The Indian automobile market has matured over time and in so many years, manufacturers have launched and discontinued many products. Some of these models that were once popular and were discontinued for some reason are now slowly disappearing from the roads. Since India is a large country, there might be cities or areas where a set of few cars are visible while they have completely disappeared from the other parts of the country. This list is mostly about cars are have become rare in most part of the country.
Honda City Type Z
The Honda City really changed the Indian market scenario when it was first launched in 2000. The Type Z was a proper sedan with straight-forward and classy design. It quickly grabbed the attention of the customers and became popular in the market. It was discontinued in 2003 but there are still many enthusiasts and collectors who have this sedan in their garage.
Chevrolet Captiva
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Chevrolet Captiva was one of the most successful cars from the American car manufacturer that exited the Indian market a few years ago. The Captiva was a full-size SUV and was quite popular too. While you may get to a Captiva in a while on the roads, most of them have now disappeared from the roads.
Chevrolet Optra
While many of you may not remember the Optra but a few enthusiasts born in the 90s will definitely remember the Chevrolet Optra Magnum. The high-performance version of the Optra sedan was the Magnum. It came powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine that pushed out 125 Bhp and massive 305 Nm of peak torque. Both Optra and its performance version – the Optra Magnum are fast disappearing from the roads.
Chevrolet Cruze
The Chevrolet Cruze was the modern-day Optra Magnum and was often known as the diesel-rocket. The Cruze was quite popular when it was in the market. It came powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine but it generated a maximum power of 164 Bhp and peak torque of 360 Nm. It was a car for the thrill-seekers but sadly only a few of them are spotted on the roads nowadays.
Suzuki Kizashi
The Kizashi was the flagship sedan from Maruti Suzuki and was the most expensive sedan from the brand in India. However, it was a CBU, which made it quite expensive compared to the other vehicles in the segment. While there are many Kizashi sedans that are still around with the owners but they are rare on the roads.
Suzuki Grand Vitara
The flagship SUV was first launched in 2009 but it just could not attract enough customers due to two main reasons – only petrol engine and high price. It was a CBU product that came powered by a 2.4-litre petrol engine. A limited number of buyers showed interest in this SUV and it was eventually discontinued from the market.
Ford Ikon
Marketed as the “Josh” machine, the Ford Ikon sedan was a performance-oriented family sedan car. The car came with different engine options but the 1.6-litre ROCAM petrol engine was the one to go for. Ford also offered smaller engine options like 1.3-litre petrol, 1.4-litre petrol and a 1.8-litre turbocharged diesel engine options. The 1.6-litre engine produced a maximum power of 91 Bhp and was a fun car to drive. The Ikon is a rare spotting on the Indian roads.
Hyundai Getz
The Hyundai Getz was a hot-hatchback without the tag. Back in 2004, the car was launched in the market and it came powered by a stonker of a diesel engine. The 1.5-litre diesel unit powering the Getz produced a maximum fo 110 Bhp and peak torque of 235 Nm. It is a car that is loved by enthusiasts and many of them still have it in their garages.
Mitsubishi Lancer
The Mitsubishi Lancer will always remain etched to the minds of the enthusiasts in India. Even though it was only available for a short span in the Indian market, many enthusiasts still own the vehicle and keep it in a pristine condition. The more powerful upgrades of the Lancer were launched in India in form of Cedia and Invex which are still visible on the roads but the Lancer has almost become extinct on the Indian roads.
Fiat Palio
Fiat Palio hatchback gained a lot of popularity in the Indian market, especially the 1.6-litre variant of the car. It can be termed as India’s first hatchback. With precise steering and powerful engine, the Palio was an enthusiast’s dream. It had a few good years in the market before getting discontinued.
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Feature image courtesy Rahin Sadman Islam