Creta Archives

These days, SUVs are the talk of the town. Be it an entry-level vehicle like the S-Presso or the top-end Mercedes-Benz Maybach GLS, every car buyer out there today is looking at an SUV. Of course, some of the main reasons for choosing such a car include taller driving position, greater ground clearance and overall good stance of the vehicle. Hence, for Indian buyers looking at purchasing a new SUV in the new year, we have compiled a list of SUVs and Crossovers coming to India in 2023. Maruti Suzuki YTB: First up is the Baleno-based crossover coupe. Maruti is planning to launch this at the 2023 Auto Expo. In terms of design, the front fascia could be based on the Grand Vitara and come with a split headlamp. It will get a coupe-like side profile as well. Certain design cues are expected to be borrowed from the Baleno and the Brezza. Maruti is likely to plonk the 1.0-litre turbocharged 3-cylinder petrol engine in the YTB. This engine first debuted with the Baleno RS. It could come with mild-hybrid technology. In terms of pricing, Maruti could position this vehicle in the INR 8-11 lakh price bracket. It is likely to be sold via the Nexa outlets. Source Lexus RX: The 2023 Lexus RX has been revealed and slated for an Indian launch in the first month of the new year. In terms of design, the RX gets Lexus’ Next Chapter design language. In terms of specifications, the wheelbase is now longer by 6 mm and the roofline is 10 mm lower. On the inside the car gets a 14-inch touchscreen system with wireless charging as standard. While the car gets wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto is wired. For upholstery material, Lexus will offer the vegan synthetic leather on the RX. In India, we are expected to get the RX 350h trim with a 2.5-litre, 250 HP engine with strong hybrid powertrain. It is paired with an 18.1 kWh battery. The Lexus RX will head against the likes of the BMW X5 and could be priced at INR 1.2 crore. Force Motors Gurkha 5-door: Force is planning to launch the 5-door Gurkha early next year. The SUV will share most of its parts with the 3-door sibling, but the extra row of seats will improve the practicality of the off-roader. Force will offer both captain seats and bench seat options for the second row while the third row could come with jump seats. Additionally, the new 5-door Gurkha will get a 400 mm longer wheelbase to accommodate the extra row of seats. It will be offered with the same 2.6-litre Mercedes-sourced diesel engine and a 5-speed gearbox. While 4x4 is standard on the regular Gurkha, reports say the 5-door version could be offered with 4x2 drivetrain as well. Expect the 5-door Gurkha to be priced around INR 15 lakhs. Source MG Hector facelift: The Hector facelift will come with a new front end, revised bumpers and a diamond mesh grill. While overall it will remain the same, save for these minor changes, the main talking point is the ADAS tech. The Hector will get ADAS features like auto braking, adaptive cruise control, lane assist amongst others. For this, it will get a radar unit in the front bumper, with additional sensors and cameras in the windshield. On the inside, the car will get a large 14-inch touchscreen infotainment unit with new horizontal AC vents. In terms of engines, MG is likely to offer the same engine and transmission options as before. These include a 1.5-litre turbo petrol, a mild hybrid version of the 1.5-litre petrol and a 2.0-litre diesel engine. The petrol motor puts out 143 PS and 250 Nm of peak torque, while the 2.0-litre diesel engine churns out 170 PS and 350 Nm of torque. Expect a price bracket of INR 15-20 lakh for the Hector facelift. It will be launched sometime in early 2023. Source Land Rover Defender 130: While we already have the Land Rover Defender on sale in India, this new version is the longest Defender on sale. The Defender 130 stretches the existing SUV by over 340 mm behind the rear axle. While it gets five seats as standard, owners can configure the car with up to eight seats. Visually, it looks similar to other Defenders except for the extra length at the back. On the inside, it gets the larger 11.4-inch curved touchscreen system and new oak veneer trim and tan leather seat options. Mechanically, the Defender 130 comes with air suspension as standard. This gives the SUV 430 mm of articulation and 900 mm of water wading depth. Land Rover will launch the car in early 2023 with a price hovering around the INR 1.35 crore mark. Also expect both petrol and diesel engine options on this version of the Defender. Mercedes Benz GLC: Mercedes-Benz will be launching the 2nd-gen GLC in India sometime in early 2023. The car is slightly bigger than the outgoing version and comes with a bigger grille, new design headlamps and sleek tail lamps. On the inside, the SUV shares design elements borrowed from the C-class. The GLC gets a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 11.9-inch portrait layout infotainment screen and new AC vents. It also comes equipped with a head-up display, panoramic sunroof and a Burmester sound system with 15 speakers. Mercedes-Benz offers a choice of two petrol and one diesel engine globally. All these are equipped with a 48V mild-hybrid system. Optionally, buyers can also configure them as plug-in hybrids with an all-electric range of 120 km. Mercedes could have the GLC on sale with a starting price of INR 65 lakh. Honda midsize SUV: Launching in April 2023, the Honda’s SUV is targeting the segment of Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. This SUV is expected to be around 4.2 meters long and will be a five seater. Thanks to Honda’s packaging, the SUV will have a good amount of cargo space as well. While much details are not yet known, the car could be powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol hybrid engine. There will be no diesel offering on sale. We can expect the SUV to be priced around INR 16 lakh. Hyundai micro SUV: The Tata