India’s love affair with SUVs is going from strength to strength and more of these utility vehicles will be hitting the streets by the time the year gets over. But what about 2019? Will carmakers continue to give us more SUV options to choose from? The answer is a rather emphatic, Yes! With two new brands in the form of Kia and MG arriving next year, 2019 will see more SUVs arriving on our roads. So let’s take a look at 10 SUVs we can expect in our garages in 2019.
1) Tata Harrier
The Tata Harrier is the production-spec version of Tata’s stunning H5X concept from this year’s Auto Expo. Built on Tata’s new OMEGA architecture, which is a reworked version of Land Rover’s LS550 platform, the new Tata Harrier will take on the likes of the Toyota Fortuner, Mahindra’s upcoming XUV700 and the Ford Endeavour. The new Tata Harrier will draw power from Fiat’s 2.0-litre Multijet engine that powers the Jeep Compass and will use a Hyundai 6-speed automatic gearbox along with a regular manual transmission and both 4×2 and 4×4 options. The Tata Harrier will arrive on Indian roads in January 2019 with prices expected to be around the Rs 20-25 lakh region.
2) Tata H7X
The Tata H7X will basically be a larger version of the Harrier SUV with an extra row of seats at the rear to bring the passenger count up to 7. The new H7X will use the same powertrain options as the Harrier and will be packed with all the goodies found inside the Harrier, including hopefully the large infotainment display seen on the H5X concept. Expected launch date for the H7X will be at least a few months after the Harrier’s arrival and will be priced slightly more than the regular Harrier.
3) Hyundai Carlino
Hyundai revealed the Carlino concept at the Auto Expo 2016 and the production spec-SUV is currently being put through its paces ahead of its launch. The Carlino based-production SUV is expected to arrive in 2019 and will butt heads with the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and the Ford EcoSport with prices expected to start at around Rs 7.5 lakhs.
4) Hyundai Kona
The Hyundai Kona was showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo and the new SUV with its aggressive design will surely attract eyeballs wherever it goes. In India, the Kona will be a premium offering from Hyundai and will sit between the Creta and the Tucson when it arrives in late 2019 with prices expected to start at around Rs 13 lakhs.
5) Kia SP Concept SUV
Kia, the premium brand of Hyundai, made its debut in India at the 2018 Auto Expo. The Korean carmaker will initially bring 4 vehicles into India, with the production version of the SP concept, seen at the Auto Expo, set to be the first car in India to bear the Kia badge. The production-spec version of the SP Concept is expected to borrow its drivetrain and underpinnings from the Hyundai Creta, but will feature more premium interiors and an aggressive look. Expect prices to start at around Rs 12 lakhs.
6) Mahindra S202
Mahindra is expected to launch the SUV, codenamed the S201, in India this year. Both the S201 and the S202 are based on the Ssangyong Tivoli, with the S201 being shorter in size to squeeze under the 4-metre mark. The S202 will basically be a rebadged Tivoli with 7 seats, along with Mahindra’s design cues and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. The S202 is expected to arrive in the first half of 2019 with a starting price tag of around Rs 9 lakhs.
7) Nissan Kicks
Nissan is bringing its kicks SUV, first seen before the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, to India next year to take on the Hyundai Creta. However, unlike the global variant of the Kicks, the India-spec version of the Kicks will sit on the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s B0 platform that also underpins the Terrano and the Renault Captur & Duster, which will help up the space levels inside. The Kicks is expected to arrive by the middle of 2019 with 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engines and will command an asking price starting somewhere around the Rs 10 lakh mark.
8) Skoda Karoq
Skoda’s replacement for the quirky Yeti has been a success for the Czech brand in international markets and it looks similar to the larger Kodiaq SUV currently on sale in India. The Karoq is expected to arrive in India sometime in 2019 and could arrive in both petrol and diesel guises and like the Kodiaq, is expected to come jam-packed with features. We expect the Karoq to start at around Rs 19-20 lakhs, as the SUV will be imported into India from Europe.
9) Renault Duster
The second-gen Renault Duster was revealed at last year’s Paris Auto Show. However, despite the SUV’s popularity, Renault seemingly have pushed the new generation’s launch to 2019, with reports suggesting that the French carmaker doesn’t want the Duster to eat up Captur’s sales. With its upgrades and host of features, the new Renault Duster is quite an upgrade over the current SUV. Hopefully, it will be worth the wait when it arrives sometime in 2019 with prices set to start at around 9 lakhs.
10) MG ZS
British brand MG, which is now owned by Chinese Automaker SAIC, is expected to arrive in India in the first quarter of 2019. MG will be debuting in India with its ZS SUV which is already on sale in international markets like the UK and Australia. The ZS will be built at SAIC’s assembly plant in Halol, Gujarat, to help keep prices down. The MG ZS will rival the Hyundai Creta in India and is expected to be priced at around Rs 12 lakh.
Here is a deeper look into the MG ZS
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