Small SUVs in Indian market

In India the demand for small SUVs are on the rise because of their lesser initial cost and decent fuel efficiencies. A compact SUV can be used for daily commuting through the congested city roads and also for long travels as these vehicles have good ground clearances and cargo capacities. There are many compact utility vehicles available in India produced by different auto makers.

Premier Rio is the cheapest SUV available in the Indian market. Launched in 2009 the Rio is available in 5 diesel and 3 petrol versions. They are priced between Rupees 4.71 lakh and 6.70 lakh. The features of the Rio include body coloured bumpers, internally adjustable ORVMs, tinted glasses, a pair of fog lamps, a manual AC, ABS and EBD. The 1173 cc volume, 75 bhp petrol engines give mileages of16 kmpl and the 1248 cc, 72 bhp diesel engines 23.75 kmpl. The 3970 mm long Rio has a ground clearance of 200 mm.

The Ford EcoSport launched in 2013 is available in 6 petrol and 4 diesel variants priced Rupees 5.69 to 9.16 lakh. The petrol versions use 1000 cc, 118 bhp or 1500 cc, 108 bhp engines with 15.8 to18.9 kmpl. The diesel ones use 1500 cc, 90 bhp engines with 22.7 kmpl. The features of the EcoSport include body coloured bumpers with sharp fog lights, ORVMs fitted with turn indicators, a rear spoiler giving a sporty look and a pair of rear reflectors. The cabin has a powerful music system with CD player, FM radio, USB port and blue tooth connectivity, an automatic climate control system, a new feature SYNC system with an LCD screen and controls which alerts in case of emergencies, ABS, EBD, six air bags and rear parking sensors among others.

The Renault Duster is another popular SUV priced from Rupees 7.86 to 12.99 lakh. The 12 diesel variants use 1461 cc, 108 bhp engines giving mileages of 19.01 to 20.45 kmpl. The 2 petrol variants use 1598 cc engines with mileages of 13.24 kmpl. The 4315 mm long Duster has a ground clearance of 210 mm and a big boot of 475 litres. The features of the Duster include a 2 Din music system with AM/FM radio, Bluetooth connectivity for audio controls and telephony, an auto AC, ABS, EBD and two airbags for front passengers.

The Mahindra Scorpio priced from Rupees 7.86 to 12.99 lakh, the Skoda Yeti priced around 20 lakh and the Nissan Terrano priced from Rupees 9.63 to 12.56 lakh are slightly longer SUVs with 17 to 20 kmpl mileages.  Few more small SUVs like the Maruti Suzuki XA Alpha, Honda Vezel, Volkswagen Taigun and the Toyota Avanza are expected to be launched in 2014-15.

For Information on Tata Upcoming car Tata Bolt - http://autoportal.com/newcars/tata/bolt-2014/