NEW AUTOMOBILE BRANDS LAUNCHING IN INDIA

NEW AUTOMOBILE BRANDS LAUNCHING IN INDIA 1. MG MOTORS MG Cars At Auto Expo 2018 SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) will mark its entry in the Indian market with its British Racing Sports subsidiary – MG Motors. The company has confirmed that the first MG SUV – Hector will be launched in India in June 2019. Designed and developed at the company’s European & Global design centers, the MG products are currently manufactured in multiple markets including Thailand, Indonesia, UK, USA, etc. Once the Chinese carmaker will start its operations here, India will become the production hub for the MG vehicles. Initially, the company will bring the 4 new SUVs in India in the next 2 years. This year, MG will introduce the Hector SUV and all-new eZS all-electric SUV. In 2020, the company will bring the Baojun 510 based mid-sized SUV and a 7-seater version of the Hector SUV. The MG Hector will take on the likes of Hyundai Tucson and Jeep Compass. The Baojun 510 based SUV will directly rival the Hyundai Creta, Renault Duster and Nissan Kicks. These SUVs will be manufactured at the SAIC’s Halol plant in Gujarat. 2. TESLA Tesla Model 3 India image Electric vehicle giant, Tesla will make its India debut with the Model 3 sedan sometime next year. The Tesal Model 3 had already had its world debut on March 31, 2016 in Los Angeles. Having amassed a large number of bookings till date, Model 3 is a highly anticipated electric vehicle globally. Just so you know, it is claimed to be the most affordable vehicle from the electric carmaker. The production of the new Tesla electric sedan is underway at the company’s gigafactory in Nevada. Tesla will initially bring Model 3 through CBU route and hence will attract higher cess, therefore expect it to be priced higher than 40-50 lakh. 3. CITROEN Groupe PSA, the French automaker has joined hands with CK Birla Group to develop and sell products in India. The Groupe has officially announced that it will introduce the Citroen brand in the country in 2021. The first model from the French automaker will arrive in 2021. PSA Groupe plans to manufacture vehicles and powertrains in the State of Tamil Nadu and to bring state-of-the-art technology for an eco-friendly new product range. The PSA Groupe has been testing the Citroen C5 Aircross SUV in India. It was speculated that the company would bring this SUV as CKD unit. This SUV will directly rival the likes of Hyundai Tucson and Jeep Compass. 4. KIA Yet another South Korean brand is all set to foray into the Indian market is Hyundai’s sister brand, Kia. The company has already started setup a new production plant in Andhra Pradesh and production has also been started. Kia will initially launch an all-new 5-seater SUV based on the SP Concept. Unveiled at the 2018 Auto Expo, the SP based SUV will challenge the likes of Hyundai Creta, Nissan Kicks and Renault Duster. The company will launch the global Carnival MPV and an all-new cross-hatchback based on the Rio hatchback in 2020. The Korean brand is also working on a sub-4 meter SUV, which will be based on the new Santro’s platform. 5. GREAT WALL MOTORS Yet another Chinese brand, Great Wall Motors is planning to enter into the Indian market. It is the Chinese largest SUV and pick-up manufacturer. Media reports claim that this brand will arrive in the country by 2021-22. The company is selling SUVs under the Haval nameplate. Adding to it, Great Wall Motors also has a upmarket brand – Wey – that sells pickup trucks. The company has also hired Kaushik Ganguly from Maruti Suzuki to lead its India foray. The Great Wall has also conducted multiple studies before finalizing on its decision to enter India.