Mahindra Invader – All of you know about the Mahindra Bolero being one of the highest selling cars in India despite being so basic and old but do you know that Mahindra had launched a soft-top 2-door version of the Bolero called the Invader? It was a lifestyle SUV much before the Thar came and got a 2.5-litre diesel engine making 72 HP! Launched in 2001 and discontinued in 2010, the Invader was priced at Rs. 4.80 lakhs.
Maruti Versa – Everyone knows the Maruti Eeco but few people know about the car which was launched before the Eeco in the early 2000s. Maruti launched the Versa with Amitabh Bachchan as the brand ambassador and it was actually a premium version of the Eeco with AC, power steering, all power windows, etc. Got a 1.3-litre petrol engine and the pricing was near Rs. 5-5.5 lakhs. Sadly, it didn’t sell in high numbers.
Fiat Siena/Petra – The Siena was a sedan version of the popular Palio hatchback, priced between Rs. 5-6 lakhs. While the Palio found lots of takers, the Siena didn’t sell much. Got 1.2-litre and 1.6-litre petrol and 1.9-litre diesel engines. Fiat gave it a facelift and renamed it to Petra and Sachin Tendulkar was the brand ambassador still sales never picked up. It was eventually discontinued.
