The BS6 emission norms got quite a few cars discontinued that we really loved and admired and here, we have compiled a list of five such cars.
With the BS6 emission norms coming to effect from April 1, 2020, a lot of manufacturers have axed a lot of engines across every segment in India. Well, with these engines, it inevitably brought the demise of a lot of cars that these engines served in. And some of them were really good cars and some memorable ones too. So here we have compiled a list of five cars that really didn’t deserve to be discontinued in BS6 era and ones that were really loved by enthusiasts and buyers alike.
Honda Accord Hybrid
The Honda Accord has been a legendary nameplate in India. Honda revived the Accord nameplate in India in 2016 but this time it was a hybrid. Of course, it still had plenty to boast about. It was a very stylish looking sedan, had luxurious interiors and was very comfortable and spacious. It was powered by a 2.0L petrol-hybrid engine that had a combined output of 143bhp and 175Nm of torque. Being a hybrid, it was pretty fuel efficient too. It was meant to be technological showcase for Honda in India. However, the Accord Hybrid came to India as a direct import and thus, commanded an unreasonable price tag. Costing about Rs 50 lakh on road, it just didn’t find many takers. Honda thus had to pull the plug on the car in India. It was a really great car though.
Toyota Corolla Altis
Here’s another great sedan that was lost to BS6 emission norms. The Corolla name has been as synonymous with Toyota as have been the Innova Crysta and the Fortuner. Just like the Accord, the Corolla Altis was also a very stylish looking car with well appointed interiors and features. It was powered by a 1.8L petrol engine that produced 138bhp and 173Nm of torque. The current-gen Corolla Altis had been on our roads for six years and although it got a mid-life update in 2017, it simply didn’t catch up to newer crop of cars like the Honda Civic, the Skoda Octavia and the Hyundai Elantra. The Corolla Altis only found 806 takers in FY2020 and with such low numbers, there was just not enough business case for Toyota to carry forward the car.
Fiat Linea
The Fiat Linea was one of the best cars in its segment when it was launched in 2009. It really stood out with its design and actually looked much ahead of its time. It’s build quality was like that of a tank. However, the car had quite a few drawbacks with cramped interiors and poor ergonomics. The biggest nail in the coffin was the ownership experience and after sales services that customers had to put up with from Fiat. Fiat also did not refresh the car consistently in its lifetime and it naturally fell behind its competitors. It was powered by a 1.2L diesel engine with 91bhp and 209Nm of torque. Quite healthy numbers indeed. However, Fiat just sold 80 units of the Linea in FY2020 and it was way past its lifetime. Fiat thus had to pull out the Linea and along with it, the brand itself. It will however be always remembered for its design.
Also Read : 21 Motorcycles That Are Now Discontinued Due To Stricter BS6 Norms
Tata Safari
This is another legendary nameplate in the Indian SUV scene. It was one of the first really premium SUVs in India but it was affordable too. It was known for its solid build quality and it look pretty butch too. The Tata Safari was powered by a 2.2L diesel engine that produced 153bhp and 400Nm of torque. The interiors were very well appointed and it had tons of space on offer. It has really enjoyed a cult status in India and Tata had done a decent job of updating the SUV along its lifetime. However, with newer age SUVs like the Nexon and Harrier coming in, there wasn’t really much space for the Safari anymore. Once a great seller, it was really struggling with its numbers towards the end of its lifecycle. It was even offered to the Indian Army for sometime. Tata cleared out all remaining stock, selling 1,105 units of the SUV in FY2020.
Also Read : 30 Diesel Cars That Will Be Completely Discontinued Due To BS6 Norms
Volkswagen Polo GT TSI
Although the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI nameplate hasn’t been discontinued completely, the engine which powered this car has been killed by the BS6 norms. And the Polo GT TSI was all about its engine. It was powered by a 1.2L turbo-petrol engine with 103bhp and 175Nm of torque. The engine was smooth as cream and the power delivery was addictive. It was one of the first true hot-hatches in India and was loved by enthusiasts unconditionally. It was also a very neat handling car. Volkswagen is going to bring back the Polo GT TSI with a new 1.0L three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and although it will be more powerful than the outgoing car, we doubt if it will be as nice as the 1.2L TSI engine. Still, all hope is not lost here and we would like to see the new engine match up to its predecessor. Still, the 1.2L TSI engine will surely be missed.
