Top 10 Upcoming SUVs In 2017

The SUV in its purest form or the new age crossover sense is the most popular automotive body style in the world at the moment and the same echo in the Indian context too. In 2017, we'll see see an array of SUVs, from small subcompact to luxury model enter the Indian car market. Here is our top 10 list of SUVs you can expect to be launched in India next year.

By Carandbike Team

1 mins read

Published on April 5, 2017

Highlights

Tata will launch the Nexon subcompact SUV
Jeep will launch the Made-In-India Jeep Compass SUV
Volkswagen Tiguan and Skoda Kodiaq are also set to arrive thisyear

Without a shred of doubt, India is a fast growing market for SUVs. Be it subcompact SUVs like the Tata Nexon or the 5th generation Land Rover Discovery, almost every sub-segment in the Indian SUV domain will see a launch. In the first three months of 2017, India has already seen the launches of the Tata Hexa, Honda WR-V and the much awaited Lexus RX 450h as well. The year still has 9 months to go and here is our pick of the top 10 upcoming SUVs which we hope, that they will be launched in India before 2017 draws to a close. Read on! Here is Siddharth's top 10 list of the SUVs most awaited in 2017 ☟ 1. Tata Nexon Tata Nexon Displayed for the first time at 2016 Indian Auto Expo, the Nexon will be Tata's highly anticipated and much-delayed entry into the subcompact or sub 4-meter SUV segment. The new compact SUV will feature an improvement over the new design language from Tata Motors and also incorporate the two-tone design made popular by the Vitara Brezza. The Nexon will feature the 1.2-litre turbo petrol Revotron 4-cylinder engine and the 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine with a variable geometry turbo making 90bhp. The Nexon will also feature a new interior design language for Tata Motors. The centrepiece of this design will be the dashboard mounted infotainment screen that is similar to the one found on the likes of a few Audi products. The new Nexon will also feature a drive mode knob like the Hexa and will be a spacious 5 seater with a large boot. Expect prices of the Nexon to be between Rs 6.5-9.5 lakh with an estimated launch window of November or December 2017. 2. Jeep Compass Jeep Compass Jeep made its long-delayed and highly anticipated entry to India in 2016 but quite a few Indian SUV buyers were disappointed at how much their flagship SUVs cost in India. To make a real impact in the Indian auto space, Jeep will bring the brand new Compass to India by mid-2017 at a price that is stated to be just a tad under the Rs 20 lakh mark! This means that the Jeep brand will be accessible to a lot more Indian SUV buyers who are looking for a slightly global brand with a history attached. In a recent interview with Jeep India M.D. Kevin Flynn, plans about very high localisation levels and plans to use India as a global hub for all right-hand-drive vehicles came to light. This means that quality of the Indian made cars will have to be at par with the quality of the cars exported internationally. The Jeep Compass will get both petrol and diesel engines from the get go but it is uncertain on whether a manual gearbox will make it to India. We also expect the Compass to offer both a lower variant in two-wheel-drive the top of the line cars in four-wheel-drive with terrain response. 3. Skoda Kodiaq Skoda Kodiaq The Skoda Kodiaq is the first ever 7-seater SUV by the Czech automaker and will go straight up against the likes of the Toyota Fortuner and the Ford Endeavour in India. The Kodiaq will feature a 2.0-litre diesel engine at launch but a petrol engine will be introduced soon later depending on demand. In terms of exterior design, the Kodiaq gets the new three-dimensional grille, sharp LED headlamps and tail lamps and a set of wide wheel arches. The Skoda Kodiaq as we mentioned earlier will be only available with a 7-seater configuration although internationally it is also available with a 5-seater layout. Based on the same MQB platform as the Octavia, expect the Kodiaq to be a great car to drive in terms of overall balance while still offering a pliant ride. For infotainment, the Skoda Kodiaq will get a 6.5-inch screen, Bluetooth connectivity, and Skoda SmartLink with support for Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and MirrorLink. 4. Ford Ecosport Facelift Ford EcoSport Facelift Till the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza came along, the Ford Ecosport was the highest selling sub 4-meter SUV in India. In fact, the popular SUV actually had a huge waiting period when first introduced. That said, the Ecosport is slightly ageing now and Ford will launch the facelifted Ecosport in 2017. The new Ecosport is much sharper and more butch as compared to the current generation car. The SUV now gets a more aggressive face with new headlamps, a bigger grille, new tail lamps and of course, new alloy wheels. The interior too gets a much-needed refresh with a touchscreen infotainment system that will have Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Ford's own mirror link. The Ecosport might loose the tail mounted spare wheel for India although that isn't confirmed yet. Expect the prices to be around Rs 7.5-10.5 lakh (ex-showroom). 