India is currently in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic’s second wave, and this has led various carmakers to delay the launch of their new vehicles. As the number of COVID-19 cases is rising rapidly all across the country, carmakers believe this is not the appropriate time to launch new products. Additionally, with many states in India going through another round of lockdowns, this adds another major hurdle for carmakers, when it comes to holding new car launches. This deferment also lets them focus their efforts in aiding the current situation caused by the pandemic, wherever they can.

Hyundai Alcazar

The launch of the Hyundai Alcazar three-row SUV has also been postponed from April 29, 2021, to late May. The Alcazar is a derivative of the popular Creta SUV, with a longer wheelbase (150mm more) and an added row of seats (with both 6 and 7 seat configurations). The SUV will be available with the choice of petrol and diesel engines, as well as with manual and automatic gearbox options.

Skoda Octavia

Skoda has confirmed that the launch of the fourth-gen Octavia in India has been postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The sedan – with all-new interior and exterior styling as well as a single 190hp, 2.0-litre petrol engine option mated to a 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox – was originally slated for launch towards the end of April 2021.

Maruti Suzuki Celerio

The all-new Maruti Suzuki Celerio hatchback was also slated to launch in May 2021, though its market introduction has also been postponed. The second-gen Celerio is expected to feature all-new styling on the interior and exterior, more in line with Maruti’s current design language. The model is also likely to move to the carmaker’s ‘Heartect’ platform that also underpins models like the Wagon R, Swift, and Baleno. Expected engine options include a 68hp, 1.0- litre, three-cylinder petrol engine, and a more powerful 83hp, 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.

Mercedes-Benz GLA

The second-gen Mercedes-Benz GLA was set to launch in early May 2021 but that plan has now been postponed. The new GLA will be the entry point to the German brand’s SUV range, and it will be offered with a 190hp, 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine with FWD and AWD and a 163hp, 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine. A performance-oriented AMG GLA 35 4Matic with a 306hp, 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine will top the range in India.

Isuzu V-Cross MUX

The Isuzu V-Cross pickup truck and MUX SUV were both discontinued by the carmaker when the BS6 emission norms came into effect in 2020. The carmaker was set to bring them back in their BS6 guise in the coming weeks, but their respective launches have now been postponed due to the pandemic. The V-Cross and the MUX are both expected to feature a BS6-compliant version of the 1.9-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, along with the choice of manual and automatic gearboxes.

Audi e-Tron

Audi’s first all-electric model in the Indian market, the e-Tron SUV, was originally scheduled to launch in May 2021 but has now been postponed to launch by June. These plans are fluid and could change depending on the prevailing COVID-19 conditions.

The e-Tron will come with a 95kWh battery pack that will power two electric motors. Combined, the electric motors produce 408hp, allowing the EV SUV to complete the 0-100kph sprint in a claimed 5.7sec. The e-Tron's battery pack can provide a WLTP-certified range of 440km. Once launched in India, the Audi e-Tron would compete with the Mercedes-Benz EQC and the recently launched Jaguar I-Pace. 

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ŠKODA has released two design sketches providing the first glimpse of the new interior concept for the upcoming OCTAVIA. The ŠKODA best-seller’s new generation will, for the first time ever, feature a multi-level instrument panel and a new steering wheel with two spokes. The world premiere of the fourth-generation ŠKODA OCTAVIA will take place on 11 November in Prague.

 

The sketches released by ŠKODA Design show the redesigned instrument panel in the new OCTAVIA. Topped by a large, free-standing central display, it’s composed of several layers whose lines and colours reference the signature shape of the ŠKODA grille. The instrument panel’s visual width emphasises the cabin’s generous sense of space. The fourth generation of the most popular model in ŠKODA history once again provides even more interior space than its predecessor.

The new interior concept also includes a steering wheel with a two-spoke design featuring buttons and scroll wheels that make for enhanced ergonomics. In the elegant and tidy centre console, a small rocker switch has taken the place of the familiar selector lever. It uses shift-by-wire technology to electronically communicate the desired DSG transmission setting. Also making its debut in the new OCTAVIA is the Climatronic three-zone air conditioning system.

