Sub-4 meter SUVs are preferred choices among Indian buyers, especially who are moving from hatchback to SUV segment. Attributes such as the compact body built with SUV-ish stance, decent cabin space and affordability have been working in their favour. In 2023, we will witness five major sub-4 meter compact SUV launches from Maruti Suzuki, MG, Hyundai and Toyota. Here’s brief on the upcoming subcompact SUVs.
Upcoming Subcompact SUVs
Maruti Fronx
Maruti Fronx is ready to go on sale in coming weeks. The model lineup will be made available in five trims – Sigma, Delta, Delta+, Zeta and Alpha. It measures 3995mm in length, 1765mm in width and 1550mm in height with a wheelbase of 2520mm. The compact SUV will come with two petrol engines – 1.0L, 3-cylinder turbo Boosterjet and 1.2L, 4-cylinder naturally aspirated. While the former is good for 100bhp and 147.6Nm, the latter delivers 90bhp with 113Nm. Both engines, which are boosted with the mild hybrid tech, are reported to deliver a mileage of 21.79kmpl (MT)/22.89kmpl (AT) and 21.5kmpl (MT)/20.01kmpl (AT) respectively. More details here…
Maruti Jimny
The 5-door Maruti Suzuki Jimny is surely one of the much-awaited upcoming subcompact SUVs in the country. It will see a market release in late May 2023. The compact lifestyle SUV is 3850mm long, 1645mm wide and 1730mm tall. It has a wheelbase of 2550mm, which 300mm longer than its 3-door version. The SUV’s ground clearance stands at 210mm. The Maurti Jimny SUV’s Zeta and Alpha variants will be powered by a 1.5L K15B naturally aspirated petrol engine. The motor returns a claimed power of 103bhp and 137Nm of torque. It can be had with either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed torque convertor automatic gearbox. More details here…
MG Comet
MG Comet will be smallest four-wheeler in India that will measure 2.9 meters in length. That means, it will be smaller than the Taata Nano. It will be a 2-door electric car to challenge the Tata Tiago EV and Citroen eC3. The Comet is based on the China-spec Wuling Air EV and it’s likely to come with the 17.3kWh and 26.7kWh battery packs, delivering a range of 200km and 300km respectively. The electric car underpins the new Global Small Electric Vehicles (GSEV) platform and carries boxy stance. Some of its key features will include a dual 10.25-inch display, keyless entry, automatic AC unit, connected car tech and steering mounted controls. More details here…
Hyundai Ai3
Hyundai’s new micro SUV (Ai3) is reported to hit roads by August 2023 (i.e. just before the festive season). The model will be built on the Grand i10 Nios’ platform and borrow some of its design bits from the Casper. Its length will be around 3.8 meters, thus making it slightly longer than the Casper. The micro SUV is expected to come with the 1.2L petrol engine pushing out a maximum power of 83bhp and 113.8Nm of torque. Both manual and automatic gearboxes could be on offer. In terms of features, it might offer a semi-digital instrument cluster, a touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, connected car tech, automatic climate control, etc. More details here…
Toyota SUV Coupe
Toyota Kirloskar Motor will bring in the rebadged version of Maruti Suzuki’s Fronx in the second half of 2023. Though, its official launch date is yet to be confirmed by the carmaker. The coupe SUV will share its platform, features and powertrains with its donor model, but feature a few different design elements. It’s likely to source some of its new styling bits from the Toyota Hyryder SUV such as the front grille and more angular stance. It could get a new set of alloy wheels. As mentioned above, the powertrains will be the same – i.e. 1.2L and 1.5L petrol. The new Toyota compact SUV will offer features such as a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless smartphone connectivity, a 360 degree camera, HUD unit, an electric sunroof, automatic AC unit, etc. More details here…
