July was headlined by several long-awaited launches from brands such as Tesla, MG, Kia and Renault. Now, August will keep the momentum going with fresh models and even a few concept reveals. Here's what Volvo, Mercedes, VinFast and Mahindra have in store for the eighth month of 2025.
Upcoming car launches in August
Volvo XC60 facelift: August 1
August will be flagged off with the price announcement of the 2025 Volvo XC60 facelift. The bestselling Volvo globally is expected to land here with subtle exterior changes, including a diagonally slatted grille design, redesigned multi-spoke alloy wheels, smoked-out tail-lights, and new colours. The highlight upgrade to the otherwise feature-loaded Volvo SUV is a bigger 11.2-inch touchscreen. In addition to improved image quality, Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipset makes it twice as fast as the previous infotainment system. Being a facelift, the current XC60's 250hp, 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine is likely to be carried over as is. This unit is mated to an 8-speed torque converter automatic, which sends drive to all four wheels.
Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupe: August 12
Mercedes is set to launch the AMG CLE 53 Coupe in a few weeks, and it will slot above the CLE 300 Cabriolet. As seen on other AMG cars, the CLE 53 has a Panamericana grille, while flared front fenders, a gloss-black diffuser and quad exhausts add to the sporty outlook. Wheel size is anticipated to be 19 inches, with 20 inchers coming in as an optional extra. The CLE 53 Coupe's interior gets a 11.9-inch touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital cluster, and an AMG-spec steering draped in Alcantara. You also get powered seats, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 64-colour ambient lighting, and a Burmester audio system.
The upcoming AMG packs a 449hp, 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-6 engine. Power goes to all four wheels via a 9-speed DCT; 0-100kph comes up in 4.2 seconds, on to a 250kph top speed (270kph with the AMG Performance package).
VinFast VF7: mid-August
The India debut of VinFast will be marked by the VF7 – the Vietnamese EV brand's flagship SUV. The 4,545mm-long electric vehicle has a swoopy, crossover-like exterior. Notably, only the India-spec VF7 gets 19-inch alloy wheels and 190mm ground clearance. Other features include a 12.9-inch touchscreen, ventilated seats, reclining rear seats, and Level 2 ADAS with 7 airbags. The VinFast VF7 has a 70.8kWh LFP battery with 7.2kW AC and CCS2 DC fast charging support. It will be offered in 204hp FWD and 350hp AWD options, with respective WLTP ranges of 450km and 431km.
VinFast VF6: August end
The VF6, also arriving next month, is relatively smaller at 4,238mm. It looks like a shrunken-down VF7, and borrows most features like the touchscreen, glass roof and ADAS suite. However, it gets a smaller 59.6kWh battery that powers a sole 204hp FWD motor. The VF6’s WLTP range is rated at 480km. Pre-bookings for the VF6, as well as the VF7, have been underway since July 15. Furthermore, the first VinFast showroom in India was recently opened in Gujarat, with 34 more planned in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, etc. The carmaker also intends to install its charging network by leveraging its parent company Vingroup's resources.
Upcoming car unveils in August
New Mahindra compact SUV: August 15
Image credit: MotoWagon via Instagram.
An all-new Mahindra SUV is slated to debut on August 15 and is expected to be underpinned by the brand's new 'nu' monocoque platform. The proportions of spied test mules with short overhangs suggest that it will be a sub-4m SUV, but it will be vastly different from the Bolero range or even the XUV 3XO. The prototype was seen with Thar Roxx-like design details, and it's also expected to be well-equipped on the inside. Technical details are sparse, but it could debut with 1.2-litre and 1.5-litre diesel engine options, with a hybrid powertrain following at a later stage. What is also not known is what this new SUV will be called, but it is likely to build on one of Mahindra's existing nameplates. The market launch of this yet-unknown SUV is expected next year.
Mahindra Vision concepts: August 15
Additionally, the Indian SUV specialist has a quartet of concepts lined up as part of its Vision series, dubbed SXT, X, T and S. As per the drip-fed teasers so far, the Vision SXT gets a rugged design and is expected to be a part of the Thar family. The Vision X could be the much-awaited XEV 7e, a more traditional SUV alternative to the XEV 9e. The Vision T might be a further development of the all-electric Thar.e prototype, while the Vision S is predicted to be the third model in the Mahindra Scorpio line-up. Powertrains, features and launch timelines are unclear at the time of writing.
Rivan RS 
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Suraj Viswanathan
