India is one of the most important markets for all car companies. Who doesn’t like the market where there is so much potential. However, attracting buyers and getting sales is not that easy in our country. The reason is, the majority of the customer wants a hassle-free experience, good economy, reliability and overall well packaged easy to maintain value for money product.
So, the carmakers have got that point and working hard to give us the same. But, not all of them succeeded. So, here we are with a list of the top 10 cars that defined 10 years in the Indian market.
10 Recent Cars That Defined A Decade
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Maruti Suzuki Swift
The Maruti Suzuki Swift needs no introduction. People have loved this car since the car was launched in 2005. Since 2005, the Maruti Suzuki Swift is buyers first choice when it comes to an easy to maintain, reliable hatchback.
The Swift has recently got its update and the car is in its 3rd generation. The cart first launched with a 1.3-L, Naturally Aspirated, G13BB, SOHC Petrol engine, which also served the Maruti Esteem at that time.
The Maruti Suzuki Swift has got so many engine options along with its generation changes and facelifts. The car used to compete with the Hyundai Getz, Tata Indica etc. The car has now completed 16 years in the Indian market.
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Mahindra Scorpio
The Mahindra Scorpio is another such car that we Indians loved so much. The first generation of the Scorpio was launched back in 2002. The Scorpio came with different engine options throughout its timeline.
But it’s the 2.2-L, Inline-4 Cylinder, Turbocharged mHawk Diesel mill which made the Scorpio quite reliable. The Mahindra Scorpio also got a 4WD system for better offroad ability. The Scorpio become so much famous that Mahindra also introduced a pickup truck version of the same. But, it didn’t do well in the Indian market.
The SUV hasn’t seen a proper generation change since the launch apart from some facelifts. So the new generation Mahindra Scorpio is on its way to hit the Indian roads soon. The upcoming Scorpio will be having a fully redesigned exterior, interior and will be getting the flow of amazing features.
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Tata Safari
The Tata Safari is one such car that had a great cult following since its launch. The 1st generation of the SUV had a great appeal. The Tata Safari was launched back in 1998. The SUV revolutionalized the whole SUV market. The stance of the vehicle looked, gangster. Apart from the looks, the SUV was very capable off the road too. The SUV could go where there is no road!
But, the current Safari has nothing to do with the old OG Safari. The platform and chassis are completely different which it shares with the Harrier. The new Safari doesn’t come with 4WD or any other true off-road aids.
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Toyota Fortuner
Buying the Toyota Fortuner is like a dream for so many Indians. The Fortuner has become a status symbol. When the SUV launched back in 2009, it changed the whole SUV market. The contenders like the Ford Endeavour and Mitsubishi Pajero were in big trouble after the launch of the Fortuner.
Ford’s service cost was high back then and the Mitsubishi didn’t had a proper network for after-sale services. The Fortuner being a reliable machine took this hollow space as an opportunity and launched this missile and acquired 75% of the SUV market back then.
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Maruti Suzuki Alto
The Maruti Suzuki Alto was launched back in 2000. The car was an easy buy for a normal Indian as the car had an amazing reliable engine with a good average. The after-sales network of the Maruti Suzuki is excellent and this also contributes to the Alto to make it to this list. The OG Alto came with a 796 cc 3-Cylinder, Naturally Aspirated, K10 Petrol engine.
The car also came with a 1.0-L, K10B, NA Petrol unit which was a bit faster than its smaller counterpart. Now the car is in its 2nd generation and has completely redesigned body works.
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Volkswagen Polo
Volkswagen Polo was launched in 2010 and it redesigned the definition of fun to drive fast hatch. The 1st gen Swift was also fun to drive car but it didn’t offer the amount of performance that the polo’s TSI and TDI engines gave. The polo is still in its 1st generation but it’s still the first preference among those who want a hot hatch!
Apart from the performance, the Volkswagen Polo has a great build quality and you feel very safe driving it. The VW Polo came with a 1.2-L Diesel, 1.2-L Petrol, 1.5-L Diesel and now it’s the 1.0-L TSI and MPI motors that are powering this.
Now, the car competes with the likes of Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Hyundai i20 and the Tata Altroz. So, this is also one of top 10 cars which defined 10 years.
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Mahindra Bolero
Every Indian folk knows the Mahindra Bolero and what it’s up to. The SUV was launched in 2000 and still, the SUV looks similar to the 1st gen model. So, the design language of the Bolero has aged really well. Apart from its age, the Mahindra Bolero still makes its name on the list of top-selling cars.
The Mahindra Bolero came with a 2498 cc, Inline-4 Cylinder XD3P Diesel, 2523 cc, Inline-4 Cylinder, MDI Turbocharged Diesel, 2523 cc, Inline-4 Cylinder, M2DiCR Turbocharged Diesel engines and now the SUV is powered by a 1493 cc, Inline-3 Cylinder, SOHC, mHawk Turbocharged Diesel engine. The power foes to the rear wheels of the car via its 5-speed manual transmission.
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Honda City
The first generation of the Honda City was launched in 1998 in the Indian market. The car has a proper 23 years of history. This is the car that showed us the magic of V-TEC. The OG city came with 1.3-L Petrol and 1.5-L V-TEC Petrol engine options. Honda City is the car that established Honda in the Indian market.
The Honda City has a dual character, it can be a proper family car and it can also be a fun to drive performance sedan which can eat its rivals or a segment above cars for its breakfast. The sedan has seen so many generations and currently is in its 5th generation.
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Mahindra Thar
This list is completely empty without mentioning the legendary Mahindra Thar. Mahindra Thar has been a favourite SUV among the offroad hunks and estate owners to carry loads and people. The Mahindra Thar has never been a comfortable SUV. The mechanicals of the SUV is meant for the no road places!
The Mahindra Thar launched in 2010 by replacing its predecessor, the MM540. The latest Mahindra Thar has become slightly more comfortable than before by keeping its offroad capabilities. The latest Thar come with a 2.0-L, Turbocharged mStallion 150 TGDi Petrol engine and a 2.2-L, turbocharged mHawk 130 Diesel engine.
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Skoda Octavia
Skoda Octavia is an example of a good looking, simple yet elegant sedan. Since its launch in 2002, the Octavia has been a really good looking sober sedan. The standard Octavia was very gentle and comfortable. But, if you wanted a fast, nimble and aggressive sedan, Skoda also offered a VRS model of the Octavia. The last VRS had a 2.0-L, Inline-4 Cylinder, Turbocharged TSI Petrol engine which produced over 240 bhp of power and 370 Nm of torque. This sedan was enough to give some sports cars a bad day after a run with the VRS.
So, this is a list of the top 10 cars that defined 10 years in the Indian market. We respect every car and every car is close to our hearts. There are so many cars which deserved but couldn’t make their position in this list. Thank you for reading the article and please be tuned in to get more of these.
