Dimapur

•3w

Hi Autocar Team, I currently own a 2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire ZDi+ Diesel. Since the car is now almost 10 years old, I am planning to replace it with a new car. I am looking for an SUV with good mileage, comfortable interiors, and strong safety features. My budget is around Rs. 20 lakh, and my monthly running is approximately 350 km. Could you please suggest some good SUV options that would be suitable for my requirements?

•3w

With a monthly running of just 350km, diesel is not financially justified, so you should focus on petrol or hybrid options. The Maruti Suzuki Victoris Hybrid is the most sensible recommendation here. This Maruti Suzuki car offers excellent fuel efficiency, a comfortable ride and a proven ownership experience, making it a very easy car to live with over the long term. The hybrid system works seamlessly in city traffic and keeps running costs low, which is exactly what you want with your usage pattern.

If you want something with a more premium feel and a stronger safety package, the Kia Seltos is the alternative to consider. It has a more upmarket cabin, a wider range of features and a more substantial feel on the road. The only trade-off is that it will not be as efficient as the Victoris Hybrid in city driving.

Overall, the Victoris Hybrid in its ZXI trim will cost around your budget and is the most balanced recommendation for your requirements. It is efficient, comfortable and easy to own, which is exactly what you need coming from a Dzire diesel.

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Maruti Suzuki

Dzire

from ₹6.91 Lakh

Maruti Suzuki

Victoris

from ₹11.66 Lakh

Kia

Seltos

from ₹12.21 Lakh

•3w•

I am planning to buy Hyundai Venue DCT is it Reliable for long term ownership. I mostly drive open roads and occasionally city traffic

More posts on similar cars

•1d

I am planning to buy a new car with a budget of Rs 25 lakh. I currently drive a 2021 Kia Sonet DCT and am quite interested in the Thar Roxx. However, around 80% of my driving is in Hyderabad’s heavy traffic. Is the Thar Roxx a good choice for my usage, or are there other options worth considering?

•3h

With 80 percent of your driving in Hyderabad's heavy traffic, the Mahindra Thar Roxx is not the most sensible upgrade from your Kia Sonet DCT. The Thar Roxx is a lifestyle SUV with a rugged, off-road-focused character, and while it is great fun on trails and highways, it is not the most comfortable or practical daily driver in dense city traffic. The ride is firm, the turning circle is large, and the overall driving experience can become tiring in stop-and-go conditions.Given your budget of Rs 25 lakh, a more practical upgrade would be something like the Kia Seltos or Hyundai Creta. Both offer a significant step up in space, comfort and refinement over the Sonet, and are far better suited to daily city driving while still being capable on highways. If you are looking for something with a bit more character, the Skoda Kushaq or Volkswagen Taigun are also worth considering, especially if you enjoy driving.If you are still drawn to the Thar Roxx for its lifestyle appeal, it is best approached as a second car rather than a primary daily driver. For your usage pattern, prioritising comfort, ease of driving and practicality will make you much happier over the long term.

Hi, I currently drive a Kia Sonet HTX, purchased in December 2020. It has covered around 46,000 km so far, with an annual running of approximately 9,000 km. I am now looking to upgrade to a mid-size SUV with an automatic transmission. My priorities are a feature-rich car with a 5-star safety rating, suitable for a family of four. The expected usage will be around 80% city and 20% highway driving. My budget is around Rs 20 lakh, although I can stretch it slightly for a better overall package. Please suggest some suitable options.

•5h

With 9,000 km a year and an 80:20 city-highway split, a petrol automatic is the right choice. The Kia Seltos IVT is the recommendation here. It offers a smooth, reliable CVT automatic that is well suited to city driving, a comfortable and spacious cabin for a family of four, and a strong feature set. The Seltos also has a proven ownership track record and a good service network, which matters for long-term peace of mind.If you are willing to stretch your budget slightly, the Kia Seltos GTX+ DCT is worth considering. It adds a more powerful turbo petrol engine and a richer feature list, including ADAS, ventilated seats and a more premium cabin experience. The DCT is quick and engaging, but it is not as smooth as the IVT in stop-start traffic.If you want a more driver-focused alternative, the Skoda Kushaq 1.5 TSI DSG is a strong option. It offers excellent performance and driving dynamics, but the Seltos remains the more rounded family car.Overall, the Seltos IVT hits the sweet spot for your usage and budget.

Kia Seltos

Skoda Kushaq

•1w

I am looking for a car in the range of mid-size SUVs. I have shortlisted two cars: Kia Seltos and Skoda Kushaq, latest versions of both. Which one should I buy and Why? My daily commute for work to home would be around 30-35km in Delhi.

