Discontinued SUVs We Wish Made A Comeback in India

The SUV markets are being flooded with various models from across the segments. Even that, there are a lot of discontinued cars that leave deep regret in our hearts. Today, IndianAuto gives a look at 5 Discontinued SUVs We Wish Made A Comeback in India.

1. Tata Sierra

Launched back in 1991, the Tata Sierra itself was the very first SUV that was designed and made in India. At the time of its launch, the Sierra created quite a bang as it was the first made-in-India car coming with electric windows, adjustable steering wheel, air-con and a tachometer. Built on the X2 platform, the Tata Sierra got a comfortable cabin and a powerful 2.0-litre diesel engine option on boards. The Sierra also offered the choice of a rear-wheel-drive and a four-wheel-drive system. It was a proper 4x4 SUV that’s built to tackle any kind of terrain.

During the mid-90s, the old Tata Sierra received tremendous sales in the Indian market. However, time flew and the SUV found fewer customers. Although the Tata Sierra was a compelling car, the buyer needed to spend quite a big amount of at least 5 lakh to buy a brand new one that’s also a reason. The trailblazing diesel-powered SUV was in production for around a decade before Tata pulled the plug on the Sierra in 2003.

We can’t deny that the Tata Sierra was one of the greatest success story written by Tata Motors. The Sierra has cemented a special place in history, making it one of the discontinued SUV cars that we wish would make a comeback.

2. Tata Safari Storme

The Tata Safari was actually another iconic SUV that one wishes it could come back. Keeping that in mind, Tata has done just that. The home-grown company has resurrected the “Safari” nameplate recently, in the forms of the Tata Harrier 7-seater. Some might be ok with that but many of Safari’s loyal fans ain’t.

The Tata Safari was first launched in India in 1998, coming as the successor of the Tata Sierra. The Safari surely lived up to Tata’s trust and hope. Through its generations, the Tata Safari proved to be a highly capable SUV. It could combat rigorous driving conditions such as high terrains, snow and marshy lands. It even served as the official vehicle of the Indian army as well.

The last model, the Tata Safari Storme was equipped with a 2.2-litre Varicor 400 engine option that developed 156 PS of max power and 400 Nm of peak torque. This engine came paired with a 6-speed manual transmission along with an optional 4WD system.

Comparing the new Tata Safari vs old Tata Safari, it’s a matter of fact that the new Safari feels more like a bulky urban SUV that misses out on the utilitarian characters with a 4x4 system for off-road talents. So, one that is looking for a true-blue SUV that can cross the river and climb the mountain, they wish the discontinued Tata Safari could make an ‘actual’ comeback.

3. Tata Sumo

Tata Sumo was another Tata SUV that was discontinued two years back after 25 years of production. The first Sumo SUV hit the market in 1994 as a 10-seater rear-wheel-drive model. The last model to be sold was the Tata Sumo Gold that used a 3.0-litre diesel engine churning out 85 PS of power and 250 Nm of torque. It was an extremely popular SUV from the brand in India, not only among the private car buyers but the fleet operations as well.

Sadly, the Sumo couldn’t comply with the stringent safety and emission norms that caused the discontinuation of the Tata Sumo in India.

4. Maruti Gypsy

Be it the second-gen Suzuki Jimny internationally, the Maruti Gypsy was brought to India in December 1985. Despite not getting very high sales volume as the earlier models, the Maruti Gypsy was quite a popular choice among the Indian law enforcement for its reliability and stellar go-anywhere performance.

Again, since the sales number of the Gypsy was poor and upgrading the SUV to the BS-VI compliance would be a costly affair, the Maruti Gypsy was phased out from the production line in 2019. Therefore, the Maruti Gypsy was among the discontinued SUVs that we hope it to return to India.

It is said that Maruti Suzuki will launch the India-spec Jimny 5-door SUV in India. The car will come with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine making 105 PS of max power and 138 Nm of peak torque. This mill will likely come coupled with a 5-speed MT and a low-range gearbox option.

5. Renault Duster AWD

The last model in the list of discontinued SUV cars that we wish would make a comeback in India is the Renault Duster AWD. The compact SUV was Renault’s first success in the Indian auto market.

As its name suggests, the Duster AWD has a four-wheel-drive system. The SUV packed itself with a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder diesel engine that was capable of making 108 BHP of power and 245 Nm of torque. Renault kept updating the Duster throughout the time to keep pace with the competition. However, the stricter BS-VI emission norms have put an end to the production of the diesel variant of the Duster in 2020. Therefore, the Renault Duster AWD with the K9K diesel mill has now become the past.

Here are some Discontinued SUVs We Wish Made A Comeback in India. Let us know any other cars that you wish could be resurrected in India as well.