Autocar India
GK

g krishnan

•15w

Which 7-seater SUVs offer a good third-row seating experience within a budget of up to ₹65 lakh?

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
•14w

There is a fairly big gap in the Rs 40-75 lakh price range when it comes to genuinely comfortable seven-seaters, especially if your priority is a usable third row.
At the lower end, you have the Toyota Innova Hycross Hybrid. It is a comfortable, practical seven-seater with a reasonably spacious third row by Indian standards. Adults can sit there for short to medium journeys without feeling completely cramped, and the hybrid powertrain makes it smooth, quiet and extremely efficient. In top ZX (O) trim, it comes in at around Rs 40 lakh on road, and it is hard to fault in terms of reliability, comfort and ease of ownership. However, at your budget of up to Rs 65 lakh, it doesn’t quite feel like you’re fully utilising what you’re willing to spend; it’s sensible rather than indulgent.

At the upper end, around the Rs 70-75 lakh mark, you step into a different league with premium MPVs like the Kia Carnival and the MG M9. These are a clear step up from the Hycross in terms of space, comfort and overall experience. The Carnival, in particular, feels several notches superior - plusher interiors, far comfier seats, sliding rear doors, and stronger performance. Most crucially, a significantly more spacious and accommodating third row. Even full-sized adults can travel in the last row in proper comfort, which is rare.

The MG M9 is worth considering if you are open to going electric. It offers a very lounge-like cabin experience and a genuinely usable third row. It makes the most sense if you have home charging and your usage is largely city-based, though it can handle intercity runs with planning. As a people-mover focused on comfort, it does the job very well.

The challenge is that with a hard ceiling of Rs 65 lakh, your options narrow considerably. There aren’t many models in that exact band that deliver a truly luxurious third-row experience. SUVs in this price range may offer seven seats, but most still compromise heavily on the last row compared to these MPVs.

So realistically, if you want the best third-row comfort and can stretch to around Rs 75 lakh, the Carnival (or M9, if EV suits your usage) is the proper upgrade. If not, the Innova Hycross remains the most sensible and dependable choice. It is comfortable, practical and easy to live with, even if it doesn’t feel like a big-ticket indulgence at your stated budget. 

Toyota Innova HyCross

Toyota Innova HyCross

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Toyota Innova HyCross

Toyota

Innova HyCross

from ₹21.60 Lakh

Kia Carnival

Kia

Carnival

from ₹71.79 Lakh

MG M9

MG

M9

from ₹80.23 Lakh

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More questions on similar cars

AG

Aditya Gaur

•9h

I have a VW Taigun 1.5 GT Plus (automatic) and a Skoda Rapid. I'm planning to go for a new, bigger car in 6-9 months. My budget is 26-28 lakhs. It has to be automatic (petrol or EV), have 3 rows, and have excellent after-sales. The primary use would be as a family car that can seat 5 comfortably. I like the 7XO, but somehow the fit and finish felt worse than my Taigun. Great after sales is a key consideration. For this, I can stretch my budget by 10-15% if no good options exist.

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
•4h

Buy the Toyota Innova HyCross hybrid automatic. It is the only other bigger 3-row with space that will feel like a real step up from your Taigun. For a family of five, it is superb - wide, airy, comfy second row, and the hybrid makes city driving smooth and quiet while keeping running costs low. Toyota service, parts availability, and resale are about the best you can get at this price, and the cabin fit and panel consistency are better than those of the 7XO you sampled.The catch is the price and waiting period. The sweet-spot VX (O) and ZX trims push beyond Rs 30 lakh on road, and waiting periods can be long, so keep that in mind. Also, it will not feel as sharp to drive as your Taigun 1.5 TSI.If that's too far out of budget, two other options you can consider are the Hyundai Alcazar petrol or the Kia Carens Clavis EV. The Hyundai gets you the SUV body style, a punchy petrol-DCT combo, and comfy seating for 5 with the option of two smaller seats in the third row. The Clavis EV, meanwhile, may have a less desirable MPV shape, but it actually has more interior space and an equally well put-together cabin. Both Hyundai and Kia offer an excellent after-sales experience.

VehicleToyota Innova HyCross
VehicleVolkswagen Taigun
VehicleHyundai Alcazar
VehicleKia Carens Clavis EV
KP

Kartik Pancholy

•2d

I own a Skoda Slavia 1.5 and a Nissan Kicks Turbo but am planning to sell the Nissan Kicks and replace it with either an electric car or a hybrid. Our budget is around Rs. 40 lakh. My daily commute is approximately 60 km. We are a family of four adults, a baby, and a puppy. Which car would be the best fit for our requirements?

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
•1d

Pick the Toyota Innova HyCross hybrid. With four adults, a baby and a puppy, it is the one that effortlessly takes people, pram, diaper bag and a dog together, and still feels easy to drive in the city. Your 60 km daily run suits its strong hybrid well - expect real city mileage in the mid teens, so fuel costs drop sharply without any charging hassle, and long trips are a breeze.It also complements your Slavia 1.5 nicely. Keep the Slavia for the fun drives, let the HyCross do family duty with a quiet, smooth automatic and a big, usable boot. Fold the third row and you get a flat, huge space for a dog bed or crate plus luggage.

