Introduction
In round one of our upcoming cars we told you of launches from Tata, Honda and Nissan and this time around it is all the launches from Hyundai, Honda and Volkswagen that will come to India in 2026.
Hyundai
Hyundai's expected to have a cooler year as compared to Tata in terms of its launches as it has already announced that it will go big from 2027 onwards. But whilst its list may be small, it will be impactful as Hyundai will also be venturing into some new parts of the market.
Verna FL
A long-overdue facelift for the Verna will happen in 2026 with a new exterior design and updated feature list. It is expected to align with the new Venue in terms of the latter but will continue with its current powertrain options. Sedans might have taken a backseat but the Verna is not without a good rival list, the likes of which include the Honda City, Skoda Slavia, and the Volkswagen Virtus, the latter two of which will get facelifts over the course of 2026.
India-based Hybrid SUV
This will be a surprise entry into the fray and fit in between the Alcazar and the upcoming Santa Fe SUV. It is expected to replace the Tucson and will be the first hybrid-powered vehicle from Hyundai for the Indian market. It is expected to be produced at Hyundai's Talegaon plant for both domestic and foreign markets. There are no confirmed details but we expect it to be feature-loaded, have at least one AWD variant, and be offered with both two and three rows of seating.
Santa Fe
Hyundai's biggest launch of 2026 will be the return of the Santa Fe brand. It will be a premium SUV in the Rs. 40 lakh price bracket and will be the largest vehicle that Hyundai will sell in India under its own badge. It is expected to be offered with both petrol and petrol-hybrid powertrains and will get AWD and possibly three rows of seating. It is expected to be Hyundai's answer to cars like the Skoda Kodiaq, Volkswagen Tayron, Volkswagen Tiguan, and also petrol versions of the Toyota Fortuner.
Renault
Renault's main car will be the Duster for 2026. It's the return of one of India's iconic brands and will be the French automaker's make-or-break model for its future in India. We have driven its Dacia sibling and that's given us an idea of what we will get here. But the Indian market's car will be more premium with a bigger feature list and better quality of interiors. Like the Tekton, it too will debut with turbo petrol power and a hybrid power option expected to arrive when it launches a localised version of the three-row Boreal SUV.
Volkswagen
Taigun and Virtus Facelift
One of the big 2026 launches for Volkswagen will be a facelift for the Taigun SUV and subsequently the Virtus sedan. They will follow in the footsteps of the Kushaq/Slavia and get the same new features as well as new exterior design and interior updates. These will be crucial updates for the SUV and sedan as a new generation will come post-2027 with Skoda hinting that it was looking at a three-row layout for the next-gen car.
Tayron – Three-row Tiguan
The final car on the list will be VW's return to the three-row premium segment with the Tayron SUV. This will be locally assembled and slots in above the Tiguan but will share its powertrains and feature list.
