The Indian automobile sector is going through a paradigm shifting phase, as the demand for diesel driven vehicles has sky rocketed among car enthusiasts of the country in last one year. Evidently, both new and well established auto majors introduced several appealing and aggressively priced utility vehicles this year on Indian turf. It also helped them in capturing the imagination of a previously unforeseen domestic diesel loving audience. The demand was always present due to the government's subsidy on diesel fuel, but high maintenance and noisy characteristics of diesel models refrained Indian consumers from investing in them.
The rapid emergence of utility vehicle in every price bracket has ensured a highly intense competition in the Indian auto market. For instance, Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) Limited, the country's leading utility vehicle manufacturer, already has its 3 models in the sub Rs. 8 lacs segment, comprising Bolero Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), Scorpio SUV and Quanto compact SUV. Tata Motors is M&M's most fierce competitor in the country and has its Sumo Gold competing in the sub Rs. 8 lacs category. Not just Indians, several international auto majors have also lined up their own SUVs, such as Renault and General Motors' Chevrolet Tavera.
The cheapest SUV option available is Tata Sumo Gold, which comes from the stables of Tata Motors, at price bracket starting from Rs. 5.5 lacs to Rs. 7.20 lacs in the country. The Tata Sumo brand had been an Indian favourite at its prime, but its sales fell gradually with the rampant emergence of M&M models over the last decade. At present, the Mahindra Bolero SUV competes against Sumo Gold and is available within a retail price bracket between Rs. 5.65 lacs and Rs. 7.20 lacs. Further, the Chevrolet Tavera is also an interesting option in SUV segment of the Indian auto market and is offered to domestic consumers within Rs. 7.1 lacs and Rs. 11 lacs. Accordingly, pick of the three SUVs is definitely Mahindra Bolero with its neat pricing along with best-in-segment engine and power performance. Further, Bolero has the most sturdy build and robust engine, along with solid backing of M&M brand name.
Coming to the compact SUVs currently plying on Indian roads, there are two products fighting for class and segment domination – Mahindra Quanto and Renault Duster. Following on remarkable success of Duster in the country, M&M introduced its smallest utility vehicle in September 2012. It is dedicated at Indian consumers looking for a small sized but strong vehicle, and the compact SUVs provided the answer. Although not as highly priced as Duster, the Quanto is available in domestic market between Rs. 6 lacs and Rs. 7.6 lacs and looks a better option considering the needs and requirements of average Indian consumers.
