As of now, the full-size premium SUV segment is largely dominated by Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour, but a range of new offerings are lined-up to make things difficult for the two
SUVs are gaining popularity by the day, and almost all manufacturers have started shifting their focus towards the said body format. While SUVs continue to become more and more affordable with the establishment of new segments, every enthusiast would agree that true SUVs are the ones that have acres of space, are able to fit an extended family when required, and are willing to take any challenge you throw at it.
Here is a list of five such full-size SUVs that are expected to be launched in the Indian market, take a read to know more about them in detail –
1. MG Gloster
MG Motor had a dazzling stall at the 2020 Auto Expo earlier this year, with the carmaker showcasing a range of upcoming cars. One of them was the Gloster – a full-size body-on-frame SUV, based on the Maxus D90 SUV sold in the Chinese market. The specs of the Indian version were recently revealed.
The Gloster will be offered in the country with a sole 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, twin-turbo diesel engine that puts out 218 PS of power and 480 Nm of torque. These numbers will make it the most powerful SUV in a segment that consists of Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour, Mahindra Alturas G4 etc.
In typical MG fashion, the Gloster will go on to set new benchmarks in the segment. Its equipment list will consist of adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, frontal collision warning, hands-free auto-parking, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a large panoramic sunroof, an electronic parking brake and a fully-digital instrument screen.
2. Toyota Fortuner facelift
About a few months ago, Toyota introduced a mid-life facelift for the Fortuner in Thailand, and the updated SUV was later spied on test undisguised in India, strapped with emissions testing equipment. In Thailand, the Fortuner facelift was launched in two variants – standard version and the range-topping Legender variant.
The Legender variant gets a completely new front-end design, while the standard version features some minor cosmetic updates over the outgoing model. However, only the latter is expected to be brought to India, and a launch is expected in the first half of next year. The BS6-compliant 2.7-litre petrol and 2.8-litre diesel engines will likely be retained with the facelift, however, the oil burner could be offered in a slightly higher state of tune, similar to the Thai-spec model.
3. Hyundai Palisade
The Palisade is Hyundai’s flagship SUV offering in North America, and the full-size SUV is being evaluated for the Indian market as well, Tarun Garg, Hyundai India’s Director of Sales, Service and Marketing himself confirmed. If launched, the Palisade will go on to become the most expensive Hyundai car to ever be launched in the Indian market.
While the foreign-spec Palisade gets a sole 3.8-litre naturally aspirated V6 petrol engine, we expect Hyundai to introduce the mighty SUV in India with a smaller powertrain. The equipment list will likely include a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 12.3-inch fully digital LCD instrument cluster, multiple smartphone connections, BlueLink connected-car tech, Harman Kardon premium sound system, leather seats, 8-way electrically adjustable front seats, power folding and reclining third-row seats, powered tailgate and more.
4. 7-seater Jeep Compass
Jeep is working on launching a seven-seat version of the Compass, and the car has internally been codenamed ‘Low D’, however its production-spec name could be the ‘Grand Compass’. The seven-seat Compass will likely be based on the soon-to-be-launched facelifted version of the five-seat SUV.
5 Upcoming Full Size SUVs In The Indian Market – Gloster To Fortuner Facelift
The India-spec model will likely share its powertrains with the regular Compass. That being said, the Compass currently gets a 2.0-litre oil burner (173 PS/350 Nm), as well as a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol (162 PS/250 Nm) motor. A 4×4 drivetrain will also be on offer. It is obvious that the 7-seat Compass will be slotted above the 5-seat model, hence, we expect it to command a premium over the regular Compass.
5. BS6 Isuzu mu-X
Isuzu is the only car manufacturer in India that is yet to launch a BS6-compliant product, however, this is going to change soon since the BS6-compliant mu-X SUV is expected to hit the showrooms soon. The full-size, three-row SUV’s 3.0-litre diesel engine is expected to be retained, and will likely continue to produce 177 PS power and 380 Nm torque.
However, the BS6 mu-X will certainly be pricier than its BS4 iteration, and is expected to be priced around the Rs 30 lakh (ex-showroom) mark. The car will retain its rivalry with the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour, Mahindra Alturas G4, among other full-size SUVs in India.