Car News That Mattered This Week: Mahindra XUV500 And Skoda Rapid Bid Adieu, Bookings Open For New Celerio, New Alto Spied, Tata Punch Waiting Period And More

This past week a couple of carmakers closed the book on long running models, a new premium EV was launched, and we got some updates on Maruti hatchbacks

November is here and carmakers continue to charge ahead with new launches. In the first week of November, a couple of carmakers also called time on decade-old name plates, and the increasing demand for the latest cars sees waiting times hit four months!

Mahindra XUV500 and Skoda Rapid Discontinued

Mahindra finally took the XUV500 off showroom floors, with its successor, the XUV700, now being the halo model for the brand. Even in its last years, the XUV500 was selling in good numbers, although the carmaker plans to bring a new model below the XUV700 to resurrect the XUV500 moniker in a few years.

Skoda also finally stopped production of the Rapid. The final cars, in the special Matt Edition, are on their way to showrooms. It will be replaced by the Slavia, a car that is bigger and better equipped to take on the stalwarts of the segment like the Honda City and Hyundai Verna, early next year.

Bookings Open For Maruti Celerio

Maruti has begun accepting bookings for the new-gen Celerio. It has been spied multiple times already, and the AMT variant of the hatchback was spotted too. Maruti has also sprung in a surprise by offering the 1.2-litre DualJet engine in the Celerio with the engine-idle start/stop system. The new-gen Celerio is expected to be launched on November 10.

Maruti Alto Spied

The Alto is a household name in India so any development around it is bound to make waves. A new-gen model of the small hatchback was spied on Indian roads, although it was heavily wrapped in camo. The Alto is expected to carry forward its value-for-money proposition, but with a bunch of new features that are now counted as essentials when buying a car. Its launch is expected to take place in the first half of 2022.

BYD e6 MPV Launched

BYD, a Chinese carmaker, has launched the e6 MPV in India but you and I can’t buy it. The vehicle is only meant for fleet operators as it is only available as a B2B offering for now. The car costs around Rs 30 lakh and for that price, its performance is not that impressive, though it promises decent range. It also looks spacious and premium. Check it out over here.

Skoda Slavia Design Sketch Revealed

We have already driven the pre-production and camouflaged Slavia. Now, however, Skoda has revealed design sketches of the sedan and as expected, it has the Skoda family look. The design of the car looks understated (typically Skoda), and will have you drawing parallels with the Octavia and Superb. It will make its global debut later this month.

Tata Punch Commands A Waiting Period

Bookings have been pouring in for Tata’s small SUV Punchwhich was recently launched in India. Only if you live in Chennai can you get the SUV without any waiting period. Most cities have a general waiting period of 2 to 3 months, and it even goes to 4 months in the case of one major metro city. Read all about it here.

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