New cars for 2015: Sedans

Ford Figo+

 

Tata, Maruti, Honda and Hyundai have been revelling in the popularity of the sub-four-metre sedan segment, and now Ford is going to join the party with the Figo+. First shown as a concept at Auto Expo 2014, it looks attractive from pretty much all angles and its well-balanced shape is bound to be a hit in India. Ford has not revealed the interior in its totality, but the dashboard could be similar to the Fiesta’s. Engine options are likely to include the award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost turbo-petrol and also the 1.5-litre diesel from the Fiesta, though a new 85bhp, 1.0-litre petrol has also just been unveiled, which is also a likely candidate. Being a Ford, you can expect this car to be fun to drive, and if the company prices it right, it could be a very tempting package indeed.

 

Factfile

Coming: Early 2015
Est price: Rs 5-7.5 lakh
Engine(s): 1.0 petrol, 1.5 diesel Rivals:
Maruti Swift Dzire, Honda Amaze, Hyundai Xcent, Tata Zest

Volkswagen Vento-based compact sedan

Volkswagen is considering filling the gap between the Polo and Vento with a sedan-ised version of the Polo. Based on the same platform, the new compact sedan will have the same cabin space as the hatchback. The design, however, is expected to be a challenge and it’s not going to be easy to tack on a boot on the 3,971mm long Polo and keep it under 4m long. 

 

Factfile

Coming: 2016
Est price: Rs 4.5- 8 lakh
Engine(s): 1.2 turbo petrol, 1.5 diesel
Rivals: Maruti Dzire, Honda Amaze, Hyundai Xcent, Tata Zest

 

Hyundai Verna facelift 

Hyundai only just gave its Verna a bit more equipment and a suspension tune-up, but early next year, a more comprehensive tune-up will make its way to India. Recently launched in Russia, this updated version gets quite a big update to its nose. The headlamps are larger and sharper, the grille and lower airdam have grown too, and there are new foglamps as well. Other than that and some LEDs in the tail-lamps, not much else appears to have changed, although under the skin, the petrol version could get a new six-speed automatic gearbox instead of the four-speed unit it currently has. 

 

Factfile

Coming: Early 2015
Est price: Rs 7.5-11.5 lakh
Engine(s): 1.4 petrol, 1.6 petrol, 1.4 diesel, 1.6 diesel
Rivals: Honda City, Maruti Ciaz, VW Vento

Volkswagen Jetta facelift

One year ago, VW launched a mildly facelifted version of its executive sedan, the Jetta, with a bit more kit and some LEDs in the headlamps. Next year, however, a much more comprehensive update will hit showrooms that promises to really move the car upmarket. The grille and headlamps now look like one continuous element, while the new wide air dam is also meant to improve aerodynamics. At the rear, there are slimmer, LED-infused tail-lamps that sit higher up than before. On the inside, you can expect VW’s new corporate steering wheel, bigger, clearer dials in the instrument cluster, as well as a new high-res trip computer. The infotainment will likely get a bump as well, with something akin to the Octavia’s new high-res system. Finally, the engine line-up will be quite similar to today’s car, but the 2.0 TDI diesel is a new version that comes with a 10bhp bump in power.  

 

Factfile

Coming: 2015
Est price: Rs 16-20 lakh Engine(s): 1.4 turbo petrol, 2.0 diesel
Rivals: Skoda Octavia, Hyundai Elantra

 

New Honda Accord

The Honda Accord will make a comeback in India in a new form in 2015. Things to look forward to on the new car include more mature styling, a more spacious cabin and more features than any Accord before. The new Accord will be offered with a 2.4-litre petrol engine with a choice of manual and CVT gearboxes. Sadly, there won’t be any high-performance 

V6 petrol version on offer this time but Honda is likely to introduce a hybrid variant. There will also be no diesel option, at least initially, 

but a 1.6 diesel motor could be introduced at a later stage. Let’s hope Honda prices it right.

