A range of all-wheel-drive and 4×4 cars are expected to be launched in the country in the coming months, and we have put together a list of the top 7
While the growing SUV trend has resulted in more and more affordable high-riding vehicles emerging in the Indian market, these cars fail to live up to one of the basic principles of true SUVs – sending power to all four wheels, which is essential when going off-roading. However, enthusiasts continue to worship the limited mass-market all-wheel-drive cars currently available in the country.
Here is a list of the top 7 upcoming 4×4 and all-wheel drive cars are set to be launched in the country in the coming months, take a look –
1. Mahindra XUV700
A few weeks ago, Mahindra revealed it will be introducing a brand new mid-size SUV in the country called the XUV700, which will take the current-gen XUV500’s position in the brand’s portfolio and directly rival the likes of the Tata Safari and MG Hector Plus, while also give competition to the upcoming Hyundai Alcazar.
The XUV700 will be offered with both 6-seat and 7-seat configurations, and is expected to get both diesel and petrol powertrains with manual and automatic transmissions, along with optional all-wheel-drive (AWD) capabilities. The XUV700 is expected to be launched in the country around July this year.
2. Next-gen Mahindra Scorpio
Another Mahindra car to receive a generational update soon is the Scorpio, with the carmaker confirming its launch by the end of this year. The next-gen Scorpio has been spied on test a host of times in the past few months, revealing tons of information about the equipment that will be on offer.
The Scorpio is expected to make use of the same 2.2-litre mHawk diesel and 2.0-litre Stallion TGDi turbo petrol engines as the Thar, however, in a higher state of tune. The Scorpio’s optional all-wheel-drive configuration was discontinued as the BS6 emission norms came into effect, but it will return with the new-gen model.
3. Maruti Suzuki Jimny
Maruti Suzuki has confirmed its plans of introducing the Jimny in the Indian market, and the off-roader will likely arrive here by the end of this year or early 2022 in a new exclusive 5-door version. It was also recently speculated that the Jimny 3-door is set to receive a mid-life facelift soon which will bring along minor cosmetic updates, and that the same tweaks will be carried over to the India-bound 5-door Jimny.
The Jimny will likely be offered in India with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that puts out 105 PS of maximum power, along with 138 Nm of peak torque. A 4WD setup with a low-range transfer gearbox could be offered as standard with the car.
4. 7-seater Jeep Compass
We already know that Jeep is working on launching a three-row version of the Compass, and camouflaged prototypes of the new SUV have been spied on test a couple of times in the past few months. The car’s name hasn’t been confirmed yet, however, speculations suggest that it could be named ‘Commander’.
While the 7-seat version of the Compass will carry over the 5-seat SUV’s equipment, it could actually get more powerful petrol and diesel engines which will help it give competition to the likes of the more premium Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour, Mahindra Alturas G4 etc. Just like the 5-seat Compass, the Commander will also be offered with an optional 4X4 setup.
5. Volkswagen Tiguan
Volkswagen is all set to re-launch the five-seat Tiguan in India, and this time around, the SUV will arrive in a facelifted avatar. The Tiguan facelift was revealed in the country last month, and a launch is expected to take place soon.
The new Volkswagen Tiguan will be offered with a sole 2.0-litre TSI engine producing 190 PS of power and 320 Nm of torque, mated to a 7-speed DSG as standard. VW’s 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system will also be on offer.
6. Toyota RAV4
The Toyota RAV4 has been spotted testing in India on different occasions, suggesting that the Japanese automaker is considering launching the popular SUV in the country. The RAV4 is underpinned by the carmaker’s TNGA-K platform, and is expected to arrive here via the CBU route.
The India-spec RAV4 could get a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder, Atkinson cycle petrol engine paired with an electric motor to develop a combined 218 PS. An all-wheel-drive configuration is also expected to be on offer. Being a full import, the RAV4 could be priced around Rs 60 lakh (ex-showroom).
7. BS6 Isuzu D-Max V-Cross
The Isuzu D-Max V-Cross was not upgraded to comply with the stringent BS6 emission norms, and hence, was discontinued from the market last year. However, the pickup truck is now set to return to the market, and will likely be offered with a 1.9-litre four-cylinder diesel engine.
In its BS4 guise, this engine put out 150 PS of max power and 350 Nm of peak torque, and it is expected to retain these figures. A 6-speed manual transmission, as well as a 6-speed AT are expected to be on offer, while an optional 4×4 system will also be there.