I want to upgrade my ride. My requirements are a 7-seater with good ride quality, primarily for highway driving and hilly terrains. I am confused between the Mahindra Scorpio-N 4x4, Tata Safari Adventure X, and Mahindra XUV700. Also, do you think an AMT gearbox will be better for my usage compared to a manual? I am planning to use the car mainly for interstate road trips. Please suggest a good vehicle.

Autocar India

•3w

The best car from the shortlisted options is the Mahindra XUV 7XO. Ride comfort is excellent, and its engines are smooth, refined, and powerful enough for highway driving and hilly terrains. In case the terrain you tackle is too extreme for front-wheel drive vehicles, you could consider getting the all-wheel drive variant, for better traction.

The latter is only available with diesel-automatic variants, and if you have the budget, it will be the best option for your inter-state road trips.

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Mahindra

XUV 7XO

from ₹15.87 Lakh

Venus

•3w

I'm confused b/w Windsor ev pro - I like as it is feature packed at 19 lakh but hate design. Xuv 7xo- good road presence but ice so it could cost 6 lakh more but cost extra lakh per year for fuel. As my monthly run is around 900 kms. Xev 9s - nice looking ev good road presence, but is it worth giving 27-28 lakh for ev car , as mahindra is known for bad service and EVs are only repaired in dealership. Suggest best choice as my budget is from 18- 28 lakhs

Latest questions people are discussing

Nitin

•6d

I drive around 178 km daily (approximately 46,000 km per year), mostly on highways and expressways. I am trying to decide between CNG and diesel for my next car. My main concern with CNG is long-term engine wear, as I have heard that some CNG engines may require major repairs after 1-1.3 lakh km. Since I plan to keep the car for at least 5+ years, durability is very important to me. My priorities are low NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness), smooth highway cruising, comfort, durability, and reliable long-term ownership. Considering my usage pattern and high annual mileage, which engine option would be better - CNG or diesel? Also, which car would you recommend?

Autocar India

•12h

For the kind of usage you describe, around 178km a day and roughly 46,000km a year - a diesel car makes far more sense than a CNG one.Firstly, diesel is much more widely available on highways and expressways, which is where you’ll be spending most of your time. With such high daily mileage, convenience matters, and diesel fuel stations are easy to find almost anywhere in the country.Secondly, diesel engines are better suited to long-distance cruising. Their strong low-end and mid-range torque make overtaking easier and allow the car to cruise at highway speeds with less effort. This also typically results in lower engine stress and more relaxed driving. It should suit your priorities of smooth cruising, good NVH and long-term durability.CNG cars, on the other hand, do have a few compromises. Performance is noticeably weaker than petrol versions, because CNG produces less energy. When the car is fully loaded or when you need quick overtakes on the highway, the lack of power becomes quite evident. Another practical issue is that the CNG cylinder takes up a large portion of the boot, which can be inconvenient if you are frequently travelling with luggage. From a mechanical perspective, modern factory-fitted CNG engines are much better engineered than earlier conversions. However, CNG is a dry gaseous fuel and doesn’t have the lubricating properties of liquid fuels, so over very high mileages, there can be slightly higher wear on valves and valve seats. For someone covering well over 40,000km a year, a diesel powertrain is generally the more robust long-term solution.Since you haven’t mentioned your exact budget, here are a few strong diesel options across segments. In the compact SUV class, the Hyundai Venue diesel is a good choice with a refined and proven 1.5-litre engine. If you want something larger and more comfortable for long highway drives, the Hyundai Creta diesel remains one of the best all-rounders with excellent refinement and efficiency. And if you are looking for something bigger and more premium, the Mahindra XUV7XO diesel offers strong performance, good highway manners and a very robust engine.Both Hyundai Motor India and Mahindra & Mahindra have well-proven diesel engines that are known to handle high mileage well when properly maintained. Given your driving pattern and ownership horizon of 5 years or more, diesel is clearly the more suitable and practical choice.

Prateek Saini

I have already booked Safari Adventure X Plus Petrol Automatic but confused on it considering TATA glitches etc. My main reason is to for it is being a car which has safety for family and small engine to give decent mileage in city. But People generally suggest to go for XUV 700 keeping mileage aside or go for Invicto or Kia Carens for mileage but finding Invicto at higher budget making breakeven in more than 80000 KM and Kia Carens really low on safety. Pls suggest.

Autocar India

•1d

Before you go ahead with the purchase, please keep in mind that the Tata Safari is a heavy vehicle and in its petrol-automatic guise, expecting double digit city fuel efficiency will be a bit ambitious. Yes, on the open roads, at constant speeds and light throttle inputs, the turbo-petrol could deliver good fuel efficiency, but in bumper-to-bumper traffic and stop-go conditions, fuel efficiency will be low. As a family car though, the Safari is a good option, on account of its spacious cabin, and impressive ride comfort. Tata's service experience can be a hit or a miss, and it isn't the best in terms of reliability either, occasionally throwing up a glitch or two. The Mahindra XUV 7XO is slightly better in that regard, however space isn't as good as in the Tata, especially in the third row. Also, the XUV's 2.0-litre turbo-petrol-automatic will fare worse (if not equally) as far as efficiency goes.Hence, if you want a fuel-efficient family car, the Maruti Invicto or the Toyota Innova Hycross hybrid are the ones to get. Of course, these are very expensive, and as you've rightly pointed out, unless your usage is very high, it will take a long time to benefit from its lower running costs after breaking even. But as far as reliability, peace of mind and a trouble-free ownership experience goes the Maruti and Toyota are still the ones to beat.

Tata Safari

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Toyota Innova HyCross

Prashant Gavhad

•6d

I currently own a diesel Swift and am planning to upgrade to a bigger vehicle like the Tata Safari. I need advice on whether I should choose a petrol or diesel variant. My monthly city driving is around 2,500 km. Also, which is the most affordable variant with the essential features? Additionally, is it possible to buy the car from Goa to get a cheaper price?

Autocar India

•20h

Since your driving is on the higher side, a diesel makes more sense, particularly since you are considering a big car like the Tata Safari. The Safari is a good choice, and even in the Pure X variant (one above base). It comes well equipped with features like a panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera and a 10.25-inch HD infotainment system. Given that most of your driving is in the city, opting for the automatic will also be a worthwhile investment.We also suggest you have a look at the new Mahindra XUV 7XO. Even the base AX variant is very well equipped, the diesel engine is powerful, and the automatic transmission is seamless. Ride quality has also significantly improved with Mahindra's new Da Vinci suspension, which is standard on the base model.

Tata Safari

Mahindra XUV 7XO

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