Top five most affordable SUVs with all-wheel drive in India

Over the decades, technology has remade the automobiles around the world. Not only luxury carmakers offer various advanced features but volume car manufacturers have also started providing more or less similar features in their affordable products. One of such features is the all-wheel drive system. This feature previously used to be available with premium cars, but a handful of India brands have introduced it in their mass-market vehicles, especially SUVs. Here we will find out the top most affordable SUVs that offer all-wheel drive in India.

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

Launched in late 2022, the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara is the most affordable SUV in India to offer the all-wheel drive (AWD) system. It is the first Maruti to debut the brand's AllGrip Select system. While it is available in six variants: Sigma, Delta, Zeta, Alpha, Zeta+, and Alpha+, the brand offers the AWD only with the Grand Vitara Alpha mild-hybrid variant.

Maruti Suzuki's all-wheel drive system, also known as AllGrip Select, comes with four driving modes: Auto, Snow, Sport, and Lock. Paired with the AllGrip Select is a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine producing 103.6PS and 136.8Nm of torque. Notably, the Alpha AWD variant is solely available with a five-speed manual gearbox option. Meanwhile, the Grand Vitara Alpha AllGrip costs Rs 16.91 lakh (ex-showroom), while its dual-tone version costs Rs 17.07 lakh (ex-showroom).

Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder

Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder is the second most affordable SUV to offer all-wheel drive after the Maruti's Grand Vitara. It comes with four variants: E, S, G, and V across two distinctive powertrain options like the Grand Vitara.

However, Toyota offers the all-wheel drive system only with the top-spec variant of the SUV, the Urban Cruiser Hyryder V AWD. This variant gets a 1.5-litre, inline four-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine generating 103.6PS and 136.8Nm of torque. It comes mated to only a five-speed manual gearbox. The Urban Cruiser Hyryder V AWD costs Rs 17.19 lakh (ex-showroom).#

Mahindra XUV700

The XUV700 is one of the most sought-after vehicles of Mahindra. It had received over 1.50 lakh since the bookings opened in October 2021. The seven-seat SUV is available in five variants, namely MX, AX3, AX5, AX7, and AX7 L. However, Mahindra offers it only with the 2.2-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged diesel that makes 185PS and 450Nm of torque (AT). Unlike the Grand Vitara AWD and Urban Cruiser Hyryder AWD, the XUV700 AWD is solely available with a six-speed automatic transmission option. Meanwhile, the SUV comes with four driving modes: Zip, Zap, Zoom, and Custom.

The XUV700 AX7 Diesel AWD AT comes with a sticker price of Rs 24.41 lakh (ex-showroom) and XUV700 AX7 L Diesel AWD AT costs Rs 26.18 lakh (ex-showroom).

Volkswagen Tiguan

Launched in December 2021, the Volkswagen Tiguan facelift is available in a single variant: the Tiguan Elegance. With this, the brand offers its 4Motion all-wheel drive system as standard. Along with Eco, Normal, Sport, and Individual driving models, the 4Motion AWD comprises four terrain modes: On-road, Off-road, Snow, and Off-road individual. Powering the Tiguan is a 2.0-litre, inline-four, turbocharged petrol unit mated to a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission. Notably, the Volkswagen Tiguan AWD is priced at Rs 34.20 lakh (ex-showroom).

Hyundai Tucson

South Korean automaker Hyundai introduced the new generation Tucson in India in August 2022. The SUV comes with a bunch of features, including the Level 2 autonomy. It is available in two variants: Platinum and Signature across petrol and diesel engine options, while there is only a single all-wheel drive trim.

The all-wheel drive system comes with the top-spec Tucson Signature diesel trim level, which gets a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel motor paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Tucson is also available with a 2.0-litre petrol engine option. In terms of the all-wheel drive system, the Tucson features several multi-terrain modes: Snow, Mud, and Sand. It also gets a 4WD lock mode. On top of AWD modes, Hyundai has given it Eco, Normal, Sport, and Smart driving modes.

While the prices of the Tucson line-up start at Rs 28.63 lakh (ex-showroom), the range-topping Tucson Signature Diesel AWD costs Rs 35.31 lakh (ex-showroom). Whereas, the Signature Diesel AWD dual-tone comes with a sticker price of Rs 35.46 lakh (ex-showroom).