The month of October is going to be an interesting one for the Indian SUV market. This is because this festive season, a number of major automakers are getting ready to unveil and launch a number of new SUVs in the market to boost up their sales. Now, if you are someone who is planning to buy an SUV this year, here are the details of the 4 upcoming SUVs in the month of October.
Honda Elevate Facelift – Launching On October 6
The first SUV on this list is the much-anticipated Honda Elevate facelift in India. It will be officially launched on October 6, 2026. The company has already opened bookings for the updated SUV for Rs 21,000 and has revealed a number of exterior and interior changes through its teasers. The facelift gets a redesigned front fascia with horizontal, segmented LED DRLs. The Honda logo has also been moved from the grille to the leading edge of the bonnet. Meanwhile, the grille gets new elements and a chrome section above it.
The 360-degree camera setup is also visible in the latest teaser. At the rear, the biggest change is the addition of a connected LED light bar. Taking a step inside the cabin, Honda is expected to replace the current tan cabin with a lighter theme and add ambient lighting across the dashboard and door panels. Other expected features include electric and ventilated seats, dual-zone automatic climate control and a panoramic sunroof.
Mechanically, the Elevate facelift is expected to remain unchanged. It will continue with the 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine, which makes around 119 bhp and 145 Nm. This engine will come paired with a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed CVT automatic with paddle shifters.
Renault Duster Hybrid – First Duster With Strong Hybrid Launching On October 17
Renault will launch the Duster Hybrid in India on October 17. This will become the third powertrain option for the new Duster, alongside the existing 1.0-litre and 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engines. The new Duster will use Renault’s E-Tech strong-hybrid system. This powertrain combines a naturally aspirated 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors.
One electric motor produces 20 bhp and works as a generator, meanwhile, the 49 bhp motor drives the wheels. The system has a combined output of 160 bhp and 172 Nm and uses a 1.4 kWh battery pack. It has to be highlighted that Renault’s hybrid system works differently from the Toyota system used by the Grand Vitara, Hyryder and Victoris.
The Duster uses a multi-mode automatic gearbox with fixed gear ratios instead of an e-CVT. Renault also claims that up to 80 percent of city driving can be done in EV mode. The Duster Hybrid will directly rival the strong-hybrid versions of the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Maruti Suzuki Victoris and Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder.
New Mahindra SUV Could Arrive On October 15
Mahindra is also expected to introduce a new SUV in October, and the reported date is October 15. However, the exact details of the upcoming model have not been confirmed at the moment. One possibility is the XUV 3XO CNG, which has been reported to be under development.
If launched, it could become Mahindra’s first factory-fitted CNG passenger SUV and would compete against the Tata Nexon CNG and Maruti Suzuki Brezza CNG. The CNG version is expected to use the existing 1.2-litre, three-cylinder MPFI turbo-petrol engine. A 6-speed manual gearbox is likely, and an automatic option may not be offered.
One of the biggest questions will be the placement of the CNG tank, as Mahindra has not yet revealed whether it will use an underbody or dual-cylinder setup. Another possibility could be the production version of the Vision S SUV, although the possibility of this vehicle making its debut this month is slightly unlikely.
Hyundai Bayon – New SUV Between Venue And Creta
The last SUV on the list which will be making its debut this month will be the Hyundai Bayon in India. The company has already started accepting bookings for Rs 11,000, as its global premiere is confirmed for October 12. The exact India launch date has not yet been announced. The Bayon will measure around 4.2 metres in length, and this will place it between the Venue and Creta in Hyundai’s SUV lineup.
It gets a crossover-like design with H-Edge LED DRLs, split LED headlamps, geometric wheel arches, wrap-around cladding and bridge-type roof rails. At the rear, the SUV gets H-Edge lighting, a slim LED strip, an integrated roof spoiler and the BAYON lettering. It will be powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine.
As for the gearbox, it will come paired with a 6-speed manual or Hyundai’s IVT automatic gearbox. A factory-fitted CNG option is also expected. The CNG version could get an underbody tank and is expected to be offered with a manual gearbox.
On the inside, the Bayon could get a dual-screen setup, ventilated seats, panoramic sunroof, wireless charging, connected-car technology and a 360-degree camera. One of the more interesting additions will be Hyundai’s generative AI voice assistant. It has been designed for all occupants to interact with the car using more natural voice commands.