Car News That Mattered This Week (Aug 8-14): Multiple Launches And Unveils, Bookings Open For New Models, Spy Shots, And More

The last week’s talking point was surely Tata Motors’s move to acquire Ford India’s plant in Sanand, Gujarat

The Raksha Bandhan-marked week running up to the 75th Independence Day was filled with a variety of actions in the automotive industry. This ranged from multiple launches (new models, limited edition, CNG variants, etc) to Tata purchasing Ford’s plant in Sanand, Gujarat.

Here’s a rundown of all the important updates:

All Launches And Unveiling Of The Past Week

1) 2022 Hyundai Tucson Launched: Hyundai has finally brought the fourth-gen Tucson to our shores. It’s the first car in its India lineup to get Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) and is available with both petrol and diesel engines. We did put the SUV through its paces and have penned down our thoughts on it.

2) Tata Tigor CNG Gets More Affordable: Since the time the Tigor CNG went on sale in January 2022, it was only offered in the range-topping XZ and XZ+ trims. Tata has now made the greener sedan more affordable and has launched a new base-spec XM trim.

3) Jeep Marks Five Years Of The Compass With A Limited Edition: It’s been five years since Jeep launched the Compass SUV in India. To commemorate the feat, the carmaker has launched a limited edition of the SUV with some cosmetic and feature updates.

4) Maruti Adds The Swift To Its CNG Lineup: The Swift was probably one of most wished Maruti cars to come with a CNG option. Well, Maruti has answered the prayers of prospective buyers and introduced two variants with the alternative fuel option.

5) Mahindra Scorpio Classic Revealed: When the new-gen Scorpio (known as the Scorpio N) was unveiled, Mahindra revealed its plans to continue offering the previous iteration of the Scorpio as ‘Scorpio Classic’. The carmaker has now taken the covers off the SUV while its prices will be out on August 20.

Spy Shots And Updates On Upcoming Cars

1) Force Could Expand The Gurkha’s Lineup: We already know that Force is readying a five-door version of the Gurkha. It now seems like the carmaker might be looking at expanding the SUV’s lineup as a 13-seat version of the Gurkha was caught on camera recently.

2) MG Teases The Facelifted Hector Again: In another teaser of the facelifted MG Hector, the carmaker has given us a glimpse of the SUV’s updated front fascia. It’s also been confirmed that the existing model will continue to remain on sale alongside the facelifted version.

3) Hyundai Alcazar Facelift Spied: Although it’s been on sale only for over a year in India, the Hyundai Alcazar looks set to receive a mid-life update in South Korea. This can be confirmed by the first set of images that have caught the updated SUV going around without any camouflage.

4) 2022 Citroen C5 Price: Citroen is gearing up to launch the facelifted C5 Aircross in September in India. We now have exclusive information about the price range of the new iteration of the SUV.

Bookings Open For The Following Models:

1) New Maruti Alto K10: With barely days left for the launch, Maruti has now started accepting bookings for the new-gen Alto K10. It will be an Arena offering and will have a lot of similarities with the next-in-line S-Presso and Celerio.

2) Third-gen Audi Q3: After more than a two-year hiatus, one of the most popular Audi SUVs, the Q3, is making a comeback in India. The carmaker has opened bookings for the SUV and has also announced special benefits to an early batch of customers.

3) 2023 Skoda Kodiaq: Skoda has once again opened bookings for the Kodiaq as it has allocated another batch of the SUV for our country, which will come between January and March 2023. However, new year means the SUV will come at an increased price.

Other Update

Tata Buys Ford India’s Gujarat Plant: In a big move, Tata Motors’ electric mobility division has taken over Ford India’s plant in Sanand, Gujarat. The Blue Oval’s Indian employees have been transferred to the Indian carmaker as part of the deal (signed for an enormous amount by the way!).