I plan to buy a new car in 2026. My monthly running is about 500-600 km, around 80% on highways. My budget is ₹15-17 lakh on road. I want a 5-seater petrol SUV with decent looks and strong road presence. Please suggest suitable options.

Asked by: Avnesh Yadav

Looks and styling are very subjective, but we would lean towards the new Kia Seltos. The car looks funky, and it is nice and large too and well equipped.

We will be reviewing the car this month, so look out for our detailed review on our website and YouTube channel.

New Kia Seltos

New Kia Seltos

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Autocar India Team

Dec 14, 2025

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Asked by: Arnab I am almost finished learning at a driving school and want to buy a new car. My preferences are: 1. City driving 70% and highway is 30% 2. Automatic transmission 3. Safety is the top priority 4. Budget up to 13 lakh 5. Petrol variant 6. The rear seat should comfortably accommodate 3 passengers, and the boot space should be good 7. Planning to keep the car for at least 5 years Since I am new to this, I am seeking suggestions from the experts. Considering your needs, the Honda Amaze would be a very good option. It has a smooth petrol engine mated to a CVT gearbox that is perfect for the city. It has received a 5-star safety rating in Bharat NCAP crash tests, has a generous rear seat that is comfy and a big 412-litre boot, which is more than most compact SUVs.The top-spec ZX CVT variant will comfortably fit in your budget and come with the latest tech and safety features too. Honda cars are also known for their reliability, and the Amaze will easily last five years as long as you adhere to the maintenance schedule and drive it with care.

Autocar India Team

Dec 15, 2025

Asked by: satishwar b The Audi S5 is a good sports car, but is it also a practical option for daily city commuting in Mumbai, along with occasional long drives involving countryside roads? The Audi S5 is one of the most usable sports sedans in its class. While others are more modern, high-tech and powerful with sharper driving dynamics, the Audi A5 Sportback S5 excels in comfort, interior space, luggage capacity, and even has decent ground clearance, while still being powerful and dynamic enough to be enjoyable.So yes, it is very usable in a city like Mumbai, and excellent fun on an occasional out-of-town drive. It is comparatively well-priced too, but be sure to snap yours up soon, as it is at the end of its lifecycle, and there may not be many units left to buy.

Autocar India Team

Dec 15, 2025

Asked by: Nagaraja D N I purchased a Hyundai Grand i10 petrol in 2015. I am now planning to upgrade to a 7-seater vehicle. My usage is 90% highway and 105 city. Since I travel to my farmland frequently, my priorities are safety, comfort, and performance. I am not interested in the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga or XL6 due to safety concerns and outdated looks, and I am also not interested in the Kia Carens. We suggest waiting for the Mahindra XUV 7XO, which is the updated XUV700, and bookings are now open. It is expected to get more features and design tweaks to keep it feeling fresh. This Mahindra car will remain spacious and comfortable with strong engines. The 2.0 litre turbo petrol is smooth and punchy, and the 2.2 litre diesel is tractable with strong performance.The current Mahindra XUV700 already offers features like a panoramic sunroof, a 360-degree camera, a Sony sound system, and the new 7XO will be even better equipped.

Autocar India Team

Dec 15, 2025

Asked by: Neseth Prasad How is the Citroen Aircross X AT? Is it worth investing in, and what would you suggest within a ₹16 lakh budget? The Citroen Aircross X AT is a good SUV with a crucial USP being the extra set of seats in the third row. It isn't a 7-seater but more of a 5+2, which means the third row is good enough for kids and short adults for quick city drives. You can also remove the seats entirely and use the space as a big boot. The turbo-petrol engine is responsive and nice to drive, the ride is extremely comfortable, and it has a decent feature list too. If you want maximum practicality, the Aircross X is a good choice. The other option worth looking at would be the Kia Syros. The Syros has an unconventional design, but is excellent when it comes to space and packaging. It also has a higher level of quality throughout the cabin. Sure, it does not have an extra set of seats, but it has a spacious rear seat that gets ventilation for the base and a good degree of recline, too. Also, Kia's network is more widespread than that of Citroen, and that does help when it comes to after-sales and service.

Autocar India Team

Dec 14, 2025

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