I currently own a Ford Figo Titanium TDCi, which I love. However, it’s now 11 years old, so I’m planning to buy a new automatic SUV with good power. Most of my drives are on highways, and my budget is around ₹20 lakh.

Autocar India

•7h

For your requirement, the Mahindra Scorpio N would be our first recommendation. The key reason is that you have specifically mentioned a slippery hill climb during the rainy season. The Scorpio N's rear wheel drive architecture, higher ground clearance and more rugged SUV underpinnings give it an advantage in low grip situations compared to the Harrier and XUV 7XO. If your budget allows, even a 4WD variant would be worth considering.The XUV 7XO would be our second choice. As an overall product, it is the most modern of the three, with a better interior, more technology and a more premium feel. It is also more comfortable and easier to drive every day than the Scorpio N. However, if that slippery hill climb is a recurring part of your ownership experience, the Scorpio N's more rugged nature gives it the edge.The Tata Harrier is a good highway SUV with a comfortable ride, but for your specific requirement it would be our third choice. It is front wheel drive only and, apart from offering a more comfortable third row, the XUV 7XO is the stronger product in most other areas, including performance, technology, interior quality and overall ownership experience.

Tata Harrier

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Mahindra Scorpio N

Autocar India

•6h

Its hard to recommend a specific car without knowing a few more specifics like importance of rear space, who will drive it, etc. However, if you are looking at an all rounder we would suggest the Kia Seltos. The new second generation car has grown larger and more room inside, including at the rear, where the previous car was not as spacious. Since your running does not seem very high we would recommend the 1.5 litre naturally aspirated petrol coupled to the automatic gearbox. The autobox is a CVT but is does not have a prominent 'rubber band effect' - where revs rise faster than the corresponding speed increase and in fact, it is quite enjoyable when driven at regular speeds in the city. On the highway too, its just fine and the handling at higher speeds is very secure and stable and the car tracks straight and level even on less-than-perfect surfaces. As typical of Kia, the Seltos is also very well equipped and at your budget, you would get a decently specced mid-level variant.

Kia Seltos

Autocar India

•1h

Pick the Kia Seltos HTK(O) IVT. With 40 km of city use every day, it is the easiest to live with - the CVT automatic is smooth in traffic, steering is light, the ride is comfy, and it will likely use less fuel than a Tata Harrier petrol. For your 600 km runs every 2-3 months, it cruises quietly, feels relaxed, and the back seat is spacious too.The Hyundai Creta S(O) automatic comes close, but it isn't as well-equipped or as new as the Seltos. The Harrier petrol Pure X manual is the wrong fit here. It is larger and heavier, the manual will tire you in stop-and-go traffic, and it also takes more effort to park in tight city spots.One trade-off with the Seltos IVT - it does not have the performance of the Harrier petrol or the turbo petrol version of the Seltos.

Kia Seltos

Tata Harrier

Hyundai Creta