11/11/2017
Maruti Suzuki S-Cross Facelift
maruti suzuki s cross facelift
The S-Cross facelift gets a bolder face and expect it to come with more features
The Maruti Suzuki S-Cross came to India in 2015 as the maiden product of Maruti Suzuki's new premium dealership - NEXA. While Maruti Suzuki had hoped for a better response as regards this car, the sales didn't really take off. Almost two years later, Maruti Suzuki India is finally set to bring in the facelift of S-Cross with a host of styling and features updates, hoping to strike the right cord this time. Now, the facelift of the S-Cross was already showcased at the 2016 Paris Motor Show and back then we saw the changes that the company made to the car. The droopy look has given way to a bolder one. The front grille has been given a more prominent distinction and is lined in chrome (plastic) fixtures. The headlights are now more distinguishable with LED fitments and the taillights follow suit with standard LED bulbs.
There's a more rugged black plastic diffuser and a lot of other equipment. The cabin remains almost unchanged as it uses soft-touch materials and framing highlights for the centre control panel, but the car comes with new upholstery and some new features as well. There is some new fabric too and a double sliding panoramic glass sunroof, which is one of the largest in the segment. The facelifted Maruti Suzuki S-Cross has dropped the 1.6-litre diesel engine and now comes only with the smaller 1.3-litre DDIS motor, equipped with the company's Smart Hybrid from Suzuki (SHVS) tech.
Expected Launch: September 28, 2017
Expected Price: ₹ 8 lakh to ₹ 12 lakh
Ford EcoSport Facelift
The Ford EcoSport first arrived in 2013 and changed the automaker's fortunes in India. However, the current EcoSport has been around for a while now and the new competition has pretty much taken over the popular subcompact SUV. With the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza's strong dominance, Ford is looking to re-establish its position in the segment and will be introducing the comprehensively updated EcoSport during the festive season this year. The globally updated model was unveiled in the US late last year and gets cosmetic upgrades including a larger front grille, revised headlamps and reworked bumper.
2017 ford ecosport facelift
The Ford EcoSport facelift will be aiming to take back dominance from the Vitara Brezza
The pint-sized Ford SUV will also get new alloy wheels, re-profiled tail lamps and and beefier rear bumper. Inside, the cabin will sport a new touchscreen infotainment system while the dashboard will also see updates. The updates should keep the EcoSport popular amidst rivals, as it continues to be the American carmaker's most selling offering in India. Engine options will remain the same with the 1-litre EcoBoost, 1.5-litre petrol Ti-VCT and TDCi diesel options.
Expected Launch: September-October 2017
Expected Price: ₹ 7.30 Lakh to ₹ 11 lakh
Volkswagen Passat
The all-new Volkswagen Passat made its global debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show and is based on the lighter and flexible MQB platform. It is Volkswagen's second major launch this year after the Tiguan SUV in India. The eighth generation Volkswagen Passat gets a sharper design language over its predecessor while keeping things simple. The overall styling is familiar to the Volkswagen territory and you get a wide triple-slat grille, LED headlamps with signature DRLs and dynamic Light Assist feature.
new volkswagen passat
New Volkswagen Passat has already gone into production in India
Inside, the 2017 Volkswagen Passat gets a completely new and luxurious cabin with a host of new tech wizardry on board. A 12.3-inch TFT digital instrument cluster makes it to the Passat, shared with the Audi TT, while you also get the a touchscreen infotainment system on the centre console with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In addition, the sedan comes with new Park Assist, Head Up Display (HUD) unit, and a host of new safety features on board.
Under the hood, the new generation Volkswagen Passat will draw power from the 2-litre TDI four-cylinder diesel engine tuned to produce 174 bhp, while paired to a 6-speed DSG automatic transmission. It needs to be seen though if Volkswagen India will bring the Passat GTE plug-in hybrid to India.
Launch: October 10, 2017
Expected Price: ₹ 25 lakh to ₹ 30 lakh
Nissan X-Trail Hybrid
The Nissan X-Trail Hybrid has already made an appearance in India at the 2016 Auto Expo. Upon launch, it will be the only hybrid SUV in the country and our country will only be the 4th market in the world to have the new X-Trail hybrid. Owing to poor monthly sales, Nissan had decided to withdraw the X-Trail from India a few years ago. However, this model is built on a completely new platform and will be introduced at a time when Indian buyers are accepting premium SUVs in India. The X-Trail Hybrid is built on the CMF-C platform, which will also make its debut in India.
