I am looking to buy a new car under ₹25 lakh. I prefer an 8-seater layout and do not want a hybrid. A simple petrol engine with a CVT or torque converter automatic is preferred.

Autocar India

•1d

Go for a diesel 7-seater SUV or MPV, and shortlist the Kia Carens Clavis or Toyota Innova HyCross depending on your budget. These are the most practical and economical choices for your usage.The Kia Carens Clavis diesel is the most practical starting point. It is comfortable, easy to drive daily and efficient for long distances. The diesel engine is well suited for your high running, and this Kia car is stable enough on highways while remaining manageable in the city. It is also one of the most sensible family 7-seaters available today.If you can stretch your budget, the Toyota Innova Hycross hybrid is the best overall choice. It offers excellent comfort, much better space across all three rows and very low running cost for a large vehicle thanks to its hybrid system, which delivers high efficiency for city and highway use. It is also among the most reliable long-term ownership options.Now, since you mentioned occasional off-roading, you need to be realistic. Cars like the Carens Clavis and Hycross are not meant for serious off-roading. If your off-road use is mild, like rough roads or trails, they will manage. If you want proper off-road capability, then something like the Mahindra Scorpio N diesel is the better fit. It is rugged, has strong torque and proper SUV capability, while still being usable daily.The trade-off is clear. The Scorpio N is tougher and more capable off-road, but less comfortable and less efficient than the Carens or Hycross.

Kia Carens Clavis

Mahindra Scorpio N

Toyota Innova HyCross

Autocar India

•1h

You have already experienced how a naturally aspirated engine feels under load in your Honda City, especially on inclines. In a larger and heavier car like the Kia Carens Clavis, that limitation will be even more noticeable. With six people on board and occasional hill drives, the naturally aspirated petrol will feel strained and require frequent downshifts, which takes away from the relaxed driving experience you are looking for.The turbo petrol solves this. It offers stronger low and mid-range performance, making city driving easier and highway or hill driving far more effortless, even with a full load. It reduces the need for constant gear changes and feels more relaxed in real-world conditions. The DCT does offer convenience, but your concern is valid. In slow traffic and uphill situations, it can feel less smooth and slightly hesitant, which does not suit your usage.That said, since you are based in Gurugram, where traffic can get quite heavy, you should be prepared for the manual to feel tiring in daily stop-and-go conditions. If convenience becomes a bigger priority, the DCT is still usable, but it comes with the trade-off of low-speed smoothness.

Kia Carens Clavis

Autocar India

•2h

With 50-60 km every day, a 400 km trip every couple of months, and a mix of city, highway and ghat roads around Shirala, the Tata Sierra diesel in the top trim will suit you better than the turbo petrol. Your running is high, so the diesel will use less fuel day to day and, over a few years, the lower fuel bills usually make up for the higher buying price. On hilly roads, the diesel’s stronger pull at low speeds makes life easy - fewer gear changes, cleaner overtakes, and it feels more relaxed when the car is full of people or luggage.There are a couple of points to know. A modern diesel has a soot filter in the exhaust - called a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). It needs regular warm runs to keep itself clean. Your daily 50-60 km should be enough, but those highway runs would be ideal for this. If you do many short, cold-start drives for a week or two, you may see a warning asking for a steady drive to clear it. The advantage of Tata's diesel is that it doesn't require AdBlue, as it uses a Lean NOx trap rather than a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system to manage NOx, so that's one less thing you'll have to keep in mind.Pick the turbo petrol only if you value refinement above all else, and performance, which is much stronger than the diesel's. However, its fuel economy is nowhere near as good, and in our tests, we managed just 6.49kpl in the city and 13.7kpl on the highway.

Tata Sierra