Tata Nexon Challengers Launching This Year: Kylaq To Vinfast VF5
Tata Nexon has a strong foothold in the Indian market. It is available with a plethora of powertrain options- petrol, diesel, CNG, and electric. It belongs to one of India’s fastest-growing automotive segments- sub-four metre SUVs. At least six new launches are expected in this segment this year.
The Kylaq is Skoda’s best-selling SUV in India. It is available in 11 variants, priced from Rs 7.59 lakh, ex-showroom. It is expected to get a new sportier version called the ‘ Sportline’. It will have sporty styling upgrades like an increased use of Black trims. The interior trims may also be tweaked slightly.
The Kylaq comes with a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder turbo-petrol engine making 113hp and 178Nm. Currently two transmission options are offered- manual and a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission. On the sportline, the six-speed automatic transmission will likely get replaced with a new 8-speed automatic.
The Kylaq is already selling well in India. It has sold over 50,000 units in just over a year, and the Sportline variant will only add to its acceptance.
Hyundai will launch the second-generation Bayon in India later this year. It will have an upright stance and an SUV-like design. In Hyundai’s lineup, it will sit between the Venue and the Creta, while still being a sub-four metre product. This project is now codenamed Bc4i. Spy sightings have confirmed that the production form will get LED headlamps, Venue-like DRLs, new wheels, and more.
The Bayon will likely be offered with two turbo-petrol engines- a newly-developed 1.2L turbocharged petrol engine and the familiar 1.0L turbocharged petrol engine. The new engine will be hybrid-ready, and we may see Hyundai rolling out a strong hybrid petrol version of it in the future. This SUV is expected to share several of its components with the upcoming generation of the i20 hatchback.
Hyundai is also developing a sub-four metre electric SUV for the Indian market. It is now internally called the He1i. The production form will compete with the likes of Nexon EV and Mahindra XUV 3XO EV. When it materialises, the HE1i’s production version will become Hyundai’s first heavily localised India-specific EV. The high level of localisation will help the company to price the vehicle competitively.
This electric SUV is expected to have an interesting design and a feature-packed cabin. It will come with a large touchscreen, digital instrument cluster, electric sunroof and more.
This upcoming electric SUV will be based on the company’s E-GMP(K) platform. It will likely offer two battery pack choices- 42 kWh and a 49 kWh. Both of these will likely deliver over 300 km on a single charge.
The Brezza, one of Maruti Suzuki’s most popular SUVs, is set to get a facelift around the festive season. Of late, test mule sightings have become frequent, revealing details of changes that are to be expected. Despite being a mid-life refresh, the new Brezza will feature a bunch of notable styling changes. These will be particularly visible on the front fascis and the rear end. Expect the facelift to come with new bumpers, updated headlamps, reshaped fog lamp housings, revised grille, new wheels and more.
The interior design is likely to improve on the new model. The new SUV could also see the addition of features like a larger touchscreen, digital instrument cluster, level 2 ADAS and ventilated seats.
In addition to the outgoing model’s 1.5-litre petrol engine and CNG engines, the facelift is also likely to be offered with a 1.0L turbocharged petrol engine sourced from the Fronx. The turbo-engine is likely to be kept limited to higher variants of the updated model and will be offered with a six-speed manual transmission. The CNG variants will likely feature underbody CNG tanks.
The Fronx, another hot-selling model from Maruti Suzuki, is also set to get a facelift late this year. It was first launched in 2023. The facelifted model will get revised front and rear bumpers, updated tail lamps, new wheels and more. Inside, the updated model will see the addition of features like ventilated seats, level 2 ADAS and more.
The facelift, according to reports, will also get a new series hybrid powertrain. Also called range extender, this will have a 1.2-litre Z12E petrol engine as its base. It will act as a generator to charge the battery pack that powers the electric motor. The wheels are solely powered by the motor. This hybrid system is claimed to deliver a high fuel efficiency.
The Vinfast VF5 is 3,967 mm long- also a sub-four metre offering. It is a sub-four metre electric SUV. Vinfast is likely to be brought to India later this year. When launched here, it will compete with the Tata Tiago.EV and Punch.EV. It is in fact, marginally larger than the Punch.EV. The VF5 will come with features like a 8-inch touchscreen, 7-inch digital driver’s display, four-speaker sound system, keyless entry and go and more.
In international markets, the VF5 is offered with a 29.6kWh battery and a 37.23kWh battery pack. It remains to be seen which of these would be brought to India.
All these sub-four metre SUVs will compete with the internal combustion and electric versions of the Nexon.