July was headlined by several long-awaited launches from brands such as Tesla, MG, Kia and Renault. August will keep the momentum going with fresh models lined up, and even a few concept reveals. Here’s what Volvo, Mercedes, VinFast and Mahindra have in store for the eighth month of 2025.
Upcoming car launches in August
Volvo XC60 facelift: August 1
August will be flagged off with the price announcement of the 2025 Volvo XC60 facelift. The best-selling Volvo (global) is expected to land here with subtle exterior changes, including diagonally slatted grille design, redesigned multi-spoke alloy wheels, smoked-out tail-lights, and even new colors. The highlight upgrade to the otherwise feature-loaded Volvo SUV is its bigger 11.2-inch touchscreen. In addition to improved image quality, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipset makes it twice as fast as the previous infotainment system. Being a facelift, the current XC60’s 250hp, 2-litre turbo-petrol engine is likely. This unit is mated to an 8-speed torque converter automatic, which sends drive to all 4 wheels.
Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupe: August 12
Mercedes is set to launch the AMG CLE 53 Coupe in a few weeks, and it will slot above the CLE 300 Cabriolet. As seen on other AMG cars, the CLE 53 brags a Panamericana grille, while flared front fenders, gloss-black diffuser and quad exhausts add to the sporty outlook. Wheel size is anticipated to be 19-inch, with 20-inch coming in as an optional extra. The CLE 53 Coupe’s interior gets an 11.9-inch touchscreen, 12.3-inch digital cluster, and AMG-spec steering draped in Alcantara. There are also powered seats, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, 64-colour ambient lighting, and Burmester audio.
The AMG CLE 53 packs a 449hp, 3-litre twin-turbo straight-6 engine. Power goes to all four wheels via a 9-speed DCT; 0-100kph comes up in 4.2 seconds, on to a 250kph top speed (270kph with the AMG Performance package).
VinFast VF7: August-end
The India debut of VinFast will be marked by the VF7 – the Vietnamese EV brand’s flagship SUV here. The 4,545mm-long electric vehicle has a swoopy, crossover-like exterior. Notably, only the India-spec VF7 gets 19-inch alloy wheels and 190mm ground clearance. Other features include a 12.9-inch touchscreen, ventilated seats, reclining rear seats, and Level 2 ADAS with 7 airbags. The VinFast VF7 has a 70.8kWh LFP battery with 7.2kW AC and CCS2 DC fast charging support. To be offered in 204hp, FWD and 350hp, AWD, the layout pair boasts respective WLTP ranges of 450km and 431km.
VinFast VF6: August-end
Also arriving this month, the VF6 is relatively smaller at 4,238mm in length. It looks like a shrunken-down VF7, borrowing most features like touchscreen, glass roof and ADAS suite. 59.6kWh battery, though, is smaller and powers a sole 204hp FWD motor. VF6’s WLTP range is rated at 480km. Pre-bookings for the VF6, as well as the VF7, have been underway since July 15. Furthermore, the first VinFast showroom in India was recently opened in Gujarat, with 34 more planned in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, etc. Alongside, VinFast intends to install its charging network by leveraging its parent company Vingroup’s resources.
Upcoming car reveals in August
New Mahindra compact SUV: August 15
Image credit: MotoWagon via Instagram.
An all-new Mahindra SUV is slated to debut on August 15 which is expected to be underpinned by the brand’s new ‘nu’ monocoque platform. The proportions of spied test mules with short overhangs suggest that it will be a sub-4m SUV, but it will be vastly different from the Bolero range or even the XUV 3XO. The prototype was seen with Thar Roxx-like design details and it is also expected to be well-equipped on the inside. Technical details are sparse, but it could debut with a 1.2-litre and a 1.5-litre diesel engine, with a hybrid powertrain following at a later stage. What’s also not known is what this new SUV will be called, but it is likely to build on one of Mahindra’s existing nameplates. The market launch of this yet-unknown SUV is only expected next year.
Mahindra Vision concepts: August 15
Additionally, the Indian SUV specialist has a quartet of concepts lined up as part of its Vision series, dubbed SXT, X, T and S. As per the drip-fed teasers so far, the Vision SXT gets a rugged design and is expected to be a part of the Thar family. Next, the Vision X could be the much-awaited XEV 7e, a more traditional SUV alternative to the XEV 9e. The Vision T might be a further development of the all-electric Thar.e prototype, while the Vision S is predicted as the third model in the Mahindra Scorpio line-up. Powertrains, features and launch timelines are unclear at the time of writing.
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