Diwali 2013: Cars you want to own this festive season

Yes, it is that time of the year where everyone goes into a frenzy over sweets, treats and obviously lots and lots of crackers. It is also that time of the year when purse strings get looser and sales go up. One of the few industries that benefits from the free flowing cash is the auto industry. This period is punctuated by a host of offers on cars, accessories and on insurance even.

It must be noted that the Diwali auto sales of 2013 are likely be far lesser than the equivalent period last year given the economically adverse climate, but is expected to be significantly higher than the rest of the year. While the climate may have been adverse, it has been a good year in terms of new model launches, facelifts and upgrades. In the run up to the festival here is our list of significant buys this holiday season.

Facelifted Tata Nano 

It was Ratan Tata’s dream to create a sub USD 2,000 car but his team ended up creating a car closer to USD 3,000. Despite the fact that the Tata Nano did not sell well in its first avatar due to being dubbed ‘the cheapest car’ rather than the car with the lowest running the cost, the Nano soldiered on and now there is a new one. 

Introduced at Tata’s Horizon Next launch event in June, the facelifted Nano gets a lot of chrome additions on the outside and a whole new kit on the inside. The best part about the facelifted Nano- it costs just Rs 5,000 more than the equivalent outgoing variant and what’s more is that there is now a CNG variant on sale. 

Hyundai Grand i10

The all new Hyundai i10 for Europe is called the Grand i10 for India. Why the Grand moniker you wonder? Well that’s because its longer than its European counterpart and is offering many first-in-segment features that we could have never dreamed of seeing in cars of this size. It is also soon expected to be the first diesel hatchback to sport an auto gearbox, opening the floodgates for bigger developments in the lower segment in the future. 

Honda Amaze

The Honda Amaze has been the new poster boy for the Japanese automaker since it was launched earlier this year and has added new flavour to the compact sedan segment. It is powered by a new 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine (developed for India) that produces 100bhp and 200Nm of torque. Additionally Honda is offering a new Modulo body kit in the Indian market. This includes a sporty body kit as well as luxury interior accessories.     

Ford EcoSport

What do we say about this compact crossover?  The hype created around it before the launch was only surpassed by the number of spy pictures and speculations on what its engine line-up and feature list would be like. It launched for an incredible price of  Rs 5.59 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and is the second car from the American automaker’s One Ford programme. The EcoSport is fun to drive in the 1.0-litre Ecoboost engined version. It is likely that Ford will be looking to its diminutive wide-mouthed car to give it a solid holiday boost.       

Nissan Terrano

It’s Nissan’s take on the Renault Duster and they seem to have a winning formula. While the Duster looks chic with its rounded edges and quirky interiors, the Nissan Terrano seems to be the same vehicle but now with a thick beard and muscles. The changes to the car are enough to differentiate both vehicles as the Terrano gets different body panels, fascia and modified interiors. It is also believed that the SUV is now available with two seats in the third row. 

Skoda Octavia

It’s the return of the old boy (in a new avatar) in the D-Segment and looks set to change the game. Replete with many modern features and quite a new design the Skoda Octavia brings back the successful moniker after more than five years in Indian market. The effects have already started to show with Skoda registering over 10,000 bookings since the launch. It gets a new base petrol engine and a seven-speed DSG box. 

BMW 1 Series 

 

Brought in to appeal to a new set of buyers in the luxury car market, the BMW 1 Series is a proper hot hatchback as it has the front-engine and rear-wheel drive layout. Luxurious and comfortable, it is BMW’s answer to the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and the Volvo V40 Cross Country. The 1 Series is ideal for road trips and escaping from the City in the holidays as it has a 360 litre boot thanks to its +four length. 

Mercedes-Benz E-Class  

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class has been a strong seller for the German automaker since it was launched in India in 1995. The new E-Class was launched a few months ago and features a new kit as well as significant design changes to make it a completely new vehicle. Half tank and full luxury tourer, the E-Class has been built to do one thing; take five people and their things in full comfort.

Cover picture: Powerdrift