OUT WITH THE OLD IN WITH THE NEW

India's car market has turned into a fast-paced sequel. Old favourites are being reborn with flashy looks, smart engines and tech to make their ancestors blush

- RAJEEV NARAYAN

Once upon a time, there was an animal called Maruti Gypsy. It was an indestructible mountain goat—basic, boxy, bouncy and borderline uncomfortable. Yet, it was loved by everyone, especially those who wore a uniform or lived on pure adrenaline. Today, its rebirth as the Jimny is torquelessly poetic. With five doors, a touchscreen, six airbags and hill-descent control, the old soldier has swapped army boots for athleisure sneakers, but it hasn't lost its climbing spirit.

Mitsubishi's Pajero was similar; it may have retired from our roads, but its global sibling, the Montero, is again stirring passions overseas, teasing with a possible comeback. Similarly, the iconic Mitsubishi Lancer, once the poster car for India's rich and famous, still inspires fans who long for its evolved alter ego, the Lancer Evolution, to grace India's potholed tarmac once more.

Across the money fence, legends like Land Rover Defender and Toyota Land Cruiser have reinvented themselves for modern royalty. The Defender is as plush as it is tough, while the LC300—sporting a twin-turbo V6 diesel and a Rs 2.3-crore price tag—has returned as the ultimate boss of the off-road. Renault's Duster, the SUV that kickstarted India's compact-SUV craze, is set for a comeback as the Dacia. When it returns, it will come with bolder styling, hybrid engines and enough tech to shame pricier cars.

Nostalgia is good business, provided it is turbocharged, hybridized or electrified... In short, it should have 2025 sensibilities.

If the entry and mid-segments were once about affordability, they're now all about ambition. The Rs 5-15-lakh bracket is abuzz with reinventions and reincarnations. Maruti Suzuki, still a people's brand, has refreshed stalwarts like the Swift and Wagon R with dual-jet engines, six airbags and connected features. The humble hatchback has evolved into a smart, safety-conscious daily driver.