I'm a 26-year-old planning my first car purchase. I'm smitten by the Thar Roxx for its looks and practicality, but high petrol running costs and the 10-year diesel ban worry me. I plan to do road trips all over India and have a maximum budget of ₹18 lakh on-road. Which safe, powerful vehicle would you recommend within this budget? Also, are there any upcoming launches worth waiting for - I can wait until April 2027 when CAFE-3 norms kick in.

Autocar India

•15w

Yes, the Mahindra Thar Roxx, in diesel guise, and especially in petrol guise, is not fuel-efficient. One car worth considering is the recently revealed Tata Sierra, which is likely to be available with multiple petrol engine options. And given Tata cars' recent track record of high NCAP crash test ratings, you can expect a good rating from the Sierra as well.

You could also wait for the next-gen Kia Seltos. It is expected to launch by late 2025 or early 2026. The new model is likely to be larger and more spacious than the current version. There are also rumours of a hybrid powertrain, which could be the answer to your long-distance road trips.

There will be many more new launches before April 2027, including models that haven’t been revealed yet. So if you’re not in a hurry, waiting could give you even better options.

Explore cars mentioned

Mahindra

Thar Roxx

from ₹14.65 Lakh

Tata

Sierra

from ₹13.60 Lakh

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Latest questions people are discussing

Panuel Barik

•12h

I am 6 ft 2 in tall and want to buy a compact SUV. I am a bit confused between the Hyundai Creta / Kia Seltos, Tata Sierra, and Tata Elevate. Please suggest a suitable choice based on better ride quality and comfort, especially for long rides.

Autocar India

•4h

Given your height, the Tata Sierra would be the better option among the rest. The Sierra gets a spacious cabin with good headroom and is a comfy cruiser over long drives thanks to the option of a diesel engine. Even the turbo-petrol is punchy, has good performance and is enjoyable to drive.The Seltos is also not too far behind, and while it isn't as roomy as the Sierra, the quality of the cabin is better, and it also gets a diesel engine that is quite nice on long trips. Where it falls behind the Sierra is the ride comfort, and hence we would recommend the Sierra for its all-round positives given your requirements.

Tata Sierra

Ramakrishna

•1d

I travel 100 km daily, with about 10% city driving and 90% highway. My budget is ₹15-20 lakh on-road. Please suggest a car that suits this usage pattern. Also, is buying an EV advisable for this daily distance and highway focus?

Autocar India

•1d

Since you have a high highway running, we would advise getting a diesel. While EVs do offer low running costs compared to diesels, the charging infrastructure, especially on highways, is still at a nascent stage. If your commute involves a location with a fixed charger, then an EV would make sense. In that case, the Tata Nexon EV Empowered 45 would be a good option. With this version, you get a large 45kWh battery that's capable of delivering a real-world range of 345-355km on a single charge. It also gets a practical and feature-rich cabin with good ride comfort. However, if charging is going to be an issue, a diesel SUV would be a lot less hassle. The Tata Sierra with a diesel engine and a manual gearbox would be a good option to consider. The engine is torquey and has good efficiency as well as a modern design and feature-rich cabin. The Adventure trim also gets you a 360-degree camera, sunroof and cruise control, among other features.

Tata Nexon EV

Tata Sierra

Santhosh V

•1w

Hi, I’m from Bengaluru and this will be my first car. I commute about 70 km round trip to office three times a week, and I estimate that I will drive around 1,000 km per month, mostly in the city. I am planning to buy an SUV with rear seating comfortable enough for three people. I was thinking of booking the Maruti Grand Vitara Delta Automatic, as my budget is around ₹15 lakh on-road. Please suggest whether this is a good buy or if I should consider other options. I value good features, efficiency, and low maintenance in the long run.

Autocar India

•1d

The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara would not really suit your needs. Within your budget, you would not get the strong hybrid, which is the one that would meet your needs for efficiency. Moreover, seating three at the rear is a big consideration for you; you would find that rear space, especially headroom and the width would be tight. For you, we would thus rather recommend the Tata Sierra, it offers very good rear space and is high on features too.However, if you can wait a few months, we would recommend that you do so. This is to make sure that the car is trouble-free. If you need to buy a car soon, we would suggest you look at the Mahindra XUV3XO. The car is shorter in length than the earlier-mentioned SUVs, but you will only find the boot space tight. Rear space, especially the cabin width for 3 people, would in fact be very good. It's also a well-equipped car that is reliable, but opt for the diesel as this would be more efficient than the petrol units.

Tata Sierra

Mahindra XUV 3XO

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