Compact SUVs of India: Hyundai Creta to MG Astor

People are now shifting towards SUVs. That is why micro SUVs, mini SUVs and compact SUVs are doing so well in our market. The compact SUV segment of India is very competitive and every manufacturer is now trying to compete in it. Here are all the compact SUVs that are on sale in the Indian market.

Hyundai Creta 

Hyundai’s Creta has been the segment leader since it was first launched in the Indian market. There is a certain trust factor now associated with the Creta nameplate and I know people who have sold their first-gen Creta and replaced it with the new one rather than opting for a larger SUV. Hyundai’s service network is currently one of the largest in our country. The only manufacturer who is ahead of Hyundai is Maruti Suzuki.

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Creta is available in three different engine options, there is a naturally aspirated petrol engine, a diesel engine and a turbocharged petrol engine. All the engines are offered with an automatic gearbox as well. This and the six variants in which Creta is offered means that there is a version of Creta for everyone. The pricing of Creta starts at Rs. 9.99 lakhs ex-showroom and goes up to Rs. 17.7 lakhs ex-showroom.

Maruti Suzuki S-Cross

The S-Cross has not been able to gather the sales that Maruti Suzuki was hoping it would do. The reason behind this is that S-Cross is not able to differentiate itself enough from other Maruti Suzuki vehicles that cost less. A lot of parts that you would find on more affordable Maruti vehicles are also used on the S-Cross due to which it does not feel special or expensive enough. Also, it looks more like a crossover rather than a SUV. People prefer SUVs more than crossover. However, S-Cross is still backed-up by affordable maintenance and the largest service network of Maruti Suzuki.

The S-Cross starts at Rs. 8.59 lakhs ex-showroom and goes up to Rs. 12.56 lakhs ex-showroom. There are four variants of S-Cross on offer, namely Sigma, Delta, Zeta, and Alpha. It is available only with a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine. You can get it with a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 4-speed torque converter automatic gearbox.

Renault Duster

The Duster has been one of the most successful products for Renault. It is known for its fantastic ride quality and it is also the most powerful SUV in the segment. However, now it has started to show its age, the cabin quality is okayish, there are a lot of ergonomic issues, it lacks a lot of features and the rear back seat angle is not comfortable.

It starts at Rs. 9.86 lakhs ex-showroom and goes up to Rs. 14.25 lakhs ex-showroom. There are two petrol engines available. The 1.5-litre naturally aspirated unit is offered only with a 5-speed manual gearbox whereas the more powerful engine is a 1.3-litre unit that is turbocharged. It puts out 156 PS of max power and 254 Nm of peak torque. It is offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 7-step CVT automatic transmission. The naturally aspirated engine is offered in RXS and RXZ whereas the turbocharged engine is offered in RXE, RXS, and RXZ.

Nissan Kicks

The Kicks is based on the same platform as the Duster and also shares the same underpinnings and engines. So, it also has outstanding ride quality and the cabin materials are better than the Duster. It is also available with the same set of petrol engines and gearbox options. Kicks starts at Rs. 9.49 lakhs ex-showroom and goes up to Rs. 14.14 lakhs ex-showroom. It is available in three variants. There is XL, XV, and XV Premium.

Kia Seltos

Kia entered the Indian market with the Seltos and it was an instant hit. Seltos is one of the best looking compact SUVs in the segment. It is also one of the most feature-rich SUVs that you can buy in the Indian market. The engine and transmission options are the same as the Creta because it is based on the same platform and underpinnings as the Creta.

The Seltos starts at Rs. 9.95 lakhs ex-showroom and goes up to Rs. 18.10 lakhs ex-showroom. There are two trims on offer, namely Tech (HT) Line and GT Line. The Tech line has five variants, HTE, HTK, HTK+, HTX, and HTX+ whereas the GT line only has two variants, GTX(O) and GTX+. Kia also launched the X-Line quite recently which is the new top-end variant of the Seltos.

Skoda Kushaq

Skoda launched the Kushaq in the Indian market a few months back and it has been quite successful. It is based on a new platform. Due to this, it has one of the longest wheelbases in the segment. It has one of the best driving dynamics and looks European. Then there is the 1.5-litre TSI engine which is the best engine that you can get as an enthusiast. There is also a more affordable 1.0-litre TSI engine on offer. The 1.0 TSI is offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox whereas the 1.5 TSI is offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

Kushaq starts at Rs. 10.49 lakhs ex-showroom and goes up to Rs. 17.59 lakhs ex-showroom. At first, the price might seem a bit high when compared to other compact SUVs but that is because Skoda is not offering a naked version of Kushaq. So, even the base variant comes with a lot of equipment. There are three variants to choose from. There is Active, Ambition, and Style.

Volkswagen Taigun

If you consider yourself an enthusiast and want a SUV that has the best driving dynamics, then the Taigun is there for you. It is the best SUV in the market for enthusiasts. It is also based on the same platform as the Kushaq and uses the same engine and transmission options. The design of the Taigun is also very attractive and it looks like a proper SUV with its boxy lines.

The prices of the Taigun start at Rs. 10.49 lakhs ex-showroom and goes up to Rs. 17.49 lakhs ex-showroom. There are two trims, Dynamic Line and Performance Line. The Dynamic line consists of  Comfortline, Highline and Topline whereas the Performance Line consists of GT and GT Plus.

MG Astor

Astor is the latest crossover to enter the segment. It is also the most affordable vehicle in India that you can get with Advanced Driver Aids Systems. It might have less space on the rear bench but the interior quality makes the SUV feel very premium. MG is offering it with two petrol engine options. The naturally aspirated engine is offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a CVT automatic transmission and the turbocharged petrol engine is offered only with a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox.

There are five variants on offer, namely  Style, Super, Smart, Sharp, and Savvy. The prices of Astor starts from Rs. 9.78 lakhs ex-showroom and goes up to Rs. 17.38 lakhs ex-showroom.

Also read: Skoda Kushaq SUV”s official launch & price announcement timeline revealed officially