I’m planning to buy a car for my parents and am currently stuck between the Mahindra XUV 7XO and Kia Seltos. We also have a Golden Retriever, so space and practicality are important factors for us. My parents and I test-drove both cars separately. The Seltos was good and my parents liked it, but none of us were particularly excited by it. In contrast, we really liked the XUV 7XO, especially its premium and luxurious feel, spacious cabin and overall road presence. It also seems like a much better fit for our dog. I had almost finalised the XUV 7XO, but then I started reading owner reviews and noticed what appears to be a significantly higher number of complaints and reported issues compared with the Seltos. That has made me quite hesitant. Both cars felt great during the test drives, but I’m less concerned about how they feel on day one and more interested in what ownership will be like two to five years down the line. Another concern I have with both cars is their motorised, flush-fitting door handles. I understand that they look great and are part of the modern design, but I genuinely wonder how reliable these mechanisms will be over five to 10 years. A traditional mechanical door handle is a simple mechanism that I rarely worry about failing. With a motorised or flush-fitting handle, I can’t help but wonder what happens if the motor, sensor, electronics or mechanism develops a fault after several years. My priorities are reliability and a low chance of problems, minimal trips to the service centre, a good after-sales experience, comfort for my parents, enough space for our Golden Retriever, and, most importantly, a car they can keep for several years without constantly worrying about something going wrong.

autocar.india

•15h

For your priorities, the Grand Vitara is the better long-term choice. The 1.5-litre petrol with a torque-converter automatic is smooth, comfortable and relatively easy to maintain, while Maruti's service reach and parts availability are significant advantages if you plan to keep the car for 8-10 years.Mileage is also a strong point. In our real-world testing, the Grand Vitara petrol AT returned 11.6kpl in the city and 15.3kpl on the highway. The Seltos 1.5 petrol IVT returned 10.31kpl and 14.22kpl, respectively, in the same type of testing.The Seltos is the more premium and feature-rich choice, with a stronger cabin experience and a more powerful 115hp engine. Its IVT is also very smooth in traffic, but if long-term running costs, serviceability and efficiency are the priorities, the Grand Vitara has the edge.The main drawback of the Grand Vitara is performance. The 103hp/139Nm engine is adequate rather than exciting, particularly with a full load.

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

Kia Seltos

autocar.india

•1d

Go for the Kia Seltos turbo petrol automatic. Coming from a Dzire, you will immediately notice the step up in comfort, refinement and overall premium feel. The Seltos offers a well-balanced package with a comfortable cabin, good rear seat space and a strong turbo petrol engine that delivers the performance you are looking for. The automatic gearbox is smooth and well suited to both city and highway driving, and Kia's service network is strong enough to make ownership relatively hassle-free.The Hyundai Creta is a very similar car mechanically, but the Seltos feels slightly more premium inside and offers marginally better rear seat space. The Tata Sierra is a genuinely interesting alternative with a spacious cabin and a comfortable ride, but it does not have the same long-term ownership track record as the Kia. The Nissan Tekton is a good value proposition, but Nissan's service network is not as extensive as Kia's, which can be a consideration for long-term ownership.Overall, the Seltos turbo petrol automatic strikes the best balance between comfort, performance and ownership experience in your budget.

Kia Seltos

Maruti Suzuki Dzire

Hyundai Creta

Tata Sierra

Nissan Tekton

autocar.india

•1d

Given your heavy usage, the majority of which is on the highway, we would recommend a diesel SUV. There are quite a few options in this price range, but we narrow it down to the Kia Seltos and the Tata Sierra. In your budget, you will get a mid-range diesel-manual variant of either of these SUVs, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. The Kia Seltos is the better all-rounder, with the more premium cabin, more refined and efficient diesel engine, as well as being easier to drive. The Tata Sierra, however, may feel like better value, thanks to its greater size and space, as well as more effortless diesel engine. Both are very comfortable, but for your largely highway use, the Sierra has the slight edge. With all these factors combined, we think the Tata Sierra Diesel MT is the best choice for you.

Kia Seltos

Tata Sierra