I want to buy a new car for a family of five, but occasionally we need seating for seven. I need a luxurious and spacious car. What would you suggest?

Autocar India

•1d

Your requirement is clear. You already have the EcoSport for city use, and now you want a comfortable, dependable long-distance car for a family of six including senior citizens. That means space, ride comfort and ease of ingress matter more than anything else.The Kia Carens Clavis is the most sensible starting point. It is a proper 6 or 7 seater, easy to drive, and far more comfortable than compact SUVs. The ride is soft, the seating is flexible and the cabin feels modern and airy. It is also positioned as a more premium, updated version of the Carens with better interiors and features, which suits family usage well. For highway trips, this Kia car is stable enough and the diesel automatic option works very well if you want efficiency.If you want the best possible comfort and willing to spend more, the Toyota Innova HyCross is in a different league. It offers far better ride quality, more space in all three rows and a much more relaxed driving experience. It is also extremely reliable and easy to own long term. For senior citizens, the ease of getting in and out, and the overall comfort level, are clearly superior.Compared to EVs, your usage does not strongly justify one. Long highway trips are still more convenient in petrol or diesel cars, especially in remote areas where charging infrastructure can be inconsistent.

Kia Carens Clavis

Toyota Innova HyCross

Autocar India

•2d

With occasional highway trips, limited city use, and a cap of around ₹15 lakh, the Kia Carens Clavis HTE EX 1.5 NA manual fits your needs best. It is a true seven-seater that is easy to live with and stays within budget.Why it works for you: the petrol engine is smooth and quiet, and the light steering makes it simple to handle in the city. The middle row is roomy and comfortable, and roof vents help keep the cabin cool for everyone on hot days. Even the third row of this Kia car is surprisingly comfortable for adults.Know the trade-off: With all seven occupants on board and luggage, you will need to plan overtakes on the highway. Also, the boot space with all three rows up is just 216 litres, so for longer trips, you may need to fold the last row.If you don’t plan on using the third row often, then the Maruti Ertiga or Toyota Rumion are reliable picks. Maruti also has the largest dealer network if that is a concern for you.Overall, for your use and budget, the Carens Clavis lines up best.

Kia Carens Clavis

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga

Toyota Rumion

Autocar India

•1h

Given your limited usage, it's really a matter of choice. An automatic takes away the effort in city traffic and reduces fatigue, whereas a manual gives you more control. You are moving up from a Skoda Rapid diesel manual to a bigger, taller SUV; the automatic will make parking, slow-speed moves and hill starts simpler, and the petrol will feel smoother and quieter at low speeds than your diesel. With almost zero daily running, the usual fuel and clutch-wear savings of a manual do not matter much, so it makes sense to buy the one that is easiest to live with.A couple of trade-offs to note: the automatic will cost more upfront and can use a bit more fuel than the manual. If you enjoy shifting gears yourself, the manual will give you more control on quick overtakes. With the Sierra, it also depends greatly on which petrol engine you choose. If you choose the more powerful 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine, we'd be more inclined to recommend the automatic, as the 6-speed torque converter is smooth and complements the engine well. However, this will be expensive. Instead, if you choose the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine, you're better off with the manual. The engine is not very powerful, and the 7-speed dual-clutch auto it comes with only amplifies this sensation, and thus with this engine, the manual gearbox is recommended.

Tata Sierra

Autocar India

•6d

On paper and in real-world ownership, these are very different cars, and the Mahindra XUV 7XO sits in a clear segment above. The XUV 700 is a bigger, more complete SUV. It offers more space, better road presence, stronger performance and a far richer overall experience, including the option of a third row and a more premium cabin. It is designed as a proper family SUV and feels more capable on highways and long drives.The Renault Duster, even in its new form, is a simpler, more driver-focused and lighter SUV. It will likely be easier to drive in the city and feel more rugged and straightforward, but it is still a step down in terms of overall size, features and cabin experience.So the decision really comes down to intent. If you are moving because you want something more compact, easier to use daily and less feature-heavy, then the Duster can make sense. But if you are expecting it to feel like an upgrade or even equal to the XUV700 in terms of space, comfort and overall experience, it will not.

Renault Duster

Autocar India

•6d

Between the three, the Skoda Kylaq is the best automatic for the money. It doesn’t use an AMT but a proper 6‑speed torque-converter with the 1.0 TSI, which is smooth, robust and easily the nicest for your occasional highway runs.The Maruti Suzuki Fronx 1.0 turbo also gets the same 6‑speed torque-converter auto, and while it is refined and efficient, it doesn’t have the same solid, European feel or driving dynamics as the Kylaq. However, from an overall cost-of-ownership point of view - price, fuel efficiency and service, the Fronx is likely to work out cheaper.The Tata Nexon in your budget doesn’t get a torque-converter. You mainly have a 6‑speed AMT, which is convenient but nowhere near as smooth or quick as a proper automatic. There is also a 7‑speed DCA dual‑clutch option, which is noticeably better than the AMT, but still not as seamless as the autos in the Kylaq and Fronx, and it can push the price higher.For 11-13 lakh, 1,000km a month in the city and the odd long drive, we would pick the Kylaq auto. If budget discipline and running costs are top priority, go for the Fronx 1.0 turbo automatic.

Skoda Kylaq

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Tata Nexon

Autocar India

•2d

Between the two, the Tata Safari does a great job of projecting toughness. It feels solid, has that reassuring heft, and its suspension setup really shines on broken roads and you can carry speed with confidence and it just shrugs off rough patches.That said, the Mahindra XUV 7XO is the more rounded package overall. Its 2.2-litre diesel is not just more modern, but also noticeably smoother and stronger than the older Fiat-sourced 2.0-litre unit in the Safari. It delivers better drivability in everyday conditions, which makes a difference in city use as well as on the highway.Mahindra car has also worked well on the suspension, and the improvements show. The 7XO feels more composed, offers better ride comfort over a wider range of surfaces, and is simply easier to drive. It has lighter controls, better balance, and a more user-friendly nature overall.Where the Safari still holds an edge is in the third row. It’s more usable and accommodating, whereas the 7XO’s last row is quite tight and best reserved for occasional use.So unless third-row space is a priority, the 7XO stands out as the better all-rounder. It’s more refined, easier to live with, and ultimately the more modern SUV.

Tata Safari

Mahindra XUV 7XO