Autocar India

•1h

While the Skoda Kushaq is a fun-to-drive SUV that would make a suitable successor to your Ford Ecosport, given your requirements and usage, it's not the right choice for you. The cabin is a tight squeeze for five passengers, and considering you drive as much as 75km per day, its petrol engine's fuel costs might add up over time.The Tata Harrier diesel is a larger SUV with a bigger boot that should be well-suited to your exploratory drives out of the city with your family. Its strong diesel engine will handle these trips well and return reasonable fuel economy. It is also quite fun to drive and has very comfortable suspension. Do note, however, that it is a segment above the Kushaq, and the diesel version especially will be considerably more expensive.

Skoda Kushaq

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Autocar India

•1h

As a family car, the Toyota Innova Crysta will be much more comfortable than a Mahindra Scorpio N, particularly due to its more spacious cabin, especially while ferrying six or seven adults. Moreover, this Toyota car feels more composed and settled at highway speeds, whereas the Scorpio N tends to feel a bit bumpy in comparison.The Scorpio N has its merits, such as a better road presence, lighter steering, a smoother, more refined diesel engine, and an automatic transmission option, which unfortunately the Crysta doesn't get.Alternatively, you could consider the Mahindra XUV 7XO AX3 or AX5 diesel-automatic, which will be more comfortable than a Scorpion N for 6 or 7 passengers, and its ride quality is much better too.

Toyota Innova Crysta

Mahindra Scorpio N

Mahindra XUV 7XO

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Autocar India

•14h

As of now, Toyota has no concrete plans to bring the Toyota RAV4 to India in 2026 or anytime soon. The challenge is cost. The RAV4 would have to be imported or assembled in small numbers, which would push its price well beyond what most buyers in the Rs 30-40 lakh bracket expect. Also, by Indian standards, it’s not a particularly large SUV, and at that price, buyers here tend to want more size and presence.Sadly, there’s a bit of a vacuum in the Rs 30-40 lakh space, and in this range, your more practical choices are SUVs like the Mahindra XUV7XO and the Tata Harrier. Both are spacious, comfortable for family use, and capable on bad roads. If you can stretch closer to Rs 50 lakh, options like the Skoda Kodiaq and the upcoming Volkswagen Tayron (a more affordable version below the R-Line is expected) are very strong all-rounders with a more premium feel.Another SUV worth waiting for is the Kia Sorento, which we understand could arrive around the festive season at roughly Rs 40 lakh. That might come closest to what you’re looking for, a proper global SUV with family practicality and some genuine all-road ability.

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Tata Harrier

Skoda Kodiaq

Volkswagen Tayron

Kia Sorento

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Autocar India

•15h

The Mahindra XUV7XO is a very comfortable and fun-to-drive car and will prove to be quite reliable too. However, since you are particularly looking for a 5-star rated car, do note that the XUV7XO is yet to be tested, and so far, Mahindra only states that it is 'designed for BNCAP 5 star'. Given, the brand's past track record and the fact that the XUV700 - on which the 7XO is based - has secured a 5-star GNCAP rating for adult and 4-star for child protection. It is likely the 7XO too would secure a similar rating. However, if you are very particular about the rating, then opt for the Tata Safari instead, which has secured a 5-star rating in both adult and child protection in the GNCAP as well as BNCAP tests. Do remember, though, these ratings are only valid if you are always belted up and children securely seated in the specified child seats, and of course, always drive safely.

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Tata Safari

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Autocar India

•16h

Yes, you are correct, there are very few diesel options in the lower segment today. From your shortlist, we would recommend the Hyundai Venue. The diesel engine is refined and smooth, and is coupled to a torque convertor gearbox, which is the smoothest type of autobox to have, thus you will appreciate this in the city traffic. The powertrain also delivers a good balance of performance and efficiency. As for the Mahindra Thar, we would not recommend this for you, as you are primarily looking for a comfortable city car, and the Thar ride is far too bumpy over bad city streets, and refinement levels will also not be as good as the Venue.

Hyundai Venue

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