The great general elections have just completed and a stable government seems to be taking over. The financial market is slowing gaining optimism and this has brightened the lives of many of the country. The optimism will also be seen the Indian automotive industry which is awaiting a slew a new car launches in the month of June. Interestingly, all the car launches are happening on previously scheduled dates, which is a sign of good time coming in. In the last five months, India has witnessed over seven car launches and five more are happening only in June.
The two most significant news will come from the premium hatch segment, where Honda Siel Cars would gets ready to bring in the supermini Honda Jazz with its new 1.2 litre iVTEC engine and Italian major Fiat will introduce Grande Punto.
Honda Jazz is more like a mini MPV rather than a hatchback. It offers the most spacious and boasts of an aireness not seen in other hatchbacks. Jazz will be come with the typical Honda refinement, reliability, performance and fuel efficiency which will make every drive a pleasure drive. Jazz could just finally be the fine music that every person will like to hear. Jazz is likely to launch in the second week of June on and most probably on June 10.
A week later, the Italian car major Fiat will launch the premium compact car Grande Punto. This car is credited as being the pivotal to Fiat’s success in Europe. It has helped change the company’s fortunes in Europe and also helped drive sales to ward away effects of recession. Grande Punto is a large hatchback with a strong built body and the same engineering that went into Fiat Linea. Grande Punto boasts of good driving ability and high quality performance. But in India, where people are price conscious, the price tag of the premium hatchback will decide its fortunes. Fiat has already introduced the 500 which is available with a price tag of Rs 14.85 lakh(ex-showroom Delhi). So far, the tentative launch date is June 17.
The home-grown auto major Tata Motors, will introduce its most luxurious venture so far- the Indica Vista Saloon. While the small car Indica Vista has been well received by the buyers, the company hopes to continue the lucky streak with the saloon too. The new saloon will use the engineering and mechanicals used in Fiat Linea. So it has a guarantee of world class power and performance. However, Tata Motors is expected to create the body and finalise the competitive price tag. Another, highlight of the saloon is its large cabin space. If the Tata Motors focuses on this aspect while marketing, Indica Vista saloon could just give Maruti Suzuki Swift D’zire a run for their money.
The other much awaited car is the Audi Q5 SUV, which is scheduled to release in the first week of June. The Q5 is called baby Q7, to signify its smaller proportions. The massive and well built Q7 has been a highly acclaimed SUV in the Audi range. The same quality of engineering and dynamic driving can be expected in Q5. It employs the 3.0litre TDI engine paired with ultra-modern and highly effective seven speed DSG transmission. Of course, Q5 will have the Quattro all wheel drive system. Audi plans to present Q5 as a more personal, driver-oriented vehicle for the creamy section of the society. It will be pitched against small SUVs like BMW X3. It will also rival the bigger Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. The Audi Q5 will create a sensation in the small SUV segment. Considering Audi’s aggressive marketing strategy it can be taken for granted that Q5 is here to stay.
Japanese car manufacturer Toyota Motors plans to bring in the large utility vehicle in a new avatar. Toyota would launch the 4.5 litre diesel engine Land Cruiser. The giant proportioned SUV will take upon others in the segment like Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg. The Land Cruiser is considered capable of revving through the most inhospitable terrain. The huge vehicle is likely to be launched on June 9 and is expected to be solidly capped with a heavy price tag.