7 Best Rugged SUVs for Weekend Camping Trips in India (2026)

A camping SUV has three jobs and most comparisons only test one of them. It has to swallow a weekend's worth of tents, bags, coolers and chairs. It has to reach the site, which often means a dirt track, a stony riverbed or a wet grass slope. And once you arrive it becomes your power supply and your storage shed until you leave.

Seven SUVs in India do all three well. The Maruti Suzuki Jimny from Rs 12,59,000 is the choice for two people going somewhere difficult, with 332 litres behind the folded rear seats. The Grand Vitara ALLGRIP at Rs 18.05 lakh is the most complete family camper, with roof rails, split-folding rear seats, a luggage lamp and a 45-litre tank. The Force Gurkha 5-door at about Rs 17.58 lakh and the Mahindra Scorpio N 4WD from about Rs 18.03 lakh are the seven-seat answers.

Rugged camping SUVs at a glance

Model	Price with 4WD or AWD	Drivetrain	Seats	Camping strengths
Maruti Suzuki Jimny	From Rs 12,59,000	4WD with low range	4	332 litres seats down, Brake LSD, accessory socket
Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara ALLGRIP	Rs 18.05 lakh	Four-wheel drive	5	Roof rails, split-folding rear seats, luggage lamp, 45-litre tank
Maruti Suzuki Victoris ALLGRIP	Rs 18.69 lakh in metallic	All-wheel drive	5	45 W USB Type-C charging, powered tailgate, Lock mode
Mahindra Thar	About Rs 15.60 lakh	4WD with low range	4	Electronic locker, terrain modes, 232 mm clearance
Force Gurkha 5-door	About Rs 17.58 lakh	4WD with low range	7	Dual mechanical diff locks, snorkel, four captain seats
Mahindra Scorpio N	About Rs 18.03 lakh	4WD with low range	6 or 7	Three rows with real low range
Mahindra Thar Roxx	About Rs 19.42 lakh	4WD with low range	5	235 mm clearance, five doors, 2,850 mm wheelbase
Prices are ex-showroom Delhi as on 30 September 2026. The three Maruti figures come from NEXA's and Maruti Arena's own price pages; Mahindra and Force publish no comparable tables, so those are indicative.

What actually matters in a camping SUV

• Cargo flexibility more than cargo volume. A split-folding rear seat lets you carry tent poles and a folding table while keeping one seat usable. A single-piece folding bench makes you choose.
• Ground clearance. The last kilometre to a good site is usually the worst one. Clearance is what stops you grounding on a rut you cannot see under long grass.
• Traction. Four-wheel drive with low range for steep, rocky or muddy approaches. All-wheel drive with a Lock mode for dirt roads and wet grass, which covers most family campsites.
• Campsite electrics. Accessory sockets, USB ports and a luggage lamp sound trivial until it is dark and you are looking for a head torch in a boot with no light in it.
• Fuel range. Campsites are rarely near fuel stations, and you may want the engine running to charge things.

1. Maruti Suzuki Jimny

Price: Rs 12,59,000 to Rs 14,67,100, with 4WD and low range standard on every variant.

The Jimny is a two-person camper that can reach sites the others cannot, and its numbers make that trade explicit.

Gear space. Four seats. Boot space is 332 litres with the rear seats folded, 219 litres with the seatback in its first position and 211 litres in its second. With two people and the rear seats down, 332 litres is a comfortable weekend. With four people and 219 litres, it is not, and a roof carrier stops being optional.

Reaching the site. ALLGRIP PRO shifts 2H to 4H on the move with a 4L low-range transfer gear, plus Brake LSD and hill descent control. Ground clearance is 210 mm, with a 46-degree departure angle that matters on a steep exit from a riverbed.

At the site. An accessory socket and a luggage room lamp. The 40-litre tank is the limitation: at 16.94 km/l certified, a remote site two tanks away needs planning.

Engine. The 1.5-litre K15B petrol at 77.1 kW, stated by Maruti as 104.8 PS, with 134.2 Nm, and a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. Six airbags and ESP standard.

2. Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara ALLGRIP

Price: Rs 18.05 lakh for the Alpha ALLGRIP and Rs 18.63 lakh for the Alpha (O) ALLGRIP. Dual tone adds Rs 15,400.

This is the best-equipped family camper here, and the roof rails are the reason. They are fitted from the Delta trim upward, which means a cargo box or a rooftop tent bolts on without an aftermarket rail kit.

Gear space. Five seats with split-folding rear seats for long items. A luggage room lamp and an accessory socket. Maruti publishes no boot volume for the Grand Vitara, so any litre figure you see for it came from somewhere else.

Reaching the site. ALLGRIP Select with Auto, Sport, Snow and Lock on a dial. In Lock, ESP brakes the spinning wheels and pushes torque to the ones with grip. Hill descent control standard. No low range, which rules out the hardest approaches and nothing else.

At the site. Ventilated front seats and an eight-way powered driver's seat, which matter more on the drive than at camp. A 45-litre tank with 19.20 km/l certified for the ALLGRIP gives you close to 870 km of theoretical range.

Engine. The 1,462 cc petrol at 103.06 PS and 139 Nm with a six-speed automatic. Six airbags, ESP with hill hold, tyre-pressure monitoring and a 360-degree camera.

3. Maruti Suzuki Victoris ALLGRIP

Price: Rs 18.69 lakh for the ZXi+ AT AllGrip and Rs 19.27 lakh for the ZXi+ (O) AT AllGrip in metallic. Dual tone adds Rs 15,400.

The Victoris is the camping choice if charging matters to you. Its rear USB Type-C ports are rated 45 W each, which will actually charge a laptop or a camera battery rather than trickle into a phone.

Gear space. Five seats, and a smart powered tailgate with gesture control on upper trims, which is more useful than it sounds when both your hands are holding a cooler.

Reaching the site. ALLGRIP SELECT with Snow, Sport, Lock and Auto. Lock is the mode for mud, sand and loose gravel. Hill descent control standard. No low range.

At the site. The 45 W charging, and Suzuki Connect, which Maruti lists with over 60 features including emergency alerts and vehicle status on a phone or smartwatch.

Engine and safety. The 1.5-litre K15C Smart Hybrid petrol at 103.06 PS and 139 Nm, six-speed automatic, 19.07 km/l certified for the AllGrip from a 45-litre tank. Five stars from Bharat NCAP, with 31.66 out of 32 for adult occupant protection and 43 out of 49 for child occupant protection, plus five stars from Global NCAP.

4. Mahindra Thar

Price: 4WD variants from about Rs 15.60 lakh.

A trail-first camper for two. The three-door body means four seats on paper and a usable two-seat load bay in practice, which is not a criticism if you camp as a pair.

Reaching the site. Low-range transfer case, electronic locking differential and Mud, Sand and Snow terrain modes on 4WD variants. Ground clearance 232 mm, wading depth 650 mm. That wading figure is what lets it reach riverside sites the Jimny should not attempt.

Gear space. Limited with all four seats in use, so a roof carrier is the standard fix.

Engine. The 2.0-litre turbo-petrol at 162 PS and 330 Nm or the 2.2-litre diesel at 152 PS and 330 Nm, six-speed manual or automatic. Check the airbag count on your variant: lower trims get two, the top ZXT gets six.

5. Force Gurkha 5-door

Price: About Rs 17.58 lakh, with 4WD and low range standard.

The Gurkha 5-door is the cheapest way to take seven people somewhere genuinely difficult, and its cabin layout is unusual in a way that suits camping.

Gear space. Seven seats, with four captain seats across the second and third rows rather than benches. For four adults on a long drive to a remote site, that is a better arrangement than any bench-based seven-seater offers.

Reaching the site. Floor-mounted levers for 4x4 High and 4x4 Low, mechanically actuated differential locks on both axles, 233 mm of ground clearance and a roof-mounted snorkel taking wading depth to about 700 mm.

Engine. A 2.6-litre diesel that Force lists at about 140 PS and 320 Nm, with a five-speed manual only. Two airbags and tyre-pressure monitoring, which is the price of everything above.

