The last quarter of 2026 will see the launch of 3 sub-4-meter SUVs in the Indian market; they are the Maruti Suzuki Baleno Facelift, the VinFast VF 3, and the Hyundai HE1i. Among them, the last two are pure-electric, and the first is ICE-powered. The production name for the last one is still pending; it will be revealed near the launch. Let’s have a closer look at each of these upcoming SUVs between September and December that measure under 4 meters.
Maruti Suzuki Baleno Facelift
The Maruti Suzuki Baleno Facelift is scheduled for launch in the Indian market on September 5, 2026, with upgrades and improvements on exterior and interior design. It will go on sale with both petrol and CNG options. The launch of the facelift will further strengthen its positioning against the Hyundai i20, the Tata Altroz, and the Toyota Glanza. Its dimensions are set to remain as the outgoing model.
Its cabin will have a lot of refreshments from the dashboard to seat upholstery. A larger touchscreen infotainment system and updated interior theme are certain to enhance the cabin aesthetic. Notably, there won’t be any changes in the powertrain. Under the hood, it will get the same 1.2-liter three-cylinder Z-Series petrol-powered ICE with 5MT/5AT options, which delivers 90 hp and 113 Nm.
VinFast VF 3
The VinFast VF 3 is an upcoming micro SUV that is hatchback-like; it will be available for sale in the Indian market by Diwali 2026 with the starting ex-showroom price of ₹7.5 lakh, as per the official website listing. It is 3,190 mm longer, 1,679 mm wider, and 1,652 mm taller with the wheelbase of 2,075 mm and ground clearance of 191 mm. Its cabin has 4 seats in a 2-2 layout with a boot space of 285 liters.
It gets a 46 hp permanent magnet synchronous motor on the rear axle with a one-speed automatic transmission, whose peak torque is 110 Nm. Its top speed is 100 km/h, and it can accelerate from 0 to 50 km/h in 5.3 seconds. Equipped with a 17.3 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which gives a range of 215 km. Four color options are set to be available; they are teal, yellow, orange, and white.
Hyundai HE1i
The Hyundai HE1i is the internal codename for an upcoming sub-4-meter electric SUV under the banner of Hyundai for the Indian market, which will be highly related to the Kia Syros EV. It will come with a front-wheel-drive drivetrain with a permanent magnet synchronous motor and single-speed automatic transmission. It will be positioned against the Tata Nexon EV and Mahindra XUV 3XO EV.
Various reports suggest its launch will happen by late 2026, although the official confirmation is still awaited. This electric car has already been spotted testing on public roads multiple times; the spied images of the same have already revealed that it has an upright stance with boxy proportions. There will be 5 seats inside the cabin with a decent cargo capacity behind the second row.
In the sub-4-meter SUV segment, the number of sales for July 2026 was 21,313 for the Tata Punch, 19,473 for the Maruti Fronx, 17,471 for the Tata Nexon, 12,055 for the Maruti Brezza, and 11,095 for the Hyundai Venue. On a month-on-month basis, the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth models recorded a growth of 1.46%, 48.25%, -4.71%, 21.29%, and 2.96%, respectively.
The best-selling model in the last seven months under this segment is the Tata Punch with 140,616 sales, including 19,257 in January, 18,748 in February, 20,977 in March, 19,107 in April, 20,208 in May, 21,006 in June, and 21,313 in July.