7 Upcoming Options for SUV Owners Looking For Upgrades/Replacements

Snapshot – Facelifts, upgrades and all-new models are part and parcel of a constantly evolving car market. No less than 7 upgraded SUVs will soon be Indian roads, seeking to tug at the purse strings of buyers in the sub-30 lakh rupee segments. Here’s a quick round up of what you can expect from these upcoming SUVs.

Tata Safari Storme Facelift

The facelifted Safari Storme ladder framed SUV has already reached dealerships, in what seems like a pre-emotive move from Tata Motors. With the XUV500 Facelift just around the corner, the launch timing for the Storme Facelift cannot be better. The official start of sale will begin soon and dealerships have already started taking bookings for the new Storme. The SUV gains minor cosmetic tweaks on the outside, with feature additions such as a new steering and an integrated stereo design on the inside. The 2.2 liter Varicor turbo diesel motor makes more power, 148 Bhp compared to 140 Bhp, while torque remains constant at 320 Nm. The clutch also gets improved with a self adjusting mechanism.

Mahindra XUV500 Facelift

The Mahindra XUV500 will receive its first comprehensive facelift, nearly 4 years after its launch in the winter of 2011. The flagship Mahindra vehicle gains styling updates. The front end sees new headlamps, a revised grille and a bumper job. The profile and the rear remain largely similar to the outgoing version. On the inside, many changes have been made to the dashboard in keeping with customer feedback. A few more features are expected to be added while the 2.2 liter mHawk turbo diesel engine with 140 Bhp-330 Nm outputs is likely to be unchanged. While the 6 speed manual gearbox will be standard, a 6 speed automatic unit could be added later this year. The facelifted XUV500 will be sold with front wheel drive and all wheel drive options. The launch will happen in the next few weeks.

Mahindra Quanto AMT

For those seeking a better looking Quanto that is easier to drive about town, the facelifted version of this compact SUV, replete with the AMT option, promises to be a good bet. The Quanto Facelift aims to make this compact SUV look distinct from the Xylo. Apart from styling tweaks, the Quanto Facelift is said to benefit from a suspension job, aimed at sorting out ride and handling. The 1.5 liter-3 cylinder twin scroll turbocharger equipped diesel motor will continue to power the sub-4 meter vehicle. The rear wheel drive layout and a ladder frame chassis will be retained.

Nissan Terrano AWD

A badge engineered version of the Renault Duster, the Nissan Terrano will also gain an all wheel drive layout by the end of this year. The Terrano AWD will be positioned above similar variants of the Duster in terms of pricing. In terms of features, the Terrano AWD is expected to offer similar levels of equipment as that of the Duster. The AWD, ESP, traction control and cruise control will be much sought after features. The 1.5 liter K9K turbo diesel engine, with 108 Bhp-245 Nm outputs will be carried over unchanged. The 6 speed manual gearbox, with gear ratio tweaks on the first and second gears, will make short work of the turbo lag.

Tata Hexa Crossover

The Tata Hexa is the re-imagining of the Aria crossover. The Hexa is designed to look much sharper than the Aria, and it really shows in styling changes that Tata Motors has made to the front and rear ends of this crossover. The Aria could be discontinued or repositioned lower once the Hexa arrives into India. A early 2016  launch timeframe is on the cards for Tata Motors’ new flagship vehicle. On the inside, the Hexa follows a six seat layout, focusing on comfort. The 2.2 liter turbo diesel engine will also gain a new state of tune, in this 156 Bhp-400 Nm. Six speed manual and automatic transmissions will be offered.

Ford Endeavour

The Ford Endeavour luxury SUV is about 10 years old in India, and will soon be replaced by an all new model. In keeping with the  changing preferences of buyers, the new version of the Endeavour looks much more contemporary than the outgoing model. The interiors take an upmarket route too, with plenty of new features and creature comforts to boot. The 2015 Endeavour also gets an updated range of turbo diesel engines that gain power and torque, and that are mated to six speed manual and automatic transmissions. A terrain response system for the four wheel drive mechanism is a major highlight in the new SUV.

Toyota Fortuner

Soon, the best selling Toyota Fortuner will hop on to a new generation of the IMV platform. The 2016 Fortuner will make its official international debut in the weeks to come. The India debut of the new SUV is expected to happen next year, at the 2016 Indian Auto Expo. The new SUV is expected to be powered by downsized, but more powerful turbo diesel engines. Sharing its underpinnings with the 10th generation Hilux pick up truck, the new Fortuner will continue using a ladder frame chassis and a rear wheel drive layout as standard fare. A four wheel drive layout will be offered as an option. In terms of styling too, the all-new, 2016 Fortuner is expected to break new ground.