I am in a dilemma about buying a new car with a budget of ₹30-40 lakh. My usage will be 60% city and 40% highway. I am okay with either a 5-seater or a 7-seater with the last row folded. I am considering the Jeep Meridian, Mahindra XUV 7XO, and Tata Harrier. Please suggest which one I should choose.

Autocar India

•6w

While you can buy both the Tata Harrier/Safari or Mahindra XUV 7XO in that budget, since your budget ceiling is higher at Rs 40 lakh, why not consider the Jeep Meridian, which is a superior vehicle overall. It is larger, has a more luxurious interior and better badge value, plus, should you ever need it, solid off-road ability too.

Its third row is not as spacious as the Safari's, but now that it is equipped with a sliding second row, adjustments can be made. If you can somehow stretch your budget past Rs 40 lakh, an even better option is the Skoda Kodiaq.

Explore cars mentioned

Jeep

Meridian

from ₹27.69 Lakh

Skoda

Kodiaq

from ₹46.34 Lakh

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More questions on similar cars

Nitin

•2d

For a chauffeur-driven family of 4, which is the more comfortable car under a ₹35 lakh budget: Innova HyCross, the Skoda Kodiaq 5-seater variant, or the Jeep Meridian 5-seater variant? Which one offers the best second-row legroom?

Autocar India

•18m

Of these three, your best bet is the Toyota Innova HyCross. Apart from being the most affordable of the three, its MPV shape allows for maximum interior space and flexibility, and it has the best second row. It's flexible, too, with seats that slide, fold and flip. This Toyota car also has the most comfortable suspension and will transport your family comfortably and relatively silently.The Skoda Kodiaq Lounge, sadly, is outside of your budget. Although it's more luxurious and equally refined, it's simply not as spacious as the Toyota.The Jeep Meridian has strong badge value and a luxurious interior, but it's not as spacious, comfortable or refined as the Innova Hycross. Both SUVs are high on road presence, but just can't match the packaging superiority of the Toyota MPV.

Toyota Innova HyCross

Skoda Kodiaq

Jeep Meridian

Tanvir

•1w

Hi, I am planning to buy a Kodiaq Sportline. It came to my attention that it does not have hill start assist and hill descent control. How crucial is this technology for normal hill driving? Does the Kodiaq Sportline handle hill drives easily, and does it feature any additional technology to compensate for hill hold or hill descent?

Autocar India

•1d

The Skoda Kodiaq Sportline does not come equipped with hill hold or hill descent control. While hill hold assist is a convenient feature, especially for steep urban parking ramps or stop-start traffic on inclines, it’s not essential if you know how to manage the car on slopes. Hill descent control, on the other hand, is primarily useful for off-road conditions with loose surfaces. It’s not a feature you will miss in normal hill driving situations.This Skoda car is powered by a 204hp, 2.0-litre TSI turbo-petrol engine paired with a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The engine offers strong torque and smooth performance, which helps the car climb inclines easily. However, since the DSG is a twin-clutch unit, it can roll back slightly if you take your foot off the brake before the clutch engages. This is typical behaviour for such transmissions.You can easily work around this. Either use your left foot lightly on the brake until you feel the clutch bite, or engage the electronic parking brake when stationary on a slope. It automatically releases as you press the accelerator, making hill starts much easier.

Skoda Kodiaq

Sudhir Singh

•1d

I am confused between the Tata Safari petrol and the Scorpio N. Which would be better, and what's the major difference between the Tata Safari Pure X and Adventure X Plus?

Autocar India

•2h

The Safari's three rows are much more comfortable and spacious than the Mahindra Scorpio N's, and its suspension feels a lot plusher too, making it better to drive as well. Overall, the Tata Safari feels more polished in comparison, hence it gets our vote.The price difference between Pure X and Adventure X Plus variant of the Safari is approximately Rs 1.40 lakh (on-road), with the latter being more expensive. For the premium, the Adventure X Plus variant gets larger 18-inch alloys (vs 17s in the Pure X), drive modes, one-touch up and down driver's power window, electonic parking brake with auto hold, rear defogger, leatherette upholstery and an electric driver's seat with memory.While these are nice to have, none of these features is a deal-maker. Instead, the Pure X variant is very well-equipped and actually a better value for money.

Tata Safari

Mahindra Scorpio N

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