Carmakers have been seeing green in their ledgers for some months now; and like we’ve been telling you, the coming year is going to see a number of launches at various times and in varying price brackets. We started off with upcoming hatchbacks and then informed you of the imminent sedan launches. This time around are SUVs and MPVs that will be launching in the nearest future. Scroll down to know when and by how much is your next car likely to set you back, that is in case you plan on purchasing one!
Maruti YBA compact SUV
Maruti’s EcoSport rival is all set to hit showrooms in 2015. This all-new compact SUV, codename YBA will be less than four meteres long and will come with heavily stylized and muscular exteriors. The overall look of this compact SUV will be based heavily on the Suzuki iV-4 concept SUV shown earlier. We expect the Maruti YBA crossover will have to pack in a lot of equipment to seriously take on the EcoSport, so here too, expect a lot of equipment. Our sources tell us that Maruti may unveil the production version of this all-new compact SUV at the Auto Expo 2016 and it could be called Maruti iV4. Read full story here.
Factfile
Coming: End 2015
Est price: Rs 7.5-10 lakh
Engine(s): 1.2 petrol, 1.5 diesel
Rivals: Ford EcoSport, Fiat Avventura
Hyundai ix25
Hyundai wants to cash in on the SUV craze in India and will launch its compact SUV next year. Shown in concept form earlier this year, it is similar in size to the Renault Duster and looks quite neat. However, interestingly, the car won’t be called the ix25 when it comes here, and will get a conventional name instead. This is because Hyundai doesn’t want buyers to mix it up with the i20, which is seen as a class lower in India. The face has sharp headlamps that complement its distinct chrome grille. Other interesting design elements include the upward rising window line and wraparound tail-lamps. The car is expected to use the same engines as the Verna – 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engines. Gearboxes are likely to mirror the Verna as well, with five-speed and six-speed manuals along with a new five-speed automatic as an option. More details here.
Factfile
Coming: Mid 2015
Est price:Rs 10 lakh
Engine(s): 1.6 petrol, 1.6 diesel
Rivals: Renault Duster, Nissan Terrano
Maruti S-Cross
Maruti’s attempts at selling premium models, like the Kizashi and Grand Vitara, have never been successful in India. Now, the company is looking at slowly crawling its way up the ladder, segment by segment, and after the Ciaz, the next car in line is the S-Cross. Shown to the Indian public at this year’s Auto Expo, you can tell by looking at it that it’s more of a large, high-riding crossover hatchback than a proper SUV. In fact, the rather tame styling is one of its weak points. However, it makes up for that by being very spacious on the inside, pretty well-equipped and quite practical. Power comes from 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engines mated to manual gearboxes. Its big trump card, however, will be its all-wheel-drive system that actually gives it decent off-roading ability. Speaking of its rivals, it will go up against the likes of the Mahindra XUV500, Renault Duster and Nissan Terrano, at an estimated price of Rs 13-14 lakh. Read full review.
Factfile
Coming: March 2015
Est price: Rs 13-14 lakh
Engine(s): 1.6 petrol, 1.6 diesel
Rivals: Mahindra XUV500, Renault Duster AWD