Today all over the world, SUVs have taken over peoples mind and India is no exception to that. Being the 4th largest automobile market, almost all car manufacturers in India have one or two SUVs in their portfolio. Looking at the road condition in India, owning an SUV seems more practical over a sedan or hatchback. Good ground clearance, high seating position, rough and tough suspension, go-anywhere abilities are the USPS because of which SUVs are being more preferred in India. In India, SUV range begins with the compact SUV segment which has SUVs like Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, Hyundai Venue, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Ford Ecosport. These compact SUVs are followed by midsize SUVs like Hyundai Creta, KIA Seltos, Tata harrier, MG Hector, Renault Duster, Nissan kicks, Mahindra Scorpio, Tata Safari, Mahindra XUV500, Jeep Compass. Then there are bigger SUVs such as Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavor, Mahindra Alturas G4 and Skoda Kodiaq. There are even more SUVs from luxury brands like BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, Land Rover, Audi etc on which we will take some other day.
Today in this talk I will be talking about the midsize SUVs as this segment is more crowded creating a lot of confusion among the buyers. there are as many as 10-11 SUVs that come under the midsize SUV segment. The price range that this midsize SUVs cover is large. The cheapest SUV available starts 9 lakhs onwards and the most expensive SUV of the segment costs around 30 lakhs. Starting with the most affordable SUV-
1) Renault Duster-Launched way back in 2012, the Duster was originally offered with both 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engines. Duster was a very capable off-road SUV, thanks to its AWD system. Its 205mm ground clearance helped the SUV to manage worst of worst roads. The suspension tuning of this SUV was one of the best, it could handle even big potholes with ease. Later the Duster was also available with AMT and CVT gearboxes. However, the sales of the Duster never reached the expected scales. Lack of features was the main reason for the negligence of customers towards this capable SUV. Following the BS6 emission norms,
Renault discontinued the diesel engine of the Duster. Now the is Duster is available only with an FWD 1.5-litre petrol engine that produces 106 PS of power and 142 Nm of torque. Sadly The Duster is no longer available as an AWD SUV. A 1.3 litre 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine will be launched in mid-2020. The turbo petrol engine is expected to produce 156 HP making the Duster one of the most powerful midsize SUV. So if you want a petrol SUV that has a good ground clearance and excellent suspension setup minus the features that are available on other cars then look no further Duster is the one you should pick.
2) Hyundai Creta- Launched in 2015, Creta has always been a sales chart-topper. Creta has been an immense popular SUV of the segment thanks to its boxy SUV looks, long listing features and most powerful 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engines. These 1.6 litre 4-cylinder petrol and diesel used to produce 123 PS and 128 PS of power. The torque output was 155 Nm for petrol and 260 Nm for diesel. For the BS6 update, Hyundai launched an all new Creta which got even more features and engine options to choose from. Sadly the 1.6-litre engines got discontinued and now the Creta comes with 1.5 litre NA petrol and the diesel engine that produces 115 PS each, whereas the torque outputs are 144 Nm for petrol and 250 Nm for diesel. Hyundai also offers a 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine for the enthusiast that puts out 140 PS of power and 242 Nm of torque.
The Creta comes with a lot of transmission options too, such as the NA petrol comes with either a manual or an IVT( similar to CVT), diesel engine comes with manual or a torque converter Automatic. What the enthusiast will surely miss is a manual on the turbo petrol as comes only with a 7-speed DCT with paddle shifters. The looks of the facelifted Creta have polarizing opinions as some might just hate it or vice a versa. Its stiff suspension setup and 190 mm ground clearance never made the Creta a proper off-roader, although it is still good for our broken Indian roads. So, if you want an SUV which has a massive sunroof, is feature-loaded plus neglecting the fact it is not an off-roader then Creta is the one which will keep you contended.
3) KIA Seltos-Now this is the car that turned the tables around when it was launched in mid-2019. Seltos was the only car that came with BS6 compliant petrol and diesel engines at that time which attracted most of the customers. KIA is known for making beautiful cars, and Seltos is no exception to that, unlike the new Creta, Seltos design start growing on you and before you know you have fallen in love the way the Seltos looks. The big tiger-nose grill at the front, ice-cube shaped foglights and well-proportioned dimensions make it a stunner. The Seltos comes with 1.5 litre 4-cylinder NA petrol engine producing 115 PS and 144 Nm of torque followed by the diesel which produces similar power output and 250 Nm of torque. You can get the petrol engine with a manual transmission or an IVT (similar to CVT) whereas the diesel comes with a manual or traditional torque converter automatic. The Seltos is also offered with a 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine that produces 140 PS of power and 242 Nm of torque.
