Five New Luxury SUVs for India in 2015

Snapshot – The premium luxury SUV market in India will witness a flurry of launches in 2015. Of these, a few will involve facelifts while the others will be all new models. CarToq gives you a quick wrap on what to expect from the luxury SUV pack this year.

Audi Q3 Facelift

Audi’s least priced luxury SUV, the Q3 will receive a mild nip and tuck job this year. The makeover is aimed at keeping the vehicle fresh in order to face new competition. Engines and transmissions will be untouched while the front and the rear styling of the car will see revisions. On the inside too, minor changes will be effected to give the car an air of newness. Audi has stopped importing and assembling the base Q3 S variant in India after stocks ran dry late last year. This cut price variant will make a re-entry with the refreshed model.

Also Read: Audi’s 6 New Cars for 2015

All-New Volvo XC90

Bookings for the 2015 Volvo XC90 are already on and the second generation luxury SUV is expected to land in India during April. To be initially sold only with a 2 liter Drive E turbo diesel engine, the SUV will continue to be Volvo’s flagship offering in India. The vehicle will also be a segment leader in terms of the safety it offers its occupants, and to an extent pedestrians and other road users. Plush interiors and advanced infotainment system will be how the big Volvo will get fat cats to loosen their purse strings.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

Jeep’s top-end offering globally, the Grand Cherokee, along with the Wrangler, will lead the American SUV brand’s India foray. To be imported into the country as a completely built unit (CBU) by the end of this year, the Grand Cherokee is expected to be sold with petrol and diesel engine options. A Jeep at heart with its off roading DNA intact, this 5 seat SUV will serve to build the brand in India, paving the way for affordable, mass market models in the coming years.

Also Read: Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler SUVs’ Indian Entry

Land Rover Discovery Sport

The Freelander2 is out and the Discovery Sport is in. Land Rover’s latest vehicle, the Discovery Sport will also be its most affordable for some time to come. That it will be built at the British SUV maker’s Indian assembly unit at Chikhli, near Pune, is a given. The big changes in this SUV are its styling, the addition of 7 seats, revamped interiors and a brand new exterior design. The Discovery Sport will use a 2.2 liter turbo diesel engine, the same unit found on its predecessor, the Freelander2. An automatic transmission and four wheel drive layout will be standard fare.

Also Read: All the details about Land Rover’s new price warrior

All-New BMW X6 and X6 M

The second generation of the original outlier from BMW’s SUV brigade, the 2015 X6 is here. The luxury crossover’s Indian launch is expected to happen by the middle of this year. The new vehicle gets styling updates, lighter and features more powerful engines. The innards get a refresh along with features added. The sporty crossover also gets an M badged high performance variant, which is also expected to follow the regular version into India. Both vehicles will use the completely built unit (CBU) route into the country.

All-New Audi Q7

A leader in the 7 seat imported luxury SUV segment, the Audi Q7 has moved on to a new generation. The big, butch Audi actually whittles down its outside, and loses a lot of pounds with the heavy use of aluminium. In terms of looks, the crossover looks more wagon-like than ever before, although we’ll reserve judgment before seeing one in the flesh. The engines have been made more efficient while the transmissions and the Quattro powered all wheel drive layout are retained. CKD assembly at Aurangabad will happen soon, with a launch to happen in the next few months.