RENAULT CAPTUR
The Captur is set to make landfall in India just before Diwali. To slot in above the Duster, this is a bigger vehicle and boasts of Renault’s reliability and ruggedness. The versatile 1.5-litre diesel engine that has been powering a number of Renaults will be the diesel on offer in this one and it would be mated to a six-speed gearbox. The petrol would be a 1.5-litre unit as well, but would use a five-speed gearbox. Renault’s stressing heavily on the scope of personalising the Captur to create a connect with buyers.
Expected price: Rs 15 lakh onwards
MARUTI SUZUKI S-CROSS
The new S-Cross from Maruti Suzuki is a diesel-only vehicle that is powered by the company’s trusty 1,248cc, 89hp DDiS 200 Smart Hybrid unit with a start-stop function. The older droopy front end has been jettisoned for a chunkier design with a prominent octagonal grille. The wipers are the rain-sensing kind. The infotainment system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A less common feature in this car is an adjustable rear seat. The S-Cross also has adjustable steering and cruise control.
Prices*: Rs 8.49 lakh-11.29 lakh
JEEP COMPASS PETROL
Jeep had started handing over the diesel versions of the Compass some time ago, but the petrols are finally rolling out now. They are powered by a 1.4-litre, 161hp engine that makes 250Nm of torque. The claimed fuel efficiency figure is 14.1kmpl for the 4x2 automatic. Other features are similar to those of the diesel for the corresponding level of trim.
Prices*: Rs 15.20 lakh-19.71 lakh
VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT
Volkswagen India has brought back its topline sedan, the Passat, after a good four years, but only in diesel avatar this time around. The two versions are Comfortline and Highline. It’s powered by a two-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine that produces 177hp of power at the peak and 350Nm of peak
torque and drives the front wheels through a six-speed automatic gearbox. In its feature list are, among others, two-zone climate control, panoramic sunroof and premium interiors.
Prices*: Rs 29.99 lakh-32.99 lakh
MAHINDRA KUV100 NXT
The KUV100 was launched as a small crossover. Now, a couple of years on, it has got a facelift and the addition of NXT to its name. The front end is more aggressive and it has bumpers with skid plates, new headlamps (with daytime running lights) and tail lamps. The wheels are now 15-inch alloys. The infotainment system comes with a seven-inch touchscreen and GPS navigation. Engine options are an 82bhp petrol or a 77bhp diesel. Airbags and ABS are standard.
Prices: Petrol Rs 4.58 lakh-6.67 lakh; Diesel Rs 5.57 lakh-7.58 lakh
MARUTI SUZUKI CELERIO
The Celerio hatchback has got a mid-life update and prices are up a bit too. The interiors are unchanged apart from the seat fabric and the changes are mostly on the outside. Both the front and rear bumpers sport smart new designs now. The grille, too, loses a lot of shiny bits and now has a single chrome bar across the top. All trims now come with a driver’s airbag and one for the passenger is available as an option.
Prices*: Rs 4.27 lakh-5.46 lakh
HERO SPLENDOR+ I3s
The Splendor moniker has gone on Hero MotoCorp’s blockbuster products that are famed for their fuel-efficiency in the 100cc commuter bike segment. Recently, the manufacturer has added i3s, the indigenously developed start-stop technology intended to save fuel, to this machine along with a power start feature. Additionally, they now also have always-on headlamps to improve safety. The engine is the proven 97.2cc, 8bhp (approx), single-cylinder unit. The i3s version is also being sold with alloy wheels.
Price*: Rs 51,306
HERO NEW MAESTRO EDGE
The new Hero Maestro Edge is the world’s largest two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp’s offering in the clutchless scooter segment. After a few years on the market it has been updated this year with new features such as the always-on headlamp to make it more visible even during the day and LED tail lamps, a bigger 12-inch alloy front wheel with tubeless tyres, an immobiliser to deter theft, and a mobile phone charging port in the under-seat boot that now has a light as well. The engine remains the same 110cc, 8bhp unit with automatic clutch and self start.
Prices*: Rs 53,904-Rs 54,904
TATA TIAGO WIZZ
The Tiago has been one of the more successful cars from Tata Motors and now the company has launched the Tiago Wizz limited edition. It has a dual-tone exterior with contrast black roof and spoiler, roof rails, dual-tone wheel covers with red accents, berry-red grill highlights, and two-tone interiors with piano-black finish and sporty red lines. Colour options are red and white.
Prices*: Petrol Rs 4.68 lakh; Diesel Rs 5.46 lakh
HONDA CBR 650F
This Honda was a very competent performance machine to begin with, and now Honda has given it an upgrade. It gets Showa Dual Bending Valve type fork for better damping. It still has its wheel-mounted front disc brakes, but now with Nissin calipers on the 320mm discs and ABS on both wheels. The liquid-cooled, 649cc, 4-cylinder engine makes 86hp and 60Nm. The bike is sold with red or black paint jobs. Both headlamp and tail lamp are now LED clusters. The bike is versatile enough to be used on commutes as well as touring.
Price*: Rs 7.32 lakh
TOYOTA ETIOS CROSS X-EDITION
Toyota gave the Etios Liva a shot of testosterone and bulked it up visually to turn it into the Etios Cross. Now, with the X-Edition, it has given the car a fresh look with the ‘quartz brown’ paint scheme, body-coloured cladding and a black grille. The X also gets a cool carbon-fibre finish dashboard. For safety there are two front airbags, ABS and electronic brake distribution. There’s also a 6.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a useful reverse parking camera that uses the same screen.
Prices*: Petrol Rs 6.79 lakh; Diesel Rs 8.23 lakh
YAMAHA FAZER25
This is a touring bike from Yamaha for those with a yen to hit the open road and it will not break the bank either. The oil-cooled, single-cylinder, 249cc engine makes 20hp and enough torque (20Nm) to haul man and bike easily along highways. The 14-litre tank will ensure you have enough to do extended runs without stopping for refills. Because of its touring intent, the bike has an aerodynamic fairing, wide seats and monoshock suspension at the rear to keep things comfortable, even on the longer hauls.
Price*: Rs 1.31 lakh
*Prices are ex showroom Calcutta