New Cars Launched In 2023

Buying a new car is not something we experience very often, so we have to make sure that there is a new car in the market that suits our needs and requirements as much as possible. Moreover, since we are checking out a new car in the market, it makes sense to try and get one with the latest safety tech and all the bells & whistles one should expect with new advancements in the automobile industry.

Thankfully, 2023 has been a fruitful year with plenty of new and updated cars across a wide genre and price segment. From new arrivals, with Honda finally giving us a compact SUV named Elevate to Tata and Hyundai bringing facelifts and updated tech in some of their most popular cars, you can rest assured that there are plenty of new cars launched in 2023 that are likely to be a considerable addition in your garage.

Honda Elevate

Honda is one of the most popular and respected car manufacturers not only in India but all over the world. Cars like the Amaze and the City are well-packaged and popular choices among Indian buyers. However, SUVs are all the craze these days, yet, for a while, Honda did not have any successful SUVs under its belt. It all changed in 2023 with the arrival of the Elevate, a midsize SUV to rival the likes of Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, Maruti Grand Vitara, and Skoda Kushaq.

The Elevate is powered by a 1.5-litre inline 4-cylinder petrol engine and turns the front wheels with the might of 119 horses. You can have it with either a manual or CVT transmission. Feature-wise, it gets ADAS Level 2 hardware, up to 6 airbags, and modern connectivity options. It’s also a big boy with 458 litres of boot space. However, Honda kept it from getting some premium features such as a panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, ventilated seats, and heads-up display (HUD).

Honda Elevate Specifications

 

• Engine: 1.5-litre Petrol
• Transmission: Automatic (CVT), 6-Speed Manual 
• Mileage: 15.31 to 16.92 km/l
• Airbags: up to 6
• Fuel Type: Petrol
• Seating Capacity: 5

Hyundai Exter

The Exter is a new 5-seater micro SUV from Hyundai to rival the likes of Tata Punch and sits just under the compact Hyundai Venue in terms of both dimensions and price. The Exter is priced between Rs. 6.00 and 10.15 Lakh (ex-showroom) and comes with two engine options in the form of a 1.2-litre petrol and its CNG-fitted counterpart. The Exter boasts a futuristic look on the outside that stands out from a typical SUV sold in India. It may be radical, but it’s certainly something fresh among the modern crop of SUVs.

On the inside, the Exter is a feature-loaded micro SUV that houses 6 airbags, a digital instrument cluster, and a sorted cabin design with plenty of space for the passengers. The Exter offers two transmission options, a manual and an AMT, which are both smooth and optimised for Indian traffic, and it offers lots of utility for the hatchback-rivalling price it sells for. Overall, if you can get used to the way it looks and drives, the Exter makes sense for someone looking for their first SUV or upgrading from their hatchback.

Hyundai Exter Specifications

 

• Engine: 1.2-litre petrol, 1.2-litre CNG
• Transmission: 5-Speed Automatic, 5-Speed Manual
• Mileage: 19.2 km/l |  27.1 km/kg
• Airbags: 6
• Fuel Type: Petrol, CNG
• Seating Capacity: 5

Maruti Suzuki Invicto

Maruti and Toyota’s partnership has given us some awesome cars from both brands, including the Baleno-Glanza and the Hyryder-Grand Vitara duos. The Invicto is one such product from Maruti, with its roots coming from the Toyota Innova Hycross. The Invicto gets its power from a 2-litre hybrid powertrain, which is also an option available on the Hycross. The motor uses both petrol and electric power to spin the wheels with 152 PS of peak power. 

In terms of features, the Invicto is full of tech goodies such as a panoramic sunroof, a 360-degree camera, air-cooled cup holders, ventilated front seats, and 8-way electrically adjustable seats. But luxury comes at a price, and the Invicto comes at an ex-showroom price starting from Rs. 24.80 lakh. The Invicto is extremely practical, offers a comfortable ride, and is slightly cheaper than the Innova Hycross, albeit with some subtractions in the features list. If you liked the hybrid versions of the Toyota Innova Hycross but it’s a bit over budget for you, then the Invicto would be worth a look.

