Sedans are one of the traditional car segments in India with consistent number of buyers. The segment has products priced from Rs 4 lakh to over Rs 10 crore, from basic cars to super luxury cars. The birth of compact sedan segment in the beginning of current decade added mojo to the sedan segment further. People upgrading to compact SUVs from hatchback started to consider sedan segment again. VW Ameo, new Hyundai Elantra, New Skoda Superb, Jaguar XE and XF are the new players who stepped in, in 2016. The year 2017 is also equally exciting as there are around 12 new launches. Here is all the dope on the new launches.
Honda City facelift
Honda Cars India will give a major overhaul its bread and butter model, the City in early 2017. New version of the sedan is expected to feature a design in line with the Greiz sedan sold in China. The thick horizontal slat grille that is a part of the new design language of Honda will be left untouched in the facelift, though it may get a dark colour treatment. The grille and the newly-designed headlamps will have a more integrated layout. The front and rear bumpers will be tweaked, while the rear of the facelift is expected to sport C-shaped tail lamps. Side profile will largely remain untouched barring newly designed alloy wheels.
As far as the engines are concerned, the City facelift is likely to get the same engine of the current model. Currently, the City comes powered by 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine that is tuned to churn out 117bhp and 145Nm of torque mated to five-speed manual and CVT gearboxes, and a 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine that can develop 99bhp and 200Nm of torque mated to six-speed manual transmission.
Chevrolet Essentia
Chevrolet Essentia compact sedan is expected to enter Indian market in early 2017. Based on the next generation of Beat, the Essentia has been designed at the GM Korea Design Studio incorporating Indian taste. Essentia is expected to come powered by a 1.2-litre STEC II engine that can churn out 77bhp and 107Nm and the diesel mill will be a 1.0-litre XSDE unit that can make 56bhp and 142.5Nm. Both the engines will be mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. It is expected to be priced from Rs 4.5 lakh.
New Chevrolet Cruze
The new Cruze is based on an all-new platform that has helped the car to drop weight over 100 kgs. This results in better acceleration and improved fuel efficiency. GM claims the new Cruze is roomier thanks to the increased length and wheelbase. On the design front, the new Cruze adopts more aerodynamic design and it is contemporary. In India, the carmaker may retain the 2.0-litre diesel engine, which will be offered in both manual and an automatic gearbox. Launch of the new Cruze can be expected by the end of 2017.
Tata Kite 5
The compact sedan sibling of the Tiago hatchback has been codenamed Kite 5 and it is expected be launched before March 2017. The car measures 3,995mm in length, 1,647mm in width and 1,535mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,450mm. It embodies Tata's new design language Impact. The Kite 5 will be offered in 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol and 1.05-litre three-cylinder diesel motors borrowed from the Tiago. The sedan will go up against Maruti Swift Dzire, Honda Amaze, Volkswagen Ameo and Ford Figo Aspire in India.
Next gen Hyudnai Verna
Hyundai unveiled next gen Verna sedan in China in September. The new Verna has been carved out from the Verna concept unveiled at the 2016 Beijing Auto Show with minor tweaks. The 2017 Verna measures 4,380mm in length, 1,728mm in width and 1,460mm in height meaning it is 5mm longer and 28mm wider than the outgoing model. New version is also a 30mm longer in wheelbase. As a part of Hyundai's new design language, the new Verna comes with new Cascading front grille. The interior has been updated with all black upholstery and a large touch-screen is housed at the centre of dashboard.
The new Verna is offered in four engine options globally, 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre petrol and 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre diesel. All four engine options are expected to debut in India as well.
Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire
New version of the Swift Dzire is expected to flaunt new front fascia and LED tail lamps. As for features, expect the new Dzire to get automatic climate control, keyless entry with push-button start, reverse camera and steering-mounted controls. The new Dzire is likely to get the same 1.2-litre petrol and 1.3-litre diesel engines of the current model, rumour has it that Maruti Suzuki could also bring 1.0-litre BoosterJet engine along with SHVS (Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki) technology to the Dzire. Launch of new Swift Dzire can be expected in May 2017.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
The new E-Class features the new design language of Mercedes-Benz sedans seen in new S-Class and the C-Class. The E-Class will get different front grille according to the variants. The entry-level and exclusive variants will sport traditional grille with a star emblem on the hood, while Avantgarde and AMG models will have a two-bar grille with a large Mercedes emblem. The grille is flanked by the optionally available Multibeam LED headlamp system. In the interior, the dashboard layout is similar to the one in S-Class. Initially the new E-Class will come with a choice of two engines -- the E 200 with a four-cylinder petrol engine and the E 220 d with an all-new four-cylinder diesel engine.
Volkswagen Passat
German carmaker Volkswagen is gearing up for the re-launch of the Passat sedan in India. The eighth generation of the sedan globally unveiled in 2014 and made India debut at Auto Expo 2016. The new generation is also smaller yet VW claims the cabin space has gone up. Based on Volkswagen group's MQB platform, the new Passat has dropped 85 kg weight than its predecessor. The sedan comes with new design language of the company that sports a three slat chrome grille, LED wrap-around headlamps, LED DRLs and LED fog lights. The new version features more evolved design than the previous generations.
Reports indicate the new Passat will enter market with a petrol engine only. The 1.8-litre TSI engine that currently also powers the Skoda Octavia and Superb will develop 180hp. It will be mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Along with the petrol variant, the plug-in-hybrid model, Passat GTE is also expected.
New BMW 5 Series
The seventh generation of the 5 Series will come to India mid 2017. The face features fresh design which is the blend of 3 Series and 7 Series. The LED adaptive headlights now flow into the traditional kidney grille. The grille now features slats that close when required for better aerodynamics. On the sides, the bottom character line has been borrowed from the 7 Series. Redesigned tail lamps are now sleek and reworked bumper combined adds much needed freshness to the rear of the sedan. The new 5 Series will feature dual exhaust outlets on all models.
The sedan will be sold in 2.0-litre petrol engine with 191hp in 520i variant, 3.0-litre petrol mill developing 251hp in the 530i and 340hp in the 340i. The diesel variants include 518d, 520d, 520d Efficient Dynamics and 525d models, all powered by 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo unit. The 530d will use 265hp turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel engine.
Toyota Corolla Altis facelift
Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) is reportedly planning to launch the facelifted version of the Corolla Altis sedan early next year. The new face of the sedan will sport with chrome grille that has been flanked by new LED headlamp clusters that include LED light guides. The reworked front bumper incorporates a large lower grille. The side profile has been updated with the door handles in chrome finish and the vehicle will be available with a choice of new 16-inch and 17-inch alloy wheels. The new LED tail lamp clusters and a chrome garnish above number plate are the changes at rear.
On the interior, the centre console has been revised with a larger 7-inch touchscreen. The new model is expected to continue with the current 1.4-litre diesel engine and 1.8-litre petrol engine in India. It will also continue with the same suspension set-up.
Lexus ES300h
Japanese auto giant Toyota's luxury brand Lexus is all set to kick-start its India operations in India in early 2017. The sedan model of the brand for India will be ES300h. The ES300h is based on the Camry sedan and both car shares a lot of part in common. The sedan will be powered by a 2.5-litre petrol engine and the electric motor assist mated to the same CVT gearbox. This is the same unit that powers the Camry hybrid in India as well.
Toyota Vios
Toyota Kirlosakar Motor has already confirmed that they are working on to bridge the gap between Etios and Corolla sedans. The most probable candidate is the Vios and the vehicle has already spotted testing in India. It was then reported that the next generation of the Vios sedan is being developed by Toyota Motor Asia Pacific in Thailand, with Indian specifications in mind. The launch of Vios in India can be expected by 2017-end. The Vios for India will be powered by a 1.6-litre petrol and a 1.6-litre diesel engine. The cars are likely to be imported from Thailand as completely knocked down unit (CKD) and will be assembled at Toyota India's manufacturing facility in Bangalore.
