New SUV budget ₹50 lakh. Is the Fortuner being launched in the next couple of months?

Autocar India

•2d

You should check out a luxury SUV such as the Mercedes-Benz GLC or BMW X3, which will feel like a good upgrade to your Toyota Fortuner. They might not be as large, but given that your driving is in the city, this shouldn't be too much of a problem. They have sophisticated and refined petrol and diesel engine options, high-quality cabins and lots of features. Plus, they will be considerably more comfortable and easier to drive than the Fortuner. If you simply must have more space and size than the Fortuner, then consider the MG Majestor, which will be launching very soon. It's unclear how much you will get in exchange for your Fortuner, but assuming it is not too old, big Toyotas tend to hold their value well, so these SUVs should fit in your budget.

Mercedes-Benz GLC

BMW X3

Toyota Fortuner

MG Majestor

Autocar India

•15m

The Kia Sonet diesel AT is a great car - compact, frugal, smooth and efficient - and feels like a logical compact upgrade to your Figo TDI. However, the fact that you're even considering the drive quality on your long journey to your hometown means you should go for the Skoda Slavia instead. Yes, the fuel efficiency won't be as good as the diesel, and it is a larger vehicle, which you might feel during your use in the city. But other than that, the driving pleasure it offers is on a different level, and will remind you fondly of your Ford, which is also a great handler. Its punchy 1.0 TSI makes a strong 115hp and 178Nm of torque, which are comparable to what you get in the Figo, and comes with a slick 6-speed MT or smooth 6-speed AT. Whichever you choose, you'll get a car that's fun to drive, stable out on the highway and friendly to use around town.

Kia Sonet

Skoda Slavia

Autocar India

•46m

We would recommend you look at the new upcoming Skoda Kushaq. It sits above the compact SUV segment but is still not too large and is among the smaller of the mid-size SUVs, thus it remains quite easy and manageable in the city. The Kushaq is well equipped with many standard safety features and has scored a 5-star crash rating in the GNCAP tests, thus it meets your priority of safety too. Since you are driving in the city and looking for fuel efficiency too, we would suggest the 1.0 litre engine, which will launch with an 8-speed torque convertor automatic transmission. Torque convertors are the smoothest type of automatic transmission around, which you will appreciate in the city stop-and-go traffic. Being an 8-speed (earlier was a 6-speed unit), mileage should also improve over the previous car. It returned a figure of 8.5kpl in the city, 12.4 kpl on the highway, in our standard test cycle. Stay tuned to our channel as we will be driving the car shortly.

Skoda Kushaq facelift