New Delhi, Jan. 12 -- The race for the second-largest carmaker is heating up, with Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra rolling out a spate of facelifts, upgrades and electric launches to outpace each other in 2026.

Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles is set to kick off this push on Tuesday with the facelifted Tata Punch, one of nearly half a dozen new and refreshed models planned by the two homegrown rivals as they battle for the No.2 spot in India's passenger vehicle market, well behind market leader Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, which continues to dominate the segment by a wide margin.

The launch follows closely on the heels of Mahindra unveiling upgraded versions of its flagship SUVs-the XUV700 and XUV 3XO-at an event in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan....