Hi team, I’m planning to buy an SUV within a ₹25 lakh budget. My monthly usage is around 1,000 km, mostly weekend highway drives (200 km+) around Bangalore. We are a family of three, occasionally five, and I am 6 ft tall. I have shortlisted the Mahindra XUV700 and Tata Harrier, but the XUV700 is on hold due to the upcoming XUV 7XO launch. I’m confused about whether to buy the Harrier now or wait for the 7XO, as I’m concerned about new-model issues with the 7XO and reliability concerns with the Harrier. Which would you recommend, or is there a better alternative?

Autocar India

•3h

The choice between the Sierra and XUV 7X0 comes down to your specific requirements. The Mahindra XUV 7XO would be the one to go for if you require a third row of seats, as the Sierra does not offer one. It's also the one to go for if driving pleasure and strong engines are something you prefer, as both the petrol and diesel are more peppy than those on the Sierra.However, if you want something mainly for the city, the Tata Sierra, being smaller, would be a bit better suited; the engines would offer you a slightly better efficiency.

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Tata Sierra

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Autocar India

•5h

Most cars from India's two big brands - Tata and Mahindra - have scored well in Bharat NCAP or Global NCAP crash tests, and in your price range, all come equipped with a strong set of safety features. The SUVs from these brands are also pretty good on boot space, road presence and ground clearance, so you can't go wrong with any on those counts as well.Given your daily usage of 55km, a diesel car is beneficial for low running costs, but not essential either. However, as all your shortlisted cars do offer a diesel option, it's worthwhile to choose one of them; they all offer good driveability too. When it comes to fuel efficiency or mileage, the Tata Sierra comes out on top of the others, as it uses a smaller and more efficient 1.5-litre engine, compared to the others, which use 2.0 or 2.2-litre diesels that are nowhere near as efficient.On top of that, the Sierra feels like the newest and freshest of the lot, though the recently updated Mahindra XUV 7XO is not far behind. As for maintenance, neither brand has a stellar track record for service quality, but the costs are reasonable and competitive.

Tata Sierra

Mahindra XUV 7XO

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Autocar India

•1d

The best car from the shortlisted options is the Mahindra XUV 7XO. Ride comfort is excellent, and its engines are smooth, refined, and powerful enough for highway driving and hilly terrains. In case the terrain you tackle is too extreme for front-wheel drive vehicles, you could consider getting the all-wheel drive variant, for better traction. The latter is only available with diesel-automatic variants, and if you have the budget, it will be the best option for your inter-state road trips.

Mahindra XUV 7XO

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