There have been a lot of cars that we have seen enter the Indian market and though we think that it is the small cars, hatchbacks, compact sedans and the entry-level sedans that get the most attention, there is a truly big market for SUVs. Who doesn't want to sit on the high chair and dictate terms to the road? Well, a lot of people do and that is why there is a wide choice available in this segment.
The SUV segment might not be doing as well as it was, but clearly there are those who want their pick when it comes to big, burly and rugged cars can take them to their office, a vacation or plain off-roading. There are a bunch of cars available in the market currently but we are looking at those that come at an on-road price between 15-25 lakhs. This is a big bracket and there are some amazing cars on offer.
There is the Mahindra Scorpio and the XUV500 who lock the front grid with the years of reliability in the former and the good looks combined with new technology in the latter. Then there is the old warrior with a new look from the Tata Motors stable, the Safari Storme.
Force Motors too has a presence in this segment with the One SUV but it gets overshadowed by the likes of the Ssangyong Rexton, and even the Mitsubishi Outlander, solely because of the superiority in technology in both the cars. The Skoda Yeti, being a five-seater, finds itself in this category because it gets a 4x4 and has phenomenal off-roading capability. There is also the Ford Endeavour, the Toyota Fortuner, Renault Koleos, the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Santa Fe and even the cheapest of the Q series from Audi - the Audi Q3S.
So you see there is an enormous amount of choice and for a person with a healthy appetite, this segment has a lot to offer. We, however, look at only 3 which form the top picks from this huge segment.
We start off with the ever so popular Mahindra Scorpio. When the Scorpio first hit the scene, it was Mahindra's modest attempt to make a car that not only looked rugged but also established their reputation well beyond the reach of others. The Armada and the Bolero were very capable cars, but the Scorpio was a whole new ball game. The Scorpio comes with a 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder mHawk engine which churns out a hefty 120bhp. It gets 4x4 capability and the dimensions leave it with a short overhang at both the front and rear ends making it an extreme off-roader. The plastic quality inside the car may be a dampner for those expecting a bit more quality. One cannot, however question the on- and off-road behaviour of the Scorpio as it handles like a charm.
The second car that makes it into the list is the Toyota Fortuner. They do say not to judge a book by its cover but with the Fortuner, what you see is what you get. The mini-tank-like build of the Fortuner makes its presence felt and that is what Toyota had set out to establish. The Fortuner comes with a 3.0-litre, 4 cylinder, diesel engine capable of 169bhp and that is a lot. Ground clearance stands at 220mm and this gives it the height advantage. Again the interiors are a bit of a disappointment and so is the turning radius of the car (which stands at 5.9 metres) but overall it is a great proposition especially at with a Rs 23 lakh onward price tag.
The final car, in this top three line-up, is the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. It is a more evolved soul and that has what it takes to grab your attention. The Pajero Sport comes with a 2.5-litre, 4 cylinder engine, which churns out 178bhp and 400Nm of torques. It comes with an all-wheel drive system which allows the driver to choose between 2WD and 4WD. The company launched an anniversary edition last year and that included a lot of gizmos like touch-screen multimedia system, integrated GPS and a reverse camera. It does come at a price and similar to that of the Fortuner, however, Mitsubishi hasn't really established so many touch points in the country and that is a cause for concern. With such a good product in hand, the company needs to expand its dealership network in India.