 

Factfile

Coming: 2015 Est price: 

Rs 22-25 lakh Engine(s): 2.4 petrol, 2.4 petrol hybrid
Rivals: Toyota Camry, Skoda Superb

 

Mercedes-Benz CLA-class 

Mercedes wants to plug every possible niche it can and regain its top spot as the number one luxury carmaker in India. So after two luxury hatchbacks and a compact luxury SUV, the next one on the list is a compact luxury sedan. We’ve already sampled it in rip-snorting AMG guise, but there will soon be a standard version that will go head to head with the Audi A3 and sit below the C-class in Merc’s range. The CLA will be powered by engines similar to the A-class and B-class, which means four-cylinder petrols and diesels, mated to seven-speed double-clutch gearboxes powering the front wheels. It may look swoopy and curvy like the A-class, and it does share a lot of interior trimmings with it, but expect more equipment, more space in the back seat, and of course, a larger boot.

 

Factfile

Coming: March 2015
Est price: Rs 27-32 lakh
Engine(s): 1.6 turbo petrol, 2.2 turbo diesel Rivals: Audi A3

New Volkswagen Passat 

When the eighth-generation Passat comes to India, VW will no longer be going after its traditional rivals like the Toyota Camry and Skoda Superb. It won’t even enter the price war with the new rung of compact luxury cars like the Audi A3. No, it’s going straight after the likes of the 3-series, A4 and C-class, with a high-tech, equipment-laden, luxurious and very spacious new avatar. While it’s very similar in size to the outgoing model, the new car conforms to VW’s latest design approach. It will sport a fuller grille, bolder creases and LED head- and tail-lights.

 

The new Passat’s wheelbase is 79mm longer than the older car and consequently, space on the inside is more generous. Quality levels on the inside are also a notch higher with added features including an all-digital instrument cluster, and the latest version of VW’s in-car entertainment system. It will offer 360-degree cameras and park assist functions too — the latter allowing the car to automatically park itself, like its predecessor. Safety tech includes a raft of airbags, a system which automatically accelerates and slows the car in traffic up to a predetermined speed, and even one that can potentially stop the car when the driver is injured or incapacitated. In India, the new Passat is likely to come with the 2.0-litre diesel motor in three states of tune – 148bhp, 187bhp and twin-turbo 237bhp. It is expected to be mated to a seven-speed DSG auto gearbox, as before. All this tech doesn’t come cheap, however, and the Passat is expected to be priced from Rs 30-32 lakh.

 

Factfile

Coming: 2015 Est price: 

Rs 30-32 lakh Engine(s): 

2.0 diesel
Rivals: Audi A4, BMW 3-series, Mercedes C-class

 

BMW 3-series facelift

Our current favourite in the entry luxury sedan segment, the 3-series, is getting a minor nip and tuck to keep it fresh for the launch of the new C-class. The exterior updates, however, will be minor; the big change will be under the skin, where most of the engines will be replaced by newer, more powerful and more efficient versions. The 2.0-litre diesel has already been replaced by a new motor in the recently launched X3 facelift, and this is the same engine that is going into the facelifted 320d. There’s also a chance BMW could bring in its new 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine, the same one used in the Mini, but what we’d really like to see is the return of a six-cylinder motor in the 3-series. Come on BMW, give us a 335i!

 

Factfile

Coming: 2015 Est price: 

Rs 35-45 lakh Engine(s): 2.0 turbo petrol, 2.0 diesel
Rivals: Mercedes-Benz C-class, Audi A4, Volvo S60

 

New Mercedes-Benz C-class 

The new C-class will hit our showrooms early next year, and is a huge leap forward from the current car. It will be bigger, more luxurious and better to drive too. Initially, it will have the same engine line-up as the current car – 2.2-litre diesel and 1.8-litre turbo petrol engines. The diesel will come in C 220 CDI and C 250 CDI guises, while the petrol will be the 184bhp C 200 CGI. The design of the interior and exterior is reminiscent of the bigger S-class, and that’s no coincidence. The new C promises to offer class-leading quality and comfort. We expect the new C-class 

to be priced in the range of Rs 40-45 lakh once it hits Indian shores.  

 

Factfile

Coming: Early 2015 

Est price: Rs 40-45 lakh Engine(s): 1.8 turbo petrol, 2.2 diesel
Rivals: Audi A4, Volvo S60, BMW 3-series