Sedans for 2014

The quintessential status symbol for any Indian family, the sedan is an integral part of the Indian automotive scene. In a country where manufacturers strive long and hard to adhere to strange government norms like the Sub-4 meter rule, the sedan is one of the most important cars in any manufacturer’s arsenal. Although 2013 was a relatively quiet year for sedans in general, 2014 seems to be a blockbuster year with over 20 new cars and variants slated to roll into the hustle and bustle of the Indian automotive sector. From cars at the lower end of the spectrum, like Hyundai’s new sub-4 meter sedan to the uber luxurious Mercedes-Benz S Class, there is something for everyone. 

Maruti-Suzuki SX4

Expected Launch: Late 2014

Expected Price: Rs 7-10 Lakh

Maruti’s new SX4 sedan will be based on the new SX4 hatchback that you see above. The new SX4 features curvier styling cues and a larger headlamp and grilles, making it look as contemporary as its biggest rival, the Hyundai Verna. However, the SX4 has never really been a strong contender in its segment even with an option for both petrol and diesel engines and the new SX4 may not do much to entice the segment either. However, if priced correctly, expect many current Maruti loyalists to upgrade to this much-awaited refresh.

Hyundai Grand i10 Saloon

Expected Launch: Mid 2014

Expected Price: Rs. 5-8 Lakh

The newly launched Hyundai i10 Grand hatchback has shown great success in the Indian market and as per our information, the new Hyundai Grand i10 sedan is nearly ready for launch too. The Grand saloon will be Hyundai’s first foray into the hotly contested sub-4 meter sedan category. The Grand i10 will go up against the Suzuki Swift Dzire, the Indigo CS and the Honda Amaze. The Grand i10 will be available in both petrol and diesel engine options with the petrol getting an automatic option too. Expect the Grand i10 sedan to be crammed full of gadgets and gizmos to sway the price sensitive Indian audience. 

Tata Manza/ Manza CS

Expected Launch: Early 2014 / Late 2014

Expected Price: Rs 6-8 Lakh/ Rs 5-7 Lakh

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The Tata Manza is up for a major facelift along with it’s hatchback version, the Vista. Expect edgy headlamps like those seen on the concept version above to dominate Tata’s new design language. The new Manza will also spawn a new Manza CS which might replace the current Indigo CS or continue to sell alongside it as is the case with the Vista and the older Indica. The Manza will feature the same 1.3 Litre, Multijet diesel that does duty in the current Manza. If rumors are to be believed, the new Tata Manza will also feature an automatic transmission mated to the 1.4 Litre petrol engine. As is the case with the current Manza, expect class leading space and a whole host of gadgets to make the Manza a good value for money product. 

Honda Accord

Expected Launch: Mid 2014

Expected Price: Rs 20-25 Lakh

The Honda Accord used to be the king of its segment till the Skoda Octavia came along with its diesel engine and dominated it. However, now with Honda’s new diesel engine line slowly but surely trickling into the country, the new Honda Accord, which is slated for a mid 2014 launch, will most certainly stir up some keen interest. The new Honda Accord features even sharper styling including daytimie running lights integrated into a new headlight cluster. The new tail lights too look sharp and futuristic and go well with the rest of the car. Expect the Honda Accord to come with two petrol options with both automatic and manual gearbox options too. The Honda Accord will take on the likes of the Skoda Superb, Hyundai Sonata and the Volkswagen Passat.

Honda Civic

Expected Launch: Late 2014

Expected Price: Rs 12-15 Lakh

The Honda Civic was discontinued in India due to poor sales last year. The lack of sales were primarily due to the lack of a diesel engine in the Civic and due to the fact that the overall platform was outdated. Honda now plans to launch the new Civic in India thereby strengthening its presence in the Indian market. Expect the Civic to come with a manual and automatic petrol engine version along with a i-Dtec diesel engine. With sharp looks and the extremely loved Civic badge backing it up, the new generation car  might just be the boost Honda needs in the luxury car segment in India. The Civic will go up against the likes of thenewly launched Skoda Octavia, the Chevrolet Cruze and the Volkswagen Jetta. 

