Delhi

•5h

Current car: 2020 Kia Seltos HTX Budget: Rs 35 lakh, but I can stretch it, as I plan to keep the car for more than 13 years. Usage: About 80 percent city driving, and around 5,000 km a year for the first five years. I want a large family SUV that feels special, offers strong value and can be owned confidently for 12-15 years without becoming a maintenance headache. I’ll be driving it myself, not a chauffeur. Ventilated front seats and a 360-degree camera are must-haves. I don’t want a diesel because of Delhi’s 10-year rule, and the idea of an expensive EV still worries me. So I’m looking at a petrol or a petrol-based strong hybrid, in the hope that E30 fuel never arrives. I’m also avoiding German brands, because of their high purchase price and very high maintenance costs. Cars I like that are currently on sale: Mahindra XUV 7XO AX7L: the value king, but almost everyone has one, so it may not feel special. Kia Sorento HTK+ Black Line: a next-generation global model may launch next year, which could make it look dated within a year. Toyota Innova Hycross: its taxi image is a drawback. Upcoming models I might like: I’ll be watching the global launch of the new Toyota Fortuner this December, and I could stretch to Rs 45-50 lakh for it if you strongly recommend it. When will the Hyundai Santa Fe launch? Also, I’ve had an extremely good experience with my Honda Jazz. Is Honda launching any model that matches my requirements?

•3m

The Kia Sorento strong-hybrid will be an ideal upgrade from your outgoing Seltos. It is larger in size, feels noticeably more premium, and it also gets a third row of seats, giving you that added flexibility of a seven-seater. The strong hybrid performs well, and the Sorento feels confident to drive from behind the wheel.

Like you rightly mentioned, the Mahindra XUV 7XO is great value for money, but the petrol-automatic won't be very efficient, so that is something you might want to take into consideration.

You could consider the JSW Combat (plug-in hybrid) for its strong road presence, expansive feature list and powerful powertrain. If you want your car to stand out and feel special, this is certainly worth considering before finalising. It is scheduled to be launched in December this year.

Lastly, Honda has the ZR-V, which is a strong hybrid SUV. While it drives well, it feels simply too expensive for what it offers.

Explore cars mentioned

Kia

Sorento

from ₹33.31 Lakh

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from ₹12.76 Lakh

Mahindra

XUV 7XO

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Honda

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from ₹58.25 Lakh

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Combat

from ₹44.28 Lakh

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•7h

Hello, Would the Kia Sorento work with the Hyundai Tucson’s 1999cc naturally aspirated petrol engine (156 PS and 192 Nm)? And why didn’t Kia offer a naturally aspirated petrol engine, which would have brought the price down further?

•2h

The Hyundai Tucson's 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine is smooth and refined, but its performance is fairly modest for a car in this price bracket. At 156hp and 192Nm, it isn't particularly strong, and fuel efficiency isn't its biggest strength either. While using this engine in the Kia Sorento would certainly have brought down the starting price, the Sorento is even larger and heavier than the Tucson, so performance and efficiency would have taken an additional hit. Buyers spending that kind of money would expect stronger performance. This is why the diesel and strong hybrid powertrains make more sense for the Sorento, offering a better combination of performance, efficiency and suitability for a large SUV.

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•3d

Hi Autocar team, I currently own a VW Tiguan TDI and absolutely love it, but I am considering upgrading to a Kia Sorento. Since I am not a fan of bulky SUVs, would the Sorento be a worthy replacement for the Tiguan? Also, considering my monthly running of 1,000+ km in the city alongside 4 to 5 long road trips of 1,000 km each annually, would you recommend the diesel or the hybrid?

•1d

The Kia Sorento diesel will be a good upgrade from your Volkswagen Tiguan diesel, since your running is high. Although it won't be as engaging to drive as your Volkswagen car, the Sorento diesel makes for a fantastic long distance cruiser thanks to the strong 2.2-litre engine, comfy ride and spacious cabin. The third row of seats will also give you added practicality over your Tiguan. This Kia car diesel also feels sprightly and tractable from low speeds so it won't feel sluggish or bulky by any means.

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•2w

I currently own a 2024 Toyota Innova Crysta and love taking long drives in it. I have a 6-year-old son and am now planning to replace the Crysta with a diesel automatic (preferably) or a hybrid SUV/MPV within a budget of Rs 35 lakh. My annual running is around 20,000 km, including 1 or 2 monthly long trips and 2 to 3 long family vacations every year. Please suggest a car that offers good reliability, a great driving experience, and hassle-free ownership. I have the Mahindra XUV700 AX7 L (7XO), Toyota Innova Hycross Hybrid, and Kia Sorento in mind.

