2022 was a significant year for the Indian Auto Industry. Rising from the shadows of the pandemic, auto companies saw growth in sales as buyer sentiment returned to a certain extent. But there were still many challenges, like the continuing shortage of semi-conductors, essential for making automobiles, as well as factors like the Russia-Ukraine war that hampered supplies. Despite the obstacles, there were some important cars that came this year and managed to rule the Indian roads. Here’s our list of the top 5 cars that hit the roads during the year.
Mahindra Scorpio-N
Probably the biggest launch of the year was the Mahindra Scorpio-N. The new generation of the popular SUV of the home-grown brand became an instant success, and within no time the brand was able to garner more than 1 lakh bookings for the car. It was miles ahead of its predecessor when it came to factors like features, technology, as well as drivability and became the third blockbuster offering in a row from Mahindra after the new Thar that came in 2020 and the XUV700, which arrived in 2021.
Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara
The Grand Vitara name returned to the Indian market in 2022. Maruti Suzuki launched the SUV in two versions—a mild hybrid and a strong hybrid—and both received good demand from consumers once the car was launched at the onset of the festive season. Owing to the self-charging strong hybrid system, the car offered the best-in-class fuel-efficiency of 27.97 kmpl. It was loaded with a host of high-tech features, such as coloured Heads-Up-Display, 360-degree parking camera system, ventilated seats, and an allwheel drive system. This made the Grand Vitara an attractive option in a very competitive mid-size SUV segment.
Kia Carens
In the beginning of 2022, a Korean car maker launched its fourth car in India, the Carens. The 3-row MPV came across as an affordable option that could fulfil the various needs of a family. It also came with the option of a Diesel engine as well 6-airbags on all variants which made it a popular choice amongst the buyers in the market. The MPV was loaded with features, which included a 10.25” HD Touchscreen Navigation with Kia Connect, a BOSE premium sound system with 8 speakers, a smart pure air purifier, as well as ventilated front seats.
Hyundai Tucson
The new generation of Hyundai’s flagship SUV in India, the Tucson arrived in the showrooms in 2022, and this one too became an instant success. It also came with Petrol and Diesel engine options, as well as the brands’ famed HTRAC allwheel drive system, which made the SUV a go-anywhere vehicle. It also came with 19 Level 2 ADAS features, which ensured it became an extremely safe car to drive in various challenging conditions. The all-new Tucson got the segment’s most powerful diesel engine, which offered 183 bhp of power and 416 Nm of torque.
Tata Tiago EV
Tata Motors’ latest and most affordable electric car, the Tiago EV was launched in the market during the festive season at a starting price of Rs. 8.49 lakh (exshowroom). Even though the deliveries are yet to begin, the silent hatch got 10,000 bookings just on the first day and eventually raced past the 20,000 bookings mark in a short period. The car came with many regen modes as well as a sport mode that made it more appealing for various kinds of buyers. Tata launched the Tiago EV in mid-range and long-range versions, the latter promising a range of 315 km on a single charge. The author is a senior editor at carandbike.com