New Saloons for 2013

Chevrolet Sail

Chevrolet wants a strong presence in every segment of the Indian car market and to this end the manufacturer will launch the Sail mid-size saloon in early 2013. Just like its hatchback sibling, the styling both inside and out is on the conservative side. However, its spacious cabin will give it an edge over the Maruti Swift Dzire, which should be its chief rival. Like the U-VA, the Sail will be powered by a 1.3-litre diesel engine and will also share its 1.2-litre petrol engine. Interestingly, Chevrolet will not offer a 1.4-litre petrol on the Sail as earlier believed. With the promise of excellent ride quality, decent comfort and prices ranging from an estimated Rs 6-7.5 lakh, the Sail could just ruffle the established order in the lower end of the mid-size saloon segment.

FACTFILE
Engine: 1.2-litre petrol, 1.3-litre diesel
Power/torque: 85bhp/11.52kgm, 77bhp/20.9kgm
Kerb weight: 1095kg
L/W/H: 4249/1690/1505mm
Expected: Early 2013
Price: Rs 6-7.5 lakh*

Fiat Linea facelift

The turkish market received the updated Linea earlier this year and Fiat is planning to bring it to India in 2013. As part of its mid-life makeover, the Linea will get a new grille and a completely redesigned front bumper with lots of chrome embellishments. The tail is quite different too, with the most notable changes being the respositioning of the number plate from the bumper to the bootlid and the addition of a thick strip of chrome lower down. While the update also brings with it a new dashboard overseas, this is unlikely to make it to India. Expect the refreshed Linea to be accompanied by a small bump up in prices.

FACTFILE
Engine: 1.4-litre petrol, 1.4-litre turbo petrol, 1.3-litre diesel
Power/torque: 88bhp/11.7kgm, 112bhp/21.1kgm, 92bhp/21.31kgm
Kerb weight: 1180-1230kg
L/W/H: 4560/1730/1487mm
Expected: End-2013
Price: Rs 7.5-10 lakh*

Ford Fiesta facelift

Last month’s Paris Motor Show saw the unveiling of the facelifted Ford Fiesta hatchback. We expect many of the styling updates to trickle down to the saloon version as well. Leading the list of changes is a larger hexagonal grille, in keeping with Ford’s new global design language. The headlights are slightly different too, while new creases give the bonnet more definition. This visual makeover could also be accompanied by the fitment of the tech-laden 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol motor that will eventually be offered on all of Ford’s small and mid-size cars.  

FACTFILE 
Engine: 1.0-litre petrol, 1.5-litre petrol, 1.5-litre diesel
Power/torque: 123bhp/17.2kgm, 107bhp/14.2kgm, 88.7bhp/20.8kgm
Kerb weight: 1117-1157kg
L/W/H: 4291/1722/1496mm
Expected: End-2013
Price: Rs 7.5-11.5 lakh*

New Maruti Saloon

Maruti may have an expansive product line but believes there is still room for another saloon that can slot between the Dzire and SX4. This new saloon will not be under four metres and will come with a full-sized boot. Details about this new saloon are still sketchy but what the grapevine tells us is that this car will be built on a completely new platform and will have a new design language as well. What is safe to assume is that this new saloon will come with the same 1.3-litre diesel and 1.4-litre petrol motors from the Ertiga. A December 2013 launch is possible.

FACTFILE
Engine: 1.4-litre petrol, 1.3-litre diesel
Power/torque: 93.7bhp/13.2kgm, 88.7bhp/20.4kgm
Kerb weight: NA
L/W/H: NA
Expected: December 2013
Price: Rs 6.5-8.5 lakh*

Mercedes-Benz A-class saloon

The A-Class hatch may not go on to be a big-volume seller, but its saloon sibling headed here in late 2013 could be. The A-class saloon’s striking looks will mark a radical departure from traditional Merc saloon design. As the CLA concept saloon laid bare, frontal styling is aggressive, while the nicely arced roof and tightly skinned boot make this an attention-grabbing design. This saloon will be significantly smaller than the C-class, but thanks to Merc’s packaging-friendly front-wheel-drive MFA platfrom, space will be decent. The cabin is likely to carry much of the exterior’s sporty theme. Power will be via a 1.6-litre turbo petrol and 1.8-litre diesel, and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox will be standard. With prices likely to range from Rs 20-24 lakh, the A-class saloon could turn the entry luxury car market on its head.

