drop Grand in the name of the car in line with Euro-spec models.
