As temperatures rise, the Indian automobile industry is preparing for a slew of new launches. If you’re in the market for a new vehicle and not in a hurry, it may be prudent to wait for the upcoming models detailed below. The top five vehicles, spanning from hatchbacks to SUVs, promise to be worth the anticipation.
Upcoming cars in India: Force Gurkha
The no-nonsense Force Gurkha is also popularly called the desi G-Wagon. Of course, Gurkha is the happiest when it’s driven on the most challenging terrains like the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, but there’s more to this than meets the eye. The 4×4 vehicle continues to be powered by Mercedes-Benz’s 2.6-litre diesel engine. It continues to be mated to a 5-speed manual transmission with no information of an automatic option.
According to reports, the 2025 Gurkha may offer an engine start-stop feature. The Gurkha will be available in two versions — the three-door and now for the first time in 5-door. Based on the teasers released by the company, the Gurkha sports a brand new bigger touch screen and an all-digital instrument cluster. The 5-door Gurkha will get a three-row seating configuration. Force has updated Gurkha with a shift-on-fly 4WD system.Â
Upcoming cars in India: Mahindra XUV 3X0
Mahindra is finally going to introduce the next-generation XUV300, which is now rebranded as 3X0. Why the change in the name? No one is quite sure about that except for the wise people in Mahindra. Based on the social media posts shared by the automobile manufacturer, the 3X0 boasts of having the first dual-pane panoramic sunroof in its segment. In terms of safety, the new Mahindra SUV is expected to be equipped with an ADAS suite.
The interiors will be further tweaked and a lot of parts will be borrowed from the recently updated XUV400 like the twin 10.25-inch panels for the infotainment system and the digital driver’s console along with front ventilated seats and a 360-degree camera. The exteriors have been completely revamped and based on the teasers, it looks space age with a new front fascia and a connected LED tail lamp. The SUV will retain the three engine options — 1.2-litre petrol naturally aspirated, 1.2-litre turbo petrol and 1.5-litre diesel.Â
Upcoming cars in India: Maruti Suzuki Swift
Much has been written about the new-generation Maruti Suzuki Swift. The popular hatchback made its international debut last year at the Tokyo Mobility Show. The design language of the Swift remains the same, but now it sports a bigger and an aggressive front grille with new headlamps and tweaked front and rear bumpers. Interiors will borrow a lot of features from the Fronx like the new 9-inch touch screen, the cabin design and the steering wheel.
The new Swift will get a brand-new engine underneath the hood. The Z Series 1.2-litre 3-cylinder engine will replace the tried-and-tested 1.2-litre 4-cylinder one. The new powertrain is expected to be available with a 5-speed manual transmission and an AMT.Â
Upcoming cars in India: Tata Altroz Racer
Even since Tata showcased the Altroz Racer at the 2023 Auto Expo and recently at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo in January this year, the hatch has caught a lot of attention. Tata Motors will soon be unleashing this sporty hatchback. It will be available in a dual-tone paint scheme and boasts racing stripes on the bonnet.
It is expected to come with a lot of goodies like a set of 16-inch alloy wheels, front ventilated seats with heating features, a 360-degree camera, voice-operated sunroof and a 10.25-inch infotainment system. To spice up things further, the Race will be powered by a 1.2-litre turbo petrol with an output of 118bhp and 170 Nm of torque. As of now, Tata Motors has revealed that it will be mated to only a 6-speed manual gearbox.Â
Upcoming cars in India: Hyundai Alcazar
The 2024 Alcazar has been pretty much under the radar, but it will receive some very important updates. The design updates will be tweaked on the lines of the 2024 Creta and the same is also expected for the cabin. It will get a panoramic sunroof, front ventilated seats, a twin 10.25-inch screen and the most important feature, ADAS tech.
The SUV will retain the 1.5-litre turbo petrol and 1.5-litre diesel powertrains. The former churns out 158bhp while the 114bhp for the latter. Both available with a 6-speed manual and in automatics, the turbo version gets a 7-speed dual-clutch while the diesel is equipped with a 6-speed torque converter.Â
