My budget is 14 lakhs, and running is 100km per week (50% highway and 50% Traffic). I prefer feature and performance equally. I am confused which SUV or hatchback with a naturally aspirated engine and low maintenance to opt for? Please suggest a low-maintenance turbo engine option, if any. Kindly provide the best options.

Autocar India

•1d

Consider the Hyundai Venue HX5+ with the 1.2 petrol manual. It fits comfortably in your budget, has a spacious and comfortable back seat and gets features like rear AC vents and a rear window sunshade. If you'd like, and even a roomier rear seat, the Kia Syros is a great choice, but it only comes with the turbo petrol, which will be slightly less fuel efficient.Stretching your budget to Rs 14 lakh gets you options from the midsize SUV segment. Among these, the Kia Seltos and the Honda Elevate 1.5 petrol manuals are strong choices. The will be roomier than the Venue, with more comfortable rear seats, and will be relatively fuel efficient in the city. However, your budget will get you the lower-end trims, which may lack some features. Alternatively, you could consider the Honda City.Overall, for your budget, the Venue is a great fit.

Hyundai Venue

Kia Syros

Kia Seltos

Honda Elevate

Autocar India

•1d

With around 70 percent highway driving, a diesel SUV is still very well suited to your requirements. In fact, your usage should normally be sufficient to keep the DPF healthy, provided the vehicle is regularly driven at sustained speeds. The fact that the DPF warning light is appearing after relatively short city runs suggests there could be an underlying issue that needs investigation rather than this being purely a usage-related problem.Before taking the significant financial hit of selling a 3.5-year-old vehicle, it would be worth getting the car thoroughly inspected by Hyundai and escalating the matter if necessary. A healthy diesel vehicle should not be causing repeated DPF concerns with your mix of highway and city driving.As for the alternatives, the naturally aspirated 1.5-litre petrol engines in the Creta and Seltos are smooth, refined and hassle-free, but they will feel less effortless on the highway and will not match the diesel's fuel efficiency. The Venue 1.2 petrol would be an even bigger step down in performance.

Hyundai Creta

Kia Seltos

Hyundai Venue

Autocar India

•1d

Go for the Hyundai Venue. It sits on the newer platform and has a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating. It also has the better back seat among the two, which helps on long trips with family, and the cabin feels a touch more airy. For highway-heavy use you could consider the 1.5 diesel which is refined and gives good real world mileage. The Sonet has the firmer suspension between the two; it isn't as absorbent as the Venue over rough roads, but feels a bit more planted on the highway. If you’re fixed on petrol within Rs. 12 lakh, the Venue is solid pick.

Kia Sonet

Hyundai Venue