Mumbai

•14w

Which mid-size SUV has a spacious rear seat?

Autocar India

•12w

Among mid-size SUVs, there are several with genuinely spacious and comfortable rear seats, but the best choice depends a bit on your budget and whether you’ll be chauffeur-driven or driving yourself.

At the top end of the segment, the Mahindra XUV 7XO offers a very roomy and supportive rear bench with good legroom and headroom The electric Mahindra XEV 9S goes a step further with a sliding middle row, which lets you prioritise either legroom or boot space as needed, and this adjustability makes a big difference if you often have adults in the back or use a child seat.

Lower down the price band, the Tata Sierra stands out for rear seat comfort. It has an exceptionally accommodating back seat with loads of legroom, a natural, slightly elevated seating position and well-cushioned seats that give you that “loungy” feel. It’s the kind of rear bench you can spend hours in without feeling tired.

If outright rear space is your priority, though, the MG Hector is still the benchmark. Its rear seat is very wide, so three passengers can sit comfortably, and the flat-ish floor helps as well. The low step-in height makes it easy for elderly passengers to get in and out, and the soft suspension setup does a good job of smoothing out broken urban roads. These traits make the Hector particularly well-suited if the car will be largely chauffeur-driven and rear seat comfort is at the top of your wish list.

Explore cars mentioned

Hector

from ₹14.18 Lakh

Mahindra

XUV 7XO

from ₹16.14 Lakh

Mahindra

XEV 9S

from ₹21.10 Lakh

Tata

Sierra

from ₹13.60 Lakh

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More questions on similar cars

Shaadab

•3d

I want to purchase a car for my daily commute on village roads, as well as for highway driving. My monthly running is around 3,000 km, and once every quarter, I travel to a city that is approximately 350 km away from my town. Considering my usage pattern, would an EV be a suitable choice? Please suggest the best options within a budget of Rs. 20-30 lakh.

Autocar India

•2h

If you can install a charger at home and have charging stations on the route to your destination, an EV does make sense for your heavy use. Under Rs. 20 lakh, consider the Tata Curvv EV with the 55kWh battery pack. In our real world tests, it managed 352km on the highway which means your 350km journey is possible with a quick stop in between to top up. It also has good ground clearance and rides well, so it will deal with village roads nicely.For under Rs. 30 lakh, consider the Mahindra XEV 9e with the 79kWh battery pack. In our tests, it managed 488km on the highway meaning with some care, your 350km journey is possible in one go. You will need to charge at your destination though. EVs are less efficient on the highway and particularly with a full load require care to ensure the battery doesn't deplete too quickly. Your charging stops will also need to be planned in advance and there is possibility that you will have to wait at a stop for charge to become available. If this seems like too much work, then stick to a diesel. Under Rs. 20 lakh, consider the Kia Seltos diesel or the Hyundai Creta diesel. Under 30 lakh, you could consider the Mahindra XUV 7XO or the Scorpio N. All of these will comfortably manage village roads and do long highway stints without worries.

Kishore

Hi experts, I own a Baleno RS and am looking to upgrade to an SUV. My daily usage is around 20km, and I take a highway trip once every three months. On average, I drive around 8,000km a year. I recently tested the Duster and enjoyed the drive, but the rear-seat space was not up to the mark. I am also thinking of checking out the Sierra. With the current trend of rising petrol prices, I am confused about whether shifting to an EV is worthwhile or if a petrol vehicle would still be ideal for my usage.

Autocar India

•1d

Pick the Tata Sierra petrol. Your daily 20 km and rare highway runs do not justify the extra price and charging fuss of an electric car, and you already flagged rear space as a concern. The Sierra feels roomier and comfier in the back than the Renault Duster you tried.You enjoyed the Duster’s drive, and rightly so, as it feels more eager and easier to throw around. But for quarterly highway trips and family comfort, the Sierra’s wider cabin and more relaxed ride suit your upgrade better. With 8,000 km a year, the fuel savings from an EV will take a long time to catch up; unless you have easy home charging and plan to keep it for many years, petrol is the simpler, lower‑risk choice.One trade-off is that the Sierra will cost more and won’t feel as engaging to drive as the Duster. If you mostly drive with just one passenger and love that driving feel, the Duster still tempts, but for space and ease, the Sierra wins.

Tata Sierra

Renault Duster

Yash Bhandari

•2d

Hi Team, hope you are doing well. I need your honest opinion. I am planning to buy either the XEV 9e or the XEV 9S. I have watched many videos online, but I am getting mixed reviews. I know you provide unbiased opinions, so I am reaching out to you. Could you please help me decide if I am making the right choice? If I am making a mistake, please tell me why. Also, what would be the best EV choice in this price segment? PS: I stay in Mumbai, so please suggest alternatives based on their on-road price in Mumbai.

