Hyundai new Santa Fe
If there ever as a car that looked generations ahead of its predecessor, it?s the new Santa Fe. It?s styled on a more aggressive evolution of the company?s ?Fluidic Sculpture? design language called ?Storm Edge?. The new Santa Fe is attractive from any angle, with neatly sculpted lines and cuts and creases in all the right places. Quality levels on the inside are some of the best we?ve seen from Hyundai yet, it?s got a well laid out dash and is loaded with equipment. It will be powered by the same excellent 2.2-litre diesel engine as the current car, but Hyundai has worked extensively on improving the levels of refinement. It will pitted against Toyota?s Fortuner.
Maruti Suzuki S-Cross
The S-Cross, which should make its way to India in the latter half of 2014, will be pitched at those looking for an good blend of an SUV and a car. The S-Cross is an evolution of the European SX4, but is built on a longer wheelbase. The long bonnet, steeply raked windscreen and long roof that drops coup?-like to the rear give the S-Cross very good flow in terms of design, and Suzuki has added body cladding and roof rails to give it a more SUV-ish appearance. The interiors are wide and spacious, and a lot of bits will most probably be shared with the Swift. We?re not certain where Suzuki will position the SUV, but we?re guessing it will be somewhere between the Ford EcoSport and Renault Duster.
Porsche Macan
The Audi Q5-based Macan is Porsche?s entry into the luxury compact SUV segment and will be positioned below the Cayenne. It will be launched in three forms, the Macan S, Macan Turbo and Macan Diesel S, and will compete against the BMW X3 and Volvo XC60. The Macan S is powered by a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 petrol engine producing 335 bhp. The Macan Turbo gets a bigger 3.6-litre turbocharged V6 petrol engine that develops 394 bhp. However, it?s the 254 bhp Macan S Diesel, with its 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine, that is likely to make up most of the sales in India. All models will be mated to Porsche?s seven-speed, dual-clutch PDK automatic gearbox.
Mahindra Compact SUV
The Quanto may not have lived up to Mahindra?s expectations, but there?s a new compact SUV that the carmaker is working on. Codenamed S101, the compact SUV will join Mahindra?s three other compact offerings. The S101 is built on a new, car-like monocoque platform. The wide front bumper, the flared wheel arches and the high grille have ensured that the S101 has plenty of visual bulk. Mahindra?s unique positioning of the S101 is also apparent when you get inside the car. Unlike most conventional cars that have two bucket seats up front, the S101 has a single driver?s seat with a wide two-seat passenger bench sat alongside (similar to the front seats on the Datsun Go).
Skoda Yeti facelift
The upgraded Skoda Yeti will only come with cosmetic changes on the exterior and interior. The 2.0-litre diesel engine will be carried over from the existing Yeti, although it might also get the Octavia?s 1.4-litre TSI petrol. The most noticeable change on the outside is the front grille which incorporates Skoda?s new design language, similar to the European Rapid and the new Octavia. The headlamps are more squarish and the signature round fog lamps have made way for sleeker, more aggressive units. The bonnet is new. The updated Yeti comes in two variants?City and Outdoor. We are likely to get only the latter in India, which gets black plastic cladding to give it a rugged look.
New Ford Endeavour
Ford unveiled the Endeavour concept a few months ago. Designed by Ford?s team in Australia, the new SUV looks way more aerodynamic than the boxy-looking older car. It has still maintained its butch appearance though, with those massive wheel arches, big EcoSport-like grille and huge tyres. It?s also got a lot of modern touches like the sleek, aggressive headlamps, and the sloping rear section. The new Endeavour will continue to be a seven-seater and will come with the option of 2.2-litre and a 3.0-litre diesel engines. There is also a new automatic gearbox on the cards. However, don?t expect to see this new Ford SUV in showrooms any time before the end of 2014.
Nissan Qashqai+2
Nissan is planning to bring the earlier-generation version of its popular Qashqai+2 to SUV-crazed India. It won?t bring the recently launched new Qashqai here to help keep the costs down. When Nissan first launched it in Europe, it was quite a hit because it was an ideal compromise between a car and an SUV. The +2 is an impressive vehicle that?s got just what Indians want from an SUV?it looks like a full-fledged off-roader, it?s got an impressive diesel engine, space inside is quite good, and it rides and drives well too. Don?t get us wrong, this car is no off-roader, and Nissan makes no claims about it being one; it?s more of a soft-roader for the city. It could be priced around the R22 lakh mark.
Renault Duster facelift
Renault unveiled the upgraded Duster at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show and will launch it in India soon. Launched in July 2012, the Duster was a game-changer for Renault in India. But with the arrival of fresh competition from the likes of the EcoSport and Terrano, compact SUV buyers had more options to choose from. With the upgraded Duster, Renault aims to enhance the appeal of its compact SUV and bring it back into contention. The new additions to the Duster include a redesigned front grille with two chrome-plated strips and double-optic headlights with daytime running lamps. It gets new tail-lamps, a chrome exhaust tip, a more aggressive grille and a chrome-plated logo. There are new 16-inch alloy wheels as well.
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Jeep calls it the most awarded SUV of all time, and the Grand Cherokee makes a strong case for itself in a market dominated by German luxury SUVs. It competes pretty much head-on with them in terms of price, but there?s a lot more equipment and a whole lot more off-road tech. Sure, many Grand Cherokee owners may not take their cars off-roading, but if they do, this car is more than capable of handling serious rock climbing. Under the hood sits a 237 bhp 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. It?s incredibly stable at speed too, with a flat ride and a barely audible engine that makes the Grand Cherokee a phenomenal highway cruiser.