•7h

Go for the Kia Seltos. With a 30-35 km daily commute in Delhi, you need a car that is comfortable, refined and easy to live with in traffic, and the Seltos delivers exactly that. It has a more premium and spacious cabin, a smoother ride over broken city roads and a wider service network, which is important for hassle-free ownership in Delhi. The Skoda Kushaq is the better driver's car with sharper handling, but for your usage, the Seltos is the more complete package. It is also worth mentioning that the Seltos feels more premium inside and offers slightly better rear seat space, which makes a difference on longer commutes. And the Seltos offers a very smooth 1.5-litre petrol engine with a CVT gearbox, which is friendlier to drive in stop-and-go traffic than the Kushaq's 1.0 TSI engine with an 8-speed auto, and is likely to be more efficient too. Overall, the Seltos is the better fit for your daily routine and long-term ownership.

Kia Seltos

Skoda Kushaq

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Popular discussions right now

•3d

I currently drive a Grand i10 Manual petrol and am now planning to buy a new compact SUV that is comfortable, fuel efficient and has low maintenance. My usage is 35km of daily office commute in Delhi-NCR traffic. Please advice which option is best fit amongst Hyundai Venue HX 6T, SONET HTK+O and XUV 3XO.

•3d

Go for the Hyundai Venue. With your daily 35km commute in Delhi NCR traffic, comfort and low maintenance are key, and the Venue delivers on both. The 1.2 NA petrol is smooth, refined and easy to drive in stop-start conditions, while Hyundai’s service network and ownership experience are among the best in the segment. The HX6T variant also gives you a good balance of features without pushing the budget too far.The Sonet HTK+O is mechanically very similar, but the Venue is a newer model and offers a more spacious cabin. The XUV 3XO is also a good option, but its turbo petrol engine won't be as efficient as the Hyundai’s.Overall, the Venue is the most sensible upgrade from your Grand i10 for daily city use.

I want to buy Mahindra XUV 7XO AX7 diesel manual but my concern is that many users have reported notchy or problematic gearing in manual and wearing of clutch plate. Are these recurrent issues or they are case-to-case basis?

•5d

Go ahead and buy the Mahindra XUV 7XO AX7 diesel manual. The notchy gearshift and clutch wear are not widespread ownership issues. The 7XO uses a 6-speed manual gearbox paired with a strong diesel engine, and while some owners have reported a slightly notchy shift action, it is not a reliability problem. It is more a matter of shift feel, and it tends to improve as the car runs in. Clutch wear is largely usage-dependent. The 7XO diesel has a strong torque band, so you can drive it with fewer gear changes and less clutch slip. If you drive in heavy stop-start traffic with a lot of clutch riding, any modern diesel will wear its clutch faster. Mahindra has also made incremental improvements to the clutch and gearbox over time. The bigger picture is that the 7XO diesel is one of the best long-distance SUVs in the segment, with a strong engine, excellent ride and a very comfortable cabin. If you are worried about the manual, the automatic is a very good torque converter unit, but if you prefer a manual, this is not a reason to avoid the car. Just drive it normally, avoid excessive clutch slip in traffic, and you will not have a problem.

Mahindra XUV 7XO

•6d

I am planning to buy a new car under 20-25 lakh for the next ten years. I have considered two cars Seltos DCT GTX(A) and Kushaq 1.5 Monte Carlo DSG but am afraid of the mileage and if I go with an EV, I am afraid that infrastructure will not be that good. I drive daily for 10-15 km and take 2-3 trips in a year on highway. Should I buy the car now or wait for Seltos Hybrid? Will it cost an additional 2-3 lakh or will it be value for money for my driving. Should I consider another car?

•6d

With a daily running of just 10-15 km and only a few highway trips a year, fuel efficiency and long-term reliability should be your top priorities. The Seltos DCT GTX+ and Kushaq 1.5 DSG Monte Carlo are both excellent cars, but their turbo-petrol engines and dual-clutch gearboxes are not the most efficient or the most stress-free choices for predominantly short city runs. The DCT/DSG gearboxes are at their best on open roads, and in stop-start city traffic they can feel a bit jerky and are not as smooth or as durable as a torque converter automatic over the long term.The Seltos hybrid is worth waiting for if you are not in a hurry. It is expected to be priced roughly Rs. 2-3 lakh above the equivalent petrol variant, and for your usage pattern it will make more sense than the turbo-petrol DCT. Hybrids deliver their biggest efficiency gains in city driving, and over a 10-year ownership period the fuel savings and smoother driving experience will more than justify the premium.If you want to buy now, the Kia Seltos IVT (naturally aspirated petrol with CVT) is the better choice for your usage. It is smooth, reliable and well suited to city driving, and you will not be paying a premium for performance you will rarely use. The Skoda Kushaq 1.0 TSI with the torque converter automatic is another good option if you prefer a more engaging driving experience, but the Seltos IVT is the more refined and hassle-free choice.EVs are not the right fit for you at the moment given your concerns about charging infrastructure and your low daily running. The savings are not significant enough to justify the compromises.

Kia Seltos

Skoda Kushaq

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