New Cars launching in 2016: Sedans

One of the most popular cars in the country is not a small cheap hatchback but a compact sedan instead. With more and more number of Indians able to afford a larger car every year, it is no surprise that most opt for a sedan as their family car. 2016 will see a huge number of sedans making its way to India including the long awaited compact sedan from Volkswagen to an all-new Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

New Hyundai Elantra

Expected Price: Rs 10-15 lakh

Expected launch: Late 2016

Hyundai has just refreshed the Elantra a few months ago but soon there will be an all new version of the car with even more updates. The car will have updated headlamps, tail lamps but will keep the overall look that the Elantra currently has. The new Elantra will also have a similar grille as the one found on the Hyundai i20 and the Creta. The new Elantra will now house the 2.0-litre engine that rakes up 149PS and 179Nm of torque. This one will be offered with either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic. In terms of safety, blind-spot detection will be available on multiple trim levels, while the top-trim will offer forward-collision warning with automatic braking. The introduction of both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will also be available on the new Elantra.

Skoda Octavia RS

Expected Price: Rs 15-20 lakh

Expected launch: Early 2016

Yes, the legendary Skoda Octavia RS will be back in India in 2016! Compared to the standard model, the new Skoda Octavia vRS has a new front bumper with a bigger air dam featuring a honeycomb grille and sleeker fog lamps. The new RS also has a lower ride height, new sporty alloy wheels that can be ordered in 18 or 19 inch sizes and red brake calipers. The rear bumper gets a large black air diffuser the top of which has a red reflector strip and incorporates twin trapezoidal chrome exhaust pipes at either end. The Skoda Octavia RS will come with a 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine that generates 223PS of power and is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox both of which when worked to optimum can catapult the car from 0-100kmph in 6.8-seconds and onwards to a top speed of 248kmph. The new Octavia RS will be priced at about Rs 20 lakh in India.

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Audi A4

Expected Price: Rs 20-50 lakh

Expected launch: Early 2016

The Audi A4 is a very successful car in India and the new generation model will make its way to India in mid-2016 with a price tag of about Rs 35-50 lakh depending on the engine and drive train options. n the international market, the New Audi A4 is offered with varied engine options right from a 1.4-litre TFSI petrol to a 3.0-litre V6 diesel. However, India will not get all of these options. We expect Audi to bring in the 2.0-litre TFSI petrol unit and the popular 2.0-litre TDI diesel. Both these engines will come mated to Audi’s 7-speed S Tronic unit.  Based on a completely new platform, the new A4 sports a five-link fully independent front and rear configuration which will improve the ride and handling of the new A4.

BMW 3 Series facelift

Expected Price: Rs 20-50 lakh

Expected launch: Mid 2016

The BMW 3 Series will have a minor facelift in 2016. Although not really visible to the common man there are small updates that include new wheels and of course, a new set of tail lamps and headlamps. And that is about it. The car will also get a slightly updated interior and will get a new infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto added in as well. The mechanicals for India will remain the same although there will be a new more powerful petrol engine internationally badged as the BMW 340i with 325PS of peak power and 447Nm of torque. The BMW 3 Series will also get a hybrid engine internationally but considering our government’s position on Hybrid technology, will not make it to India.

Volvo S90

Expected Price: Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 Crore

Expected launch: Mid 2016

The Volvo S90 will be an important car for Volvo globally and in India. For starters, Volvo has finally made a genuine competitor for the likes of the S-Class but at a price point that will be between the E-Class and the S-Class. The new S90 will get both petrol and diesel engines in India. But the best part about the S90 though will be the interior. It will get state of the art interior tech with the large touchscreen display that has made the XC90 all the attention in the world. The new S90 will also be available with a hybrid version which might make it to India too. There will also be a sportier version of the S90 eventually with a more luxurious edition of the car offered at an extra premium. Expect the S90 to be priced at Rs 75-80 lakh when it makes its way to India.

Skoda Superb

Expected Price: Rs 20-50 lakh

Expected launch: Early 2016

The new 2016 Skoda Superb will make its debut in India in early 2016 and will officially be displayed at the 2016 Indian Auto Expo. The new Skoda Superb will essentially go up against the likes of the Toyota Camry, the Audi A3 and the Mercedes-Benz CLA along with the upcoming Honda Accord sedan. On the exterior front, the new Skoda Superb looks a lot more aggressive and a lot sportier than the current generation car. In terms of engines, the Skoda Superb will get both a petrol and a diesel engine with both manual and automatic gearbox options. The petrol engine is expected to be a 1.8-litre TSI unit that also does duty in the Skoda Octavia. The diesel will be a 2.0-litre TDI turbocharged 4-cylinder engine which will invariably be the favorite of the indian car buying audiences. Expect a price tag of about Rs 30 lakh on the new Skoda Superb when it makes its way to India.