•1d

The most equipped and bang for your buck choice here would be the Mahindra XUV 7XO. The diesel engine is creamy smooth, has superb power delivery and is packed to the gills with features in its top-spec AX7 L guise that will fit well under your budget. However, if you want to stick to the Toyota brand, the Hycross is a good choice and considering the budget, better than the Kia Sorento that will only fit in with its HTE(O) variant that misses on features. The Toyota Innova Hycross is a strong-hybrid which is a good replacement for a diesel and has a lot of space in all three rows. There is an update for the Hycross that isn't too far so if you can wait, that would be a good choice. If not, you need to just select if the extra feature set of the Mahindra along with its modern cabin is something you need. If not, the Hycross is a great choice.

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•6d

I am planning to buy a car with a factory-fitted CNG kit, an automatic transmission, and cruise control within a budget of Rs 15 lakh. Please suggest some options.

•6d

There are quite a few options that would meet your requirements, so its hard to pinpoint a specific model without knowing a bit more about your requirements and driving conditions. If you are looking for a city car then pick the Tata Punch, the compact dimensions are easy to manage in tight city traffic and the elevated driving position gives you a decent view outside. If however you want something bigger and with more space then the Maruti Suzuki Dzire would be a good option as you will have more rear space as well as a larger boot. Both cars will fit well within your budget. If you want a larger CNG car then you will have to settle for a manual and the a model like the Kia Carens Clavis or the Maruti Victoris.

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•1w

improve the grammar and write it in a paragraph - Hi Autocar, Iam looking to book a car this week. I have narrowed it down to one of 3 cars. Petrol Automatic IVTs. My running is mostly going to be 95% city (office to work in Mumbai traffic). Daily commute is around 15km, so I don't want a turbo in traffic. That's roughly 5k annual running. I am 6ft tall so wouldn't want something that is cramped 1. New Seltos HTK(O) 2. New elevate VX 3. Bayon HX 8 All of these are close to the 16L ex showroom price. I've driven the Seltos and Elevate. I really liked both of them. The Seltos feels more premium from the inside and I feel like that is something worth having in a daily car. The elevate is brilliant, but it seems cheap on the inside. No pani sunroof too, although I would maybe use it 1 day in year, it's priced the same as the Seltos, so that felt a miss. I know Honda engines are top, but at my running and limited enthusiast journey, I'm not sure if that does justice to need. Now comes the bayon. I have not done a test drive yet as its not available, but the bayon pricing at Hx6 and hx8 seems very close to the Creta currently.. I am tempted to go for the hx8 as it as a 360 camera,( I think that might be usefull for parking etc as I am coming from a hatchback ) but I am getting a "lesser car" vs the Seltos here I wonder.. Which one would you recommend? I am keen on booking before diwali, will see if there are any discounts on the Seltos (unlikey though)

•4d

All things considered, the Kia Seltos is the better fit for your needs. Since you are on the taller side, you will appreciate the extra room it has to offer compared to the Hyundai Bayon. Opting for the Bayon does get you a higher variant with a 360-degree camera, which can be helpful in tight spots. However, once you get used to the size of the vehicle, you might find yourself using the camera less often.As for the Honda Elevate, as you rightly mentioned, the Seltos feels more premium inside and costs about the same. The Elevate does offer a bit more performance from its 1.5L naturally aspirated engine, but since 95% of your driving is in slow-moving Mumbai traffic, the added performance won't really make much of a difference.Overall, the Seltos is the right fit for your needs.

Dear Autocar India team, I am planning to purchase my first family car with a budget of Rs 11 lakh and have already booked the Kia Sonet HTK+ variant. However, concerns raised on social media about the performance of its 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine have made me reconsider my decision. Since our monthly usage is relatively low and the car will primarily be used for occasional trips, would the Sonet HTK+ be a suitable choice for our requirements, or should I consider another model or an alternative powertrain within the Sonet range? I would appreciate your professional guidance in making the right decision. Thank you in advance for your assistance.

•4d

If your usage is primarily in the city, the 1.2-litre Kia Sonet will serve you just fine. It has a smooth, refined engine paired with a light clutch and gearbox, which makes it easy to drive in city traffic. Where it falls short is on the highway, where it may need a downshift to make an overtake.If you frequently travel on the highway with three or more passengers, you would be better off looking at a turbo-petrol version of the Sonet. Alternatively, consider something like the Maruti Suzuki Brezza or Hyundai Venue with a turbo-petrol engine. However, the trade-off for better performance from a turbo-petrol engine is lower fuel efficiency in the city.If you only plan on using the Sonet around town, stick with the naturally aspirated engine. But if highway performance is important, the turbo-petrol is a worthwhile upgrade.

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