SUVs are extremely popular in the Indian market; however, these are not the actual SUVs. These are mostly front-wheel-drive or 2WD crossovers designed to look like SUVs. There are real 4×4 SUVs available in the market, and most of these have a decent appeal among off-roaders and enthusiasts. They cater to the needs of a niche audience, and that’s why these 4×4 SUVs are not volume sellers for manufacturers. Here, we have a list of affordable 4×4 SUVs available for sale in the Indian market. Before we start, we would like to inform you that we won’t be including Toyota Hyryder and Grand Vitara in this list, as both of them come with AWD only. They can do decent off-roading but not as much as the other vehicles on the list.
Maruti Jimny
The Maruti Jimny was one of the most awaited products from Maruti this year. India is the first country to get the Jimny 5-door version. The much more practical variant of this 4×4 SUV is available with a petrol engine only. It uses the same K15B series petrol engine that generates 103 Bhp and 134 Nm of peak torque. The Jimny comes with either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission. As this is an off-road-specific SUV, it gets a proper 4×4 transmission. The price for the Maruti Jimny starts at Rs 12.74 lakh and goes up to Rs 15.05 lakh (ex-showroom).
Mahindra Thar
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The current generation Mahindra Thar was an instant hit among buyers. This lifestyle 4×4 SUV had a long waiting period too. When launched, it was the most affordable 4×4 SUV available in the Indian market. The Mahindra Thar is available with both petrol and diesel engine options, and both these engines offer the 4×4 system. The petrol version uses a 2.0-liter mStallion turbocharged engine, and the diesel version uses a 2.2-liter mHawk turbocharged engine. It was only this year that Mahindra launched a RWD version of the Mahindra Thar in the market. The price for the Mahindra Thar 4×4 starts at Rs 13.87 lakh and goes up to Rs 16.78 lakh (ex-showroom).
Mahindra Scorpio N
Last year, Mahindra launched the all-new Scorpio N in the market, and just like previous models from the manufacturer, Scorpio N also became an instant hit. What made Scorpio N different from others in this segment was the aggressive price tag and the availability of a proper 4×4 system in the higher models. Mahindra was only offering the 4×4 or 4Xplore feature with the diesel engine option. It is a 2.2-liter turbocharged unit that gets both manual and automatic transmission options. The price for the Mahindra Scorpio 4×4 is Rs 17.69 lakh and goes up to Rs 24.52 lakh (ex-showroom).
Force Gurkha
The Force Gurkha is an extremely capable SUV for off-road adventures. It comes with features like a snorkel from the factory. It is an underrated SUV as it is extremely huge, but the fit and finish of the interiors are not up to market standards. It uses a massive 2.6-liter turbocharged diesel engine that generates 90 Ps and 250 Nm of peak torque. The Force Gurkha is available with a manual transmission only. The price for a brand new Force Gurkha starts at Rs 15.10 lakh, ex-showroom.
Isuzu V-Cross
Lifestyle pickups have never caught buyers’ attention in the Indian market, and there are several examples in front of us that prove the same. However, things changed after Isuzu launched the V-Cross. The dual-cab pickup design along with a powerful diesel engine caught buyers’ attention. It uses a 1.9-liter turbocharged diesel engine that generates 160 Bhp and 360 Nm of peak torque. The price for a brand new V-Cross starts at Rs 23.50 lakh and goes up to Rs 27 lakh (ex-showroom).
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