It would be rather unfortunate to be stuck with regular cars. Sure the sedans are classy, the hatchbacks are convenient but that is not all that a driver needs. Sometimes raw power is what a vehicle is expected to deliver. Most of the times, an SUV fills in that void. The all terrain riding capability of the vehicle is without question the most appealing characteristic of the vehicle. If an adrenaline rush seeking individual wants to go on a Leh Ladakh trip, nothing beats a cruise motor cycle other than an SUV. And 2013-14 saw some interesting top sellers. Few were relatively new but mostly the fate was already known due to these cars never ceasing popularity.
To start off the list of best sellers, let us look at a name that was fondly recalled to be synonymous with SUVs in India, Mahindra Bolero. The vehicle offers luxury and performance in the perfect mix. And this seemed to hit all the right chords with the customers since its inception. In the financial year 2013-14 itself more than 1,05,000 units were sold. The Bolero Di Non AC is priced at 5,93,165 rupees which is quite competitive considering that being a norm price for any high end hatch. The Bolero is powered by a 2523 cc engine that churns out maximum output of 63bhp while the torque reaches the peaks of 195Nm.
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Another vehicle from the Mahindra fleet is the ever charming Mahindra Scorpio. Catering to the customers looking for a refined luxury, The Scorpio takes the comfort and luxury offered in Bolero to a whole new level. With the comfort reminiscent of luxury vehicles, the car offers amazing performance with 2.2 mHawk engine that churns out an impressive output of 120bhp while the torque reaches a peak of 290Nm. This combination paid off well with an impressive sale of 50,900 units considering the base price of 7,82,679 rupees. The vehicle also offers an engine option of 2.5 litre m2Di engine though it is not available in cities considering the BS IV emission standards.
Many new things happened in 2013 and one of the few that were game changing is Renault Duster. Be it the design or the performance, the vehicle is a hit on all scorecards and took the SUV market by a storm. In 2013-14 itself, the vehicle recorded a sale of 46,700 units. Considering the price of 7,78,000 rupees the vehicle?s base variant is priced at, this sale too is truly remarkable. This latest show stopper from Renault comes with two power options of 85PS and 110PS. An Adventurer Special edition is also announced with the same 110PS segment and has new body color options and another four wheel drive is expected to be on cards too.
Ford EcoSport is another recent wonder in the automobile industry, specifically the SUV market. With an outstanding booking of 30,000 units in its first 17 days. The vehicle still records a waiting period of four to five months in general. The base variant is priced at Rs 6,14,993. The vehicle comes with a EcoBoost, turbocharger petrol engine, which despite being small gives power equals to its higher displacement counterpart.
Not many might know this but Tata Safari Dicor 2.2 is India’s first 4?4 SUV. The vehicle comes in two forms Dicor 2.2 priced under 10 lakhs and Storme catering the higher price range. Sporting a 2.2-litre diesel DICOR engine, the SUV generates a maximum output of 138bhp and the torque peaks at 320Nm. The vehicle is also announced to be offered as a premium edition under the Explorer Edition.
Nissan is enjoying an ever increasing spread in India and its SUV, Nissan Terrano is to be credited at least some of it. Selling a decent 14,998 units despite its relatively recent launch in October, the SUV is expected to be a major success for Nissan. The base diesel XE D powered by a 1.5-litre K9K engine is priced at Rs 9,47,655 while the same in petrol version powered by a 1.6 litre engine costs Rs 9,52,877. The diesel variant is capable of generating 83.8bhp as well as 108bhp based on models and the petrol variant is capable of offering a whopping 102 bhp maximum output.
With the increasing market participation, veteran players would definitely be hit in terms of sales by new entrants. However strong SUVs like Mahindra Bolero and Tata DiCor proved to stay in the fight despite the number of years they have already been on road. With such terrific sales as a whole, hopefully 2014-15 would turn out to be an even brighter affair for the SUV segment.
CarDekho
