Five SUVs to look out for this festive season

Festive season, typically the period between August and November is critical for auto sales as buyers often consider it an auspicious time for high-indulgence purchases. This year, as the industry goes through supply-side challenges owing to semiconductor shortages, automakers are hopeful their new launches will help boost demand and consumer sentiment.     The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) says it is looking forward to the upcoming festive season with mixed feelings. 

"On one hand, PV (passenger vehicles) are witnessing a very heavy demand but on the other, 2W has still not shown any revival signs. The passenger vehicle segment is already back to pre-Covid levels and is showing growth over the 2019 numbers, but 2W is still struggling to come up to the figures of 2020 which were low. We are witnessing the highest demand in PV, compact SUV segment and luxury segments and In 2W, the 150 cc and above segments have good demand traction though sub 125 cc is still not generating the expected demand," Vinkesh Gulati, president, FADA told Business Today. 

Also Read: Supply, not demand to dim festive season fervour for carmakers   He said due to positive sales numbers and rise in demand especially in the PV segment, "we expect immense confidence among the manufacturers. We have already seen few launches this month and expect this momentum to continue."

"Booking for PV is high, and we are not able to fulfil that demand due to long waiting periods caused by semiconductor and chip shortages. Diesel vehicles have a longer waiting period compared to petrol. Unlike last year when demand was a challenge, this time supply is becoming a bigger problem due to the shortage of semiconductors. There is no respite yet on the semi-conductor shortage and it may take another 4-5 months for things to start stabilising and supply to normalise," Gulati added.    Here's a look at the upcoming SUV launches this festive season:    Tata Punch     It's the season of micro-SUVs and Tata Punch is coming at just the right time. Tata Motors is planning to officially unveil the product that boasts of modern features and design elements on Monday, October 4. The car will be powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine that is capable of a maximum power of 86 PS and 113 Nm of peak torque. It is set to take on cars like Maruti Suzuki Ignis, Mahindra KUV100 and the upcoming Hyundai Casper. 

Also Read: Tata Motors records 55% sales growth in Q2 of FY22   Mahindra XUV700     Homegrown automaker Mahindra recently unveiled its latest SUV offering. The car comes in two variants-a five-seater and a seven-seater option. The SUV, expected to be launched on October 2,  will be available with a choice between two engine options; one will be a 2.0-litre mStallion turbocharged petrol engine the other will be a 2.2-litre mHawk turbocharged diesel unit. 

Also Read: M&M launches XUV700, price starts at Rs 11.99 lakh

MG Astor

MG Motor is all set to launch the facelifted version of the MG ZS, MG Astor. The pricing hasn't been revealed so far but is expected to undercut competition coming from Hyundai Creta, Tata harrier, Kia Seltos, etc. MG has been known to introduce segment-first features like ADAS (level2), personal assistant, connected ecosystem, etc. 

Also Read: MG Motor to pump on Rs 2,500 cr by 2022-end to scale up Halol plant capacity   Maruti Jimny     India's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki is here with its lifestyle SUV to take on Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha and has already become one of the most anticipated products in the market. It will come with an infotainment system, cruise control and a 4-wheel drive option. 

Also Read: Maruti Suzuki production declines nearly 8% in Aug amid chip shortage   Force Gurkha

Force Motors recently launched what is being called its answer to Mahindra Thar. The all-new version of its much-awaited SUV Gurkha launched at a price starting at Rs 13.59 lakh (ex-showroom). The new Gurkha comes with a BS-VI compliant 2.6 litre (91 HP) diesel engine and is built on a ground-up modular architecture platform. 

Also Read: Force Motors unveils all-new version of Gurkha SUV; deliveries to begin in Oct