With the increasing preference for SUV body style in India, automakers are lining up more SUVs in the country than ever before. Plenty of SUVs are lined up for a launch this year, both regular and luxury ones. Here are the top 10 upcoming SUVs inIndia in FY2020-21, the ones from mainstream brands.
2020 Mahindra Thar (W501)
The first name in the list of top 10 upcoming SUVs in India is the Mahindra Thar which will be receiving its first major makeover in Q1 FY2021. With this update, the Mahindra Thar will see a major overhaul to its exterior design, and more importantly, its interior. The 2020 Mahindra Thar will be more modern and plusher than ever before with new-age features on board.
The Mahindra Thar will also get new powertrain options, likely an all-new 140 hp 2.0-litre diesel engine and an all-new 163 hp 1.5-litre petrol engine. The 2020 Mahindra Thar will be launched by June.
After creating serious ripples in the Indian automotive industry with the Seltos and Carnival, Kia will expand its portfolio with the Sonet. This sub four-metre SUV will share its underpinnings with the Hyundai Venue, and going by the modern and distinctive design, it looks like Kia has another winner ready in its hands.
The Kia Sonet is highly likely to share its powertrain options with the Hyundai Venue, including the all-new 90 PS 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engine. The Kia Sonet will be launched in August.
Tata HBX/Tata H2X (Tata Hornbill/Tata X441)
The production Tata HBX/Tata H2X (Tata Hornbill/Tata X441) is a highly anticipated micro-SUV that will go against the Maruti Ignis and the Mahindra KUV100.
The SUV-styled hatchback will come solely with an 85 PS naturally 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine linked to a 5-speed manual transmission or a 5-speed automated manual transmission. It will be launched in the second half of the calendar year.
After garnering a humongous success with its first attempt in the Indian market, the Hector, MG is going to expand its product portfolio by introducing its six-seater version, the Hector Plus.
Compared to the MG Hector, the MG Hector Plus will have a slightly different design at the front and rear. Expect the powertrain options to be shared with the MG Hector, which are a 1.5-litre 143 PS turbocharged petrol engine w/o a 48V mild-hybrid system and a 2.0-litre 170 PS diesel engine. This three-row SUV will be available as a six-seater and also a seven-seater. It will go on sale in the second half of this calendar year.
Read more: 2020 Hyundai Creta vs. Kia Seltos vs. MG Hector vs. Tata Harrier
Tata Gravitas (Q502)
The Tata Gravitas will arrive as the brand's new flagship SUV in the second half of 2020. Like its arch-rival MG Hector Plus, it is an extension of an existing model (Tata Harrier) and will be available as a six-seater and a seven-seater.
ArrayWhile the Gravitas shares its front fascia completely with the Harrier, there are some differences on the sides and the rear to accommodate the third-row seats. It will likely be available with the 170 PS 2.0-litre diesel engine and 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions from the Harrier at launch. Later, a newly-developed 1.5-litre petrol engine will be introduced.
Renault HBC
The Renault HBC will be a sub-four metre SUV based on the Renault Triber's CMF-A+ platform. It will go against the likes of Hyundai Venue and Maruti Vitara Brezza.
Under the hood, the Renault HBC will have the HR10 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine, which was showcased at the Auto Expo 2020.
Nissan Magnite
Nissan too is set to enter the highly competitive sub-four metre SUV space in the second half of 2020, with the Magnite.
Nissan has already released a couple of teasers of the Magnite. The Nissan Magnite will share its underpinnings and powertrain with the Renault HBC.
Maruti Jimny/Next-gen Maruti Gypsy (Maruti JMD)
The Maruti Jimny/next-gen Maruti Gypsy is undoubtedly the most anticipated upcoming SUV in India. It has reportedly received the green signal and will be launched in November 2020. The compact off-roader was displayed at Auto Expo 2020.
Suzuki will manufacture the first-ever Maruti Jimny/next-gen Maruti Gypsy in India at its Gujarat plant. The starting price of the Jimny in India will likely be around INR 7-8 lakh (ex-showroom) or maybe even lower.
Read more: Top 10 Modified Gypsy with Stunning Look From Across India
Next-gen Mahindra XUV500 (Mahindra W601)
Mahindra will launch the next-gen XUV500 in India early next year, i.e. in Q4 FY2021 (January-March 2021).
The second-gen Mahindra XUV500 will be remarkably different from the first-gen model. It will be available with a newly-developed 2.0-litre diesel engine and a newly-developed 2.0-litre petrol engine. Expect its prices to start somewhere between INR 12-14 lakh (ex-showroom).
Skoda Karoq
The Skoda Karoq is a compact SUV like the Hyundai Tucson. It is already available to pre-book now and will go on sale in May.
Based on the MQB platform, the Skoda Karoq which is the last name in the list of upcoming SUVs in India in 2020-2021 shares a lot of its exterior design language and cabin layout with the bigger Skoda Kodiaq. So, it looks a lot like a scaled-down version of the latter.
The Skoda Karoq will be sold in a single fully-loaded variant. It is available with only a 150 PS 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine paired with a 7-speed DCT.
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