I own a Maruti Zen VX Deluxe 2002 model. I want to purchase an SUV. My budget is around 15 lakhs. My daily running is very less around 10-15 kms. My expectations are good mileage, safety and features. I want a good mixture of all of these. Kindly suggest some good options.

autocar.india

•2d

Given your low monthly running, we would recommend a petrol car over a diesel. The fuel-efficiency advantage of a diesel only starts to make strong financial sense when you're covering substantially higher distances. Since you're already driving a 2022 Creta Diesel, moving to a petrol for your next car would also help you avoid concerns around DPFs and future diesel regulations.We also wouldn't let ethanol-blending concerns drive your purchase decision. While India could move towards E27 or even E30 fuel in the future, there is currently no official roadmap confirming this. Most modern E20-compliant petrol cars have been engineered with a margin of tolerance and should be able to handle somewhat higher ethanol blends without any immediate issues. At worst, some rubber components may wear slightly faster over many years, but these are typically inexpensive parts to replace. The bigger impact is likely to be a small reduction in fuel efficiency rather than any major reliability concern.For a Rs.10 lakh CSD budget, we would suggest looking at the Hyundai Venue 1.0 Turbo Petrol or the Skoda Kylaq. The Venue's turbo-petrol engine feels punchy and refined, offers a premium cabin and is very well suited to everyday use. The Kylaq, meanwhile, feels more substantial, offers excellent safety credentials and has one of the most enjoyable turbo-petrol engine and automatic gearbox combinations in the segment.

Hyundai Venue

Skoda Kylaq

Hyundai Creta

autocar.india

•2d

If you have the budget to accommodate the Rs. 3 lakh price difference, go for the Kia Seltos HTE(O) IVT. It is a significantly larger car, so your weekend trips with 4-5 people and luggage will be far easier. It also has a smoother and more refined powertrain overall, and its IVT automatic gearbox works equally well in the city and on the highway. Ride quality is better, the boot is much larger, and rear-seat space is something your passengers will appreciate.As for the Hyundai Venue, while a good SUV on its own, it is simply at a disadvantage for its size, given your intended usage. Its 1.0-litre turbo petrol is more powerful and feels punchier than the Seltos' 1.5 litre NA petrol, but it also suffers from serious turbo lag, and the DCT gearbox can be very clunky at low speeds, both of which are made worse when the car is full up. Thus, overall, the Seltos is just the better choice.Your automatic gearbox should have no real issue with sitting idle for 15-20 days at a time. What needs to be looked out for is the battery, which could discharge, and the fuel in the tank. E20 petrol, which is the norm in India now, can separate into petrol and ethanol if it comes in contact with moisture, which is a possibility when the car is left idle for a long. It is thus advisable in any case to run the car, even briefly, at least once a week.

Kia Seltos

Hyundai Venue

autocar.india

•1d

Go petrol, and within your budget, the Renault Kiger is the sweet spot, especially since you are already in the Renault sales and service ecosystem. Your 74,000km since 2016 works out to about 7,500km a year, so diesel won’t pay back its extra cost and needs additional upkeep. Petrol will keep things simpler and the drive smoother.The Kiger's 1.0 turbo petrol engine feels smooth in traffic and still has enough for highway bursts, it rides over bad roads with ease, and the cabin feels like a genuine step up from your Kwid. Even the mid trims get the useful stuff you’ll actually use every day, but in your budget, you'll get a top-spec automatic too. The only real compromise is a boot that isn’t the biggest, and mileage will dip if you push it hard.If your top goal is the lowest running cost and you mostly drive in the city, the Maruti Brezza is another compact SUV that makes sense. However, in your budget, you'll only get a low to medium variant of this SUV.

Renault Kiger

Renault Kwid

Maruti Suzuki Brezza