From Hyundai's Ai3 sub-compact SUV to Honda's midsize SUV and through to the Lexus RX, there's an SUV for every budget.
28 Mar 2023 | 12063 Views | By Autocar India News Desk
SUVs at all price points are one of the most sought after body styles currently, not just in the Indian market, but globally as well. This is thanks to their commanding driving position, good ground clearance and a more practical body style, making them ideal for short and long distance ...
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SUVs at all price points are one of the most sought after body styles currently, not just in the Indian market, but globally as well. This is thanks to their commanding driving position, good ground clearance and a more practical body style, making them ideal for short and long distance runs.
We’ve compiled a list of all upcoming SUV launching in India this year from April 2023 onwards.
Maruti Suzuki Fronx
Earlier known as the Maruti YTB, the Fronx made its debut at the Auto Expo and will go on sale in early April via Maruti's Nexa outlets. This coupe SUV is actually based on the Baleno, but gets unique front and rear fascia, more ground clearance and some rugged bits to give it an SUV look. Its front fascia is similar to the Grand Vitara, with a split headlamp set-up and a coupe-like roofline. The Fronx will come with a BS6-compliant 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, originally seen on the Baleno RS, and is expected to come with mild-hybrid technology.
Coming: April 2023
Engines: 1.0-litre turbo-petrol, 1.2-litre petrol
Expected price: Rs 7 lakh-11 lakh
Maruti Suzuki Jimny
Coming: May 2023
Engine: 1.5-litre petrol
Expected price: Rs 10 lakh-15 lakh
Kia Seltos facelift
Coming: Mid 2023
Engines: 1.5-litre turbo-petrol, 1.5-litre petrol, 1.5-litre diesel
Expected price: Rs 12 lakh-20 lakh
Honda midsize SUV
Honda is finally taking a plunge into the midsize SUV market with a product that’s aimed squarely at market leader, Hyundai Creta. This new SUV is currently being tested on the outskirts of Mumbai, and going by what’s visible, it seems to be a grounds up new SUV and not the HR-V or WR-V that's sold abroad. The new SUV will be around 4.2m long and will have seating for five along with a fairly large boot. Honda’s expertise in packaging will ensure it's high on space.
It is expected to get a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine as well as a 1.5-litre petrol hybrid. It is certain that this new SUV will not have a diesel powertrain as Honda stopped producing diesel engines in February 2023 due to the new emissions regulations. While details are scant, Honda is likely to add the latest on-board tech in its new midsize SUV, and it is expected to get the next-generation touchscreen infotainment system.
Coming: Mid 2023 (global debut)
Engine: 1.5-litre petrol
Expected price: Rs 16 lakh-18 lakh
Mercedes-Benz GLC
The second generation of the GLC is now marginally larger than its predecessor, and key exterior highlights include a larger grille, new headlamp design and slimmer tail-lamps. The interior design has been borrowed heavily from the new C-Class, and includes a 12.3-inch digital cluster, a portrait-style 11.9-inch centre screen, newly styled air vents as well as higher quality materials. It also gets a new head-up display unit, panoramic sunroof and a 710W Burmester sound system with 15 speakers.
Globally, the GLC gets two petrol and one diesel engine – GLC200, GLC300 and GLC220d, respectively – and all of them come with a 48V mild-hybrid system with an integrated starter motor. Alternatively, these engines are also available as plug-in hybrids in the GLC300e, GLC400e and GLC300de variants with a pure electric range of up to 120km.
Coming: Mid 2023
Engines: 2.0-litre petrol, 2.0-litre diesel
Expected price: Rs 64 lakh-70 lakh
Hyundai Ai3 SUV
Coming: August 2023
Engine: 1.2-litre petrol
Expected price: Rs 6 lakh-9 lakh
Citroen C3 Aircross
Citroen is readying an all-new SUV that will be positioned in the midsize SUV segment to take on the likes of the Creta and the Alcazar. This new SUV will take up the Citroen C3 Aircross moniker upon launch later this year, and the brand is also readying a three-row iteration of the same SUV.
Visually, the larger C3 Aircross looks similar to the standard C3 till about the B-pillar. The 7-seater SUV will come with a longer rear overhang, suggesting it may be longer than four metres. The rear quarter panel and glass area also seem to be new for the seven-seater C3. Even on the inside, it has a similar layout, but since the C3 Aircross will be positioned higher, it will get more features as standard.
Under the hood, it is expected to have the same powertrain as the standard C3 – a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine mated to a 6-speed gearbox. To price it aggressively, Citroen could also give the C3 Aircross a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine. There are talks of an EV too, along the lines of the recently launched eC3. Read more on that here.
Coming: Late 2023
Engine: 1.2-litre petrol (Turbo and NA)
Expected price: Rs 10 lakh onwards
Force Gurkha 5-door
The 5-door Force Gurkha will share most of its exterior, interior and underpnnings with its three-door sibling. The Gurkha 5-door is expected to come in multiple seating layout options, including a bench or captain’s chairs for the second row and jump seats or captain’s chairs for the third.
The five-door Gurkha will likely use the three-door iteration’s updated C in C platform with a 400mm longer wheelbase. It will also carry over the Mercedes-sourced 2.6-litre diesel engine mated to a 5-speed gearbox, and is expected to come in 4X4 and 4X2 variants, along with locking differentials and a low-range gearbox.
Coming: Mid 2023
Engine: 2.6-litre diesel
Expected price: Rs 15 lakh
Lexus RX
Coming: Mid 2023
Engine: 2.5-litre petrol
Expected price: Rs 1.2 crore
Nissan X-Trail
Nissan sold only the first two generations of the X-Trail in India – the third generation was never available, despite being showcased a few years ago. The latest gen has also received a 5-star Euro NCAP rating. The fourth-generation X-Trail that will be launched in India sports a similar front grille design as the Kicks, and it is flanked by split headlamps. It is available with a five- and seven-seat layout, and is built on Renault-Nissan’s CMF-C platform. On the inside, it gets a 12.3-inch digital cluster, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, ADAS technology and a 360-degree camera.
Nissan will offer the X-Trail with either a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol with mild-hybrid technology or a 1.5-litre e-Power engine with a range extender hybrid technology. The latter is essentially an EV as the wheels are solely powered by an electric motor and the engine acts as a generator to charge the batteries.
Coming: Late 2023
Engine: 1.5-litre petrol
Expected price: Rs 40 lakh