With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic coupled with the compulsion of the new BS-6 emission and safety norms, the industry struggled to stay afloat and a lot of cars had to be discontinued in 2020. The year came in as a shock to the best of us, but the automotive industry was probably one of the worst-hit industries.
Here’s a list of 8 cars that we all loved and had to bid farewell to in the last year-
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Honda Civic 2019
2020 Honda Civic
The Honda Civic first came to India in 2006, and boy did it make a statement. Everything about the Civic stood way ahead of its time. The sleek sporty exterior, a low laying body structure, plush leather interiors, paddle shifters and the 1.8L beast that produced 132HP. 132HP doesn’t sound like a lot, but for 2006, a car that could do speeds upwards of 180 Km/Hr was just pure madness.
The facelift was launched in April 2019 and it was a rather disappointment for the enthusiasts. Although the 1.8L Petrol and the 1.6L Diesel made decent power figures (140HP and 118HP respectively), we expected a lot more from this facelift. In 2020, due to low sales figures and a change in its manufacturing plant, Honda decided to discontinue the Civic.
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Tiago/Tigor JTP
Tata Tiago JTP
The JTP versions of the Tiago and the Tigor were excellent placements by Tata in the affordable hot-hatch segment. The Tiago came in at Rs.6.69 Lacs and Tigor stood at Rs.7.59 Lacs which made them very accessible for the budget buyers. The 1.2L turbocharged petrol was a powerful unit that produced a wholesome 114HP and also offered an amazing fuel efficiency of 20+Km\L. Tata decided to discontinue these mini-rockets in 2020.
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Fiat Punto Abarth
Punto Abarth
Another one in the list of hot-hatches, the Fiat Punto Abarth was rather underrated. It never caught a lot of attention even though it was the most powerful one in the segment. It got a 1.4L Petrol unit that made a massive 145HP and 212nm or torque and did a 0-100Km/Hr run in less than 9 seconds. The Punto Abarth couldn’t sell in high numbers, much like the rest of the Fiat line-up in India. Fiat completely shut down its operations in India in 2020 after the BS6 norms kicked in.
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Honda CR-V 2019
Honda CR-V
The Honda CR-V was one of the competitors in the luxury SUV segment. It made an entry in the market way back in 2003, but it was discontinued soon. It was re-launched as a new model in 2019, and it even got an all-wheel-drive option. The CR-V started selling in reducing numbers and Honda finally decided to discontinue in 2020 after it shifted its operations to the factory in Rajasthan, India.
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Tata Hexa
Tata Hexa
The Tata Hexa was an upgrade to the older Tata Aria. It was a huge, traditional SUV with a body on frame chassis. The Hexa had immense road presence, features that were up to date and it also boasted a 4×4 option! While Tata has discontinued the Hexa for now, rumours and spy shots give us some hope that the Hexa might make a comeback in the 7-Seater market soon.
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Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS
Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS
The Baleno RS was Maruti’s answer to the other hot-hatches in the segment. It came with a 1.0L 3 cylinder turbo petrol unit which made a 100HP and 150nm of torque. Maruti had to discontinue the Baleno RS in early 2020 before the BS6 norms made their way in.
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Suzuki Kizashi
Maruti Suzuki Kizashi
The Kizashi first came to India in 2011. It was quite ahead of its time as there weren’t many luxury sedans in that price range at that time. The reason Kizashi failed in the Indian market was its price, a starting price of Rs.16 Lac made it very unapproachable for a major chunk of Maruti’s audience. This was especially because Maruti was known for being a budget and value for money brand. The reason behind this huge price tag was that Maruti brought Kizashi in as a Completely Built Unit(CBU), which means that that car was 100% imported, resulting in higher costs. After a short 3 years, in 2014, Maruti Suzuki discontinued the Kizashi in India.
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Renault Duster AWD
Renault Duster
Yes, you read that right. Up until 2020, the Renault Duster was offered in India with the option of an All Wheel Drive. This was a huge deal as the duster was the only car available with an AWD option in the entire segment. Renault proudly boasted it as ‘The Real SUV’ when it first came out. Come to 2020, the Duster no longer comes with All Wheel Drive even as an option.
