Car makers flood Indian market with fresh models and upgrades through festive months

UPDATE - follow-up to New car launches to continue through festive season: Car makers are flooding the market with fresh models and updates from August through October to capture the buying surge that peaks with Diwali. Tata Motors has rolled out the Aeris, a revamped compact sedan derived from the Tigor, aimed at rivals such as the Maruti Suzuki Dzire and Honda Amaze, with deliveries slated for the end of the month. Hyundai plans to introduce the Bayon SUV, positioned between its Venue and Creta, and expects to announce pricing around Oct 10 with first deliveries by Dussehra. The French brand will put the Renault Duster hybrid on sale on Oct 17. Toyota is set to refresh the Innova Hycross with new styling and features, while a facelift for its Glanza model based on the Baleno is also due. Maruti Suzuki has already launched a facelifted Baleno and will soon release an updated Wagon R. In the premium segment, Mercedes‑Benz is gearing up to launch a heavily upgraded Maybach S‑Class and will open bookings for the all‑new GLC electric SUV later this year. Volvo has fixed Oct 12 for the Indian debut of its EX90 and ES90 EVs, and Audi will roll out the new Q3 on Oct 16. Earlier this season, JSW MG Motor India unveiled the Tomahawk SUV with electric and plug‑in hybrid options, while Kia introduced the Sorento as its flagship SUV and BMW added the i5 LWB and refreshed its i7 and 7 Series. Industry analyst Srikumar Krishnamurthy of ICRA notes that festive buying is boosted by salary hikes, post‑harvest cash, discounts and financing, but warns that high sales bases, recent price hikes, delayed monsoons and low dealer inventory could temper demand.