Top 5 Upcoming SUVs of 2016

2015 turned out to be an exciting year for the automotive enthusiasts. A lot of new launches from all manufacturers kept customers happy and busy. Abarth Punto opened the road for true blue hot hatches in the country and catered for the performance-oriented buyers. Creta became the perfect new addition in Hyundai’s portfolio and went on to win the car of the year award. Now, it's time to welcome 2016 and have a look at what this year has in store for us. Here is a list of the top 5 SUVs worth looking forward to in 2016.

1. Honda BR-V

BR-V is an all new offering by Honda in 2016. It is a compact SUV based on the Mobilio which will compete against the likes of Creta, Duster and Terrano. Already launched in Indonesia at a price tag of approximately Rs. 10.93 lac, this SUV is eagerly waited for in India and will make its debut in the 2016 Auto Expo. BR-V comes loaded with features like automatic climate control with rear AC vents, touchscreen infotainment system, diamond cut alloys, DRL's, projector headlamps, foldable third row, rear parking camera and electrically controlled wing mirrors. Under the hood, BR-V is expected to feature the same 1.5-litre diesel engine which is currently employed in Honda Amaze, City and Mobilio.

Expected Price: Rs. 8 - 12 lac

Expected Launch Date: June 2016

2. Ford Endeavour

Endeavour again is a highly anticipated car in its category. It has been spotted multiple times testing on Indian roads. Having been listed on Ford’s official Indian website, all the details of this SUV are out. It will have 6 variants which will feature two different diesel motors and will be available in both 4×2 and 4×4 drive systems. The 2.2-litre diesel block produces 157bhp of power and 385Nm of peak torque. The 3.2-litre diesel engine churns out 197bhp of power and 470Nm of peak torque. The latter engine variants will compete with Chevrolet Trailblazer which uses a  2.8-litre Duramax engine that produces the same 197bhp of power and churns out a massive 500Nm of torque. The 2.2-litre variants will lock horns with the current segment leader, Toyota Fortuner. Transmission duties for the 2.2-litre variants will be carried out by a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission whereas, only the automatic is available in the top end 3.2 litre variant. Also, the 4x2 drive mode will only be available with the 2.2-litre motor.  

Expected Price: Rs. 24 - 32 lac

Launch Date: January 19, 2016

3. Ssangyong Tivoli

Soon after the news of Tivoli being showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo, the compact SUV was spotted testing in India. This car will go against the likes of Duster and Creta. Launched in South Korea back in January 13, 2015, it features a 1.6-litre e-XGi 160 petrol engine which is capable of producing 124bhp of power along with 157Nm of torque. In Europe, the car also features an e-XDi160 diesel engine which produces 113bhp of power and 300Nm torque. Both these engines come with a 6-speed manual transmission while the 6-speed automatic is optional. Tivoli also offers both 2WD and 4WD configurations and has a smart steer function which allows the driver to choose from three steering modes – normal, comfort and sport.

Expected Price: Rs. 9 - 13 lac

Expected Launch Date: March 2016

4. Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe

After a successful 2015 in which the German carmaker made 15 launches, Mercedes is all set to get the ball rolling again in 2016 with the GLE Coupe. What was earlier called ML-Class, GLE Coupe will be launched in India on January 12, 2016 and will be a CBU import from the Tuscaloosa factory in America. Rivaling the BMW X6, GLE Coupe will feature a 3.0-litre bi-turbo V6 petrol motor which is capable of producing 357bhp of power and 520Nm of torque. The power will be delivered via a 9-speed automatic transmission to an all-wheel drive 4MATIC system.

Expected Price: Rs. 80 lac - 1 Cr

Launch Date: January 12, 2016

5. Maruti YBA

Maruti seems to be doing really well in entering the premium car market. With Baleno being a massive success and Grand Vitara all set to re-enter India, Maruti YBA could easily be the icing on the cake. This compact SUV is expected to be launched at the 2016 Auto Expo and if the current form of Maruti is followed, will wash out its competitions. The car will battle EcoSport & TUV300 and might just outperform them in terms of performance and mileage. The SUV is expected to be underpinned by the same new platform which Baleno uses. Its forte being its weight as even the fully loaded Baleno is lighter than its competition. The car might be powered by a 1.3 DDiS diesel motor and feature 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Navigation & Apple CarPlay and Bi-Xenon headlamps with LED DRLs. If the pricing is correct, this car might very well lead the charge of an all new 2016 Maruti.

Expected Price: Rs. 5 - 8 lac

Launch Date: February 2016