Confirmed New Strong Hybrid Cars Below 20 Lakh: New Kia Sonet To Renault Bridger
India is set to witness a major hybrid push in the coming years. We will see a mix of strong hybrids, series hybrids (also called ‘range extenders’), and plug-in hybrids entering the market during the period. Here is a closer look at six affordable strong hybrid products set to launch in India in the coming months, all likely to be priced under Rs 20 lakh.
Hyundai is planning to launch the second-generation Bayon in India later this year. In the Korean giant’s India portfolio, it will sit between the Venue and the Creta. The carmaker is known to be developing a new 1.2L turbocharged petrol engine for this product. It will be hybrid-ready. This means that we will eventually see a strong hybrid version of the Bayon rolling out. An e-CVT transmission will be offered there. This SUV is also expected to share many of its components with the next-generation i20. This will help Hyundai to keep costs under check and price the Bayon sharply.
Expected Price: Rs 14-17 lakh
Hyundai’s newly-developed 1.2L petrol engine-based strong hybrid powertrain will also be used in upcoming Kia products. The next-generation Sonet, internally codenamed QY2E, is expected in 2027, will get this powertrain later. The next-generation will be underpinned by the upgraded K2 platform, shared with the outgoing Kia Syros. At launch, it is expected to have the outgoing model’s powertrain trio- 1.2-litre petrol, 1-litre turbo-petrol, and a 1.5-litre diesel.
We expect Kia to add the 1.2L strong hybrid powertrain to the lineup in late 2028 or early 2029. The exact power and torque of the hybrid powertrain remain under the wraps for now.
Expected Price: Rs 15 to Rs 18 lakh.
In August last year, Mahindra showcased its latest platform- the NU_IQ- along with four different concepts. One of these was the Vision S, expected to spawn a sub-compact (sub-four metre) SUV in the future. NU_IQ is a versatile, multi-energy platform. The production-spec Vision S is expected to get a strong hybrid powertrain, alongside other powertrains. This setup will likely have a 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine at its centre.
Expected Price: Rs 12-18 lakh
Renault has confirmed its intention to launch its second sub-four metre (sub-compact) SUV in India. The Bridger concept showcased in March this year, previews this product. This SUV will have an upright stance and boxy design. It will be underpinned by the RGMP Small (Renault Global Modular Platform). This architecture is also used in the new Duster.
RGMP is a multi-energy platform and the SUV will offer several powertrain options. One of them will be a strong hybrid. The hybrid version will be powered by a 1.2L strong hybrid setup, built around Horse Powertrain’s HR12 engine architecture. It mates a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged engine running miller cycle with hybrid hardware.
This setup is expected to deliver a fuel efficiency of around 30kpl. Horse Powertrains is, in fact, co-owned by Renault, Geely and Saudi Aramco.
Expected Price: Rs 18 to Rs 22 lakh
After the Bridger goes on sale here, Renault’s alliance partner Nissan is expected to bring its own badge-engineered version of it. It will also be based on the same platform as the Renault SUV and will share the powertrains. The hybrid engine will remain the same as well. This model will play an important role in Nissan’s revival journey here.
Expected Price: Rs 18 to Rs 22 lakh