Amid New Year promises and plans to start life afresh in 2018, auto enthusiasts in the country will have one more reason to cheer about – four new sedan launches in 2018. Yes, the list can get longer over the next few months, however for now we expect to see the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz facelift, Toyota Vios, Honda Civic and the Ford Aspire facelift making it to India in 2018. Here below is a brief gist on what to expect.
Maruti Suzuki Ciaz facelift
Back in November this year, a camouflaged version of the Ciaz facelift was spotted on test. Due for launch in 2018, the new version will get fresh cosmetic as well as mechanical upgrades. The updates for the Ciaz will be along the lines of what we saw on the Chinese spec Alivio sedan. In terms of changes, the vehicle will get a new face, new bumpers as well as new design for the alloy wheels. The cabin is expected to remain more or less the same but with a major update for the infotainment system. The petrol version will get the existing 1.4-litre K-Series engine which generates 94bhp of power and 130Nm of torque. The diesel version on the other hand might get a new 1.5-litre engine.
Toyota Vios
Toyota might showcase the Vios at the upcoming 2018 Auto Expo event in the country. Vios in its latest iteration was launched in Thailand last year and in India it will compete against the likes of new Verna, Ciaz and the Honda City. Under the hood, as seen in international model, the India-spec Vios will also get a 1.5-litre petrol engine which generates 106 bhp and 140 Nm of peak torque. The fairly powered engine will come mated to a 5-speed manual as well as optional 7-Speed CVT. Exclusively for India, the vehicle might be offered with a 1.4-litre engine which will be carried forward from the Etios. As for safety, the vehicle will get traction control, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX mounts for child seats, and dual airbags as standard, while the top-spec model might get ESP.
Honda Civic
Honda is expected to unveil the new Civic for India at the upcoming 2018 Auto Expo event. The new-generation model gets an aggressive design language and will be available in petrol and diesel powertrains. The petrol variant will be available in two turbocharged engine options - 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre VTEC which generate 126bhp/200Nm of torque and 178bhp/240Nm of torque, respectively. The CVT variants on the other hand generate 180Nm of torque (1.0-litre) and 220Nm of torque (1.5-litre). The diesel version is expected to be offered with a 1.6-litre i-DTEC engine that generates 118bhp of power and 300Nm of torque.
Ford Aspire facelift
Ford is likely to launch the Aspire facelift in India sometime late in 2018. Under the hood, the company is likely to introduce a new 1.2-litre Dragon petrol engine in the new model. The exterior is expected to get cosmetic upgrades in the form of revised headlamps, new alloys and redesigned bumpers. Inside, the vehicle will get revised upholstery for freshness and a redesigned dashboard to accommodate a new touchscreen infotainment system.
