Witnessing the biggest slowdown of nearly two decades, passenger vehicle manufacturers are leaving no stone unturned to cash on the upcoming festive season, demand for cars remains high during this period.

India’s top two carmakers — Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motor — are set to launch a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), and update a popular version of hatchback respectively. Besides, Korean firm Kia Motor will launch its first mid-size SUV Seltos this week. 

The three big launches, which would take place in a span of three days, comes at a time when the Indian automotive industry is going through a severe slowdown, marred by declining sales and job cuts. India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki reported a sales decline of 33.5 per cent in July 2019 while sales of Hyundai Motor, despite having a successful launch of Venue, fell 3.8 per cent during the month. According to estimates, over three lakh jobs have been lost due to the current slowdown. 

Further, Hyundai Grand i10 Nios will make its debut on August 20. The third-generation hatchback is expected to strengthen its market share in the hatchback segment as its last launch—Santro couldn’t meet the market expectations. It will have 10 variants (seven in petrol and three in diesel) with two engine options — 1.2-litre Kappa petrol and 1.2-litre CRDi diesel.

Next in line is Maruti Suzuki’s 6-seater XL6, which will be sold through Nexa dealerships. The premium MPV will be powered by a BS-VI compliant 1.5-litre K15B Smart Hybrid petrol engine that will deliver 105 hp and 138 Nm of torque. It will be launched on August 21. 

The company expects the new utility vehicle to strengthen its NEXA portfolio. “The XL6 will further strengthen our NEXA products portfolio and provide our customers with a range of products from hatchbacks, Sedans, SUVs, and now a premium MPV at NEXA. We hope our customers enjoy the experience of our latest offering,” said Shashank Srivastava, executive director, marketing and sales, Maruti Suzuki India.At last, Kia Seltos, which in just three weeks received over 23,000 bookings.

The Korean auto giant is launching Seltos on August 22 and will commence deliveries from the same date. The BS-VI compliant vehicle will be offered in three engines  — 1.4-litre Turbo GDI petrol, 1.5-litre petrol, and 1.5-litre VGT diesel. Apart from a standard 6-speed manual gearbox, there will be automatic transmission options.