One of my friends wants to purchase a premium SUV for less than ₹42 lakh. Which car is the best choice for daily use and long-distance family travel?

Autocar India

•2h

Consider going for the Mahindra XUV 7XO AX7 L diesel-AT AWD. The SUV offers a great blend of space, strong performance, AWD capability, a comfy and feature-rich cabin and safety.The 7XO's 2.2-litre diesel engine is refined and punchy, while the 6-speed torque converter automatic is smooth, making the SUV feel at home in the city and on the highway. This Mahindra car also comes with the flexibility of a third row of seats and is loaded with modern features.As for safety, the Mahindra XUV 7XO comes equipped with Level 2 ADAS features, and although it hasn't been crash-tested yet, the pre-facelift XUV 700 received a full 5-star rating from Global NCAP. Furthermore, Mahindra's service network is also widespread across the nation, which should give you peace of mind.

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Autocar India

•3h

While there are a few interesting options in this price range, we feel you should pick the BMW X5 xDrive30d M Sport. Apart from being excellent to drive and very luxurious, it will feel like a nice departure from your GLS and Volvo XC90. BMW's straight-six engines are superb when it comes to refinement, smoothness and performance, and given your intended heavy usage, some of which is on the highway, we'd recommend the diesel, which is strong and efficient. You can easily get more than 700km out of a tank of diesel in your mixed driving cycle.An alternative is the Mercedes-Benz GLE, which offers more rear-seat space and a slightly more comfortable ride, though we feel it will be too similar to your GLS, or the Lexus RX 500h, whose smooth and efficient hybrid powertrain is an excellent alternative to the established order.

BMW X5

Volvo XC90

Mercedes-Benz GLE

Lexus RX

Autocar India

•3h

Go for the Honda Amaze V CVT, which is a superb compact automatic car at this budget. For a daily office run, the CVT’s seamless, gearless feel reduces fatigue in heavy traffic far better than an automated manual or AMT, which a lot of other cars at this price use. The compact sub‑4‑metre size makes it easy to place in tight city spots, yet the 5‑seat cabin is comfortable for occasional family rides. The proven 1.2‑litre petrol is refined and efficient, and Honda’s scheduled service at 10,000 km or 1 year will keep the car running smoothly. Plus, it has a 5-star Bharat NCAP crash test rating, which gives you a little extra peace of mind.The one thing you give up is the higher driving position and extra ground clearance of a compact SUV, but it makes up for that with more fun driving dynamics. If you can stretch the budget a small bit, the higher VX variant offers more features, like a wireless charger and keyless entry and go, in case she is interested.

Honda Amaze