New Fiat Linea / Viaggio

Expected Launch: Early 2014

Expected Price: Rs 7.5-10 Lakh 

The Italian carmaker gave a mid-cycle facelift to the Linea in international markets like Turkey way back last year and now its planning to showcase this updated Linea saloon in the upcoming 2014 Auto Expo in India. The new Linea will come with a restyled front grille, re-profiled bumper, new fog lamp clusters and lots of chrome. At the rear, the bumper gets minor tweaks with an additional chrome strip and the number plate has now moved on to the bootlid though the side profile looks identical to the present Linea. On the inside, the updated Linea gets a new three-layered, two-tone dash that looks refreshing and feels more up-market. The steering wheel remains the same but now comes with a touch of silver and the centre console gets a new integrated audio system and more modern-looking AC vents with useful cubbyholes above them. The gear lever, climate control knobs and door pads, however, look similar to the current car. The instrument cluster will now come with chrome-ringed recessed dials and circular centre. Speaking of the engine, the company hasn’t revealed much on this front but it’s expected to be the same-a petrol, diesel and a turbo-petrol T-Jet engine.

Ford Fiesta Facelift

Expected Launch: Early 2014

Expected Price: Rs 8-11 Lakh

The Ford Fiesta hasn’t seen the kind of numbers the older Fiesta did (and still does in the Fiesta Classic guise). The new facelifted fiesta will be exactly the same as the one available in Europe in hatchback guise but with the same engines that are currently on offer. Although the Fiesta in an excellent car to drive, Form really does need to market the new Fiesta strongly so as to make any sort of dent into the sales figures of the likes of the Hyundai Verna and the Volkswagen Vento. The new Fiesta will come with the same Ecoboost 1.0 Litre engine that we find in the likes of the Ecosport along with another naturally aspirated Petrol engine and a turbodiesel engine. Expect the petrol engine versions to come equipped with its highly acclaimed dual clutch automatic gearbox. 

New Toyota Corolla

Expected Launch: Early 2014

Expected Price: Rs 10-15 Lakh 

For starters, the new Toyota Corolla looks much much better than the outgoing version. Combine the good looks with the legendary Toyota badge and the new Toyota Corolla will certainly see good numbers in India. Expect Toyota to bring in a basic Rs 10 Lakh offering to cater to fleet and taxi operators alongside the regular range of petrol and diesel powered Corollas for the general car buying audience. The Toyota Corolla is the world’s most successful nameplate and has sold over 40 million units since inception surpassing the likes of the Volkswagen Beetle. The Toyota Corolla will go up against the likes of the Skoda Octavia and the Chevrolet Cruise and the soon to be launched Honda Civic. 

Skoda Rapid Facelift

Expected Launch: Early 2014

Expected Price: Rs 7-11 Lakh

The facelifted Skoda Rapid takes a lot of cues from the newly launched Octavia. With its square stance and chiseled headlamps, new grille and bumper, the new Skoda Rapid looks much better then the outgoing version. The new Rapid will also come with a slightly reworked interior and a reworked set of wheels making it look fresh and interesting. The new Rapid will share the same engines as the current range does and might even add the 1.2 TSi engine replacing the 1.6 Litre Petrol engine available today. The Diesel engines will remain the same with the 1.6 Litre Diesel doing duty in the new facelifted version. Expect Skoda to increase the prices of the facelifted Rapid by a few thousand rupees. The Rapid will go up against the likes of the Volkswagen Vento, the Suzuki SX4 and the Hyundai Verna amongst others. 

