NEW DELHI: Over half a dozen new passenger vehicle launches are confirmed to take place in January 2021. While the top two carmakers- Maruti Suzuki India and Hyundai Motor are giving the launch buzz a miss, rivals Tata Motors, MG Motor, Jeep and Toyota are getting ready to bring their newest vehicles in the fast-growing Sport utility vehicle (SUV) segment. Homegrown auto major Tata Motors is expected to unveil its seven seater SUV- the Gravitas on the 72nd Republic Day on January 26. The Gravitas is essentially a three-row version of its popular SUV Harrier, and it is expected to be available in 6- and 7-seater configurations.
Once launched, the new SUV will compete against the likes of MG Hector Plus and Mahindra XUV 500. Tata Motors will also launch the turbocharged petrol variant of Altroz on January 13. The new Altroz is expected to get a detuned version of the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol that powers the Nexon SUV. Similarly, MG Motor is expected to bring the 7-seater version of the Hector Plus SUV this month. The big change in the SUV launched last year was the replacement of second- row captain seats by a bench seat that could seat three persons at once. However, the big launch from MG will be the facelift of Hector. The SA ICowned British brand entered the Indian market with the Hector SUV.
Since its launch in 2019, Hector has remained in good demand even as it faces tough competition from Hyundai Creta, Jeep Compass, Kia Seltos and Tata Harrier. MG recently informed that Hector has received record bookings of 5,000 units in Dec 2020. The updated Hector will come with a redesigned grille having horizontal slats and may even sport 18-inch alloy wheels in dual tone finish. The two other big launches are Toyota Fortuner facelift and new Jeep Compass.
Toyota will launch the new Fortuner on January 6 with a host of design updates, giving it a more aggressive and sporty look. The SUV will also witness significant feature upgrades along with a more powerful engine. The Fortuner will receive a new Legender variant featuring sportier design bits inside and out. Jeep India will be launching the 2021 Compass on January 7. The new Compass gets several exterior and interior updates, and has already made its international debut.