New car launches in India in October 2021

With the festive season just around the corner, car manufacturers are lining up car launches across the spectrum. We have a few confirmed launches while others are expected to arrive by the end of October 2021.

Tata Punch

Tata Motors will launch the new Punch micro-SUV in the country in the third week of this month, which is to likely take place on 20 October, 2021. The model will be offered in four variants across seven colour options, details of which are available here.

Under the hood, the Tata Punch will be powered by a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder, Revotron petrol engine that produces 85bhp and 113Nm of torque. This engine will be paired to a five-speed manual unit or an AMT unit.

Locally assembled Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Back in September 2020, Mercedes-Benz pulled the covers off the seventh-generation S-Class. The model was introduced in India earlier this year, and arrived via the CBU route, with prices starting at Rs 2.17 crore (ex-showroom, all India), and you can read all about it here. Now, the company will launch the CKD version of the model on 7 October, 2021.

Under the hood, the 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is expected to be powered by the same 3.0-litre petrol and diesel engines in the S450 and S400d guise. The former produces 362bhp and 500Nm of torque, while the latter produces 326bhp and 700Nm of torque. Both motors send power to the wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission.

MG Astor

MG unveiled the Astor mid-size SUV in the country last month. The rival to the likes of the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos will be launched in the country later this week. The model will be available with segment-first features such as a Level-2 autonomous technology and a personal AI assistant, and you can read about them in detail here.

Powertrain options on the new MG Astor will include a 1.5-litre NA petrol engine and a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine that produces 108bhp and 144Nm of torque and 138bhp and 220Nm of torque, respectively. The 1.3-litre variant is offered exclusively with a six-speed automatic unit while the 1.5-litre variant gets a six-speed manual transmission or a CVT unit. We have driven the 2021 MG Astor, and to read our review, click here.

Volkswagen Polo Matt edition

Volkswagen showcased the Polo Matt edition back in March this year. The model featured, as the name suggests, a matte grey paintjob and various other visual enhancements. The premium hatchback gets a gloss black finish on parts such as the spoiler, door handles, and the ORVMs. We expect no changes to the interior of the car.

Propelling the Volkswagen Polo Matt edition will be the same 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, TSI petrol engine that produces 109bhp and 175Nm of torque. This motor is likely to be paired only to a six-speed manual unit.

Volvo XC60 facelift

Volvo has teased the XC60 facelift for the Indian market, hinting that the launch of the updated model could be right around the corner. The model will receive a revised exterior design and a few feature additions for the interior, details of which are available here.

The 2.0-litre diesel motor of the current Volvo XC60 is expected to be replaced by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol mill. Finer details of the power output and transmission are likely to be revealed closer to the launch.