Autocar India
•44w

I’m planning to buy an SUV in the ₹25 lakh price range. I have shortlisted the Tata Sierra, Thar Roxx, and the facelifted Kia Seltos. I have seen a Sierra demo car without PDI and have concerns about uneven panel gaps, the plastic quality on the lower dashboard and doors, and the durability of the white soft-touch material on the dashboard. Can you please recommend whether I should wait for the Sierra’s production car or go with an alternative? I prefer a balance of power and efficiency.

Verified
•43w

The Tata Sierra's that we reviewed were well put together for the most part, with just a few niggles around. However, Tata Motors is known to have many issues with its cars, especially in the initial period. Thus, if you are in doubt about the quality, we would suggest you wait for a few months. 

As for the other options, we would rule out the Mahindra Thar as it is tilted more towards performance. Also, it will not meet your requirement of a balance of power and efficiency. 

You can expect the Mahindra Thar Mileage to be around 9 to 11 kpl in the city and 13 to 15 kpl on the highway. 

What would meet this requirement would be the diesel Kia Seltos. 

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•5d

I’m planning to buy a new car, and my annual running is around 40,000km, primarily involving highway drives and ghat sections. I have shortlisted the Kia Seltos Diesel HTX and the upcoming facelifted Toyota Innova Hycross ZX. I’m considering two approaches: either buy the Innova Hycross and keep it for the next 10 years, given its reputation for longevity and the expectation that its engine can last at least 4 lakh kilometres, or buy the Seltos, drive it for around 2 lakh kilometres over 4–5 years, sell it and upgrade to a brand-new Seltos or another car of a similar price and size. On paper, the Innova Hycross Hybrid seems like the better choice, considering its long-term reliability and features such as the Ottoman reclining seats. However, I’m concerned that I might get bored of it after four years or that it may start feeling outdated as newer technologies and features enter the market. This makes the second option appealing, as it would allow me to upgrade to a brand-new car every 4–5 years. Which approach would make more sense in the long run, considering my high annual running and ownership costs?

Verified
•5d

It seems like you're leaning towards the Kia Seltos Diesel HTX, and we think it is a good choice. The diesel engine feels adequately powered for highway usage and ghat driving, and it is likely to return respectable efficiency too. Moreover, despite being modern with all the latest tech and features, the Seltos will be substantially more affordable than the Toyota Innova Hycross hybrid. So unless you need the Innova's extra space, or you frequently travel with six or seven passengers, the Kia Seltos diesel is your best bet.

VehicleKia Seltos
VehicleToyota Innova HyCross

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Posted on: 1 Jan 2026