October marks the start of the festive season in India, which means manufacturers line up a slew of new cars for prospective buyers to consider. It’s no different this year, with the month looking quite stacked with launches and debuts, especially in the first half. Let’s look at every new car that will either go on sale or debut in India in October 2026.
Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class facelift
Launch: 5 October
Following the launch of the 2026 S-Class facelift in June, Mercedes-Benz India will bring the sedan’s longer and more luxurious Maybach derivative in October. Compared to its standard version, the Maybach S-Class facelift continues to be 180mm longer but retains styling differentiators such as a vertically slatted grille adorned with a ‘Maybach’ wordmark, mildly revised bumpers, bespoke wheel designs, lots of Maybach logos peppered across the bodywork and the signature dual-tone exterior finish.
Inside, the Maybach prominently carries over the standard S-Class’s Superscreen setup, comprising a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, a 14.4-inch central touchscreen and a 12.3-inch passenger display. New upholstery options include extended leather and a leather-free vegan material. The rear seats remain largely unchanged, offering up to 43 degrees of recline, along with heating, ventilation and massage functions. Globally, the Maybach S-Class can be had with either a 4.0-litre twin-turbo mild-hybrid V8 (S 580), a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plug-in hybrid (S 580e) or a 612hp 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 (S 680). Mercedes-Benz India is likely to offer the updated Maybach S-Class in the S 580 or S 580e spec.
Honda Elevate facelift
Launch: 6 October
Following in the footsteps of the 2026 City facelift, Honda will launch an updated version of the Elevate SUV in October. Expect the Elevate facelift to have revised styling, including the headlamps, tail-lamps, bumpers, grille and wheels. The interior is expected to receive changes such as a larger infotainment touchscreen and revised colour schemes, along with feature upgrades like ventilated front seats, a 360-degree camera, ambient lighting, and more.
The facelifted Elevate is likely to retain the current model’s 121hp 1.5-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine, along with 6-speed manual and CVT automatic gearbox options. It remains to be seen whether Honda will additionally offer the Elevate facelift with the City e:HEV’s 126hp 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-hybrid powertrain, mated solely to an e-CVT automatic. A strong hybrid version of the Elevate would allow it to compete directly with established hybrid midsize SUVs such as the Maruti Grand Vitara, Victoris and Toyota Hyryder, as well as the upcoming Renault Duster hybrid, which is also slated for launch next month.
Skoda Slavia facelift
Launch: 6 October
The prices for the facelifted Skoda Slavia, which debuted in August, will be announced next month. The Slavia facelift brings a host of exterior tweaks, such as new DRL signatures for the headlamps, an updated grille, redesigned bumpers and fresh alloy wheels. Not much has changed on the inside, but there are new colour schemes on offer. Skoda has also added features such as a 360-degree camera, a massage function for the outboard rear seats, a larger 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, a Google-based AI assistant, an upgraded variable-geometry AC compressor and front parking sensors.
Under the bonnet, the Slavia facelift retains its 115hp 1.0-litre three-cylinder direct-injection turbo-petrol and 150hp 1.5-litre four-cylinder direct-injection turbo-petrol engines. The big change here is that the 6-speed torque-converter automatic that was previously available for the 1.0 TSI has been swapped with an 8-speed unit, which should deliver better fuel efficiency on the highway. A 6-speed manual gearbox is also available for the 1.0 TSI, whereas the 1.5 TSI continues to be paired exclusively with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. The 1.5 TSI will be offered with rear disc brakes too – a much-requested upgrade.
Volvo ES90
Launch: 12 October
Volvo will return to the luxury sedan space next month with the launch of the all-electric ES90. It’s based on Volvo’s 800V SPA2 platform and is likely to be offered with a 106kWh battery, dual-motor AWD setup in India. Combined output is pegged at 456hp and 670Nm, which is good for a claimed 0-100kph time of 5.3 seconds. As for WLTP range, the ES90 is rated at 696km, and the sedan can charge at up to 350kW DC, taking 22 minutes for a 10-80 percent top-up.
On the outside, the ES90 looks sleek and quietly aggressive, with T-shaped LED headlamps, vertically oriented front fog lamps, clean panelling and C-shaped tail-lamps. Moreover, it has a drag coefficient of 0.25, making it the most aerodynamic Volvo car yet. Inside, the ES90 packs a 14.5-inch Google-based portrait touchscreen, a floating centre console, a three-spoke steering wheel, a slim 9-inch digital driver’s display, a 13.2-inch head-up display, a panoramic glass roof, four-zone climate control, powered front seats, Level 3 ADAS and a Bose sound system.