FACTFILE
Engine:  1.6-litre turbo-petrol, 1.8-litre diesel
Power/torque: 121bhp/20.4kgm, 134bhp/30.55kgm
Kerb weight: NA
L/W/H: NA
Expected: End-2013
Price: Rs 20-24 lakh*

Nissan Sunny Auto

The popular diesel version may contribute to the bulk of Nissan Sunny sales in India but the petrol model will get a lot more interesting come February 2013. That’s when Nissan will start selling the Sunny petrol with a CVT gearbox-equipped automatic option. Likely be sold at a premium of Rs 80,000 over the petrol manual variant, the automatic Sunny will make great sense for urban car buyers who drive themselves.

FACTFILE
Engine: 1.5-litre petrol
Power/torque: 97.6bhp/13.6kgm
Kerb weight: NA
L/W/H: 4425/1695/1505mm
Expected: February 2013
Price: Rs 8.7 lakh*

Renault Scala Auto

If you’re among those who have taken a liking to the Scala and are considering the petrol car, then it is worth your time to wait for the automatic version, slated to go on sale in mid-2013. The car will receive a CVT-gearbox and like Renault’s alliance partner Nissan’s Sunny automatic, that will be launched around the same time, will cost around Rs 80,000 more than the manual variant. In case you have your doubts, Renault-Nissan’s Xtronic ’box is known to offer less of the ‘rubber band’ effect traditionally associated with CVTs and also better fuel efficiency than a torque converter auto.

FACTFILE
Engine: 1.5-litre petrol
Power/torque: 97.6bhp/13.6kgm
Kerb weight: NA
L/W/H: 4425/1695/1505mm
Expected: Mid-2013
Price: Rs 8.9 lakh*

* Estimated, ex-showroom, Delhi

Skoda New Octavia

Skoda started its Indian innings with the Octavia and the name is all set to make a comeback to India on the Czech carmaker’s new D-segment challenger, which will go on sale in late 2013. Built on the Volkswagen Group’s flexible MQB platform, the latest Octavia will be longer and wider yet lighter than the current-gen model, which is sold in India as the Laura. Styling will also be much sharper and will carry Skoda’s edgier new design language. Like its predecessors, the new Octavia will be a notchback. Thanks to its larger exterior dimensions, the new car’s cabin will be more spacious, which should translate to a better rear-seat experience. The car could feature new engines but the 2.0-litre diesel and 1.8-litre turbo-petrol are likely to be carried forward. What remains to be seen is how Skoda will position the new Octavia, given that the Laura continues to be a strong seller even after all these years.

FACTFILE
Engine: 1.8-litre turbo-petrol, 2.0-litre diesel
Power/torque: 160bhp/25.5kgm, 140bhp/32.6kgm
Kerb weight: NA
L/W/H: NA
Expected: Late-2013
Price: Rs 16-20 lakh*

Tata Manza facelift

Tata is working on a comprehensive styling update for the Manza saloon. The car is expected in mid-2013 and may carry many elements from the Manza Hybrid saloon shown at this year’s Auto Expo. Frontal styling will be completely different, with a new smiling grille, sharp creases on the bumper and hawk-eye headlights. Moreover, the Manza could be the first Indian car to feature bi-Xenon headlights. Changes at the rear will include reshaped tail-lamps, a more angled bootlid and plastic cladding on the lower portion of the bumper to camouflage some of its bulk. The interior could benefit from a revised centre console and improved quality, though the current engine options are likely to be carried forward. 

FACTFILE 
Engine: 1.4-litre petrol, 1.3-litre diesel
Power/torque: 89bhp/11.8kgm, 89bhp/20.4kgm
Kerb weight: 1210kg
L/W/H: 4413/1703/1550mm
Expected: Mid-2013
Price: Rs 5.7-8.1 lakh*