The choice of affordable 4WD vehicles has gone down considerably in the affordable segment, as vehicles that do offer 4WD or AWD have crept up to the Rs 30 lakh and over range. Vehicles such as the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour, MG Gloster, Jeep Wrangler and others are beyond reach for many, and even if one does buy any of them, they would think twice before going off-road and letting the vehicle take a few knocks.
Keeping this in mind, let’s take a look at the top 5 affordable four-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive SUVs on sale in India currently.
The most affordable 4WD SUV in India is the Mahindra Thar, which has also become synonymous with the terms ‘four-wheel-drive’ and ‘off-road’. The Mahindra Thar is priced between Rs 13.53 lakh and 16.03 lakh, ex-showroom, and is available with a 2.0-litre 150 bhp petrol engine or with a 130 bhp 2.2-litre diesel engine.
Both engines are paired to either a manual or an automatic gearbox with a part-time four-wheel-drive system. Also, the Thar is available with a soft or a hard top, giving one the ultimate ‘wind in your hair’ experience on or off the road.
Force Gurkha
A lot has been spoken about the new Force Gurkha, from its 2.5-litre 90 bhp engine, the way it drives, the low-hanging mechanicals, and even its ability to make the Toyota Fortuner look like a compact SUV. However, the Force Gurkha is a capable off-roader with serious credentials and is the only vehicle on offer in India with manual-locking mechanical front and rear differentials.
The Force Gurkha is sold in a single variant that costs Rs 14.49 lakh ex-showroom, making it the last of the analogue 4X4s in India. The Gurkha comes with a snorkel, roof rack, and LED headlights as standard, which the Mahindra Thar misses out on.
2022 Mahindra Scorpio-N
What more information does one want about the new Mahindra Scorpio-N? The Scorpio was always known for its butch looks and its ability to take anything in its way and with the new Scorpio-N, Mahindra has retained all of this, including its 4X4 capability.
The Mahindra Scorpio-N’s prices start at Rs 11.99 lakh ex-showroom, however, the most accessible 4X4 version, the Scorpio-N Z4 diesel MT is priced at Rs 16.44 lakh ex-showroom. Mahindra also offers a top-of-the-line diesel automatic variant, the Z8 L, priced at Rs 23.90 lakh ex-showroom.
Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara
Moving on to all-wheel-drive SUVs, the most accessible one is the new Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, which needs no introduction at all. We have seen all aspects of this SUV, including its leaked pricing, how it compares with the Hyundai Creta, how it fares against the Kia Seltos, and the difference between the Mild and Strong hybrid versions.
The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara AWD is offered in a single top-spec Alpha variant with a Mild Hybrid engine, priced at Rs 15.50 lakh, ex-showroom. Maruti Suzuki will launch the new Grand Vitara around the upcoming festive season and the SUV has garnered numerous bookings already.
Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder
The last contender to make the list of top 5 affordable 4WD and AWD vehicles in India is the Grand Vitara’s Toyota twin, the Urban Cruiser Hyryder. The Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, similar to the Grand Vitara is offered with Strong and Mild Hybrid engine options and one of the Variants is an AWD trim.
Toyota is yet to announce the prices of the new Hyryder in India and we can expect them to be similar to the Grand Vitara, albeit a tad bit more expensive. The Grand Vitara and the Hyryder share numerous things in common, as well as some differences.