Festive season 2026: Hyundai Bayon, Tata Aeris, Maruti Baleno facelift and other eagerly awaited cars coming to India

India's festive season is turning out to be a busy period for the passenger vehicle market, with a mix of new nameplates, facelifts and major product updates expected to arrive around September and October. While some launches have already been confirmed, several others are being tracked for the festive window based on industry sources.

To be sure, the festive buying season began with Onam on August 26, was followed by Ganesh Chaturthi on September 14, and will culminate with Diwali on November 8. Over the past month, multiple automakers have already rolled out several new and refreshed products, including the Kia Sorento on September 4, the facelifted Maruti Suzuki Baleno on September 5, the BMW i5 Long Wheelbase on September 7 and the new BMW 7 Series range on September 11.

JSW MG Motor India also launched the Hector Tomahawk in EV and PHEV versions on August 26, adding to the stream of new products ahead of the peak festive period.

Hyundai, Tata banking on new models

Hyundai Motor India has officially announced the Bayon name and released design sketches of the upcoming SUV, describing it as an Intelligent Utility Vehicle. The company has said more details will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Industry sources and current automotive launch trackers point to an October arrival for the Bayon, which is expected to add another SUV option to Hyundai's portfolio in India.

On similar lines, Tata Motors is set to launch the Aeris on September 25. The company has teased the upcoming compact sedan, which is expected to replace the Tigor and arrive with a new design and updated features.

The Aeris is expected to compete with models such as the Maruti Suzuki Dzire and Hyundai Aura. Tata has confirmed the September 25 debut, while details such as pricing and variants are expected to be disclosed closer to the launch.

Maruti Baleno facelift, Wagon R in the mix

Maruti Suzuki has already launched the new Baleno, giving its popular premium hatchback a substantial update ahead of the festive season. The Wagon R facelift is another Maruti Suzuki product being tracked for the second half of the year. The model has been spotted testing in India, with industry reports pointing to an October-November festive window. Maruti Suzuki, however, has not officially confirmed its launch date or specifications.

Honda, Toyota and JSW's line-up

Several other models are also being tracked for the festive period. These include the Honda Elevate facelift, Toyota Glanza facelift and JSW Jetour T2, with current industry launch trackers placing them around October.

The timelines for these products have not been officially confirmed by the respective manufacturers and could change depending on production and launch schedules.

Premium launches also on the radar

The festive period could also see activity in the premium car market, with models such as the Volvo EX90, Volvo ES90 and Audi Q3 being tracked for launch around October. Volvo has officially confirmed October 12 as the India launch date for the EX90 and ES90.

Puneet Gupta, Director, Mobility Global, said the auto market continues to have underlying momentum as it heads into the festive season.

“Right now, the momentum continues for auto sales because there has not been any big disruptor in terms of repo rate hikes, oil prices, or massive increases in pricing by OEMs,” Gupta told Fortune India. However, he cautioned that the pace of growth could moderate in the coming months. “From next month onwards, we may not see such high growth numbers,” he said.

With new and refreshed products arriving across mass-market, SUV and premium segments, the coming weeks are set to give buyers a wider choice as the festive buying season gathers pace.