I’m 36 years old and we have a family of five. Our daily running is around 70 km in Chandigarh city, with 2-3 occasional trips. About 90% of the use is in the city. I want to buy a new 7-seater car. Currently, I drive a Honda Amaze diesel. I’m confused between the XL6 CNG, Kia Carens, and XUV700 diesel. Our budget is ₹15-17 lakh, and our priorities are running cost and safety. We also have a major doubt about how safe CNG cars are. Thank you, please reply.

Autocar India

•1w

The Mahindra XUV 7XO is tuned to deliver a lively performance and not efficiency. Thus, for you, we would rule it out as your 1st priority is running cost, plus with nearly all of your driving within the city, you really don't need that level of performance.

Opt for the Kia Carens Clavis; the diesel automatic is somewhat above your budget and pricier than the Maruti Suzuki XL6. But it would be well spent given the Clavis' comfort levels, features and premium feel inside.

As for your query on CNG, it is quite safe; auto manufacturers today take a lot of care in the engineering of it. But with the Maruti XL6, you will have lower boot space, and CNG queues can be quite long.

Explore cars mentioned

Kia

Carens Clavis

from ₹12.90 Lakh

Maruti Suzuki

XL6

from ₹13.41 Lakh

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Latest questions people are discussing

Tarangkumar Patel

•1d

Hi, I currently own a Honda Amaze diesel 2014 model. Now, after using it for so long, I want to upgrade to a 7-seater. I shortlisted the Hyundai Alcazar and Kia Carens Clavis and have done test drives for both vehicles. My daily usage in the city is 25 km, and I occasionally do long family trips. Now I am super confused between both cars, as one has premiumness and the other has space. Please suggest the best vehicle for me. Is the turbo petrol good? Now I am super confused.

Autocar India

•3h

Both cars are quite closely matched on premium feel, though one aesthetic seems to have worked better for you than the other. It's more a contest of road presence versus space, as the tall, SUV body style of the Hyundai Alcazar makes a strong impression on the road. It is boxy and upright and has the edge on ground clearance, as well as larger wheels.The price you pay is in the third row, where the Kia Carens Clavis' practical MPV shape liberates more space, and there's better ease of access too. Both cars have the same powertrain options, except that the Carens Clavis offers an additional engine option - the 1.5 naturally aspirated petrol. It also gets an iMT automated manual gearbox with the Turbo Petrol engine instead of a conventional manual, which the Alcazar gets.Yes, the Turbo Petrol is a good option, as given your relatively low usage, a diesel doesn't feel necessary. The 160hp, 1.5-litre turbo feels strong enough to haul 7 people and is quite enjoyable to drive too.As for which of the two you wish to buy, if you simply must have an SUV for its visual appeal and ground clearance, that is the only reason to choose the Alcazar. If that is not a bother, then the lighter, more spacious, more practical Kia Carens Clavis is the one we recommend.

Kia Carens Clavis

Hyundai Alcazar

Ajinkya Sonar

•1d

I am looking for a 7-seater manual car which is easy to maintain. My budget is around ₹15 lakh. My annual running is 80% on the highway and 20% in the city. I am confused between two options: Carens or Clavis. Please advise which one I should pick and whether to go for a petrol manual or a diesel manual.

Autocar India

•4h

With your budget of Rs 15 lakh, you can move past the Kia Carens and up to the Carens Clavis, which is essentially a facelift of the Carens, with more features and an additional engine option. The trickier choice is which engine to choose, between the 1.5-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel, both of which are available with a manual.The diesel is the more obvious choice, given that your usage is 80% on the highway, where the additional torque will be beneficial, not to mention the better mileage. However, in your budget, you'll only get it in the base HTE spec. If that's fine with you, then you should go ahead with that; otherwise, note that the Carens 1.5 petrol MT is available in the higher HTE (EX) trim, with more features.You could also consider the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, which comes in petrol and CNG guises, has lower maintenance costs, and is far more affordable than the Kia.

Anant Sheopuri

I am planning to upgrade from a Maruti Suzuki Ertiga to a new three-row SUV mainly for city driving. The Tata Safari Adventure X petrol AT does not have a dedicated third-row AC unit. Will this affect cooling for third-row passengers in Mumbai’s heat during daily use? I am also considering the MG Hector Plus Savvy Pro AT and the Mahindra XUV 7XO AX7 petrol AT. Which would be the better choice among these?

Autocar India

•21h

Out of the three mentioned above, the Mahindra XUV 7XO would be the better choice. It is a lot more refined, plush and sorted overall and feels worth the money you pay. The engine is powerful, silent, and the gearbox works well in the city as well. The tech is new-age, and it feels futureproof. However, the third row, despite getting AC vents, isn't the best in terms of space and comfort. The middle row cannot slide ahead, and that restricts room in the last row. Coming from an Ertiga, you will feel the space crunch in the 7XO and even the Hector Plus or the Tata Safari. If the third row is frequently used, the Kia Carens Clavis is the right choice as it has proper space in the third row and is quite practical. It isn't as fast or powerful as the others, but it has enough punch and is almost equally packed with features. Being lighter than the bigger SUVs, it is also easy to drive around the city, and it has a smooth DCT gearbox. If third row space is not critical, then we would recommend the XUV 7XO, but if you want space in the last row, the Clavis would be ideal.

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Kia Carens Clavis

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