5. Nissan X-Trail Hybrid Nissan X-Trail Hybrid The new-gen Nissan X-Trail was showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo in India. But for reasons known best to them, Nissan India still hasn't launched the X-Trail in India. We hope that it will not be the case in 2017. The new-gen X-Trail is a petrol-hybrid as compared to the earlier model, which had a diesel engine. Built on Renault-Nissan's Common Module Family (CMF) platform, it gets a 2.0 Litre engine which makes 142 bhp and 200 Nm from the IC engine and around 39 bhp and 160 Nm from the electric engine. The engine is linked to an X-CVT unit. The brochure for the new-gen X-Trail is already on Nissan India's website, an indication that the company plans to launch the SUV in the country soon. The expected prices could go up to Rs. 35 lakh as it will come to India as a completely built unit (CBU). 6. Audi Q5 New Audi Q5 The Q5 is one of Audi's best-selling cars in India and has been around for a while now. That said, with recent launches like the Mercedes-Benz GLC, the Audi SUV has been feeling the heat. A few months ago Audi launched the updated Q5 and the fact that it looks like a mini Q7 is actually a good thing. The new Q7 is much better equipped on the inside with more space and more gadgets than ever before. The new Q5 also gets the 12-inch Virtual Cockpit instrument cluster, and a large 8-inch free-standing screen for the MMI infotainment system that comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. The new Audi Q5 will be a 5-seater SUV as it always was and should be launched sometime in late 2017. The engines offered should be a 2.0-litre diesel with Quattro all-wheel-drive and an eight-speed automatic gearbox. There will also be a 2.0-litre petrol engine that will be a part of the Q7 range. 7. New Land Rover Discovery 5th generation Land Rover Discovery Land Rover will be launching the new Discovery in India at the very end of 2017. It is the 5th generation Discovery and JLR claims that this is most potent and dynamic car ever to be built by them. And our exclusive review doesn't say otherwise either. When launched at the end of 2017, India will get the Si6 and TDV6 engine options with an eight-speed ZF transmission. Needless to say, the nee Discovery will have lot of features and creature comforts as well. The 5th gen Discovery loses a massive 480 kgs compared to the 4th gen model, which means it will be faster and more efficient. The India-spec Discovery will get air suspension and Terrain Response System 2.0 as standard. With a maximum ground clearance of a massive 283 mm and a wading depth of 900 mm, the 5th gen Discovery can surely go places. The wait for this one will be tough. Expect the prices to be eye-watering. 8. Volkswagen Tiguan Volkswagen Tiguan The Volkswagen Tiguan is Volkswagen's entry to the sub 30-lakh SUV in India. The 5-seater (7-seater version will follow soon) SUV will be launched sometime mid-2017 and will be assembled as a CKD in India. The Tiguan has the same underpinnings as the Skoda Kodiaq and will feature the same 2.0-litre diesel engine along with an automatic gearbox. The Tiguan will also get optional all-wheel-drive or standard front-wheel-drive and subdued yet classy styling. The SUV will go up against the likes of the Hyundai Santa-Fe along with luxury SUVs like the Audi Q3, Mercedes-Benz GLA and the BMW X1. Expect the Tiguan to be spacious and comfortable while offering typically good driving dynamics due to the MQB platform that it is based on. Also expect expected features like a large touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and a panoramic roof. 9. Audi Q2 Audi Q2 The Q2 is the smallest model in the Audi SUV line-up. It was first showcased at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show and is already on sale across Europe. It will be one of the models that Audi plans to launch in India this year. Upon its launch in India, the Q2 will be the smallest and the most affordable model from Audi in India as well. We believe that the starting prices could be in the region of Rs. 22 lakh to Rs. 25 lakh or so. Audi will look to attract first time luxury car buyers and young customers in order to drive volumes with the sales of the Q2 as well. The company will offer the 1.4 Litre petrol engine which also does duty on the current A4 and might bring in a 2.0 Litre diesel as well. Audi will offer either a six-speed manual or a 7-speed DSG transmission unit on the models. Also, the top-spec variant will have Audi's signature Quattro system. Coming to dimensions, the Audi Q2 will be 4,190mm long with a width and height of 1,790mm and 1510mm. It will have a wheelbase of 2,600mm, translating into oodles of space. The Q2 will have a boot space of a decent 405 litres. Likely rivals will be the Jeep Compass and Hyundai Tucson. 10. Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe A delightful car to look at, the Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe is all set to be launched in India this year. We drove the car in Italy in 2016 and were impressed with it. India will get the GLC 300 4Matic variant. It gets a 2.0 Litre engine making 238 bhp along with 370 Nm and will be paired to a 9-speed automatic transmission unit. Mercedes-Benz says that the GLC Coupe is sportier than the regular GLC in each and every aspect. As usual, there is a bonkers AMG version of the GLC Coupe as well, but it is too early to say whether it will come to India or not. Technically speaking, the GLC 300 4Matic Coupe will not have any direct rivals in India, so it is a good opportunity for Mercedes-Benz in India to get a toehold in the market.