2019 has been a good year for scooters, bikes and cars as well. But 2020 aims to be even more thrilling, particularly the premium entry-level segment and the adventure vehicles! We mention the most thrilling and confirmed two-wheelers and four-wheelers launch of the year 2020 in India.
Upcoming Bikes in 2020
2019 saw a number of fascinating bikes that launched across all markets in India. Hero XPulse 200, Suzuki Gixxer 250, KTM 125 Duke, Indian FTR 1200 S, BMW R 1250 GS, Triumph Speed Twin and so on were some of the scooters and bikes that left a mark last year! Yet 2020 will be all the more thrilling. A lot of competition will be seen in the entry-level luxury market and in the Adventure Bike category. With a slew of releases this year, Bajaj owned KTM and Husqvarna are going very big and Honda and Triumph have also lined up the new CRF1100L Africa Twin and the all-new Triumph Tiger 900. Here’s the best upcoming 2020 motorcycle launches:
KTM 390 Adventure:
The KTM 390 Adventure is the largest product that didn’t happen in 2019 but that occurred in 2020. KTM has finally showcased the 390 Adventure at the 2019 India Bike Week after being teased for over two years and we are expecting the bike to launch itself in January 2020. It’s basically a KTM 390 Duke touring, and adventure-ready variant. The output also remains the exact same-putting out 43 bhp at 9,000 rpm and a peak torque of 37 Nm at 7,000 rpm. The 390 Adventure also gets a 6-speed transmission, along with a slipper clutch and the 390 Duke’s full-color TFT screen. The only distinction is that the 390 Adventure is having more suspension travel to support its potential for adventure. As standard, the 390 Adventure also gets switchable traction control and an up / down quickshifter. The front wheel of 19 inches and the rear wheel of 17 inches are alloys, come with Metzeler Tourance tyres, and the seat height is 855 mm. The 390 Adventure has a 200 mm high ground clearance and features a collection of mechanical driver supports that are only seen on bigger motorcycles.
Husqvarna Vitpilen 250/Husqvarna Svartpilen 250:
Husqvarna, a Swedish bike maker, made its India debut at the 2019 India Bike Week with two new 250 cc bikes-the Svartpilen 250 and Vitpilen 250. KTM owns Husqvarna which is again partly owned by Bajaj. Both the Vitpilen 250 and the Svartpilen 250 comes with KTM 250 Duke 248 cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine with a maximum power of 30 bhp at 9,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 24 Nm at 7,500 rpm. Both motorcycles use a tubular steel trellis frame and come with a front fork upside-down 43 mm and a rear mono-shock suspension, probably shared with the KTM 250 Duke.
Jawa Perak:
Although the Jawa Perak’s price was announced in November 2019, the motorcycle’s deliveries only start in 2020. The Jawa Perak is India’s most affordable Bobber styled motorcycle at a price of about 1.94 lakhs. The Perak is beautiful looking motorcycle with a low-slung, single seat with integrated taillight, teardrop fuel tank and a low-set and wide handlebar. The bike uses a 334 cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine belting out about 30 bhp and a peak torque of 31 Nm. The engine is coupled to a 6-speed gearbox and is also compatible to BS6.
Triumph Tiger 900:
Triumph Motorcycles has introduced the new Triumph Tiger 900, which is replacing the current Triumph Tiger 800 range globally. It receives an all-new 888 cc, three-cylinder inline engine including a brand new frame. The brakes and the suspension are new too. The big change is to the architecture though. It is completely new and gets slimmer too, explaining the latest generation Triumph Tiger’s’ all-new’ name. The new Tiger 900 will be offered in three variants-a base Tiger 900, a Tiger 900 GT capable of touring and mild off-road, and the Tiger 900 Rally capable of off-road adventure. The great news is that India, probably in the first half of 2020, will be getting the Tiger 900 too.
2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin:
Honda launched the 2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin worldwide in September 2019 and the new design is getting a new, heavier, 1,084 cc parallel twin engine that looks slimmer and comes fitted with far more technology and new networking capabilities than the existing model. The engine’s basic design was kept, but the parallel-twin mill now gets a longer stroke, rising from 75.1 mm to 81.5 mm, and maintains the same 92 mm bore. The 1,084 cc, parallel-twin has a compression ratio of 10.1:1, bringing out 101 bhp at 7,500 rpm and peak torque of 105 Nm at 6,250 rpm. Four default riding mode options are available for the new Africa Twin-Tour, Urban, Gravel and Off-Road, and two additional, customizable user modes. It will arrive sometime in India in 2020, perhaps in the second half.
