With the festive season just around the corner, get ready to be hit by a barrage of new car launches. In October 2020, we will witness some much-awaited new car launches of the year. Here’s a brief on the upcoming new vehicles that are slated to hit showrooms next month.
New-Gen Mahindra Thar (2nd October)
Mahindra & Mahindra has confirmed that the second-generation will be launched on 2nd October, 2020. For the first time, the off-road SUV will be made available with petrol engine and automatic gearbox. There will be a new 2.0L mStallion turbo petrol (150bhp/320Nm) and a 2.2L diesel (130bhp/320Nm) engine along with the 6-speed manual and automatic gearbox options. The new Thar can be had with three roof top options – Hard, Soft and Convertible. The SUV receives significant changes inside and out along with the improved off-road capabilities.
MG Gloster (2nd Week Of October)
The British carmaker recently opened pre-bookings for its upcoming MG Gloster premium 7-seater SUV. The full-size SUV can be booked by paying a sum of Rs 1 lakh. The model lineup will be available in four trims with 6 and 7-seats configurations. Powering the vehicle will be single turbo and twin turbo versions of a 2.2L diesel engine delivering 163bhp with 375Nm and 218bhp with 480Nm respectively. An 8-speed automatic gearbox will be standard across the model lineup. The more powerful diesel version will get shift-on-the fly four-wheel drive with selectable drive modes. The lower variants will come with 2WD system. The Gloster is claimed to be India’s first autonomous (level 1) luxury SUV.
Land Rover Defender (15th October)
Land Rover has confirmed that it will launch the new Defender SUV on 15th October, 2020. Pre-bookings of the model were commenced in February this year. The new Land Rover Defender will come to India via CBU route and made available in five variants – Base, S, SE, HSE and First Edition. Based on the D7X architecture, the SUV will come with multiple seating configurations and accessory packages. At the heart of the new Defender will be a 2.0L, 4-cylinder petrol engine paired to an 8-speed automatic gearbox and the Terrain Respone 2 all-wheel drive system. The motor makes a top power of 296bhp and 400Nm of torque.
Tata Altroz Turbo Petrol
The home-grown carmaker is ready to bring in the more powerful petrol version of the Altroz premium hatchback. The model will be powered by a 1.2L turbocharged gasoline motor producing power worth 109bhp. That said, the Altroz turbo petrol will be as powerful as the Volkswagen Polo TSI. The new, more powerful engine is likely to be made available on the fully-loaded trim of the vehicle. No changes are likely to be made to the new variant.
Renault Kiger
The French carmaker is ready to foray into the subcompact SUV with the all-new Renault Kiger. Based on the Kwid’s platform, the new compact SUV will come with the turbo and naturally-aspirated versions of the 1.0L petrol engine. The former is reported to deliver power worth 95bhp. Transmission choices will include a manual, an AMT and a CVT automatic unit. The CVT gearbox will be reserved for the turbo-petrol variant. The Kiger will be the smallest Renault SUV in the country. Its overall length, width and height are likely to stand around 3995mm, 1600mm and 1600m respectively. Some of its design bits and features will be carried over from the Triber compact MPV.
New-Gen Force Gurkha
Previewed at this year’s Auto Expo, the new-generation Force Gurkha is ready to hit roads in the month of October. The model has already started arriving at the dealerships. Compared to its predecessor, the 2020 Force Gurkha looks more rugged and refreshing. The SUV model lineup will be offered in three trims – Xpedition, Xplorer and Xtreme. Sporting a new chassis and bodyshell, the updated Gurkha meets the existing crash test norms and the upcoming pedestrian safety standards. Significant changes have been made to the SUV including an all-new front fascia, pronounced wheel arches and claddings, 16-inch alloys, new dashboard, a digital MID for the new instrument cluster and a touchscreen infotainment system. For power, the 2020 Force Gurkha will use the BS6 version of the existing 2.6L diesel engine that’s good for 90bhp.
