8 Cars In India And Their Prices Compared | Then Vs Now

As much as we like to give a special place to cars in our heart and treat them as if they have a soul and feeling, in reality, they like any other commodity. And since they are like them, their cost also rises with passing time. However sometimes so shoot up so high, that it makes no sense at all. So here are 8 car prices then vs now.

Note: The Prices mentioned are tentative and are in ex-showroom

1. Honda City (Then ₹5.75 Lakhs | Now ₹13 Lakhs)
   

   

   Introduced in India in 1998, the City was the car that opened the gates of the Indian automobile industry for Honda. The mid-size sedan was stylish, feature-rich and had an innovative ‘tall-boy design that made seating for 4 very comfortable. It featured two engine options, a 1.3 as well as a 1.5 litre DOHC petrol engine which made it a favourite amongst enthusiasts and the price of all this? a decent figure of 5.75 lakhs.

   Cut to 2020, Honda introduces the 5th gen city with sharper looks, an i-VTEC motor producing 105 bhp and the latest set of comfort features. It comes with a price tag of 13 lakhs (mid-range spec) which is more than twice the price of the original car!

   Read: 7 Things That Honda City Owners Are Tired of Hearing 

   

2. Toyota Innova (Then ₹9 Lakhs | Now ₹19 Lakhs)
   

   

   When the Qualis came to India, ev9erybody said that it can be topped in case of ride quality and comfort. But then Toyota proved everybody wrong by introducing their all-new MPV Innova in 2005. It came with updated interiors, two reliable engines; a 2.0 petrol producing 136 bhp and a common rail diesel putting out 100 bhp and car-like styling. It was launched with a price tag of 7 lakhs (petrol) and 9.5 lakhs (diesel) and the rest is history.

   Whoopty! Revisiting the Toyota Innova and Why India loves this MPV

   After 9 years of minor upgrades, Toyota launched the Innova Crysta in 2016. It got a new platform, a new set of engines, a completely updated cabin and of course, a big bump in price. The petrol variant (top-spec) had a price tag of 25 lakhs! while the diesel variant costs a whopping 27 lakhs! Now I know inflation is a real thing but such a big bump! Nevertheless, it didn’t affect Toyota as Innova is still selling like hotcakes.

   By the way, the 2021 upgrade is a minor one but again saw a bump of 3-4 lakhs.
   
   

   

3. Skoda Octavia (Then ₹13 Lakhs | Now ₹23 Lakhs)

   

   The original ‘bad-boy’ sedan of India, the Octavia was launched in India in 2002. It was a no-nonsense car with two powerful engine options; 1.8 petrol and 1.9 diesel and a price tag of 10.3 lakhs for petrol and 11.5 lakhs for diesel which was although considered very costly, but was a bargain for such a rocket.

   Read: Remembering The Skoda Octavia Mark 1 L&K (Lauren & Klement)

   Currently, only the performance version of this car; the RS245 is available(yes it does produce 245 bhp) so it wouldn’t be a fair comparison, but the 2021 Octavia launch is in the works and we are sure that it will put a big smile on your face but will burn a much bigger hole in your pocket.

   

4. Tata Safari (Then ₹8.93 Lakhs | Now ₹16 Lakhs)
   

   

   The Tata Safari was the first SUV that showed Indians that showed that big cars can be comfortable. It had rugged alpha looks, came with a 2.2-litre diesel engine and the latest features of that time. It was priced at 8.93 lakhs back in 1998.

   Related Read:  Tata Safari History | The Evolution of an SUV Icon

   The latest-gen Safari (not really a Safari) debuted in 2021 and although it has mixed reviews, it still is a capable SUV. The engine is a 2.0 diesel producing 170 bhp and has the same interiors as the Tata Harrier with minute changes. It also comes with a hefty price tag of 21.81 lakhs, almost 3x of the original SUV.

   

5. Mahindra XUV500 (Then ₹12 lakhs | Now ₹19 Lakhs)
   

   

   The one who shook the Innova for a second. Mahindra debuted their premium SUV, the XUV500 back in 2012 and it was a hit. The SUV had cheetah inspired looks, a lot of first in class features and a powerful engine. It was priced at 14 lakhs.

   Scoop: Soon to Launch XUV700 Spotted Testing with Dual Tone Alloy Wheels

   Although we have been waiting for the next-gen XUV500 for years, Mahindra is planning to launch it very soon. The latest facelift though had a new rear profile and a couple of new cosmetic features. The price for all that? An extra 7 lakhs. Well played Mahindra

   

   

6. Toyota Fortuner (Then ₹18 lakhs | Now ₹35 Lakhs)

   

   The king of full-size SUVs in India. Toyota launched the first-gen Fortuner in India with the aim of capturing 50% of the SUV market, and we all know how it went. It did not come with any fancy features, but an old school ladder on frame chassis, a capable 3.0 diesel engine and an optional 4×4 made this SUV very capable offroad. At that time, it was priced at 18 lakhs, you can’t even get an Innova for that type of cash today!

   Interesting Read: Checkout These 6 Toyota Fortuner Stereotypes 

   The all-new Fortuner has recently hit the Indian shores and Toyota has done a fantastic job in keeping the essence of the original beast and giving it a revamp that was desperately needed. It comes with the latest gizmos, sharp looks and a couple of engine option (our favourite being the turbo-diesel producing 215 bhp). But it also comes with a monumental price tag of around 40 lakhs. It ain’t no stopping it now.

   

7. Mahindra Scorpio (Then ₹8 Lakhs | Now ₹16 Lakhs)

   

   After seeing Safari’s success, Mahindra also got back into the workshop and gave the world ‘Scorpio in 2002. It was the direct competitor of the Safari; a rivalry they still share and actually undercut the Safari by almost 1 lakh.

   Recommended: 202X Mahindra Scorpio Interior REVEALED

   Like the XUV, we are waiting for these new-gen Scorpio, but we can definitely say that it won’t be close to 7 lakh and more like 17 lakhs. The leaked images surely made it look nice. Stop teasing us Mahindra!
   

   

8. Mahindra Thar- (Then ₹6 Lakhs | Now ₹14 Lakhs)
   

   

   The first true offroader India, the Thar first came in 2010. It was barebones, having absolutely no comfort features but the trump card was under its bonnet, a 2.5-litre CRDe engine and a 4×4 drivetrain which made it an absolute winner on the offroad course. It was also relatively cheaper, sitting between a price bracket of 5-8 lakhs.

   Interesting: 6 Reasons Why The Mahindra Thar Is So Revered In India

   After a lot of anticipation, Mahindra finally gave us the second-gen Thar in 2020 and it was a jaw-dropper. An all-new body, 2 very capable engines and a host of features inside the cabin. In my opinion, it is the best second car for any family. But Mahindra surely knew how to encash on it and priced it between 13-16 lakhs, a sum Indians were happy to spend evident by the long waiting period. 

   

   They did come back, but with a hefty price tag. These were 8 car prices then vs now. Know of any other cars with big price bumps? Let us know in the comments below!

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