Compact SUVs have made a large impact on the Indian automotive markets. This particular genre of cars has made a place of themselves in every carmaker’s list.
Cars from this segment have not only given stable sales numbers but made an altogether new trend in the car markets. The things which made compact SUV desirable are quite simple. You get more for less, a good-looking car, variety of features, better mileage than a full-fledged SUV etc.
Seeing all the pros of these cars, every company wanted to have a slice of the compact SUV cake. From Maruti to Hyundai and from Kia to Ford, everyone played their cards in the compact SUV segment. However, one thing that irked many was – it isn’t a proper SUV. Now, most of the people preferred to ignore that fact and live in the Utopian world of their compact SUVs.
But many actually wanted to know what makes the compact SUVs as good as conventional SUVs? Or are they even near to it? Let’s look at some of the major differences between an SUV and a compact SUV.
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1. Difference in Size
Most of the people prefer opting for a full-size SUV while many want to go for a compact vehicle. The compact SUVs tend to provide the best of both worlds. While it gives the feels of a full-size SUV, it doesn’t feel like a bulky ride.
Compact SUVs turn out to be the perfect ride in the city and on the highways. Whereas SUVs doesn’t turn out to be a car, you want to get stuck with, in traffic. The size makes it difficult to handle and ride until and unless you eventually get used to it.
2. The Mileage of a Compact SUV
Mileage tops the checklists for many car buyers in the country. While buying a car or just in general talks – “kitna deti hai?” is often constant. When it comes to mileage, SUVs aren’t the best bet. However, compact SUVs are here to solve that problem.
While the big powerful engines gulp down fuel, compact SUVs have better mileage. To give you a perspective, Maruti Vitara Brezza’s diesel engine gives a mileage of 24 kmpl. Whereas, the Toyota Fortuner has a mileage of 10.1 kmpl. The difference is massive.
3. Sheer Power of an SUV
SUVs have the term ‘sport’ in it. And that’s for a reason. The SUVs are made for doing all the sporty stuff at the end of the day. SUVs are known to deliver power if and when required. However, the power might turn out to be good for you if you require it. Driving a 4×4 in the city with an enormous torque might not be the right thing to do.
If you’re someone who loves going off-roading and love driving through the dirt-roads then SUVs are meant for you. In the power aspect of an engine, a proper SUV tends to win for sure.
4. Better Ride and Handling of Compact SUVs
SUVs are good at doing all the sporty stuff. However, in that hunger for achieving the sportiness tag, it lacks the handling quality. Driving around in a big brawny car isn’t something easy to do.
Whereas, compact SUVs actually drive around like a car. The main reason is the way they are built. The SUVs are actually built on a platform which can be built for actual trucks. However, the compact SUVs are built on platforms which are meant for actual cars.
5. Ride Height
The ride height of an SUV is higher than a compact SUV. It gives a clearer look ahead and a more prominent seating position. This makes for a dominating presence.
A compact SUV, on the other hand, might have a higher ride height than, say, a sedan but it still lacks behind the conventional SUV.
Conclusion | The Battle of The Two SUVs
At the end of the day, it still depends upon what you really want to own. Both of these cars have been at the centre table of criticisms. While one tends to be big polluting vehicles, the others are mere ‘wannabe- SUVs’.
If your budget and the preference allows you to go for an SUV then go for it. However, if you think of practicality and want to save some bucks, compact SUV is the answer.
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