Skoda Superb

Expected Launch: Early 2014

Expected Price: Rs 18-28 Lakh

The Skoda Superb in its current avatar has been with us for almost five years now and has seen blistering sales figures for a car that costs nearly Rs 25 Lakh. The new Superb will take cues from the new Octavia (just like the new Rapid will) but will feature a much softer design language than the Octavia and the Rapid. The crisp chiseled design aspects combined with the curves of the outgoing Superb will most certainly work towards enticing the Indian audiences. We believe Skoda will display the new Superb at the upcoming Indian Auto Expo in February next year and launch the car soon afterwards. The Skoda Superb will go up against the upcoming new Honda Accord with its new diesel engine. The Skoda Superb will continue to have class leading features such as best in class space and a plethora of gadgets to keep everyone happy. 

Renault Fluence Facelift

Expected Launch: Mid 2014

Expected Price: Rs 14-18 Lakh

The Renault Fluence has not seen the kind of success it truly deserves due to public apprehension over the Renault badge and its expensive price point. However, after the roaring success of the Renault Duster, people perceptions over Renault have been drastically altered. Renault new Fluence features a typically curvaceous French styled body with a larger grille and well crafter exteriors. The sublime and comfortable interiors too have been given a Nip/Tuck to make the cabin an even better place than it already is. The Fluence is powered by the same 110PS, 1.5 Litre DCi diesel engine that does duty in the Renault Duster. We expect Renault to slightly upgrade the power output of the 1.5 Litre DCi to match the likes of the powerful Skoda Octavia, Chevy Cruze and the soon to be launched Honda Civic. 

Audi A3/S3

Expected Launch: Early 2014

Expected Price: Rs 20-25 Lakh

Audi has decided to go the way of the entry-level sedan route as opposed to Mercedes and BMW who went the way of the entry-level hatchback route and are going to launch the Audi A3 in the first quarter of 2014. The A3 will be the cheapest Audi available and will be priced below the Q3 range. The Audi A3 will feature the underpinnings from the Skoda Octavia or the Skoda Rapid sedans and will feature power plant options from the aforementioned too. The Audi A3 will be available in a few variants including a stripped down version with a manual gearbox (just like the Q3s). We guarantee large sales volumes of the A3 sedan considering the fact that it combines the muscular design characteristics of the Audi brand along with the price perspective of something that is much cheaper to own and run. The A3 will also spawn the S3. This sports variant will feature a twin turbo V6 or 4-cylinder engine producing over 300 PS of peak power. The A3 will come in both front wheel drive and all wheel drive versions with the Quattro system costing more than the standard front wheel drive versions. 

Audi S7

Expected Launch: Early 2014

Expected Price: Rs 1 Crore

Audi’s spectacular ‘S’ range has started trickling into India first with the S4 and then more recently with the S6. The next step in Audi’s plans to bring in its Sport Saloon range includes the 4-door coupe, the S7. The S7, as the name suggests is the sportier version of A7 features a 4.0 Litre Bi-turbo TFSi V8 engine making 420 PS of peak power and a staggering 550Nm of peak torque. The Audi S7, unveiled in the 2011 Frankfurt Auto show features a seven speed S-Tronic gearbox mated to Audi’s all wheel drive Quattro system. The S7 features the same technology featured in the A7 like the electronic boot spoiler and the advanced pop-up display equipped infotainment system. The S7 is comparable to the likes of the Mercedes CLS500 and the BMW 650i Gran Coupe. Although there is an even more powerful RS7 in Audi’s arsenal too, we expect only the S7 to come to Indian shores. 

Audi A8 / S8

Expected Launch: Early 2014

Expected Price: Rs 80 Lakh – Rs 2 Crore

The all new facelifted Audi A8 is very close to launch and regular readers will remember our exclusive scoop story on the A8 being tested in Bombay a few weeks ago too. Although not much has changed in the new A8, with the exception of the new ‘Matrix Headlamps’ and a new set of bumpers and grille, the new A8 certainly deserves a mention here for two reasons. Firstly, the new A8 will be Audi’s only hope against the biblical new S-Class, whose launch is just around the corner, a car which will take the Indian luxury limousine market by storm. The second reason is the fact that Audi India have recently admitted to plans of introducing the S8 saloon in India simultaneously too. The S8 will feature the same 4.0 Litre TFSi engine that does duty in the S7 and will make more that 515PS. The S8 though will not be the most expensive A8 version on sale; that honor will go to the new Audi A8 W12 which come with a 6.3 Litre W12 engine that will produce 500PS of peak power. Expect prices for the cheapest A8 to be around the Rs 80 lakh mark and the W12 version to cost around Rs 2 Crore.

