With 2013 wrapping up and new year knocking the door, car lovers and enthusiasts are being increasingly gripped by the sheer excitement that launches of 2014 await them. Some of the major car launches in the first quarter of 2014 are all-new Honda City, Datsun GO, Tata Nano Twist, Hyundai Grand i10 sedan, Audi A3 and new Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
The next generation model of Honda City is one of the most anticipated vehicles in the country. This model, unveiled on 25th November 2013, will be launched in the Indian auto market on 7th January 2014. One of the main highlights of this launch is that for the first time, customers will get a chance to see the diesel version of City in India. This upcoming sedan boasts of a sporty design ('Exciting H Design' Concept), best comfort ('man maximum machine minimum' Concept) and best-in-class fuel efficiency & performance ('Earth Dreams Technology' Concept). The diesel version of City will get a 1.5-litre 4 cylinder DOHC i-DTEC engine. Mileages as offered (company's claim) by petrol and diesel versions will be 18 kmpl and 26 kmpl, respectively.
Yoshiyuki Matsumoto, Managing Officer, Honda Motor Company and Representative of Development, Purchasing and Production in Asia & Oceania Region, while speaking at vehicle's global unveiling, reportedly said, “Honda City is currently sold in 55 countries across the world. City is the leading brand of Honda in Asia and Oceania region and with the 4th generation Honda City, we aim to raise its popularity further and make it a significant future model in Honda’s global portfolio which will be available in many more countries.”
Datsun GO is yet another highly anticipated model, which is likely to be introduced in the next year. Earlier, Nissan introduced Datsun brand to chip in affordable vehicles with an appealing appearance, decent performance and enhanced fuel efficiency. Datsun GO will be the first vehicle to roll out from this brand in India. This 5-seater hatchback will be powered by a fuel frugal 1.2-litre engine, mated to 5-speed manual transmission system. Sources close to the development process have revealed that the price of this passenger car will be less than Rs. 4 lakh.
Tata Nano Twist is another hatchback that is expected to be introduced in the market during third week of January. One must recall, Nano project has seen a significant investment from Tata Motors, however, the market outcome has been marred by reduced sales as compared to huge expectations laid. Sources revealed that this upcoming hatchback will get an electronic power steering and other major noticeable features of Twist are improved NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) level as well as better interiors.
In luxury segment, new Mercedes-Benz S-Class is going to be introduced in the Indian auto market on 8th January 2014. Audi A3 is also expected to be launched in the first quarter of 2014. Another vehicle that is likely to be introduced in the given period is Hyundai Grand i10 sedan. If one can recall, in 2013, Hyundai had launched its Grand i10 hatchback in the Indian market, which turned out to be a huge success.
