I am 6 ft 2 in tall and want to buy an SUV. I am a bit confused between the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Tata Sierra, Mahindra 7XO/Scorpio, Honda Elevate, Suzuki Victoris, Grand Vitara, Hyryder, and Skoda Kushaq. Please suggest a suitable choice based on better ride quality and comfort, for city traffic, budget around 15L, 30km daily driving, and seating for 5/7.

Autocar India

•20h

If you are looking for something with similar performance to the Citroen Basalt/Aircross, you should consider the Volkswagen Taigun or the Skoda Kushaq with the 1.0 TSI and torque converter automatic. The facelifted Kushaq now gets an 8-speed automatic replacing the old 6-speed unit, and the Taigun will get the same when it is facelifted later this year.The 1.0 TSI makes a healthy 115hp and 178Nm, which delivers better performance than the naturally aspirated engine in the Elevate and is on par with the Basalt. The 6-speed torque converter automatic was also smooth-shifting and very convenient to use, and we expect the 8-speed to be more of the same. With 80 percent of your driving in heavy Bengaluru traffic, this transmission will be a boon.Prices for the facelifted Kushaq will be announced later this month, and we expect our first drive reviews to drop around the same time. Before you decide, take a test drive, of course.

Citroen Basalt

Citroen Aircross

Volkswagen Taigun

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Autocar India

•13h

For the kind of usage you describe, around 178km a day and roughly 46,000km a year - a diesel car makes far more sense than a CNG one.Firstly, diesel is much more widely available on highways and expressways, which is where you’ll be spending most of your time. With such high daily mileage, convenience matters, and diesel fuel stations are easy to find almost anywhere in the country.Secondly, diesel engines are better suited to long-distance cruising. Their strong low-end and mid-range torque make overtaking easier and allow the car to cruise at highway speeds with less effort. This also typically results in lower engine stress and more relaxed driving. It should suit your priorities of smooth cruising, good NVH and long-term durability.CNG cars, on the other hand, do have a few compromises. Performance is noticeably weaker than petrol versions, because CNG produces less energy. When the car is fully loaded or when you need quick overtakes on the highway, the lack of power becomes quite evident. Another practical issue is that the CNG cylinder takes up a large portion of the boot, which can be inconvenient if you are frequently travelling with luggage. From a mechanical perspective, modern factory-fitted CNG engines are much better engineered than earlier conversions. However, CNG is a dry gaseous fuel and doesn’t have the lubricating properties of liquid fuels, so over very high mileages, there can be slightly higher wear on valves and valve seats. For someone covering well over 40,000km a year, a diesel powertrain is generally the more robust long-term solution.Since you haven’t mentioned your exact budget, here are a few strong diesel options across segments. In the compact SUV class, the Hyundai Venue diesel is a good choice with a refined and proven 1.5-litre engine. If you want something larger and more comfortable for long highway drives, the Hyundai Creta diesel remains one of the best all-rounders with excellent refinement and efficiency. And if you are looking for something bigger and more premium, the Mahindra XUV7XO diesel offers strong performance, good highway manners and a very robust engine.Both Hyundai Motor India and Mahindra & Mahindra have well-proven diesel engines that are known to handle high mileage well when properly maintained. Given your driving pattern and ownership horizon of 5 years or more, diesel is clearly the more suitable and practical choice.

Hyundai Creta

Hyundai Venue

Mahindra XUV 7XO

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Autocar India

•15h

With your kind of usage around 40,000km a year, mostly on highways, the Tata Safari diesel would be the better option for you overall.The main reason is that the Safari is simply the stronger highway car, which is where you’ll be spending most of your time. Its 2.0-litre diesel engine produces more torque than the one in the Hyundai Alcazar, and that extra pulling power really helps during highway driving. Especially when overtaking or cruising with a full load of passengers and luggage. The Safari also has a more substantial feel and tends to feel more planted and stable at higher speeds, which is something you will appreciate on long highway runs. Safety is another area where the Safari has an edge.The Alcazar’s advantage lies in efficiency and ease of use. It is slightly more fuel-efficient and feels lighter and easier to drive in city conditions. Maintenance on Hyundai models is also generally predictable, and service networks are very strong. However, given that your driving is predominantly highway-based, these benefits may not be as significant for your usage pattern.In terms of running costs, both being diesel means fuel costs will remain relatively manageable, even with such high annual mileage. The Alcazar will likely return slightly better fuel efficiency, but the difference isn’t dramatic enough to outweigh the Safari’s advantages in performance, stability and overall highway ability.

Tata Safari

Hyundai Alcazar

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