During the second wave of the pandemic, a surge in COVID-19 cases in India has brought life to a halt. With several areas of the country in partial or complete lockdown, business leaders are pressed to consider their plans for the rest of the year.
Automobile producers have been deliberating business plans as well, and we should expect a pause in the introduction of new vehicles in the near future. Owing to the virus outbreak, several major launches have been forced to be postponed. We take a look at some of the anticipated launches that have been delayed due to the COVID-19 case surge.
- Celerio Maruti Suzuki: The current pandemic has also postponed the launch of the new Maruti Suzuki Celerio. The latest redesigned version of Maruti’s hatchback was supposed to hit the market in May 2021, but that date has been pushed back to mid-2021.
- Octavia Skoda: The fourth generation of the Skoda Octavia will have to wait a few more days before being released on the market. Octavia is set to debut with a completely new interior and exterior design. The vehicle, which was supposed to hit the market at the end of April 2021, is now expected to arrive at the end of May 2021.
- Hyundai Alcazar: is a car manufactured by Hyundai. Alcazar will be based on Hyundai’s iconic SUV Creta, but with an extra row and a longer wheelbase (150 mm more than Creta). The SUV was supposed to be released on April 29, but it will now be released in late May.
- GLA Mercedes-Benz: Mercedes-Benz had planned to launch the second generation of its Benz GLA car in late April or early May 2021, but the COVID spike has forced the company to postpone it. GLA, a Mercedes’ entry-level SUV, will be available with a variety of engine options. One has a 190hp 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine with FWD and AWD, and the other has a 163hp 1.3-liter petrol engine. In India, the top-of-the-line AMG GLA 35 4Matic with a 306hp 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine will be available.
- Audi e-Tron: is an electric vehicle developed by Audi. Audi was preparing to introduce the first all-electric vehicle in India, hoping to capture the luxury electric car market. The car was supposed to enter the Indian market in late May 2021, but due to the current pandemic, it has been pushed back to June 2021. When it comes to the car’s specifications, the e-Tron has a 95kWh battery pack that powers its two electric motors. The motors produce a total of 408 horsepower, and the company claims that the car will accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 5.7 seconds.
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An insatiable fanatic of cars and bikes. Her never-ending love for cars and bikes has landed her to finally start writing about them. When not reading/writing about cars, you would definitely find her reading any Sidney Sheldon book.