All new SUVs launching in 2023: Hyundai Creta facelift, Tata Safari, Harrier facelift and more

The SUV form factor is hands down the most popular, not just in India, but globally too. The appreciation for SUVs in India stems from the fact that they have a great driving position and are practical. Given the less than perfect roads we have, their ground clearance also comes in handy, making them an ideal choice for city and long distance use. Below is a list of all new SUVs entering our market next year, ranging from the three-row version of the Citroen C3 hatchback, going all the way up to the Bentley Bentayga EWB.

Bentley Bentayga EWB

The Bentayga EWB (Extended Wheelbase) is now Bentley’s flagship product after the manufacturer discontinued the Mulsanne in 2020. The EWB is 180mm longer than the standard version, with all the extra space being awarded to the rear seat passengers.

Globally, for the time being, the Bentayga EWB only gets a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 producing 550hp and 770Nm of torque. It can accelerate from 0-100kph in 4.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 290kph.

The Bentayga EWB gets three seating options for the rear passengers – a two-seat configuration; a three-person bench configuration; and a mix of both dubbed the ‘4+1’ configuration. It, however, will not be offered with seven seats, despite the longer wheelbase.

Coming: Late 2023
Engines: 4.0-litre petrol
Expected price: Rs 5 crore

BMW X1

The new X1 gets large, chrome-heavy kidney grilles flanked by slim headlights with L-shaped LED Daytime Running Lamps. In profile, it has chunkier wheel arches and flush door handles.

Inside, the X1 features a 10.7-inch touchscreen infotainment system that runs on BMW’s new iDrive 8 operating system, while the driver gets a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. The X1 is slightly larger than its predecessor with a 22mm longer wheelbase and 31mm wider track translating to more space in the cabin. The new seats are claimed to offer enhanced long-distance comfort.

Mechanically, it gets a choice of two petrol and diesel engine options, with all four getting 48V mild-hybrid technology and an electric starter motor in the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The 136hp sDrive18i and 150hp sDrive18d variants come with front-wheel-drive system as standard, whereas the 218hp xDrive23i and 211hp xDrive23d variants get an all-wheel-drive system.

Coming: Late 2023
Engine: 1.5-litre and  2.0-litre petrol, 2.0-litre diesel
Expected price: Rs 45 lakh-50 lakh

Citroen C3 7-seater

Citroen has been spotted testing a seven-seater version of its C3 crossover. Possibly called the C3 Aircross, C3 Plus or C3 Sport Tourer, it will ride on bigger wheels – 16 inches – than the standard C3, and will likely have more ground clearance as well as rugged body cladding. It could be a direct rival to the Renault Triber and be a more affordable alternative to the Kia Carens, Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and the XL6.

Visually, the C3 Aircross is similar to the standard C3 till about the B-pillar. The seven-seater version seems to have a longer rear overhang, suggesting it may be longer than four metres. The rear quarter panel and glass area also seem to be new for the seven-seater C3. Even on the inside, it has a similar layout, but since the C3 Aircross will be positioned higher, it may get more features as standard.

Under the hood, it is expected to have the same powertrain as the standard C3 – a 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine mated to a 6-speed gearbox. To price it aggressively, Citroen could also give the C3 Aircross a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine.

Coming: Late 2023
Engines: 1.2-litre petrol
Expected price: Rs 10 lakh

Force Motors Gurkha 5-door

The five-door version of the Force Gurkha will share most components with its three-door sibling. The five-door version of the SUV is expected to come in multiple seating layout options, including a bench or captain’s chairs for the second row and jump seats or captain’s chairs for the third.

The five-door Gurkha will likely use the three-door version’s updated C in C platform with a 400mm longer wheelbase. It will also carry over the Mercedes-sourced 2.6-litre diesel engine mated to a 5-speed gearbox. It is expected to come in 4X4 and 4X2 variants, along with locking differentials and a low-range gearbox.

Coming: Early 2023
Engines: 2.6-litre diesel
Expected price: Rs 15 lakh

Honda midsize SUV

Honda is finally taking a plunge into the thick of the SUV market with a midsize SUV that’s aimed squarely at market leader, Hyundai Creta. The new SUV will be around 4.2m long and will have seating for five along with a fairly large boot. Honda’s expertise in packaging will make it high on space.

The new SUV is expected to get a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine as well as a 1.5-litre petrol hybrid. It is certain that this new SUV will not have a diesel powertrain as Honda will stop producing diesel engines from February 2023 due to the new emissions regulations. While details are scant, Honda is likely to add the latest on-board tech in its new midsize SUV, and it is expected to get the next-generation touchscreen infotainment system.

