Five Cars To Watch Out For In August 2021

A variety of cars are about to enter the market this month. Some new, some facelifted, and mostly SUVs

The Indian automotive space will see several new entrants in August 2021. While some are just updates, a few are highly anticipated models we’ve been waiting for since a long time now.

Here are the cars expected to be launched or at least unveiled in their production form this month:

Facelifted Honda Amaze

Expected price: Rs 6 lakh to Rs 10 lakh 

Rivals: Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Hyundai Aura, Ford Aspire, Tata Tigor

The second-gen Amaze is getting its first facelift. We don’t know the exact changes, but we expect most of them to be cosmetic, including new LED headlights and taillights. The sub-4m sedan will likely get some additional features too.

Chances are the facelifted Honda Amaze will continue with the same 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engine options with a choice of manual and automatic transmissions.

Mahindra XUV700

Expected price: Rs 16 lakh to Rs 22 lakh

Rivals: Tata Safari, Hyundai Alcazar, MG Hector Plus

The Mahindra XUV500 successor has been long due now. The SUV, spied on and teased on multiple occasions, will be called the XUV700. We expect to finally get a clear look at the production-spec model in August. However, we don’t know if the prices would also be announced this month.

• Mahindra XUV700 Spied Completely Undisguised!

The XUV700 is expected to get Mahindra’s latest petrol and diesel powertrains, an all-wheel-drive variant, and segment-first Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

Volkswagen Taigun

Expected price: Rs 10 lakh to Rs 17 lakh

Rivals: Hyundai Creta, Skoda Kushaq, Kia Seltos, Nissan Kicks

Every mass-market brand in India wants a slice of the small SUV segment. And in August, Volkswagen will finally make its way into that space with the Taigun based on the heavily localised MQB-A0 IN platform. The SUV shares much of its mechanicals and features with its sibling, the Skoda Kushaq.

Related: Volkswagen Taigun To Enter Production On August 18

The Taigun will be a premium offering with a distinctive design and a choice of two turbo-petrol engines: 115PS 1-litre TSI and a 150PS 1.5-litre TSI.

Tata Tiago NRG

Expected price: Rs 5.29 lakh to Rs 7.25 lakh

Rivals: Maruti Suzuki Celerio X

The Tiago NRG is a crossover version of the regular Tiago. It was temporarily discontinued in 2020 and is now being reintroduced with a BS6 1.2-litre petrol engine and some skin-deep differences over the standard Tiago. But it isn’t likely to get any additional features.

Also read: Tata Tiago NRG Facelift Starts Reaching Dealerships

Force Gurkha 2021

Expected price: Rs 11 lakh to Rs 14 lakh

Rivals: Mahindra Thar

The much-anticipated new-gen Force Gurkha, first showcased at Auto Expo 2020, will likely be launched in August. Overall, the design is similar to the previous-gen Gurkha, but its boxy edges have now been done away with. It is expected to get a better-equipped cabin too.

The 2021 Gurkha will likely be provided with a BS6 version of the same 2.6-litre diesel engine as earlier. A more powerful 2.2-litre diesel engine may also be introduced going forward. The off-roader will feature a 4x4 drivetrain with a low-range transfer case and manual locking differential.