SUVs are currently dominating the passenger vehicle category of India with over 50% market share in the past 1 year. In the first 7-8 months of this year, we have witnessed the launch of multiple new SUVs including the new Seltos. In the next 5 months, a series of new SUVs will be launched in our market. Here is the list of new SUVs to be introduced in our market before the end of this year –
Honda Elevate
Honda will finally launched its made-in-India SUV, the Elevate in early September. The company has started dispatching the SUV to dealerships for customers preview & test drives. It will be powered by a 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine that produces 121PS and 145Nm of torque. Transmission options include a 6-speed manual and CVT. It will rival the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara and others.
Citroen C3 Aircross
Citroen is all set to expand its C3 line-up with the introduction of the new C3 Aircross SUV in September. It will be offered with 5 and 7-seat layout with later featuring removable 3rd row seats. The new SUV will be powered by a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that produces 110PS and 190Nm of torque. Power will be transmitted to the front wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox.
Volvo C40 Recharge
After introducing the XC40 Recharge, Volvo Cars is now set to launch the new C40 Recharge pure electric Coupe SUV in India on September 4, 2023. It will rival against the HYundai Ioniq 5 and the Kia EV6. It features a 78kWh battery pack and has a single all-wheel-drive system & the dual-electric motor. The combined power and torque output stands at 405bhp and 660Nm respectively. It is claimed to offer a driving range of up to 530km on a single charge. The battery can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in just 27 minutes using a 150kW DC fast charger.
Tata Nexon Facelift
Tata Motors is preparing to give major update to its Nexon range. The updated model will receive design changes and an upgraded interior. The new model will receive a bigger 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment screen with wireless connectivity, a new two-spoke steering wheel and others. It will retain the existing 1.5L petrol and diesel engine options. The EV version will retain the existing 30.2kWh and 40.5kWh battery packs.
Tata Harrier EV
Tata Motors will introduce the production version of the Harrier EV concept before the end of this year. It has been designed on the company’s GEN 2 (SIGMA) platform. The Harrier EV will come with AWD system along with the vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) charging capacities. It is likely to get a battery pack of around 60kWh with an estimated range of around 400-500km (in real world conditions).
New Harrier/ Safari
Not just Harrier EV, Tata Motors will launch the heavily revised versions of the Harrier and Safari SUVs in the country. While the exact launch timeline is yet to be revealed, it is expected that the new Harrier or Safari will go on sale by October 2023. The new models will share styling cues from the Harrier EV concept that debuted at the Auto Expo 2023. The SUVs will be powered by a newly developed 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
Toyota Taisor
Toyota will launch the re-engineered version of the Fronx crossover before the end of this year. The new model is reportedly to be called the Urban Cruiser Taisor, as the name has recently been trademarked in India. The crossover will receive subtle design changes to give it a fresh feel. It will be offered with the two engine options – a 1.0L 3-cylinder turbo petrol and a 1.2L Dual-Jet naturally-aspirated petrol.