Coming: April 2023
Engines: 1.5-litre petrol
Expected price: Rs 16 lakh-18 lakh

Hyundai micro SUV

Hyundai is planning to take on the Tata Punch by launching its own entry-level SUV. The new model, codenamed Ai3 CUV (Compact Utility Vehicle), will be based on the Grand i10 Nios and Aura’s platform and is likely to use the 1.2-litre petrol engine. Since Hyundai offers CNG versions of its other small cars, there is a chance that the new micro SUV could also get a CNG option.

The upcoming entry-level SUV will likely sit between the Grand i10 Nios and Venue in Hyundai’s portfolio.

Coming: May 2023
Engines: 1.2-litre petrol
Expected price: Rs 6 lakh-8 lakh

Hyundai Creta facelift

The mid-life refresh for Hyundai’s popular SUV will bring major updates to the exterior along with new features on the inside. It gets a Tucson-inspired front end with Hyundai’s new ‘parametric grille’ and LED Daytime Running Lamps that reach the edges of the car. The rear gets new, sharper-looking lamps and a reprofiled boot lid.

Inside, the changes will be subtle as the general layout and design are expected to be carried over. Major changes include a 10.25-inch digital cluster – as seen on the Alcazar – as well as ADAS tech from the Tucson. Under the hood, the updated Creta is expected to carry over the existing petrol and diesel engines along with the current gearbox options.

Coming: Mid 2023
Engines: 1.4-litre turbo-petrol, 1.5-litre petrol, 1.5-litre diesel
Expected price: Rs 11 lakh-19 lakh

Kia Seltos facelift

The facelift of the Seltos will get a newly designed bonnet and headlamps. It gets new alloy wheels, while the rear has the most changes – a new tail-lamp design, refreshed bumper and faux skid plate.

On the inside, the Seltos will get new upholstery and cosmetic updates to the dashboard as well as some new features, such as ADAS, which will be tuned for India. Kia will also offer a new infotainment system with a redesigned control panel for the air conditioning. Under the hood, the Seltos will retain the current engine and gearbox options.

Coming: Mid 2023
Engines: 1.4-litre turbo-petrol, 1.5-litre petrol, 1.5-litre diesel
Expected price: Rs 12 lakh-20 lakh

Land Rover Defender 130

The Defender 130 adds 340mm of extra length behind the rear axle, which aids in additional boot space. It comes with seating for five as standard, but can seat up to eight with a two-three-three seating layout as an option. Inside, the Defender 130 looks very similar to other models in the Defender line-up. It gets the larger 11.4-inch curved touchscreen and new trim options, including oak veneer and tan leather seats.

While base model Defenders get coil springs as standard, the Defender 130 gets adaptive air suspension that gives up to 430mm of articulation and a water-wading depth of up to 900mm. In India, the Defender 130 will get a 400hp, 3.0-litre petrol engine as well as a 300hp, 3.0-litre diesel engine.

Coming: Early 2023
Engines: 3.0-litre petrol, 3.0-litre diesel
Expected price: Rs 1.3 crore-1.4 crore

Lexus RX

The BMW X5 rival has had a few changes to its dimensions, with the wheelbase being 6mm longer and the roofline 10mm lower, and its exterior is based on Lexus’ Next Chapter design language. The RX gets a 14-inch touchscreen as standard, wireless charging as well wireless Apple CarPlay. However, it only gets wired Android Auto connectivity. Lexus has opted for vegan synthetic leather for the upholstery. India will get the RX 350h variant that is powered by a 250hp, 2.5-litre strong hybrid powertrain, mated to an 18.1kWh battery.

Coming: January 2023
Engines: 2.5-litre petrol
Expected price: Rs 1.2 crore

Maruti Suzuki Jimny

The five-door Jimny’s wheelbase will be 300mm longer than the three-door version. Despite measuring 3,850mm in length, it will be shorter than the new Brezza. Since it gets a 1.5-litre petrol engine, it will not qualify for the lower excise bracket for sub-4m category. It will debut in India first, and will subsequently be available in international markets. Maruti Suzuki is already manufacturing left- and right-hand drive versions of the three-door Jimny in India, but it is only for the export market.

Under the hood, the Jimny is expected to be powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine along with a mild-hybrid set-up mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox. The Jimny will also get the hardcore Suzuki AllGrip Pro all-wheel drive tech that includes a low-ratio gearbox.

