5 Hottest Upcoming SUVs In India 2021: Renault Kiger to Toyota Fortuner Facelift

2020 has been a busy year for the SUV segment in India as more than half of the over 20 new car launches in India in the last 11 months were SUVs. For the immense popularity of SUV cars among Indian buyers, it is expected that this trend will be carried forward in the year 2021 as well. With the new year fast approaching us, IndianAuto picks out the five most important upcoming SUVs in India 2021 that will create a surge of excitement in the Indian auto space.

1. Toyota Fortuner Facelift

• Expected launch: March 2021

Starting off the list of upcoming SUVs in India 2021 is the makeover version of the Toyota Fortuner which has been the iconic full-size SUV in our country for so long. While the current Toyota Fortuner has been out and there for several years, Toyota feels it’s time to give the Fortuner a major facelift that just shed its veil off in Thailand recently.

The 2021 Toyota Fortuner facelift will reach our shore next year. The refreshed SUV will come with a more mature exterior design but still retaining its butch look. In addition to some slight visual changes on the outside, the 2021 Fortuner will receive a few new features on the inside as well.

Apart from these, not much has been done to the cabin or under the hood of the vehicle. The facelifted Fortuner will carry the same set of engines as seen in the existing model. However, if the rumour is to be believed, Toyota might bring on the new range-topping Legender variant of the Fortuner to our country anytime soon.

2. New-gen Mahindra XUV500

• Expected Launch: Early 2021

The new-gen Mahindra XUV500 has been the talks of the town whenever the topic of upcoming SUVs in India 2021 emerged on the table. We’ve also reported you various details around the launch of the new-gen XUV500 which is essentially one of the most prominent car launches in 2021.

As per the spy shots and sources, the new-gen Mahindra XUV500 will boast of a completely new design which puts it in a similar fashion with the new-gen Mahindra Thar sibling. Besides, the upcoming SUV will receive a plethora of new-age features such as a Mercedes-inspired twin instrument console along with Level 1 autonomous driver’s assistance among others.

Under the bonnet, the next-gen Mahindra XUV500 will be powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and a 2.2-litre mHawk diesel motor as seen in the new Thar, but for a higher state of tunes. Transmission duties will be handled by both manual and automatic options.

3. Tata Gravitas

• Expected Launch: Early 2021

The Tata Gravitas has been a long-awaited car among the upcoming 7-seater SUVs in India 2021. Being the bigger version of the Tata Harrier, the Tata Gravitas will take on the likes of MG Hector Plus and the abovementioned new-gen Mahindra XUV500.

As far as the design goes, the forthcoming Tata Gravitas will look similar to the Harrier 5-seater, save for extended rear overhangs to accommodate the third row of seats. The feature and mechanical packages of the Gravitas will remain unchanged compared with the Harrier sibling. The feature list of the Tata Gravitas will include an 8.80-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 9-speaker sound system, automatic climate control, a big sunroof, and multi-drive modes.

Powering the upcoming Tata SUV will be a BS6-compliant 2.0-litre oil burner that is capable of generating 170 PS of max power and 350 Nm of peak torque. This mill will come mated to either a 6-speed MT or an automatic option. The price of the Tata Gravitas will likely be higher than the Harrier by around Rs 1 lakh with the latter is going on sale in between Rs 13.84 - 20.30 Lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

4. Citroen C5 Aircross

• Expected Launch: May 2021

After Kia and MG Motors, we are set to welcome a brand new automobile manufacturer to join the Indian market next year and it’s Citroen. The French-based carmaker will penetrate into the Indian space with the C5 Aircross that will compete against the premium compact SUV segment. The Citroen C5 Aircross will come to us as CKD kits so it will likely carry a premium price tag of around Rs 20 lakh onwards (estimated, ex-showroom).

The Citroen C5 Aircross will come with very distinctive styling cues on the inside and outside in order to grab the attention of the Indian customers. The Citroen C5 Aircross will derive the power from a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder diesel motor that is likely to be paired with an 8-speed torque converter automatic transmission.

5. Renault Kiger

Expected Launch: Early 2021

The last model in the list of upcoming SUVs in India 2021 is the Renault Kiger – the company’s foray into the sub-four-metre SUV segment. Following the launch of its sister Nissan Magnite, the Renault Kiger will be launched in India sometime in 2021, marking one of the most important upcoming SUV car launches next year.

The Renault Kiger will share the same underpinnings and engines with the Magnite but will sport a different exterior and interior design from ground up. From the look of the concept car, the Renault Kiger looks much like a beefed-up Kwid that is incorporated with many rugged SUV-ish styling elements. The French carmaker has confirmed that the production-spec Kiger will share 80 per cent of the design cues with the Kiger concept car.

Under the hood of the Renault Kiger will lie a 1.0-litre naturally-aspirated 3-cylinder petrol engine and a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. Transmission choices for the Kiger will include a 5-speed MT and a CVT automatic gearbox (for the turbo-petrol model). As long as Renault prices the Kiger as competitively as the Magnite, the upcoming SUV by Renault is believed to be among one of the hottest compact SUVs in 2021.

That concludes our list of five hottest upcoming SUVs in India 2021. Which model do you like the most? Don't hesitate to write to us to share your thoughts.

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