With the weather gods cranking up the heat and offering mild relief in some parts of the country, the automotive market is embracing itself for the launch of a slew of SUVs. The good news for SUV fans is that this year there will many different types of SUVs that will make their presence from hardcore off-roaders to urban-biased machines and even coupe SUVs. Here are the SUVs to watch out for.
Mahindra Thar 5-door
The Thar 5 door or the Thar Armada is expected to make its global debut in August this year. Based on the popular 3-door Thar, the new SUV will be longer and will rival the likes of the Gurkha 5-door and the Maruti Suzuki Jimny. The 5-door Thar will retain its brawny design with updated new elements like the bumpers, headlamps and LED rear lights, a new set of alloy wheels and a bulky front grille. The new Thar will get three engine options including two diesel and one petrol.
According to an Autocar India report, the 5-door Thar gets the Thar RWD’s 1.5-litre diesel engine, which is expected to be the entry-level trim. It churns out 117 bhp and 300 Nm and is expected to be mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. Apart from this, the top diesel variants will be powered by a 130 bhp 2.2-litre with an option of either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter automatic. The Thar 5-door will also get the 2-litre petrol that produces 150 bhp and the manual version churns out 300 Nm and 320 Nm of torque for the automatic.
Tata Curvv
The mid-size segment will witness the entry of the coupe SUV, the Curvv. The new Tata Motors SUV will take on the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara. The SUV sports a swooping roofline with a spilt headlamp design and a massive honeycomb front fascia. With a raised stance, the new coupe SUV will sport 18-inch alloy wheels and a panoramic sunroof.
The cabin gets a space-age layout with a 10.25-inch instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch infotainment system. The Curvv could come with equipment with an ADAS suite. In terms of engine options, the coupe SUV will be powered by a 125 bhp 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and a 1.5-litre diesel engine with an output of 114 bhp and 260 Nm of torque. It will be mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.
Kia Clavis
Kia is working on a new SUV, which has a more traditional boxy shape. Based on the spy images, it will be equipped with the state-of-the-art ADAS feature, six airbags, and ABS to say the least. The cabin will get the twin 10.25-inch infotainment system and the driver’s console.
Like the Sonet, it will get front-ventilated seats, a premium music system, traction control and multiple drive modes. There isn’t any official word on the Clavis’ powertrains but it could retain the Sonet’s engines like the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol, 1-litre turbo petrol and the 1.5-litre diesel.
Citroen Basalt
Like the Tata Curvv, the new Citroen Basalt will also be a coupe SUV. The Basalt is based on the common modular platform (CMP) architecture like the C3 hatchback and the C3 Aircross SUV. Apart from the sloping roofline, the Citroen has retained its typical front fascia design along with the three chevrons.
It gets a spruced-up and an aggressive-looking front grille. The Basalt will be powered by the 1.2-litre turbo petrol like the C3 Aircross and produces 109 bhp and 190 Nm of the 6-speed manual transmission while the torque converter automatic churns out 205 Nm.
Renault Duster
The Duster is an iconic name in the mid-size SUV segment and Renault is planning to relaunch it in India. For the first time, the French manufacturer will be offering the SUV in two versions — a 5-seater and a 7-seater. The Duster is muscular and quite upright from the front with Y-shape LED DRLs, Y-shaped LED tail lamps and a massive front grille.
The new SUV will be packed with features like a 10.1-inch floating infotainment system, a digital instrument cluster and a new gear dial. It is expected to also get an ADAS feature. The international model is available in three engine options — a 1.6-litre petrol hybrid, a 1.2-litre petrol hybrid and the 1-litre turbo-petrol with LPG compatibility.