Upcoming cars in 2015: MPVs, Crossovers and SUVs

In 2014 most car makers have seen green in their ledgers for the most of the year apart from the festive season. 2015 will witness the launch of new products from old manufactures; some new flagship will enter into the Indian market this year. In this section we will be telling you about the launches of new MPVs, SUVs in 2015 with their expected launch date and price.

1.  Datsun Go plus:

Datsun made an entry in Indian car industry when its parent company Nissan has launched Datsun Go last year at a very affordable price. Datsun had a mixed year with Datsun Go got praised by many due to its price and on the other hand being questioned by the buyers when for its failure in NCAP crash test and as a result of it is asked to ban it from the country by NCAP. But Datsun is now trying to overcome that shock and all set to launch a seven seater Datsun Go plus MPV on 15^th January 2015. 

Go plus seems to be the stretched version of Datsun Go hatchback but it is under 4m which makes it a first ever compact MPV in the segment which is under 4m segment. Datsun Go plus MPV will share the same engines of its hatchback sibling and apart from power trains it will share the similar interiors and feature list also with some minor changes. Datsun Go plus will not have safety features like ABS and airbags even as optional equipments can be major drawback for this MPV.
 
Coming: 15^th January 2015
Expected price: 4-5.5 lakh
Competition:  Maruti Ertiga, Honda Mobilio, Mahindra Quanto         

2. Maruti Suzuki SX4 S-Cross:

India largest car maker, Maruti Suzuki is all set to enter into new segments of the car industry i.e. Crossovers and SUV segment. SX4 S-cross was launched in mid 2013 in European markets and later on showcased in Indian auto expo 2014. S-cross is SX4 based crossover which has been spotted many times on Indian soil with different front fascia from what we have seen in Auto expo. S cross looks a beautifully designed car with Projector lamps with DRLs, twin slat front chrome grill; 14” multi spoke alloy wheels and rich amount of interior features like touchscreen infotainment system etc.  S Cross will get 1.6L Petrol and 1.6L diesel engines with the options of 6 speed manual and 5 speed AT.

Coming: Last week of January/ First week of February
Expected Price: Rs. 8-14 lakh
Competition: Renault Duster, Ford Eco Sport

 3. Renault Lodgy:

Renault India is having a good time since they launched Duster in Indian market which was the declared car of the year in 2013 by many automotive sites. But later on Duster’s sales figures were dented by Ford Eco Sport. After Logan and Duster, Renault will now launch its first ever MPV Lodgy on 15^th January to take on Maruti Ertiga and Honda Mobilio. It will be powered to K9K 1.5L turbocharged diesel engine with two state of tunes 85bhp and 105bhp power with the choice of five and six speed manual transmissions. 

Coming: March 2015
Competition: Honda Mobilio, Maruti Suzuki Ertiga
Expected Price: Rs. 7-9 lakh

 4. New Audi Q3:

Audi India wants to cash-in and carry forward the grand success of 2014 to the next year by launching 10 new models in 2015. First among those 10 would be new Q3 SUV which will launch between April-June. Audi becomes the first luxury car maker to sell more than 10,000 units in a single year. Talking about the changes new Q3 will have 3-D effect front grille, new alloy wheels, revised front-rear bumpers etc while on the inside it gets three spoke steering wheels, four way lumbar support for seats.    

Coming: April-June 2015
Expected Price: 30-40 lakh
Competition: BMW X1, Mercedes Benz GLA

 5.  Hyundai Elite i20 Crossover:

2015 will be the year of some renowned car maker getting into new segments as country’s second largest car manufacture is doing so. Hyundai has tasted quite a huge success in 2014 with its Elite i20 and currently now working on its Crossover model. Crossover is quite different from its hatchback model with features like roof rails, revised front grille, new alloy wheels, better ground clearance giving it more sportier look. This crossover will get power from the same engines of its hatchback model with an automatic variant on the cards. 