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Volvo EX90
Launch: 12 October
Alongside the ES90, Volvo will launch its SUV counterpart, the EX90. The electric SUV is also based on the SPA2 platform and is expected to offer the same 106kWh dual-motor AWD powertrain. Owing to its higher-riding stance, the EX90’s WLTP range is slightly lower at 625km, but the SUV impressively claims the same 0-100kph time of 5.3 seconds.
Even in terms of exterior design, the core elements are quite similar between the EX90 and ES90. The same holds true for the interior and equipment list as well, with the only major difference being that the EX90 can seat up to six occupants and gets second-row captain’s chairs.
Toyota Glanza facelift
Debut: 14 October
Just a month after the launch of the Baleno facelift, the updated form of its Toyota-badged counterpart, the Glanza, will be revealed. The Glanza facelift is likely to feature styling revisions similar to those of the updated Baleno, such as a larger grille, redesigned bumpers and new alloy wheel designs. Inside, the Toyota hatchback’s dashboard layout is expected to be largely unchanged, save for fresh seat upholstery. New creature comforts are likely to include Level 2 ADAS, a wireless charging pad and ventilated front seats.
Under the bonnet, the Glanza facelift is likely to mirror the Baleno in dropping its current 90hp 1.2-litre four-cylinder K12N petrol engine in favour of the 83hp 1.2-litre three-cylinder Z12E mill. Like in the Baleno facelift, this engine is expected to be offered with either a 5-speed manual or 5-speed AMT in the updated Glanza, along with a 70hp CNG option.
Third-gen Audi Q3
Launch: 16 October
Audi India will launch the latest generation of its entry-level SUV, the Q3, next month. The India-spec third-gen Q3 was unveiled in August and will continue to rival the BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA. On the outside, the new Q3 is larger than its predecessor in every dimension and has a sharper design language, which includes split LED headlamps, a wide grille, 18-inch alloy wheels and a rear light bar with an illuminated Audi emblem.
The interior of the third-gen Q3 is more modern and feature-loaded too, offering a 12.8-inch touchscreen, an 11.9-inch digital driver’s display, a new squircle-shaped four-spoke steering wheel, ambient lighting, a Sonos sound system, a panoramic sunroof, a 360-degree camera and dual-zone climate control, among others. Under the bonnet, the Q3 continues to get a 204hp 2.0-litre four-cylinder direct-injection turbo-petrol engine, mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic and Audi’s Quattro AWD system. 0-100kph comes in a claimed 7.1 seconds, and the top speed is rated at 229kph.
Renault Duster hybrid
Launch: 17 October
Since its launch earlier this year, the Renault Duster has been available with a couple of turbo-petrol engines only, but that will change come October 17. Renault will bolster the Duster’s line-up with a strong hybrid powertrain dubbed the E-Tech 160. It pairs a 1.8-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine with two electric motors and a 1.4kWh battery pack, developing a combined 160hp and 172Nm.
This setup will be paired with a segment-first 8-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT) that uses fixed gear ratios, unlike the e-CVTs seen in hybrid SUV rivals such as the Grand Vitara, Victoris and Hyryder. The DHT should therefore enable a more natural driving feel to the Duster hybrid. Thanks to its 1.4kWh battery, the E-Tech 160 is also claimed to deliver 80 percent of urban driving in all-electric mode, which should help the Duster hybrid achieve great fuel efficiency.
Hyundai Bayon
Launch: Mid-to-late October
Hyundai’s second midsize SUV for India, the Bayon, is expected to be fully revealed and launched next month; bookings commenced on 23 September. The Bayon will slot between the Venue and Creta, offering the latter’s 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine in petrol and CNG guises. Gearbox options are likely to include a 6-speed manual and a CVT automatic. On the outside, the Bayon will feature Hyundai’s ‘Art of Steel’ design language, with styling cues such as L-shaped front and rear LEDs, rakish proportions, an upward-sloping window line, and more. It’s also expected to be the first Hyundai car to come with an underbody CNG tank.
The interior of the Bayon is likely to offer a curved dual-screen setup, a three-spoke steering wheel bearing Hyundai’s four-dot motif and a vertically oriented centre console. The dashboard layout will resemble that of the fourth-gen i20, which was revealed for the Brazilian market a few months ago.
Dipan Sur
Suraj Viswanathan
Hormazd Sorabjee
Kiran Murali
