Is India ready for mass lifestyle utility vehicles?
The Indian automobile market is growing. The taste of the consumers is now developing towards SUVs and off-road vehicles. Cars once thought of as only off-road vehicles are now widely gaining acceptance as everyday cars and are becoming ever popular. In this article, we will discuss if really India is ready for mass lifestyle utility vehicles.
What defines an Off-Road SUV?
A car that is less conventional, adventurous, fun to drive, explore unknown roads. A car that defines your need for adventure rather than just being a vehicle for commuting from point A to point B. It has more capability than standard cars over various different terrains.
Off-Road Vehicles from the past
Previously we had cars like Maruti Gypsy and Mahindra Classic that were used for off-roading. These cars lacked creature comforts like AC, armrests, comfortable seats, storage space, and infotainment systems. They just came with a strong engine and superb off-road capabilities. Then later there was the addition of some cars that were a bit more comfortable like the Tata Safari and the Sierra. Back in those days a car with 4×4 capabilities was either used by military or forest officers.
With cars like Tata Safari, Tata Sierra, Mitsubishi Pajero changes were seen. These cars were comfortable, had space, and were capable of some serious off-road stuff. This made a road for other cars to follow wherein they offered space, comfort, and the 4×4 off-road experience. Then cars like Ford Endeavour, Toyota Fortuner, Mahindra Thar, and Mahindra Scorpio came in which just changed the off-roading segment. These cars were capable of doing everything, going anywhere, they could be your daily commute, they could take you off-road, they could go long distances. You name it and these cars would do it without a drop of sweat.
Changes so far
Previously people used to avoid buying these cars as they lacked comfort and features. The SUV and off-road vehicles evolved over time and started offering comfort, features, and safety as well. Over the period the purchasing power of people increased and soon there were two to three cars in a family. One car would be the daily commute type and the other would be more of a recreation, fun type to be used during the weekend. People now prefer to travel by their own cars, taking it to the highway, bad roads, city traffic or just any kind of surface where they can drive. So the need for more options and more value for money cars is vital for the mass buyers.
Upcoming Off-Road Vehicles
Currently, we have Mahindra Thar, Isuzu D-max VCross, ISUZU mu-X 4×4, Jeep Compass Trailhawk 4×4, Toyota Fortuner, MG Gloster, and the Ford Endeavour. Upcoming cars in the off-road segment are the newly launched Force Gurkha. But more cars like the Mahindra XUV700, Volkswagen Tiguan, Mahindra Scorpio, Toyota Hilux, Maruti Jimny five-door, Mahindra Thar five-door and Gurkha 5 doow are cars we all would love to see soon on Indian roads.
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