2015 was a busy year for most of the major automobile manufacturers, with quite a few cars being launched. India too had its fair share of new cars over the last year. 2016 promises to be the same as carmakers continue to expand their portfolio or update their current line-up.
However, this expansion also brings about the phasing out of models in order to make room for the newer ones. Here, we take a look at 5 cars which will not be produced in 2016:
1. Land Rover Defender
The iconic Land Rover Defender is all set to be retired in its current guise by Jaguar Land Rover after being in production for 32 years. The SUV, launched in 1983, is the direct descendant of the original 1948 Land Rover Series I. It only comes as a 4-wheel drive and is powered by a 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine which is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. The Defender remained largely unaltered throughout its life, with none of the 3 important revisions it received in 1990, 2007, and 2012 involving wholesale changes to the car. As for the newer version, there have been reports that the Defender will make a comeback in an all-new avatar in 2018.
2. Mitsubishi Lancer Evo
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution will be sorely missed by car enthusiasts the world over. The Evo, which has always got rave reviews for its superb handling and peppy engine, is an all-wheel drive car and is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine with either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed twin-clutch automatic transmission. Sadly, Mitsubishi discontinued the high-performance sports sedan - which was first produced in 1992 - after the 2015 model year.
3. Hyundai Santro
The Hyundai Santro, known as Hyundai Atos Prime globally, was originally introduced in 1998 as Hyundai's first car in India. The hatchback was taken off the production line in December 2014 but was available in 2015 through the Korean carmaker's dealers since it was still in stock. With a life of 16 years, the Santro/Santro Xing was the brand's longest-running model on sale in India and was a huge hit. However, it's unlikely to be re-launched. Globally, the Hyundai Atos Prime was replaced by the Hyundai i10.
4. Old-gen Ford Figo
The old-gen Ford Figo did really well in India but was replaced by a newer version last year. Based on the Ford Fiesta hatchback, car enthusiasts have always maintained that the old-gen Figo had great handling and was probably the best driver's car in its segment. The old Ford Figo was a front-wheel drive (like its successor) and came in both petrol and diesel variants - a 1.2-litre petrol engine and a 1.4-litre diesel motor. Both these engines were mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox.
5. Chevrolet Captiva
General Motors (GM) has stopped selling the Chevrolet Captiva in the Indian market. The SUV didn't do too well in India largely due to the fact that it was slightly overpriced in terms of the specs and features on offer. The Captiva is powered by a 2.2-litre diesel engine which is mated to either a 6-speed automatic transmission or a 6-speed manual, and is available in 4x2 and 4x4 versions.
