But what about hatchbacks? Well, they’re still in demand too and we think they still would be in the near future. After all, small, affordable and peppy cars are always good in have in congested cities. Speaking of small cars, the Kia Picanto has made quite a name since its launch a few years ago. Also known as ‘ Kia Morning’ in many countries, the Picanto is available in three engine options, funky colours and a few of the so called attractive features.

Based on the Hyundai i10 platform internationally, the Picanto is quite similar in size to that of the

i10 making it look like one too, if you look closely from different angles. But that’s possible only if you have a keen eye. The 2020 avatar of the Picanto has many aesthetic changes made to it which make it a bit overwhelming for a small car.

The front end gets a new chrome ‘Tiger Nose’ grille, LED projector headlamps, a redesigned bumper with a new place for the fog lights and bigger air dams. Overall, we think Kia has tried to make the Picanto look a bit aggressive but the front actually looks like there’s too much happening there all at the same time. A bit cramped of sorts.

The rear and sides too don’t miss out on the 2020 updates. The rear bumper gets a diffuser, taillights are now LED and the alloy wheels get a new design. Yes, we know, it looks like it has fake exhausts. The look at the back is opposite from what’s happening in the front. There’s lots of space the designers could fill stuff in. Or not, perhaps.

Speaking of the interior, most things looked the same as the earlier models except for a few additions that would make it a highly attractive package in India. A large eight- inch touch screen Infotainment System with UVO connectivity suite, automatic AC, push button start- stop, an electric sunroof, ventilated front seats and a semi digital instrument panel with a 4.2 inch multi- information display. As keen drivers, we liked the electric sunroof bit the most.

Speaking of the heart of the matter, the Kia Picanto comes with three engine options- a 1.0 litre three cylinder naturally aspirated engine churning out 75 bhp and 95NM of torque, a four cylinder 1.2 litre engine making around 85 bhp and lastly, a 1.0 litre three cylinder turbo petrol engine producing 99 bhp. That’s a lot of choice for a small car! The three cylinder motors however get only a 5 speed manual gearbox whereas the four cylinder motor gets the option of a 4- speed automatic.

Safety too isn’t compromised. It has what most modern small hatchbacks come with- seven airbags, ABS, EBD, reverse parking assist, and many other features which we may not see in India even if the car is launched soon. The seven airbags option is also a great start in terms of safety for a small car like the Picanto and we do hope to see it if at all the car is launched in India.

Speaking of the Kia Picanto launch in India, Kia has expressed that it isn’t keen on entering the hatchback segment in India yet, especially when it is currently focussing on bringing the compact SUV Kia Sonet into India soon. But with times changing quickly, you may see the Picanto on Indian roads sooner than expected. Or, maybe not so soon. Well, only time will tell in case you’ve been waiting for this hatchback.

Nissan will be unveiling their new Magnite compact SUV later this year. This here is a quick walkthrough on the highlights of this new Compact SUV in town.

Exterior: 

The new Nissan Magnite, though being based on the Renault Triber's CMFA platform, will sport a unique and aggressive design language. The Magnite will feature a large Octagonal grille at the front of an aggressive bumper design. The new Magnite will also feature large L-shaped LED DRLs on either side of the grille. The sides will have strong muscular shoulder lines and squared-off wheel arches. The Tail lamps will receive 3D LED treatment

as well. The top trim levels will receive funky looking 16” dual-tone alloy wheels whereas the entry-level variants are expected to receive 15 inch Steel rims. A dual-tone roof option is also expected to be provided at launch.

Interior:

The new Nissan Magnite interior will feature a traditional design layout with some nice design touches. The interior is expected to sport a hexagonal theme with hexagonal AC vents, the hexagonal pattern on the seats while the centre console will house a freestanding 8-inch Touchscreen system. All the variants are expected to get a dual-tone theme. Space is expected to be comparable to other compact SUVs while also providing an ample number of features.

The top trim levels will receive Auto headlamps, Auto wipers, Cruise control, Auto climate control, a semi-digital instrument cluster similar to the Triber and armrests for the front and rear seats. The touchscreen system will also be available with Connected car features & telematics control unit through the Nissan connect app.

Practicality:

The Nissan Magnite is expected to offer boot space compared to other compact SUVs in its class complementing all the storage options in the cabin. All variants will get flat-folding rear seats too.

Safety:

The new Nissan Magnite will be providing dual airbags with ABS and EBD as standard across all variants. The top variants will also receive Side airbags similar to the Renault Triber along with Vehicle stability management, Electronic Stability Control, Hill hold control and smart key access system.

Powertrains:

The new Nissan Magnite will feature two petrol engine options. The entry-level variants will receive the 1.0l 3 cyl petrol engine from the Renault Triber producing 72PS power through a 5 speed Manual gearbox while the higher variants will be available with a new 1.0L 3 cyl turbo petrol engine producing 95PS power through either a 5-speed gearbox or a CVT gearbox.

Launch & price:

This Nissan Magnite will go on sale by early next year and compete against the likes of the Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, Ford Ecosport, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and the new Kia Sonet. Prices are expected to start from around ?6L on road for the base petrol variant and go up to ?11L for the top-spec automatic variants. Stay tuned for further updates on the Nissan Magnite compact SUV.

Ford India is soon to launch a new updated top spec variant of its best selling Ecosport compact SUV. This new variant will be called the Signature Edition and will get some significant changes on the exterior and interior.

Exterior:

The new Ecosport SE will not be available with the tailgate mounted spare wheel as standard. Just like the globally sold Ecosport, the Indian SE Variant will also let go of the tailgate mounted spare wheel and instead, will have the number plate on the tail gate. The rear bumper also gets a larger skid plate design. The reverse camera will be

mounted in the number plate housing on the tailgate now.

According to the Ministry of road transport and highways, it is not necessary for vehicles weighing under 3.5 tonnes and equipped with tubeless tyres with Tyre pressure monitoring system to have spare tyre. Hence, the tailgate mounted spare tire will be available as a paid option on this Signature Edition variant. As standard, this new variant is not likely to receive a spare wheel and instead it will get a puncture repair kit.

At the front though, the Ford Ecosport SE will remain exactly the same without any changes.

Interior:

On the inside, this new Ford Ecosport Signature Edition will get some new features and significant updates. This new Variant will get Tyre pressure monitoring system integrated into the brand new 12.3” touchscreen system expected to be launched exclusively on this variant. This new super-large touchscreen will also get Android auto and Apple carplay compatibility along with the existing Ford Pass connected car features. The centre console too will be significantly different on this updated top spec variant.

All the other features including Auto headlamps and wipers, Cruise control, Electric sunroof, Auto Climate control and keyless access will be carried forward from the existing variants.

Powertrain:

The Ford Ecosport will continue to retain the very same 1.5L Petrol and Diesel engine options with a 5 speed Manual transmission as standard. At present, only the Titanium plus petrol is available with a 6 speed torque converter automatic gearbox. This gearbox is also likely to be available on the new Signature Edition variant as well.

At present the Ford Ecosport ranges from Rs.7.99L to Rs.11.19L (ex showroom) for the petrol range and Rs.8.69L to Rs.11.49L (ex showroom) for the Diesel range.

Stay tuned for further updates on the new Ford Ecosport Signature Edition.