Hyundai Creta To Face Tougher Competition; 3 New Rivals Launching Soon
Nissan Midsize SUV
Nissan has recently teased the video for its upcoming cars in India. One of the two cars is an SUV that will closely rival the Hyundai Creta. The Nissan SUV will be based on the CMF-A platform. Not much has been confirmed about the SUV, however it will get a 1.3L turbo-petrol engine, paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that would be capable of churning out 154 hp of power and 250 Nm of torque.
Nissan has not been vocal about the exact launch date, it is expected to break cover by the end of the year.
Nissan's upcoming mid-size SUV
Renault Duster
Renault has been planning to launch the updated avatar of the Duster. As part of the Nissan-Renault alliance, the Duster and the Nissan SUV will share the CMF-A platform. Also, the new iteration of the Duster will be manufactured alongside the Nissan SUV at its Chennai plant.
The brand has been tight-lipped about the specs and details of the car, however we know that the new Duster will borrow its design cues from the Nissan SUV.
Maruti Suzuki SUV
Maruti Suzuki is currently gearing up for the launch of the e-Vitara. Apart from the electric Vitara, Maruti is also planning to introduce a new SUV that gives a tough rivalry to the Hyundai Creta. The details of the upcoming Maruti SUV is unknown, while it is likely to borrow the inspiration from the Grand Vitara. The new Creta rival by Maruti Suzuki will be up for sale via Arena dealerships.
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Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer- Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki, put it plainly in a recent roundtable, 'When we started, the average price point was around ₹4 lakh. We moved to ₹8 lakh, and now it's ₹15–16 lakh. As our customers move up, we move up." The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara is claimed to have the most affluent customer base in the mid size SUV segment This is the space Nexa was designed to capture. The Grand Vitara, for instance, is attracting some of the most affluent customers Maruti has ever served — buyers who, as Banerjee says, 'do not have the 'look at me' character" but value understated sophistication. The company has always believed that a customer who starts with an Alto or similar entry model will, over time, want to upgrade — and if Maruti cannot offer that next car, they will find it elsewhere. Nexa is Maruti's way of keeping those customers within its fold. The Nexa philosophy — premium, but on Maruti's terms From day one, Nexa's positioning was clear: exclusive, premium, sophisticated — but not luxury. Maruti Suzuki has been careful not to drift into a niche where volumes would be sacrificed for image. The company believes that its job is not to make products for a few thousand customers. The challenge is to give a premium without losing scale. The Baleno, launched through Nexa, was pitched not as just another hatchback, but as a 'premium hatchback," creating a new mental category. The Ciaz offered near-D-segment space at a C-segment price. The Grand Vitara and Invicto now push the brand into ₹20 lakh territory, but with localisation and shared development keeping costs competitive. Banerjee's view is straightforward: 'It's not the product's fault when it doesn't sell, it's about positioning." Also Read : Farewell Ciaz? 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