I am planning to buy a new vehicle with a budget of ₹15 lakh (ex-showroom). My usage will be around 60-70% on highways, with occasional hill drives, while the rest will be city use, mainly on weekends, with around 30-40km of running. I prefer a manual transmission and am currently considering the Seltos. Please suggest a suitable variant for a fun-to-drive experience, or other car options.

Autocar India

•1m

For your usage, which is largely highway-focused with occasional hill drives and a clear preference for manual driving, the Kia Seltos HTK Petrol MT variant is a sensible and well-rounded choice within your Rs 15 lakh ex-showroom budget. It offers a comfortable and stable highway experience, light controls for occasional city use, and enough ground clearance to handle broken roads and hill sections without worry.

However, if fun-to-drive is an important factor for you, the naturally aspirated petrol may feel a bit flat, especially on highways and inclines where you will need to work the gearbox more for overtakes.

In that case, it is worth considering something like the Skoda Kushaq 1.0 TSI manual. It offers a stronger mid-range and a more engaging driving experience, which suits highway driving and hill sections better, especially for someone who enjoys being behind the wheel.

So the choice comes down to what you prioritise. If you want a comfortable, easy and well-equipped all-rounder, the Seltos HTK+ works well. But if you are looking for a more engaging and fun driving experience, the Kushaq 1.0 TSI manual is the better fit.

Explore cars mentioned

Kia

Seltos

from ₹13.01 Lakh

Skoda

Kushaq

from ₹12.66 Lakh

Got a suggestion for Hariprasad?

Add a Comment

More questions on similar cars

Prashant

•2d

I want to purchase a car within a budget of 12 to 13 lakh. My running is about 50km every day during office hours in Mumbai. I am open to a hatchback or SUV. My requirement is a 5-star safety, reliability, low maintenance, spacious, and a good-feel cabin. Presently, I own a Tata Altroz. Please suggest a suitable car.

Autocar India

•14h

For your requirement, the Hyundai Venue and the Kia Seltos fit quite well.The Hyundai Venue HX5 turbo DCT is the easier car to live with. It is compact, very easy to drive in city traffic, and the automatic transmission makes daily commuting effortless. The cabin of this Hyundai car feels modern and well-equipped, so you will not feel the need to add much later.The Kia Seltos HTE or HTK is the better overall upgrade. It is a larger car, more spacious and more comfortable, especially at the rear. The 1.5 naturally aspirated petrol engine is smooth, refined and easy to drive, making it well suited for long term use. Even in the base variants, it gets all the essential features you would need.

Hyundai Venue

Kia Seltos

Harikrishnan

•1d

I am a retired person and currently own a Jeep Compass Limited Plus diesel manual, which I am planning to replace. My driving is about 5% in Chennai city and the rest on highways. Once every two months, I go on long road trips, mainly on highways and rural roads. Most of the time, it will be just me and my wife, with occasionally two additional passengers. I am considering the diesel Kia Seltos or Mahindra 7XO within a ₹16-18 lakh on-road budget. Kindly suggest which vehicle and model would be most suitable for my needs.

Autocar India

•15h

For your usage, which is mostly highway driving with occasional rural roads and long trips, the Mahindra XUV 7XO diesel manual is the better fit. It offers a more relaxed and effortless driving experience, especially over long distances.An important point in your case is what you are upgrading from. Your Jeep Compass diesel uses a 2.0-litre engine, and moving to the Kia Seltos diesel, which has a smaller 1.5-litre engine, will not feel like an upgrade in terms of performance. It will feel adequate, but not significantly stronger than what you are used to.The XUV 7XO, on the other hand, also uses a larger 2.0-litre diesel engine, and despite being a bigger car, it will feel like a proper step up. You will notice stronger pulling power, more effortless highway cruising and better overall performance. It also feels more stable and composed at speed, which suits your kind of long-distance driving. Refinement levels are also good, making it a comfortable car for extended journeys.The Seltos diesel is easier to drive in the city and feels more compact and user-friendly, but on highways and rough rural roads, it does not feel as robust or as planted as the 7XO.One important point is the budget. The 7XO diesel variants may go slightly above your Rs 18 lakh on-road range, depending on the variant and location, so you will need to check exact pricing.

Vaibhav

Hi, I am planning to buy a new car for my daily commute to office in Gurgaon (30 kms daily) and occasional highway driving (500-700 km every alternate month). As of now, I am considering only petrol automatic variants. The budget can be stretched up to 20 lakh for the right car. I am considering Duster, Seltos, and Kushaq. I enjoy driving, so I do not want a dull car, plus want some advanced features. I am considering the current ecosystem of offerings. Please suggest.

Autocar India

•1d

Pick the new Renault Duster 1.3-litre with the DCT automatic. It produces segment-leading figures of 163hp and 280Nm, and the wet-clutch dual-clutch automatic impresses with its almost torque-converter-like smoothness. It isn’t quite as engaging to drive as the Skoda Kushaq, but it makes up for it with sublime ride quality. Besides, a comparable Kushaq 1.5 TSI DSG will be closer to Rs 22 lakh on-road, as the bigger engine is only available in the top two trims. The Duster’s Techno+ trim should fit within your budget and comes very well equipped for the price.The one downside is that it is not as spacious on the inside as the Kia Seltos. If that is a priority, then consider the Seltos with the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol DCT instead.On the test drive, spend 10 minutes in bumper-to-bumper traffic to feel DCT creep, then do an 80-100kph run to check straight-line stability and cabin noise.

Renault Duster

Skoda Kushaq

Kia Seltos

View all Posts