New cars for 2016: Upcoming SUVs and MPVs

Also read: A complete guide to new car launches in India

We are well into 2016 and there have been quite a few new SUV launches in India already. There are many more new SUVs to come and these range from mainstream models like the Tata Nexon and Hexa and hyundai Tucson to more premium offerings such as the Range Rover Evoque convertible and the Jaguar F-Pace. Featured here are the SUVs and MPVs expected to head to our shores soon.

New Hyundai Tucson
Thanks to the runaway success of the Creta, Hyundai looks keen on bringing the Tucson badge back to India after skipping a generation. Revealed at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, the new, bigger Tucson slots neatly between the Creta and Santa Fe. The five-seat Honda CR-V rival gets a suite of high-tech engines overseas, including a turbocharged 1.6-litre direct injection petrol engine and 2.0-litre petrol and diesel motors. Gearboxes include a six-speed manual and auto, and a seven-speed dual-clutch option. And yes, AWD is optional too, but it remains to be seen which configuration Hyundai brings to India.

Coming: September 2016
Est price: From 18 lakh
Engine(s): 1.6 P, 2.0 P, 2.0 D
Rivals: Honda CR-V, Skoda Yeti

Hyundai Tucson photo gallery
Hyundai Tucson India launch likely in September

Tata Hexa
The Aria, Tata’s ambitious bid at a properly premium offering, and a very capable car in its own right, was let down by its MPV looks and tad-too-premium pricing. With the Hexa, Tata has gone a long way to make the car look and feel more appealing. It’s been given a thorough design overhaul, with a rugged exterior that lets it look more like a crossover this time around. Add to that the Land Rover-like Multi-Drive mode selection system, improved overall quality and refinement, improved infotainment, or the all new engine – a 154bhp, 2.2-litre VariCor unit, and you get a significantly improved package. The price will, undoubtedly, remain on the high side, but then so is the desirability level.

Coming: 2016
Est price: Rs 11-17 lakh
Engine(s): 2.2 D
Rivals: Toyota Innova, Mahindra XUV500

Tata Hexa first look video
Tata Hexa photo gallery

Jaguar F-pace

Launched at the 2016 Frankfurt Auto Show, the F-Pace marks Jaguar’s first entry into the SUV segment. Strictly speaking, it’s an all-aluminium crossover, and it’s meant to be driven on the road, not off it. The F-Pace borrows the F-type’s 3.0-litre supercharged V6 that is tuned to produce 335bhp or 375bhp, mated to an eight-speed gearbox. Or if you want to be a bit sensible, you can have either a 2.0 or 3.0-litre diesel. You’d think Jaguar didn’t need an SUV when its sister company Land Rover makes nothing but SUVs. But here it is, and it somehow seems just right.

Coming: End 2016
Est price: Rs 65-70 lakh
Engine(s): 3.0 P, 2.0 D, 3.0 D
Rivals: Porsche Macan, BMW X5

Tata Nexon
The Tata Nexon concept from the 2014 Auto Expo is likely to see production by the end of 2016. The sub-four-metre compact SUV will aim straight for the Ford EcoSport which has ruled the roost for quite some time now. The Nexon will be based on a slightly modified X1 platform, which also underpins the Bolt and Zest. Powering the car will be Tata’s new 1.5-litre diesel engine with 110bhp alongside a 1.2-litre petrol motor. Will Tata actually retain the concept’s design cues? Only time will tell.

Tata Nexon compact SUV photo gallery
Tata Nexon first look video