Top 8 upcoming compact SUVs in India; Tata Nexon, Jeep Compass, Jaguar E-Pace and others

The arrival of the compact SUV in the Indian market and setting itself as one of the hot-selling segments happened in a very short span of time. Ford EcoSport tested the water in 2013 and turned out to be successful.

Home-grown SUV specialist Mahindra was quick to respond with TUV300 and KUV100 but it was Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza that took the segment by storm. The success of Vitara Brezza gave confidence to other carmakers to work on their version of the compact SUV or compact crossover.

At present, nearly eight compact SUVs are getting prepared to enter the Indian market. Some models are launch ready while some other are in the works. There is a facelift model as well. The vibe indicates that the future of compact SUVs is bright in India.

We have compiled a list of upcoming compact models that include SUVs and crossover.

Jeep Compass

The first Made in India SUV Jeep, Compass, has been confirmed for launch on July 31. Expected to be priced from Rs 18 to Rs 24 lakh, Compass will be the most affordable SUV of Jeep and will go up against Skoda Yeti and Hyundai Tucson.

The five-seater compact SUV measures 4,398mm in length, 1,667mm in height and 1,819mm in width. Compass will be powered by a 2.0 Multijet II diesel and 1.4 MultiAir petrol engine. The diesel mill will develop 170.6bhp and 350Nm of torque mated to six-speed manual transmission while the petrol mill will belt out 159.7bhp and 250Nm of torque. The petrol engine will be offered in six-speed manual and seven-speed DCT gearboxes.

Tata Nexon

Tata Motors has confirmed the launch of Nexon in the upcoming festive season. The first compact SUV of Tata Motors will bear new Impact design language bits that include a signature chrome humanity line at the front.

The SUV will draw power from a 1.2-litre turbocharged Petrol from the Revotron series and 1.5-litre Diesel engine from the Revotorq family. The 1,198cc three-cylinder petrol mill will develop 108.5bhp at 5,000rpm and 170Nm of torque at 2,000-4,000rpm. On the other hand, the 1,496cc four-cylinder diesel mill will develop 108.5bhp at 3,750rpm and 260Nm of torque at 1,500-2,750rpm. Both the mills will be mated to six-speed manual transmission. Tata Motors is expected to price Nexon starting from Rs 7 lakh.

Ford EcoSport facelift

After almost five years of the India launch, Ford EcoSport is up for a facelift and the model has already been unveiled globally. The cosmetic upgrades of the new EcoSport primarily concentrate in the face which is a blend of bigger SUVs of Ford such as Kuga and Edge. The new grille houses two horizontal chrome slats, while the headlamps, fog lamps and the front bumper have been tweaked.

The current EcoSport India is sold with a 1.5-litre TDCi diesel engine, which is tuned to dish out 99bhp of power. The petrol mills are a 1.5-litre Ti-VCT and the 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine. These are expected to carry over in the new model without changes. Expect the launch of EcoSport facelift by the end of 2017 or early 2018.

Jaguar E-Pace

E-Pace is the second SUV model of Jaguar after F-Pace. The new model is set to enter India in 2018 and will go up against Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA. The baby SUV of Jaguar seems to have been inspired by the brand's sports car, F-Type, in terms of design instead of F-Pace.

Jaguar Land Rover's Ingenium family of turbocharged four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines will power E-Pace. This will include a range-topping 300 hp, 2.0-litre petrol version mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. Since E-Pace caters into luxury compact SUV segment, it will be priced between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 40 lakh in India.

Datsun Go Cross

Nissan sub-brand Datsun's next big launch in India is Go Cross. The crossover will be based on the low-cost V platform and that will help the company to price the car competitively against main rival Vitara Brezza.

Go Cross will flaunt hexagonal radiator grille, LED headlamps and fog lamps, larger alloy wheels, roof rails and a roof-mounted spoiler. In addition, the skid plates at the front, rear and the sides will add off-road appeal. The crossover is likely to get a 1.2-litre three-cylinder DOHC 12-valve motor that's present in Go and Go+. The launch of Datsun Go Cross is expected sometime in 2018.

Audi Q2

German luxury carmaker Audi had unveiled its mini SUV Q2 in March 2016. The youngest member of the Q SUV family is expected to debut in India by 2017 end.

The mini SUV features a new single-frame grille that is flanked by large headlamps, which are more in a square shape. The lower bumper also sports generously-sized air inlets. The Q2 features distinctively different design compared to the elder siblings. It comes with more young looks and the style has received more importance than practicality in design. Audi had unveiled Q2 in three TFSI and three TDI engine options.

Volvo XC40

Volvo Cars had unveiled Concept 40.1 in 2016 and it will turn to XC40 compact SUV soon. The Audi Q3-rivalling compact SUV will borrow design cues from the larger XC90 SUV. The compact SUV will be the first to be built on the Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) of Volvo. This is the scaled-down version of the SPA architecture that underpins the new S90 and XC90. A full electric version, as well as the twin engine plug-in hybrid powertrain variant of the XC40, is also under consideration.

Hyundai compact SUV

South Korean carmaker Hyundai will join the compact SUV game a little later. The project is reportedly called QXi for now with a targeted price under Rs 10 lakh. Hyundai had showcased HND-14 Carlino concept at Auto Expo 2016, and it has been considered as the base for the compact SUV. Reports say that the production version will sport a design blend of the new i30 hatchback and Tucson SUV.