Upcoming SUVs launching soon in the Indian market; Mahindra XUV 700 to Maruti S-Cross Petrol
In recent times, the popularity of the SUVs has increased by a great margin. The arrival of affordable SUVs and the deteriorating road conditions have got the customers inclined towards the SUVs. Manufacturers have noticed the trend and have launched a slew of new SUVs in the Indian market.
But that’s not the end of it. In the coming times, the manufacturers are planning to launch many more SUVs in the market. Here are top five such SUVs that will launch in the Indian market soon.
1. Tata Harrier
The Tata Harrier has been one of the most-awaited SUVs in India. The Harrier has been testing on the Indian roads for a long time now and it will be the first SUV that will be based on the Tata’s latest OMEGA platform. The Harrier will go into production by the end of this year and will be launched in early 2019. This would be the flagship product from the Indian manufacturer and will take on the Jeep Compass in the market.
The Harrier will get 2.0-litre KRYOTEC diesel engine sourced from Fiat. The engine gets variable geometry turbocharger and will be mated to a 6-speed manual as well as a 6-speed automatic transmission. It will also get driving modes, making it quite a capable off-roader.
2. Mahindra XUV 700
Mahindra first showcased the XUV 700 at the 2018 Auto Expo and it will be launched before the end of this calendar year in India. The Mahindra XUV 700 is a rebadged version of the SsangYong Rexton G4. Mahindra decided to go for a more recognisable brand after the last-generation SsangYong Rexton failed to attract the customers. The XUV 700 is expected to be positioned quite well in terms of pricing and will come with a long list of features.
It will become the most expensive Mahindra when launched and will be priced at around Rs. 24 lakhs. The XUV 700 will come powered by a 2.2-litre diesel engine that will produce near about 180 Bhp and 420 Nm. As a premium offering, Mahindra will also offer a 7-speed automatic transmission sourced from Mercedes-Benz.
3. Maruti Suzuki S-Cross petrol
While the pre-facelift version of the S-Cross did not gather much crowd in the market, the new S-Cross has become quite popular. It looks much more muscular now with new vertically slated grille and comes with the mild-hybrid SHVS system that increases the fuel efficiency. However, Maruti is yet to offer a petrol-powered version of the S-Cross in the market and that will change soon.
Maruti will utilise the all-new 1.5-litre petrol engine that was introduced with the new Maruti Ciaz in the Indian market in the S-Cross. We can safely expect the SHVS mild hybrid system in the S-Cross similar to the new Maruti Ciaz. The launch is expected to happen by the end of this year. Maruti will also introduce automatic transmission with the petrol model.
4. Nissan Kicks
Nissan is gearing up to launch the all-new Kicks in the Indian market by early 2019. The Kicks will take on the Hyundai Creta head-on in the Indian market. The Indian version of the Kicks will be different from the global version and it will utilize the B0 platform that is used by the likes of Renault Duster, Captur and Nissan Terrano in the Indian market.
The Kicks will also use the same 1.5-litre diesel and 1.6-litre petrol engines used by the Duster, Captur and Terrano in the Indian market. It would not get an AWD system though. The Indian spec car is also expected to offer the CVT automatic transmission with the petrol engine and the AMT automatic transmission with the diesel engine.
5. Mahindra XUV 300
The official name of Mahindra S201 has not been finalized yet but most likely it will be named as the XUV 300 to cash in on the XUV brand value. There will be two different versions of the S201 in the Indian market – regular and long wheelbase. The LWB version will offer 7-seats and will be launched at a later stage.
The SWB version will be launched earlier and will take on the likes of Ford EcoSport, Tata Nexon and Maruti Vitara Brezza. It will get the 1.2-litre petrol engine that produces a maximum of 140 Bhp and the 1.5-litre diesel engine that produces a maximum of 123 bhp. It is expected to be launched in the first quarter of 2019.