The segment leader Hyundai Creta will get new rivals in the form of Curvv, the new Duster and its Nissan derivative
Hyundai Creta is currently the segment leader and dominating its rivals by a heavy margin. The launch of the mid-life facelift model has further helped the SUV to maintain its market share. However, it won’t be long before the Creta will be joined by multiple new rivals in the mid-size SUV segment. Leading manufacturers like Tata Motors, Mahindra, Renault and Nissan will venture into Creta’s territory in the near future. In line with this, let’s have a detailed look at the upcoming Hyundai Creta rival SUVs in the Indian market.
The new wave against the Creta will start from the launch of Tata Curvv which is scheduled for a launch in the second half of 2024. The coupe-SUV was last showcased at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2024 in its near-production guise. It will also get an electric version which will be followed by the ICE model. It will be powered by the familiar 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine from the Nexon along with the new 1.2-litre tGDi petrol engine.
The car which started the mid-size SUV segment, the Duster will make a comeback in the Indian market with its latest 3rd generation model. Expected to go on sale in the second half of 2025, the new Duster will be based on the heavily localised CMF-B platform which is already used by multiple models in the international market. It will also get a 7-seater version at a later stage. Under the hood, there will be two engine options i.e. the Hybrid 140 and TCe 130.
The Renault Duster will also spawn a Nissan derivative in the Indian market which will be based on the same CMF-B platform. Moreover, the Nissan SUV will also share the powertrain with the Duster. It will be launched around the same timeline as the third-gen Duster in India. In terms of design, the Nissan SUV will be quite different and the company will likely offer a different layout for interiors as well. Much like the Duster, the Nissan SUV will also get the option of both 5 and 7-seater configurations.
Mahindra & Mahindra will also venture into the mid-size SUV segment sometime next year with its XUV500 SUV coupe. Internally codenamed S301, a new mid-size SUV which will bear the XUV500 moniker is under development. It will be positioned between the XUV300 and XUV700 in the brand’s line-up. As per the reports, it will share the underpinnings and powertrain with the XUV300.
The hotly contested mid-size SUV segment will get a slew of new players by next year and it will be interesting to see how these new SUVs will perform in the market. Currently, the major competitors in the mid-size SUV segment include Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, MG Astor, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Taigun and Citroen C3 Aircross.