It is 2024. It seems that in India, monocoque, front-wheel drive cars, that are of the SUV body-style and look like raised and enlarged versions of hatchbacks, are the trend (Subcompact, compact, mid-size, full-size I am referring to all of them here, even the Innova Hycross). Everyone wants one of these, hell, my father just welcomed one home. SUV purists, a rather weird type of human species known as the “enthusiasts”, and irritating snobs, like me, however, hate this trend. A real SUV according to us, has to have 4*4 with a low-range gearbox (locking differentials are welcome), a body-on-frame chassis, and actual off-roadability, not to mention classy looks, a characterful diesel engine, a manual gearbox preferably and raw feel. But, does that even matter? Because Indians are buying them in HORDES. They are selling like hot-cakes! Anything that looks like an “SUV” or looks “tough”, sells. That is the craze in the Indian market. People want them. And ground clearance isn’t the only reason. There is some emotion behind the choice as well. First, most Indians are aspirational and they want to feel like they made it and as a status-symbol they buy an SUV-like car. Second, people think, and they are right, that beginners will feel most comfortable in a hatchback that is shaped like an SUV, or a compact or mid-size SUV, because the visibility is great, and they can get over spotting a bump too late, won’t cause much damage to the car if that happens. So, can you live in the “blue-pill”, living within the matrix, that is the Indian social status game that is run by Sharmaji, and buy a front-wheel drive, monocoque, car that looks like an “SUV”, or you have to take the red pill, break through the matrix, and buy a REAL SUV with 4*4 and body-on-frame toughness, to feel like you have fulfilled the purpose of your life? And the feel special, and truly, free, free from the prison of other people’s opinions? Now, that is an interesting question that is certainly worth answering.
To cut to the chase, I will say that today, in 2024, as much as being a body-on-frame SUV fanboy, this hurts me to say this, but you really don’t need a body-on-frame SUV today for 95 percent of any type of usage. You only need it if you really visit your relative’s farm-house or village regularly, get into serious technical-offroading that requires 4*4 and a low-range gearbox, live in the mountains or in the middle of nowhere, or just have bad roads and want a genuine sense of security while travelling through the countryside a lot, Otherwise, for normal people, a front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive monocoque SUV is better, because it will be comfortable and have really good ride-quality, will drive really well and won’t roll over, and will drive like a car and will be easy to drive, and will feel safe. But, what’s your opinion on this? That’s what I really want to know.
