The growing demand for the SUVs in India has induced a spate of new launches in the country in recent times. Moreover, SUVs are a popular choice in the budget as well as premium segment. The upcoming five-seater Mitsubishi Outlander will compete against the likes of the Jeep Compass and the Hyundai Tucson in India. Bookings for the new Outlander had commenced in April for a token amount of Rs 5 lakh and is available only in the petrol guise. Here below is the comparison between the petrol variants of the three cars –Exterior The new Mitsubishi Outlander is based on the ‘Dynamic Shield’ design philosophy. The SUV now gets sharper and more aerodynamic design than its predecessors. Moreover, the new grille is said to have reduced drag by about seven per cent. Meanwhile, Jeep’s most affordable vehicle in the country, the Compass has been designed to appear as the baby Grand Cherokee along with influences from the Renegade. It gets the typical vertically slatted wide grille, high mounted headlamps and the macho front bumper with the blacked out bash plate. India currently has the second generation Tucson in India, which is the third generation car globally. The Hyundai SUV gets styling elements from the Santa Fe, where the gaping hexagonal front grille is flanked by swept back projector headlamps. The side profile also imitates the Santa Fe with the shoulder line climbing up towards the tailgate. The black cladding around the perimeter of the car gives it a rugged look. Hyundai had also unveiled the latest facelift version at the 2018 New York Auto show and is expected to arrive in India in 2019. All three cars stand out with their unique appeal and family face. However, the Jeep Compass emerges as a better choice within the city purely because of its compact design. The Tucson has the younger look while the Mitsubishi Outlander purely means business.
Interior The new Outlander will get a refined cabin over its predecessors. The SUV boasts of offering high quality leather upholstery, electrically powered seat with heating and height adjustment, seatbelt pre-tensioners, ISOFIX, and sunroof. Mitsubishi will also offer a 710W Rockford Fosgate Premium unit with 6.1-inch display and a USB port. The Compass, being a budget offering from the company in India, gets modest Ski-Grey Mckinley leather upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel and signature door scuff plates. The base variant gets a customisable 3.5-inch graphic driver information display, while the higher versions offer 5.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with four speakers, in-built compass, driver seat height adjust and 60/40 split rear seat. The Hyundai Tucson surprisingly offers cloth seats in the base variant, while higher variants come leather wrapped. The top spec variant gets an electrically adjustable driver seat while the rear seats can be reclined, split 60-40 or folded up. The competitively priced Compass wins additional brownie points here as well. The pricing aspect for the Outlander will determine its position against the Tucson. Features in all three cars are more or less the same, however the Tucson sounds promising for those willing to shell out over Rs 20 lakh. Engine Limited to a petrol engine, the Mitsubishi Outlander is powered by a 2.4-litre DOHC MIVEC inline four-cylinder engine that generates 165bhp of power and 222Nm of torque. The engine comes mated to a CVT automatic gearbox with paddle shifters. Interestingly, the torque-on-demand all-wheel drive system is standard on the Outlander. On the other hand, the petrol version of the Jeep Compass is powered by a 1.4-litre Multiair engine that generates 160bhp of power and 250Nm of torque. Transmission options for the Compass include a six-speed manual and seven-speed DDCT. Meanwhile, the Hyundai Tucson is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that generates 153bhp of power and 192Nm of torque. The Hyundai SUV is limited to a front-wheel drive setup and gets six-speed manual and automatic gearbox options. The 2019 Tucson is expected to be offered with torque-on demand all-wheel drive system. Known for impressive off-road and on-road performances, the Mitsubishi Outlander rules the roost by a fair margin. The standard torque-on-demand all-wheel drive system makes it the toughest of the lot.
Conclusion The pricing aspect will be the key factor determining the success for the Mitsubishi Outlander in India. The new Tucson is expected to be introduced in India next year and is a pricey proposition. Until then, the Jeep Compass emerges as a better option over the rest.
