New Luxury SUVs for 2013

Audi Q5 facelift

The facelifted Q5 is expected to come to India in January 2013.  Changes to styling will be minimal and will include a hexagonal shape for the front grille, new LED daytime running lights and a different front bumper with new chrome fog-lamp shrouds. The tail-lights will also get revised LED detailing and there will be a new rear diffuser too. The current range of Q5 engines will continue with the facelift, but could be tweaked for improved power and efficiency.

FACTFILE
Engine: 2.0-litre petrol, 2.0-litre diesel, 3.0-litre diesel
Power/torque: 211bhp/35.7kgm, 170bhp/35.7kgm, 240bhp/51kgm
Kerb weight: 1865kg
L/W/H: 4629/1880/1653mm
Expected: January 2013
Price: Rs 42-50 lakh*

BMW X6 facelift

BMW’s part sportscar-part SUV, the X6, has gone under the knife recently. The facelifted model, which should be available in India in the coming months, gets a more pronounced kidney grille, relocated front fog lights that now sit higher up in the air inlets and new horizontal LED strips in the tail-lights. The current engine options – the 4.4-litre V8 petrol and 3.0-litre diesel – are likely to continue unaltered, but could be mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox in place of the current six-speeder.

FACTFILE
Engine: 4.4-litre petrol, 3.0-litre diesel
Power/torque: 402bhp/61.2kgm, 241bhp/55kgm
Kerb weight: 2190kg
L/W/H: 4877/1983/1699mm
Expected: December 2012
Price: Rs 77 lakh – Rs 1 crore*

Land Rover Freelander 2 facelift

Capable and comfortable as it is, the Land Rover Freelander 2 is getting a bit long in the tooth. New competitors like the BMW X3 and Volvo XC60 have made this all the more obvious. Just as well then that the Freelander will be refreshed in mid-2013. While exterior styling changes will be restricted to detailing on the lights and a new finish to the front grille, the majority of the updates will be to the cabin. Chief among these will be a revised dashboard that will now come dominated by a seven-inch touchscreen for the new Meridian audio system and other controls, and also new switches in place of the Terrain Response rotary controller. Expect this update to be accompanied by a small hike in prices.

FACTFILE
Engine: 2.2-litre diesel, 2.2-litre diesel
Power/torque: 148bhp/42.8kgm, 187bhp/42.8kgm
Kerb weight: 1880kg
L/W/H: 4500/2195/1740mm
Expected: Mid-2013
Price: Rs 38-44 lakh*

New Range Rover

The Range Rover has always been the benchmark for luxury SUVs, but in its latest avatar, it could push the goalpost even further. Styling may be evolutionary but the new Rangie is larger, lighter and more luxurious than before. Crucially, for chauffeur-driven Indian buyers, there is even more space in the rear seat thanks to a larger wheelbase. The new Range Rover, that will be available with a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol and a pair of twin-turbo diesels, a 255bhp 3.0 V6 and a 335bhp 4.4 V8, promises to be more efficient and better to drive too. A lot of that is down to its use of an aluminium monocoque (a first for an SUV) that has resulted in a massive 420kg reduction in weight and increase in stiffness compared to the outgoing model. What will remain unchanged though will be its exorbitant price-tag. Expect fully loaded Rangies to cost as much as Rs 2 crore when launched in India in January 2013.

FACTFILE
Engine: 5.0-litre petrol, 3.0-litre diesel, 4.4-litre diesel
Power/torque: 504bhp/63.7kgm, 255bhp/61.1kgm, 335bhp/71.3kgm
Kerb weight: 2160-2330kg
L/W/H: 4999/2073/1835mm
Expected: January 2013
Price: Rs 1.4 crore onwards*