We have seen a lot in the year 2020 and there is more to come. We hope whatever comes ahead will carry a positive effect. Everyone will prefer personal transport over public ones and this will boost up the sales of two-wheelers and four-wheelers. Needless to say, diesel SUVs is the new preference of the Indian car buyer as they combine both practicality and efficiency. Today we tell you the upcoming diesel SUVs under 15 lakhs which are going to launch in 2020.
2020 Honda WR-V Facelift
Honda WR-V is a small crossover from the Japanese marque and it is soon to receive a mid-life facelift. Honda WR-V was launched back in 2017 and has been doing good for Honda since then. As we are talking about the upcoming facelift, Honda has done some nick and tuck here and there and plonked in BS6-compliant petrol and diesel engines.
The diesel engine here will be the 1.5-litre i-Dtec engine with 100 PS and 200 Nm of peak torque mated to 5-speed manual gearbox. Honda will also make it feature-rich by adding LED headlights with DRLs, LED fog lights, LED taillights, electric sunroof, latest digipad infotainment with Android Auto and Apple Car Play, cruise control, etc. Pricing of diesel range is expected to start from Rs 9 lakhs for the base diesel and goes to Rs 10.50 lakhs ex-showroom, New Delhi.
2020 KIA Sonet
KIA Sonet will be the third offering from KIA in the Indian market and expected to be launched later this year. KIA first showcased the Sonet concept at the 2020 Auto Expo and it grabbed big attention at the biennial event. KIA Sonet is a compact SUV which shares its underpinnings and engines with the Hyundai Venue. The Sonet will attract the audience with its sporty looks, premium interiors and great features.
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KIA Sonet will be powered by a 1.5-litre diesel and 1.0-litre Turbo GDI petrol engines. The 1.5-litre diesel will produce 100 PS and 240 Nm of torque which is same as the Venue. But unlike the Hyundai Venue, the Sonet will get a 6-speed automatic transmission with the diesel engine and it shows that the Sonet will be priced a tad more premium than its sibling. KIA will price the Sonet near to the Venue but the automatic trims will be priced a tad higher as Hyundai Venue doesn't offer any diesel automatic choice.
2020 Mahindra Thar
Mahindra is now finally coming with a generation replacement of the much loved and praised Thar. The Thar moniker is well known in the Indian market thanks to its amazing capabilities and breathtaking modifications. But like the previous bare-bore Thar, Mahindra is now coming up with something more premium and well-engineered product. Finally, the Thar is also getting a fixed roof which means no wind noise from the soft roof. Out of all the upcoming diesel SUVs under Rs 15 lakhs price bracket, the 2020 Thar is the most exciting SUV.
The 2020 Thar will be based on the new ZEN3 ladder-frame chassis, which also underpins the current-gen Scorpio and TUV 300. The Thar will be powered by a BS6-compliant 2.2-litre diesel engine that will churn out 140 PS of power and 320 Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed manual transmission with a low-ratio gearbox. Mahindra may also launch the diesel automatic version of the Thar in future. The Thar range may start from Rs 10 lakhs and goes to Rs 14 lakhs ex-showroom.
2020 Mahindra XUV500
Mahindra XUV500 was the most popular car from the Indian carmaker and it actually gave the identity Mahindra needed at that point of time. The XUV500 started the premium SUV segment offered at an affordable price. Now Mahindra is coming with the next generation of the XUV500 and everyone has big expectations from the SUV. The XUV500 will be feature-packed and will sport an all-new design.
Mahindra XUV500 will be powered by Mahindra's all-new 2.2-litre diesel engine which will produce 180 BHP and 400 Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed manual and automatic gearbox. The highlight is going to be the Stallion engine range and the XUV500 will get the 2.0-litre T-GDI petrol engine which will produce 190 PS and 380 Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions. The XUV500 will compete with cars like MG Hector Plus and Tata Gravitas.
2020 Force Gurkha BS6
Force Gurkha is the Thar-rival rugged SUV and Force Motors showcased the BS6 version of the Thar at the 2020 Auto Expo. The BS6 Force Gurkha is more feature-laden than before with features like LED headlights with DRLs, 16-inch alloy wheels, factory fitted snorkel, touchscreen infotainment and much more. Powering the Force Gurkha BS6 will be a 2.2-litre diesel engine which is claimed to be much more refined and powerful. The Gurkha will come with 4x4 powertrain and also low range gearbox. Force Motors will price the Gurkha in line with the upcoming Thar.
2020 Tata Gravitas
Tata Gravitas is the 6 and 7-seater counterpart of the already popular Harrier. Tata Motors showcased the production-ready variant of the Gravitas at the 2020 Auto Expo and it is expected to be launched this festive season. The Gravitas will share the engine, features and platform with the Harrier and will be launched with 6 and 7-seater variants.
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The Gravitas will also be powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine which will produce 170 PS and 350 Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed manual and automatic gearbox. The Gravitas is expected to be priced about Rs 1 lakh premium over the Harrier.
2020 MG Hector Plus
MG Hector Plus is MG' answer to Tata's Gravitas and Mahindra's XUV500. MG Hector Plus will be the third product from the British carmaker and it will be launched in India in July 2020. MG Hector Plus will carry the platform, engines and features from the Hector. The Hector Plus will see some design changes but will be powered by the same 1.5-litre petrol and 2.0-litre diesel engines. MG will launch the Hector Plus with both 6 and 7-seater variants. Pricing of the Hector Plus will be fixed at a premium of Rs 1 lakh over the normal Hector.
Out of all these upcoming diesel SUVs which are going to launch under Rs 15 lakhs price bracket, which one is your favourite and which one would you choose? Tell us in comments!
