General Motors India might join the compact SUV brigade!

The trend that was jump started by the humble Premier Rio Compact SUV has now morphed into a torrent with automakers left, right and center clamoring for a piece of the action in the compact SUV segment, a segment that is touted to be the next big growth area in the Indian car market. Now, General Motors India has announced that it might also enter the compact SUV segment, although a timeline for the automaker’s latest plans haven’t been revealed. Also, General Motors India hasn’t revealed anything about the product just as yet.

2012 Opel Mokka Compact SUV

Here’s word from Lowell Paddock, the president and managing director of GM India,

There is an opportunity for us to do a small sports utility vehicle. Indian consumers are looking for is a small nimble and efficient SUV. I think we need to go where the market is headed.

General Motors is testing a compact SUV based on the Sonic hatchback, and that could perhaps be one car that the firm might look at bringing to the Indian market. The Sonic Compact SUV is scheduled to debut in the international market sometime in 2012 . Another choice General motors will have is the 2012 Opel Mokka Crossover, which could go head to head with the Ford EcoSport crossover. You can read more about the 2012 Opel Mokka in our previous story, here.

2012 Opel Mokka Compact SUV

Apart from General Motors, there are a host of manufacturers who are set to bring out products in the compact SUV segment. Maruti is readying up the XA-Alpha, a concept compact SUV that it showcased at the 2012 Indian Auto Expo. Mahindra is teaming up with Ssangyong to ready up the S101 SUV, which could be the Nano of Compact SUVs as Mahindra plans to price the compact SUV between 3-4 lakhs. Ford is expected to debut the EcoSport later this year. Watch out for the rise of the compact SUV in India.

Via MyDigitalFC

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