Iconic Cars That Will Face The Sharp End of Upcoming Safety and Emission Norms

Nothing is above change, and this holds true for the car industry as well. The upcoming Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program that will come into force fully in October 2019 and the BSVI emission norms that will be enforced from April next year will ensure that some of the legendary cars on the streets of India will never be seen again. At least in the form that the public has grown accustomed to seeing them. While a future updated version can never be ruled out, these cars will only return in a completely new avatar when if they will ever be resurrected, as we saw in the case of Hyundai Santro last year. However, during the time they are out of the market, these discontinued cars will continue to evoke nostalgia of the times when they absolutely ruled the market or were considered pioneers when launched. Therefore, let’s take a look at these 4 legendary cars that will face the brunt of new norms soon to be enforced in the Indian market.

Tata Nano

It was a passion, it was a dream, and it was a daunting task. Ratan Tata made sure his effort did not go waste. Hence was born Tata Nano, the car for an average Indian looking to upgrade from a two-wheeler. A car that was priced around the magic figure of Rs. 1 lakh. However, poor marketing on the company’s end saw this car not gaining the kind of traction it had hoped in the market. Not to mention that Tata Nano lost the expectations game from the very first day of its launch. Nano was offered with a 624cc twin cylinder petrol engine rated to deliver 37 Bhp and 52 Nm. The engine was mated to a 4-speed manual gearbox, and an AMT was also offered later. However, even facelifts and design tweaks could not rescue the car from failure it was only last year Tata put the Nano in the made to order category, and the upcoming norms will ensure that Ratan Tata’s dream will not materialize in the way he would have wanted it to.

Maruti Suzuki Omni

While remembering Maruti’s success in India, one always tends to remember the 800. However, Maruti Omni has not only been a steady seller at par with 800, Omni has also outlasted the 800 as far as production in the original form factor is considered. The little utilitarian workhorse from Maruti has an iconic boxy shape that will forever remain etched in the minds of current generation. Maruti Omni came with a 796cc, 3-cylinder F8D engine rated to deliver 34 Bhp and 59 Nm. What made this van extremely famous was that not only was it offered in a 5-seater, 8-seater and a Cargo version, it also came with petrol, LPG-Petrol and CNG-Petrol fuel options. While the Maruti Eeco will replace the Omni in India, the former cannot match the latter in terms of iconic design that remained unchanged for well over 2 decades.

Tata Sumo

Tata advertised for its Sumo with real Sumo wrestlers that went ahead to show the sheer space the car offered in its segment. Sumo was probably the first proper people carrier launched in the Indian market and it brought a lot of success for the company in India. Sumo was not only used a people mover but there were several other variants of the MUV that catered to various wings of government and even the Armed Forces as well. Although company’s design head has stated that the Sumo may return in the market favors so, there is no solid word on the return of Sumo currently. One can only hope for the best as of now.

Maruti Suzuki Gypsy

Maruti Suzuki Gypsy is perhaps the most iconic SUV of India. Spot a Gypsy on the streets and one almost expects to see an armed soldier inside the SUV. Maruti Suzuki not only sold the Gypsy to the Indian Army in large numbers, it was also a smashing hit among the off-roading community in India. The rough and tough nature of the SUV made it one of the most affordable and capable SUVs in the Indian market. Even after discontinuation, the Gypsy can still outmatch so-called SUVs that are twice its price when it comes to sheer capability. Although, there are speculations that the company will launch the Jimny in India in order to fill the void left behind by the Gypsy in the market, they only remain speculations as of now and there is no confirmation on the same.