Will include offerings from Maruti, Mahindra.
According to a study done by the Emerging Market Automotive Advisors (EMAA), India could be witnessing an explosive growth of the sub-4m SUV segment in the coming years. Note that this is a segment which had no mainstream players before 2013.
The growth can be contributed to the Ford Ecosport, which established the sub-4m SUV segment in India, despite the Mahindra Quanto being the first offering (preceded by the Premier Rio). The Ford Ecosport packaged the characteristics of a larger SUV into a hatchback's footprint, while offering wide array of features. It was so competitively priced that orders books were flooded, and waiting lists extended up to 9 months for some variants.
With the success of the EcoSport, various manufacturers realized that there is potential in the segment, and began working on their contenders. Since then, Mahindra launched the Mahindra TUV300, while Maruti Suzuki is prepping the production version of the Maruti XA-Alpha (codenamed Maruti YBA).
Other brands like Nissan, Honda, and Hyundai are mulling over the development of a small SUV, while Tata Motors have confirmed their offering, Tata Nexon, for a 2016 launch. If companies continue to be upbeat about the sub-4m SUV segment, we could get the another indication at the upcoming Auto Expo 2016 where concepts and production models would show up.
Mahindra TUV300 - Image Gallery
Tata Nexon - Image Gallery
Maruti XA-Alpha - Image Gallery
[Source: ET Auto]
