Retrospect: nine Budget Car Launches Of 2017

Every year, the very first three months witness significant car launches, as automakers refrain themselves from launching fresh models at the end of the year. This year too, we observed significant launches which included entry-level hatches, hot hatches, compact sedans, sedans, sports cars, compact SUVs and premium SUVs. Besides the cars, a premium brand, Lexus, was also introduced in these three months. Since most bestselling cars in our market fall under Rs ten lakh, let’s take a closer look at the cars launched from January 1, 2017, that come under this slab.

Launch date – January 13

Among the most awaited Marutis of the year, the Ignis was launched with much fanfare at Rs Four.59 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The all fresh Maruti Suzuki Ignis looks way different from every Maruti car on sale at present. It gets a funky styling with the LED projector headlights having DRLs, dual-tone exterior paint shades and the ‘Smart Play’ touchscreen infotainment system that support Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, MirrorLink and navigation. There are n number of customization options that one gets with the Ignis. Powering the mini-crossover are the familiar 1.2-litre petrol and 1.3-litre diesel mills, generating 83PS and 75PS of power respectively. It is linked to a 5-speed manual or AMT transmission.

Launch date – January 17

Nissan launched the facelifted version of its Sunny at Rs 7.91 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) in January this year. The updated sedan gets a fresh assets colour – Sandstone Brown, and chrome garnishing on door treats, while the interior too received cosmetic upgrades in the form of an all-black finished cabin. The Nissan Sunny facelift is available with a 1.5-litre HR15 petrol engine and a 1.5-litre DCi diesel motors. The former is now tuned to produce an enhanced power figure of 99PS. The transmission options remain the same – a 5-speed manual or a CVT gearbox.

Launch date – February 6

At the onset of the Valentine month, Hyundai flipped out the facelift version of its Grand i10. Launched at Rs Four.58 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the Hyundai Grand i10 now looks sportier thanks to minimal yet intelligent exterior updates. For example, there are fresh front and rear bumpers, boomerang-shaped fog lamp housing with integrated LED DRLs, and thick black plastic finish enveloping the license plate and extending to two big reflectors on the sides. The major update in the Grand i10 is under the spandex hood: it gets a fresh 1.2-litre, U2 CRDi diesel which now pumps 75PS of max power and 190Nm of peak torque.

Launch date – February 14

Exactly on the day of love, Honda showered its bliss on this part of the world by whipping out the Honda City facelift. At Rs 8.50 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the sedan now omits the previous model’s base E trim and adds a fresh top-of-the-line ZX variant. It now gets a larger and more aggressive grille with LED lighting on head and tail lamps, rear spoiler and fog lamps along with revamped front and rear bumpers, thicker air vents, and 16-inch diamond cut alloys. On the inwards, there’s a fresh 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with built-in navigation, 1.5GB media memory, MirrorLink connectivity for smartphones, voice recognition and feed from the rear-view camera. The mechanicals of the Honda City facelift are exactly the same as suggested in its predecessor – a 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol and a 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine.

Launch date – March Three

The last month of the financial year began with the launch of a hot hatch from Maruti Suzuki, the Baleno RS. Available only in the top-end Alpha trim of the Baleno, it was launched with a sticker price of Rs 8.Sixty nine lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Baleno RS or Road Sport debuted a fresh family of Boosterjet petrol engines from Maruti Suzuki in the country. Under the fetish mask, it conceals a 1.0-litre Boosterjet motor which pumps out max power of 102PS at Five,500rpm and 150Nm at 1700-4500rpm. Mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, it comebacks 21.1kmpl of mileage. Making it distinct from the stock Baleno are the sportier-looking redesigned front and rear bumpers along with bod skirts, a fresh mesh grille and all black alloys.

Launch date – March 9

A week post Baleno RS’ debut, the French automaker launched its hypnotizing Renault Kwid Climber at Rs Four.30 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Very first showcased at the two thousand sixteen Auto Expo, the Climber is based on the range-topping 1.0-litre RXT (O) and comes with manual as well as Easy-R AMT transmission options. For approx. Rs 25,000 more over the RXT (O) trim, you get fresh front bumper overriders and faux skid plates with orange highlights, glossy orange highlights on outside rear-view mirrors and roof rails, orange indicators on its front fenders, door protection cladding, fresh set of wheels, a fresh ‘Electric Blue’ shade and slew of orange inserts in the interior.

