For the majority of manufacturers in the PVs, CVs, and 2W categories, 2022 was a successful year. There has been a paradigm change across segments, increasing demand for products that are fresher and more upscale. Products that were about to go extinct are no longer available.
Let’s look into 2022’s Cars That Were Discontinued.
1) Hyundai Elantra
We had the Hyundai Elantra to compete against Skoda Octavia, VW Jetta, Toyota Corolla, and Honda Civic at the entry-level of D1 sedans. In India, Hyundai unveiled the Elantra of the fifth generation, which was updated in 2015. Following that, Hyundai introduced the 6th generation model, which was later given a facelift with angular headlamps.
2) Mahindra Alturas G4
The magnificent Alturas G4 is the next vehicle on this list of vehicles to be phased out in 2022. One of the real rivals to the Ford Endeavour and the Toyota Fortuner was this vehicle. It features every feature you’d anticipate in a vehicle costing between Rs. 35 and 40 lakhs. It had a strong engine, a flawless transmission, and was pretty capable off the road for an SUV. It offered far more and was considerably less expensive than the competition. Despite offering outstanding value, the Alturas G4 had poor sales performance.
3) Hyundai Santro
Santro was recently relaunched by Hyundai in India, but it was dropped after only four years. The Santro ruled the market in the early 2000s. However, what added the Santro to this list of vehicles being phased out in 2022? Well, this time it just didn’t work. Santro struggled mightily against prominent Maruti vehicles like the WagonR and Celerio, which had a negative impact on sales figures. Hyundai chose to discontinue the Santro in 2022 due to low sales.
4) Volkswagen Polo
The Volkswagen Polo endured the longest in our list due to its classic styling and high build quality. For a total of 12 years, Polo was available in India. It’s amazing how Volkswagen managed to get away with selling the same exterior with minor updates for 12 years.
5) Hyundai Grand i10 Nios Diesel and Aura Diesel
Both the Nios and the Aura were built with a diesel engine that was capable of exceptional fuel economy rates of up to 25 km/l. Around the same time that Santro was discontinued, the manufacturer discontinued the diesel powertrains in Nios and Aura.
They were the only vehicles on the Indian market to simultaneously offer petrol, diesel, and CNG powertrain options before Hyundai stopped offering diesel engines in the Nios and Aura. There are several justifications for Hyundai’s actions. Some of them could be pushing petrol powertrains into smaller vehicles, low demand, and conformity with impending RDE requirements.
6) Maruti Suzuki S-Cross
With regard to Maruti Suzuki, the largest volume automobile manufacturer in India, we regularly observed the S-Cross falling to the bottom of sales statistics. The Grand Vitara, which is newer and better, replaced the S-Cross. S-Cross was a crossover with an uninspiring appearance and a perplexing personality. Although it lacked rear AC vents, the ability to recline improved rear seat comfort.
7) Toyota Urban Cruiser
Urban Cruiser was the ideal choice for anyone looking for a Vitara Brezza with Toyota brand recognition. After Maruti Suzuki introduced the new Brezza, it was still being sold under the Vitara Brezza name. Why Toyota never released a rebranded version of the facelifted Brezza is unclear.
According to rumours, the Toyota-branded Brezza won’t actually exist. But Toyota just registered the name Taisor, which we believe could be the name of the company’s upcoming Brezza vehicle. Pratyush Rout, one of our rendering artists, has written down his ideas and produced a fantastic image of what this vehicle would appear to be.
8) Datsun Go, Go+, RediGO
This action by Nissan, which took place in the first part of 2022, was anticipated. It was not practical to run a sub-brand while Nissan was about to shut down their activities in India.
Nissan managed to survive on its own after introducing Magnite, but Datsun had less luck. Datsun offered 3 automobiles in India at the end of its production run. Go, Go+, and Redigo were them. Go+ was a sub-4-meter MPV that fits into its own niche while Go was a hatchback that competed with Tiago and Swift. When the Datsun brand was totally discontinued, Redigo, the smallest car in the nation in terms of length, had just undergone a facelift.