The competition in premium SUV segment is going to heat up in coming months with new launches
Honda recently introduced the new generation of CR-V in India and it is one of the most popular premium SUVs in India. For the first time, the company has given a seven-seat option for CR-V as earlier models were 5 seaters only and the new generation model also gets the option of a diesel engine, which again a first for CR-V.
The competition is heating up and here are the upcoming top 8 rivals for Honda CR-V in India.
1. MG SUV
MG Motor the iconic British brand is coming back to India and it is currently owned by Chinese based SAIC. The first product from MG will be a premium SUV to take on CR-V and it is expected to be based on Baojun 530, which is sold in China. But the company will make lots of changes to make it suitable for India.
The company has already commenced road testing of new SUV in India and the design is going to be aggressive with lots of cuts and curves. The front grille will be finished in black colour with logo in the middle and it might come with dual headlamp setup in which LED DRLs will be on top, while the actual headlamp will be positioned near fog lamps.
The side gets big alloy wheels and the windows will be bigger to improve airy feel inside the cabin. The rear might get LED tail lamps along with a new bumper. The company is also focusing on cabin quality as they are currently pitching it against Tucson and the launch model will be a five-seater followed by seven and eight seating options later.
We can expect the SUV to be packed with lots of features like touchscreen infotainment system, climate control, leather seats, sunroof and more. The SUV will be powered by 2.0 L diesel engine sourced from FCA and a 1.5 L turbocharged petrol engine is also on cards. The transmission option includes both manual and automatic. The launch is expected to take place by the middle of 2019.
2. Hyundai Tucson facelift
Hyundai officially revealed the Tucson facelift at 2018 New York International Auto Show and it is one of the best selling SUV for the company in global markets. The exterior doesn’t get a major makeover as the company has given new headlamps along with LED DRLs and an updated bumper at front and rear along with tweaked tail lamps.
But the interior is completely new as Hyundai has given a new three spoke multi-function steering wheel and an updated instrument cluster. The centre console also gets a new design as the touchscreen infotainment system is placed on top of the dashboard as it is integrated into the centre console on the current model.
The quality of materials has also improved inside the cabin and the Tucson is loaded with features like leather seats, climate control, sunroof, keyless entry, push-button start, ventilated seats, wireless charging, USB ports at front and rear, cruise control, automatic headlamp, rain sensing wipers, 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, ESP and more.
The Tucson will retain the current engine lineup as the 2.0 L petrol engine puts out 153 hp of power at 6,200 rpm and 192 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. The 2.0 L diesel engine produces 182 hp and 400 Nm. These engines are mated to manual and auto gearbox with two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive options. The Tucson facelift model will be introduced in first half of 2019.
3. Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
The Eclipse Cross made its global debut at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show and it is expected to be introduced in India by the end of this decade. The Eclipse Cross is based on the ASX platform and the design is modern. The company has given H-shape for grille with new LED headlamps and the bumper is all new with vertically placed fog lamps.
Mitsubishi has given black plastic cladding across the body for SUV along with skid plates at front and rear. The mirror is placed on the door instead of A-pillar to improve aerodynamics and reduce drag. The rear design is different as the company has given LED tail lamps and a new bumper. Mitsubishi has also given an integrated spoiler at the rear.
The interior doesn’t carry forward the sporty exterior design theme and the company has packed the SUV with features like touchscreen infotainment system, heads-up display and more. The engine options include a 163 PS 1.5 L petrol unit and a 150 PS 2.2 L turbocharged diesel engines. The company is offering 6-speed manual and CVT gearbox. We can expect aggressive pricing from Mitsubishi.
4. Tata H7X
Tata H7X is a full-size SUV based on Harrier, which is going to be introduced early next year. The company has commenced testing the new model in India and the launch might take place by the end of 2019. The design of H7X is expected to follow the footsteps of Harrier and it will be a proper seven-seater SUV.
The upcoming SUV will be based on OMEGA platform, which is derived from Land Rover Discovery D8 platform but Tata Motors has made lots of changes as expensive materials like aluminium has been replaced to keep cost down. The dimensions are expected to similar to the Discovery Sport, so all three rows will have good space.
The H7X will be packed with features like leather seats, touchscreen infotainment system, sunroof and more. The 2.0 L engine sourced from Fiat will power the H7X and it might produce 170 hp of power and 350 Nm of torque. This engine will be mated to a 6-speed manual and automatic transmission. The upcoming SUV will compete against Toyota Fortuner and Honda CR-V
5. Mahindra Alturas G4
Mahindra is going to introduce Alturas G4 on November 24 in India and it is basically the rebadged version of new generation SsangYong Rexton, which made its global debut in 2017. The company has made some tweaks to the design like new front grille with updated bumpers at front and rear along with a new set of alloy wheels to make it inline with other products.
The interior is completely different from any other Mahindra as the quality of materials is much better along with premium design as the dashboard has three different layers in which top layer is finished in black plastic, while the middle get a wood finish and the lower part comes with the same leather as seats and door pads.
The Alturas offers three rows of seats and we can expect good space also. The company has given lots of features for Alturas like touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, fully digital instrument cluster, cruise control, automatic headlamps, sunroof, leather seats, automatic tailgate and more.
The SUV is powered by 2.2 L four-cylinder diesel engine producing 180.5 hp and 450 Nm of torque. The company is also expected to introduce a petrol engine also. The transmission duty is taken care off by 7 speed automatic gearbox sourced from Mercedes Benz and the Alturas will be offered in both 2 WD and 4 WD.
6. Ford Endeavour Facelift
Ford introduced Endeavour facelift in May and it is currently the second best selling model in its segment in India. The exterior changes on Endeavour are minor as the company has given a new front grille with tweaked headlamps and tail lamps along with a new set of bumpers. The top end models also come with optional 20-inch alloy wheels.
The interior doesn’t get any major changes as the only change is the new sync software on the infotainment system. Ford is also expected to increase the number of USB charging ports inside the cabin. The Endeavour comes with long list of features like leather seats, sunroof, touchscreen infotainment system, terrain system control and more.
The company is expected to replace the current 2.2 L and 3.2 L engine with a new 2.0 L turbocharged unit with two different outputs of 180 PS of power & 420 Nm of torque and 215 PS & 500 Nm. This new engine will be mated to 10-speed automatic transmission, which will improve performance and efficiency. Ford Endeavour will be launched by the middle of 2019 in India.