Launch date – March 16

After opening its year-account with the City facelift, Honda entered the league of compact SUVs by launching the all-new Honda WRV at Rs 7.74 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Limiting its variants to only two, Honda suggested the WRV in S and VX trims. Based on the Honda Jazz, it offers dual airbags and Six pack with EBD as standard. It shares powertrains with the premium hatch, however, the CVT option, suggested in the Jazz, isn’t available. Borrowing a lot of features from the facelifted City, it is tooled with one-touch open and close sunroof, 7.0-inch infotainment system, passive keyless entry, 16-inch wheels and an enlargened 188mm of ground clearance (23mm more over the Jazz).

Launch date – March 27

After its Sunny sedan, Nissan India launched an updated version of its Terrano SUV. Good thing is, the prices of the refreshed version remain unchanged i.e. Rs 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi); however, it’s also true that the vehicle features naked minimum switches. Some updates in the Nissan Terrano facelift includes a tweaked front grille, turn indicators on ORVMs (which are now electrically foldable) and a fresh Sandstone Brown shade. Interiors are bestowed with a fresh black-brown upholstery, fresh dual-tone fabric upholstery for the seats and a 7.0-inch touchscreen panel. It is tooled with the same set of engines as that of its predecessor – a 1.6-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel.

Launch date – March 29

The very first quarter of the calendar year two thousand seventeen ended on a high note with Tata introducing the most awaited launch of the year, the Tata Tigor. Based on the Tiago hatch, the Tigor was launched at Rs Four.70 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and comes with a plethora of features. After the Tiago and the Hexa, the Tigor is the third product boasting the Influence design philosophy. It gets dual-barrel smoked projector lamps, dual 12V charging ports, a rear armrest with integrated cup holders and a Five.0-inch Harman touchscreen infotainment system paired with an eight-speaker (Four speakers + four tweeters) sound system. The touchscreen acts as the monitor for the switch roles camera, supports movie playback, has voice guideline recognition, GPS navigation via NaviMaps App and SMS readout functionality and many more features. The most surprising element in the compact sedan is the massive four hundred nineteen litres of boot space.

Retrospect: nine Budget Car Launches Of two thousand seventeen

Retrospect: nine Budget Car Launches Of 2017

Every year, the very first three months witness significant car launches, as automakers refrain themselves from launching fresh models at the end of the year. This year too, we observed significant launches which included entry-level hatches, hot hatches, compact sedans, sedans, sports cars, compact SUVs and premium SUVs. Besides the cars, a premium brand, Lexus, was also introduced in these three months. Since most bestselling cars in our market fall under Rs ten lakh, let’s take a closer look at the cars launched from January 1, 2017, that come under this slab.

Launch date – January 13

Among the most awaited Marutis of the year, the Ignis was launched with much fanfare at Rs Four.59 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The all fresh Maruti Suzuki Ignis looks way different from every Maruti car on sale at present. It gets a funky styling with the LED projector headlights having DRLs, dual-tone exterior paint shades and the ‘Smart Play’ touchscreen infotainment system that support Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, MirrorLink and navigation. There are n number of customization options that one gets with the Ignis. Powering the mini-crossover are the familiar 1.2-litre petrol and 1.3-litre diesel mills, generating 83PS and 75PS of power respectively. It is linked to a 5-speed manual or AMT transmission.

Launch date – January 17

Nissan launched the facelifted version of its Sunny at Rs 7.91 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) in January this year. The updated sedan gets a fresh figure colour – Sandstone Brown, and chrome garnishing on door treats, while the interior too received cosmetic upgrades in the form of an all-black finished cabin. The Nissan Sunny facelift is available with a 1.5-litre HR15 petrol engine and a 1.5-litre DCi diesel motors. The former is now tuned to produce an enlargened power figure of 99PS. The transmission options remain the same – a 5-speed manual or a CVT gearbox.

Launch date – February 6

At the onset of the Valentine month, Hyundai flipped out the facelift version of its Grand i10. Launched at Rs Four.58 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the Hyundai Grand i10 now looks sportier thanks to minimal yet intelligent exterior updates. For example, there are fresh front and rear bumpers, boomerang-shaped fog lamp housing with integrated LED DRLs, and thick black plastic finish enveloping the license plate and extending to two big reflectors on the sides. The major update in the Grand i10 is under the rubber hood: it gets a fresh 1.2-litre, U2 CRDi diesel which now pumps 75PS of max power and 190Nm of peak torque.