KTM 790 Adventure:
In addition to the KTM 390 Adventure, the brand will also announce the KTM 790 Adventure in India in the second half of 2020, sometime. The 790 Adventure is based on the KTM 790 Duke introduced in India a few months ago. It uses the same 799 cc engine, parallel-twin, but in a slightly different style. At 8,250 rpm, the engine pushes out 94 bhp and a peak torque of 88 Nm at 6,600 rpm. If the KTM 790 Duke is any proof, then the 790 Adventure will certainly shake up India’s middleweight adventure market. When it is launched, we expect it to be priced between 10-11 lakhs (ex-showroom).
Benelli TRK 251:
Adventure bikes like SUVs don’t get out of fashion soon! And while KTM, Honda and Triumph get big ADVs, Benelli will launch the TRK 251 also in India. It will use the same single-cylinder 250 cc engine that is used in the Leoncino 250, producing 25.5 bhp at 9,250 rpm and 21.1 Nm torque at 8,000 rpm. The suspension features an upside-down fork with tubes up front 41 mm in diameter and a rear swinging arm with central damper and travel 60 mm. The TRK 251 is fitted with a braking system consisting of a single rotating 280 mm disk with 4-piston calliper at the front and 240 mm one-piston calliper at the rear. We anticipate the motorcycle to be released in early 2020 with prices between 2-2.5 lakhs (ex-showroom) somewhere between.
Upcoming Cars In 2020
When it comes to cars, 2020 holds a lot of promise and we’re going to see more interesting launches of passenger vehicles with some EVs thrown in for good measure. Here’s our list of top cars to come, the ones we’re really excited about!
The year 2019 presented the Indian automotive industry with many challenges. The transition from BS4 to BS6, the GST rules, policy uncertainty and buyers ‘ general lack of sentiment led to turbulent times in the automotive industry. Nevertheless, a large number of groundbreaking projects were launched in 2019. As in 2019, the year 2020 will also see a significant number of launches in India, and here we list the cars we are excited about and we look forward to driving them.
Tata Nexon EV:
Earlier this month in India, the much awaited, fully electric Tata Nexon EV made its global debut. While it is not the first electric car of the company in the country (that was the Tigor EV), the Nexon EV is, in addition, the first electric vehicle of the new generation to use the new technology of Ziptron electric powertrain. The Nexon EV uses a 30.2 kWh battery on a single charge that provides a maximum range of over 300 km. The Nexon EV’s new electric powertrain puts out a peak torque of 245 Nm, enough to clock triple digit speeds in 9.9 seconds. Using a fast charger, the battery can be charged up to 80% in 60 minutes, while using a home charger, it will take 8 hours to do the same. The Tata Nexon EV remains largely similar visually to the standard ICE-powered Tata Nexon, featuring the same humanity line grid, flanked by a collection of clear headlamps with projector lights, and daytime working LED lamps. In addition to new alloy wheels, ORVMs with turn indicators and the same taillamps, the car gets a big air dam and foglamps with chrome bezels. Here, of course, the addition is the Nexon EV tag. The Tata Nexon EV is projected to be priced about 14-15 lakhss and will be launched in India itself in January 2020.
Tata Altroz:
Together with the Tata Nexon EV, the company’s other big launch is the Tata Altroz. The Altroz will be up against the Hyundai i20 and the Maruti Suzuki Baleno as Tata’s first luxury hatchback. A 1.2-liter petrol and 1.5-liter diesel engine will be available, and a 5-speed manual gearbox will be available for both engine options. No automatic transmission will be available at the launch. The car’s top-end model will come with projector headlamps, LED DRLs, front and rear fog lamps, and rear defogger. The cabin is fitted with a 4-way driver seat and a 2-way front passenger seat that can be changed. A 7-inch TFT color monitor with Harman media & navigation is also available to the cabin. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, video playback and more will also be included in the device. Other features include-power windows, engine push-button start / stop, fast charging, smart key, rear AC vents, electrical tailgate, cruise control, rain-sensing wiper, Ideal Start Stop, auto headlamps and more. The car will come with dual airbags, seatbelt reminder, auto door lock speed sensing, engine immobilizer, ISOFIX child seat mounts, cornering fog lamps as far as safety features are concerned.
Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza Petrol:
The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza was launched in 2016 and with strong sales figures has remained largely unchanged since then. But with Maruti ending the April 2020 diesel engines, the company is all set to launch the petrol Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, likely at the 2020 Auto Expo. The Vitara Brezza was the company’s cash cow, so we expect it to get a minor facelift as well. In reality, also in India, the petrol Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza has spied testing. The redesign mid-life cycle brings with it a new twin-slat chrome grill, reworked bumper with a brushed aluminum insert and updated fog lamps. The headlamps are also getting updates and new LED DRLs and could also be upgraded to LED bulbs.
Hyundai Aura:
With the launch of the Hyundai Aura in January 2020, Hyundai will kick-start 2020. It is replacing the Hyundai Xcent in the portfolio of the company. The Aura is basically the Xcent’s new-generation model and it takes from the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios, launched earlier in 2019, its styling indications. Hyundai will be selling two gasoline engines and one diesel engine, all of which will be compliant with BS6 right from the start. Next, there’s a 1.2-liter petrol producing 82 bhp and 114 Nm. A 5-speed manual and AMT option will be available on this vehicle. Another, more powerful petrol engine unit will be available, which will be a 1-liter turbo churning out 99 bhp and 172 Nm. Only a 5-speed manual gearbox will be available. With 74 bhp and 190 Nm of peak torque on board, a 1.2-liter diesel will also be available. The engine is combined with a 5-speed manual and also has an optional AMT unit. Hyundai Xcent’s current range starts at about 5.81 lakhs and rises to about 8.79 lakhs (all prices are ex-showroom, Delhi). We expect Hyundai to start the price range of the Aura subcompact sedan at approximately 6 lakhs and assume that it will be up to 9 lakhss at launch. The Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Honda Amaze, Tata Tigor, and Ford Aspire will be his biggest rivals.
New-Generation Honda City:
At a special event in Thailand, the fifth-generation Honda City finally broke the cover as the C-segment sedan made its global debut. Over the outgoing version, the all-new offering looks evolutionary, playing on the strengths of the current model while improving on space, quality and powertrain. This time, the 2020 Honda City gets a turbocharged engine to satisfy the local Eco Car Phase 2 requirements for the Thai market, and this model is likely to remain restricted to the South East Asian markets. In 2020, the new generation City will make its way to India and is likely to continue to be available in petrol and diesel powertrains. Expect the new City to get fresh, powerful and reliable petrol and diesel engines.
New-Generation Hyundai Creta:
Hyundai Creta’s bestselling compact SUV is all set for its second generation in India. On the 2020 Auto Expo, we can officially confirm that the car will be Hyundai’s big unveil. Shortly after the first week of March 2020, its actual market launch will follow. The Hyundai Creta will have the same powertrains as the Kia Seltos. That’s how to expect a BS6 compliant range-a 1.5-liter petrol and 1.5-liter diesel, as well as the 140 bhp, 1.4-liter turbo GDI petrol with an optional7-speed DCT (dual clutch). The three types of engines must come with a manual six-speed gearbox. The diesel is also required with the option of an automatic 6-Speed torque converter. While side impact safety, dual airbags, ABS (anti-lock brakes) and EBD (electronic brake force distribution) are expected to be standard, the car is expected to feature a6-airbag top spec across engines. Many top trims will also be featuring a sunroof-along with an integrated air purifier, front seats with power-adjustment, and car services linked to Blue Link. A flat bottom steering will also be available that will lend it some sporty credentials. Creta will have a sharper design for the new generation and will also be slightly larger than the current model.
Tata Gravitas:
Recently, Tata Motors announced the name of its new Tata Gravitas flagship SUV. The new SUV will be the 7-seater version of the Tata Harrier, scheduled to be unveiled in February 2020, with a host of cosmetic and design changes to fit the two extra seats and give it a fresher look. It is based on the same architecture of OMEGA (Optimal Modular Efficient Global Advanced), originating from the iconic D8 model of Land Rover, which now supports the Tata Harrier. The Gravitas will be powered by the same 2.0-liter,4-cylinder Fiat-sourced diesel engine supplying the Harrier, even though the exact power and torque figures have not yet been confirmed. The interior will be more or less identical to that of the Harrier, while it will be slightly different in the rear exterior design.
