I am seeking to acquire a premium and luxurious SUV with an automatic transmission and a petrol engine. Additionally, I require a vehicle that offers respectable fuel efficiency. My budget for this acquisition is between ₹15-20 lakhs. Could you please provide suitable recommendations?

Autocar India

•12m

Go for the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara CNG. It is still the most sensible choice for your priorities, especially safety, low maintenance and running cost.
Your thinking is already on the right track. The Grand Vitara CNG keeps running costs very low and, more importantly, Maruti’s ownership experience is its biggest strength. Service reach is wide, parts are affordable and long-term reliability is proven, which makes it a stress-free first car. It is also comfortable, practical for family use and covers all the essential features well. The CNG tank is neatly integrated under the boot floor, so boot space remains usable.
If you want to look at alternatives, you can also consider the Maruti Suzuki Brezza. It is more affordable, uses the same engine and is more compact and easier to drive. However, the Grand Vitara feels like the more modern and complete package, and a Brezza update is also due soon.

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Maruti Suzuki

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from ₹12.75 Lakh

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Narayan

•1w

Hi Autocar team, I am planning to upgrade my vehicle. I currently own a Nissan Terrano, which has done over 3.5 lakh km and still runs very well. However, due to its age, its parts are wearing out, and Nissan service takes a long time (often 15 days to a month) to replace parts, sometimes even suggesting unnecessary replacements. I am confused between the Victor's Strong Hybrid and the GV Strong Hybrid. I am getting a good discount on the GV. My main concern is that the GV does not have a crash test rating, whereas the Victor's has a 5-star rating. Plus, can you tell me how much I'll pay in tolls for ride quality? Since Terrano has excellent suspension, is that acceptable, or should I avoid Maruti Duo & Toyota? After-sales service is very important to me, so if you suggest any other vehicles, please recommend from well-established brands.

Autocar India

•17h

The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and Maruti Suzuki Victoris share the same Global C platform and are structurally as well as mechanically identical, so the crash structure and safety levels should be very similar. However, since you're concerned about having a certified 5-star rating, the Victoris is the safer bet as it has been officially crash-tested by Bharat NCAP and awarded a 5-star rating for both adult and child occupant protection. The rating applies to all Victoris variants, including the strong hybrid models. The Victoris is also the newer model with additional features like a larger 10.1-inch infotainment system, ADAS, and improved tech over the Grand Vitara.Regarding everyday use, the strong hybrid powertrain is exceptionally well-suited for city driving with long daily commutes. The system operates in near-silent EV mode for extended periods in city traffic, switches seamlessly between electric and petrol modes, and delivers excellent fuel efficiency. This Toyota-based strong hybrid technology is both smooth and refined in operation.As for ride quality, you will need to adjust your expectations coming from the Terrano. This Nissan car suspension setup was indeed exceptional on broken roads and offered a plush ride. The Grand Vitara and Victoris, while comfortable, have a slightly firmer setup that may not quite match the Terrano's ability to absorb bad road surfaces. However, the ride is still acceptable for most conditions.

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

Venkat

•1h

Hi Autocar, I own a Hyundai Creta Diesel Knight Edition, which has been driven for around 40,000 km. Over the past six months, I have been facing recurring DPF issues, even though the car is regularly driven on highways. Additionally, the turbocharger has been replaced twice due to reported leakage issues. Now, the service centre claims that this may be a design fault from Hyundai. As a result, my car has spent a significant amount of time at the service centre, which has been extremely frustrating. Given this situation, I am unsure whether I should continue with the car or consider selling it and moving to another vehicle. I would appreciate your guidance on this.

Autocar India

•2m

You have already been using the car in the right way. Regular highway driving should prevent DPF problems, so repeated issues along with multiple turbo replacements point to something beyond normal wear and tear. While it may get resolved with further intervention, the frequency of visits and downtime understandably affects ownership confidence.A practical approach is to give the service centre one final, structured attempt to fix the issue properly, ideally with escalation to the manufacturer. If the problem repeats after that, it is sensible to move on rather than continue with uncertainty.If you do decide to change, a petrol automatic SUV like the Kia Seltos IVT or Hyundai Creta petrol CVT will feel familiar but far easier to live with, especially in mixed usage. They are smoother in daily driving and avoid diesel-related complications. If your running remains high and fuel cost is a concern, a strong hybrid is worth considering. Options like the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara or Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder offer excellent efficiency with petrol-like smoothness, making them a good middle ground between petrol and diesel.

Kia Seltos

Hyundai Creta

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder

Nitesh

•2d

I’m planning to buy a new car, and I’m currently confused between the Mahindra XUV 3XO AX5 (Petrol Manual), Hyundai Venue HX5 Turbo Petrol, and Kia Seltos 2026 base petrol variant. My usage: 60% city, 25% highway, 15% mountains (3 trips every year). Other requirements: annual running: ~8,000–10,000 km, primary use: family car, but I do enjoy driving occasionally, good ground clearance is important (roads in my hometown in the mountains are quite bad). I am planning to keep the car for 10+ years. Budget: ₹12 lakh (can stretch to ₹13 lakh if it’s truly worth it). My question is: Which of these would be the best fit for my usage? Is it worth stretching for the Seltos base model over the other two? Are there better alternatives in this budget that I should consider? Would really appreciate your suggestions. Thanks in advance!

Autocar India

•2d

With mostly city use, a few highway runs, and some mountain trips on broken roads, the Mahindra XUV 3XO AX5 petrol manual fits your brief best. It rides tough over bad patches, has good ground clearance, and its turbo petrol pulls well at low speeds, which helps on steep hill sections and in slow city traffic. It is also one of the nicer cars to drive in this price range, so when you want to enjoy a winding road, it will put a smile on your face, and the AX5 gives you a good mix of safety and comfort features without blowing the budget.Two trade-offs to note. If you often carry a full load of luggage, the boot is not very large, and at low speeds, the steering is not as light as most other SUVs in the class. Is it worth stretching to the base Seltos? Only if you really need the extra space. The base Kia Seltos skimps on features, and its non-turbo petrol will feel weaker on mountain climbs with a full family. Also check on-road pricing in your city, as it may push past Rs 13 lakh.The Hyundai Venue HX5 Turbo Petrol is also a good option and a great all-rounder, with a bigger boot, but given your needs, the better-riding, more enjoyable to drive XUV will suit you better. If you want another option to check out, look at the Maruti Suzuki Brezza, which is unexciting but offers hassle-free long-term ownership.

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