The highlights of the past week have been new car launches, price increases and the start of bookings for upcoming three-row models
The second week of January 2022 saw several launches in the form of facelifts and a new generation luxury SUV. It was also when Kia and Audi opened up bookings for the Carens and facelifted Q7, respectively.
Here’s a quick rundown of everything that’s happened over the past week:
start reports
2022 Skoda Kodiaq launched: Skoda’s flagship SUV, the Kodiaq, has returned to India in its facelift avatar after being discontinued in 2020. The 2022 SUV comes with cosmetic upgrades and some feature upgrades, but with a major update under the hood. The SUV sold out for four months within 24 hours of its launch.
Facelifted Toyota Camry comes to India: The facelifted Toyota Camry has arrived in India. The hybrid executive sedan comes with cosmetic and functional updates at an additional cost.
Fifth generation Range Rover launched in India: The Land Rover Range Rover has always made a statement for itself, and its fifth-generation iteration is no different. While international markets got it in 2021, the automaker has brought the luxury SUV to India with a range of powertrain options and an extensive list of features.
spy shots
Citroen C3 Spied Unfaired: Citroen’s second launch for India will be the C3 and the petite SUV has been spied on in the nude for the first time. The spied model appeared to be production-ready, as evidenced by some of the details seen.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Spied: Jeep’s flagship SUV, the Grand Cherokee, debuted in its fifth-generation Avatar in 2021 in two versions: two-row and three-row. A heavily camouflaged test mule of the former was recently spied in India ahead of its expected launch in September.
Price increases galore
Several automakers such as Honda, Citroën, Renault, Mahindra and Hyundai have joined Skoda and Volkswagen in raising the prices of their offerings. Among the new batches, the hike was as steep as up to 98,000 rupees.
Bookings open for the three-row models from Kia and Audi: Kia and Audi have opened bookings for their respective three-row models. While the Kia Carens will be launched in the first quarter of this year, the facelifted Audi Q7 will go on sale as early as January.
Upcoming models, teasers and reveal
Toyota’s pickup truck has a start date: Toyota seems to have set its eyes squarely on Isuzu’s D-Max V-Cross with the Hilux. The automaker recently teased the pickup, hinting at its launch date later this month.
Tata Safari to get the black treatment soon: The Safari finally gets the Dark Edition offered on every premium SUV in the Tata range. It’s coming soon and we’ve got all the interesting details just for you.
Mercedes-Benz India plans for 2022 revealed: The luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz has announced its plans for 2022 for our country. It told us it will bring the flagship electric sedan, the EQS, to India as a locally assembled offering to keep prices competitive. And if you think that’s all, prepare to be amazed.
Volkswagen Sedan (Virtus) reveal timeline confirmed: According to a recent report, Volkswagen’s top staff has announced that its new compact sedan, designed to replace the Vento (which could be called the Virtus), will be unveiled in production-ready form in March.
Jeep Compass Trailhawk makes a comeback: While Jeep rolled out the facelifted Compass Trailhawk globally in 2020, it’s set to make a comeback in India the following month. We’ve detailed all the updates and the expected powertrain in our story.
Facelifted Citroën C5 Aircross unveiled: While the Citroën C5 Aircross has only been on sale for less than a year, the carmaker has already unveiled the facelifted SUV for the European markets. As you might expect from a facelift, it gets a bunch of cosmetic changes and some new features.
