2015 promises to bring in a list of new choices for the car enthusiasts across the country. From hatchbacks to sedans and off-road SUVs, all will make their debut in India throughout the year. Though hatchbacks no doubt have been no. 1 choice for most of the Indian families, a new concept of compact sedans has been getting people’s attention for quite some time now. With compact sedans measuring less than 4 meter, carmakers are able to price them in the bracket of big hatchbacks. So selling a sedan in the price tag of a hatch came as a good idea for customers as well as the automakers.
The trend of compact sedans began with the launch of Tata Indigo in the market that was finely followed by Maruti Swift DZire. The good numbers of sales of these compact sedans proved that general public definitely loved the idea of compact vehicles and with Honda Amaze and Hyundai Xcent launching in India, it was indeed confirmed that compact sedans are mutely creating a new realm right next to hatch and sedans in the automobile industry.
It is apparent that with the New Year, a list of new cars will be served to the public in India. Let’s have a look on some of the upcoming compact sedans in 2015 that will take the segment on new heights.
Ford Figo Sedan – Ford’s answer to compact sedan segment comes in the form of Figo based sedan. The car is already on sale in Brazil market with the name Ford Ka+ and measures over 4 meter. But the Indian variant of compact sedan will be less than 4 meter and will be christened as Figo+. The upcoming Figo+ will go on sale in 2015 after the new gen Figo is launched in India. Mechanically, the car will house new 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine along with a 1.5-litre diesel engine.
Chevrolet Beat Sedan – The US carmaker General Motors is struggling in Indian market with poor sales as its two very important vehicles Sail- UVA hatch and Sail sedan could not fulfill the expectations of company. Moreover, the successful product from GM’s portfolio Beat hatch is also facing tough rivalry in the segment with the introduction of new players in the market. In such burning scenario, the auto giant is also expected to foray into compact sedan segment with the launch of a car based on Beat. Mechanically, the upcoming car is likely to get the same Beat‘s 1.2-litre petrol and 1.0-litre diesel engine combo.
Volkswagen Vento Sedan – When almost all the carmakers in the country are looking forward to join compact sedan segment, the German auto giant VW can’t sit and relax. In the same spree, it is coming with a new vehicle in the market. Expected to get placed between Polo and Vento, the compact sedan will be based on Polo hatch and will get its power from Polo's 1.2- litre petrol engine, delivering 73.9bhp and 110Nm of torque. While on the other hand, the diesel car will get a 1.2- litre engine, churning out 73.9bhp and 180Nm of torque.
Tata Kite Sedan – Though the home-grown automaker Tata Motors is already enjoying success of compact sedan Zest, it wishes to increase its counts with the introduction of a new compact sedan in the Indian market. It is reported that the company is working on a new compressed vehicle that will replace the Indigo eCS and will be christened as Kite sedan. The upcoming saloon along with its hatch version has been caught on lenses many times. The twins are expected to house a new 1.0-litre 3-cylinder diesel engine and a 1.2-litre petrol engine that will be mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.
Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire facelift – Although, Swift Dzire is selling like hot cakes In India, Maruti perhaps wants to offer something more appealing to Indian customers. The carmaker is working on the facelift version of this popular car that is likely to be launched in 2015. In terms of engine specifications, new Dzire will get its power from same 1.3-litre DDiS diesel engine that will deliver max power of 74bhp and peak torque of 190Nm, while the petrol version will be given 1.2-litre K-Series VVT engine that produces peak power of 83.2bhp and max torque of 115Nm.