Top SUVs launched in India in 2018

It’s been a crazy year for SUVs in India as everyone has jumped on to the bandwagon. Across the table, manufacturers have been launching SUVs in India and, in fact, research data from our website shows that a majority of searches above the Rs 10 lakh mark have been, in majority, for SUVs. These vehicles have now become a global phenomenon and everyone is putting their weight behind the body style. Here is a list of top SUVs that were launched in India in 2018

Hyundai Creta facelift

Launched in May of this year, it’s a mid-life update for one of Hyundai’s most successful car. Averaging about 9000-10,000 units every month, this update saw the SUV get cosmetic upgrades, an expanded feature list, but with no mechanical changes. With a visible shift in buyers moving up a segment in terms of preferences, the Creta is expected to further enhance its position as one of the South Korean automaker’s major volume spinners. 

Mahindra Alturas G4

Mahindra made its return to the premium SUV market with the Alturas G4. In essence, it’s a rebadged version of the Ssangyong Rexton G4, making use of even the same engines. It is Mahindra’s answer to the likes of the Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner in the Indian car market. We’ve look at the Alturas G4 from various angles against its major rivals and you can check that out here. 

Honda CR-V

Like Mahindra, Honda too has re-entered the premium SUV game with the latest generation CR-V. They unveiled the car at the 2018 Auto Expo and it went on sale a few months ago. Multiple generations of the car may have been on sale in India for a while now, but this is the first time that Honda is offering a diesel for the SUV. We’ve driven the car and you can read about that here. 

Volvo XC40

Volvo launched its third SUV in India earlier this year and it looks to be quite a comprehensive fighter for the Swedish automaker. It’s their answer to the likes of the BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLC in the entry-level premium segment. It’s one of the first cars in this part of the market to offer autonomous driving technology and has even won premium car of the year at ICOTY 2019. 

Audi Q5 

Audi finally introduced a new generation for the Q5 in India at the start of last year. It moved to a new platform and managed to shed over 90kgs as compared to its predecessor. It’s available both in petrol and diesel variants and takes on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GLC, Lexus NX and the Range Rove Evoque. 

BMW X3

BMW introduced the new generation of the X3 for the Indian car market in April and its available, both as a petrol and diesel. Locally assembled at BMWs Chennai plant, it is one of the main volume contributors to the German automaker’s overall volumes in India. 

Lamborghini Urus 

The world’s maddest SUV was brought to India in the second half of this year. It’s ferocious looking all the time and has a 0-100kmph time that would put many sports cars to shame. The Indian allocation has already been sold out for this year. We got behind the wheel of the Urus and you can read about that here.