With most carmakers having clocked record sales in 2023, the world’s third-largest car market is set to bring in fresh new metal ranging from the exotic to the hyper-utilitarian and everything in-between. Top-of-the-line luxury SUVs and MPVs, revamped flagships and built-from-scratch EVs – 2024 will be a game changer for all manner of car enthusiasts.
- Mahindra Thar 5-Door
With the standard three-door Thar selling in record numbers, a larger 5-door version was a foregone conclusion. The Thar 5-door isn’t just going to be a Thar with a longer wheelbase and higher door count. It’ll also get a bigger touchscreen, a wider track, a single pane sunroof while retaining only the most powerful turbocharged petrol and diesel engine options available in the Thar 3-door. The Thar 5-Door will be sold in both 4x4 and 4x2 form, with many urban car customisers on stand-by to convert it into a budget Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.
Expected launch date: August 2024
Estimated price: Rs 16 lakh (ex-showroom)
2. Maruti Suzuki eVX
India’s largest carmaker launching its maiden EV is a seismic event for India’s burgeoning EV industry. Originally scheduled to launch in 2025, Maruti Suzuki has decided not to wait around and have its rivals eat a bigger chunk of the EV market share, scheduling the launch of the EVX for December. Not much is known about the car except that it has been developed in collaboration with Toyota, so it’ll be frugal, reliable and with an expected range of approximately 500 km – practical to boot. Unlike Maruti Suzuki’s standard fare, the eVX will be similar to the Grand Vitara in looks, dimensions and comfort, except the hybrid powertrain will be swapped for an electric one.
Expected launch date: December 2024
Estimated price: Rs 20-25 lakh (ex-showroom)
3. Mercedes-Benz EQG
What has the swagger of a G-Wagon but can do a 360-degree spin from a standstill? Merc’s electrified version of the iconic G-Wagon – the EQG – was finally unveiled at the Bharat Mobility Expo, demonstrating how electrification can revolutionise off-roading ability. Set to debut globally in 2025, the EQG will have individual motors powering each wheel, retaining the G-Wagon’s signature look and ladder-frame chassis, blending old and new in one phenomenally adept package. While details regarding its battery size, cargo space, range and power levels are awaited, this neon-lit G-Wagon can likely outgun its beloved ICE counterpart, if not outclass it.
Expected launch date: June 2025
Estimated price: Rs 3.05 crore (ex-showroom)
4. Lexus LM
If you thought the Toyota Vellfire was plush, wait till you peek inside the sybaritic masterpiece that is its cousin, the Lexus LM. Featuring airline-style recliner seats, a 48-inch TV screen, fold-out tables, reading lights and glass partition between the driver and the rear passenger, the LM, short for “Luxury Mover” is the kind of vehicle you’d want to get stuck in a traffic jam in. Purely because that would mean more time inside what’s essentially a first-class airline lounge. It will also be available in a more utility-focussed 6-seater set-up, but only the four-door will offer the full Lexus experience. Powered by a 3.5-litre turbo-petrol hybrid powertrain, the LM 350h is literally all the car you need, and then some.
Expected launch date: March 2024
Estimated price: Rs 1.5 crore (ex-showroom)
5. Kia EV9
Kia may have introduced the futuristic EV6, but the real standout is its flagship, the EV9 SUV. Towering at over 5 meters, the EV9 is an enormous SUV and is poised to be the first luxury E-SUV with three-row seating in India. Expected to come in a top-tier dual-motor configuration, the SUV boasts a substantial 99.8 kWh battery promising a claimed range of 490 km. With plush lounge seats in the first two rows and an array of advanced driving aids, the EV9 is targeting the high-end electric SUV market, offering unmatched utility compared to its competitors.
Expected launch date: June 2024
Estimated price: Rs 80 lakh (ex-showroom)
6. Audi Q8 e-tron
While the world awaits the unveiling of the Audi Q6-e tron, Audi isn’t likely to bring the E-SUV to India until 2025. In its stead, we get a refurbished version of the brand’s electric flagship – the Q8 e-tron. While its powertrain remains the same – a 3.0-litre turbo-petrol V6 – the Q8 e-tron has undergone some cosmetic changes, including a sharper looking front and rear-end, a bigger, flashier set of alloys and the addition of Audi’s proprietary Matrix LED headlamps. These, along with a price tag similar to the outgoing one, should keep the brand’s EV portfolio stocked-up until the more exciting Q6 and Q4 e-tron arrive next year.