Punch rival will be coming in May 2023. While the name is not yet known, the car is codenamed as Ai3 CUV. Here, CUV stands for compact utility vehicle. Based on the Grand i10 Nios platform, Hyundai could offer the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine on this entry level car. As it is a small car, Hyundai could also offer a factory-fitted CNG option to appeal to a larger crowd. Hyundai is expected to position this SUV between the Grand i10 Nios and the Venue in the carmaker’s lineup. It could be priced around INR 7 lakh. Hyundai Creta facelift: Also expected in mid 2023 is the popular Hyundai Creta Fcelift. The car was showcased at the Indonesian GIIAS 2021. It will get Tucson-inspired front fascia with a new Panametric grille, LED daytime running lights and new design headlamps. The car will get a larger 10.25-inch digital cluster and ADAS tech. ADAS features could include the likes of lane departure warning, lane keep assist, forward collision mitigation, driver attention monitoring, rear cross-traffic assistance and adaptive cruise control amongst others. Engine options are likely to remain the same and the Creta facelift could fall in the INR 11-19 lakh price bracket. Kia Seltos facelift: Not to be left behind Hyundai, sibling Kia will also be introducing its popular SUV Seltos’ facelift version by mid 2023/ It will get new bonnet design, headlamps and new alloy wheels. Unlike Creta which has a revamped fascia, the Seltos gets major changes at the back. These include a new tail lamp, revised bumper design and a faux skid plate. Interiors too will get new upholstery and cosmetic updates to the dash. In terms of features, ADAS is also likely on the cards. Kia will be offering a new infotainment touchscreen system along with revamped AC controls. Like the Creta, Kia will retain engine options and the car will sit in the INR 12-20 lakh price range. Tata Harrier facelift: Tata’s Harrier facelift will be coming by mid 2023. The popular SUV has been on sale since 2019 without much changes. Tata kept the car in the news by offering various limited edition models, but the SUV is due for a facelift. Tata could add a larger touch screen along with new features like a 360-degree camera, ADAS tech, new headlamp and tail light designs, and new alloy wheels. With a diesel-only portfolio, Tata Harrier is losing customers who prefer a petrol engine. Hence Tata is also working on a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine to power the Harrier. However, it is not yet known if the engine will make its way to the facelift. In terms of price, the Harrier facelift could be priced from INR 16 lakh to INR 25 lakh. Source Nissan X-trail: The Nissan X-Trail has been a popular car in India. Nissan sold the first two generations of the SUV but the third generation was never offered. Now, it is believed that the fourth-gen Nissan X-Trail might make its way to our shores by mid 2023. Available in a petrol only guise, the X-Trail will boast features like a 12.3-inch digital cluster, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, ADAS technology and a 360-degree camera. In terms of powertrain, Nissan will offer two 1.5-litre petrol engines - a turbo petrol with mild hybrid or a ePower variant with a range extender technology. The Nissan X-Trail could be positioned around the INR 40 lakh price point. Maruti Suzuki Jimny: The Jimny has been the most anticipated SUV from the Maruti stable for the next year. Slated for August 2023, the Jimny will be launched in a 5-door guise. The five-door version will be global first for the small SUV and post it’s launch in India will make its way to other international markets. The SUV will get a 1.5-litre petrol engine paired with a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic. It will also come with Suzuki’s allGrip Pro all-wheel drive technology with a low-ratio gearbox. As this is a 5-door version, expect Maruti to price the car at around INR 14 lakh. Source Bentley Bentayga EWB: The flagship Bentayga EWB (Extended Wheelbase) is the premium-most Bently so far. It gets an elongated cabin that liberates more seating for the rear occupants. Expect the car to come by late 2023. It will be powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 producing 550 HP and 770 Nm of torque. This engine can propel the Bentayga from 0-100 km/h in just 4.6 seconds accelerating all the way to a top speed of 290 km/h. Bently will expect top Rupee for this SUV and the asking price could start at INR 5 crore even before options. BMW X1: The new X1 is slightly larger than the outgoing car and now comes with large chrome kidney grilles, slim headlamps and L-shaped LED DRLs. It gets meatier wheel arches and flush-fitting door handles. On the inside, the new X1 gets a 10.7-inch touchscreen infotainment unit with iDrive 8, a 10.25-inch driver information display and new seats. In terms of engine options, the new X1 comes with a 1.5 and 2.0-litre petrol and a 2.0-litre diesel. All these get 48V mild hybrid tech with the higher end version coming with standard all-wheel-drive system. BMW could price the new X1 around INR 45-50 lakh. Citroen C3 7-seater: The 7-seater version of the C3 could be dubbed as the C3 Aircross, C3 Plus or C3 Sport Tourer. It could come with larger 16-inch wheels, black cladding and a higher ground clearance. The 7-seat Citroen C3 will rival the likes of the Renault Triber. On the engine front, the 7-seat C3 will have the same powertrain as the standard C3 – a 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine. This engine is paired to a 6-speed gearbox. Citroen could price it around INR 10 lakh. Source Tata Safari facelift: Like the Harrier, the Safari could too get the same updates. Key ones include a larger touchscreen, ADAS tech, 360-degree camera and others. Expect a late 2023 arrival for the Safari with a price of around INR 18-26 lakh. Also Read - Toyota launches new Innova HyCross in India at INR 18.30 lakh.