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!
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.
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.
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.
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).
Nissan X-Trail HybridThe 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).
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.
5th generation Land Rover DiscoveryLand 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.
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.
Audi Q2
Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe
