Mercedes to Lamborghini: Luxury SUVs to launch in India this year

Luxury car segment in India has seen rapid growth over the last couple of years. The number of luxury cars sold in India last year was nearly 38,000, with a growth of about 50 per cent compared to 2021. Luxury SUVs have the largest share among the overall sales as Sport Utility Vehicle form continues to be favoured by customers across segments. With more launches lined up throughout this year, the number is expected to go up much further. Here is a look at five such luxury SUVs set to hit the Indian roads some time this year.

Mercedes GLC

Mercedes-Benz plans to launch at least 10 new models in India this year. Among them is the GLC facelift SUV. The new GLC was launched in global markets last year. It is bigger and more powerful than the existing generation model sold in India. When launched, the GLC facelift will rival the likes of BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Volvo XC60 among others.

Under the hood, the GLC facelift SUV will continue to be offered with both petrol and diesel engines. The 300e 4MATIC variants will come with a 2.0-litre petrol engine with an output of 204 hp. The 400e 4MATIC variants has the same engine with an output of 252 hp. The diesel engine inside the GLC 220 d can churn out 194 hp and offers peak torque of 440 Nm. All the engines are paired to a 9-speed automatic gearbox.

Volvo C40 Recharge

Swedish luxury carmaker had announced that it will launch the C40 Recharge electric SUV in India this year. The launch comes two years after Volvo launched the XC40 Recharge, its first electric vehicle in the country. Globally, the Volvo C40 Recharge is available in two different variants. The single-motor variant comes with a rear-wheel drive setup, and it churns out 238 hp of peak power and can run 482 kms on a single charge. It can sprint 0-100 kmph in 7.4 seconds. The twin motor variant gets an all-wheel-drive system, churning out 408 hp of peak power. This variant can run a 508-km range on a single charge and has an acceleration capacity of 0-100 kmph in 4.7 seconds.

Lexus RX

The new Lexus RX SUV made its debut at the Auto Expo 2023 in Greater Noida in January this year. Lexus India has opened bookngs for the RX luxury SUV, which will be available in two powertrain variants – the RX 350h Luxury Hybrid, and the RX 500h F-Sport Performance.

Lexus RX 350h Hybrid will be powered by a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder engine paired with a hybrid transaxle and a rear E-Four electric motor. It is capable of producing 247 hp paired with an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission. It can accelerate from 0–100 kmph in 7.9 seconds. The Lexus RX 500h F-Sport Performance gets the brand's first hybrid electric system that integrates the high-torque 2.4-litre turbocharged engine with an e-Axle rear unit. It is claimed to be the most powerful RX with 366 hp and 460 Nm of torque on offer. The model can accelerate from 0–100 kmph in 6.2 seconds.

Lamborghini Urus S

Italian supercar manufacturer Lamborghini is all set to shake up its entry-level lineup in India with the introduction of the Urus S super SUV this month. The Urus S, which will replace the existing Urus standard models in lineup, will be officially launched in India on April 13. Urus S is the more powerful version of the standard Urus.

Under the hood, the Urus S will be powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine. It is capable of churning out 666 hp of power, about 16 hp more than standard Urus, and 850 Nm of peak torque. The Urus S comes with a top speed of 305 kmph and can sprint 0-100 kmph in just 3.5 seconds. The engine, mated to a 8-speed torque converter automatic gearbox, can send power to all four wheels for enhanced performance on almost all kind of tracks.

Audi Q8 e-tron

Audi is expected to update its electric vehicle lineup in India with the introduction of the Q8 e-tron electric SUV soon. The Q8 e-tron was launched for global markets last year and replaces the entire e-tron lineup of the German auto giant. Like all its other electric vehicles, Audi will bring the Q8 e-tron to India through the CBU route.

Audi offers Q8 e-tron with a 106.0-kWh battery pack with a range of nearly 600 kms before it needs to be plugged in for a recharge. Audi could offer the electric SUV with two types of battery packs. Expect a 95 kWh unit as well as a 115 kWh unit to power the Q8 e-tron. The electric SUV is able to generate 402 hp of power and 665 Nm of peak torque.