Get ready for a slew of SUVs over the next few months.
Get ready for a slew of SUVs over the next few months.
And why not? While the domestic automobile industry is decelerating at 2 per cent, the premium sports utility vehicle segment is said to be growing at a rate of 38 per cent compared to the previous year.
So, it makes good business sense to roll 'em out. And that's what auto majors are doing. Even high-endu00a0 carmakers like Mercedes, Volkswagen, Audi and Volvo have lined up over 15 premium SUVs for launch.
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VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN, TOYOTA FORTUNER, HYUNDAI SANTA FE and VOLVO XC 60 |
Coming up
The first SUV to be launched this season will be Toyota's 2700cc Fortuner. With its plush interiors, luxury features and built-in technology like bluetooth, cruise control and navigation, it's ready to take on other SUVs by Honda, Ford and Chevrolet.
Shekar, a team leader with Nandi Toyota, said: "The response is very good. With bookings open, we have already had over a hundred for Fortuner."
Hyundai will try its luck with Santa Fe after a rather dismal opening for the earlier launches of Tucson and Terracan.
Nandini, an executive with Vinayak Skoda, said, "Skoda Yeti will be Skoda's SUV. This will have a Volkswagen engine and is expected early next year."
u00a0
Toyota's RAV4, Nissan's Murano and Qazana, Tata's Indicruz and Volkswagen's Tiguan will be launched in the next six months while Ford has its under-development automatic transmission version of SUV Endeavour with an active shift-on-the-fly mechanism ready to roll in sometime. The launch dates, however, are still under wraps.
High-end carmakers are also in the fray Mercedes with its GL-class, Audi with Q7V12 and Volvo with its XC60.
What makes them tick
Experts attribute the unprecedented growth in the SUV segment to the comfort, luxury and cost factor.
According to M R Indresh, an automobile expert, "Options like four-wheel drive, transmission control module, voice-basedu00a0 destination input control and traffic-based navigation are available in some of these SUVs.
Moreover,u00a0 SUVs ranging from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 90 lakh give customers a wide range of options."
What they costMercedes Benz GL class: Rs 75-90 lakh
Audi Q7V12: Rs 1.5 crore
Toyota Fortuner: Rs 20 lakh
Skoda Yeti (basic model): Rs 10 lakh
Volvo XC60: Rs 30 lakh
Nissan Murano: Rs 40 lakh
Hyundai Santa Fe: Rs 25 lakh