Autocar India

•1d

Pick the Mahindra XEV 9e unless you truly need the extra size of the 9S. It's slightly easier to drive day to day and should deliver slightly better range on a full charge. The 9S makes sense only if you carry family and luggage often and need the third row. One thing to keep in mind, early Mahindra electric cars have been reported to have software niggles, though these should have been ironed out by now, and make sure your home charging setup is sorted and check local fast-charger reliability before you commit.If you want the best all-rounder at an even more affordable price, the Hyundai Creta Electric is an easy pick. It may not look or feel particularly special, but for the job of being an EV, it is hard to fault at this price. Though it has a smaller battery than the Mahindra's, it is more efficient, and therefore its real-world range is actually higher. Its powertrain is smooth and refined, it's loaded with features, the controls and ergonomics are incredibly friendly, and its smaller size offers a great mix of space and driving convenience.

Mahindra XEV 9e

Mahindra XEV 9S

Hyundai Creta Electric

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Jayvir Deol

•1w

I want to buy an SUV, and my budget is around 20 lakh. I have seen the MG Hector, the Mahindra XUV and the Tharr Rox. Which car should I buy, and given the current scenarios on the govt policies, should I go for petrol or diesel?

Autocar India

•6d

Pick the Mahindra XUV 7XO. At around Rs. 20 lakh, it gives you the best mix of space, strong performance and safety, and it is far easier to live with every day than the Thar Roxx while being a better value than a low or mid Hector variant. You also get both petrol and diesel choices, so you can match it to your running.Fuel choice is simple. Go petrol if most of your use is in the city or your running is under about 1,200 km a month. It is quieter, has fewer policy worries, and resale stays safe even if some cities tighten diesel rules. Pick diesel only if you drive long highway distances often, want a longer tank range, or haul a full family with luggage regularly.The only real downside with the XUV 7XO is that the fanciest features push you beyond Rs. 20 lakh, and there may be a wait period. If you mainly want a rugged toy, the Thar Roxx is great, but for family life, the XUV 7XO fits better.

I am confused between buying Skoda Kylaq and Kia Seltos. Please suggest.

Autocar India

•3d

Buy the Kia Seltos. It is simply easier to live with for most buyers, thanks to a much wider service network and many more variant and powertrain choices, including good automatics across a wider price range. For daily city runs with the odd highway trip, the Seltos will feel like the more complete package and it has a more spacious and premium cabin. The Skoda Kylaq will suit you only if you really enjoy driving. It feels tighter and more confidence inspiring on the move, and the steering has more feel. If you plan long, frequent road trips and care more about how it drives than gadgets, that’s where the Kylaq shines. The flip side is fewer dealers and fewer variant choices.

Kia Seltos

Skoda Kylaq

Vaibhav Vats

•5d

I own a Hyundai Venue Turbo Petrol, which is driven around 4,000 km per year and is occasionally used by my parents. I have been considering to upgrade it, as I am tired of spending money on maintenance. The car has been problematic since its second year of ownership. I am currently considering the Kia Syros HTK (EX) manual and HTK+ (DCT). However, some automobile enthusiasts have advised me against buying a DCT if I am looking for a hassle-free ownership experience, especially since the car will mostly be driven in Delhi’s office-hour traffic and the overall running is quite low. Could you please suggest whether I should opt for the DCT, stick with a manual, or consider a diesel automatic instead? Alternatively, if there are better options within a budget of Rs. 15 lakh, I would be open to considering them. I can also wait if there are any promising new launches expected this year within my budget. I am not interested in an EV at the moment. Thanks in advance.

Autocar India

•4d

Given your low annual running and predominantly city use in Delhi, a diesel does not make sense. Modern diesels are happiest when regularly driven on longer runs, and with just 4,000km a year, the higher purchase cost and potential emission system issues are difficult to justify.As for DCTs, they have become far more reliable than early examples, but if the priority is a smooth, stress-free ownership experience in heavy urban traffic, a torque-converter automatic is still the safer bet. It is generally smoother at low speeds and better suited to constant stop-start driving.Rather than moving to a Syros DCT, it would be worth considering the Skoda Kylaq automatic or the Mahindra XUV 3XO automatic. Both use torque-converter gearboxes and offer a more relaxed driving experience in city conditions. The Kylaq feels particularly polished to drive, while the 3XO counters with a richer feature list and a more spacious cabin.If you like the Syros, the manual remains a sensible choice given your limited annual usage, but if an automatic is preferred, a torque-converter-equipped rival would be a better fit than a DCT.

Kia Syros

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