Upcoming Car Launches That Are Now Delayed

The surge in COVID-19 cases means that most upcoming car launches have been pushed back

The second wave of COVID-19 has once again forced manufacturers to put their plans on hold, with multiple new launches getting pushed back. We take a look at these cars, which should have been launched by now or headed to showrooms.

Confirmed Delays

2021 Skoda Octavia

The Octavia has been due a full refresh and the new-gen model was going to be launched towards the end of April 2021. At the time, it was estimated that the new launch date would be sometime in May, but as the situation continues to worsen, we could see the launch of this premium sedan pushed even further down the road. We are now expecting this model to be launched sometime in June 2021. You can read more about the 2021 Skoda Octavia here.

Hyundai Alcazar

The Hyundai’s Alcazar was another big launch expected by the end of April 2021, but has now been pushed back. Essentially a Creta, the Alcazar gets an additional row of seating. It will be available as a 6- and a 7-seater three-row SUV. While the initial expectation was that the launch would be pushed to the end of May, the worsening situation in the country could see Hyundai opting for a June launch. Find out more about the Hyundai Alcazar here.

Facelifted Volkswagen Tiguan 

The 5-seater Tiguan has been absent from the Indian market for quite some time, and just as it was time for it to return, the second wave of COVID-19 pounced upon us. Not wanting to launch a new product in these trying times, Volkswagen has pushed the launch of the Tiguan 5-seater to June 2021. The new Tiguan will be a petrol-only offering, and you can read more about it here.

Expected Delays

While the above mentioned cars are definitely delayed (confirmed by the manufacturer), there are still a number of upcoming launches that we expect will be pushed back. Take a look at them below:

Second-gen Mercedes-Ben GLA 

Last we heard, the second-gen Mercedes-Benz GLA was going to be launched by the second week of May 2021. Now, while the time is not just yet up for that deadline to be met, it is very unlikely that Mercedes will want to launch a premium SUV in the current scenario. The German carmaker is yet to comment on the subject, but it is highly likely that the SUV’s launch will be pushed back by a month at least. You can read more about the upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLA facelift here.  

Hyundai i20 N Line

The sportier looking version of one of the best-selling premium hatchbacks in the country was previously spotted, wrapped in camo, on our roads. Naturally, speculation started brewing that the i20 N Line would be coming to India. The natural idea was that the i20 N Line would be revealed, or launched sometime around mid-2021. But before that happens, Hyundai will have to get their R&D, homologation and other stuff you need to do before launching a new car, out of the way. The worsening pandemic means that these processes could either have been slowed down, or stalled completely. This will only mean one thing: pushing the new launch date forward. Hyundai is yet to give us anything concrete on the subject.

Mahindra TUV300

The TUV300 is another one of those vehicles that is yet to see daylight in the BS6 era. We have seen spy shots of the upcoming car, but a launch date was never set in stone. It was even believed that the facelifted TUV300 would be called the Bolero Neo. As far as the launch of the TUV300 is concerned, it’s safe to assume that it will not be happening in the next couple of months.

Audi e-tron 

Audi’s e-tron has existed for quite some time on the global stage and it was expected to make its way to Audi’s Indian showrooms along with the e-tron Sportback by this June. It would have meant that the Mercedes-Benz EQC and Jaguar I-Pace would finally have some competition in the luxury EV segment. Now however, it seems like Audi could choose to push these plans forward due to the resurgence of the pandemic. After all, no brand would want to launch a product at this time, let alone something as premium as the e-tron. However, once again, there has been no official word from Audi on the timing of things.

Audi Q5

Audi’s Q range of cars have been hardly present in India since the BS6 emission norms came into effect. The only thing we have is the Q8 and the RSQ8. Both are kind of priced out of the range of those looking to get into the luxury SUV market. The Q5 on the other hand was a popular model before it was discontinued, and has been missed by the Audi fanbase in India. While there has been no official word on these SUVs from Audi, since they were discontinued, there was an expectation that we would see them sometime this year, with the Q5 coming in first. All that could change with the ever-developing COVID situation, so if you were waiting for the more affordable cars from the Q segment, your wait could become even longer.