Luxury cars all set for a launch this year

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

By Pawan Rana

Luxury cars all set for a launch this year

This year is going to witness so many new luxury car launches and specially those which were expected last year but following slow pace of the market, these were either postponed or partially delayed. The three major luxury car makers – BMW, Audi and Mercedes Benz are all ready with their arsenal for a combat this year. The current year will be spectacular from the point of view that Audi has posted some very exciting sales data in 2012 and has just missed the top position in the luxury market by around 400 unit car sales. In the coming years, Audi has set a target to achieve the top slot and at the current pace it seems that the target is not too far.

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As per the market anticipation and sources information, there are some cars that are awaiting launch this year in the luxury car segment. These include – Mercedes Benz A Class, Volvo V40, Mercedes Benz CLA Class, Audi A3, Audi Q2, BMW 1 Series and Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class. These cars are highly anticipated this year and it is the launch of these cars that will shape the future of the luxury car segment in the country.

Mercedes Benz A Class

The A Class will be the most affordable Mercedes car in India and it is expected to be powered by 1.6 L turbo petrol and 1.8 L turbo diesel engine options. Mercedes Benz A Class price in India is expected to be around Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh and the launch could be sometime during April May this year.

Volvo V40

The hot hatchback Volvo V40 is a car that will be giving some of the worst time to the big wigs such as BMW X1, Audi Q3 and the recently entry B Class by Mercedes Benz. The turbo diesel engine powered hatch will have a price tag starting around Rs 28 lakh and April launch is what is rumored recently.

Mercedes Benz CLA Class

The CLA Class sedan will be Mercedes Benz’s attempt to target the entry level luxury car segment. Known for its styling, comfort and of course touch of luxury, this car will redefine the entry level luxury car segment. Hoped to be priced around Rs 25 lakh, this car is heading for a Diwali launch this year.

Audi A3

The first in the series launch by Audi will be the Audi A3. Audi calls it “Not just a small car. A small Audi.”, and it infact is the smallest in the series. Smaller than the Q3, the A3 will redefine luxury and will set a new standard in the luxury car market. The price speculations regarding A3 are yet to be open and so are the launch plans but it would be sometime in the later part of this year.

Audi Q2

This will be more so a hatchback but with rugged looks and ability to take on rough terrains. This smaller than Audi Q3 SUV is expected to have a price tag of around Rs 20 lakh and it will the daylight in India sometime this year.

BMW 1 Series

When Audi and Mercedes Benz are targeting the below Rs 25 lakh segment why BMW should lag behind. This is the car that BMW will be launching to cater to the below Rs 25 lakh segment. Different than the MINI brand, the BMW 1 Series launch in India will be sometime in the middle of this year.

Mercedes Benz GLA Class

The Mercedes Benz GLA Class will cater to the entry level SUV segment that is getting hot and hotter recently with cars such as Audi Q3 and BMW X1 doing wonders. Though expected to be price somewhere around Rs 30 lakh, this SUV will be launched in India this Diwali or sometime during the Auto Expo 2014.