In Pics: Cars that got discontinued in India

Baleno hot hatch version, introduced in early 2017, was known as ‘Baleno RS’ and used a 1.0L 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine. The car was able to churn out 102 bhp of power and 150 nm of torque, making Baleno RS compete with VW polo GT TSI. However, due to the low sales figures, Maruti had to axe the car’s production in April 2020.

Touted to be Maruti Suzuki’s most iconic SUV, Gypsy was known as the car of the cops and the army forces for its off-road capabilities as it was the most affordable 4X4 SUV in the domestic market with the petrol option. After slaying the market for 33 years, It was discontinued in March 2019 because of its inability to meet the stricter safety and emission standards. The Gypsy is expected to be replaced by the 5-door Jimny in 2022.

Honda Civic was launched in the Indian market in 2006 and quickly became popular for its design and low stance. Honda, which had discontinued the Civic in 2012, got the Civic back to Indian roads in March 2019 without a petrol manual option. But, it was discontinued again in December 2020 when the company decided to close its Noida plant.

Tata Aria was launched in 2010 as a 4X4 cross SUV and ran on a 2.2L Dicor turbo diesel engine, which produced 150ps of power and 320 nm of torque. The SUV, in terms of sales, didn’t do well in the Indian market, with some experts claiming that the car was overpriced. Amid the decline in sales figures, Tata had put an end to the car in 2017.

Tata Nano was known as the world’s cheapest car when launched in 2008. Nano packed a 625cc rear-wheel drive engine, which gave a mileage of 25 km to a litre. However, due to bad sales figures in 2019 and the cost of developing a new car to comply with the new safety regulation, Tata had put an end to the Nano in 2019.

Nissan’s ‘caaaaaar’ Sunny, when launched in 2011, was doing well in the market. The sedan came with an option of a 1.5L 4-cylinder diesel engine and a 1.5L petrol engine. However, in FY20 Nissan managed to sell only 552 units till February, and decided against upgrading the car to the new BSVI emission standards and pulled the plug.

Toyota Corolla, when launched in 2003, was an impressive car with a superior engine. However, when it got a generation update in 2007, its name was changed to Corolla Altis. Toyota had dropped Corolla Altis from its lineup because of its low sales figures.

Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 was the 1st choice for first-time car buyers in India when it was introduced back in 2010. Both the Alto and the Alto K10 sold more than 38 lakh units and were one of the best mileage cars under Rs 5 lakh in the country. The Alto K10, which featured a 1.0L K10B engine, also received a major facelift in 2014. But in other to make space for the new S Presso, Maruti Suzuki had to stop the Alto K10’s production.

Volkswagen has launched Ameo in 2016 to rival the likes of the Suzuki Dzire, Honda Amaze and Hyundai Xcent. Ameo offered several of first in segment features such as a 7-speed DSG gearbox and cruise control. It also performed well due to its torquey and efficient diesel engine. However, Volkswagen, with the implementation of BSVI norms, decided to end the Ameo’s production and continue with only petrol options.