Upcoming car launches in April 2018: Ford Freestyle, Toyota Yaris and others

The month of April is here. After a slow run in March due to the financial year ending, Indian automobile industry is gearing up to launch an array of new cars in the new month.

The last quarter saw automakers unveiling their future products at Auto Expo 2018. Now they have started to launch the vehicles. Ford will bring its compact utility vehicle while Toyota is planning to enter B-segment with a new sedan.

Mahindra & Mahindra and BMW will launch new versions of its SUVs while Bentley Motors will launch the latest version of its grand tourer. We have compiled a list of cars in the queue for India launch in April.

Ford Freestyle

Ford calls the Freestyle as India's first compact utility vehicle (CUV). The Freestyle is essentially the Figo hatchback under the skin, while Ford has copiously reworked it to make it ready for off-road use. The Freestyle comes with a new black-colored mesh grille, faux silver skid plates, beefy front and rear bumpers, a new bonnet and blacked-out headlights up front. The Freestyle gets body cladding, roof rails, 15-inch alloy wheels and also 15mm extra ground clearance over the Figo.

Ford will plonk the 1.2-liter three-cylinder petrol unit from the Dragon engine family for the first time in the Freestyle. The engine will develop 96hp of power and 120Nm of torque, mated to a new five-speed gearbox. The Freestyle is also expected in 1.5-liter TDCi unit that churns out 100hp of power.

Ford Freestyle is expected to be priced between Rs 7.5 and Rs 9.5 lakh (ex-showroom).

2018 Mahindra XUV500 facelift

Mahindra & Mahindra will launch the 2018 XUV500 in mid-April. The pictures of the new version have already been leaked online, confirming new chrome highlighted front grille flanked by new headlights with projector lamp and LED Daytime Running Lights (DRLs). The SUV will now get new tail lamp and tailgate along with a reworked rear bumper.

New Mahindra XUV500 could get the re-tuned version of the 2.2-litre mHawk diesel engine that currently produces 140hp of power and 330Nm of torque. The souped-up mill will now generate 170hp of power and around 400Nm torque.

BMW X3

BMW India will launch the new version of X3 SUV on April 19 and the company has already started production at its Chennai facility. The X3 comes with a more evolved and sharper design in its latest avatar in line with other X range of SUVs.

The new X3 gets hexagonal lights and a bigger, more muscular "3D" kidney grille up front. While the previous-generation X3 had integrated inlay for headlights and the grille, the new version gets separated units. In the rear, a redesigned set of optional LED taillights and a pair of sporty exhaust tips are the new additions.

BMW has stretched the wheelbase of the new X3 by 5.5cm to free up more space inside the cabin. The company has also managed to make the SUV 55kg lighter than the previous version. The new BMW X3 is expected to be offered with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel engine and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo petrol unit with 248hp.

2018 Bentley Continental GT

British luxury carmaker Bentley Motors will launch the new generation of the Continental GT in India in April. 2018 Bentley Continental GT draws inspiration from the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept shown in 2015. The new Continental GT is based on the VW group's MSB platform.

The third generation Continental GT comes with quintessential Bentley bits such as the twin-round headlamps, large chrome grille and oval-shaped tail lamps and exhaust tip. The grand tourer now flaunts LED Matrix technology as well.

2018 Bentley Continental GT is powered by the 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 petrol engine that develops 635hp of power. The mill comes mated to eight-speed transmission dual-clutch transmission. The grand tourer can sprint from 0-100kmph in just 3.7 seconds and it has a top speed of 333kmph.

Toyota Yaris

Toyota Kirloskar Motor will launch the Yaris sedan that goes up against the Honda City and Maruti Suzuki Ciaz. There is no clarity whether the launch will happen in April or May at present while Toyota dealers have already started accepting bookings.

The Yaris will be one of the stylish sedans Toyota bringing to India. It comes with projector headlamps with LED guide and DRLs (daytime running lamps), an LED rear combi-lamp, a bold and wide front grille and a shark-fin antenna on the exterior.

The Yaris will be offered only in the 1.5-liter Dual VVT-i petrol engine mated to either seven-speed continuously variable transmission (CVT) or six-speed manual transmission. Toyota is expected to price its new sedan in the range of Rs 8-12 lakh.