Small cars to SUVs - All new cars soon in India

Despite the slowing in demand being more than expected, India will see no dearth of new vehicle launches in the second half of the year. Almost every car maker from an economical compact car to a spacious sport utility vehicle (SUV) has planned a launch later in the year.

Each of these models will be available in various variants and with different fuel options. Manufacturers hope these launches would help revive the earlier pace of sales growth which has seen 19% rise year on year. Growth in the same month last year was 31%.

Korea’s Hyundai Motor the second largest car maker in India will make the highest number of launches by December. It includes a compact four-door car powered by an 800cc engine, premium sedans the i40 and the new Elantra.

Arvind Saxena, director of sales and marketing - Hyundai Motor India, said, “A company plans launches much in advance; it may later decide to defer it or not. Consumer sentiments are low and something like new launches will help a lot in lifting the spirits. The market has been lower this month so far and it could close lower than last month.”

Maruti Suzuki which had made several launches last year will launch the much awaited new Swift. The compact hatchback category which generates 75% of domestic sales is to see most of the action. In addition to the Swift, this category will witness launches of the Honda Brio, Toyota Etios Liva and Beat diesel.

Jnaneswar Sen the senior VP, sales and marketing - Honda Siel Cars India, said, “We are expecting some kind of festive cheer in the coming months to lift demand. There is still a growth opportunity in the market. The launch of our Brio will happen as per schedule, which is around October and by August onwards the situation in Japan will begin to improve.”

Japanese brand Nissan will go ahead with the launch of the Sunny, a mid-size sedan. Based on the Micra platform it will also be launched around October to take on the newly launched Hyundai Verna Fluidic, Maruti SX4 and Volkswagen Vento.

Three new SUVs would also be launched. The joint venture of GM and SAIC will look to launch a compact SUV in the last quarter of the year, in what could be one of the first products from the JV.

Mahindra & Mahindra market leader in the SUV segment is to launch its unnamed, yet most premium SUV till date. This new model will bridge the gap between the existing compact SUV Scorpio and the yet to be launched range under the SsangYong brand.