The Indian car market is an important operation centre for a lot of firms, both international and domestic. Every year, numerous new models are launched in India by a number of auto makers. It is a known fact that the hatchbacks form a majority of share in the Indian car market, owing to their compactness, fuel efficiency and affordability. Currently, there are a number of sedans on sale in India with some of them belonging to top class luxury brands. A few years ago, before the rise of hatchbacks, sedans were hugely popular in India due to the kind of class they projected. Over the years, several sedans have been launched in the country and have tasted great success. The year 2013 has witnessed the introduction of many new sedans in India from brands like Chevrolet, Mahindra & Mahindra, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and Rolls Royce.
Chevrolet, a brand owned by General Motors, launched the Sail sedan in India during February, 2013. This sedan from the American auto maker was introduced at a price of Rs. 5.11 lakh (ex-showroom). The Sail sedan features a dual port front grille that sports the golden coloured iconic Chevrolet bowtie. Some of the highlights of its exteriors include hawk wing styled headlamps, body coloured bumpers (front and rear) and roof antenna. Industry experts praised the Sail sedan for its interiors, which comprised fabric upholstery, centre stack bezel with metallic paint, high volume glove box, cup holders in front console and amber colour interior illumination.
There are a lot of comfort and convenience functions included in the Sail sedan, such as tilt steering, interior courtesy lamp, digital tachometer and power adjustable outside mirrors. Currently, this car comes in two engine options, one diesel and one petrol. The diesel variant of the Sail is powered by a 1.3-litre engine that is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Capable of generating an output of 76 bhp and peak torque of 205 Nm, the Sail sedan diesel renders a mileage of around 22.1 kmpl. On the other hand, the petrol variant is equipped with a 1.2-litre engine that churns out 84 bhp at 6000 rpm along with peak torque of 113 Nm.
Honda has been present in the Indian car market for a long time now and has launched several vehicles over the years. However, due to the high pricing and lack of a diesel, the brand had not been able to target mass buyers in India. By launching the Amaze in April 2013, its first ever diesel car, Honda took the Indian auto market by storm. The Honda Amaze compact sedan was an instant hit, earning praise from critics and buyers in the country. In fact, it is due to the sales of the Honda Amaze compact sedan that the Japanese car maker has been able to endure the tough conditions in the Indian car market. The diesel version of the Amaze is fitted with a 1.5-litre engine that is powered by the Earth Dreams technology, one of best accomplishments of Honda in the recent past. This engine can generate peak power of around 98 bhp and incredible fuel economy of around 25.8 kmpl.
One of the most hyped launches of the 2013 has been the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, which was introduced in the Indian car market in July. Held at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, the launch of the E63 AMG was a star studded event. The Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG boasts of a powerful V8 twin turbo 5.5-litre engine that is mated to a 7-speed automatic gearbox. The USP of this car is formed by features like Active Parking Assist, Collision Prevention Assist and four-valve technology with camshaft adjustment. British car maker Rolls-Royce, in the month of August, amidst a lot of buzz and excitement, launched the Wraith ultra-luxury sedan at a price of Rs. 4.6 crore (ex-showroom). Considered to be the most powerful Rolls-Royce built till date, the Wraith is fitted with a 6.6-litre engine that delivers a power of 624 bhp and peak torque of 800 Nm.
Japanese car maker Toyota, recently, launched the Camry Hybrid at a price of Rs. 29.75 lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi). Despite the market for hybrid cars being quite dampened in India, Toyota expects the Camry Hybrid to perform well in the Indian market due to its illustrative list of features. This sedan utilises the combination of a 2.5-litre engine and an electric motor, which combine to deliver a power of around 203 bhp. The highlight of this sedan from Toyota is the Hybrid Synergy Drive Function that allows switching between petrol and electric units for attaining optimum fuel efficiency.
