The automobile industry is highly capital-intensive, and developing a car from the ground up can take considerable time. By sharing features, powertrains and more, brands can cut costs and even benefit from economies of scale. And when the partnership clicks, badge engineering works just fine. Listed below are the popular badge-swap models under Rs 30 lakh in India.
Nissan Magnite, Renault Kiger
Rs 5.65 lakh-10.96 lakh, Rs 5.81 lakh-10.35 lakh
Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Taigun
Rs 10.69 lakh-18.99 lakh, Rs 11 lakh-19.30 lakh
Skoda Slavia, Volkswagen Virtus
Rs 12.89 lakh-18.19 lakh, Rs 10.71 lakh-19.20 lakh
Standing out as the only sedan pair on this list, the Skoda Slavia and Volkswagen Virtus get the same powertrain setups as the Kushaq and Taigun SUVs, respectively. This also means there isn’t a single mass-market diesel sedan on sale right now, as even rivals like the Honda City and Hyundai Verna are offered only with petrol engines.
Maruti Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder
Rs 10.77 lakh-19.72 lakh, Rs 11.31 lakh-20.19 lakh
Renault Duster, Nissan Tekton
Rs 10.49 lakh-18.49 lakh, Rs 10.49 lakh-18.59 lakh
The Renault Duster and its badge-engineered sibling, the Nissan Tekton, compete in the midsize SUV segment. 100hp 1-litre and 163hp 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine options, along with their respective manual and automatic gearbox choices, are on offer with both the SUVs. However, the 160hp 1.8-litre strong-hybrid powertrain set to be offered with the Duster by Diwali will not be made available with the Tekton.
Maruti e Vitara, Toyota Ebella
Rs 15.99 lakh-19.99 lakh, Rs 23.60 lakh
The Maruti e Vitara and its badge-engineered sibling, the Toyota Ebella, are the only electric SUVs on this list. They also mark the first all-electric models from their respective brands in India. The e Vitara is available with two battery-and motor-options: a 48.8kWh battery paired with a 144hp motor, and a 61.1kWh battery paired with a 174hp motor. The Ebella, however, is offered only with the larger 61.1kWh battery and 174hp motor.
Toyota Innova Hycross, Maruti Invicto
Rs 19.53 lakh-32.95 lakh*, Rs 24.97 lakh-28.7 lakh
*Some variants cost more than Rs 30 lakh.
Maruti Baleno, Toyota Glanza
Rs 5.99 lakh-9.17 lakh, Rs 6.73 lakh-9.99 lakh
Renault Triber, Nissan Gravite
Rs 5.81 lakh-8.48 lakh, Rs 5.73 lakh-9.08 lakh
The Renault Triber and the Nissan Gravite are built on the same CMF-A+ platform, and apart from minor cosmetic differences to the lights, grille, bumpers and wheels, there's very little to visually distinguish one from the other. Like the Kiger and the Magnite, the MPV twins use a 1-litre three-cylinder NA petrol engine, producing identical outputs of 72hp and 96Nm. The Triber can be retrofitted with a CNG kit, and the Gravite is set to offer the same soon.
Maruti Fronx, Toyota Taisor
Rs 6.85 lakh-11.98 lakh, Rs 7.43 lakh-12.78 lakh
Maruti Ertiga, Toyota Rumion
Rs 8.85 lakh-12.99 lakh, Rs 9.79 lakh-14.21 lakh
Dipan Sur
Saptarshi Mondal