The good part of this engine is KIA offers the turbo petrol variant with both a manual and a 7-speed DCT. KIA has loaded the Seltos with a long list of features which are offered in cars twice the cost of Seltos such as Heads-up-display, 360-degree parking camera, Blind view monitor. Seltos too is not proper SUV, with 190 mm of ground clearance it can handle our Indian roads with ease but don’t take it offroading. The suspension is a bit stiffer though in comparison. So if you want an SUV that has features of cars twice its cost along with good looks and sporty engine Seltos is the one you should buy.
4) Nissan Kicks- The kicks was launched in the similar year in which Seltos and MG hector were launched but it never attracted the customers as the others did. The kicks was a good car but never got the attention it deserved maybe because of less popularity of Nissan cars in India and the fact that it never looked like an SUV, for me it looked more of a hatchback on steroids. Nissan offered the kicks with 1.5 litres 4-cylinder diesel engine option producing 108 HP and 240 Nm of torque. The petrol engine was a similar 1.5 litre 4 cylinder which produced 105 HP and 142 Nm of torque.
It was the kicks that offered first in segment 360-degree parking camera. Even being feature-loaded kicks somehow never reached the sales expected and sadly Nissan didn’t upgrade its petrol and diesel engines to meet the BS6 norms. However, the kicks is expected to be back sometime soon with a mild facelift, however, it will be only offered with petrol engines. A 1.3 litre 3-cylinder turbo petrol producing 156 PS mated to a manual or CVT gearbox. 1.5-litre petrol will also be offered later. With a ground clearance of 210 mm which is amongst the best in class, kicks is still a soft-roader. So, if want a jacked-up hatchback that pretends to look like an SUV Nissan kicks is the one you should pick. Mind you, you got only petrol engines to choose from.
5) Tata Safari- Now this is an SUV that does not need any introduction. Launched way back in 1998, it was a dream car for most of us. It was big, spacious, high seating position, excellent ride quality, 4x4 system and its go-anywhere capabilities made the safari everyone’s favourite SUV. The first-generation safari produced 98 horses and tata motors kept updated the safari now and then. In 2005 a facelift was launched with a more powerful engine that produced around 115 horses. Tata even introduced a 3.0-litre engine that was derived from Tata’s 407 truck. Tata even launched a petrol version of the safari which produced around 135 horses; however, it was a gas-guzzler and didn’t find many buyers. It was later discontinued. In 2006 tata launched another facelift for the safari and this time it got its famous 2.2-litre dicor engine that produced as much as 140 horses and 320 Nm of torque. It was 2012 when the safari got a major update in the form of safari Storme.
There were no mechanical changes to the Safari Storme. Initially, the Storme received a lot of appreciation however with changing time it was unable to keep people attracted. The lack of features and poor sales and service of tata motors back then started keeping customers away. Tata Motors launched a more powerful 2.2-litre Varicor engine that produced 156 horses and 400 Nm of torque. This engine was more powerful, refined and was mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox this time around. However, things did not turn up the way Tata wanted, with decreasing sale Tata finally decided to discontinue the safari. I am writing this with a heavy heart Tata Safari is no longer on sale in India. The safari was never known as a feature-loaded SUV, buying a safari was always a heart over the head decision. So, if you want a true off roader that has enormous road presence, 4x4 capabilities and tremendous fan following in India, you will have to find one in the used car market only. I hope tata brings back the safari in future.
6) Mahindra Scorpio- If there is a Safari, there has to be a Scorpio. I think Safari and Scorpio are like brothers, they fight a lot, are equal on almost all terms and most importantly both are Indian. If one is Singham, the other is Singham returns. Scorpio was also launched way back in 2002. At first, it was offered with a 2.6-litre diesel engine that produced 115 HP and also a 2.1-litre petrol engine, the diesel engine was loved by all making the Scorpio an instant hit. Pricing played an important role in making the Scorpio a hit in the Indian market. It was 2006 when Mahindra launched a facelift of the Scorpio with minor cosmetic and technical changes, with the facelift the same 2.6-litre diesel engine produced 115 HP. The second-generation Scorpio was launched in 2009 which came with a new 2.2-litre mhawk engine that produced similar figures as before but this engine was now offered with either a 5-speed manual or an automatic. The third generation Scorpio got mild updates and Mahindra discontinued the automatic option.
The fourth-generation Scorpio which came in 2017 produced 140 HP from the same 2.2 litre mhawk engine. Now the BS6 compliant Scorpio comes with same 2.2-litre mhawk engine producing 140 HP and 320 Nm of torque. Although Mahindra keeps improving the ride quality of the Scorpio, ride and handling has never been its forte. The third-row face to face seats are also not appreciated nowadays. The All-wheel drive system is no longer available on the Scorpio making it a rear-wheel-drive SUV. However, the good part is an all-new Scorpio is due next year. So, if you want to buy a proper full-size rear-wheel drive SUV that can carry your complete family, minus the features and good ride quality Scorpio can be your pick.
