Year ender 2023: 8 Cars that bid farewell to India this year

2023 was probably the last time a few of the cars were seen on Indian roads as they were discontinued by carmakers due to stricter emission norms. By the first half of this year, as many as seven models went off the showrooms across India. These included small cars like Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 to big utility vehicles like Kia Carnival or Mahindra Alturas G4. While some of these models may return to the showrooms in a new avatar as early as next year, most of the others have bid farewell to India for good. Here is a look at some of the cars that were discontinued in 2023.

Maruti Alto 800:

The Alto 800 was one of the longest-serving model from the Maruti Suzuki stable in India. Armed with 800cc petrol engine, it was the most affordable car one could buy for the longest period of time. The Alto 800 production was stopped as the carmaker did not see it financially viable to upgrade to the BS6 Phase 2 emission norms which kicked in from April this year. In the absence of Alto 800, the Alto K10 continues to be one of the best-sellers in the market for its practicality as well as affordability.

Honda Jazz:

Honda's lineup in India shrunk from four to just two earlier this year when the Japanese auto giant had to pull out its hatchback Jazz and the sub-compact SUV WR-V. First launched in 2009, the Jazz was one of the popular models from Honda in India. Offered in both petrol and diesel variants, the Jazz was one of the first cars in its segment to offer DCT transmission unit. Known as Honda Fit in several global markets, Jazz was well received for being a spacious car with decent cabin finish. However, the BS6 phase 2 emission norms spelt the end of the road for this hatchback.

Honda WR-V:

The Honda WR-V was first launched in India back in 2017 and was positioned as a premium urban subcompact crossover SUV. Priced between around ₹9 lakh and ₹12 lakh (ex-showroom), it managed to undercut several sub-compact SUVs in the country, including the likes of Maruti Vitara Brezza and Hyundai Venue. However, the SUV failed to garner enough numbers on sales charts. It is believed that lack of automatic transmission choice in WR-V was one of the biggest reasons behind that. New emission standards was the final nail in WR-V's coffin in India as it was discontinued in April this year.

Skoda Octavia:

The Czech carmaker pulled out two of its flagship sedans, including the Octavia, from India in 2023. The sedan, which was first launched in 2001, was discontinued due to the new BS6 Phase 2 emission norms. Before going off the showrooms, Octavia had its share of success in India, despite being sold as a completely knocked-down (CKD) model. It had found more than one lakh homes across the country in its journey of two decades. Skoda may bring back Octavia later in a new avatar, which continues to be in its lineup in global markets.

Skoda Superb:

In June this year, Skoda had silently pulled out the Superb sedan from the Indian markets. The carmaker now has only the Slavia as its offering in the segment. The Superb sold in India came with a EA888 evo3 engine, which was non-compliant with the latest BS6 Phase 2 emission norms. It is not clear if the Czech auto giant will bring back the new Superb that was recently unveiled for the world. In its new avatar, the Superb 2024 is complete with a number of updates which the manufacturer underlines as clever and aimed to further increase the convenience quotient of the model. The 2024 Skoda Superb is essentially a facelift which also means that its exterior styling has received a fair bit of attention while the body dimensions have been updated as well.

Mahindra Alturas G4:

The most expensive SUV in Mahindra's lineup that could take on the likes of Toyota Fortuner was dicsontinued in 2023 due to stricter emission norms. The Mahindra Alturas G4 originally started life as the SsangYong Rexton and arrived in India in November 2018 as a Completely Knocked Kit (CKD). The last variant of the Alturas G4 on sale was the 4x2 High that arrived in September last year at ₹30.68 lakh (ex-showroom). The SUV used a Mercedes-Benz sourced 2.2-litre diesel engine tuned for 178 bhp and 420 Nm of peak torque, while paired with a 7-speed automatic transmission.

Kia Carnival:

Korean auto giant Kia pulled the plug on the Carnival MPV in India earlier this year. The carmaker removed the premium MPV from the list of models available for purchase on its official website. The MPV did not get the BS6 Phase 2 update like other models in Kia's lineup in India. The premium MPV is now expected to make a comeback next year in a new avatar. In January this year, Kia had showcased the KA4 MPV which is basically the facelift version of the Carnival. The MPV has already been launched in global markets in its new generation.

Volvo XC40:

Among luxury cars, Volvo pulled the plug on the XC40 compact luxury SUV in India. The XC40 mild-hybrid petrol was available in the single, fully-loaded B4 Ultimate trim, priced at ₹46.40 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The move wasn’t surprising since the automaker already brought its all-electric sibling in the form of the XC40 Recharge. The Swedish carmaker had made its India plans clear with focus on going electric and hybrid vehicles.