With the identification of the Indian auto market as a major business potential area, all the top manufacturers in the world have made their presence in the automobile environment of the country. The segment that has particularly grown in the past few years is the SUV segment, with all top manufacturers having at least one representation in this segment. This article is aimed to take a look at five of the top global brands in the SUV segment and to analyze which of them have it in them to rule the Indian market, by delighting its consumers the most. Check out the five exhilarating vehicles, which will surely take your breath away – Chevrolet Captiva, Toyota Fortuner, Nissan X-trail, Honda CR V and Ford Endeavour.
Dimensions of the vehicles:
Let us take a look at some of the common aspects pertaining to dimensions of all the vehicles:
[table id=22 /]
The Ford Endeavour is by far the longest vehicle, with most other vehicles similarly sized. However, it is the Captiva, which has the largest width; the same is expected to transfer to the interiors, thereby making it the most spacious. The Toyota Fortuner is the tallest vehicle and the heaviest by far; this would make it a good drive for the highways, but unfortunately this would impact its performance on city roads. But the best part is its ground clearance, which is highest among the lot, which should enable a smooth drive even on rough roads.
Engine and Performance:
The Chevrolet Captiva VCDi Diesel engine generates maximum power and peak torque of 150PS and 320Nm respectively. It can achieve a peak speed of 180kmph and has a certified mileage of 14kmpl.
The Toyota Fortuner has 4-cylinder InlineD-4D Diesel Engine also having intercooler turbocharger. The maximum power generated by it is 171PS and the peak torque achieved is 343Nm. The vehicle can achieve a peak speed of 170kmph and its contribution to fuel economy is in the form of 12.55kmpl mileage.
The Ford Endeavour has been provided with a 2.5L TDCi diesel engine, which helps it attain a maximum power of 143PS with a peak torque of 330Nm. The vehicle offers an ARAI certified mileage of 13.1kmpl and can achieve a peak speed of 156kmpl.
The Honda CR V has been provided with i-VTEC 2.0L inline petrol engine. The vehicle can achieve maximum power of 143PS and a peak torque of 190Nm. Driving full throttle can let you achieve a maximum speed of 180kmph with a certified mileage of 13.1kmpl.
The Nissan X-Trail with a M9R Direct Injection, Common Rail Diesel engine. The engine can rev up maximum power of 150PS and can achieve a peak torque of 320Nm. The vehicle can zoom up to 200kmph speed and at the same time offer an ARAI certified mileage of 14.42kmpl.
Based on the above criteria, it seems that the X-Trail holds a distinct advantage from the other vehicles in its class when it comes to combining both the aspects of speed and economy of fuel.
Safety Features Provided:
While purchasing a vehicle, the one aspect that has to be critically addressed along with the power and fuel economy factors is that of the safety features that have been provided in the vehicles.
The makers of all the five vehicles took adequate care to have all the basic safety features included in the vehicle, keeping in mind the safe riding aspect that the vehicles are expected to provide. Let’s take a look at the table pertaining to the safety features.
[table id=23 /]
Therefore, on the safety criteria, there is nothing that can demarcate the vehicles from one another.
Special Features provided:
Often, the demarcation of the vehicles can be made only on the basis of special add-on features that have been provided to them. The below-mentioned table takes look at all available features in the perspective of their availability in the vehicles. This is to attempt to find out the vehicle that offers the best in features.
[table id=25 /]
Though most vehicles match each other to a great extent in terms of features provided, it seems that the Toyota Fortuner is just a notch above the rest in terms of some add-ons it provides in the features aspect.
Pricing: Thus, another comparison of vehicles on the Indian roads will finally boil down to the pricing aspect for the customers to make their choice. Let us take a look at the pricing of the vehicles.
[table id=24 /]
Though the Ford Endeavour is the lowest priced among all the vehicles, it seems that the Toyota Fortuner with its add-ons could just have the scale tipped in its favor.
