The Indian market’s affinity towards SUVs has seen impressive growth in the past few years. As India aims to regain normalcy with phased unlocking of the economy, waiting to buy that new SUV you are looking at, might be a wise option. In the coming few months, the SUV segment in India will see increased action with new and non-derivative models coming from major automakers in the country. Today, we’ll take a look at all the upcoming SUVs that will debut this year.
Kia Sonet
For its next act in India, Kia is betting on the hotly-contested compact SUV segment with the Sonet. Once launched, the Kia Sonet will take on a few of the most popular monikers in the auto industry including the Maruti Brezza and Hyundai Venue, among others.
A few notable features from the Seltos will be carried over to the Sonet. This includeS an 8-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system, built-in eSIM for UVO car connectivity features, push-button start with keyless entry, automatic climate control, wireless charger, electric sunroof, rear AC vents and six airbags among others.
Powertrain options in the car are taken from its cousin, Hyundai Venue. Which means, on offer will be a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit delivering 120 PS and 171 Nm, a 1.5-litre petrol unit that produces 115 PS and 144 Nm; along with a 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel unit that puts out 115 PS and 250 Nm of torque. A 6-speed manual and 7-speed dual-clutch automatic should be the transmission choices. It will also be the first model in the segment to offer an automatic gearbox with a diesel engine.
Tata Gravitas
After its success with the Harrier, Tata is set to introduce the same philosophy in a segment above. The Tata Gravitas is essentially a Harrier with an extra row of seats. This means that the Gravitas will come with the same set of features as the Harrier. On offer would be an 8.8-inch infotainment system, automatic AC, dedicated AC vents for third-row passengers, a semi-digital instrument panel with a seven-inch MID (multi-information display), etc. We also expect the Gravitas to feature iRA connectivity suite which made its debut on the facelifted Tata Nexon.
In terms of powertrain options, the car will ship with the same engine as the Harrier. This means that there would be a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine delivering 168 bhp and 350 Nm of peak torque. This engine comes paired to a six-speed manual gearbox as standard with an option for the six-speed automatic gearbox.
Mahindra Thar
The Thar is one of the most anticipated SUV to be launched this year by Mahindra. The car even outran Mahindra’s expectations and became extremely popular among off-road enthusiasts in the country. The company sold over 60,000 units of Thar in a span of 10 years. To build on the same results, the Indian manufacturer now aims to make the car more appealing to a larger crowd.
After being spotted several times on the Indian roads, the car is speculated to sport a host of new features. Unlike the current-gen car which is strictly an off-road biased with minimum creature comfort features, the upcoming car is most likely to sport features like a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, a colour multi-info display in the instrument cluster, a rear parking camera and power-folding mirrors.
In addition to the sole diesel offering in the current generation, the upcoming Thar is expected to have petrol options as well. The car is speculated to debut with a new 2.0-litre petrol option from the company’s mStallion engine family.
MG Gloster
MG showcased the Gloster in India for the first time at this year’s Auto Expo. The car will enter the full-size SUV segment with the likes of Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner. The car will be offered in both, 5- and 7-seater seat configurations. Recent spy shots of the car gave us a peek at the car’s interiors, which showed new features like a flat-topped chrome-shifter, and an all-black colour scheme, the upholstery pattern is different too.
Notable elements include a semi-digital instrument cluster, a 12-inch infotainment touchscreen, ambient lighting and multi-zone climate control among other expected features like a 360-degree camera, TPMS, panoramic sunroof, an eight-way adjustable driver's seat and eight airbags.
It is expected to be powered by a diesel engine derived from the FCA multijet unit that powers the Hector. In the Gloster, it is likely that the engine delivers 218PS and 480Nm through an 8-speed automatic transmission. Also on offer could be a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine capable of putting out 225PS and 350Nm of torque.
Toyota Urban Cruiser
The Toyota Urban Cruiser will be the second offering that comes as a result of the recent partnership between Toyota and Maruti-Suzuki. After the Glanza-Baleno collaboration, the Urban Cruiser will be Toyota's version of the Maruti Brezza.
The feature list in the car will be identical to the Vitara Brezza with inclusions like LED headlamps, integrated LED DRLs, a newly-designed leather-wrapped steering wheel, auto-dimming IRVMs, and an infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
In terms of powertrain, the car will utilize the Brezza’s 1.5-litre petrol unit that delivers 103 bhp and 138Nm of torque. The car will be available with a 5-speed manual transmission as well as a 4-speed torque converter.
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