Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) have been the most trending of cars around the world and India is responding to it as well. A long list of launches in the SUV segment is scheduled in the country for 2019. We've already given you a glimpse of what SUVs to expect next year but the luxury car makers have a whole bunch of cars lined up which will strengthen their SUV portfolio in the country.
2019 Audi Q3
2019 Audi Q3 is longer, wider and offers more cabin space compared to its predecessor
Audi had unveiled the new Q3 globally in July this year and it is scheduled to be launched in India in 2019. The first thing which straight away grabs attention is the face of the new Q3 which looks even more butch housing the massive eight vertical radiator grille which gives it the baby Q8 look. The next-generation Audi Q8 is based on the Volkswagen group's new Modular Transverse Matrix platform and has grown in dimensions. It is 97 mm longer, 25 mm wider and has 77 mm larger wheelbase and all of it together has increased the space inside the car. The cabin of the new Audi Q3 has been significantly updated with the design of the dashboard and virtual cockpit interface getting the most prominent upgrades. It is also better loaded now with features like a 10.25-inch screen, a 680 watts Bang & Olufsen 3D surround system, traffic jam assist, adaptive speed assist, active lane assist, 360-degree surround camera and more. In India, the new Audi Q3 is expected to be powered by a new 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine and a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine. Some of the foreign markets also get the option of a more powerful 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine which is available in two states to tune.
2019 Audi Q8
Audi Q8 will come with a coupe-like design with LED headlamps and LED taillights
Audi is also considering the Q8 for the Indian market which will be its new flagship SUV in India and will be positioned above the Q7. For the first time, Audi has designed a high bodied coupe-like SUV and impressively has kept the SUV proportions intact by giving it a bold face and elements like bulging wheel arches. On the inside, the Q8 is a strict five-seater and interiors are quite similar to the one seen on the new generation Audi A8, especially the layout of the dashboard. The all-new Audi Q8 will get the option of 3.0-litre petrol and a 3.0-litre diesel engine which will be mated to an eight-speed gearbox and a seven-speed gearbox respectively.
2019 BMW X2
New BMW X2 SUV looks more of a better-evolved version of the 1 Series hatchback
The BMW X2 is based on the Concept X2 and will sit between theX1 and X3 in BMW's SUV line-up. However, in images, the BMW X2 rather than a grown-up X1 looks more of a better-evolved version of the 1 Series hatchback. The cabin of the new BMW X2 will be equipped with a new 8.8-inch screen which will be linked to the iDrive system and it will also get some of the upmarket features like the 360-degree view camera, active lane assist and more. Under the hood, it will get a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine in both petrol and diesel iterations.
2018 BMW X4
The BMW X4 is underpinned by the all-new CLAR platform
We were the first to report that BMW was considering the X4 for India and we have confirmed that it will be launched in the country on February 7, 2019. The new BMW X4 is underpinned by the all-new CLAR platform which also underpins the majority of the BMW models. The second-generation BMW X4 is 81 mm longer and 37 mm wider than its predecessors and has 54 mm larger wheelbase. In India, the new BMW X4 is likely to be launched in the M40d variant which is powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine which will be mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
2019 BMW X5
The 2019 BMW X5 will get 3.0-litre petrol and diesel engines
Though the upcoming BMW X5 will relate to its predecessor in terms of design it will be a significant departure from the outgoing model. This time around, BMW has also focused on making the X5 a capable off-roader by giving it some tech updates as it has always been perceived as more of a soft-roader. On the inside, it will not get a seven-seat configuration and the cabin itself has gotten even more luxurious and gets some of the updated features like speech recognition and BMW's latest digital cockpit. It's based on the new CLAR platform and has grown in dimensions. Under the hood, the new BMW X5 will get 3.0-litre petrol and diesel engines where the latter will be available with different power outputs.
2019 BMW X7
The 2019 BMW X7 gets a massive kidney grille
The mighty BMW X7 will be the new flagship SUV in the Bavarian carmaker's line-up and will sit above the X5. Like the new X5, even the BMW X7 will be available in a seven-seat configuration and the cabin will have a minimalistic design with fewer buttons and majority of the controls will be integrated into the infotainment screen. On the outside, it looks massive and the tall kidney bean grille though looks somewhat obnoxious, does the job of making the facade look really butch. The BMW X7 is likely to source power form a 3.0-litre V6 and a BMW M5 sourced 4.4-litre V8 engine.
2019 Mercedes GLE
Mercedes-Benz has given the GLE some serious off-road aids like self-levelling air suspension
If the outgoing Mercedes-Benz GLE was just a change in the nomenclature, the next generation model is a complete departure. Though the design makeover has made it look more like a crossover, Mercedes-Benz has given it some serious off-road aids like self-levelling air suspension which has individual adjustments and can also toss the SUV to help it get out of deep slush. On the inside, the cabin is in line with the S-class in terms of layout and it is even better-equipped. The new 12.3-inch infotainment screen now gets some highly advanced and clever features like hand movement detection and 'Hi Mercedes'- voice command recognition. Under the hood, it will get a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel, a 3.0-litre V6 diesel and a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine options.
Porsche Macan Facelift
2019 Porsche Macan S is expected to churn out 355 bhp while the Macan Turbo will likely produce 434 bhp
Other than the German Trio even Porsche is all set to launch the Macan facelift in India. The facelift hasn't brought many changes on the outside but has given it some tech updates. Moreover, it is also likely to get a bump up in the power output. The 3.0-litre engine in the Macan S is expected to churn out 355 bhp while the Macan Turbo will likely produce 434 bhp.
