With SUVs like the Jimny and Thar, off-roading culture has received a strong impetus in India.
It’s a great time for off-road enthusiasts in the country with several off-road-focused SUVs currently on sale in the market. You no longer have to spend a fortune for a big, burly full-size SUV, nor do you have to miss out on creature comforts if you’re opting for something from the affordable spectrum of the market. Even serious off-roading cars these days are well-rounded for daily use, and yet are properly capable off the tarmac for the price of a compact or midsize SUV. Here, we have listed the five most affordable off-road SUVs you can currently buy in the country.
1. Maruti Suzuki Jimny
Price: Rs 12.74 lakh-Rs 15.05 lakh
Off-road is where the little Jimny’s natural habitat is. The 4×4 hardware, robust suspension, light kerb weight and narrow track make it extremely capable. It’s surprisingly practical for its size, and the petrol engine’s low-end grunt makes easy work of most obstacles. There’s also an unquestionable charm to its design.
2. Mahindra Thar
Price: Rs 13.87 lakh-Rs 16.78 lakh
Quite unlike the Jimny, the Thar has a very imposing road presence. And with a mechanical locking differential, it is equally capable off-road, gets both petrol and diesel engines, and even a soft-top version, which perhaps makes it the more outdoorsy SUV. Off-road-specific instrumentation is a bonus.
3. Force Gurkha
Price: Rs 14.75 lakh
The Gurkha is the most committed off-roader here, and the most bare-bones too. There’s a sole diesel MT powertrain, but you get selectable front and rear diff locks. It’s hard work off-roading in a Gurkha, and it misses out on electronics offered by others, but there’s little the Gurkha can’t do at the hands of a skilled off-roader.
4. Mahindra Scorpio N
Price: Rs 17.69 lakh-Rs 24.52 lakh
The 4×4 system on Scorpio N is available only with the diesel engine, but it comes in multiple trims. It’s the most urbane and luxurious in this company, but under the skin, it’s a proper off-roader with a ladder-frame chassis, low-range gearbox and a mechanical-locking diff. Its off-road ability will surprise you, combining the best of both worlds.
5. Isuzu D-Max V-Cross
Price: Rs 23.50 lakh-Rs 27 lakh
A 4×4 pick-up truck is as ‘lifestyle’ as a vehicle can get. The D-Max V-Cross is not the best off-roader though – the large rear overhang hampers departure angle, and when the bed is unloaded, the rear struggles for traction in off-road scenarios. Still, there’s an air of indestructibility, and the cargo bed offers use cases unlike any other.
All prices ex-showroom, Delhi.Â
Also See:
