 "Hyundai i10")
Indian cars buyers will be spoilt for choice next year when manufacturers line up a series of launches across price and vehicle segments as they aim to beat the prevailing sluggish sentiments.
At least 15 new product launches are expected to take place in 2016 by eight manufacturers, beating this year's total of 11 new products - also by eight manufacturers.
The new launches will be aided by perhaps an equal number of upgrades, variants, face-lifts, limited editions, special editions, new engine, fuel or transmission options that will also be launched next year.
Year 2016 will also see a role reversal by a few front-line large volume companies with two companies - Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors - contributing the most to new launches.
Car market leader Maruti, which has had a quiet year in the volume segment, will launch three new products. South Korean brand Hyundai, which has had a busy year with the Creta coupled with continued success with the i20 and Grand i10, will focus on existing products.
Maruti Suzuki, which shifted focus to premium vehicles and its outlets (Nexa), is slated to launch compact sports utility vehicle (SUV) Brezza, a new hatchback Ignis, and a multi-seater carrier based on the popular hatchback WagonR next year.
Tata Motors will up its ante with four new model launches next year, even as the Mumbai-based vehicle maker looks to resurrect its struggling passenger vehicle business unit. Hatchback Zica, compact sedan based on Zica, and two utility vehicles Nexon and Hexa are slated to come from this fifth largest passenger vehicle maker.
Despite the subdued sales this year, utility vehicles will remain in focus next year with at least nine launches including facelifts. Although the segment grew only three per cent in the April-November 2015 period compared to the same period in 2014, it will see new launches from Honda, Fiat Chrysler, Toyota Kirloskar, Volkswagen, Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors.
In the biennial Auto Expo to be held at Greater Noida in February 2016, as many as 65 companies are expected to participate. As in the past, the expo will prove to be a platform for manufacturers to showcase their new products, concepts and technology. The 2016 expo will be the biggest ever with the number of launches exceeding that of 2014 launches, when the last auto expo was held.
In the luxury car segment, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW will keep customers excited with new launches as well as a host of upgrades. Volvo will launch the S90 sedan.
Among the most anticipated products for 2016 are those from the Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover. While Jaguar will launch its smallest sedan XE, Land Rover will follow it up with a convertible Evoque SUV.
Abdul Majeed, partner at PwC, said: "Most original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), if they have to make inroads into India, have to refresh their products. If they don't do that, they will lose out in one of the most important markets globally. Many OEMs are today looking at markets outside India, made up of exports from India. So they have to build that manufacturing base here."
According to data provided by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, the car segment grew 11 per cent while the utility vehicle segment grew three per cent and the van segment expanded by one per cent. The combined volumes of passenger vehicle segment grew nine per cent from 1.68 million to 1.83 million units.
