Honda City to Hyundai Verna: Five upcoming cars expected to launch in March
Amid a sea of SUVs, sedans are set for a comeback to steal the limelight next month in India. Honda City and Hyundai Verna, two of the arch rivals in the compact sedan segment, are all set for launch in their sixth generation avatars in March. Besides these two models, which will renew their rivalry with the likes of Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and Volkswagen Virtus among others, there are few other cars lined up for India launch next month. These include an electric vehicle, a CNG car and a MPV.
Here is a look at five cars that are expected to launch in India in March.
Honda City
Few months after launching the strong hybrid version of India's most popular sedan. Honda Cars is ready to offer the new generation version of the standard model. According to leaked images and reports, the new Honda City has several changes on the outside compared to the existing fifth generation model. The leaked images of the Honda City 2023 shows a tweaked bumper at the front among the most obvious changes. The grille has also been redesigned, though the sedan will retain the older LED headlight unit. The chrome design on the face has also become slimmer than the previous generation model.
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Honda is likely to ditch the diesel engine for City in the new generation. Instead, it will be offered with the same 1.5-litre petrol engine that is being used for the existing models. It is capable of churning out 121 hp of power and 145 Nm of peak torque.
Hyundai Verna
Hyundai Motor has announced it will launch the sixth generation Verna in India on March 21. Teasers shared by the Korean carmaker and recently leaked images show how the new Verna will look like. The Hyundai Verna 2023 will come with a new grille with parametric design, flanked by a set of sharp LED headlights at either end. At the rear, the Verna will get LED taillights along with a light bar running across the width of the boot.
The new Hyundai Verna will be powered by a 1.5 Turbo petrol engine. It is capable of churning out 113 bhp of power and 144 Nm of peak torque. The engine will come mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Hyundai is also expected to add ADAS functionality in Verna besides other new features.
Citroen eC3
After unveiling the eC3 earlier this year, French auto giant Citroen is all set to launch its first electric car in India. Citroen has already opened the bookings for the electric car at ₹25,000, and the official launch of the eC3 is expected to take place in coming weeks. The eC3 EV is based on the C3 hatchback launched in July last year.
The Citroen eC3 draws power from a 29.2 kWh battery pack combined with an electric motor that churns out 57 PS of peak power and 143 Nm of maximum torque. The eC3 can accelerate 0-60 kmph in 6.8 seconds at a top speed of 107 kmph. The French carmaker claims it will offer a range of 320 kms on a single charge. The electric battery pack supports DC fast charging allowing 10-80 per cent charge top-up in 57 minutes. Using a 15A power socket would take 10.5 hours to charge the battery pack from 10 to 100 per cent.
Watch: Citroen eC3 review: Worthy challenger to Tata Tiago EV?
Maruti Suzuki Brezza CNG
After launching the CNG version of its flagship SUV Grand Vitara, Maruti Suzuki is expected to launch the Brezza in CNG avatar too. The Brezza CNG was showcased at the Auto Expo last month, along with other upcoming CNG models like Tata Punch and Altroz. Brezza will be the first to offer CNG in the sub-compact SUV segment.
The Brezza CNG is likely to offer fuel efficiency in excess of 25 kms per kg. For Grand Vitara CNG, Maruti Suzuki is claiming a fuel efficiency figure of 26.6 km/kg.
Toyota Innova Crysta diesel
Toyota Motor is also expected to announce the price of the upcoming diesel variant of the Innova Crysta. The Japanese carmaker recently started to accept booking for the model after announcing its return with a diesel unit. The launch will take place months after the carmaker drove in Innova HyCross with strong hybrid.
In its new avatar, the Innova Crysta will get a new face with design tweaks. The new Toyota Innova Crysta will be powered by only a 2.4-litre diesel engine. It is likely to generate 148 bhp of maximum power and 360 Nm of peak torque.
Check out Upcoming Cars in India 2024, Best SUVs in India.