Source: Skoda Storyboard

You'd be mistaken if you thought Alcazar was just a longer version of Creta. Hyundai is aggressively entering the 7-seater market. The Alcazar is a three-row version of the second-generation Creta, which means it will share many of the same components, platform, and powertrains as the five-seat SUV. Despite the fact that both SUVs appear to be very similar on the outside and inside.

The Hyundai Alcazar, on the other hand, will have a range of unique features, and the carmaker has made minor tweaks to distinguish it from its mainstream 5-seater sibling.

Interior

The interior of the Alcazar would be distinct from that of the Creta. Captain seats will be available in the middle row of the Alcazar SUV in 6- and 7-seater configurations. A bench seat would be installed in the middle row of the 7-seater edition. In the middle row, there are two captain chairs, each with its own dedicated center console. It appears to be anchored to the floor and may have cup holders.

According to reports, it will also include wireless charging systems for captain seat passengers. Since the interior design is the same as the Creta. The Creta differs from the Creta in terms of upholstery and chain form. A dual-tone interior with a black and dark brown cabin theme will be available only on the top-end models. The Hyundai Alcazar will come with all the bells and whistles, including a 360-degree view, which is an improvement over the Hyundai Creta. The Hyundai Creta only comes with a reverse parking camera as standard equipment.

Exterior

From the front, the basic design is similar to the Creta. It does, however, get a new cascading grille from Hyundai. There are several individual chrome pieces inside the grille. On the edges, it has a chrome surround that suits Creta's headlamps. The Alcazar's front fascia appears to be higher-quality than the Creta's. The rear tail lamp design differs from that of the Creta. The tail lamps on the Creta have a C-shaped LED running light, while the Alcazar's are much larger and have a different running light arrangement. The LED strip is mounted in the lower surround of the taillights. At the back, we have a brand new tailgate that is more vertical.

The glass on the Creta was raked, while the glass on the Creta was steeply angled. A chrome slat connects the LED taillights. The word "Alcazar" is spelled out on the same chrome slat, and rear fog lamps are located in the lower half of the bumper.

Engine

The Hyundai Alcazar will use the same 1.5-liter diesel engine that powers the Hyundai Creta. A 2.0-litre petrol engine with 159 PS and 192 Nm of power and torque will also be available. The Hyundai Tucson makes use of the same power plant. The diesel engine is the same 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged unit that powers the Creta, with 115hp and 250Nm of torque. A 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission is available for both engines.

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The Hyundai Kona N comes with a slight revisions of the dimensions, being 4.21 meters long, which is 1 cm longer than the standard Kona SUV, 1.8 meters wide and 1.56 meters high, with the wheelbase measuring 2.6. meters. The Hyundai Kona N emphasises performance thanks to the 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine with 290 hp of power and 392 Nm of maximum torque. The engine is mated to an 8-speed dual-clutch DCT automatic transmission.

The 2021 Kona N SUV stands on new 19-inch alloy wheels with dedicated design and finish. There is 361 litres of bootspace on offer. The SUV also gets an exclusive colour scheme called the Sonic Blue.

The dashboard is dominated by two 10.25-inch displays for the instrument panel and the infotainment system that is compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. A head-up display is also on offer to shows driving information.

The interior of the Hyundai Kona N is also highlighted by sportiness with wraparound sports seats, embellished with the N logo on the backrest and Performance Blue contrast stitching. There are aluminium pedals, new N sports steering wheel which integrates two blue buttons for driving settings and a red NSG button that serves to "squeeze" the engine to the maximum.

At the heart of the Hyundai Kona N is a 2.0-litre GDI turbo engine that develops 290 hp and 392 Nm of maximum torque, allowing the SUV to go from 0 to 100 kmph in just 5.5 seconds. It has a top speed of 240 kmph.

The 2021 Kona N offers five driving modes (Eco, Normal, Sport, N and Custom) along with three high performance functions, namely N Power Shift, N Grin Shift and N Track Sense Shift.

The Hyundai Kona N also features Launch Control, electronically controlled limited slip differential and electric power steering with three different settings available (Normal, Sport and Sport +).

Hyundai Motor looks to build upon its success with N brand in e-performance possibly with electric and hydrogen fuel cell powertrains.

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