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Car makers launched a slew of new attractive models leaving the Indian customers spoilt for choice

As the Indian cities open up after coronavirus lockdown, the car sales have started to pick up pace once again. In an attempt to boost sales during the lockdown, some car companies started to offer the choice of buying cars online. For instance, Honda launched a unique service, Honda from Home, allowing the customers round-the-clock access to product options and preferred dealerships online. Similarly, BMW India unravelled the ‘Contactless Experience’ to allow the buyers a 360-degree view of the car and its features online. The cars are delivered after being chosen by the customer with due sanitisation precautions.

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Amid a year-long lull in the car market, the industry is seeing signs of revival, notwithstanding the economic impact due to the Coronavirus. But car companies launched a slew of high-end vehicles to entice the Indian customers in July 2020. We’ll now go through a glimpse at the most preferred cars in India in July-August 2020, and explore the features they have to offer.

Hyundai Creta

The Indian car buyer’s new found love, the Hyundai Creta, continues to turn heads with its breathtakingly beautiful and edgy design. Hyundai Creta is currently the top selling SUV in India in 2020. The buyers are fascinated with this car, be it in terms of design, features or the appearance. The newly launched 2020 model scores on all points and delivers a class performance in all departments compared to its outgoing predecessor. The new model has three engine options – 1.5-litre petrol, 1.5-litre diesel and the popular 1.4-litre turbo petrol, which comes with a seven-speed DCT gearbox. The latest model also comes with multiple connectivity features along with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. With a starting price of ₹9.99 lakh, the 2020 Creta is one of the best and most popular compact SUVs in the Indian market today.

Kia Seltos

Kia Seltos is a close competitor to Creta and has managed to grab eyeballs in the Indian market with its exceptional 2020 model. The fact that this was the most searched SUV online says a lot about the popularity of this car. The new model features remote engine start stop through the keyfob in automatic variants, while rear USB chargers are standard on all variants. The new model also comes with emergency stop signal to detect emergency braking. While the exterior has largely remained unchanged, the interiors have been enhanced for most of the variants. The company has put on a new silver finish on the temperature control panel on HTX, HTX+, TX and GTX+ variants. The sunroof is now available in all the variants. One important addition is the upgrade on UVO Connect system, which can now be activated with a voice command “Hello Kia.” With the price increase of just ₹30,000 on the new variants, Kia still remains a hot favourite among the buyers.

Tata Altroz

Priced between ₹5.29 lakh for the XE petrol and up to ₹7.74 lakh for the XZ Urban petrol trim, Tata Altroz is the cheapest hatchback available in India. The prices of the diesel model start at ₹6.99 lakh for XE and it goes up to ₹9.34 lakh for the top-spec XZ Urban diesel (both prices, ex-showroom).

Tata has employed the modular ALFA (Agile Light Flexible Advanced) platform on the Altroz, the first for any Tata car. The main attraction of this car is its safety. Altroz has scored five stars in Global NCAP crash tests. The features such as ABS+EBD, rear parking sensors with camera, driver and co-driver seatbelt warning, and high-speed alert enhance safety. The Altroz is powered by BS6-compliant 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines. The car boasts of a 7-inch floating infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Overall, it’s good value for money.

Hector Plus

MG Hector Plus is the latest entrant in the Indian market. The car is available in four variants - style, super, smart and sharp. The price ranges from ₹13.48 lakh for the Style petrol MT variant to ₹18.53 lakh for the Sharp Turbo diesel MT variant. The Hector Plus is an upgraded version of Hector, launched earlier, and boasts of spacious features inside out. The new model has several improvisations including a new glossy black grille flanked by sleeker looking LED DRLs. The headlamps have been tweaked a little to give it a classier look. Several other features, including new bumpers, front-floating turn indicators, new tail lamps, and revised skid plates enhance the appearance of this new beauty. With the 6-seater Hector Plus, Indian car market finally has a competition in the MUV segment.

Hyundai Venue iMT Sport

Hyundai has introduced the Sport variant to the Venue SUV range. The new model comes with Intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT), which offers a clutch pedal-free drive for a thrilling drive experience. The 7-Speed DCT ensures smooth performance and a greater sense of speed. The new iMT Sport comes with a glossy black front grille with red insert, dark grey roof rails and more red accents on the outside. The cabin has been tweaked, featuring Sport Dual Tone trim with denim fabric seats. The steering wheel looks appealing with the red stitching. Then there are some upgrades like the dark grey upholstery with red piping.

The prices for Hyundai Venue Sport start from ₹10.20 lakh for the SX Sport 1.0 Turbo iMT, going up to ₹11.58 lakh for the SX+ Sport 1.0 Turbo DCT.

From the August 2020 issue of FHM India.