10 Best Rear Wheel Drive Cars in India You Need to Know

Here’s the list of best rear wheel drive cars in India along with their specs and other details.

As it is well known, there are three different types of drivetrains for cars all over the world – front wheel drive, rear wheel drive and all wheel/four wheel drive. Many luxury sedans and premium SUVs do get the option of all-wheel/four-wheel drive. However, when it comes to mass-market offerings, the cars employ either front or rear wheel drive configuration.

While the entry-level compact sedans and hatchbacks employ much easier front wheel drive configuration, most of the utility vehicles – both MPVs and SUVs – get rear wheel drive as standard. The major reasons why rear wheel drive system is preferred in UVs are better control over understeer and torque steer, even weight distribution and better towing capacity.

Following is the list of most affordable 10 rear wheel drive cars of India, all of which are UVs:

Maruti Suzuki Eeco

The most affordable and smallest name in this list of rear wheel drive cars in India under 10 lakh is the tried and tested entry-level van from Maruti Suzuki, the Eeco. The Maruti Suzuki Eeco has managed to carry on the tradition initiated by the good old and humble Omni – of being a rugged and cheap to run and maintain heavy-duty workhorse.

All the variants of Maruti Suzuki Eeco, both 5-seater and 7-seater, feature rear wheel drive layout. The engine powering the Maruti Suzuki Eeco is a 1.2-liter petrol engine (73 PS/98 Nm), which comes paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox in all of the variants. If you are looking for one of the best rear wheel drive cars cheap in terms of pricing and maintenance, and suitable for day to day business works as well as family commuting, the Eeco is something that you can consider.

Mahindra Bolero

The Mahindra Bolero is the highest-selling vehicle from the stable of Mahindra, and is a hugely popular choice of wheels in the smaller urban and rural areas. The seven-seater rugged Mahindra Bolero is known for its simplicity in terms of styling and mechanicals, which feature a rear wheel drive layout in all of its variants. It is another durable rear wheel drive cars in India under lakh, which comes with capabilities of both, MPV and SUV.

The current iteration of the seven-seater Mahindra Bolero, in all of its variants, features a 1.5-liter three-cylinder diesel engine as standard. Mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, this engine pumps out 75 PS of maximum power and 210 Nm of maximum torque.

Mahindra Scorpio

The current iteration of the Mahindra Scorpio might be in its last leg of journey, which is soon to be replaced by an all new model. However, it continues to be a strong seller for Mahindra, especially in rural areas, owing to its rugged construction featuring rear wheel drive system as standard. If you’re searching for the best rear wheel drive cars in India under 20 lakhs, buying the Scorpio can truly bring some exceptional driving delights.

Unlike the previous iterations which also featured all-wheel drive and automatic transmission, the current version of Mahindra Scorpio gets only rear wheel drive and manual gearbox. A 2.2-liter diesel engine (140 PS/320 Nm) is offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox in the Scorpio.

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Toyota Innova Crysta

Talk of the best rear wheel drive cars in India and Toyota’s highly popular MPV, the Innova Crysta will make itself count amongst the chartbusters. The Toyota Innova Crysta is highly regarded as one of the most comfortable seven-seater cars available in the country right now. The other aspects of the Innova Crysta, which are quite praiseworthy, are affordable service costs and ruggedness, and the credits for the latter goes to its rear wheel drive layout.

The current facelifted avatar of the Toyota Innova Crysta gets a 2.4-liter four cylinder diesel engine (150 PS/343 Nm) and rear wheel drive as standard. Though, one can choose between the two different transmission options on offer – a 5-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic.

Isuzu D-Max

The Isuzu D-Max is credited to be the vehicle which started the culture of lifestyle oriented pickup trucks in the Indian passenger vehicle space. The major reason behind the success of the D-Max in its niche segment happens to be its go anywhere ability.

Powering the Isuzu D-Max is a 1.9-liter four-cylinder diesel engine (163 PS/360 Nm), which is offered with rear wheel drive configurations in Hi-Lander and Z 4×2 MT variants. Certainly, it is one of the best rear wheel drive cars in India for wanderlust lovers.

Mahindra Alturas

The Mahindra Alturas might be an underdog in the presence of established players like Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour. However, this immensely underrated SUV from Mahindra offers plush interior cabin, solid ride quality and spacious cabin for a price which substantially undercuts the rest of its rivals.

The Mahindra Alturas is available in two variants – 2WD AT and 4WD AT – of which the former has a rear wheel drive construction under its skin. The powertrain employed in both the variants of the Mahindra Alturas is a 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel engine (180 PS/420 Nm), which is available with a 6-speed automatic gearbox as standard. The 2WD Mahindra Alturas is a highly capable offroader in the rear wheel drive cars list in India. Another great advantage of this SUV is its best in segment ground clearance of 244 mm that lets you go anywhere effortlessly.

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MG Gloster

Despite being a relatively new name in its segment, the MG Gloster has managed to create a few benchmarks in its segment, especially in the list of comfort and convenience as well as safety features it has on offer. Also, it stands as one of the most premium offerings in the rear wheel drive cars in India list.

The MG Gloster is being offered in a total of four different variants – Super, Smart, Sharp and Savvy, out of which the first two (Super and Smart) get a rear wheel drive setup (Sharp and Savvy are offered with 4WD as standard).

The rear wheel drive variants of the Gloster are powered by a 2.0-liter diesel engine (163 PS/375 Nm), which is substantially less powerful than the bi-turbo version of the same engine (218 PS/480 Nm) in 4WD variants.

Isuzu MU-X

The latest entrant in the premium ladder on frame SUV segment, the Isuzu MU-X, promises the trademark Japanese reliability and performance. While it is not as feature-rich and modern as its other rivals, it is equally capable and rugged, thanks to its both rear wheel drive and 4WD setups.

There are two different variants of Isuzu MU-X available in India – 4×2 and 4×4 – which clearly suggest that both of them differ on the basis of their drivetrains. The Isuzu MU-X gets the same 1.9-litre diesel engine from the D-Max, and that too in the same state of tune – 163 PS of power and 360 Nm of torque.

Ford Endeavour

Ford’s flagship vehicle for the Indian car market, the Endeavour, has created quite a fan following for itself, thanks to its impressive road presence, handsome design, punchy performance and feature-rich cabin, all of which give it a premium aura.

In the first two variants – Titanium 4×2 and Titanium Plus 4×2 – the Ford Endeavour gets a rear wheel drive layout, unlike the four-wheel drive layout in more premium Titanium Plus 4×4 and Sport 4×4. The powertrain employed in all the variants is a 2.0-liter diesel engine (180 PS/420 Nm) coupled to a 10-speed automatic gearbox.

Toyota Fortuner

The list of rear wheel drive cars in India is incomplete without Toyota Fortuner SUV. The undisputed leader of the premium ladder on frame SUV segment, the Toyota Fortuner has been going on strong ever since its arrival in India. The SUV is highly vouched for its rugged nature and strong road presence, which commands respect wherever it goes.

The Toyota Fortuner gets rear wheel drive layout in both of its petrol driven variants (4×2 MT and 4×2 AT) and two diesel variants (4×2 MT and 4×2 AT). The range topping 4×4 MT and 4×4 AT understandably get a four-wheel drive layout. The engine options on offer are a 2.7-litre petrol engine (165 PS/245 Nm) and a 2.8-litre diesel engine (201 PS/ 420 Nm for manual and 201 PS/500 Nm for automatic).

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So these were the best rear wheel drive cars in India. Read more on cars and two-wheelers on Car Bike India.