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Dinesh Patel

5w

I want to buy a petrol car below Rs 7-8 lakh for about 5,000 km of running per annum. Please suggest a model. I do not want to buy Maruti, MG, Mahindra, Honda, Nissan, Skoda, Volkswagen, Kia, or any Chinese-made car.

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
5w
With Maruti out, you have limited options in this budget, and you will have to compromise on either space or features. Nevertheless, you can consider either the Tata Punch 1.2 Petrol or the Hyundai Exter 1.2 petrol AMT.
The Tata Punch was updated recently, so you get a fresh-looking car with updated interiors. You can opt for the Tata Punch Pure+ variant, which comes with an 8-inch touchscreen, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, cruise control, and more. It also offers a tough feel and has one of the better suspension setups in the segment. In case you want to choose automatic, opt for the Hyundai Exter. It has one of the smoothest AMTs and comes with more or less the same features as Punch.
Tata Punch

Tata Punch

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KR

Krishnakumar

1d

Hi Autocar Team, I am looking to buy a 7-seater car with a budget of ₹15-20 lakh on-road. My monthly driving is around 1,500 km. We are a family of 4 adults and 2 children, and it is becoming a bit uncomfortable for six people in my current Honda Elevate VX MT. Could you suggest a suitable model and variant within my budget? Also, does it make sense to choose an automatic transmission for my usage?

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
18h

The Kia Carens Clavis is the best 7 seater within your budget. It's well packaged interior provides ample space for seven passengers and access to the third row is convenient. Also, the sliding middle row lets you balance space for last row occupants. The Carens Clavis also boasts a well finished interior and a long list of standard safety features. The automatic options on offer include a 160hp, 1.5-litre turbo-petrol with a dual-clutch auto gearbox and a 115hp, 1.5-litre turbo-diesel with a torque converter auto. The turbo-petrol offers stronger performance which you will appreciate on highway drives and with a full load of passengers. The turbo-diesel delivers reasonable performance but is the more fuel efficient choice. You could look at the diesel-AT in HTK Plus trim and the turbo-petrol DCT in HTK Plus (O) trim.

VehicleKia Carens Clavis
SU

Sudesh

6d

Hi, I want to purchase an SUV with an automatic transmission. There are so many vehicles, and I am confused. My budget is ₹18-20 lakh, and my daily city drive is between 30 and 40 km. Can you suggest the best vehicle with safety, comfort and good service?

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
22h

For your requirements, the Kia Seltos is a good fit with the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine mated to the IVT automatic. In your budget, you can opt for the HTX variant, which is well-equipped with features like a 12.3-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system, ventilated front seats and a Bose sound system.Performance from the naturally aspirated engine is more than adequate in the city, and the IVT automatic is smooth and seamless in operation. Alternatively, you could opt for the Hyundai Creta, which uses the same powertrain, but since the Seltos is on the newer platform, it would be our pick.The Seltos gets six airbags, front and rear disc brakes, stability control, a tyre-pressure monitor and ISOFIX child-seat mounts as standard. The cabin is among the most spacious in the segment, and Kia’s service is generally very well regarded. Do a test drive before you commit.

VehicleKia Seltos
VehicleHyundai Creta
RA

Rajesh

6d

I would like to know about the Kia Carens Clavis HTX petrol automatic DCT variant’s performance, safety features and whether it is value for money. Do you have any other suggestions?

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
23h

The Kia Carens Clavis turbo-petrol with the DCT gearbox is a well-rounded package. The strong engine lends the MPV ample performance even with a full load of passengers, and the DCT adds in convenience. The engine and gearbox add to the Carens Clavis' list of strengths that includes comfortable seating in all three rows, easy entry to the third row and a high-quality cabin. The Carens Clavis doesn't have a crash test rating but does well with lots of standard safety equipment, such as 6 airbags, electronic stability control, rear disc brakes, ISOFIX child seat mounts and more. Talking specifically of variants, the Clavis turbo-petrol with the DCT gearbox is not offered in HTX form but in HTX(O) form. It's very well-equipped with features such as 12.25-inch digital dials, a 12.25-inch touchscreen, panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera and more. At Rs 19.26 lakh (ex-showroom), the Kia Carens Clavis Turbo-DCT HTX(O) might seem pricey. But see all that it offers - comfy seating for 7, plenty of features and a strong engine - and you'll realise it's money well spent. It makes for a great pick.

VehicleKia Carens Clavis

Posted on: 2 Feb 2026