MG Hector, Kia Seltos, Maruti Baleno Among Google’s Top 10 Most Searched Cars In 2019

Surprisingly, the Tata Harrier and Tata Altroz didn’t make the cut

Every year, Google releases a list of top searches in various categories in its ‘Year in Search’ report. Of course, our focus is on the top car searches and this year’s report is full of surprises yet again. Here’s a list of the top 10 most trending cars on Google this year (all prices listed below are ex-showroom, Delhi): 

10) Toyota Glanza

Price range: Rs 6.98 lakh - Rs 8.90 lakh

The Toyota Glanza is the first shared product from the Toyota-Suzuki partnership to be launched in India. It is a rebadged Maruti Suzuki Baleno that gets the added benefit of Toyota’s after-sales services. The Glanza gets the same BS6 petrol powertrains including the new 1.2-litre Dual-Jet mild hybrid engine that was introduced in 2019. It is Toyota’s competitor against the likes of the Hyundai Elite i20, Honda Jazz, Volkswagen Polo, Maruti Suzuki Baleno and the upcoming Tata Altroz.

9) Hyundai Grand i10

Price range(Grand i10): Rs 5.79 lakh - Rs 6.50 lakh Price range(Grand i10 Nios): Rs 5 lakh - Rs 7.99 lakh

This one is almost a double listing. Hyundai launched the latest-generation of its mid-size hatchback, the Grand i10, this year and now calls it the Grand i10 Nios. Even though the two models are sold independently, the old moniker seems to have stuck. The Nios is bigger with newer features than the previous gen model. It looks better too with gloss black elements, especially in the new Aqua Teal exterior colour. The Grand i10 Nios continues to rival the Maruti Suzuki Swift, Ford Figo and Freestyle.

8) Renault Triber

Price range: Rs 4.95 lakh - Rs 6.63 lakh

Renault brought an all-new product to India in 2019 - the Triber. A sub-4m MPV crossover, it is somewhat of a niche offering. It offers seating for up to 7 occupants and when used for ferrying luggage, it has a bigger capacity than an MPV like the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. In the 5-seater configuration for both cars, the Triber offers 625 litres of boot space as compared to Ertiga’s 550 litres. However, its stand-out feature is the modular seating layout that allows you to customise the seating layout for a variety of purposes. The Triber uses a more powerful version of the same 1.0-litre petrol engine as the Kwid but Renault is yet to launch the AMT variant.

The Triber has already racked up sales of over 18,000 units since its launch in August. Renault may also decide to offer its upcoming 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with the Triber in the near future.

It is priced similar to mid-size hatchbacks like Maruti Swift and Hyundai Grand i10 Nios. While the Triber is not as well equipped, it certainly offers a versatility that was previously unavailable in the segment.

7) Honda Civic

Price range: Rs 17.94 lakh - Rs 22.35 lakh

The 10th generation of the Honda Civic finally arrived in India in its facelifted avatar. The Civic is quite popular amongst driving enthusiasts and we aren’t surprised why this mid-size sedan has made it to this list. When Honda announced that the Civic will be available only with the 1.8-litre petrol-automatic and the 1.6-litre diesel-manual, it was a bit of a let down. However, it seems the automotive community has welcomed the icon’s return with open arms after all. The Civic has now become the best-selling model in its segment. In case you’re looking to buy the new Civic, it is currently available with discounts of up to Rs 2.5 lakh.

6) Kia Seltos

Price range: Rs 9.69 lakh - Rs 16.99 lakh

Kia entered the Indian market with the launch of the Seltos SUV in late August 2019. The Seltos’ popularity has already rocketed Kia to the fourth largest automotive manufacturer in the country. The Seltos is a premium compact SUV offering with three BS6 engines on offer - a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol with 1.5-litre petrol and diesel units. Each engine is mated to a 6-speed manual and gets its own type of automatic transmission - a 7-speed DCT for the turbo-petrol unit, CVT for the 1.5-litre petrol and 6-speed AT for the diesel engine.

The Seltos is an attractive package in terms of looks as well as features. Its dashboard has a connected layout for the instrument cluster and 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Kia has equipped it with features like a head-up display, smart air purifier, upto 6 airbags and Kia’s UVO connected car technology. The Seltos takes on the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Nissan Kicks, Renault Captur, Maruti S-Cross as well as bigger models like the Tata Harrier and MG Hector.

