At least five mass market off-roaders with either four-wheel drive (4WD/4x4) or all-wheel drive (AWD) technology have arrived in the Indian market in the last one year. Some of them don’t even require you to accept compromised on-road dynamics. Here’s a quick look at the new arrivals.
Priced at Rs 16.91 lakh (ex-showroom), the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and its mechanically-identical Toyota sibling (also listed below) are the only ones to offer AWD in the compact SUV space. Showcased in July and launched in September last year, the Grand Vitara AllGrip is available in only the Alpha variant. It has four modes: Auto, Snow, Sport and Lock. Accompanying the hardware is the same 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine that delivers 101.5 bhp and 137 Nm of torque.
The Hyryder, despite being a mechanical twin of the Grand Vitara, is priced at a slight premium of Rs 30,000. The Hyryder also packs an AWD system and is powered by a 101.5 bhp 1.5-litre petrol engine that is paired to a 5-speed manual. It is priced at Rs 17.21 lakh (ex-showroom).
This was arguably the biggest launch of the year 2022. The Mahindra Scorpio N comes with a lot of features, imposing looks, multiple engine and gearbox along with a 4WD system. It comes with a low-range gearbox, brake-locking and mechanical-locking differentials, with a set of terrain modes which are accessible through a rotary dial. The 4X4 capability is only limited to the 173 bhp diesel-powered variants. Prices for the Scorpio 4X4 range from Rs 17.76 lakh to Rs 24.52 lakh (ex-showroom).
The light but capable off-roader from Maruti packs 4X4 tech as standard. The Jimny has 4X4 with a low range gearbox (4L, 4H and 2H) and brake limited slip differential. It also has hill hold and hill descent control to make off-road driving much easier. Powering the Jimny is the old but trusty K15B petrol engine that’s good for 103.5 bhp and is paired to either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic gearbox. Prices range from Rs 12.74 lakh to Rs 15.05 lakh (ex-showroom).
The most expensive offering (and the least likely to venture onto bad roads on this list) is the Hyundai Tucson. It gets an AWD system with a locking mechanism. The car also has three terrain modes: Snow, Mud and Sand. While the Tucson is available with both a 2.0-litre petrol and a 2.0-litre diesel engine, the AWD system can be had with only the top-spec diesel variant. It is priced at Rs 35.31 lakh (ex-showroom), with dual-tone paint adding another Rs 15,000 to the price.
