Upcoming crossovers expected to launch in India by end of 2020

The whole world is going through a critical time with the Coronavirus pandemic affecting everyone from all walks of life. This includes the automobile industry as well, both the manufacturers and the ancillary suppliers. However, we expect the situation to improve in the coming months. And if it does indeed, we will see automobile manufacturers gear up with their upcoming offerings to hit the streets of India. Here's a quick look at the upcoming crossovers in India

Nissan Compact SUV

When? Q3 2020
Est. Price: Rs. 7-11 lakh

This all-new SUV from Nissan will be based on an all-new platform that has been designed in Japan with extensive inputs from India. The company confirms that the SUV, that will be manufactured at the Oragadam plant near Chennai, will be primarily sold in the Indian markets. However, it will also be exported to other countries as well. While the design of this SUV is expected to take styling cues from the company's bigger SUVs, the cabin trims and the features list will have a premium touch. The powertrain and transmission options too will be all-new, and nothing of that will be shared with Renault, ending the speculation of a Renault SUV based on the same platform.

Tata HBX

When? Sep 2020
Est. Price: Rs. 5-9 lakh

The Tata HBX is based on the ALFA platform like the Altroz. The grille looks similar to the Nexon facelift and sports sleek headlamps. The car has a boxy design, giving the HBX a butch feel. The car was seen with the attention grabbing knobby wheels, but we have our doubts of those wheels to be carried over for production. On the inside, Tata offers the HBX with a 7-inch floating touchscreen infotainment unit and an instrument cluster display. Tata is expected to fit the Tiago/Altroz' 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder Revotron petrol engine under the HBX 'bonnet. It's likely to get a 5-speed MT and an optional AMT. The Tata HBX will compete against rivals such as the Mahindra KUV100 and the Maruti Suzuki Ignis

Kia Sonet

When? July 2020
Est. Price: Rs.6.5-13 lakh

The Kia Sonet will rival the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, the Ford EcoSport and of course the Hyundai Venue.  The Kia Sonet SUV will be launched in the second half of 2020 and is really striking looking. It has the most prominent tiger nose grille yet, and it's sure to growl at the competition. If you thought the Kia Seltos is good looking, then the Kia Sonet is even more smashing. The features list includes 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment, Bose audio system and an intelligent manual transmission. Kia says the Sonet will offer best in class interior space and features.

Skoda Karoq

When? May 2020
Est. Price: Rs.18-25 lakh

India bound Karoq will be based on the Skoda's A0 IN platform which has been specifically tweaked keeping the Indian automotive industry in mind and the SUV will be the first one to debut with the same. The occupants will experience features such as a larger touch screen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple Car Play. The instrument cluster will be the similar virtual cockpit interface seen on current Skoda cars. A panoramic sunroof will also be on offer. Powering the Skoda Karoq SUV is the 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine mated to a 7-speed automatic dual-clutch transmission, delivering an impressive power output of 150PS and a peak torque output of 250 Nm.

Hyundai Tucson facelift

When? July 2020
Est. Price: Rs.20-25 lakh

The updated Hyundai Tucson gets revised styling that maintains the bold and imposing stance of the SUV. It now gets a cascading grille design, penta projector LED headlights and LED tail lamps. The cabin too has been updated with black leather seats along with leather accents on the dashboard. The powertrains that are being offered in the 2020 Hyundai Tucson are 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engines wherein the latter is mated to an 8-speed automatic generating 185PS of power and 400Nm of torque. The petrol unit churns out 152PS of power and produces 192Nm of torque.

Citroen C5 Air Cross

When? Sep 2020
Est. Price: Rs 20-30 lakh

Groupe PSA has decided to postpone the launch of its first product for India, the Citroen C5 Aircross. The Compass-rivalling SUV was slated for a debut late in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic's economic repercussions have driven the Citroen to this move. The C5 Aircross sits on the PSA Group's EMP2 modular lightweight architecture, also seen on other cars like Peugeot 5008, the Opel Grandland X, the more upmarket DS 7 Crossback and the Peugeot 508 sedan. Internationally, the Citroen C5 Aircross comes with two petrol and two diesel engines. The base petrol is a 1.2 turbocharged three-cylinder with 131PS and 230 Nm, the other option is a 181PS and 250 Nm 1.6 turbo. The two diesels are a 1.5 litre unit with 131PS and 300 Nm and a 2.0 litre with 181PS and 400 Nm. The base petrol is available only with a six-speed manual, the 1.6 petrol and 1.5 diesel get both the manual and an eight-speed auto while the 2.0-litre diesel only gets the auto.

