While the year 2019 saw a foray of premium and bigger luxury cars getting facelifts and lifecycle makeovers mostly, the year 2020 will see a major rejig in the entry-level space. Here are the top 5 upcoming entry-level luxury cars and SUVs that will be launched in India this year.
All-new Audi Q3
The second-gen Audi Q3 has been out from almost one and a half years now. It will be launched in India sometime in 2020, but definitely not in the first quarter of the year. Audi has reserved Q1 2020 for the first-ever Q8 and the all-new A8.
Dimensionally, Audi has made the Q3 bigger. The redesigned model measures 4,485 mm in length, 1,849mm in width and 1,585 mm in height. The wheelbase is 2,680 mm. The knee room, legroom and shoulder room have improved. To know these improvements in more detail, you can check out our old vs. new comparison.
On the design front, the all-new Audi Q3 sources much of the inspiration from the new flagship SUV, the Audi Q8, featuring big octagonal grille, Matrix LED headlamps and bigger and sharper LED tail lamps. On the inside too, the new Q3 will have a completely new dashboard design comprising a 10.25-inch virtual cockpit and a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
In the Indian market, Audi will be launching the all-new Q3 with only petrol engines, which are likely to be a 1.5-litre turbocharged unit (150 PS/250 Nm) and a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit (190 PS/320 Nm). Both these engines will be paired with a common 7-speed S-tronic automatic gearbox. The Quattro permanent all-wheel drive system could be standard in the 2.0L engine variant.
New BMW X1 (facelift)
One of the oldest nameplates when it comes to compact luxury SUVs in India, the BMW X1, received a facelift last year. The updated model will go on sale likely in the first half of the year.
The minuscule changes on the outside come in the form of a set of new LED headlamps which are sleeker and get more comprehensive detailing on the inside, a new larger and unified double kidney grille, sleek LED fog lamps, new alloy wheels and tweaked LED tail lamps.
On the inside too, the changes have been kept minimal, such as new upholstery options, 10.25-inch touchscreen, 5.7 inch TFT info display in the instrument console and optional LED ambient lighting with six different colours.
BMW will likely offer the new X1 in India with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine (141 PS/220 Nm) and a 2.0-litre diesel engine (190 PS/400 Nm).
New Land Rover Discovery Sport (facelift)
Introduced as a replacement to the Land Rover Freelander 2, the Land Rover Discovery Sport has been one of the highest-selling models for Land Rover in India, mainly because of the availability of a 7-seat version. The facelifted Land Rover Discovery Sport will be launched in the second half of this month.
Apart from getting new front and rear bumper, the LED headlamps and tail lamps too will get new inserts and lighting pattern. The original form and silhouette remains more or less unchanged, though.
It is on the inside of the Land Rover Discovery Sport where the changes look more substantial, with the cabin getting a new dashboard and steering wheel from the Discovery, along with a new 10.25 inch Touch Pro HD infotainment system, 12.3 inch full TFT instrument console, massage functionality for front seats and wireless smartphone charging.
Land Rover will be launching this new version of the Discovery Sport with a choice of two engine options – a 2.0-litre 180 PS turbocharged diesel and a 2.0-litre 200 PS turbocharged petrol engine. A 9-speed automatic gearbox and an all-wheel drive system will be standard.
All-new Volvo S60
Introduced in June 2018, the all-new Volvo S60 is finally set to hit the Indian showrooms now. The launch should take place by March and as Volvo is likely to assemble it here right from the beginning, expect aggressive pricing.
The latest Volvo S60 wears an all-new design, which makes it look like a scaled-down version of Volvo’s flagship sedan, the S80. Featuring Volvo’s now trademark ‘Thor’s hammer’ LED headlamps, a concave grille, elongated profile and a new boot lid design with sleeker C-shaped LED tail lamps, the all-new Volvo S60 is surely a huge departure from the previous generation model.
On the inside too, things have changed drastically with an all-new cabin layout with a full TFT instrument console, a larger and portrait-style infotainment system and vertical AC vents, all of which seem to have been lifted off from the Volvo XC40.
Volvo has already confirmed that the new third-generation S60 will be a petrol-only model, but specs for our market are yet to be revealed.
New Audi A4 (facelift)
The fifth-gen Audi A4 had received a facelift in June 2018 - the sedan with those updates arrived in India in November 2019 - and then another, more extensive facelift in May 2019. The second-time-facelifted sedan will be brought here likely in the second half of the year.
The once-again-facelifted Audi A4 features a broader grille, new Matrix LED inserts for the headlamps, sportier-looking front bumper inserts and a set of larger LED tail lamps inspired from that of the Audi A7.
However, the changes on the inside of the new Audi A4 will be limited. One of them will be a new infotainment system from Volkswagen Group's MIB3 family.
Audi could introduce the latest A4 in India with a 2.0L petrol engine in the 150 PS/270 Nm version or the 190 PS/320 Nm version.
