The sub-4 metre SUV segment is one of the most competitive divisions in the Indian automobile market. All the companies are vying to get a bigger slice of the pie and after the launch of the Tata Nexon facelift, the Indian car maker has taken pole position and is leading the pack. Here are the most powerful SUVs powered by a turbo petrol engine.
Most powerful compact SUVs: Tata Nexon
The 2023 Nexon completely changed the game, which comes with a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder turbo petrol. The Tata compact SUV has an output of 118bhp and 172Nm. The Nexon facelift offers the most comprehensive choices of transmissions starting from a 5-speed manual, 6-speed AMT, 6-speed manual and a 7-speed dual-clutch. The Nexon is available in four variants — Smart, Pure, Creative and Fearless.
Price: Rs 8.15 lakh – Rs 14.80 lakh (Ex-showroom Delhi)
Most powerful compact SUVs: Mahindra XUV300
Mahindra XUV300 has the most powerful turbo petrol engine that could put to shame some mid-size SUVs. The 1.2-litre 3-cylinder turbo TGDi petrol engine produces 128bhp and churns out a class-leading 230Nm of torque. The XUV300 is available with a single 6-speed manual transmission.
Price: Rs 9.30 lakh – Rs 13.15 lakh, ex-showroom
Most powerful compact SUVs: Hyundai Venue / Kia Sonet
Both the South Korean manufacturers, Hyundai and Kia, share the powertrains. Hence, we decided to club the Venue and Sonet together. Both the compact SUVs get the 1-litre 3-cylinder turbo petrol with 118bhp and 172Nm. The Hyundai SUV offers a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Kia, on the other hand, decided to skip the manual and comes with a 6-speed clutchless stick drive and the same automatic gearbox.
Price: (Ex-showroom Delhi)
Hyundai Venue: Rs 10.40 lakh – Rs 13.38 lakh
Kia Sonet: Rs 10.49 lakh – Rs 14.69 lakh
Most powerful compact SUVs: Renault Kiger / Nissan Magnite
Like the Sonet and the Venue, the Renault and the Nissan compact SUVs share the same powertrain. The Kiger and the Magnite are powered by a 1-litre 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine with 99bhp. They come in two transmission options, the 5-speed manual and CVT automatic. The former trim churns out 160Nm while the latter 152Nm of torque.
Price: (Ex-showroom)
Renault Kiger: Rs 9.30 lakh – Rs 11.23 lakh
Nissan Magnite: Rs 9.19 lakh – Rs 10.91 lakh
Most powerful compact SUVs: Maruti Suzuki Fronx
Ever since its launch last year, the Fronx catapulted Maruti Suzuki’s SUV sales. The Coupe SUV sold 1 lakh units in only ten months, which made it the fastest vehicle to achieve this landmark figure in any segment of the Indian market. Maruti Suzuki brought back the 1-litre turbo petrol with 99bhp and 147.6Nm of torque. It has two transmission options, a 5-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic.
Price: Rs 10.56 lakh – Rs 12.88 lakh (Ex-showroom Delhi)
