Planning to buy an off-roader to quench your wanderlust? Here is a well-scrutinized list of the right cars you could own in your garage with the guarantee of getting the job done. All prices quoted are ex-showroom, New-Delhi.
- Force Gurkha
Inspired by the design of the Mercedes G-Wagon, the new Gurkha is a true off-roader with immense potential when it comes to climbing through muddy terrains and cutting through bed rocks without breaking a sweat.
Built purely for off-roading, the Force Gurkha sports a 2.6-litre turbocharged inter-cooled, direct injection diesel engine that develops 85 hp at 3200 rpm and 230 Nm torque, well-managed by its five speed all synchromesh gearbox mated with the 4×4 transfer case (Xplorer) which is equipped with differential locks for both front and back axles, which is just the setup you need to go off-roading.
The Gurkha comes in two diesel variants the Xpedition and the Xplorer, with the latter sporting a 4×4 setup.
Price: Xpedition (Diesel) (RWD) – INR 8.20 lakh
Xplorer (Diesel) (AWD) – INR 9.36 lakh
- Mahindra Thar
The Mahindra Thar has steadily grown in popularity amongst the Indian masses owing to its robust design. Powering this car is a 2.5-litre in-line 4-cylinder engine capable to produce 105 bhp of power and 247 Nm of torque (CRDe). The second variant, the DI 4×4 one is a little down on power as it produces 63 bhp and 182.5 Nm of torque from its 2.6-litre in-line 4-cylinder engine. The Thar is not built for high-speed driving but to drive on different habitats you choose to.
Price: DI (4×4) – INR 6.33 lakh
CRDe (4×4) –INR 8.62 lakh
- Mahindra XUV500 4×4
The Mahindra XUV500 keeps you cocooned in luxury whilst taking on the battering from the rough terrains you throw it at, that’s mainly because of its well-engineered monocoque chassis, first of its kind for an Indian carmaker.
Under the hood, the XUV is propelled by a 2.2-litre 140 bhp 16V mHawk diesel engine (Sportz MT AWD) producing 320 Nm of torque, all thanks to its six-speed gearbox which is also available in an automatic variant.
Price: AWD variants ranges from INR 15.96 lakh (W8 AWD) to INR 17.77 lakh (Sportz MT AWD).
- Renault Duster AWD
Renault Duster Diesel RxZ AWD is fitted with a 1461 cc engine producing a modest 109 bhp. All this power is utilized by its fully automatic R-AMT gearbox which generates 245 Nm of torque at 1750 rpm. This makes the Renault Duster capable to cross tough terrains without breaking a sweat.
Price: Duster RxZ AMT – INR 13.06 lakh
- Tata Hexa
Tata Hexa XT is the only variant in the Hexa line of production that is engineered for an All-Wheel Drive setup. Using the CRDi technology. Tata Hexa’s 2.2-litre in-line 4-cylinder engine produces a whopping 153.8 bhp resulting in a torque figure of 400 Nm, all of it efficiently managed by a clever differential mated to a 6-speed gearbox.
Price: XT variant – INR 16.23 lakh
- Tata Safari Storme (4×4)
The VX 4WD Varicor 400 variant of the Storme shares the same engine as found in the Tata Hexa producing the same amount torque and power figures of 153.8 hp and 400 Nm respectively. The only difference comes in the gearbox with the Storme sacrificed to a conventional 5-speed manual unit.
Price: Storme XT – INR 14.32 lakh
- Isuzu MUX (4×4)
A 3.0-litre 175 bhp Turbocharged diesel engine producing 380 Nm of torque propels the heavy body of the Isuzu MUX 4×4. This is the only variant made available in India with the AWD setting.
Price: MUX 4×4 – INR 24.50 lakh
- Isuzu D-max V-Cross 4×4
The D-max V-cross caries the same design sporting the MUX, but by its true nature, the D-max V-cross is a pickup truck. The D-max does not compromise on cabin space to accommodate the long tailgate, but it does carry less power under the hood with its engine producing a power output of 134 bhp and 320 Nm of torque. These differences do account for a huge dip in overall price.