5) Mahindra XUV300

Price range: Rs 8.30 lakh - Rs 12.69 lakh

Mahindra’s big launch this year, the XUV300 is a sub-4m SUV that competes against the likes of segment leaders Maruti Vitara Brezza and Hyundai Venue, and Ford EcoSport and Tata Nexon. The XUV300 is based on the Ssangyong Tivoli and gets features like steering modes, a sunroof, front and rear parking sensors, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system and disc brakes on all four wheels.

It also debuted the brand’s 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine that produces 110PS and 170Nm alongside the detuned 1.5-litre diesel from the Marazzo that makes 115PS and 300Nm. Mahindra recently updated the petrol unit to meet BS6 emission norms but the AMT option is limited to the diesel engine. 

4) MG Hector

Price range:  Rs 12.48 lakh - Rs 17.28 lakh

MG Motor is another carmaker that entered the Indian market this year with the launch of the Hector SUV in late-June. The Hector received such a large number of bookings before and just after its launch, the brand had to temporarily stop taking orders. The delivery dates are already stretching well into 2020.

The Hector is a mid-size SUV but its aggressive pricing brings it within competitive range of the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos apart from the Tata Harrier and Jeep Compass. It is available with a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, 2.0-litre diesel engine and a mild-hybrid variant with the same petrol engine. The Hector gets features like a panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, vertically oriented 10.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system with eSIM and connected car technology. MG will also be bringing a 6-seater version of the Hector in 2020 to cater to those SUV needs as well.

3) Toyota Fortuner

Price range: Rs 27.83 lakh - Rs 33.85 lakh

The Toyota Fortuner is a bit of a surprise in this list especially considering the models that didn’t make the cut. The premium SUV celebrated 10 years in India with a TRD Celebratory Edition for a sportier look. It was given a mild update for 2019 in April that added features like perforated leather seats, heat rejection glass and a beige upholstery option.

The Fortuner is still powered by the same two engine options: 2.7-litre petrol and 2.8-litre diesel. Only the diesel Fortuner gets the 4x4 variant with both manual and automatic transmission options. It takes on the likes of the Ford Endeavour, Skoda Kodiaq, Mahindra Alturas G4 and Isuzu mu-X. All rivals apart from the Alturas G4 received more significant updates than the Fortuner did in 2019.

2) Hyundai Venue

Price range: Rs 6.50 lakh - Rs 11.11 lakh

The Venue is Hyundai’s entry into the sub-4m SUV segment and the second-new entrant to the segment in 2019. It is a global offering and the first Hyundai model in India to feature the brand’s latest design language. The Venue is offered with a 1.2-litre petrol engine and 1.4-litre diesel engine and a new 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine that gets the choice of a 7-speed DCT automatic. 

As usual, the Venue is a premium offering in the sub-compact SUV segment with features like an embedded eSIM with connected car technology, a sunroof, 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system and up to 6 airbags. It is already the second-best selling model in its segment, bested only by the more affordable Maruti Vitara Brezza. The waiting period for the Venue can stretch up to 3 months depending on the variant and city.

1) Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Price range: Rs 5.59 lakh - Rs 8.90 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)

It was a big year for the Maruti Suzuki Baleno premium hatchback offering. The facelifted Baleno was launched in January 2019 with minor cosmetic updates. It was then updated with BS6-compliant petrol engines including the new 1.2-litre Dualjet mild-hybrid engine. That was shortly followed by the launch of the Toyota-badged Baleno. The facelifted Baleno RS still gets the BS4-compliant 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine.

The Baleno is still available with the 1.3-litre diesel engine option as well but Maruti has already announced that it won’t be offering any diesel variants in the BS6 era. It is also the only Maruti offering that made it to the Top Trending list in 2019 despite the launch of the likes of the new-gen WagonR. That it has made it to the top of the list speaks volumes of the Baleno’s popularity!

Once again, none of the cars from the previous list made it to this year’s list. However, it is surprising that the acclaimed Tata Harrier did not make the cut and the Altroz got left out too. The big EV names of 2019 like the Hyundai Kona Electric, MG ZS EV and Tata Nexon EV find no mention either. Maybe next year, an EV will be one of the year’s most trending cars on Google. 

Which car did you search for the most in 2019? Let us know in the comments below.

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