Mumbai

Kodali Kiran

•7h

Hi, I am a photographer and am also planning to start an online garments business. I am looking for a spacious SUV that offers good fuel efficiency within a budget of Rs. 15-16 lakh. I am particularly interested in the Tata Sierra and would like to know whether it would be the right choice for my requirements. Additionally, could you please suggest whether a petrol or diesel engine would be a better option for my usage?

Autocar India

•3m

The Tata Sierra is a large and capable SUV, and for your work, would give loads of space for camera gear and garment boxes alike, but in your budget of Rs 15-16 lakh, you will only get the base model. Moreover, the downside of it being a large and heavy vehicle is that the mileage is not great compared to rivals, whether comparing the petrol or diesel versions. However, should you go with the Sierra and want to get the maximum mileage, the diesel is probably the best way to go, and if possible, we would recommend stretching the budget by at least Rs 1-1.5 lakh to get a few more features.

Consider the Kia Seltos instead - it too has a large and spacious cabin, almost as big as that of the Sierra, and good boot space as well. However, its engines, comparable to what you get in the Sierra, offer better real-world mileage. And, as safety is another concern, the Seltos has scored a 5-star Bharat NCAP crash test rating, just like the Sierra. What's more, you can get mid-spec variants, at least with the petrol engines, in your budget of Rs. 15-16 lakh, so you don't necessarily have to increase it so much. If you want even more space, and don't mind picking an MPV over an SUV, the Kia Carens Clavis is a far more practical option.

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Sierra

from ₹13.60 Lakh

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from ₹13.02 Lakh

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from ₹13.29 Lakh

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More questions on similar cars

Suraj

•16h

Hi Autocar, my budget is Rs. 20 lakh or less, and I am looking for an automatic car. My usage is quite low, with only around 15-30 km of driving per week, along with occasional long-distance trips. I usually travel with a family of five, and at times, one or two additional members may join us. Based on my requirements, could you please help me choose the most suitable option and variant from Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Kia Seltos, Kia Carens Clavis and Honda Elevate. Which one would you recommend, and which variant should I consider?

Autocar India

•1h

Pick the Kia Carens Clavis petrol automatic for your use case. You sometimes need six or seven seats, and your running is low, so a petrol automatic with a roomy 3-row cabin makes far more sense than a 5-seat SUV.The Carens Clavis gives you proper family flexibility: five can ride in comfort, and when one or two more join, you have a usable third row for short trips. With the third row folded, the boot is big enough for plenty of luggage. The ride is comfy, it comes feature-loaded and getting in and out is easy for elders. Go for the 1.5 petrol with the automatic in a mid trim to stay near your Rs. 20 lakh cap.

Kia Carens Clavis

Arka

•4d

I am looking forward to buying a car, for which my budget is 12 lakhs. I do not drive, and my daily commute is around 90 kms, of which 70% within the city. I can stretch my budget till 14 lakhs if I get the value for my money in terms of rear seat comfort and mileage. I want to buy a petrol car with a manual transmission. What would be my choice of car if I want to avoid entry-level models?

Autocar India

•20h

Consider the Hyundai Venue HX5+ with the 1.2 petrol manual. It fits comfortably in your budget, has a spacious and comfortable back seat and gets features like rear AC vents and a rear window sunshade. If you'd like, and even a roomier rear seat, the Kia Syros is a great choice, but it only comes with the turbo petrol, which will be slightly less fuel efficient.Stretching your budget to Rs 14 lakh gets you options from the midsize SUV segment. Among these, the Kia Seltos and the Honda Elevate 1.5 petrol manuals are strong choices. The will be roomier than the Venue, with more comfortable rear seats, and will be relatively fuel efficient in the city. However, your budget will get you the lower-end trims, which may lack some features. Alternatively, you could consider the Honda City.Overall, for your budget, the Venue is a great fit.

Dr Prakhar

Hi, So I need a 6/7 seater automatic car with occasional city driving and a bi-monthly out of town drive of around 500kms one way (otherwise monthly running of only 500 kms with 3 kms trips 4-5 times in a day). On road budget is around 21 lacs max, and a few essential points are: No Sunroof, Driver Seat Memory function, dual zone ac, physical ac buttons and side mirror auto adjustment on putting reverse gear. Also, confused if petrol should be taken because of recent Ethanol blending So far, I could select No car, which has all of the above, with Kia Clavis coming close.

