With the festive season and its typical barrage of car launches mostly behind us, carmakers are cyclically winding down their launches and debuts as the end of the year approaches. October featured more than nine notable car launches, while for November, there are only four lined up. However, these upcoming launches are quite interesting in their own ways. Let's have a look.
Mercedes-Benz GLC Electric
Launch: November 4
The GLC Electric will serve as the entry point to Mercedes-Benz India's electric SUV line-up. It will be available in 400 4Matic guise, which means a 94kWh battery pack that delivers a 715km WLTP range and powers dual motors for a combined output of 490hp and 800Nm. This is funnelled to all four wheels via a 2-speed gearbox, enabling a 0-100kph time of 4.3 seconds. Up to 330kW DC charging is supported, which allows for a range top-up of 300km in 10 minutes.
On the inside, the GLC Electric offers creature comforts like a 39.1-inch ‘Hyperscreen’ triple-display setup, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a panoramic glass roof with switchable transparency, over-the-air updates, a Burmester 4D sound system with seat exciters, an ADAS suite, a built-in AI assistant, powered front seats with heating and massage functions, ambient lighting, connected car tech, and more. We expect the GLC Electric to be priced in the Rs 80 lakh-90 lakh ballpark.
Denza Z9 GT
Launch: November 13
BYD will introduce its luxury-focused Denza sub-brand in India with the Z9 GT shooting brake. The Z9 GT will be a unique offering in the Indian market, as there are no other shooting brakes available here. Under the skin, the Z9 GT packs a 122.5kWh battery that's good for a 600km WLTP range. The battery powers a trio of motors producing a combined 1,156hp and 1,210Nm, which enables a claimed 0-100kph time of just 2.7 seconds. Up to 1,500kW DC charging is also supported via BYD’s Flash Charging tech, at which wattage the battery can charge from 10 to 97 percent in 9 minutes.
The interior of the Z9 GT is loaded with goodies, including a 20-speaker Devialet sound system, five displays (two of which display a feed of the outside cameras and replace conventional ORVMs), leather upholstery, three 50-watt wireless charging pads, powered seats with heating, ventilation, and massage functions, a 360-degree camera, ambient lighting, a panoramic sunroof, power-opening doors with soft-close functions, a Boss mode for the co-driver seat, ADAS, among other features. Pricing for the Z9 GT is estimated to land between Rs 1.2 crore and Rs 1.5 crore.
Toyota Innova Hycross facelift
Launch: November 25
Launched four years ago, the Innova Hycross is due for an update, and Toyota is thereby likely to launch a facelift of the popular MPV in November. Most notably, the Innova Hycross facelift is expected to be the first flex-fuel strong hybrid car to launch in India. It will likely carry over the current 2.0-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated strong hybrid powertrain, but upgrade the engine for flex-fuel compliance – it remains to be seen which ethanol blends will be supported. It also remains to be seen whether the lower-spec non-hybrid 2.0-litre variants will also be flex-fuel-compatible in the Innova Hycross facelift.
Other expected changes for the Innova Hycross facelift include a sharper-looking front end with a new grille, sleeker headlamps, updated alloy wheels, and slight revisions to the rear end. Interior upgrades are likely to include a larger touchscreen, updated infotainment software, revised seat upholstery, and new colour schemes. As for pricing, we anticipate the Innova Hycross facelift to launch in the Rs 20 lakh-35 lakh range.
Second-gen Mini Cooper SE and Paul Smith Edition
Launch: November 27
Introduced globally in 2023, the second-gen Cooper SE will go on sale in India this month. Compared to the prior Cooper SE, the new-gen electric hatchback features revised headlamps, an octagonal grille, new alloy wheel designs, and sharper tail-lamps. It also gets a larger 54.2kWh battery pack powering a sole front-mounted motor, which is good for 218hp and 330Nm. Mini claims a 0-100kph time of 6.7 seconds and a WLTP range of 402km for the second-gen Cooper SE. The hatchback can also be charged at up to 11kW AC and 95kW DC, and at the latter wattage, a 10 to 80 percent top-up takes just under 30 minutes.
A special Paul Smith Edition (pictured above) is also expected to be available alongside the standard Cooper SE. Developed in collaboration with British fashion designer Paul Smith, the special edition can be had in one of three exclusive exterior colours: Statement Grey, Inspired White, and Midnight Black Metallic. These can be paired with one of two roof finishes, namely Nottingham Green and Jet Black. Additionally, exterior elements like the ORVMs, grille surround, and wheel hubcaps are finished in Nottingham Green. On the inside, the Paul Smith Edition gets “Hello” light projection, "Rabbit" graphics on the floor mat, “Every day is a new beginning” lettering on the door sills, and exclusive backgrounds for the infotainment system.
All prices are ex-showroom, India.