Forgotten SUVs Of India: Chevrolet Forester To Volkswagen Touareg
In India, SUVs have always played a crucial role. In a developing country like India, where road infrastructure has not always been the best, SUVs made more sense as they were built to endure rough conditions. Even today, the fanbase for SUVs is huge, and globally, the demand for SUVs is on the rise. While we have received several SUVs, not all of them succeeded in our market for various reasons, including price. Since we’re already on this topic, we thought we’d take you through a list of 15 forgotten SUVs that were once seen on Indian roads.
Maruti Grand Vitara XL7
The Grand Vitara XL7 was offered as a CBU (Completely Built Unit). It was once the flagship SUV from the manufacturer but did not do well in terms of sales. It only appealed to wealthy buyers with a taste for expensive 4x4s. The SUV was powered by a 2.8-liter V6 petrol engine that was not fuel-efficient. It generated 168 Bhp and 236 Nm of peak torque.
Hyundai Terracan
This was another flagship model from Hyundai that did not perform well in the market. The Terracan was a ladder-on-frame SUV powered by a 2.9-liter engine that offered 148 bhp of max power and 343 Nm of peak torque.
Chevrolet Forester
Subaru never officially offered any of their models in India, but we did get the Chevrolet Forester, which was actually a Subaru. It was powered by a boxer engine. Chevrolet sold off their stake in Subaru and lost the rights to sell this SUV. It also couldn’t find many buyers.
Mahindra Classic 4X4
The Mahindra Classic CL340 was a popular 4×4 SUV that Mahindra once offered in the Indian market. It was a no-nonsense, simple, and utilitarian 4×4 SUV that many liked. Mahindra still draws inspiration from these SUVs, and you can find traces of them in the modern-day Thar as well.
Tata Sierra
Probably the first-ever made-in-India compact SUV, the Tata Sierra was launched in the 90s with a 2.0-liter diesel engine. Both turbo and non-turbo versions were available in the market. It is now a very popular model among collectors. The huge glass area was the main attraction of the Sierra. It was an SUV ahead of its time, which is why it didn’t succeed.
Mitsubishi Pajero SFX
The Lancer and Pajero were the models that made Mitsubishi popular among Indians. The Pajero SFX was known for its rugged exterior along with a dual-tone paint job, which was not common on cars during that time. Even today, this SUV has a large fan following, and you can find one in the used car market at an affordable price.
Mitsubishi Outlander
This is another SUV from Mitsubishi that was offered in the Indian market. It was introduced as a premium product, but not many people found it interesting. By this time, Mitsubishi had lost interest in the Indian market and was not offering anything new for it.
Mitsubishi Montero
This was the flagship SUV from Mitsubishi. While it was a very successful model for Mitsubishi in international markets, it did not do well in India due to its price. Back in 2012, the SUV was launched at a price of Rs 40 lakh, which was too much to ask from Indian customers at that time, making things difficult for the Montero.
Hyundai Santa Fe
The second generation of the Santa Fe was launched in India as a CBU. Hyundai was not yet seen as a premium car manufacturer, and the steep price tag of the SUV drove people away.
Renault Koleos
Renault launched the Koleos in both 4×4 and 4×2 versions. The Koleos was powered by a 2.0-liter engine that produced a maximum power of 170 bhp along with a peak torque of 360 Nm. The engine was offered with both manual and automatic transmission options.
Nissan X-Trail (First Gen)
We got the first-generation facelift in the Indian market. It was a CBU, and even now, it is offered as a CBU. You might wonder why this SUV is on our list since Nissan is still offering the X-Trail in India. This one is different as it was offered with a diesel engine and 4WD. Given how Nissan has priced the current generation X-Trail, it seems likely that people will soon forget the current version as well.
Volkswagen Touareg
This was Volkswagen’s attempt to enter the premium or luxury segment. The Touareg was also a CBU, which attracted a high price tag. While there are a few examples in different parts of the country, this is not a common SUV on our roads, and many don’t even recognize it.
Chevrolet Captiva
This premium SUV came with a 2.2-liter VCDi turbo engine from the Cruze. This engine produced 184 bhp of maximum power and 424 Nm of peak torque. It even offered AWD. Price was one of the reasons why this premium SUV didn’t do well.
Premier Rio
The Premier Rio was the first sub-4 meter SUV in India. The SUV was based on the Zotye Nomad, a Chinese SUV that was itself based on the Daihatsu Terios. It used a 1.3 Multijet diesel engine from Fiat. However, not many people wanted this SUV due to its looks and the availability of other options for customers.
Mahindra Scorpio Getaway
This was another SUV from Mahindra that did not do well in the Indian market but is liked by customers abroad. It was a dual-cab pickup version of the Scorpio. The SUV is still offered in markets like Australia and South Africa, but in India, it never caught buyers’ attention.