The Indian automotive scene has seen a lot of transformation in the last 10 years. SUVs have become way more popular than before and premium hatchbacks are registering more sales than entry level hatchbacks, which was not the scene back in 2009. A lot of new brands are also about to enter the market now ans the coming time will witness a larger change in terms of powertrains.
However, why we are here today is because of the viral #10 year challenge that has been dotting our social feed this whole time. While almost everyone has been participating in this trend, we also jumped into the bandwagon and have brought you a unique 10 year challenge consisting of cars. Down below are 10 cars with pictures of how they looked 10 years back and how they look now in 2019.
Maruti Suzuki Alto
Starting the list is the good old Alto, which is the highest selling car model of India. The Alto was brought in as a more spacious and comfortable alternative to the Maruti 800 and was aimed at those who could afford to pay more than what the 800 costed. Come 2019, the car has seen a major overhaul and looks quite different to the original design. Maruti will soon update the current Alto 800 to meet the upcoming emission and safety norms.
Hyundai Santro
The Santro was the first tall boy hatch of the country and became immensely popular right after its launch in 1998. The success of the Santro forced Maruti to launch another tall boy hatch in the form of WagonR in 1999. The Santro Xing was discontinued in 2014 and after a gap of four years, the iconic name made a comeback on 23rd October, 2018. The current generation Santro is not exactly a tall boy designed hatchback but comes with a lot of segment leading features to take on the competition.
Maruti Suzuki Swift
Among India’s most loved cars, the Swift was launched in 2005 and has been a hit ever since. The first generation Swift had rectangular headlamps that were stretched vertically and an overall stylish design, It had decent interiors too, along with good engines. The current model on sale is the third generation model and stays true to the original design. No doubt then that it is the best selling car of its segment today also.
Maruti Suzuki Baleno
If we had to choose a car with the most radical change over the period of 10 years, it has to be the Baleno. Maruti Suzuki originally brought the Baleno name plastered on a sedan. However, it never really took off and the car was discontinued some time later. Maruti then reintroduced the name on a hatchback and placed it above the Swift hatchback. Now, the Baleno is the best selling premium hatchback in the country.
Hyundai Verna
After the success of the Honda City in India, Hyundai was aiming at the C-segment sedan class and for the same, brought in the Verna. However, the Verna did not get success due to its odd styling and dated interiors. However, later the company introduced the fluidic design Verna and it became an instant hit. The current generation model comes with many exclusive features and is among the better selling vehicles of its class.
Honda City
Back in the day, Honda ruled the sedan game with its City sedan. The car was quite stylish to look at and had excellent interiors as well, apart from having the famed Honda refinement. The 2009 model and the 2019 model have the same basic design, with the difference being in the lights and grilles among other things.
Mahindra Scorpio
The Mahindra Scorpio was company’s first fully in house developed vehicles and introduced Indians to a new era of affordable big SUVs. Talking of the changes, if you pay close attention, not much has changed in terms of exteriors on the SUV. The basic silhouette is still quite similar and the differences are in the styling of lights and grille. In fact, the core design has not seen a major change since the SUVs inception in 2002.
Toyota Innova
The Toyota Innova has changed a lot in the past 10 years. The current Innova Crysta is a new generation model and is completely different from the older models. The 2009 model you see above is the facelifted variant of the original car. The Innova became a good seller for the sheer comfort and space it had along with the excellent ride quality. However, one thing that has not changed in all these years is that it is still the best selling MPV in the country.
Toyota Fortuner
Taking about 10 years challenge of cars and not including the Fortuner could be deemed as a sin. After all, it is the most popular full size SUV of the country and Toyota introduced the Fortuner in 2009 itself. Even in the first year of its launch, the Fortuner became so popular that the company had to temporarily suspend any more bookings of the vehicle. The current Fortuner is an all new car and sets new standards in its segment.
Ford Endeavour
The Ford Endeavour is among the oldest running full size SUV in India. It came way before the Fortuner and became a hit back in the day. The SUV received a facelift in 2009, which is the one pictured above. The facelift tweaked the exteriors as well as the interiors and the car looked quite good. The latest 2019 variant is as butch as it can get. The new design has enabled the SUV to make many fans across the country. The Endeavour is also quite a capable off-road vehicle and can take a full day beating without bowing out.
Also Read: Maruti Alto with the RS performance mod looks racy