New-Gen Mahindra XUV500:
Mahindra will have a busy 2020 and one of the main drawings will be the new generation XUV500, which is expected to launch in the middle of 2020 at some point. We believe that the new XUV500 will receive significant updates on appearance and design, as well as changes to the interior. In addition, Mahindra will also be offering a BS6-compliant diesel engine, and the car will also be using an all-new platform. With the signing of the Ford-Mahindra MOU, expect Ford to share the same platform and also develop a crossover specific to India.
MG ZS Electric SUV:
MG is set to launch the ZS electric SUV in India in the month of January 2020 after the Hector’s success. It gets a 44.5 kWh battery pack on a single charge that offers a range of 340 km. The lithium-ion battery can be charged with a 50 kW DC charger for up to 80 percent in 40 minutes or with a regular 7.4 kW charger for up to seven hours. The company will supply all ZS EV cars with a 7.4 kWh charger. The battery-powered synchronous motor will produce a peak torque of 141 bhp and 353 Nm, and in just 8 seconds it can sprint 0-100 kmph. The car has a clean, simple design and has enough in-cabin features to keep you relaxed during daily commutes.
Skoda Karoq:
Skoda and Volkswagen have announced a SUV assault to be released in April 2020, leading the charge will be the Skoda Karoq. The Skoda Karoq will initially be brought to India as a Completely Built Unit (CBU) and will only be launched with a petrol unit that could be either a 1-liter TSI engine with a peak torque of 113 bhp and 175 Nm or a 1.5-liter TSI with a peak torque of 148 bhp and 250 Nm, both of which are already available in other markets on the SUV. As far as tech is concerned, the Skoda Karoq will be fitted into the gills with a wide touchscreen infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, dual-zone climate control, black or beige-black interior leather upholstered seats. The compact SUV will compete against the likes of the MG Hector, Jeep Compass, Hyundai Tucson and the likes in the premium end of that segment.
New-Generation Land Rover Defender:
The all-new Land Rover Defender took the world by storm. We had previously reported that the new Defender will be launched in India by June 2020 in an exclusive newsbreak. Yes, yes! In its 110 or long wheelbase avatar, the Defender will arrive first. This will be followed by the shorter Defender 90, six months later, and launched in December 2020. Only the P300 (2-liter, 4-cylinder, 296 bhp) engine will drive the car in. It will be standard for auto transmission and AWD. It is expected that the Land Rover Defender 110 will be priced between 80 and 97 lakhs, while the First Edition (limited launch edition) will be priced in excess of 1.05 crore. The Defender will be available in four trims-defender S, defender SE, and HSE. The higher two models, like the clear sight video-driven rear-view mirror, will get the bells and whistles. Leather seats, Meridian audio system, additional driver aids such as blind spot warning, and a set of virtual instruments. The Defender also comes with the signature Terrain Response drive modes for Land Rover and the capabilities for All Terrain Progress control.
Audi Q8:
The Audi Q8 will be launched in India on January 15, 2020 and will be Audi’s flagship SUV on sale when it is launched. It will also be compliant with Bharat Stage VI (BS6) since its launch, making it the company’s second BS6 model after the A6 sedan. With just a petrol engine, Audi will launch the Q8. We expect a 3.0-liter TFSI petrol engine to power it, which is tuned to deliver around 340 bhp. Together with Audi’s quattro AWD system, the engine is likely to be combined with an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. The SUV also provides a 10.1-inch MMI touch screen monitor for the air-con and other in-car controls on a piano black dashboard layout and an additional 8.6-inch digital display below, while the instruments are shown in the Audi virtual cockpit.
New-Generation Mercedes-Benz GLS:
At the 2019 New York Auto Show, the new generation Mercedes-Benz GLS made its debut, promising to deliver more space, more comfort, and more luxury. Most notably, the new GLS comes with the latest generation of Mercedes-Benz driving assistance systems in addition to cosmetic changes and feature upgrades. The Mercedes-Benz GLS 2020 will also be available for the first time in a six-seater version with two luxury single rear seats in the second seat row. Expect to be lavishly appointed with all kinds of creature comforts that you could imagine. The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS offers the option of powerful six-and eight-cylinder petrol engines that have integrated starter-generator and EQ boost under the hood. Mercedes also sells two GLS diesel engine models powered by the current engine family’s OM 656, the six-cylinder in-line engine.
Most of these new entries to the Indian auto industry will be witnessed in the recent upcoming event Auto Expo 2020, that will be the 15th edition of Auto Expo from 7th to 12th February and will be held on the ground of India Expo Mart, Greater Noida. Let’s see our counts on new entry wins or the new entries wins the hearts of millions!
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