New car launches in May 2018

India being one of the important car market for global car manufacturers there has been a series of new car launches in the country in the recent times. Back at the 2018 Auto Expo event which concluded in February, leading car manufacturers had showcased its upcoming lineup. Here below is list of cars which will be launched in May; some of which were last showcased at the Auto Expo event. 

2018 Mini Countryman

The first launch for the month will be the new Mini Countryman on 3 May. Last seen at the Auto Expo, the car shares it underpinning with the BMW X1. The new Countryman is based on a completely new design language and will be offered in two petrol and one diesel variants. The second generation model will be available in three variants - Cooper S, Cooper SD and Cooper S JCW Inspired. The Mini Cooper SD will be powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine with 150bhp of power and 330Nm of torque. The other two trims are powered by a 2.0-litre twin turbo four-cylinder engine that generates 192bhp of power and 280Nm of torque. It gets a new eight-speed automatic transmission.    

Mercedes-AMG E63 S

The second launch for the month is that of the Mercedes-AMG E63 S on 4 May. The most powerful executive sedan, the E63 S from the German car manufacturer is powered by a 4.0-litre V8 from the Mercedes-AMG GT R. Mated to a nine-speed AMG Speedshift gearbox, the powerful engine generates 604bhp of power and 850Nm of torque. The vehicle is capable of sprinting from 0-100kmph in just about 3.4 seconds and the top-speed is limited to 250kmph. Moreover, it also gets the all-wheel drive system with advanced 4Matic+ all-wheel drive system which powers either or both set of wheels depending on requirement.     

Tata Nexon AMT

Tata Motors has opened the bookings for the Nexon AMT earlier this month at a token amount of Rs 11,000. At the time of launch the six-speed AMT option will be offered only with the top-spec XZ+ variant. Engine options continue to be the 1.2-litre three cylinder petrol engine that generates 108bhp and 170Nm of torque. The 1.5-litre diesel engine generates 108bhp of power and 260Nm of torque.    

Honda Amaze

The second-generation Honda Amaze is due for India launch on 16 May. Bookings for the vehicle had commenced earlier this month for a token amount of Rs 21,000 and was seen in production form at the Auto Expo event. Apart from fresh cosmetic and feature upgrades, the new Amaze will be the first offering from the Japanese car manufacturer to get a diesel CVT option. The new Amaze will continue to be powered by the existing 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines from its predecessor. 

Ferrari Portofino

Well this one is purely for performance enthusiasts, the Ferrari Portofino is likely to be launched in May. Named after one of Italy's prettiest coastal towns, the sports car is powered by a 3.9-litre turbocharged V8 engine from the 488 GTB that generates 600bhp of power at 7500rpm and a whopping 760Nm of torque from 3000rpm. The engine power is sent to the right set of wheels through an automatic gearbox which catapults the car beyond 100kmph from zero in 3.5 seconds. With the roof up, the Portofino is capable of clocking over 320kmph and is one of the first GTs to get the new electric power steering.

Hyundai i20 Active

It is speculated that Hyundai might launch the new Hyundai i20 Active in India with a fresh set of cosmetic upgrades. Mechanically it remains unchanged and will continue to be powered by the existing 1.2-litre petrol and 1.4-litre diesel engine. In terms of design, it gets the company's signature cascading grille from the new Elite i20 along with the new taillamp cluster.