New Car/ Bike Manufacturers To Enter India In 2018

1. Kia

Kia is a subsidiary of India's second largest car maker Hyundai and is all set to enter the country in 2019. However, Kia will begin showcasing its vehicles in 2018 at the Auto Expo to be held in February 2018. While Kia has not revealed its product lineup for India, we know for sure that it's focusing on small mass-market cars, while Hyundai is expected to focus on premium cars.

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Kia is expected to target the sub-four compact SUV, premium hatchback and small entry-level car segments in India. These cars will rival the likes of Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Maruti Suzuki Alto respectively.

Expected Launch: Late 2018

2. MG Motor

MG Motor is a British car maker with a rich legacy of producing cars for 93-years. Now, the company is all set to enter India in 2018. The company launched its Indian website and has begun teasing possible vehicles for the country. The company will manufacture its cars out of the General Motors' plant in Halol, Gujarat.

In the latest teaser, MG Motor has featured the MG ZS compact SUV for the Indian market which will rival cars such as Hyundai Creta and the Renault Duster. Also expected is the MG3 hatchback will compete with Maruti Baleno, Honda Jazz, Hyundai i20 and the Volkswagen Polo.

Expected Launch: Mid-2018

3. Norton

The legendary British bike manufacturer will enter the modern classic segment in India. While a limited number of motorcycles through the Completely Built Unit (CBU) will be rolled in 2018, locally assembled motorcycles are expected to be launched in 2019.

Norton has tied up with Kinetic to utilise the later's Ahmednagar plant to assemble the Norton Commando and Dominator. The Norton Commando series includes the Commando 961 Sport and Commando 961 Cafe Racer, while the Dominator series includes Sport and DomiRacer trims.

Expected Launch: Late 2018

4. SWM

You probably might not have heard of the SWM brand. SWM stands for Speedy Working Motorcycles and is an Italian brand. SWM will launch the Superdual T, a middle-weight adventure tourer. The motorcycle is powered by a 600cc engine and is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 6 lakh.

The SWM Superdual T will be assembled at Kinetic's manufacturing plant in Maharashtra. The adventure tourer will be available in two variant: the T is a touring version, and the X is an off-road version. The motorcycles are expected to be launched early 2018.

Expected Launch: Early 2018

5. Jawa

The brand 'Jawa' does not need any introduction in India, the brand continues to have an ardent fan base in the country despite going out of sale in the 90s. Mahindra has bought the rights to manufacture Jawa motorcycles in India and we expect Mahindra to employ the engine of Mojo for the Jawa motorcycles, though we will be more interested in the Jawa 350 OHC which is on sale in some global markets.

Expected Launch: Late 2018

DriveSpark Thinks!

The list of new car/ bike manufacturers to enter India is quite impressive. That said, the Indian automobile industry is a tough nut to crack, especially for global companies. Many have failed, and very few have succeeded as the Indian car/ bike buyers are difficult to impress, but once impressed, the brand will undoubtedly witness success in one of the largest automobile industry in the world.