BMW 3 Series GT

Expected Launch: Mid 2014

Expected Price: Rs 40-50 Lakh

The BMW 3GT, is the smaller version of the BMW 5GT (or only GT as it was called in a few countries) and is based on the new BMW 3 Series. Marketed as an independent model, the 3GT is a 5-door sedan/notchback and is the first generation of what BMW now call the Progressive Activity Coupe (PAC) series of cars. The 3GT features a 110mm longer wheelbase as compared to the standard 3 Series along with a 79mm higher roof and an increase in width of about 17mm. Although realistically, the 3GT will not do very well in India, its mere presence will help strengthen BMW’s waning image in the public eye. Expect the 3GT to have the same engine options as the standard 3 series, i.e. the 2.0 Litre Diesel and the 3.0 Litre 6-cylinder petrol as featured on the 320d and the 328i respectively. 

New Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Expected Launch: Early 2014

Expected Price: Rs 25-40 Lakh

The new C-Class will be unveiled globally on the 16th of December 2013. The Indian launch should follow soon after in early 2014 considering the C-Class is one of the most important cars for Mercedes-Benz in India. The new C-Class is slated to look like a smaller version of the new S-Class with the smael swept back headlamps and heavily raked rear tail lamps. The new C-Class will also showcase Mercedes-Benz’s new design philosophy for its interior design. The new C-Class will be available in a host of petrol and diesel engines similar to the current range and will also be available with a new twi-turbo V8 engine that will do duty in the new C63 AMG. Expect both the standard and the C63 to come to India soon next year and see blistering sales results. 

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Expected Launch: Early 2014

Expected Price: Rs 80 Lakh- Rs 2.5 Crore

The S-Class is possibly one of the best cars in the world and every generation has been a huge step up in terms of design, quality and of-course, technology. The new S-Class will be launched in India by the 15th of January. Initially, Mercedes is slated to bring only its S500 V8, twin-turbo V8 and will soon follow up with the high selling S350 CDi twin-turbo diesel engine S-Class. The S63 and S65 AMG too will follow soon as a part of Mercedes-Benz’s efforts of getting the entire AMG range to India in 2014. The S-Class, often called ‘The Best Car in the World’, has already started getting immense response from current S-Class and other Mercedes-Benz owners. When we contacted a dealer in Mumbai recently, he admitted to have unofficially started taking bookings for the new luxury saloon. The S-Class will also spawn a special ‘Pullman’ edition, which in essence is a stretched version of the S-Class and will replace the now deceased Maybach 57/62 as the Daimler group’s flagship luxury limousine.

Mercedes CLA-Class

Expected Launch: Early 2014

Expected Price: Rs 21-35 Lakh

Of all the cars expected to launch next year, the ZigWheels team is most excited by the drop-dead-gorgeous Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class. The Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, essentially a baby CLS-Class and based on the A-Class underpinnings is a 4-door coupe with a beautifully curved body and some of the best lines seen in recent times. What makes it even more special is the fact that the CLA is sltated to cost under Rs 25 Lakh for a base model version and mot more than Rs 40 Lakh for the fully loaded version. The CLA45 AMG too will come to India soon as a part of Mercedes-Benz’s plans to launch the entire AMG range into India. The CLA is not only a fantastic car to look at but also a fantastic car to drive with Mercedes’ fantastic new front wheel drive systems and their new 7-speed Dual clutch gearbox. The Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class will go head on against Audi’s A3 and the likes of the Skoda Superb and the Honda Accord amonsgt others.