Cars to be launched in May-June this year

Globally, automobile companies bring new vehicles, adorn facelifts, give offers, etc to propel their sales and the scenario is no different in one of the fastest growing car markets of the world, India. Most of the auto companies plan to launch new vehicles at selected time of a year which could be festive season or year end to gain maximum benefit from the market. However, there are other car makers as well that believe in their products more and launch vehicles at offbeat period of the year. In the same league, there are few cars lined-up that will be launched in the present quarter i.e. second quarter of 2014. This year, too, will witness several new vehicles arriving in each segment whether it may be SUV, Sedan, Hatchback or MPV. Lets take a look at the cars specifically coming in the next couple of months this year.

Toyota Corolla Altis

We had seen the 11th generation of legendary Corolla being unveiled at Auto Expo'14 and the launch date for the same is round the corner. In India, the new Corolla Altis will be arriving by this May. The next gen Altis has received some of the extensive styling upgrades which make it look upscaled and a better product than its previous generation. With the refreshing looks to offer, the sedan also comes loaded with luxurious interiors and improved comfort levels. Dimensionally, the new Altis has grown to 4620mm in length, 1776mm in width, 1475mm in height with a wheelbase of 2700mm. With respect to its exteriors, the sedan has received daytime running LED headlamps, 16-inch alloy wheels and LED clearance lamps. Some of the luxury defining elements added to its interiors include plush leather seats, cyber carbon piano black instrument panel cluster, paddle shift and many others.

Toyota Etios Cross

Another car from Toyota's stable is the all-new Etios Cross which is going to be positioned in the sub-4 metre category of cars. Along with new Corolla Altis, the company also plans to launch the much awaited Etios Cross in the month of May itself. The vehicle is basically based on the Etios hatch but comes with an additional designing element carrying the rugged appeal. Besides, it has been bestowed with off-road capabilities like raised ground clearance, better engine tuning, etc. The overall look of Etios Cross does feels identical to bigger crossovers. The vehicle will be pitched against the likes of Ford Ecosport, Volkswagen Cross Polo and upcoming Fiat Avventura. The vehicle will be available with three engine options- 1.5-litre petrol, 1.2-litre petrol and 1.4-litre diesel churning power outputs of 88bhp, 78bhp and 67bhp, respectively.

Tata Zest and Tata Bolt

In June, Tata will be launching its two most awaited products- Tata Bolt and Tata Zest with former being a hatch while the latter being a compact sedan. Tata is certain to put tough competition for the existing market leaders in the respective segments. The new Zest will be powered by a 1.2-litre Revotron turbocharged MPFi engine that churns max power of 84bhp, while the diesel variant features a 1.3-litre engine producing 89bhp of top power. Zest will get everything right from looks to technology that would place it as a strong competitor against the market rulers- Maruti Swift Dzire, Hyundai Xcent and Honda Amaze.

On the other hand, the new Bolt in the hatchback segment is another brilliant product designed by Tata Motors India. Considering the popularity of this segment amongst Indian buyers, the car certainly seems to capture a good market share once it arrives. Bolt is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine that churns max power of 83bhp and top torque of 140Nm. The engine is claimed to be highly efficient in terms of fuel economy and offers refined engine performance. The engine is combined to an F-Tronic automated manual gearbox (AMT) for effortless driving.