Top 5 Rare Globally-sold Versions Of Popular Indian Cars: Which One Surprises You The Most?
From the hot version of India’s favourite hatchback to a quirky crossover born out of an unusual alliance, this list has it all!
Ever seen a common Indian car, and wondered if they sell it across the globe as well? We have too. But with each market comes a unique requirement for the carmaker, and with that are born some unique, quirky and interesting versions of popular that we may never come across. That said, if you were also wondering about these unusual and interesting machines, here’s a list of some:
Suzuki Alto Works
Starting off this list is the Lord Alto with its sporty Japanese cousin that few people know about. The Suzuki Alto Works was a proper fun little hot hatchback version made by the brand with a little bit more power, slightly aggressive styling while retaining the tiny 1-litre 3-cylinder NA petrol engine (that we later saw in the Alto K10).
Making about 60 PS (compared to the standard Indian 800cc version’s 47 PS), this Alto was truly made for enthusiasts and even featured a proper all-wheel drive system!
Renault Duster Oroch
A brand that has been in the news in recent times has been the Renault Duster, which also takes the credit for building Renault’s foundation in the Indian car industry. However, while the SUV has now returned in an all-new avatar, you’d be surprised to know that the carmaker still sells an older pickup-truck version of the SUV, called Duster Oroch, in a few markets.
It is available with a variety of NA petrol and turbo-petrol engines with displacement ranging from 1.3-litre to 2-litre and an optional four-wheel drive setup, that still makes it a rugged, durable and no-nonsense vehicle to bank upon, and even offers 650 kg of payload capacity making it a popular choice among lifestyle buyers seeking a purposeful, but easy-to-drive pickup truck.
Fiat Sedici
Next up is a crossover born out of a rather unknown and unusual alliance. Co-developed by Fiat and Suzuki, the Fiat Sedici (Sixteen in Italian owing to the 4x4 system) was an interesting cross-hatch based on our very own Maruti SX4!
Besides its tough and grown-up styling with plenty of cladding all around, the Sedici promised a more capable four-wheel drive system, which was ideal for tackling the snowy and rough terrains of Europe. It was powered by a choice of 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol and 1.9-litre and 2-litre diesel engine options, with the petrol being shared with the Indian SX4.
Hyundai Santa Cruz
While the Hyundai Tucson never became a blockbuster success, it was instrumental in building the carmaker’s reputation in the premium segments. It found its own small audience, becoming known for its refined and powerful engines, practicality, and contemporary styling that never put it out of place against more expensive rivals.
However, while the Tucson is not on sale in India anymore, Hyundai does still sell the Santa Cruz light pickup truck in global markets which remains closely related to the last generation of the SUV. Worldwide, it is powered by a choice of 2.5-litre petrol engines with automatic gearbox options and an all-wheel drive system.
Suzuki Swift Sport
Another brand that is a household name in India is the Maruti Swift, which, ever since its launch in 2005, has become the choice of young buyers looking for a sporty, yet practical hatchback, and this remains true more than two decades on. That said, the performance-oriented version of the Swift, which enthusiasts crave sadly never made it to India.
Sold as the Suzuki Swift Sport in global markets with 3-door and 5-door layouts, the first generation of the hatchback featured a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine producing up to 125 PS of power; a figure that still beats out most hot hatchbacks in the Indian market today. Compared to this, the Indian version had to make do with 1.2-litre/1.3-litre naturally aspirated petrol and 1.3-litre diesel counterparts, which while still fun, did not have a patch on the Swift Sport.
Which car in this list do you wish made it to our shores? Let us know in the comments below!