New Delhi: Let’s face it, a lifestyle car, one that is meant for a good weekend getaway need to be more than just looking great on the driveway. It should
manage to comfortably swallow backpacks, camping essentials and trekking gear, do amazing on highways and manage to tackle broken roads.
In Indian roads, you need something that has good ground clearance, decent back seats, fuel efficiency, a spacious boot and fantastic driving dynamics. From compact urban SUVs to serious off-roaders, here are our picks for cars that make for great company in hikes and getaways.
5) Mahindra Thar Roxx
There are few cars on the Indian road that so perfectly sit as a weekend machine as the Mahindra Thar Roxx. They are amazing to drive around mountain roads, trail access roads, and poor campsites. With that big 447-litre boot, you are paying for something that can take a group in the rough outbacks.
Coming with 2.0-litre turbo petrol and 2.2-litre diesel, with RWD and 4WD drivetrains, the Thar Roxx does pretty well in plucking along the muddy trails. Plus, it is a good one to take in the highways as well.
4) Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder
There is more than one reason to include the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder in the list. For a start, you get the option of a 1.5-litre petrol and 1.5-litre strong-hybrid powertrain. I have taken a long trip in the hybrid version and with that silent start on the electric motor, and having the best average does mean you always save on your wallet.
What no one talks about is the 208 mm of ground clearance and the tough Toyota build that never makes you worry about the poor road conditions you might encounter. While the hybrid might not offer you a big boot space, it is still a smooth and fun car to drive around.
3) Renault Kiger
Renault Kiger is plucky little SUV
Renault Kiger is one of the smartest SUVs with starting prices below the Rs 10 lakh price tag. What makes it amazing is the 405-litre boot, being one of the best in the sub 4 m SUV segment and that 205 mm ground clearance that can handle the tough road conditions.
It gets a 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine which can deliver 98 bhp and 160 Nm of torque. Take it to the open highways, and it just comes to life better. The CVT trim makes for relaxed long-road journeys and easy overtakes. Let’s face it, the Renault Kiger is a really funky-looking car.
2) Honda Elevate
When it comes to driving on the highway, hill stations, and taking a family or group of friends, the Honda Elevate is a great option as well. You get brilliant ride comfort, a big boot space, great visibility, and with a ground clearance of 220 mm, you can tackle all the rocky mountains and tricky spaces that you want to.
With a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated i-VTEC petrol engine powering the SUV, you get linear power and superb refinement. The Elevate makes sense to take on trips. Plus, you get the Honda reliability as a bonus.
1) Jeep Compass
Jeep Compass is a capable off-roader
When it comes to off-roading, chances are you will ignore the Jeep Compass as a premium off-roader. However, the Jeep nameplate comes with more off-road credibility than any brand in the world. Having owned the Jeep Compass for a long while now, I can say that the worse the road, the better the SUV gets.
Coming with a 2.0-litre turbo diesel that makes 176 bhp and is mated with the 6MT, which is 4X2 or the 9-speed automatic gearbox, which is 4X4 and FWD as an option, the Compass has the cabin and the build to tackle bad roads. In fact, in the roaring crowd, it does stand as a bit of a hidden gem.
