India seems to be ready to accept the concept of owning an SUV! The year 2014 is all set to release a long line of SUV cars for the Indian consumers. Some of the cars are expected to be unveiled at the 2014 Auto Expo event in Delhi next month, whereas the rest may be unveiled sometime during the year.
The car that shall steal the show for Maruti Suzuki during the Auto Expo 2014, would be the much awaited XA Alpha. As per sources, the car shall be powered by a 1.5 litre diesel engine. It is also said that the diesel engine has been developed by Suzuki and the current line featuring Fiat's Multijet technology may be put to rest. The car is aimed to give the compact SUV segment that was ruled by International brands such as Ford, Hyundai and Toyota a tough competition. For now, the car shall be available in diesel version, but a petrol version can be expected down the line. Reports also state that Suzuki is also developing a variety of engines, namely 0.8-litre, 1.2-litre and 1.4-litre, for WagonR, Ritz, Swift, and Ertiga to entice the audience. It is also worth noting that this would be the first SUV attempt from Maruti to venture into this segment.
The Volkswagen Taigun is all geared-up to go head to head against some of the upcoming SUVs in the market. The SUV is expected to be powered by 1.0-litre 3-cylinder TSI petrol engine and it generates a good 110PS of power with 175Nm of torque. The diesel version may feature a 1.4litre, 3 cylinder engine. The Taigun features turbo chargers and direct injection technology to deliver an impressive fuel efficiency of 21 kmpl in Petrol, whereas the Diesel version is said to be more fuel efficient. Moreover, the car claims to reach a top speed of 185 kmpl in just under 9.2 seconds. This is a special feat for an SUV that weighs around 985 kgs! It is anticipated that the car will be 3.86 metre long and 1.43 meter wide in dimensions. Official specifications for the car is yet to be received and shall only be declared when the car is launched.
Hyundai, the Korean Automaker has tasted success with its hatchback and sedans, but things seemed to be just a little off-beaten for its SUV 'Santa Fe' in the Indian market. As per reports, the new version imbibes a Fluidic-derived Storm edge design philosophy. The SUV shall be powered by the same 2.2 litre diesel engine that produces an impressive 194 bhp with a torque output of 436 Nm. Two-wheel drive/Four-wheel drive pattern shall be available with an option to choose from Automatic transmission or Manual Transmission.
Honda Vezel, the new crossover SUV is said to be based on the Jazz platform. The 2013 Tokyo motor show marked Honda Vezel's entry into rapidly expanding and highly competitive compact crossover market. The car is powered by a 1.5 litre i-VTECH petrol engine that efficiently produces approx 116 Bhp power and 164 Nm of torque. The diesel version borrows the 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine from the Amaze sedan and this engine engine produces raw power of up-to 98 bhp and 200Nm of torque. Both the petrol and diesel engine variants in the Honda Vezel are mated with 5-speed manual and five-speed automatic. Rear door handles are also hidden and is similar in fashion to the existing Chevrolet Beat, this pattern is the first to be used in its Honda line. The designing is unique with smooth curves flowing from the roof to its boot door. The sides feature aerodynamic lines with horizontal tail lamps which extend from the sides into the door much like the Ford EcoSport model.
An MPV named 'Datsun Go+' by Nissan is ready to be showcased in the Auto Expo 2014. The Datsun GO+ is expected to compete against Ertiga from Maruti Suzuki production line and the Mahindra Quanto. As per reports, GO+ shall be powered by Nissan’s 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine which generates about 68 PS of power and 104 Nm of peak torque. The MPV shall be mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Moreover, overall kerb weight of the car is a good 794 kgs that makes it faster and efficient than the rest in this segment. Furthermore, it is also one of the lightest MPVs that has been put up for sale in India. There are certain excise duty benefits that come with cars in the sub-4m bracket, and Datsun Go+ powered by a 1.2 litre engine, and an overall length of 3995 mm makes it befitting in this category. The pricing for this MPV shall also be well within the competitive range to draw a swarm of interested buyers.
As per sources, the Indian car manufacturer Mahindra plans to unveil its face-lifted version of Scorpio sometime in the middle of 2014. The changes are expected to be purely cosmetic in nature and the engine shall be retained with the existing line of 2.2 litre M-Hawk turbo diesel engine. It is anticipated that the power and torque figures could be increased from 120 bhp and 290 Nm of torque to 140 bhp and 330 Nm of torque.