Coming: Jan-March 2015
Expected Price: 6-11 lakh
Competition: Fiat Avventura, Maruti SX4 S-cross, Cross Polo

6.  Maruti Suzuki Ertiga:

Maruti Suzuki is gearing up for the facelift version of its MUV Ertiga which spied many times recently. In terms of changes the exterior of Ertiga will be revised in the form of twin slat grille replacing four slate, redesigned front bumpers with new housing for fog lamps and rear side also gets some tweak as well. New Ertiga will continue to be powered by the same 1.4L petrol producing 94bhp power and 130Nm torque and 1.3L Multijet diesel engine that gives 89bhp power and 200Nm torque. Engines might remain same but one thing is for sure that fuel efficiency will be increased as Maruti did with new Swift, so expect new Ertiga with better mileage. Refreshed Ertiga might blow way the tough competition of newly launched Honda Mobilio with added features and refresh design. Most important update new Ertiga will receive is an AT transmission with 6 speed manual gearbox. 

Coming: Feb-March 2015
Expected Price: Rs. 6-9 lakh
Competition: Honda Mobilio, Renault Lodgy MPV, Datsun Go plus

 7.  Hyundai ix25:

Hyundai India has wide range on models in India but there is no compact SUV in that list. Hyundai recently unveiled its first ever compact SUV ix25 at the Beijing   motor show and later on they launched it China but its Indian launch was in a doubt until company’s senior Vice president confirmation about its launch for India. Ix25 is built on Hyundai’s advanced 2.0 fluidic design philosophy with eye catching looks and long list of premium features. Ix25 to get Verna inspired 1.6L petrol and diesel engines with two wheel drive system. Hyundai is targeting 90% local production to price it competitively.    

Coming: August-September 2015
Expected Price: Rs. 7-10 lakh
Competition: Ford Eco Sport, Renault Duster

 8. Ford Endeavour:

Ford Endeavour is among the elite list of worst car of the year with just 220 units sold in 2014. Ford has teased new Endeavour aka Everest Last month which was first showcased in Bangkok Motor show this year developed by Ford Australia. The Boxy looking new Endeavour with revised front grille looks quite similar to the outgoing model. However the overall layout of Endeavour will remain same but this time it will get some modernistic touch. New Endeavour is likely to arrive with 2.2L and 3.0L diesel engines with 2WD and 4WD drive system and the option of manual and automatic transmissions. New Ford Endeavour will be price competitively than ever before. 

Coming: Mid-2015
Expected Price: Rs. 20-25 lakhs
Competition: Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

9. Mahindra Quanto AT:

Mahindra was among the only car maker in recent Auto Expo which stunned everyone with the variety and innovative technology of their products. Quanto AT was one of them and the main attraction was the automatic gearbox. Quanto is not as successful car like Mahindra’s other products in the market so Mahindra decided it to offer it with AT. Engine details will remain same except the AT and might be with better fuel efficiency. MUV lovers might get the cheapest priced diesel MUV in 2015 if priced competitively and sensibly. 

Coming: Jan-March 2015
Expected Price: Rs. 6.5-8 lakh
Competition: Renault Duster, Maruti Ertiga

 10.  Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Wrangler:

Fiat apart from launching Abarth brand in India is all set to launch another brand in India i.e. Jeep flagship. Under which two cars will be launched Grand Cherokee and Wrangler. Jeep Cherokee will lock its horns with BMW X5, Audi Q7 while Wrangler will be niche product and both the products will be sold separately in the Jeep outlets not at Fiat dealerships. Jeep Cherokee and Wrangler will be offered in 3.0L and V8 petrol engines. 

Coming- March 2015
Expected Price- 
Jeep Grand Cherokee- Rs. 70 lakh
Jeep Wrangler- Rs. 40 lakh
 Competition- Jeep Cherokee to take on Audi Q7 and BMW X5

Here is the list of few cars which might also make its way to the Indian roads in 2015

Sandeep Singh