Check Out All The Cars That Were Discontinued In 2023

2023 saw many new car launches including new-gen models, facelifts, electrics as well as new segment starters. However, we have had some cars discontinued as well. Most of these were victims of the BS6 Phase-2 emissions norms as the carmakers didn’t commit the extra investment to upgrade the powertrains to the new emission norms. Let us take a look at these 9 cars which were discontinued in 2023:

Maruti Suzuki Alto 800

The Alto 800 was the most affordable offering from Maruti Suzuki. Powered by an 0.8 litre engine, it was available in both petrol and CNG options. The hatchback was launched back in 2012. This makes it one of those rare offerings from India’s largest carmaker to be phased out in just over a decade. While the Alto 800 was stopped due to the BS6 Phase-2 norms, the Alto brand lives on in the form of the K10 with a larger 1-litre engine. 

Honda Jazz

The Honda Jazz made its debut in 2009. At the time, it was hailed as a revolutionary product with efficient space utilisation, convenient features like magic seats, and more. In 2015, the Jazz received a major upgrade and was available in both petrol and diesel engines. In 2020, Honda facelifted the Jazz but no longer offered it with the diesel engine due to the BS6 norms. Then, as the BS6 Phase-2 norms kicked it, Honda decided to pull the plug on the Jazz in April 2023. 

Honda WR-V

The Honda WR-V was a crossover based on the Jazz. It was available with both 1.2-litre petrol and the 1.5-litre diesel, but only with a manual transmission. Honda was not offering the automatic option on the WR-V so as to stop it from cannibalising the sales of the Jazz. But ultimately, with rising competition, the WR-V’s sales dwindled over the years. Thus, after launching the car in 2017, Honda discontinued the crossover in 2023 alongside the Jazz. 

Honda City Fourth-gen

The City brand has been on sale for a while now, and one that pushed Honda as a household name in India. The fourth-gen City came to our shores in 2014 and the Japanese carmaker decided to keep selling the older gen model alongside the new fifth-gen which made its debut in 2020. Honda positioned the outgoing model as a more affordable alternative to the latest City. However, the lack of an automatic and diesel engine led to mediocre sales once the new car was on sale. With the fifth-gen model receiving a facelift in early 2023, Honda finally decided to discontinue the fourth-gen City. 

Nissan Kicks 

Nissan launched the Kicks in 2019 with an aim to make its mark in the highly popular compact SUV segment. The Japanese carmaker positioned the SUV primarily against rivals like the Hyundai Creta, but there was no automatic option on the cards. When the new BS6 emission norms kicked in, Nissan discontinued the diesel option but introduced a new 1.3-litre turbo petrol with 156 PS. This engine was mated to a CVT and manual gearbox. When the time came to update the car with new emission norms, Nissan discontinued the car. At present Nissan only sells the Magnite SUV.

Skoda Octavia

Skoda had introduced the Octavia over 20 years also in India. Since then, the Octavia brand enjoyed a near cult status thanks to the RS models, which came with upgraded features and higher performance. However, when the new Real Driving Emission (RDE) norms were introduced in April 2023, Skoda decided to pull the plug on the sedan. The Czech carmaker has sold over 1 lakh copies of the Octavia in India since its launch. However, there is some hope left as there are reports of the new Octavia making its way to our shores sometime in 2024. 

Skoda Superb

Launched back in 2009, the Skoda Superb is the flagship sedan of the car brand in India. It was available with both petrol and diesel options initially, but the diesel engine was stopped in 2020. This made the brand a petrol-only offering as both Skoda and Volkswagen shifted away from oil-burners. As the emissions norms became tighter in 2023, and customers moving away from sedans and towards SUVs, Skoda decided to stop selling the Superb in India. Despite this, the company has unveiled the new-gen Superb in the international markets and could even make its way to our shores in 2024.

Kia Carnival

Offered in a 6- and 7-seat layout, the Carnival quickly gained popularity as the luxury people-mover. At one point, Kia was also offering a 9-seat model, but it was phased out quite early. Launched in 2020, the Carnival met its end when the new emissions norms of 2023 kicked in. However, there is news that the Korean carmaker plans to bring back the new Carnival next year. 

Mahindra KUV100 NXT

Introduced in 2016, the KUV100 got a facelift in 2017 itself. The quirky 6-seater was available with both petrol and diesel options, but the latter was no longer offered towards the end. In 2023, Mahindra stopped taking bookings for the hatchback, which meant the end of the KUV100 in India. The KUV line was active despite the low sales volume for so long due to decent export demand for the model.

With 9 models off the market in 2023, which one would you still buy if you had the chance? Let us know in the comments below with your reasons.