5 New Affordable Strong Hybrid Cars Launching This Year: Renault Duster To Honda Elevate
Fuel efficiency is one of the major factors that many people buying cars in India still consider. With a lack of diesel engine options, car manufacturers are forced to explore alternatives like mild and strong hybrid systems. Some of these vehicles are extremely expensive, but over the years, we have seen brands introduce this technology in the mass-market segment too. Here, we have a list of five upcoming strong hybrid cars that are expected to be launched in India this year.
The first one on this list is the Duster. The official prices of the Duster 1.0-litre and 1.3-litre turbo petrol engines are already out, and deliveries for the same will also begin in April. However, there is one more variant that Renault has not launched yet - the 1.8-litre hybrid version. This is a strong hybrid variant, and it is so efficient that customers can use the Duster as an EV up to 80 percent of the time in the city.
The 1.8-litre strong hybrid engine generates a combined power of 160 PS. Bookings for the Renault Duster hybrid have already started, and Renault revealed that around 39 percent of customers from metro cities have opted for the hybrid. The official launch of the Duster hybrid is expected to happen during the festive season this year.
Nissan is also working on its mid-size SUV, the Tekton, for the Indian market. This is going to be based on the same platform as the Duster. The exterior design of the Tekton will be inspired by Nissan’s flagship Patrol SUV. Mechanically, the Nissan Tekton will be the same as the Duster. It will come with 1.0-litre turbo, 1.3-litre turbo, and 1.8-litre strong hybrid engine options. It remains to be seen whether Nissan will follow the same strategy as the Duster or launch all variants from the beginning. The Tekton is also scheduled to be launched this year.
The Honda Elevate is a no-nonsense compact SUV in the Indian market. It comes with a decent number of features that prioritise comfort and safety. The Honda Elevate will be getting an update this year, and as part of the update, Honda is planning to introduce hybrid technology in the SUV.
Honda has been testing this hybrid system for a while now. It was reported that Honda is working on a less complicated, more cost-efficient, and lighter hybrid system. It remains to be seen whether the Elevate will get this new system or continue with the same 1.5-litre Atkinson-cycle hybrid engine seen in the current-generation City.
Honda’s longest-running nameplate in the Indian market, the City sedan, is also expected to get a facelift this year. The next-generation City is still a couple of years away, and the facelift was recently spotted testing too. It looks like Honda will be offering a revised front end, rear bumper, tail lights, and more. The same changes are expected to be carried over to the e:HEV (strong hybrid) version of the City sedan.
A heavily camouflaged SUV from Toyota was seen testing in the mountains. The SUV’s overall design looked like the Hyryder, but it appeared slightly longer than the regular version. There are rumours that Toyota is working on a 7-seater version of the Hyryder for the Indian market.
This upcoming version of the Hyryder will continue to be powered by the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated mild-hybrid petrol engine and the 1.5-litre strong hybrid petrol engine, which is currently one of the most efficient in the segment. There are also reports that this could be Toyota’s version of the Maruti Suzuki Victoris.