I’m planning to buy either the Kia Carens Clavis or the Hyundai Alcazar. Please advise which one would be better.

autocar.india

•16h

The Kia Carens Clavis Diesel HTE (O) is a sensible choice for this usage. With a monthly running of around 2,000km and predominantly highway driving, a diesel is the right fuel type. The 1.5-litre diesel offers good fuel efficiency, strong mid-range performance and relaxed cruising, making it well-suited to long-distance travel.From an ownership perspective, the Carens Clavis scores well for practicality, comfort and Kia's widespread service network. If most of the kilometres are covered on highways, the diesel engine should not pose any DPF-related concerns, as regular long drives allow the emissions system to function as intended.The HTE (O) variant also offers good value if the priority is getting the core package without paying for features that may not be essential. However, do check that it includes the convenience and safety equipment you expect, as moving up to a variant later is usually more expensive than choosing the right one at the time of purchase.

Kia Carens Clavis

autocar.india

•2d

The on-road price of the base Clavis HTE petrol might be a bit more than Rs 13 lakhs. However, as a family car, it beats all the other options. It is more spacious and gives you the flexibility of a third row of seats, which you can also fold down and make use of a huge boot space. Purely as a sensible, practical option, it is hard to beat the Clavis' proposition.Alternatively, Syros is an excellent, well-packaged car that's surprisingly spacious despite its sub-4-metre footprint. While its design isn't universally appealing, if you don't mind its styling, this is an excellent choice. You will get a well-equipped HTK+ turbo-petrol manual version.The Seltos and Tekton belong to a segment above and are larger cars. Only their entry-level variants will fall within your Rs 13 lakh budget. So you need to decide whether you need a seven-seater, a well-equipped sub-4-meter car, or an entry-level five-seater mid-size SUV from a segment above.

Kia Carens Clavis

Kia Seltos

Kia Syros

Nissan Tekton

autocar.india

•53m

Pick the Hyundai Creta 1.5 turbo DCT SX(O). It gives you Level 2 ADAS features, a big panoramic sunroof and feels nice to drive on long highway runs. It will likely sit closer to your Rs. 23 lakh cap than the Alcazar, which usually crosses it. If you truly need the third row a few times a year, the Alcazar DCT also works well, and it gets all the features you're looking for, but the last row is best reserved for short durations.About fuel, don’t overthink it. Hyundai’s current 1.5 turbo petrol is E20-ready and runs fine on today’s fuel. E27 or E30 is not around the corner yet, and buying now will not put you at a disadvantage in a few months.

Hyundai Creta

Hyundai Alcazar