SUVs are selling like a hot cake in India. In order to tap the growing SUV market, car manufacturers such as Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Honda and Citroen have planned some fresh products that will go on sale in the next 2-3 months. The Indo-Japanese automaker will bring in two sub-4 meter models – Maruti Fronx and Jimny. While Hyundai will introduce the Tata Punch’s rival – Exter micro SUV, Honda and Citroen will foray into the midsize SUV segment. Here’s a brief on the upcoming all-new SUVs.
Upcoming All-New SUVs
Maruti Fronx
The Maruti Fronx compact crossover will witness a market launch in coming days. The model is based on the Baleno and share some of its design elements from its donor sibling and the Grand Vitara SUV. It’s expected cost around Rs 8 lakh for the base variant and put up against the Nissan Magnite, Renault Kiger and Tata Punch. Buyers will have five trims (Sigma, Delta, Delta+, Zeta and Alpha) and two petrol engine options – 1.0L, 3-cylinder Boosterjet and 1.2L K-Series. Both manual and AMT gearboxes will be on offer. More details here…
Maruti Jimny
The 5-door Maruti Jimny will be the second big launch from the Indo-Japanese automaker this year. The lifestyle, off-road SUV will be made available in two trims (Zeta and Alpha) and a 1.5L K15B petrol engine making 103PS and 134Nm. The motor is benefited with idle start/stop function. There are two gearboxes on offer – a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed torque convertor automatic. The off-road SUV can be had in 5 single and 2 dual-tone colour options. Features such as Arkamys sound system, a 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, keyless start, cruise control, climate control, LED headlamps and alloy wheels are reserved for the top trim. More details here…
Hyundai Exter
Hyundai Exter micro SUV will be an answer to the Tata Punch that has been dominating the micro SUV segment. It will also go up against the Renault Kiger and Nissan Magnite. If media reports are to be believed, prices of the Exter will be announced in the month of August. We expect it to cost between Rs 6 lakh – Rs 10 lakh. The new Hyundai mini SUV will share its K1 platform with the Grand i10 Nios hatchback. Dimensionally, it will be the smallest SUV from Hyundai India. Under the hood, the Exter is likely to feature a 1.2L naturally aspirated petrol engine with both manual and AMT gearbox. It might also get the 1.0L turbo petrol engine. More details here…
Honda Midsize SUV
The new midsize SUV from Honda is certainly one of the much-awaited all-new SUVs that will go on sale in coming months (possibly by July – September, 2023). Design of the model could be inspired by Honda’s global SUVs, while powertrains could be borrowed from the Honda City Hybrid. That means, the new Honda SUV will come with the 1.5L Atkinson cycle with e:HEV hybrid tech along with the 1.5L iVTEC petrol engine. The mid-size SUV is reported to be offered with radar-based ADAS tech. Features such as 360 degree camera, Honda’s Lane Watch system, connected car tech, ESC, hill launch assist and VSM could also be on offer. More details here…
Citroen C3 Aircross
Citroen C3 Aircross will be a mid-size SUV based on the C3 hatchback. The company is reported to bring in its 5 and 7-seater version, though initially it will be available with the 5-seats configuration. Measuring around 4.3 metres in length, it will be as big as the Hyundai Creta. For power, the new Citroen SUV will feature a 1.2L, 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine that dishes out a peak power of 110bhp and 190Nm. It can be had with either a 6-speed manual or an automatic gearbox. On the feature front, the C3 Aircross is expected to offer a 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless smartphone connectivity, a digital instrument cluster, 4-speaker, remote locking, speed sensitive auto door lock and many more goodies. More details here…
