Automakers have lined up at least a dozen launches in January, ranging from scooters to luxury cars as manufacturers become keen on starting afresh in the new year despite challenges at the retail end.
Three of the 12 launches will be powered by battery electric motors, highlighting the growing trend towards India’s adoption of electric mobility sans requisite charging infrastructure support, which is still in developing stage.
These new launches come after disastrous 12 months where almost each month saw sales going lower than corresponding sales of the same month of 2018. Several carmakers had to resort to redundancies, cut back in production and unscheduled halt in output.
Tata Altroz, the premium hatchback rivalling Maruti Suzuki Baleno, will be one of the four all-new car model launches planned in January. The model expected to be priced under Rs 7 lakh is slated to be launched on January 22.
Hyundai will launch the Aura compact sedan on January 21. This model, which uses the Grand i10 Nios platform powered by petrol and diesel engines, will complement the Xcent and is expected to be priced under Rs 6 lakh.
Battered by the slowdown, Audi - India’s fourth largest luxury carmaker - will launch its flagship SUV Q8 on January 15. This will be the fourth SUV after Q3, Q5 and Q7 by the German giant in India. The vehicle is expected to be priced between Rs 1-2 crore.
The last of the new model offerings is the MG Motor ZS EV (electric vehicle). The electric SUV was showcased by MG in December and is expected to be priced at under Rs 25 lakh.
Mercedes-Benz CLA and GLE, Volvo XC40 T4 and Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza (petrol) are the upgrades or new variants expected to be launched in January.
Bajaj Chetak and Tata Nexon (EV) are two of the three models that are powered by electric motors. Both the models had their unveiling ceremonies in November and December. While Chetak’s bookings will commence in January, Tata Motors opened the bookings for the Nexon EV in December.
Powered by lithium-ion batteries, the 100km-range Chetak is expected to be priced around Rs 1 lakh whereas the 300km Nexon EV may be priced between Rs 15-17 lakh, making it the cheapest electric SUV in India.
Two-wheeler buyers will also get to cheer with four new model launches happening in January. Honda, India’s second largest two-wheeler maker, will launch a model on January 15. This two-wheeler will be a Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) compliant model and will be likely christened ‘6G’.
Chennai-based TVS Motor Company will also launch an all-new model between January 23-25. The maker of Jupiter and Apache has kept details of the new model under wraps as of now.
Bajaj Auto will gear up once again to commercially launch two bikes from the Husqvarna brand. The Pune-based company showcased the twin Husqvarnas - Svartpilen 401 and Vitpilen 401 - at the India Bike Week held in Goa in December.
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