Toyota Rumion
Toyota launched the Rumion in South Africa just
a few weeks ago. The MPV is essentially a
rebadged version of Maruti Ertiga, with only tiny
differences in the design, like a new front grille,
and of course, new logos. As per plenty of news
reports, Toyota will launch the MPV in India as well.
The cabin styling of the India-spec Toyota
Rumion will be unchanged, and the powertrain
and platform will remain the same as well. The
launch details aren’t clear yet, but this upcoming
Toyota MPV is expected to go on sale in India some time during the next year.
Jeep Meridian
Jeep introduced a Compass-based three-row
SUV internationally in August this year,
christened ‘Commander’.
In the market, this new SUV will be launched around
mid-2022, under a new name – Meridian.
The upcoming Jeep Meridian is expected to
get a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine, with mild-
hybrid assistance. A petrol engine option may
also be offered here, although not a lot of
concrete details are available about the SUV’s India-spec version yet.
Next-gen Mahindra Scorpio
Mahindra & Mahindra is planning to launch the
next-generation Scorpio in India, likely in the
first half of 2022. The new-gen model is expected
to share its underpinnings with the Thar, and
will likely have the same engine options as the
latter – a 2.0L turbo-petrol unit and a 2.2L turbo-diesel unit.
The new model will be more premium and
will have a lot more features on offer than the
outgoing SUV. Upon launch, the new-gen
Scorpio will be a more rugged alternative to
crossovers like Tata Safari, Hyundai Alcazar, etc.
Mahindra Bolero Neo Plus
Earlier this year, M&M launched a facelifted
version of the TUV300 in our market, under a
new name – Bolero Neo. We expect the
manufacturer to reintroduce the TUV300 Plus
as well soon, likely rebranded as the ‘Bolero Neo Plus’.
This upcoming SUV will actually be more than
a 7-seater; it will have inward-facing bench
seats in the third row, similar to the Bolero
Neo, but it will technically be a 9-seater
vehicle, thanks to its extra length and wheelbase.
Toyota-Maruti MPV
Toyota and Maruti are jointly developing a few
vehicles for the Indian market, and one of them
is a new midsize MPV. This new vehicle will be
introduced as a rival to Mahindra Marazzo; it
will be positioned above the XL6 in Maruti’s
range and below the Innova Crysta in Toyota’s range.
Details about the MPV are completely under
wraps at the moment, but speculations suggest
that Maruti will introduce it some time during
2022, and Toyota will launch a rebadged version of it a few months later.
Kia MPV
Kia is planning to launch a new MPV in our
country, expected to arrive during early 2022.
Codenamed ‘KY’ this forthcoming MPV has been
spied multiple times during road testing on the
streets of India, and it is likely to get the production name of ‘Kia Carens’.
The new Kia MPV is expected to share its
platform with the Seltos, but modified to
accommodate the extra row of seats in the back.
The powertrain options are expected to consist
of a 1.5L petrol motor and a 1.5L diesel mill, which are also available on the Seltos.
Hyundai MPV
Hyundai is also working on a new MPV,
codenamed ‘KS’, which will share its
underpinnings and powertrain options with Kia
KY.
The MPV is expected to have its world debut
next year, and it will likely go on sale in Indonesia first.
India launch of this upcoming Hyundai MPV is
expected to follow later, likely towards the
end of the next year. Upon arrival, it will be a
competitor to Mahindra Marazzo and even
Maruti Ertiga, along with its Kia cousin.