Top 5 upcoming car launches this festive season

The festive season is not quite far away and there's no denying it is one of the most joyous moments for most families in the country. One of the main reasons for that is families taking deliveries of their new cars. So its only fair that manufacturers launch new vehicles around this time of year. Here's a list of the top 5 cars that are set to be launched in the coming few months.

Honda Elevate

Its been a long long time since we got an all new Honda product in India, so the Elevate is a really important car for the brand. The new Honda Elevate will be a 5-seater SUV and won't be offered with an additional third row. The Elevate has a standalone infotainment touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard. The horizontally oriented screen measures 10.25 inches and will feature wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. A 7-inch semi-digital instrument cluster, wireless phone charging pad, single pane sunroof and ventilated front seats are just some of the other interior amenities.

The Honda Sensing ADAS suite, which includes a collision mitigation braking system, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, departure warning, and automatic high beam assist, will also be available in the Elevate.

The Honda Elevate will be offered with the Honda City's 121PS and 145 Nm of torque 1.5-litre petrol engine. This motor will be paired with a 6-speed manual or an optional CVT unit. The more powerful strong hybrid engine from the City eHEV is likely to hit the market later.

Bookings for this new Honda SUV is already underway. Prices for the Honda Elevate will be announced in the month of August. We expect the starting price to be around Rs 12 lakh while the to end variants should be priced well over Rs 15 lakh.

Citroen C3 Aircross

Another car joining the mid-size SUV segment is the Citroen C3 Aircross. The C3 Aircross inherits the majority of the hatchback's equipment, including a 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, manual air conditioning, steering-mounted audio controls, and electrically adjustable ORVMs. Multiple airbags, electronic stability control, and rear parking sensors with cameras provide passenger safety.

As a three-row vehicle, it also includes luxuries for the middle and final rows, such as roof-mounted AC vents with adjustable fan speeds. The last row also has USB charging connectors.

The Citroen C3 Aircross SUV will be available in India with a 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine producing 110PS and 190Nm and connected to a six-speed manual transmission that will power the front wheels. An AT option will be available at a later date. This engine has an ARAI fuel economy of 18.5 kmpl.

Audi Q8 e-tron and Q8 Sportback e-tron

The Q8 e-tron and its Sportback twin will replace the popular e-tron and e-tron Sportback. The interior of the 2023 Q8 e-tron and Q8 Sportback e-tron is largely similar to their pre-facelift counterparts, but the dashboard now features recycled materials. Both models are equipped with a 12.3-inch driver display, a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and an additional 8.6-inch touchscreen control panel.

The Q8 e-tron and Q8 Sportback e-tron come loaded with an array of features, including digital LED matrix headlights, powered front seats with memory, lumbar support, massage function, ventilation, and heating, 30-color ambient lighting, a 16-speaker, 705-watt Bang & Olufsen sound system, panoramic sunroof, four-zone temperature control, wireless charging pad, 360-degree camera, park assist package with park assist plus, soft-close function for doors, connected car technology, lane departure warning, adaptive air suspension, seven driving modes, gesture-controlled boot opening, and more.

The new cars come with larger 114kWh battery pack coupled with a dual-motor setup, delivering 408PS and 664Nm of torque. The Q8 e-tron offers a driving range of 582km, while the Q8 Sportback e-tron promises up to 600km on a full charge, according to WLTP standards. Both models can accelerate from zero to 100kmph in just 5.6 seconds. The Q8 e-tron models support up to 22kW Type-2 AC charging and up to 170kW CCS2 DC fast charging, enabling the battery pack to charge from 10 to 80 percent in 31 minutes.

Volvo C40 Recharge

Volvo will launch the C40 Recharge, a coupe version of the XC40 Recharge, in India on September 4. The India-spec C40 Recharge will be available with a 78kWh (gross) battery pack paired with an all-wheel drive system, with a 249PS motor on the rear axle and a 159PS motor on the front axle. The combined power output of the electric motors is rated at 408PS and 660Nm of torque. This AWD trim offers a range of 530km on a single charge, according to WLTP standards. With this, the C40 Recharge can achieve zero to 100kmph in 4.7 seconds and provides a top speed of 180kmph.

The interior of the C40 Recharge features leather-free upholstery with a combination of suede textile and microtech upholstery available in two themes: Charcoal and Fjord Blue. There are powered front seats with memory function for the driver's seat. It also gets a tablet-style nine-inch vertical touchscreen infotainment system powered by Google, a 12.3-inch fully digital driver display, two Type-C USB ports, a 13-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, an in-cabin air purifier, and two-zone climate control.

On top of that, the EV comes with a 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors, hands-free powered tailgate, wireless charging pad, connected car tech, seven airbags, TPMS, hill start and descent control functions, and ADAS.

Toyota Rumion

The rebadged Maruti Ertiga has only recently made its debut in India. The MPV, dubbed Rumion under Toyota branding, is set to be on sale over the holiday season, most likely in September or October.

Powering the Rumion is a Maruti Suzuki-sourced 1.5-litre, inline four-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine producing 103PS and 137Nm of torque, while it makes 88PS and 121.5Nm in the CNG mode. The petrol unit can be mated to either a five-speed manual or a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission, whereas the CNG version is coupled to only a five-speed manual unit. Above all, the petrol motor gives out a fuel economy of 21.51kmpl, on the other hand, the CNG variant returns a mileage of 26.11km/kg.

Toyota has fitted the Rumion with more or less the same features as the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. Thus, it comes equipped with Toyota i-connect with over 55 functions, cruise control, paddle shifters, seat belt reminder for all seats, four airbags, ABS, EBD, brake assist, Electronic Stability Program (ESP), hill hold control, Arkamys sound system, and projector headlamps, among others. Meanwhile, the Rumion offers a standard warranty of three years/1,00,000km, which can be extended to five years/2,20,000km.

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