New Seltos to 7-Seater Vitara - Top 5 Interesting SUVs Launching in 2025

The SUV segment in India is set to witness several exciting product launches this year including some special ones. Kia’s new Syros subcompact SUV will promise the best-in-class interior with ample space, features and practicality. The iconic Tata Sierra will make a grand comeback in an all-new avatar with three different powertrains, while Mahindra’s popular XUV700 will go electric as Mahindra XEV 7e in the second half of 2025. 

Maruti Suzuki will enter the premium three-row SUV segment with the 7-seater Grand Vitara. And finally, the new-generation Kia Seltos which will debut as the brand’s first petrol hybrid SUV in India. Here’s a brief on these top 5 interesting SUV launches of this year. 
 

Kia Syros 

Kia India will announce prices of the all-new Syros subcompact SUV on 1st February, 2025. It will be offered in six trims – HTK, HTK (O), HTK+, HTX, HTX+, and HTX+ (O) – and two engine options – a 1.0L turbo petrol and 1.5L diesel. The petrol engine promises a maximum power of 120PS and 172Nm of torque, while the diesel unit is good for 115bhp and 250Nm. A 6-speed manual gearbox will be standard, while the 6-speed automatic and 7-speed DCT automatic will be exclusive to the diesel and petrol variants. 

Visually, the Kia Syros appears boxy and tall. It offers the most spacious and feature-rich interior in its category that includes Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, Maruti Brezza and Mahindra XUV 3XO. The new Kia compact SUV gives access to several segment-first features such as Trinity Panoramic display (including a touchscreen, a driver’s display and a climate control display), OTA updates, Kia Connect Diagnosis and the reclining and sliding second row seats with ventilation. It also offers the Level 2 ADAS system with 16 autonomous features. 

Tata Sierra

Tata Sierra is one of the much-awaited SUV launches in 2025. The carmaker has confirmed that the SUV will go on sale in the second half of 2025 (possibly around Diwali season). Interestingly, this premium 5-seater SUV will come with three different engine options. 

Its ICE version is expected to come with Tata’s new 1.5L turbo petrol and 2.0L diesel engines, while the Sierra EV is expected to feature a larger battery pack. The EV could get single and dual motor setup along with the two different battery options. Its range is likely to be over 500km. The Sierra ICE might be offered wit the AWD system. 

Most of its design elements will be retained from the concept. The Tata Sierra ICE will be designed on the ATLAS platform and its electric version will be built on the Acti.ev architecture. The SUV’s close-to-production version was recently showcased at the 2025 Auto Expo. The displayed model confirms that the Sierra ICE will have three screen setup. As a premium offering, its expected to be packed with several advanced features. 

Mahindra XEV 7e

Mahindra & Mahindra’s electric XUV700 SUV will debut in the second half of 2025 as Mahindra XEV 7e. Recently leaked images of the EV reveal that the XEV 7e will have silhouette similar to its ICE counterpart. However, most of its design elements will be borrowed from the newly-launched Mahindra XEV 9e including the front blacked-out grille, headlamps clusters and connected LED DRLs. In fact, interior will also be inspired by the Mahindra XEV 9e. The electric XUV700 will have dual-tone cabin theme with the two-spoke steering wheel with an illuminated logo. 

The Mahindra XEV 7e is likely to share its powertrain with the XEV 9e, which will come with the two battery packs – 59kWh and 79kWh. The carmaker claims that the 59kWh battery delivers a MIDC-certified range of 542km, and the 79kWh battery pack returns 656km. It could also get the AWD (all-wheel drive) system. 

7-Seater Maruti Grand Vitara

Maruti Suzuki will mark its entry in the highly-competitive premium three-row SUV segment with the 7-seater Grand Vitara in the second half of 2025. While its design language will be similar to the 5-seater Grand Vitara, the new 7-seater version will sit on a longer wheelbase and have slightly more cabin space accommodating the third row of seat. 

Similar to its 5-seater counterpart, the 7-seater Maruti Grand Vitara will come with features such as a touchscreen infotainment system, a panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, six airbags, electronic stability control, tyre pressure monitoring system and more. Maruti Suzuki might also equip the 7-seater Grand Vitara with ADAS tech. 

Powering the new Maruti 7-seater SUV will be the same Toyota’s 1.5L Atkinson cycle strong hybrid powertrain, delivering power worth 115bhp. This setup has an electric motor generating 79bhp and 141Nm. It will be paired to an eCVT gearbox. Maruti Suzuki’s 1.5L K15C petrol mild hybrid powertrain might also come as an option. 

New-gen Kia Seltos

The second-generation Kia Seltos will receive a major update in the form of the petrol hybrid powertrain. While the detailed specifications are not available yet, it is expected to come with the 1.6L hybrid powertrain, making 141bhp. The new Kia Seltos hybrid could also be offered with the AWD (all-wheel drive) setup. The 1.5L petrol and 1.5L turbo diesel engines could also be carried forward from the current generation. 

The overall design will remain largely unchanged. However, the 2025 Kia Seltos is likely to receive a few cosmetic changes including the new grille, revised front and rear bumpers, redesigned LED headlamps and LED taillamps. 

It will derive some of its styling bits from the globally available Kia EV5. Interior could be refreshed with the new two-spoke steering wheel, multi-layered dashboard, ambient lighting and a bunch of new features.

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