Going by the recent trends in the automobile sector, it would not be wrong to say that Indians love SUVs and crossovers. We have seen a number of SUVs launching over the past couple of months, including Hyundai's compact one Creta and Maruti Suzuki's S-Cross crossover.
However, these launches seem to be just the beginning of the story. Here are the 10 upcoming compact SUVs, SUVs and crossovers that are worth waiting for.
Mahindra TUV300
Easily one of the most anticipated compact SUVs of the year, TUV300 will make its way to Indian market on 10 September. Previously known as U301 compact SUV, Mahindra TUV300's design is inspired by a battle tank, according to the manufacturer.
The sketches indicate a boxy design and the SUV features raised shoulders, high front nose and flat roof. The design and development of the vehicle has been done by the Mahindra in-house design team. The vehicle will be built on an all new platform and will employ a new mHawk80 engine, which is expected to be an updated version of Quanto's 1.5-litre three-cylinder diesel motor.
The sub-four meter SUV will be a seven-seater with two jump seats at the rear. With the lower excise duty benefit for the sub-four meter vehicle, TUV300 is expected to be priced at around Rs 7 lakh.
Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza
The annual report of Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) has confirmed that it will launch the compact SUV in India by the end of 2015. The Compact SUV will be based on the XA-Alpha concept and is likely to be called as Vitara Brezza.
The MSIL report explains the compact SUV will be launched after that of S-Cross. Since S-Cross has been launched, now the arrival of Vitara Brezza also seems imminent. Under the hood, the new compact SUV is likely to be powered by the 1.3-litre diesel engine being used in many Maruti Suzuki cars. The new compact SUV will rival Ford EcoSport and is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 7-10 lakh.
Honda BR-V
Honda is not left behind in the booming compact SUV segment. Their compact SUV would be called BR-V. Honda BR-V will be based on the Brio platform on which Amaze sedan and Mobilio MPV are based.
The car's sketch indicates that it will have an athletic design and beefed up wheel arches, prominent front grill and raised ground clearance. Despite being a sub-four meter vehicle, BR-V will be a seven-seater.
The vehicle is expected to be powered by the same 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol and 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engines that power Honda City. The launch is expected in early 2016.
Tata Hexa
The SUV crossover, which made its first appearance at the Geneva Motor Show 2015, is based on Tata Aria and measures 4,764 mm in length, 1,895 mm width and 1,780 mm in height. Seated on a wheelbase of 2,850 mm, Tata Hexa is rumored to come with 6-speed automatic transmission.
Under the hood, Hexa will get a 2.2-liter four-cylinder VARICOR diesel engine, which is re-tuned to generate 154bhp power and 400Nm torque. As far as styling is concerned, Hexa is the beefed up version of Aria featuring honeycomb grill with wide brushed chrome inserts. The bumper is the highlight which features a wide lower air dam. At the rear, Hexa will feature a redesigned tail lamp and blacked-out D-pillar.
Hexa is expected to be a six-seater SUV with captain seats and launch is expected towards the end of 2015.
Nissan X-Trail
Nissan is likely to re-introduce its X-Trail SUV to the Indian market. The third generation X-Trail sheds the boxy design of the predecessor and wears a rounded design. The design is inspired by the cars of the current line-up that includes the Juke, Murano and the Patrol.
The third generation of the SUV is based on the Common Module Family (CMF) platform architecture, jointly-developed by Nissan and Renault. Under the hood, the SUV is likely to be powered by a 1.6-litre diesel engine with a power output of 130bhp and maximum torque of 320Nm, mated to a six-speed CVT gearbox.
Nissan is likely to price the SUV in the range of Rs 30-40 lakh.
Ford Endeavour
Ford India will launch the third generation Ford Endeavour, which is globally known as Everest. The third generation Endeavour is based on the Everest concept showcased in Sydney, Australia in 2013.
The SUV has been developed on a new ladder-on-frame chassis and will also feature new independent coil-spring at the rear wheels. There is a significant change in design compared to the previous generations and looks upmarket with more athletic stance. The interiors are reportedly inspired by Ford's F-150 pick-up truck and will feature SYNC multimedia system.
Under the hood, the SUV is expected to boast 2.2-litre and 3.2-litre diesel engines churning out 158bhp and 197bhp power respectively. The engines will be mated to 6-speed automatic transmission. The lower tuned version is also expected in the 4x2 version.
The SUV is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 22 to 25 lakh.
Chevrolet Trailblazer
Chevrolet India has confirmed the launch of the full-size Trailblazer SUV. The seven-seater is expected to be powered by a 2.8-litre diesel engine developing 180bhp power and 470Nm torque mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
The manufacturer will take the Completely Knocked Unit (CKD) route to keep the price in competition with rivals such as Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Ford Endeavour.
The new SUV is likely to enter the Indian market during the festive season and is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 20-25 lakh.
Volkswagen Tiguan
Volkswagen has confirmed the launch of Tiguan SUV in India and is likely to enter the market at the 2016 Auto Expo. The SUV is based on the MQB platform which is also present in its Passat and Golf cars.
Tiguan will be a seven-seater in India competing with Honda CR-V, Hyundai Santa Fe and the upcoming Chevrolet Trailblazer. It is expected to come in two-wheel drive as well as a top variant featuring manufacturer's 4MOTION electronic all-wheel drive system.
Powering the SUV could be the same 2.0-litre TDI diesel unit that does duty in Volkswagen Passat and estimated price is Rs 25 lakh.
Land Rover Discovery Sport
Land Rover India will launch the new entry to their SUV line-up--Discovery Sport--on 2 September. The SUV is the first entrant to the new Discovery family and will replace Freelander 2 in the Indian market. The USP of the Discovery Sport would be the 5+2 seating configuration where most of its competitors have the seating capacity of five.
The SUV will have a 2.2-litre diesel engine in 147bhp and 187bhp state of tunes. The engine will be mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission sending power to all four wheels.
A price bracket of Rs 50 lakh to 65 lakh is what the industry calculates.
Mercedes-Benz GLE
Mercedes-Benz India is not done with the product launching spree in India. The new M-class which is renamed as GLE according to the new nomenclature is the next. The face-lifted version gets a redesigned front design that is in line with the new brand design language as seen on S-Class.
The Indian variants will be the 250D and GLE 350D. The former is powered by the 2.1-litre 203bhp diesel unit and the latter comes with a 3.0-litre, 255bhp, V6 engine.
GLE will be pitted against Audi Q5, BMW X3 and the upcoming Land Rover Discovery Sport. The price is expected to be around Rs 60 lakh.
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