Maruti Suzuki Invicto Specifications

• Engine: 2-litre Hybrid (Petrol + Electric)
• Transmission: Automatic (CVT)
• Mileage: 23.2 km/l
• Airbags: 6
• Fuel Type: Hybrid
• Seating Capacity: 7 or 8

Maruti Suzuki Jimny

Maruti Suzuki has had the conventional SUV lineup sorted thanks to the Brezza, Grand Vitara, and the all-new Fronx. However, the popular brand did not have anything to duke it out with the Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha. While some are still reminiscing about the glorious days of the Gypsy, Suzuki brought its modern counterpart, the Jimny, to India this year, and along with it, some other global Suzuki tech like the Suzuki AllGrip Pro+. The Jimny simply refuses to roll with the modern trends and wears a much more traditional attire in the form of a boxy overall shape, round headlights, a high bonnet, and a vertically-slatted front grille.

Inside, the Jimny features modern stuff like a 9.0-inch screen displaying Maruti’s Smartplay pro+ OS, push-button start, wireless entry, steering-mounted audio controls, power windows, and ARKAMYS Premium Sound System. But that’s probably not the reason why one would eye a Jimny as a potential new car. It’s made to wander on the roads less travelled like a king, or if one wants the luxury of choice alongside the Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha. The Jimny has high off-roading calibre with its 1.5-litre petrol engine that churns out 104 PS of power. 

Maruti Suzuki Jimny Specifications

• Engine: 1.5-litre Petrol
• Transmission: 4-Speed Automatic (TC), 5-Speed Manual
• Mileage: 16.39 to 16.94 km/l
• Airbags: 6
• Fuel Type: Petrol
• Seating Capacity: 4

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Maruti has both Baleno and Brezza doing well in the hatchback and compact SUV segments. Still, it decided to bridge the gap between the two to have an even more accessible lineup. Enter the Fronx, a car that tries to offer the best of both worlds and succeeds for the most part. The coupe-SUV comes with a fresh appearance and an attractive price starting from Rs. 7.47 Lakh ex-showroom. 

The Fronx borrows its front look from the bigger Grand Vitara, and the inside is in line with Maruti’s newer offerings. Being a coupe-styled SUV that sits a bit lower than the Brezza, the Fronx might not deliver the high-sitting ‘king of the road’ behind the wheel, and the headroom might be insufficient for some. Other than that, the Fronx is a splendid vehicle that offers plenty of the latest features, multiple engines, transmission, and fuel options, and a well-packaged product at a hatchback-rivalling price.

Maruti Suzuki Fronx Specifications

• Engine: 1.2-litre Petrol, 1.0-litre turbo-Petrol, 1.2-litre CNG
• Transmission: 5-Speed Automatic (AMT), 6-Speed Automatic (TC), 5-Speed Manual
• Mileage: Up to 21.79 km/l | 28.51 km/kg
• Airbags: 2 to 6
• Fuel Type: Petrol, CNG
• Seating Capacity: 5

Mahindra XUV400

Mahindra is planning on going big in the EV segment in the upcoming years. The next few years will see a whole new lineup of different electric cars and SUVs from the Indian company. We can already have a taste of what it’s going to be like, thanks to the already available XUV400, that launched at the dawn of this year.

The XUV400 means business when it comes to performance, with a 350+ km range and a claimed 0-100kmph time of 8.3 seconds. It also uses dampers borrowed from the bigger XUV700 and Scorpio N, which helps keep the ride smooth. If you are fine with a slightly outdated interior cabin layout and a similar appearance to the XUV300, this electric SUV promises good things. Also, since it’s a Mahindra, the XUV400 boasts 5-star GNCAP ratings and 6 airbags.

Mahindra XUV400 Specifications

• Motor: 3.3 kW motor, 7.2 kW motor
• Transmission: 1-Speed Automatic
• Driving Range: 375 – 456 Km
• Airbags:2 to 6
• Fuel Type: Electric
• Seating Capacity: 5

Summary

The automobile industry has always been dynamic, with its trends changing every once in a while. In the past few years, it’s even more so thanks to the emergence and growing popularity of EVs, factory-fitted CNG kits, and more focus on ADAS and other safety characteristics of a car. New cars launched in 2023 like the Mahindra XUV400, Hyundai Exter, Honda Elevate, and Suzuki Fronx push the boundaries of what the future of cars looks like.

Buying a new car can be a daunting task. It’s not something most people do every year or two, which explains the popularity of used cars in the country. However, some people can and want to get something with a manufacturing date ending with the current year, and for them, there are plenty of options to choose from regardless of budget or preferences in fuel, transmission, and body-style options.