The fiercely competitive segment has countless options, but there’s one model that stands out
The word SUV was redefined in India in 2012 when Renault launched the Duster as its first compact SUV in India. It was the first time the Indian market witnessed the combination of a compact high-riding vehicle with a monocoque frame, a formula that instantly worked wonders for Renault.
Soon after Ford pulled off a surprise by bringing the Ecosport, India’s first-ever sub-four-meter compact SUV. And just like the Duster, the Ecosport revolutionized the small car category by offering an SUV with the footprint of an entry-level hatchback.
While Renault Duster and Ford Ecosport are no longer on sale in India, both of them paved the paths for other carmakers and motivated them to bring in a range of new-age and more modern SUVs in the compact car space.
Currently, the compact SUV category in India mainly consists of two groups – sub-four-meter segment (below 4 meters in length) and premium compact segment (measuring between 4-4.5 meters long).
Best Compact SUVs To Buy In India
Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza
The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza is the best-selling compact SUV in India
Despite being available as a petrol-only model, the Maruti Vitara Brezza is one of the country’s highest-selling SUVs. The boxy and upright Vitara Brezza was the first indigenous attempt from Maruti Suzuki in making an urban-oriented SUV for India.
While the pre-facelift model was available with a 1.3-litre diesel engine with a manual gearbox, the current facelifted version has a 1.5-litre petrol engine, with two transmission choices of 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic gearbox.
Tata Nexon
The Tata Nexon single-handedly took Tata Motors to new heights and fueled up the responses for the other offerings from the Indian carmaker.
The concept-car like styling, backed with powerful engine options, a spacious and well-equipped cabin, and a coveted 5-star rating in the Global NCAP crash tests, has made the Tata Nexon a common sight on Indian roads. The Nexon received its first-ever facelift in 2020, which is still one sale with the choices of 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel engine.
Hyundai Venue
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Hyundai replaced the low-selling i20 Active with the Venue, which unlike the former, was a proper compact SUV and not a hatchback on stilts. The Venue introduced a newer design approach among Hyundai cars, thus giving it the most distinctive visual appeal.
The Venue is due for a facelift soon but is still going strong with its three-engine lineup – 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol, 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel. It was also the first-ever car to feature the iMT clutch-less transmission.
Kia Sonet
Kia managed to keep the momentum generated by Seltos in continuation with the Sonet, which happens to be the Korean carmaker’s most affordable car for India. The Kia Sonet is based on the same platform as the Hyundai Venue but gets different exterior and interior designs and a few additional features over the former.
Apart from the platform, the Sonet shares its 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol, 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engine options with the Venue.
Skoda Kushaq
You’ve got a myriad of options right from the sub 4-metre category
Skoda has bounced back in the volume game in the Indian car market with the Kushaq, its first-ever made-for-India SUV. This premium compact SUV from India was Skoda’s first-ever product based on the India-specific MQB A0-IN platform.
Designed on the lines of bigger Skoda SUVs like Karoq and Kodiaq, the Skoda Kushaq is available with two turbocharged petrol engines – 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol and 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol, with both of them getting different types of automatic transmission options. The 1.5 TSI of the Kushaq is the most powerful engine in the segment with a power output of 150 PS and a peak torque output of 250 Nm.
Volkswagen Taigun
The Volkswagen Taigun arrived a few weeks after the debut of Skoda Kushaq. And like the Kushaq, it helped its parent carmaker strengthen its monthly sales volumes.
The Taigun sits on the same MQB A0-IN platform as the Kushaq. But it gets a different design in and out, which makes it look like a proper Volkswagen vehicle. It gets the same 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol, which are there under the hood of the Skoda Kushaq as well.
Mahindra XUV300
Even the Mahindra XUV300 has five-star G-NCAP rating
After experimenting with the Rexton-based Alturas, Mahindra decided to re-engineer another Ssangyong product, the Tivoli, and launch it as a sub-four-meter SUV in India. It led to the birth of XUV300, which is Mahindra’s smallest and most affordable monocoque SUV for India.