Expected launch date: October 2024
Estimated price: Rs 1.07 crore - Rs 1.43 crore (ex-showroom)
7. Skoda Enyaq iV
Skoda is playing catch-up in the EV game, with rival brands having already gained a foothold in India’s EV market. But all that’s about to change with the Enyaq iV, a born-electric vehicle which will feature a 77-kWh battery on a skateboard platform that underpins both the VW iD4 and the Audi Q4-etron. With a dual motor, all-wheel drive set-up expected to deliver 265bhp of power and up to 513 km of range, the Enyaq will heat-up the premium e-SUV space, which currently has limited players. That said, although its footprint is almost as large as that of the 7-seater Kodiaq, the Enyaq will only manage to seat five.
Expected launch date: March 2024
Estimated price: Rs 60 lakh (ex-showroom)
8. BMW 5-Series LWB (and BMW i5)
BMW India is set to make history by launching the eighth-generation 5-Series alongside its electric counterpart, the i5. Although the 2024 5-Series may lack the sleekness of its predecessor, it will exclusively come in a long-wheelbase variant, ensuring a larger and more comfortable ride while taking the fight directly to the bestselling Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The new 5-Series will retain the reliable 2.0-liter petrol and diesel engines, while the electric i5 will sport an 81.2 kWh battery, likely with a single motor and rear-wheel drive configuration, delivering 340hp and 430 Nm of torque, with an expected range of 582km. Both models will showcase BMW's latest twin-screen layout, comprising a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch touchscreen, powered by the cutting-edge iDrive 8.5 system.
Expected launch date: May 2024
Estimated price: Rs 70 lakh (ex-showroom)
9. Ferrari Purosangue
Ferrari’s Purosangue is as polarising a car as it is capable. Being an SUV, it’s as close to a practical daily Ferrari as you’re going to get, and being a Ferrari, it guarantees as much driving finesse as a performance-SUV can offer. With a ground clearance over 180mm with an additional 30 mm of hydraulic lift, it’s the first Ferrari that can take on India’s roads without damaging the front-end. And a primordial V12 mounted up front with 715 bhp it’s bound to be a hellion on the racetrack. The Purosangue is, as its name suggests, a purebred Ferrari GT for the modern times.
Expected launch date: September 2024
Estimated price: Rs 5 crore (ex-showroom)
10. Ford Endeavour
Ford’s return to the Indian market with the iconic Endeavour has caused many-a-premature celebrations across the country. That’s because the premium, three-row SUV market, currently dominated by the Toyota Fortuner with the likes of the MG Gloster a distant second, is just too big and juicy to miss out on. Given that Ford no longer has a manufacturing base, this means the beloved Endeavour would come in as a CKD, making it fairly expensive. But that won’t stop its die-hard loyalists from reaching for the cheque book now, would it?
Expected launch date: April 2024
Estimated price: Rs 50 lakh (ex-showroom)
11. Tata Curvv EV
Tata's groundbreaking coupé-styled Curvv EV is set to debut in India this year. Utilising Tata's Gen 2 EV architecture, the Curvv promises to be lighter, translating to an extended range compared to the ICE-powered Nexon EV. Despite this, it's anticipated that the Curvv will likely feature the same 40.5-kWh battery found in the top-tier Nexon model, but with a range closer to the impressive 500-km mark.
The interior of the Curvv is expected to showcase much of the technological advancements seen in the current-generation Nexon, including touch-control panels and a 12.3-inch touchscreen equipped with a 360-degree camera. Initially, the Curvv will be introduced in EV form, with a petrol variant slated for release in the latter half of 2024.
Estimated launch date: July 2024
Estimated price: Rs 16-20 lakh (ex-showroom)
12. Lamborghini Urus Hybrid
As the world’s first bonafide super-SUV, the Lamborghini Urus was a trailblazer whose roaring success several performance car makers were compelled to try and replicate. But the Urus remains one step ahead in its evolutionary cycle, as evidenced by the impending arrival of the Urus Hybrid. Featuring the same 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, its power will be supplemented by an electric motor producing an additional 174 bhp, giving the Urus a much-needed edge over the naturally-aspirated Purosangue that’s gunning for its territory.
Estimated launch date: End of 2024
Estimated price: Rs 5.5 - Rs 6 crore (ex-showroom)
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