Launch date – February 14

Exactly on the day of love, Honda showered its bliss on this part of the world by whipping out the Honda City facelift. At Rs 8.50 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the sedan now omits the previous model’s base E trim and adds a fresh top-of-the-line ZX variant. It now gets a larger and more aggressive grille with LED lighting on head and tail lamps, rear spoiler and fog lamps along with revamped front and rear bumpers, fatter air vents, and 16-inch diamond cut alloys. On the inwards, there’s a fresh 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with built-in navigation, 1.5GB media memory, MirrorLink connectivity for smartphones, voice recognition and feed from the rear-view camera. The mechanicals of the Honda City facelift are exactly the same as suggested in its predecessor – a 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol and a 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine.

Launch date – March Trio

The last month of the financial year began with the launch of a hot hatch from Maruti Suzuki, the Baleno RS. Available only in the top-end Alpha trim of the Baleno, it was launched with a sticker price of Rs 8.Sixty nine lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Baleno RS or Road Sport debuted a fresh family of Boosterjet petrol engines from Maruti Suzuki in the country. Under the bondage mask, it conceals a 1.0-litre Boosterjet motor which pumps out max power of 102PS at Five,500rpm and 150Nm at 1700-4500rpm. Mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, it comes back 21.1kmpl of mileage. Making it distinct from the stock Baleno are the sportier-looking redesigned front and rear bumpers along with assets skirts, a fresh mesh grille and all black alloys.

Launch date – March 9

A week post Baleno RS’ debut, the French automaker launched its hypnotizing Renault Kwid Climber at Rs Four.30 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Very first showcased at the two thousand sixteen Auto Expo, the Climber is based on the range-topping 1.0-litre RXT (O) and comes with manual as well as Easy-R AMT transmission options. For approx. Rs 25,000 more over the RXT (O) trim, you get fresh front bumper overriders and faux skid plates with orange highlights, glossy orange highlights on outside rear-view mirrors and roof rails, orange indicators on its front fenders, door protection cladding, fresh set of wheels, a fresh ‘Electric Blue’ shade and slew of orange inserts in the interior.

Launch date – March 16

After opening its year-account with the City facelift, Honda entered the league of compact SUVs by launching the all-new Honda WRV at Rs 7.74 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Limiting its variants to only two, Honda suggested the WRV in S and VX trims. Based on the Honda Jazz, it offers dual airbags and Six pack with EBD as standard. It shares powertrains with the premium hatch, however, the CVT option, suggested in the Jazz, isn’t available. Borrowing a lot of features from the facelifted City, it is tooled with one-touch open and close sunroof, 7.0-inch infotainment system, passive keyless entry, 16-inch wheels and an enlargened 188mm of ground clearance (23mm more over the Jazz).

Launch date – March 27

After its Sunny sedan, Nissan India launched an updated version of its Terrano SUV. Good thing is, the prices of the refreshed version remain unchanged i.e. Rs 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi); however, it’s also true that the vehicle features nude minimum switches. Some updates in the Nissan Terrano facelift includes a tweaked front grille, turn indicators on ORVMs (which are now electrically foldable) and a fresh Sandstone Brown shade. Interiors are bestowed with a fresh black-brown upholstery, fresh dual-tone fabric upholstery for the seats and a 7.0-inch touchscreen panel. It is tooled with the same set of engines as that of its predecessor – a 1.6-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel.

Launch date – March 29

The very first quarter of the calendar year two thousand seventeen ended on a high note with Tata introducing the most awaited launch of the year, the Tata Tigor. Based on the Tiago hatch, the Tigor was launched at Rs Four.70 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and comes with a plethora of features. After the Tiago and the Hexa, the Tigor is the third product boasting the Influence design philosophy. It gets dual-barrel smoked projector lamps, dual 12V charging ports, a rear armrest with integrated cup holders and a Five.0-inch Harman touchscreen infotainment system paired with an eight-speaker (Four speakers + four tweeters) sound system. The touchscreen acts as the monitor for the switch sides camera, supports movie playback, has voice directive recognition, GPS navigation via NaviMaps App and SMS readout functionality and many more features. The most surprising element in the compact sedan is the massive four hundred nineteen litres of boot space.

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