Coming Soon – 7 Upgraded Mass Market SUVs for India

Snapshot – In the next one year, a deluge of SUVs will hit the Indian car market, with most new launches sitting bang in the middle of the affordable, mass market segments. The upcoming mix of sports utility vehicles will include all new vehicles and upgrades of existing models. We’ve touched upon all new vehicles in the past and today we’ll round up the list of 7 upgraded SUVs that are coming your way over the next 12 months. Buckle up.

Mahindra Thar Facelift

The Mahindra Thar is a man thing, and the Indian automaker has capitalized on the iconic Jeep design on what essentially is a powerful version of the Bolero underneath. Designed at a fraction of the cost that goes into modern day SUVs, the Thar’s utilitarian genes give it a certain kind of rawness that gives it steady buyers. The SUV will get a significant upgrade in the coming months, with a June 2015 launch said to be in the works. Revamped interiors and slight changes to the exteriors is what the Thar Facelift is likely to arrive with. In terms of mechanicals, there could be a change or two to the four wheel drive line as well. The 2.5 liter turbo diesel motor and 5 speed manual transmission will be retained though.

Nissan Terrano AWD

Last year, Renault equipped the Duster with an all wheel drive mechanism, giving the vehicle plenty of capability off the road. A badge engineered version of the Terrano, which many argue to be better looking, will also gain the AWD system shortly. Along with the AWD mechanism, other bells and whistles such as hill hold assist, traction control, ESP, cruise control and independent rear suspension will be added to the vehicle, making it highly capable across multiple terrains. The Terrano equipped thus will hold court as Nissan’s flagship vehicle for a while even as the automaker is readying up a sub-4 meter compact SUV based on the Kicks concept.

Mahindra Quanto Facelift

The Quanto will soon wear a new set of clothes to look fresher. The compact SUV will also gain an automatic manual transmission. Other expected changes include better interiors, improved suspension and more equipment levels. The 1.5 liter twin turbo diesel engine is expected to continue powering the compact SUV, which will also retain the rear wheel drive layout. The Quanto Facelift will also continue using a ladder frame chassis. In terms of pricing, the refreshed vehicle will be sandwiched between the upcoming S101 Micro SUV and the U301 Bolero.

Mahindra XUV500 Hybrid

Hybrid cars are yet to penetrate India’s mass market segments. A diesel hybrid that promises more fuel efficiency is what Mahindra is likely to upgrade the XUV500 with, when the crossover gets its mid life makeover later this year. Other changes on the crossover will include tweaked exteriors and the inclusion of an automatic transmission options. Knowing Mahindra’s typical facelifts, additional equipment on the inside is a given, more so considering the XUV500’s positioning as a flagship offering.

Tata Safari Storme

The Tata Safari Storme will soon get a mild visual makeover with a new front grille and bumper. Under the hood, the upgrade will be more substantial with the 2.2 liter-4 cylinder turbo diesel motor tuned to output 156 Bhp-400 Nm. This powerful state of tune for this motor is expected to give the Safari Storme good poke lower down the rev range. The ladder frame chassis equipped SUV is months away from launch. On the inside, a new center console design with an integrated stereo will dominate proceedings.

Mahindra Scorpio Automatic

The Mahindra Scorpio Facelift will gain an automatic transmission, making it the only ladder frame chassis equipped vehicle in its price segment to offer such an option. The 2.2 liter mHawk turbo diesel engine with 120 Bhp-280 Nm on tap will continue to power the SUV. The automatic transmission equipped Scorpio is likely to be available in rear wheel drive and four wheel drive iterations. The top end automatic 4X4 model will be the new flagship variant in the Scorpio line.

Tata Hexa Crossover

Tata Motors reimagined the Aria to come up with the Hexa crossover at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. The production version is due for an early 2016 launch. In terms of looks, the revised front fascia makes the Hexa look nothing like the Aria, and this is a good thing. The profile of the Hexa retains similarities to that of the Aria though, since the platform is essentially the same. On the rear, the Hexa dumps the X’mas tree tail lamps for a horizontal cluster. The interiors have been revamped with better quality materials. The cherry on the cake is the 2.2 liter-4 cylinder turbo diesel engine with 156 Bhp-400 Nm and 6 manual gears.