5 Powerful New Chinese SUVs For India: BYD Leopard 8 To Jetour T2
India, as a market for car brands, holds a lot of potential. This is one of the main reasons why we see several manufacturers experimenting with new products featuring unique designs and advanced features.
While fuel efficiency still remains a major factor for many buyers, there is also a sizeable group of customers willing to compromise on mileage for performance and power.
2026 is also the year in which we started hearing reports about several Chinese automotive brands entering the Indian market. Here is a list of five such Chinese SUVs that are expected to launch in India soon.
JSW Group is expected to enter the automobile market as an independent car manufacturer this year. One of the first products likely to be launched by the brand is the Jetour T2. This is an international SUV sold under Chery’s Jetour brand.
The SUV will reportedly be brought to India as a CKD model, and JSW is expected to assemble it at its facility in Maharashtra. The Jetour T2 features a boxy and rugged design while still looking premium.
The SUV is expected to be offered as a plug-in hybrid vehicle. It will be powered by a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine paired with a hybrid system that produces a combined output of around 380 bhp and 610 Nm of torque.
After the Jetour T2, JSW is also expected to launch the all-electric iCar V23 in the Indian market. The SUV has already been spotted testing on Indian roads.
The iCar V23 also gets a boxy design inspired by SUVs like the Jeep Wrangler and the Land Rover Defender.
Internationally, the electric SUV is available with 59.93 kWh and 81.76 kWh battery-pack options. The smaller battery version is offered with a rear-wheel-drive setup, while the larger battery variant gets all-wheel drive.
The RWD version generates around 136 PS and 180 Nm of torque, while the AWD version produces approximately 211 PS and 292 Nm of torque.
This will be a premium electric SUV from MG Motor. The IM6 is expected to rival premium EVs like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Tesla Model Y, and the BYD Sealion 7.
Internationally, the IM6 is available in both RWD and AWD configurations. The rear-wheel-drive version uses a single electric motor generating around 408 bhp, while the AWD variant produces approximately 778 bhp and 802 Nm of torque.
We recently came across spy videos of a BYD SUV being tested on Indian roads, and it turned out to be the Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid SUV. Like other BYD models sold in India, the Sealion 6 is also expected to offer a premium cabin experience.
The SUV is expected to come with features like a 15.6-inch rotating touchscreen infotainment system, a 10-speaker Infinity audio system, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, ventilated seats, dual wireless chargers, panoramic sunroof, and Level 2 ADAS.
Powering the SUV will be a 1.5-litre petrol engine paired with an 18.3 kWh battery pack and an electric motor. Internationally, the Sealion 6 is available in two variants. The lower-spec version produces around 218 PS, while the higher-spec AWD version generates approximately 323 PS.
BYD has also reportedly filed a patent for another plug-in hybrid SUV called the Leopard 8. At the moment, the company is said to be evaluating the Indian market for this SUV, and there is still no confirmation on whether it will officially launch here.
Like many modern off-road-oriented SUVs, the Leopard 8 gets a bold and aggressive stance along with a boxy design. It is expected to use a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine paired with a large 36.8 kWh battery pack and an electric motor.
This setup is expected to generate a combined output of around 738 PS and 760 Nm of torque.