Jaguar XE

Expected Price: Rs 20-50 lakh

Expected launch: Early 2016

The Jaguar XE will make its way to India and will officially be launched at the Indian Auto Expo in 2016. The new car will be available with both petrol and diesel motors and will also come with a XE-S variant with 345PS of power. The design of the Jaguar XE is truly modern and attractive. It has a good mix of Jaguar family design cues in all its major elements. The front grille for instance resembles the XJ and the updated XF design and the long bonnet and gills are elements inspired by the gorgeous F-Type. The XE has a sporty stance in side profile accentuated by the sloping roofline and attractive alloy wheel design. The rear gets a lip for the boot lid, taillamps that don’t do justice to the rest of the design and split circular exhaust. Expect a price tag of Rs 35-50 lakh when the XE makes it to India and goes up against rivals like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the BMW 3 Series and the Audi A4.

BMW 7 Series

Expected Price: Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 Crore

Expected launch: Mid 2016

The luxury sedan market in India would not be complete without the BMW 7 Series. When launched, the BMW 7 series will look sportier than its predecessor with a set of twin barrel headlamps combined with LED lights and daytime running lights. The new 7 Series will only be available in the long wheelbase version in India as has always traditionally been the case. The new 7 series will be available in 730d, 750iL and the range topping V12 powered 760iL. There will also be a hybrid version of the 7 series that will be sold in India. The new 7 Series comes with gizmos like a self park assist system, driver assisted autonomous driving, Sky lounge panoramic sunroofs and even laser headlamps. The 7 Series also comes with a smart touchcreen key that lets you control several aspects of the car and even lets the 7 Series automatically reverse out of a tight spot all by itself without a driver being present. Expect a price tag of over Rs 1 Crore when the car makes it to India.

Toyota Vios

Expected Price: Rs 5-10 lakh

Expected launch: Early 2016

Toyota’s Honda City rival will finally make it to India in 2016. The Vios will also take on the Hyundai Verna, the Volkswagen Vento and the MAruti Suzuki Ciaz amongst others. The Vios shares its grille with the Indian Corolla but has a sportier front bumper with a large octagonal air intake. Around the back, the Vios gets a set of large tail lamps and a large chrome strip running across the length of the booth in a bid to boost the premium appeal of the car. Expect the Vios to be offered with the 1.5-litre petrol engine as well as the 1.4-litre diesel engines found in the Etios and Liva. Gearbox options are expected to include the five-speed manual, seven-speed CVT box and the six-speed manual for the diesel. Expect the Toyota Vios to be priced around the Rs 8-11 lakh mark when launched.

Volkswagen Stuffe/Bora

Expected Price: Rs 5-10 lakh

Expected launch: Early 2016

Volkswagen is ready to jump on to the compact sedan bandwagon with the Polo Stuffe compact sedan. The Stuffe is still a code name for the car which could be launched under a different name, most probably Bora considering past compact 4-door sedans from Volkswagen. The Polo Stuffe will share mechanicals with the Polo and to qualify for the lower taxes should get the set of 1.2-litre petrol and diesel engines already on offer in the Polo. The petrol engine develops 75PS of power and 110Nm of torque while the diesel engine makes 90PS and a healthier 200Nm of torque. On the interior front, expect the same interiors that feature on the Polo to make their way onto the Stuffe too. The Polo Stuffe will take on cars like the Honda Amaze, Maruti Dzire, Hyundai Xcent and Tata Zest in the sub 4-meter compact sedan segment.

New Volkswagen Passat

Expected Price: Rs 20-50 lakh

Expected launch: Early 2016

The new Volkswagen Passat will make its way to India in 2016 and will go up against the likes of the Skoda Superb and the Toyota Camry along with cars like the Audi A3 and the Mercedes-Benz CLA. Although there is not a whole lot to write about when it comes to design, there is a sense of richness and quality about the Passat that few other cars in the category showcase. The Passat will get addons like LED headlamps and LED tail lamps too. The Passat will come with both petrol and diesel engines. The 2.0-litre diesel will make close to 200PS of peak power and will get a 7-speed dual clutch gearbox paired to a front wheel drive layout. Expect prices to start around the Rs 20 lakh mark and go all the way post the Rs 30 lakh mark for the larger engined versions.

Chevrolet Cruze

Expected Price: Rs 10-15 lakh

Expected launch: Late 2016

The new Chevrolet Cruze will be launched in India soon and will go up against the likes of the Skoda Octavia, Volkswagen Jetta, Hyundai Elantra and the Toyota Corolla amongst others. We expect the Cruze to be priced between Rs 12-18 lakhs (ex-showroom).  The new Cruze now features a much more swept back design as opposed to the boxy sharp design that we are used to seeing on the current generation. We also think it looks much sportier than the current generation and will get LED daytime running lights. The Chevrolet Cruze in India is currently powered by a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder, turbocharged diesel engine making 165PS of peak power at 3800rpm and 380Nm or peak torque at 2000rpm. An upgraded version of this engine will continue to be provided on the Cruze with a few upgrades.