The Indian car market is slowly but surely moving towards SUVs. However, for most Indians, their first car is still usually a hatchback, considering their affordable price points, ease of maintenance and the most important thing for Indians, mileage. With more than half the year over and a whole host of vehicles set to arrive in the coming months, here’s a list of five small cars you can expect to arrive on Indian roads in the next six months.
Hyundai Santro
Probably the most awaited launch from Hyundai in quite a few years is the imminent arrival of the all-new Hyundai Santro this festive season. Expected to arrive sometime in October, the new Santro will be replacing the Eon in the Indian market. The new Hyundai Santro will feature an updated 1.1-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that will comply with upcoming emission norms. The new Santro will also comply with new safety norms for cars in India as per the Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program (BNVSAP) which will go into effect this October.
Expected Starting Price: Rs 3 lakh, ex-showroom
Maruti Suzuki Wagon R
The all-new Wagon R was showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo in Greater Noida and unlike the current car, the new Wagon R will be a larger seven-seater. While the Auto Expo car was an Indonesian model, India will be getting the Solio, a 7-seater Suzuki car from Japan. The 7-seater Wagon R gets a new look but is even boxier than before. The Wagon R also gets sliding rear doors, similar to the ones on the Omni but much cooler looking. Expect the new Wagon R which will either use a 1.0-litre or 1.2-litre petrol engine to arrive before Diwali as production is expected to start next month. The new WagonR will rival the Datsun Go+ MPV.
Expected Starting Price: Rs 5 lakh, ex-showroom
Tata Tiago JTP
The Tata Tiago JTP is the hot hatch version of Tata’s Tiago hatchback and was first seen at Auto Expo 2018. The Tiago JTP is the creation of an alliance between Tata Motors and Jayem Automotives from Coimbatore to create affordable performance cars for Indian enthusiasts. The Tiago JTp will feature a more aggressive design compared to the regular car and will use a tuned version of the Tata Nexon’s 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine which is expected to crank out 108bhp and 150Nm of torque. The engine will be mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Expect the Tiago JTP to arrive by the end of 2018.
Expected Launch Price: Rs 6 lakhs, ex-showroom
Ford Figo Facelift
The next car from American carmaker Ford Motor Company to enter India will the facelifted version of the Ford Figo hatchback. The new Figo will feature a host of styling and feature updates when it arrives in India before Diwali. However, the biggest change on the facelifted Figo will be found under the bonnet of the new Figo in the form of Ford’s 1.2-litre petrol ‘Dragon’ engine which was first seen with the new Freestyle crossover. The naturally aspirated three-cylinder engine is capable of producing 96.5bhp of power and should make the new Figo, one for the enthusiastic driver.
Expected Starting Price: Rs 6 lakhs, ex-showroom
Datsun Go Facelift
Datsun’s big hatchback based on the Micra is expected to arrive with updated looks and features into the Indian market by Diwali this year. The facelifted Datsun Go, which is already on sale in markets like Indonesia gets new headlamps, LED DRLs, a larger grille and a sportier front bumper and a touchscreen infotainment setup on the inside. While the Indonesian spec car gets a CVT gearbox, expect the desi Datsun Go to retain the 5-speed manual currently in use. However, Datsun could go the automatic route as well, considering the growing popularity of clutchless small cars in India.
Expected Starting Price: Rs 4 lakhs, ex-showroom