7 upcoming SUV facelifts & upgrades in 2019: Mahindra XUV300 AMT to Hyundai Tucson

SUV sales have been going strong despite the market slowdown and therefore the auto manufacturers are planning to bring in new SUVs in the market. However, apart from the new models, several current SUVs will also be getting fac elift treatment while others will get a new variant. Let’s us move on to the list below which talk about the 7 upcoming SUV facelifts and variants that will be launched this year.

Mahindra XUV300 AT

Expected launch by: Q4 2019

Mahindra launched the XUV300 in February this year and the sub-4 meter SUV has already become the second best selling vehicle in its segment. Available in both petrol and diesel engine variants, the XUV300 comes with only a six-speed manual gearbox as no automatic option was made available on the SUV at the time of its launch. Mahindra will launch an AMT equipped version of the SUV this year in order to increase the SUVs market appeal. It is also being said that the company will replace the AMT box next year with a torque converter unit after the BSVI norms kick in.

Renault Duster facelift

Expected launch by: Q4 2019

Renault will not launch the new generation Duster in India but a facelifted model that will arrive here by the end of this year. The Duster Facelift will look quite the same but will get projector headlamps with LED DRLs, raised bonnet, new roof rails, new alloy wheels, new tail lamps, and slightly updated body panels to make the Duster look new. The new facelift may even add an option of a sunroof on the SUV. Renault may not offer the 85 PS version of the 1.5-litre diesel engine with the new Duster. Instead, the 1.5-litre petrol and the 1.5-litre diesel engine are expected to be updated to meet the upcoming emission norms.

Mahindra Thar ABS

Expected launch by: Q2-Q3 2019

The Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program (BNVSAP) norms have kicked in from the 1st of April 2019, which means that the Thar cannot be registered in any state of India in its current form. Mahindra is already developing the new generation Thar and the lifestyle vehicle has been spied testing numerous times. Before discontinuing the current generation model, Mahindra will launch a special model of the Thar which will come equipped with ABS. However, it is not yet known whether this model will also sport other safety equipment like parking sensors and airbags among others or not.

Tata Harrier AT

Expected launch by: Q4 2019

The Tata Harrier is already selling like hot cakes but Tata is working towards improving the whole package further. For the same, it will launch an automatic transmission option on the SUV which is one of the major drawbacks of the SUV till now. The launch is likely to happen before the end of this year. The gearbox we are talking about will be a 6-speed torque converter unit sourced from Hyundai, which will also be found on the Cassini. Speculations are rife that Tata is also working upon an AWD version of the Harrier but there is no official word on that yet.

Jeep Compass Trailhawk

Expected launch by: July 2019

The launching of the Compass Trailhawk has been on hold since 2018 but reports suggest that the company will finally launch the SUV by July this year. The Trailhawk moniker it carries means that this compass will come with Active Drive Low 4×4 System, which is a proper four-wheel-drive system and comes with a low range, a rear-locking differential, hill-descent control and an additional Rock mode for the Selec-Terrain system. It also gets a higher ground clerance as well as better water wading capacity. It will be powered by a BSVI compliant 2.0-litre diesel engine that comes paired to a new 9-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. The four-cylinder, turbocharged engine produces 170 Hp of power and 350 Nm of torque in the Euro-spec variant. We expect that the Jeep Compass Trailhawk will be priced around the Rs. 27 lakh mark when launched.

Hyundai Tucson facelift

Expected launch by: Q2-Q3 2019

The Tucson facelift has been delayed by Hyundai for long now but will be finally launched by the end of the second quarter this year. Though not a big seller, the facelifted version comes with sharper styling, LED lamps, new alloys and cascading grille upfront along with a host of new features. On the inside, the new Tucson will come with new driver-assistance features like autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree camera. There will also be a new 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system and the car will continue to be powered by the same set of engines.

Volkswagon Tiguan AllSpace

Expected launch by: Q4 2019

Volkswagen will introduce the long-wheelbase variant of the Tiguan here by the end of this year. This LWB version of the Tiguan may be called the AllSpace as Volkswagen calls its other LWB vehicles in Europe. It will come with an extra row of seat and will be similar to the Skoda Kodiaq. With the launch of the new car, Volkswagen may reposition the regular Tiguan to make it more affordable in the market. Volkswagen currently uses a 2.0-litre diesel engine to power the Tiguan in the Indian market. It produces a maximum of 148 Bhp and a peak torque of 340 Nm. The 4WD SUV gets a seven-speed DSG transmission. The same set-up can be expected in the upcoming Tiguan AllSpace.