Incidentally, all of these happen to be EVs.
31 Dec 2024 | 4982 Views | By Saptarshi Mondal, Autocar India
The new year is expected to start with a bang, and a slew of new launches are lined up across segments, with the Bharat Mobility Show scheduled to take place between January 17-22, 2025. Incidentally, all of these happen to be EVs, ranging from mass-market electric SUVs to sportscar, and that’s ...
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The new year is expected to start with a bang, and a slew of new launches are lined up across segments, with the Bharat Mobility Show scheduled to take place between January 17-22, 2025. Incidentally, all of these happen to be EVs, ranging from mass-market electric SUVs to sportscar, and that’s likely to be a recurring trend across the entire year. Take a look at the new cars and SUVs arriving next month.
Arguably the most important launch of the entire year, the e Vitara will be the first mass-market EV from the country’s largest carmaker. It will be a big moment when Maruti unveils and announces prices for the e Vitara at the upcoming Bharat Mobility Show.
For the production-spec e Vitara, a lot has not changed from the original eVX concept which is pretty unusual of Maruti. Some of the sharper angles and cuts have been toned down, but it still retains a muscular and rugged stance. The e Vitara will be offered with two BYD-sourced battery packs – 49kWh and 61kWh, with the latter also getting an optional dual-motor AWD system. Power ranges between 144hp for the base 49kWh variant and 184hp for the range-topping 61kWh AWD variant. There is no official word on the range yet, but it was earlier indicated that the larger 61kWh battery is expected to deliver upwards of 500km on global test cycles.
The Bharat Mobility Show will not just see Maruti’s first EV, but even Hyundai has its first mass-market EV lined up for launch at the event as a direct competitor to the e Vitara. The Creta EV will be based on an adapted version of the existing ICE platform, so overall size and silhouette will largely be same, but expect some EV-specific design updates. Meanwhile, the cabin is expected to share a lot with the Alcazar facelift and the Kona sold overseas. It’s expected to be powered by a front-axle mounted electric motor and a 45kWh battery, returning about 400km of range.
The Cyberster has made an appearance in India on a couple of occasions before, and MG will finally be announcing prices for the electric sportscar at the Bharat Mobility Show. It will be their first car sold through its new ‘MG Select’ premium retail channel. In India, the Cyberster will be offered with a 77kWh battery pack, paired with two electric motors on each axle, simulating an AWD setup. This powertrain produces 510hp and 725Nm, resulting in claimed 0-100kph sprint time of 3.2 seconds for the Cyberster. MG claims a maximum range of 580km on the CLTC cycle. The open-top two-door sportscar has classic proportions and a sleek new design that’s reminiscent of MG’s historic sporting heritage. For some added drama, it even gets scissor doors which is the first for any EV in India.
Mahindra has already announced the starting price of the BE 6 and XEV 9e electric SUVs, and the carmaker is expected to announce the full price list of both SUVs at the Bharat Mobility Show. Both SUVs are based on the born-electric INGLO platform and sport a very concept-car like design. The Be 6 particularly appears the more radical of the two, while the larger XEV 9e gets more cabin and luggage room, as well as more tech in the form of a passenger infotainment screen. Both SUVs share their powertrain and battery – at launch, they will be offered with a 59kWh battery with single rear motor setup producing 228hp and 380Nm. The BE 6 has a claimed range of 556km, while the XEV 9e returns 542km in a single charge (MIDC range).
Mercedes-Benz will launch the new electric G Class not at the Bharat Mobility Show, but at its own separate event on January 9. The G 580 stays closely related to the regular ICE-powered G-Class, both inside and out. The G’s design is, of course, iconic, and its perhaps good that Mercedes hasn’t strayed too far from the original off-roader. In fact, Mercedes claims that the electric underpinnings of the G 580 have far improved its off-roading ability. The G 580 uses four electric motors, one powering each wheel, for a total output of 587hp and 1,165Nm. Mercedes says the G 580 has a 0-100kph time of less than 5 seconds and a top speed of 180kph. Its 116kWh battery, shared with the EQS, gives a claimed range of 470km.
Mercedes-Benz will also be adding two new variants to the EQS SUV lineup with the new Maybach Night Edition and the EQS 450 5-seater version. The Night Edition package, available on the EQS 680-spec, brings a blacked-out theme for exterior along with an attractive two-tone paint job. A rear roof spoiler is added as well. Mechanically though, it remains unchanged from the regular EQS Maybach SUV. Meanwhile, the EQS 450 5-seater will be the second non-Maybach model in the lineup after the EQS 580. It will be powered by the same 122kWh battery pack used in the 7-seater EQS 580 4Matic SUV, producing 544hp and 58Nm.
Do note that apart from these new launches, there will be several other cars making their India debut at the Bharat Mobility Show. These include the likes of the new Skoda Kodiaq and Superb, Hyundai Ioniq 9, Skoda Elroq, Kia Syros and the new BMW X3, among other. So, stay tuned to Autocar India for a detailed report on the Bharat Mobility Show.