SUVs are a new trend in every market. Every manufacturer now has a SUV in its portfolio. Because of the SUVs, other segments such as sedans have been hit severely. We rarely see a new Hyundai Elantra on the road. A manufacturer like Honda pulled the plug on their Civic sedan. There is no stopping the SUVs, people are just buying more and more of them. So, many manufacturers are updating their SUVs or launching new ones. Today, we list down 6 SUVs that will be launching before March.
Jeep Compass Facelift
The Compass has been on sale in for quite some time now and it has not received any major updates since the launch. However, that will be changing, Jeep will be launching the facelift of the Compass on 7th January. It will get a tweaked more aggressive front fascia, full LED headlamps with LED Daytime Running Lamps and a sleeker grille. It will get newly designed diamond-cut alloy wheels and a slightly redesigned rear bumper. The interior is where we will see some of the major upgrades. It will get a new 10.1-inch floating touchscreen infotainment system that will offer Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, new upholstery which will be more premium than the current one and soft-touch materials on all the touchpoints. The engine options will stay the same. So, there will be a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 163 HP and 250 Nm and a 2.0-litre diesel engine which will produce 170 HP of max power and 350 Nm of peak torque. Both the engines will be offered with a manual or an automatic gearbox. It is expected that the Jeep Compass will get a slight price hike with the facelift. So, we expect the Compass Facelift to start from Rs. 17 lakhs ex-showroom.
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Renault Kiger
The latest addition to the sub-compact SUV segment will be the Renault Kiger. It will be based on the underpinnings of the Nissan Magnite which is already doing well in the Indian market. The new SUV will be based on the CMF-A+ platform and will get the same engine options as the Magnite. So, there will be a 1.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine producing 72 PS and 96 Nm. It will only be offered with a 5-speed gearbox. Then there will be the 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine which will produce 100 PS and 160 Nm. It will be offered with a 5-speed manual gearbox or a CVT automatic gearbox. It will derive some of its design elements from the Renault Kwid. So, a flattish bonnet, split headlamp, with LED Daytime Running Lamp on the top and three projector headlamps below. At the rear, we will get C-shaped LED tail lamps. As of now, we do not know how the interior of the new SUV will look like. The Kiger will be competitively priced due to high localization level and will be revealed on January 28.
Tata Safari
Yes, you read that right, the iconic Tata Safari is making a comeback on January 26th. The SUV was previously codenamed as Gravitas, which was showcased at the Auto Expo 2020. The booking of the Safari will also start in January itself. The new SUV will be based on the Harrier but it will be 63 mm longer and 80 mm taller than the Harrier. The rear overhang will be longer and there will be a step in the roof to accommodate the third-row passengers. There will be no change to the front of the SUV, but the rear will be reworked. It will get a sleeker LED tail lamps and a steep boot. The interior will also be different as it will get a lighter themed cabin for airiness. There will be an option of getting a captain seats arrangement for the second row. The feature list is expected to stay the same as the 2020 Harrier. Powering the new SUV will be the same 2.0-litre Kyrotec diesel engine that produces 170 PS and 350 Nm. It will be offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. Tata Safari is expected to start from Rs. 14.5 lakhs ex-showroom
Citroen C5 AirCross
Citroen first showcased the C5 AirCross at a media event in 2019 but it was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, now the manufacturer is all set to launch the new SUV on 1st February. The C5 is a premium mid-size SUV. So, it will be competing from SUVs like Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos to Jeep Compass and Hyundai Tucson. There is no other SUV currently in the Indian market that looks like the C5. It has an integrated Citroen logo in its grille. There are red accents on the front and side to enhance its appeal. It gets dual LED projector headlamps with LED Daytime Running Lamps, panoramic sunroof, wireless phone charger, touchscreen infotainment system, dual-zone climate control and a lot more equipment. Citroen will be offering the C5 with only a 2.0-litre diesel engine. The engine produces 177 PS and 400 Nm. There will be a manual gearbox or an automatic gearbox on offer. Considering that the C5 AirCross will be a CKD or a Completely Knocked Down unit, it will be priced higher than many competitors.
MG Hector Facelift
MG Hector was the first vehicle from the manufacturer and it did pretty well in the Indian market. However, now the competition has caught up with the launch of SUVs like the Hyundai Creta, Tata 2020 Harrier and the Kia Seltos. Due to which MG Motor will be launching a facelift on 7th January. It will get some cosmetic tweaks and some added equipment. It will get new 5-spoke diamond-cut 18-inch alloy wheels and a new more aggressive grille. The interior will get a dual-tone upholstery, wireless charger and ventilated seats. There will be no mechanical changes so it will continue to get a 1.5-litre petrol engine, 1.5-litre hybrid petrol and a 2.0-litre diesel engine. The 1.5-litre petrol engine will continue to produce 143 PS and 250 Nm. Whereas, the 2.0-litre Fiat-sourced diesel engine will continue to produce 170 PS and 350 Nm. The prices of the Hector Facelift is expected to start from Rs. 13 lakhs ex-showroom.
Mahindra XUV300 AMT
Mahindra XUV300 has been on sale for quite some time and has managed to place itself in the competition by offering loads of first in segment features. Until now the XUV300 was not offered with an automatic transmission with the petrol engine. However, the AMT variant is expected to get launched sometime this month. It will continue to get the same 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine that produces 110 PS and 200 Nm. The Mahindra XUV300 Petrol AMT is expected to start from Rs. 9.5 lakhs ex-showroom.