Autocar India

•1d

The Kia Carens Clavis is probably the closest match to your requirements at this price point. The challenge is that the combination of features you're looking for is typically found on higher variants. In the Clavis, you'll need to move up the variant ladder to get most of these features, and that means accepting the sunroof as part of the package.As for the petrol versus diesel debate, your usage pattern actually favours petrol. Your monthly running is relatively low, and the frequent 3km city trips are not ideal for modern diesel engines. The occasional 500km highway journeys are easily handled by a petrol automatic. Ethanol blending should not be a major concern either, as modern petrol cars are engineered to run on the fuels currently available and planned for India.

Kia Carens Clavis

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Popular discussions right now

•5d

I am confused between buying Skoda Kylaq and Kia Seltos. Please suggest.

Autocar India

•4d

Buy the Kia Seltos. It is simply easier to live with for most buyers, thanks to a much wider service network and many more variant and powertrain choices, including good automatics across a wider price range. For daily city runs with the odd highway trip, the Seltos will feel like the more complete package and it has a more spacious and premium cabin. The Skoda Kylaq will suit you only if you really enjoy driving. It feels tighter and more confidence inspiring on the move, and the steering has more feel. If you plan long, frequent road trips and care more about how it drives than gadgets, that’s where the Kylaq shines. The flip side is fewer dealers and fewer variant choices.

Kia Seltos

Skoda Kylaq

Vaibhav Vats

•6d

I own a Hyundai Venue Turbo Petrol, which is driven around 4,000 km per year and is occasionally used by my parents. I have been considering to upgrade it, as I am tired of spending money on maintenance. The car has been problematic since its second year of ownership. I am currently considering the Kia Syros HTK (EX) manual and HTK+ (DCT). However, some automobile enthusiasts have advised me against buying a DCT if I am looking for a hassle-free ownership experience, especially since the car will mostly be driven in Delhi’s office-hour traffic and the overall running is quite low. Could you please suggest whether I should opt for the DCT, stick with a manual, or consider a diesel automatic instead? Alternatively, if there are better options within a budget of Rs. 15 lakh, I would be open to considering them. I can also wait if there are any promising new launches expected this year within my budget. I am not interested in an EV at the moment. Thanks in advance.

Autocar India

•5d

Given your low annual running and predominantly city use in Delhi, a diesel does not make sense. Modern diesels are happiest when regularly driven on longer runs, and with just 4,000km a year, the higher purchase cost and potential emission system issues are difficult to justify.As for DCTs, they have become far more reliable than early examples, but if the priority is a smooth, stress-free ownership experience in heavy urban traffic, a torque-converter automatic is still the safer bet. It is generally smoother at low speeds and better suited to constant stop-start driving.Rather than moving to a Syros DCT, it would be worth considering the Skoda Kylaq automatic or the Mahindra XUV 3XO automatic. Both use torque-converter gearboxes and offer a more relaxed driving experience in city conditions. The Kylaq feels particularly polished to drive, while the 3XO counters with a richer feature list and a more spacious cabin.If you like the Syros, the manual remains a sensible choice given your limited annual usage, but if an automatic is preferred, a torque-converter-equipped rival would be a better fit than a DCT.

Sachin kumar gupta

As we all know, the Mahindra XUV 7XO AX5 diesel still has a long waiting period. In that case, how does the Tata Safari Adventure X Plus Automatic Diesel compare to it? Since it is available for quicker delivery, would it be a good alternative to the XUV 7XO AX5 Diesel?

Autocar India

•4d

The Tata Safari Adventure X Plus Automatic Diesel is a good alternative if the waiting period for the XUV 7XO is proving too long.The Safari's biggest strengths are its comfortable ride, spacious cabin and excellent second-row seating. It is a very capable long-distance cruiser and feels premium. The diesel automatic powertrain is well suited to highway use and delivers relaxed performance for family touring.That said, the XUV 7XO still has the edge as an overall package. Its diesel engine feels stronger and more refined, the automatic gearbox is better calibrated, and it offers a more modern feature set in comparable variants. It is also the more engaging SUV to drive.If immediate delivery is important, the Safari is not a compromise that will leave you disappointed. In fact, buyers who prioritize rear-seat comfort and long-distance travel may even prefer it to the Mahindra car.

Tata Safari

Mahindra XUV 7XO

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