Defender Lookalikes For India: 5 Confirmed Boxy SUV Launching Soon
Lately, we have been seeing a trend among car manufacturers where they design their new models, including SUVs, to be more aerodynamic and futuristic. In a bid to do that, many SUVs often lose their charm and end up looking more like appliances. Thankfully, not every brand is following the same trend. The Land Rover Defender is one of the SUVs available in the Indian market that still retains its boxy design language. Here we have a list of five SUVs launching in the market that have drawn design inspiration from the Defender.
JSW recently announced its plans to enter the Indian market as an independent brand. As part of this plan, they have tied up with China’s Chery. The Jetour T2, which is a plug-in hybrid SUV, is going to be one of the first SUVs to be launched under the JSW brand in India.
The official launch of JSW Motors Ltd., along with its first model, is expected to happen later this year. The Jetour T2 is already available internationally and has often been called a Chinese lookalike of the Defender. The boxy design, upright bonnet, chunky bumper, rugged cladding, and squarish LED headlamps are some of the reasons why people say this.
The Defender is a huge vehicle, while the Jetour T2, on the other hand, is slightly bigger than the Tata Safari sold in India.
The Jetour T2 will be powered by a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine. Since this is a plug-in hybrid vehicle, the SUV will also have an electric motor and a large battery pack that is likely to offer an electric driving range of around 100 km.
Another Chinese car that is expected to be launched in the Indian market under JSW’s independent brand is the iCar V23. This is an EV, and the same has already been spotted testing on Indian roads. The iCar V23 also follows a rugged and boxy exterior design along with round headlamps.
In fact, the Chery iCar V23 not only reminds us of the Defender but also looks somewhat like the Jeep Wrangler from the side profile. Internationally, it is offered as a budget electric SUV, but JSW may make customisations for the Indian market.
It may be offered here with premium features like a large 15.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system, retro-style buttons for climate control, ADAS, and more. This electric SUV is internationally available with 59.93 kWh and 81.76 kWh battery pack options. The smaller battery variant is available with RWD, while the bigger version gets AWD.
One of the most recent concepts to be unveiled is the Bridger. It is a sub-4-metre SUV that Renault plans to launch in the Indian market next year. The Bridger concept also retains a boxy design language that looks rugged and practical at the same time.
With the Bridger, Renault aims to launch an SUV that looks compact on the outside but spacious on the inside. With the boxy design language, they can actually liberate a lot of space in the cabin.
To add to the rugged SUV look, the Bridger even gets a spare wheel mounted on the tailgate. The development and production of the Renault Bridger are being handled by Renault’s India team. It will see a high level of localisation and most likely competitive pricing. This SUV will be offered with petrol, turbo petrol, hybrid, and EV options.
Once Renault launches the Bridger, Nissan is also expected to launch its own version of the same SUV in the market. The exterior design of the SUV is expected to be different from Renault’s version, and Nissan might go with a design inspired by the Patrol, similar to what they plan to do with the upcoming Tekton SUV.
Mechanically, both the Renault Bridger and the Nissan version will remain the same, and they will also share several features. Nissan’s version is expected to launch in the market after the Bridger.
Mahindra surprised everyone last year by unveiling not one but four concept models of their upcoming SUVs. One of them was the Vision S. The production version of the Vision S is currently being tested on our roads, and it looks like Mahindra is going with a design that is close to the concept that was showcased.
It is based on Mahindra’s NU-IQ platform, and it will mark the beginning of the next generation of Mahindra SUVs. The Vision S also features a bulky, boxy, and rugged exterior design with a spare wheel mounted on the tailgate.
It is a sub-4-metre SUV and will be offered with both petrol and diesel engine options. The SUV is expected to be launched in the market next year.