In the past 2 to 3 years, the SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicle) has picked up a great speed in the country. All the automobile manufacturers are focusing on tapping the high demand of SUVs in the country. Every company is trying to launch its representative product in this segment. The companies which already have their models in this segment have been consistently enjoying great sales figures which have encouraged the others to take up the SUV segment more seriously. Some of these models in the market have broken all the sale records. Initially the Indian buyers were focusing more on the price tag which made hatchbacks very popular in the country. But now the trend has changed and people are readily going for SUVs. These macho wheels have proved themselves as being reliable in every way which is adding to their popularity in the country.
It was said by Abdul Majeed, the person responsible for tracking the auto industry at PricewaterhouseCoopers in India said that “The SUV segment has witnessed fantastic growth rate in India over the last few years and holds the maximum potential in terms of demand.” Another reason which has made Indians go for SUVs is better connectivity between cities through roadways. Director of Sales and Marketing at Mercedes Benz India, Mr. Debaish Mitra said that “Also, people want bigger cars as they travel from one city to the other with families.” Another very important factor that has changed the car buying trend in the country is the style quotient which has gained a lot of importance in the recent times. Majeed has said that “There is a desire among most car owners to own an SUV. So the moment they think about upgrading their car, SUV is something that they always consider.”
The demand for the SUVs has been increasing tremendously in the country. There has been a complete shift in demand in the auto market in the country. It won’t be wrong to say that the chapter of SUVs in the Indian auto world began with the Renault Duster that was launched in the year 2011. This is one of the first SUVs to enter India. The car was a huge hit due to its robust and yet stylish looks. The car was and is still Renault’s best seller. Although in the year 2013, the car has seen a significant fall in its demand due to an increasing competition in this segment. In spite of this the car is one of the most popular in the country and is currently the company’s life savior.
This SUV, Duster, is being offered by the company with 3 engine options. The car comes with the renowned K9K dCi engine of 1.5 liter capacity which has an output of 84 bhp and a K9K dCi of 1.5 liter capacity with an output of 108 bhp. The company has also rolled out a petrol run model which has a K4m engine of 1.6 liter capacity. This engine has an output of 104 bhp. The car has given a tough competition to all the cars present in this segment. This car defined the SUV segment in the country. Now there are a number of models which are going to neck to neck with this model.
Currently the SUV segment is being ruled by Ford’s latest venture, EcoSport. This car became the bestselling car ever to be launched in the country. The car was launched in the month on June in 2013. Now in just less than 3 months of the car’s launch the company has been forced to stop taking orders for the EcoSport as the waiting periods are increasing day by day making it difficult for the company tome their delivery targets. The car sold around 30,000 units in just 17 days of its launch.
EcoSport is available in the market with 3 engine options. These are the 1.5 liter petrol variant, 1.5 liter diesel variant and the 1 liter EcoBoost Petrol variant. All the variants offer a great performance and are capable of developing a maximum power of 110 bhp, 108 bhp and 123 bhp respectively. The car is manufactured locally in India and is also exported from India to other countries.
To benefit from this ever increasing demand in the SUV segment, Mahindra and Mahindra also stepped in with their Quanto. The car is equipped with a powerful engine offering displacement of 1493 cc. The engine is capable of developing a maximum power of 100 bhp and a maximum torque of 240 Nm at a rate of revolution as low as 1600 to 2800 rpm. This car can be called a sibling of Mahindra Xylo which also is doing a good business in the country.
