Engineers pour in their heart and soul into developing a car. It is not guaranteed that the car is going to be a success; some do wonders but few become an absolute flop. In some cases, the manufacturers pull the plug on some car models even though they earn a good reputation. Here is the list of few cars that were discontinued in India which are unlikely to make a comeback.
- Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS
The hot hatch version of the Baleno was introduced in early 2017 called the Baleno RS. It packed a 1.0L 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine from Maruti’s booster jet family of engines. It was tuned to produce 102 bhp and 150 nm of torque. This was competing with the VW polo GT TSI which also had similar performance figures. Because of the low sales figures, it didn’t receive a new BSVI compliant engine and Maruti had to axe the car model from its lineup in April 2020. We don’t see the present Baleno receiving the RS badge anytime soon. - Tata Nano
Tata Nano was known as the world’s cheapest car back in 2008 when it was launched. It did good sales for the company over the years. The 625cc rear-wheel drive engine made a whooping mileage of 25 km to a litre. Tata had zero bookings and production for the car in 2019. Because of the bad sales figures and the cost for the development of a new car to comply with the new safety regulation Tata put an end to the Nano in 2019. - Nissan Sunny
The Nissan Sunny which was marketed as ‘the caaaaaar’, was doing well in the market back in 2011 when it was launched. The twin of the Renault Scala was the luxury Sedan in India. The car was powered by a 1.5L 4-cylinder diesel engine and a 1.5L petrol engine. In FY2020 Nissan only managed to sell 552 examples till February, and the company decided against upgrading the car to meet the new emission standards and pulled the plug. However, Nissan will not update the car in the future, but it could bring in a new Sedan to its lineup. - Maruti Suzuki Gypsy
Arguably the most iconic SUV to have been on the market is the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy. It was known as the car of the police and the army forces for its off-road capabilities. It was the most affordable 4X4 SUV in the market with only such a vehicle offered in the petrol option. The lightweight Gypsy was also popular among off-road enthusiasts. 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 Maruti Gypsy will be replaced by the Maruti Jimny 5 door in 2022 which was showcased in 2020. - Maruti Suzuki Alto K10
The Alto K10 was introduced back in 2010 where it was the 1st choice for first-time car buyers in India. Both the Alto and the Alto K10 together sold over 38 lakh units. It was one of the best mileage cars under 5lakh in India. The K10 featured a 1.0L K10B engine which produced 68PS and 90 nm of torque. It also received a major facelift in 2014. But eventually, it had to make space for the new Maruti Suzuki S Presso, so Maruti had to stop the Alto K10 altogether. - Tata Aria
Tata launched the Aria back in 2010 as a 4X4 cross SUV which had loads of features in it. The car hosted a 2.2L Dicor turbo diesel engine producing 150ps and 320 nm of torque. The car did not do well in the Indian market, some experts say that the car was a little overpriced. At the time people would hesitate to buy a 16L car from Tata. So it started to see its decline. Tata put an end to the car in 2017 when the sales were going very bad. - Toyota Corolla Altis
Initially launched in 2003 as Corolla, it was an impressive car with engine quality. The name was changed to Corolla Altis when it got a generation update in 2007. The Corolla Altis was dropped from Toyota’s lineup due to its low sales figures and the dying D segment Sedan class. The company doesn’t have any plans of getting the car back to the market and hence it is discontinued in India - Honda Civic
The Honda Civic was introduced to the Indian market in 2006, it was popular for its design and the low stance it had. However, it was discontinued in 2012 by Honda. Interestingly Honda got back the Civic to Indian roads in March 2019, but there was no petrol manual option. It was again discontinued in December 2020, when Honda decided to close its Noida production plant. - Volkswagen Ameo
Launched in 2016, Ameo was rivalling the Suzuki Dzire, Hyundai Xcent, Honda Amaze. The car did really well with its torquay yet efficient diesel engine. It also packed some features and a couple of first in segment features like the cruise control and 7-speed DSG gearbox. With the implementation of BSVI norms, Volkswagen decided to end the Ameo and continue with only petrol options with its other cars. - Tata Tigor/Tiago JTP
Tata introduced the performance version of the Tigor and Tiago called JTP. It was a Tamilnadu based automotive company called Jayem Automotive. The Tiago was slightly more powerful than the VW polo 1.2TSI with 115PS. It was the most affordable performance-focused hot hatch in the market. Because it was a promising package by JTP, the engine was carried over to the Tigor as well. Both these cars didn’t receive a BS-IV compliant engine and both had to be discontinued in India .
So , here are some of the cars that are discontinued in India , stay tuned to know more .
Also , read : Honda scraps a Compact SUV, plans a midsize SUV by 2023