7) Mahindra XUV500- Another Mahindra in this list seems to be XUV500 which was launched in 2011. The XUV500 came with a similar engine as seen in the Scorpio with similar 140 HP and 330 Nm of torque. All the variants were front-wheel drive except for the top variant which used to come with an AWD system. XUV500 is a proper 7-seater with only kids in the third row. The cheetah inspired designed was loved by all and the XUV500 was a hit. A diesel automatic was launched at a later date. XUV500 also came with a petrol engine mated to a 6-speed automatic as standard. Like other Mahindra's ride quality of XUV500 is not par with the competition.
The main USPS of XUV500 were its looks, features, road presence and AWD system. In the BS6 avatar, the XUV500 is offered with the same engine that puts out 156 horses and 360 Nm of torque. The automatic versions are no longer available and the transmission department is handled by a 6-speed manual only. Along with petrol, the AWD system has also been discontinued. The XUV500 is now available only as an FWD SUV. A fully revised version of the XUV500 is expected in 2021. So, if you want an FWD 7-seater SUV XUV500 is one of your options.
8) MG Hector- Morris Garages a British automaker owned by a Chinese brand entered the Indian market with a promising SUV in 2019. Hector is a big, spacious, eye-catching SUV. Looking at the dimensions one might confuse it for a 7-seater but no it still a 5-seater. The main USPS of the hector was a spacious cabin, a big touchscreen at the front, connected car tech and massive panoramic roof,360-degree camera. Hector comes with a fiat sourced 2.0-litre diesel engine producing 170 PS and 350 Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed manual only. A petrol engine is a 1.5-litre unit producing 141 HP and 250 Nm of torque. You can get the petrol hector either with a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed DCT.
To make things even better the top variants of petrol gets a 48v mild-hybrid setup as an option. Although the hector looks like a big capable SUV at the end of the day it is still an FWD SUV which cannot do the off-road work. The wheels of the hector look very small in proportion to its big dimensions. So, if you want a connected car which is bigger than the Seltos and Creta, then MG is a good alternative.
9) Tata Harrier- 2019 was the year of SUVs for the Indian market, Nissan launched kicks, MG and KIA entered the market with Hector and Seltos and also came TATA’s Harrier. Showcased at the 2018 auto expo, the Tata Harrier is very identical to the concept version. With similar dimensions as the hector, the harrier is also a big spacious 5-seater SUV. Tata Harrier is known for its looks, spaciousness, excellent ride quality, massive road presence. The front suspension of the harrier is derived from the Land Rover Discovery making the SUV best in class in terms of ride quality. With 205mm of ground clearance and different drive modes to choose from, the harrier can be taken for a SMALL off-roading trip (it is still an FWD SUV). Earlier the harrier used to come with a similar fiat sourced 2.0-litre diesel producing 140 PS and 350 Nm of torque. The harrier received a great response at first however with the competition getting tougher and few missing features like a sunroof and no automatic transmission made people look for other options.
Tata motors quickly reacted to the customer's feedback and introduced a BS6 Engine that produces 170 PS and 350 Nm from the same 2-litre engine. This updated harrier now gets a massive panoramic roof and a 6-speed automatic transmission. There is no petrol version available as of now, but 1.5-litre petrol will be launched in future. So, if you want a big, spacious, powerful SUV that can do a bit of off-roading too then harrier should be your choice.
10) Jeep Compass-Coming to the last and the most expensive car of this segment, jeep launched the compass in the Indian market in 2017. The compass with its boxy looks and comparatively smaller dimensions is not as spacious as Harrier or Hector. The main USP of the compass is its 4x4 system and build quality. The compass comes with a 2.0-litre diesel engine producing 173 PS and 350 Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed automatic or 6-speed manual. A petrol engine is also on offer that produces 160 HP and 250 Nm from its 1.4-litre engine. The petrol engine gets a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.
The jeep compass with its 205mm of ground clearance and 4x4 system can be taken extreme off-roading ( only at your risk ). The compass is also decently equipped with features like sunroof, bigger touchscreen etc. however I feel the jeep compass is a bit on the expensive side. So, if you are ready to shell out big bucks then the compass will take you through most of the off roads, not all off roads though.
Concluding this blog, I would like to say that this midsize SUV segment has a perfect SUV for every buyer. What one must do to select his/her perfect SUV is to find out what he/she wants from their SUVs. If I got to pick one from these, I would buy myself a TATA Harrier. It’s a stunner in terms of looks, has a spacious cabin, well equipped with features, massive road presence, can do a bit of off-roading if required and a TATA at the end.
Disclaimer- Photos are taken from official websites and Google.
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