Coming: August 2023
Engines: 1.5-litre petrol
Expected price: Rs 15 lakh

Maruti Suzuki YTB

The coupe SUV, codenamed YTB, is a coupe-style cross-hatchback based on the Baleno. On the outside, the coupe SUV’s front fascia seems to be similar to the Grand Vitara, with a split headlamp set-up, and a coupe-like roofline. It is expected to be smaller than the Brezza and borrows design cues from the Baleno, apart from its raised suspension and chunky wheel arches. The YTB coupe SUV is expected to get a BS6-compliant 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, originally seen on the Baleno RS, and is expected to come with mild-hybrid technology.

Coming: January 2023
Engines: 1.0-litre petrol
Expected price: Rs 8 lakh-11 lakh

Mercedes Benz GLC

The second generation of the GLC is now marginally larger than its predecessor, and key exterior highlights include a larger grille, new headlamp design and slimmer tail-lamps. The interior design is borrowed heavily from the new C-Class, including a 12.3-inch digital cluster, a portrait-style 11.9-inch centre screen, newly styled air vents as well as higher quality materials. It also gets a new head-up display unit, panoramic sunroof and a 710W Burmester sound system with 15 speakers.

Globally, the GLC gets two petrol and diesel engines – GLC200, GLC300 and GLC220d –and all of them come with a 48V mild-hybrid system with an integrated starter motor. Alternatively, these engines are also available as plug-in hybrids in the GLC300e, GLC400e and GLC300de variants with a pure electric range of up to 120km.

Coming: Early 2023
Engines: 2.0-litre petrol, 2.0-litre diesel
Expected price: Rs 64 lakh-70 lakh

MG Hector facelift

The facelifted Hector gets a revised front end with an ‘Argyle-inspired’ diamond mesh grille with prominent chrome surrounds, restyled bumpers and tweaked headlights. Inside, the biggest change will be the adoption of the new 14-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The dashboard features new horizontal AC vents and a flowing design for the centre console. The updated Hector will also come with ADAS tech like its stablemates with the sensors and cameras likely housed on the windscreen. It’s expected to continue with two 143hp 1.5-litre petrol engines – one with mild-hybrid technology – and a 170hp, 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine.

Coming: Early 2023
Engines: 1.5-litre petrol, 2.0-litre diesel
Expected price: Rs 15 lakh-20 lakh

Nissan X-trail

The Nissan X-Trail was available in India in its first two generations – the third generation was never available, despite being showcased a few years ago. The latest-gen has also received a 5-star Euro NCAP rating. The fourth-generation X-Trail that will be launched in India sports a similar front grille design as the Kicks. The X-Trail’s grille, however, is flanked by split headlamps. It is available with a five- and seven-seat layout and is built on Renault-Nissan’s CMF-C platform. On the inside, it gets a 12.3-inch digital cluster and a 12.3-inch touchscreen, ADAS technology as well as a 360-degree camera.

Nissan will offer the X-Trail with either a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol with mild-hybrid technology or a 1.5-litre e-Power engine with a range extender hybrid technology. The latter is essentially an EV as the wheels are solely powered by an electric motor and the engine acts as a generator to charge the batteries.

Coming: Mid 2023
Engines: 1.5-litre petrol
Expected price: Rs 40 lakh

Tata Harrier facelift

Tata is expected to update the Harrier soon. The popular SUV has been on sale since 2019, and even though it comes equipped with a lot of features, its competitors have adopted newer, advanced features. Tata is expected to add a bigger touchscreen with wireless connectivity, ADAS tech and a 360-degree camera to the Harrier. The SUV is also expected to get a new grille, refreshed headlamps and tail-lamps as well as a new alloy wheel design.

While Tata is said to be working on a 1.5-litre turbo-charged petrol engine, it may only be available sometime after the facelift hits the market. For now, however, Tata will continue with the existing 2.0-litre diesel engine.

Coming: Mid 2023
Engines: 2.0-litre diesel
Expected price: Rs 16 lakh-24 lakh

Tata Safari facelift

Similar to the Harrier, the Safari is also expected to get some updates. It may also get the bigger touchscreen with wireless connectivity, ADAS tech and a 360-degree camera like the Harrier facelift. Even the design on the updated Safari should be similar to the Harrier, keeping the design of both SUVs in line.

Coming: Late 2023
Engines: 2.0-litre diesel
Expected price: Rs 18 lakh-26 lakh

Also see:     

All new EVs launching in 2023

New sedans, hatchbacks coming to India in 2023

17 cars, SUVs being killed off by RDE norms before April 2023