Upcoming Facelift Car Launches In 2018 In India

Hyundai i20 Facelift

Hyundai has begun testing the i20 facelift in India revealing its intention to launch the premium hatchback early 2018. The i20 hatchback has not lost its popularity in India and continues to be among the top 10 selling cars in 2017. So why does Hyundai want to facelift the i20?

Hyundai is not expected to tweak the exteriors of the i20 to a great extent. Instead, it will equip the hatchback with improved features, new infotainment system and other creature comforts.

With new features and slight facelift, Hyundai will look to consolidate its position and break into the segment leader, the Maruti Baleno. Mechanically, the i20 facelift is expected to continue with the current 1.2-litre and 1.4-litre petrol engine as well as the 1.4-litre diesel unit.

Expected Launch: February 2018 (Auto Expo 2018)
Expected Price: Rs 5.5 Lakh to Rs 9 Lakh (Depending upon the variant)

Mahindra XUV500 Facelift

Mahindra's flagship model, the XUV500 is the among the best-selling vehicles for the company. The facelift is expected to keep the XUV500 relevant to the present market sentiments in terms styling, features and design.

Mahindra is expected to give the XUV500 sharper and aggressive lines to uplift the road presence of the SUV. The company is expected to offer a new touchscreen infotainment system and creature comforts to set it apart from its rivals.

Mechanically, the Mahindra XUV500 facelift will continue to be powered by the 2.2-litre diesel unit and the newly launched 2.2-litre petrol engine. The petrol model of the XUV500 comes with a 6-speed automatic gearbox, and the same is expected to be offered in the diesel model as well.

Expected Launch: Mid-2018
Expected Price: Rs 13 Lakh to Rs 18 Lakh

Maruti Suzuki Ciaz Facelift

Maruti Suzuki packaged the Ciaz sedan with bigger cabin space, features, frugal and efficient engines; however, the Ciaz did not appeal to buyers in its design and style. That said, with Maruti's vast and popular after-sales service network made it an irresistible offer for car buyers in India.

Now, with Hyundai launching the new Verna and Honda launching the City facelift, its only matter of time before we see Maruti introducing the Ciaz facelift. The Maruti Ciaz facelift is expected to see a heavily redesigned front and rear profile as well as a host of features.

As for the engines, Maruti is in the process of developing a new 1.5-litre diesel unit for its products in India. We expect the Ciaz facelift to be equipped with the 1.5-litre diesel unit apart from the 1.4-litre petrol which does its duty in the current model.

Expected Launch: Mid-2018
Expected Price: Rs 8 Lakh to Rs 12 Lakh

Ford Figo/ Aspire Facelift

The new-generation Ford Figo did not bring much for the American carmaker in India, and the company is readying a facelift taking into all the aspect that did not go well with the new Figo. Ford is expected to tweak the Figo facelift with more styling changes to the front profile, this is expected on the Aspire compact sedan as well.

Apart from the design changes, the Figo and Aspire facelift is expected to be offered with a new 1.2-litre petrol engine from its Dragon series. The Dragon series engines provide better fuel efficiency, though they are not likely to offer the same performance as the outgoing unit.

Expected Launch: Mid-2018
Expected Price: Rs 5 Lakh to Rs 7.5 Lakh (Figo)/ Rs 5.5 Lakh to Rs 8 Lakh (Aspire)

Volkswagen Vento Facelift (Virtus)

The elegant looking Volkswagen Vento feels upmarket and offers premium features; however, there were not many in the Indian market who preferred a straight, boring design language of the sedan. The Vento continues to struggle in the market despite its frugal engine and premium features.

While VW might bring the Vento facelift to India, there are reports that it might launch the newly unveiled Volkswagen Virtus to India. The Virtus is expected to replace the Vento in India, but VW could surprise us by launching the Vento facelift. The VW Virtus looks stylish and upmarket compared to the Vento and gets the high-tech dashboard with dual digital screens.

As for the engines, the Virtus comes with a choice of a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine delivering 116bhp and 162Nm of torque, and a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, turbo-petrol producing 126bhp and 200Nm of torque. While the 1.6-litre engine is mated to a 5-speed automatic, the turbo-petrol is paired with a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Expected Launch: Mid-2018
Expected Price: Rs 9.5 Lakh to Rs 12.5 Lakh

Hyundai Sonata Facelift

The Hyundai Sonata facelift will follow the present design language of the Korean company. The new cascading grille, like the new Verna, will give an aggressive design to the Sonata, facelift model.

Not many details are available for the new Hyundai Sonata, but its expected to retain the turbocharged 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre petrol engines. We'll bring more details of the Hyundai Sonata facelift once we have official information.

Expected Launch: Late 2018
Expected Price: Rs 17 Lakh to Rs 25 Lakh

DriveSpark Thinks!

The list of facelift car launches in India reflects that car makers are sensitive towards any shift in trend or technology. They are making efforts to offer the best to car buyers in India as well as boost their sales in the country till the next-generation version is introduced.