Volkswagen Taigun
This will be the first car built on Volkswagen?s ?Up? platform that will make its way to India. The Taigun concept shown at the Sao Paolo motor show ducks under the crucial four-metre mark and will be powered by a 108 bhp, three-cylinder, turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol engine. The engine bay of the Up is currently not wide enough to accommodate a four-cylinder engine, but it could be modified to receive the new 1.5-litre, four-cylinder diesel that VW is developing for India. There will also be no four-wheel-drive option on the Taigun, as the platform it?s designed on is exclusively for front-wheel-drive cars. The Taigun could be Volkswagen?s first proper rival to the likes of Ford?s EcoSport.
Mahindra Scorpio facelift
M&M will launch the facelifted Scorpio in 2014. The new car features cosmetic upgrades to the front and rear, although the side panels are expected to be carried over from the current SUV. The interiors will also be upgraded to offer more space?the main grouse of Scorpio customers has been the lack of legroom in the second row. The wheelbase won?t be increased for this version. Over a decade has passed since the Scorpio was first launched in India, and though it is still popular among buyers, Mahindra expects that a makeover will enhance its appeal. The new-look Scorpio will not receive any mechanical upgrades and the engine options will continue.
BMW X4
In 2012, one in four BMW vehicles sold was from the X model range. The very sporty BMW X6 has sold over 50,000 units each year since it was launched globally and a strong demand persists. Which explains why BMW has decided to launch a smaller X4, the design of which has been massively inspired by the bigger X6. The X4 gets the same basic silhouette and proportions of the X6 along with other design elements. BMW hasn?t revealed the interiors yet but they will probably be shared with other cars in the X range to save on costs. The X4 will be sold with a range of petrol and diesel engines mated to a six-speed manual or eight-speed auto gearbox. The X4 is expected to reach showrooms in 2014.
Honda Brio SUV
Honda?s compact SUV the Vezel, which was showcased at the Tokyo motor show, will unfortunately not make its way to India. Pricing the SUV in Ford EcoSport territory is difficult. But the good news is that Honda, after re-evaluating its strategy for India, has decided instead to develop a compact SUV on the Brio platform. Honda has already stretched this platform to make the Mobilio MPV, but the platform wasn?t designed for an SUV, so Honda will have to modify the wheel wells to accommodate larger SUV tyres. What?s unclear right now though is whether Honda will be able to design the SUV such that it ducks under the four-metre mark to avail of tax benefits.
New BMW X5
The original X5 put the sport in sport utility vehicle, so naturally the new X5 builds on the previous car?s dynamics. That?s also why the overall shape of the new X5 looks similar to the previous car. The new X5 though is noticeably larger, but thanks to various weight-saving trickery, it?s lighter than the old car. The interiors have been updated as well. You?ll still get the same six-cylinder diesel as before. As seen on the hugely successful Mercedes ML 250 CDI, Indians are happy to opt for a more affordable, more fuel efficient smaller engine, even on a big luxury SUV. So, for the first time in its history, the X5 will be available with the twin-turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel motor from the 525d.
Range Rover Long Wheelbase
If the luxurious Range Rover wasn?t spacious enough for you, then the long-wheelbase Range Rover most certainly will be. The LWB Rangie has a wheelbase that?s stretched by 200 mm. This 5.2-metre-long behemoth will be the most expensive Range Rover yet. The standard body shell has been extended ahead of the rear wheels. The car can be specified to come with a standard rear bench or individual ?Executive Class? rear seats. The rear seats feature 18-way electric adjustment, a massage function and configurable LED mood lighting. This car will come to India, but only in fully loaded Autobiography and Autobiography Black trims.
Hyundai compact SUV
The compact SUV segment of our car market is one that every manufacturer wants to sink its teeth into. While overall automobile sales have declined massively, this segment continues to witness sales of around 11,000 units a month. Hyundai is currently developing a compact SUV that is expected to be launched in 2015. The compact SUV will be based on an all-new platform (codenamed GC) and will be the first vehicle from Hyundai?s stable to carry an India-specific name. Hyundai?s compact SUV is unlikely to duck under the crucial four-metre mark to avail of tax benefits though. The good news is Hyundai is looking to price this new car quite competitively, at under R10 lakh.
Mercedes-Benz GLA
The GLA-class is the latest model to make use of Mercedes? front-wheel-drive MFA platform. It will be the company?s first proper rival to the likes of the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. The front end features perhaps the most modern treatment yet of Merc?s new design language, with just two chunky bars of metal on the front grille with a big three-pointed star at its centre. Overall, the GLA looks almost coup?-like. The look is more akin to a crossover than the tall, rugged stance of a full-size SUV. The GLA will be powered by modified versions of the engines that power the A-and B-class, meaning a 122 bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol in the base GLA 180 and a 168 bhp 2.1-litre turbo-diesel in the GLA 220 CDI.
Bentley Falcon
In 2013 Bentley announced it would make a super-luxury SUV that would reach showrooms in 2016. Bentley first displayed the EXP 9F concept at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show to gauge market reaction. Convinced that a good number of prospective buyers do exist, the Bentley SUV is now on its way. It will be the first SUV in the world to have a top-end wood, leather and chrome interior. The Bentley Falcon SUV is expected to be powered by the twin-turbo 6.0-litre W12 and 4.0-litre V8 petrol engines.