VehicleToyota Innova HyCross
VehicleSkoda Slavia
IP

Isaac Paul Parisapogu

•2d

My previous vehicle was a Lexus ES350, and I started driving on a WWII Willys Jeep. My ideal budget is around Rs. 30 lakh, although I can stretch it slightly if required. My monthly running will be approximately 250 km, primarily in Bangalore city, along with one 500 km trip every four months. The car will usually be used by three to four people and will be chauffeur-driven most of the time. My priorities are safety, ride comfort, air-conditioning performance, and low NVH levels. However, my primary requirement is legroom. Please advise on the best option for my needs.

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
•2d

Buy the Toyota Innova HyCross Hybrid with captain seats. For chauffeur-driven usage in Bengaluru where rear legroom is king, nothing near this price gives you more usable space. The second row slides a long way, the chairs are high and supportive, and in the ZX (O) you even get the recliner with leg rest, which should feel close to your old Lexus for back-seat comfort.City use is where the hybrid shines - it glides off the line silently, rides gently over bad roads, and the cabin stays calm in traffic. The AC is powerful with roof vents for the rear, so three to four people stay cool without fuss. Safety kit is strong with multiple airbags and stability control, and higher trims add driver assists that help on longer runs.One thing to know: the ZX(O) stretches the budget in Bengaluru. If you'd like to consider an EV instead, check out the BYD Sealion 7. It too comes with a captain seat second row option, and has one of the smoothest EV powertrains for the money. But it's not quite as spacious as the HyCross, and of course the associate EV drawbacks are there, especially range on your occasional long-distance trip.

VehicleToyota Innova HyCross
VehicleBYD Sealion 7

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Popular discussions right now

JD

Jayvir Deol

•5d

I want to buy an SUV, and my budget is around 20 lakh. I have seen the MG Hector, the Mahindra XUV and the Tharr Rox. Which car should I buy, and given the current scenarios on the govt policies, should I go for petrol or diesel?

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
•4d

Pick the Mahindra XUV 7XO. At around Rs. 20 lakh, it gives you the best mix of space, strong performance and safety, and it is far easier to live with every day than the Thar Roxx while being a better value than a low or mid Hector variant. You also get both petrol and diesel choices, so you can match it to your running.Fuel choice is simple. Go petrol if most of your use is in the city or your running is under about 1,200 km a month. It is quieter, has fewer policy worries, and resale stays safe even if some cities tighten diesel rules. Pick diesel only if you drive long highway distances often, want a longer tank range, or haul a full family with luggage regularly.The only real downside with the XUV 7XO is that the fanciest features push you beyond Rs. 20 lakh, and there may be a wait period. If you mainly want a rugged toy, the Thar Roxx is great, but for family life, the XUV 7XO fits better.

VehicleMahindra XUV 7XO
VehicleMahindra Thar Roxx
VehicleMG Hector
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Abhishek Das

•1w

I am planning to purchase a new automatic car and am confused between the Honda Amaze ZX CVT and the Skoda Kylaq Signature Plus AT. My usage will be around 90% city driving, primarily for office commuting between Dwarka, Delhi and my office near IFFCO Chowk, Gurugram (approximately 25 km one way). However, I will not be driving daily, as I often use the Metro as well. The car will also be driven by my 69-year-old father, so ease of driving, comfort, visibility, ingress/egress, and reliability are important considerations. Our previous car was an Alto K10 Manual, so this will be our first automatic car and a significant upgrade. Considering my usage pattern, family profile and the fact that we intend to keep the car for a long period for around 10 years, which of these two would you recommend?

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
•5d

Based on your requirement, we would recommend the Honda Amaze ZX CVT over the Skoda Kylaq Signature+ AT. The reason is that your priorities are not outright performance or driving excitement. You are looking for a car that will spend 90% of its life in city traffic, will also be driven by your 69-year-old father, and is expected to stay with the family for around 10 years. In that context, Amaze's strengths line up perfectly with your requirements. The CVT is smoother than the Kylaq's torque converter automatic in stop-and-go traffic, visibility is excellent, the car is easy to place on the road, ingress and egress are straightforward, and Honda's long-term reliability record is hard to fault. Coming from an Alto K10, it will already feel like a substantial upgrade in comfort, refinement and features.The Kylaq Signature Plus AT is the more desirable car from an enthusiast's perspective. The 1.0 TSI turbo petrol has more punch, the higher seating position is nice, and the overall package feels more substantial. However, it is also a larger vehicle to manoeuvre, and while the automatic is good, it is not quite as seamless in everyday traffic as Honda's CVT.Another point in Amaze's favour is that the ZX variant gets Honda Sensing ADAS, which adds useful safety features without making the car complicated to operate. Since your father will also be driving it, that extra layer of safety is a nice bonus.

VehicleHonda Amaze
VehicleSkoda Kylaq
AS

AS

•1d

I am confused between buying Skoda Kylaq and Kia Seltos. Please suggest.

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
•1d

Buy the Kia Seltos. It is simply easier to live with for most buyers, thanks to a much wider service network and many more variant and powertrain choices, including good automatics across a wider price range. For daily city runs with the odd highway trip, the Seltos will feel like the more complete package and it has a more spacious and premium cabin. The Skoda Kylaq will suit you only if you really enjoy driving. It feels tighter and more confidence inspiring on the move, and the steering has more feel. If you plan long, frequent road trips and care more about how it drives than gadgets, that’s where the Kylaq shines. The flip side is fewer dealers and fewer variant choices.

VehicleKia Seltos
VehicleSkoda Kylaq

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Posted on: 27 Feb 2026