6. Mahindra Scorpio N

Price: 4WD variants from about Rs 18.03 lakh.

The sensible group camper. Three rows, real low range, and a cabin that will not punish the people in row three on a four-hour drive.

Reaching the site. The 4XPLOR system adds low range, selectable terrain modes, hill hold and hill descent control. Four-wheel drive is diesel only.

Gear space. Six-seat and seven-seat layouts, the most flexible cabin among the affordable 4WD options here.

Engine. A 2.2-litre diesel making up to 175 PS and 400 Nm with 4WD, six-speed manual or automatic.

7. Mahindra Thar Roxx

Price: 4WD variants from about Rs 19.42 lakh.

The Thar Roxx is the Thar with the camping problems fixed: five doors, five proper seats and the highest ground clearance here at 235 mm.

Reaching the site. 4WD diesel variants get low range, an electronic locking differential, 4XPLOR terrain modes, Crawl Smart Assist and Intelliturn, with 650 mm of wading depth.

Gear space. Five seats on a 2,850 mm wheelbase, so rear passengers have real room and the boot is a usable shape rather than a slot behind a folded seat.

Safety. Five stars from Bharat NCAP, with 31.09 out of 32 for adult occupant protection and 45 out of 49 for child occupant protection. Six airbags standard.

Engine. A 2.2-litre diesel at 152 PS and 330 Nm or 175 PS and 370 Nm depending on variant, six-speed manual or automatic.

Which camper for which trip

• Two people, hard-to-reach sites. The Jimny. Fold the rear seats, take 332 litres, accept the 40-litre tank.
• A family that camps at reachable sites. The Grand Vitara ALLGRIP, for the roof rails, the split-folding seats and the range. The Victoris ALLGRIP instead if charging gear and a crash rating matter more than roof rails.
• A family that camps off the beaten path. The Thar Roxx 4WD. Five real seats, 235 mm and a locker.
• Groups of six or seven. The Scorpio N 4WD for comfort and flexibility, or the Gurkha 5-door for capability and its four captain seats.
• Riverside sites. The Gurkha, with the snorkel and 700 mm, or the Thar and Thar Roxx at 650 mm. Not the Jimny, whose wading depth Maruti does not publish.

Before you buy, do a test pack

This is the single most useful thing you can do and almost nobody does it. Take your actual tent, your actual cooler and your actual bags to the dealership and load them into the car with the seats arranged the way you would use them on a trip. Boot volume in litres tells you very little about whether a 70 cm tent bag fits behind a seat that does not fold flat.

Then ask about the approach to the sites you actually visit. If it is a graded dirt road, an all-wheel-drive car with a Lock mode is enough and you will enjoy the drive more. If it involves a stony riverbed or a wet slope, you want low range, and you will pay for it in fuel and comfort every other weekend of the year.

Frequently asked questions

Which camping SUV carries the most gear?

Among the compact options, the Jimny's 332 litres with the rear seats folded is the honest figure to plan around. Among the larger ones, the Scorpio N and the Gurkha 5-door carry the most people and gear together, though neither maker publishes directly comparable boot volumes.

Which of these have the most seats?

The Force Gurkha 5-door and the Mahindra Scorpio N both seat seven with four-wheel drive and low range. The Scorpio N also comes as a six-seater.

Can you sleep inside any of these?

It depends on cabin length and how flat the rear seats fold. The larger five-seaters with folding rear seats give the most usable floor, and the compact 4x4s are better paired with a tent than treated as a bed.

Which come with roof rails?

The Grand Vitara has them from the Delta trim upward, which makes fitting a cargo box or rooftop tent straightforward. The Victoris lists them on upper trims too.

Which has the best charging for camp gear?

The Victoris, with rear USB Type-C ports rated 45 W each. That is enough for a laptop or camera batteries, not just phones.

What should you carry?

A recovery kit with a tow strap and shackles, a tyre inflator and pressure gauge, a first-aid kit, extra water, a camp light and a power bank. Pack heavy items low and against the rear seatback, not high or at the very back.