SUVs are the hottest favourites of the Indian auto market. The consumer interest has prompted all auto makers to bring out their SUV versions to the market. Almost all automobile manufacturers present in India, including Mahindra, Nissan and Honda, have an SUV to offer.
Here is a peek into the new entrants to the hot-selling SUV market.
Nissan Kicks
Nissan is focusing on the segment with Kicks, which made its debut in the global market two years ago. Kicks will compete with Hyundai Creta and Mahindra XUV 500. Kicks shares the MO platform with Renault Captur.
Kicks have already proved to be a favourite in Brazil and other Latin American countries but the Indian version will be slightly different. The Brazilian model includes a premium interior, seven inch touchscreen infotainment system and an automatic climate control system.
It comes with either a 1.6 litre petrol engine or a 1.5 litre diesel engine. The price ranges from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh.
Honda CR-V
With an eye on the premium SUV segment, Honda is all set to launch its CR-V diesel model. The 1.6 litre diesel engine will expand Honda's market from the petrol-only SUV market.
However, unlike the twin-turbo engine which has come to mark the model in other markets, the Indian offering will be a single turbo engine. The 1.6 litre engine with a power or 120 Bhp is expected to be easy on the pocket. The price range starts from Rs 28 lakh.
The petrol variant will continue to sport the 2.4 litre engine. It will have 187 Bhp power at 7,000 RPM and 226 Nm torque at 4,000 RPM. The fifth generation CR-V was launched in the US market last year.
Mahindra XUV 700
Mahindra's best bet on the premium SUV market. XUV 700 counts Toyota Fortuner as its main rival. Yet it is expected to be cheaper than Fortuner by at least Rs 4 lakh.
Mahindra's South Korean partner Ssang Yong's Rexton is being rebranded. The SUV, codenamed Y 400, is expected to hit the Indian streets later this year.
The SUV has a premium look and comes with both diesel and petrol models. The 2.0 litre turbo charged petrol engine has a power of 225 Bhp and torque of 349 Nm. The 2.2 litre turbo diesel engine has a power of 184 Bhp and torque of 420 Nm.
Tata Harrier
Tata's association with Land Rover will bring us a premium SUV. H5X is Tata's next offering after Nexon. It comes in two models, five seats and seven seats.
While the five-seat version competes with Hyundai Creta, the seven-seat model will slug it out in a market dominated by Jeep Compass and XUV 500.
The SUV's concept design came in for praise when it was presented at the New Delhi auto expo in February. Harrier comes with the same platform as Discovery Sport and the new Impact 2.0 design philosophy.
The H5X has a length of 4,575 millimetres, breadth of 1,960 millimetres and height of 1,688 millimetres and wheelbase of 2,740 millimtres. It is designed to offer a comfortable journey and the same time equipped with offroad capabilitites.
Harrier will flaunt the same Fiat 2.0 litre multi jet engine carried by Jeep Compass. The 2 litre engine comes with 140 Bhp power and 320 Nm torque. The SUV has six speeds in manual transmission and nine in automatic mode.