Jaguar E-Pace

When? Q2 2020
Est. Price: Rs 45-55 lakh

The E-Pace is Jaguar's competitor to the likes of the Audi Q3 and BMW X1 and sits below the F-Pace and I-Pace in the brand's SUV line-up. The car sits on the Evoque's platform Internationally, the car is offered with JLR's 2.0 litre Ingenium line of 150PS, 180PS or 240PS turbo-charged diesel engines, and 250 or 300hp turbo petrols. Four-wheel drive is offered on all variants, but the 150hp diesel can be had with a manual gearbox and front-wheel drive. The 180hp is also available in a manual. The rest are 9-speed autos. We expect a 150PS, automatic diesel option to be the most popular in India

Audi Q2

When? Q4 2020
Est. Price:Rs 35-45 lakh

The Audi Q2 was first showcased at the Geneva Auto Show 2016. It is a compact SUV based on the A3 and is 4.1-metres long. It is the smallest vehicle in the Q range but gets similar styling as its bigger siblings. Audi says that the Q2 has been designed to appeal to a younger audience. In the UK, the Audi Q2 is being offered with a choice of two petrol engines. There's a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder TFSI engine which makes 116PS of power and a bigger 1.4 TFSI engine which delivers 150PS. The 1.0-litre TFSI engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission while the 1.4-litre TFSI motor offers buyers the choice of a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed S tronic gearbox. Buyers can also opt for a 1.6-litre TDI engine which generates 116PS or a larger 2.0 TDI motor which produces 150PS. The 1.6-litre TDI engine is offered with the option of a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed S tronic gearbox. In comparison, the 2.0 TDI motor is coupled to the 7-speed S tronic gearbox. The Q2 2.0 TDI is also being offered with Audi's four-wheel drive system Quattro.

Audi Q3

When? Q4 2020
Est. Price: Rs 45-55 lakh

The 2019 Audi Q3 SUV borrows its styling cues from the flagship offering, the Q8 that can be seen from the restyled front and rear bumpers. The front grille has been revamped and looks much larger than the previous offering, Also, the bumpers gets triangular openings, a similar pattern is seen in the recess between the spokes of the alloy wheels. We also likes this shade of blue which contrasts the new design bits on the 2019 Audi Q3. Based on the MQB platform, the Audi Q3 SUV does retain its overall silhouette but has grown in dimensions. And that is evident from its design. The wheelbase has been stretched by 77mm, length increased by 97mm and the width is up by 25.4mm. Thanks to the new platform, Audi has managed to make more space in the cabin, not substantially more though. The boot space too has gone up from 473L to 530L, making it a bit more practical than before.

Mercedes-Benz GLA

When? July 2020
Est. Price: Rs 45-55 lakh

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLA is expectedly larger than the outgoing counterpart. It claims a 100mm increase in height, which should fix the hatchback-like proportions that its predecessor was ridiculed for. The taller height has its advantages in better headroom and Mercedes-Benz also seems to have raised the seating height to allow a more commanding view of the road. The second-generation GLA is 30mm wider, but 14mm shorter on the length. But Mercedes-Benz says that they have improved the rear legroom by up to 120mm compared to the preceding model. At launch, the 2020 GLA had two engine options to choose from. At the base is the GLA 200, which uses a 4-cylinder 1.33-litre engine that is good for 163PS of power and 250Nm of torque and it is mated to the 7-speed DCT. It claims a 0-100kmph sprint of a respectable 8.7s and a top speed of 210kmph.

BMW X2

When? Q3 2020
Est. Price: Rs 50-60 lakh

he BMW X2, consequently is based on the last-gen X1's UKL 2 platform and brings with it a a less upright design, wider swept back headlamps and a sportier, more purposeful stance. The front bumper gets large air intakes while the rear gets the twin tailpipe treatment and a diffuser. There is also a grey dual tone cladding on the lower part of the bumpers and doors. Wheels sizes are 18-inches with 19-inchers available as an optional extra.