The year 2013 has seen some great vehicles getting launched in the Indian market. The Ford EcoSport, Hyundai Grand i10, Honda Amaze, Skoda Octavia, Mercedes A-Class, etc all managed to create a tremendous amount of buzz among car buyers. 2013 has now ended and it is time to welcome 2014. While most people look forward to new resolutions in the new year, we auto enthusiasts look forward to new vehicle launches in the new year. So here’s just what you need – a list of the 5 most awaited cars of 2014 along with their details.
1) Hyundai Grand i10 Sedan – The Grand i10 which Hyundai launched last year created a lot of uproar in the automotive segment and the vehicle started selling like hot cakes. Hyundai knows that the compact sedan (under 4-metres in length) market is booming with cars like the Maruti Swift DZire and Honda Amaze selling really well. Not wanting to be left out, Hyundai is officially going to unveil the sedan version of the Grand i10 on 4th February 2014. The wheelbase will be slightly longer and hence we can expect some more amount of space. The Grand i10 sedan will fill the void that the Accent left. It will be powered by the 1.2-litre Kappa petrol engine which generates 83 PS of power and 114 Nm of torque and the 1.1-litre diesel engine which generates 71 PS of power and 158 Nm of torque. The Hyundai Grand i10 Sedan will be priced between Rs. 6-8 lakhs.
2) Maruti YL7 Hatchback (A:Wind) – Maruti Suzuki recently stopped production of the Zen Estilo since it wasn’t selling and the A-Star has also met the same fate. Maruti Suzuki is now going to replace both these hatchbacks by a single all new hatchback which is codenamed YL7. The YL7 will be powered by the same 1.0-litre K10 engine that powers the Alto K10, WagonR, A-Star and the discontinued Estilo. This engine produces 67 BHP of power and 90 Nm of torque. The YL7 will be showcased in 2014 and sales will begin soon thereafter. It will compete with the Hyundai Grand i10, Honda Brio, etc. The YL7 will replace the Ritz/Splash and Alto in the international markets. It will also get a diesel engine by the end of the year, which is an 800cc, two-cylinder unit.
3) Datsun GO – Nissan is reviving the Datsun brand and the first vehicle that they will launch will be the GO which is a compact hatchback. The GO is for those people who are on a tight budget and yet they want something roomier than the Maruti Alto. The GO will be powered by a 1.2-litre engine which produces 68 PS of power and 108 Nm of torque. This engine is a 3-cylinder unit and it is also found in the Nissan Micra Active. The Datsun Go will be priced below Rs. 4 lakhs and it will compete with the Maruti Alto 800, Chevrolet Spark and even Tata Nano. Datsun might also launch a cheaper version of the GO by 2016 whereas an MPV version called the GO+ is coming by the end of the year.
4) Honda Mobilio – The Mobilio is Honda’s answer to the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. This is a very sporty looking MPV and it is based on the same platform as the Brio. The design of the dashboard will be similar to the Brio and Amaze whereas the space in the rear seats will be slightly better than the Ertiga. The Mobilio will be offered with two engine options – 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine from the City which generates 118 BHP of power and the 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine from the Amaze which generates around 100 BHP of power. The Mobilio will be unveiled by Honda at the 2014 Auto Expo and it is expected to be priced around Rs. 7-10 lakhs to compete directly with the Ertiga. It will also generate interest from buyers of the Ford EcoSport and some sedans too since Indians are known for cross-shopping.
5) New Ford Figo – Are you a fan of Aston Martin? Can’t afford one? Buy the 2014 Ford Figo instead! The Figo was launched in India in 2010 initially and even though it came with an old-school design, there were many takers for the vehicle since it offered good interior and boot space, a powerful AC, good diesel engine, all at a very competitive price. There were quite some essential features missing though. Ford showcased the new Figo concept in Brazil last month and it is expected that the production version will be very similar to the concept. Most probably it will be powered by the 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine which is already available with the EcoSport as well as the 1.5-litre TDCi diesel engine. The new Figo will be launched in 2014 at an aggressive price, with all the gizmos found in the EcoSport.