With a modern design and a few segment-first features in its class, the XUV300 is currently on offer with two engine options – a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel – both of which produce the highest torque outputs in the sub-four-meter category.
Renault Kiger
But there are more affordable options like the Renault Kiger
Renault has had a successful stint in the Indian car market with the Duster, and it hopes to emulate the same success story with the Kiger, its first-ever sub-four-meter SUV for India.
Renault shocked everyone when it introduced the Kiger at mouth-watering prices, despite offering a very European design, an immensely spacious cabin, and a sorted ride quality. The Renault Kiger is available with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, which is on sale in both naturally-aspirated and turbocharged forms.
Nissan Magnite
And the Nissan Magnite
After a silent run for the last few years, Nissan woke from the slumber with a smashing comeback product, the Magnite. The Nissan Magnite originally was destined to be a Datsun product, but the Japanese carmaker decided to launch it under its umbrella.
The Magnite is one sheer value-for-money product for the hatchback-like price range in which it is available. The Nissan Magnite shares its platform and 1.0-litre petrol engine options – both naturally aspirated and turbocharged – with the Renault Kiger.
The above four-metre segment has seen a lot of action in the last two to three years, with many new names making their entry and selling in impressive numbers for their parent carmakers.
MG Astor
The MG Astor is the only car in the segment to offer high-end radar-based ADAS
After a stellar debut in the Indian car market with the midsize Hector SUV, followed by new models like Gloster, ZS EV, and Hector Plus, MG decided to mark its presence in the compact SUV category with the Astor.
Unlike the other MG SUVs, which are rebadged products from SAIC-owned Chinese automakers, the Astor is an original product coming from the home of MG Motor UK. Like the Kushaq and Taigun, the MG Astor is a petrol-only SUV with two engine options – 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol and 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol.
Kia Seltos
Find our which model we chose as the best all-rounder and out favourite
Kia made a stellar debut with the Seltos, which established Kia as a reputed brand in the Indian car market.
When it arrived for the first time, the Kia Seltos introduced a very fresh design approach, refined and powerful engine options, best-in-class features and a spacious cabin, all of which were good enough to attract potential customers. The Kia Seltos shares its 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol, 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engine options with the Creta.
Hyundai Creta
With the Creta, Hyundai cemented its position as a successful SUV maker in India, given that all prior SUVs from Hyundai received below-average responses. The Hyundai Creta is widely preferred for its contemporary design and features list, refined engine options, and smarter road presence.
The Creta is currently in its second-generation avatar and gets three engine options – 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol, 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel.
Nissan Kicks
Both Indian and foreign manufacturers have lined-up their products in the compact SUV segment
The Nissan Kicks might be the least-selling product in this list of compact SUVs. However, it is one seriously underrated SUV for its positive attributes, such as excellent ride and handling balance, brilliant space management, and a set of punchy engine options.
In the BS6 era, the Nissan Kicks relaunched with two petrol engine options – 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol and a 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine, the latter of which is one of the most powerful engines among all the compact SUVs.
Which Is The Best Compact SUV In India?
The Hyundai Creta ruled the segment for a long time and is still the segment leader and for good reason. It pretty much ticks all the boxes, be it design, features, technology, design, or the driving experience, striking a great balance and making for the perfect all-rounder. In the sub-4m compact SUV segment, the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza remains the undisputed best-seller.
Q&A
What is the difference between SUV & compact SUV?
SUVs are very capable and get 4×4. Compact SUVs look big but they are primarily family cars.
Entry-level sub-4m compact SUVs are the most affordable. It includes cars like Renault Kiger, Nissan Magnite, and Tata Punch.
What is the most reliable compact small compact SUV?
Tata Punch is the safest and most affordable small compact SUV in India.
What is the #1 compact SUV?
Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza is by far the number one compact SUV in terms of sales in India.
Which compact SUV has the most power?
Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun powered by the 1.5-litre TSI engine are the most powerful compact SUVs in India. The turbo-petrol engine produces a maximum power of 150 PS and a peak torque of 250 Nm.
Keyword: Best Compact SUV In India