Price: D-max V-cross 4×4 – INR 12.70 lakh
- Mahindra Scorpio Getaway
This list will be incomplete without mentioning Mahindra Scorpio Getaway, the first pickup truck ever to hit the roads in India. The getaway is powered by a 2.6-litre 115bhp 16V SZ CRDe Diesel Engine keeping the getaway agile by producing 278 Nm of torque. The Getaway comes in one variant with most of the required features fitted as standard.
Price: Getaway – INR 10.04 lakh
- Mahindra Scorpio (4×4)
The Mahindra Scorpio is more than a decade old and has seen a lot of development under its hood and around over the course of time. The most recent variants of the Scorpio produce 120 bhp from its 1997 cc engine stomping 280 Nm of torque against the tarmac. It should be noted that not all the variants of the Scorpio have a 4×4 setup.
Price: For all the 4×4 variants – INR 11.11 – 14.54 lakh
- Force One
Force Motors is known for their heavy-duty commercial vehicles, and the Force One adheres to this legacy without a doubt. The Force One SUV LX 4×4 is powered by an in-line 4-cylinder turbocharged engine mated with a 5-speed manual gearbox producing 140 bhp and 321 Nm of torque in the range of 1600 – 2400 rpm.
Price: LX 4×4 – INR 14.43 lakh
- Maruti Gypsy
The Gypsy is an all-time classic known for its reliability over a long period of drive and durability under intense driving situations. It may have a few compromises under its hood to save manufacturing costs, yet its naturally aspirated in-line 4-cylinder engine produces a power output of 80 bhp with 103 Nm of torque.
Price: Soft top – INR 6.26 lakh
Hard top – INR 6.40 lakh (available on order)
- Ssangyong Rexton
The Ssangyong Rexton comes in two variants, both being All Wheel Drive and the model is the second most expensive off-roader in this list. The Rexton is powered by a 2.7-litre turbocharged 5 cylinder engine churning out 162 bhp and 340 Nm of torque mated with a 5-speed manual. The Rexton is one of the most exuberant vehicles produced by M&M.
Price: Rx6 – INR 23.77 lakh
Rx7 – INR 25.16 lakh
- Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
Last but certainly not the least, the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport is offered in a total of eight variants, out of which four of them offer All Wheel Drive support along with different driving modes. The Pajero Sport has a 2.5-litre Turbocharged inline 4 cylinder engine producing sufficient power amounting to 178 bhp and 400 Nm of torque. The gearbox in the Pajero is built for torque multiplication and offers ample torque even at low revs. All these performance specifications along with the option to get it in a dual tone top variant make the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport the most expensive cars in this list costing just over 25 lakhs.
Price: 4×4 variants – INR 26.87 – 27.65 lakh
15. Jeep Compass
Last, but definitely not the least, in fact, probably the most impressive product in the list is the all-new Jeep Compass. Made by FCA in India for the whole world in the company’s modern plant in Ranjangaon near Pune, the Compass is everything an affordable, do-it-all SUV should be, and then some. The compass comes with a punchy 2.0-litre diesel engine with a stonking 171PS of power and 350Nm of torque. It also comes loaded with all the features and creature comforts that a modern consumer looks for. If you are looking for one car that does it all, this one gets a strong approval from us.
Engine : 2.0 litre diesel
Power : 172 PS
Torque : 350Nm
Price : 4×4 – INR 19.97-20.67 ex-showroom
Honorable mention
Honda CR-V:
The Honda CR-V is the only car on this list whose all variants run exclusively on petrol only. The CR-V is engineered more for city driving and packs a 2.4-litre in-line 4-cylinder engine which produces 187 bhp along with 226 Nm of torque which may seem relatively less for the given power output.
Price: 2.4 AWD AT (Petrol) – INR 25.85 lakh