Upcoming Hatchbacks In India In 2018 – New Hyundai Santro, Ford Figo Facelift & Tata Tiago JTP

Agencies Updated at: 11 May 2018 09:30 PM (IST)

A new entry-level Hyundai hatchback, a 110PS Tiago and the updated Figo and Go are all expected to launch this year

The past four months saw two very important hatchbacks hitting the Indian market - the new Maruti Suzuki Swift and the Hyundai Elite i20 facelift. During the same time, two other very popular hatchbacks were also updated - the Renault Kwid (Marvel edition) and the Grand i10 (a variant-feature rejig) -, while Mini launched the new Countryman that it had showcased at the Auto Expo 2018. And now that almost half of the year has gone by, we list down the other hatchbacks that are expected to arrive on our shores in the remaining half.

Ford Figo facelift

Expected Launch: June/July 2018

Expected price: Rs 4.75 lakh onwards

With the Ford Freestyle already launched in India, the Figo facelift should also be around the corner. Reason? Well, the Freestyle is based on the yet-to-be-launched Figo facelift. As far as the changes in the latter are concerned, don’t expect them to be radical. For instance, it will get a new grille, larger headlamp units and revised front and rear bumpers. The tail lamps are likely to get LED treatment. Inside, it’s likely to get the SYNC 3 infotainment system, which supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

While the 1.5-litre diesel engine is expected to be carried forward from the existing Figo, the new 1.2-litre petrol engine of the Dragon series should replace the current petrol unit. The latter is capable of producing 96PS of max power and 120Nm of peak torque, as we’ve seen on the Freestyle. Again, just like the Freestyle, it should come paired with a 5-speed manual transmission. What remains to be seen, though, is whether Ford offers an automatic transmission on the Figo this time around.

Must read: Ford Freestyle: 5 Things We Like

Next-generation Hyundai Santro

Expected Launch – October 2018

Expected price: Rs 3.5 lakh onwards

Caught testing on numerous occasions in India, the next big small hatch from Hyundai is rumoured to be the new-generation Santro. It is expected to hit the market before Diwali this year, which is on November 7. Not much has been revealed about the Hyundai small car, but what’s for certain is that it will look like a shortened version of the Grand i10. The engine options aren’t clear either, but it is most likely to get the 1.1-litre petrol engine of the i10, which produces 69PS of power. We also expect Hyundai to offer an AMT with it.

Datsun Go facelift

Expected Launch – October/November 2018

Expected price: Rs 3.5 lakh onwards

Datsun has launched the facelift versions of its Go hatch and Go+ MPV in Indonesia. The updated Go features cosmetic changes such as a new grille, redesigned headlamp cluster, LED DRLs, reworked front and rear bumpers, large rear spoiler and ORVMs with integrated turn indicators. Inside, it features an all-black upholstery and a new 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment unit for the Indonesian market. We expect the changes to be carried on to the Indian version as well.

It continues to be powered by the existing 1.2-litre petrol engine, which generates 68PS/104Nm, mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. However, the biggest addition in the Datsun Go facelift is the CVT gearbox. The Indonesian version gets it and we expect the Japanese carmaker to launch it in India as well. Currently, it is only offered with a manual option in India.

Tata Tiago JTP

Expected Launch – August/September 2018

Expected price: Rs 7 lakh onwards

Besides the Tata 45X, the other Tata hatchback that caught auto enthusiasts’ attention at the Auto Expo 2018 was the Tiago JTP (Jayem Tata Performance). A sportier version of the standard Tiago, the JTP avatar gets a blacked out honeycomb grille with a JTP badge, smoked projector headlamps, vents on the bonnet and 15-inch diamond cut alloys. Bright red accents on ORVMs, AC vents, instrument cluster and the door pads further accentuate its sporty character. Under the bonnet, it gets a powerful Nexon-sourced 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol motor which delivers 110PS of power at 5,000rpm and 150Nm of peak torque. Fancy buying one? Well, you will have to wait for another 2-3 months until the sportier Tiago arrives at a Tata showroom near you.