If one was to ask which is the most happening car segment in India at the moment, the answer will undoubtedly be the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV). There are numerous SUVs in the market across all ranges, and now MG Motor, the British car brand owned by SAIC Motor and Maruti Suzuki, both are getting ready to introduce new models in this segment.
An interesting tidbit is that both MG Motor's first SUV for the Indian market and Maruti Suzuki's upcoming Vitara SUV are going to source Fiat's diesel engine. The engine in question is the 2.0-liter Multijet II diesel engine that currently powers Jeep's Compass compact SUV. Although Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is yet to make any official statement on supplying its engines to SAIC Motor, a report by the Times of India notes that the 2.0-liter diesel engine has been finalized for the SUV. It is also being said that the petrol models of MG SUV will get indigenously developed 1.5-liter petrol engine or a 1.8-liter petrol engine.
MG Motor plans to invest Rs 5,000 crore in India in the next 3-4 years. The company will launch its first model, a premium SUV in the second half of 2019. MG Motor India acquired the Halol plant from General Motors India and plans to roll out locally assembled models from this unit. The first SUV of MG Motor is expected to be the MG ZS SUV that was launched in the Chinese market in March 2017. If launched, the MG ZS SUV will go up against the Hyundai Creta and Renault Duster in India.
Maruti Suzuki Vitara
Maruti Suzuki has been testing its bigger SUV, the Vitara in India for a while now and the model was also spotted recently. The new generation of Vitara is currently on sale in the European market and is offered in two engine options -- 1.4-litre BoosterJet turbocharged petrol and 1.6-litre Fiat Multijet turbocharged diesel. A report of Cartoq indicates that in India, the Vitara could also get the same engine the Jeep Compass. Maruti Suzuki Vitara is expected to be launched in the country next year.
