Diesel cars in India (60)

autocar.india

•3h

Go for the diesel. Your usage pattern is actually quite well suited to a modern diesel, and the Mahindra XUV 7XO diesel is a strong engine with good efficiency and refinement. The DPF concern is understandable, but your usage does not fall into the high-risk category. You are doing 10-12,000 km a year with a 50-50 city-highway split, and your city driving is in a tier 2 city with light traffic and regular 6-8 km runs. That is enough to keep the DPF healthy, especially if you occasionally take the car on a longer run. The Mahindra car diesel also has a DPF regeneration indicator, so you will know when the car needs a longer drive.The petrol automatic is a good engine, but it is not particularly efficient in a car of this size and weight. Real-world city mileage of 6-7 km/l and highway figures of 11-12 km/l are realistic. The diesel will be significantly more efficient, especially on the highway, and that will make a meaningful difference over time.E20 is not a major concern. Modern engines are designed for it, and the impact is mostly a small drop in fuel economy. There is no official roadmap for E25, and premium petrol is not required.The only reason to choose petrol would be if your usage was almost entirely short city runs in heavy traffic. In your case, the diesel makes more sense.

Mahindra XUV 7XO

autocar.india

•9h

Go for the Tata Sierra Pure Plus diesel. With your usage pattern of 60 percent highway and long trips every few months, the Sierra diesel is the more sensible choice. The diesel engine will deliver better fuel efficiency on highways, and the Sierra’s strong torque makes long-distance cruising effortless. It is also a spacious and comfortable SUV, which is important for family road trips. The Nissan Tekton is a good car, but the 1.3 turbo petrol is not as efficient on highways, and the 1.0 turbo petrol is not as refined or relaxed for long-distance driving. The Sierra diesel strikes the right balance between efficiency.

Tata Sierra

Nissan Tekton

autocar.india

•13h

With a monthly running of 1,500-2,000km and a 10+ year ownership horizon, diesel might sound like a good idea, but at your budget, there aren't many options. What you will get will only be base model cars with few creature comforts. In that respect, CNG is a better VFM option as you can get mid- to high-spec variants of cars. Plus, diesel requires the added maintenance of a DPF and the cost of AdBlue top-ups, as well as more maintenance costs over time. That said, there are also compromises of CNG ownership, such as lower power and torque, and the inconvenience of refuelling.The Maruti Brezza CNG ZXi would be the best choice, as it has an efficient yet powerful enough engine, a CNG tank located under the floor, and plenty of features within your budget. The Nexon CNG would be the next best bet, offering more power and similar underfloor CNG tanks, but it is not as efficient and is more expensive, spec-for-spec.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Tata Nexon

autocar.india

•2d

With a daily running of around 100 km, fuel efficiency becomes a major factor in ownership costs. The Skoda Kushaq petrol automatic is a good car, but the 10-13kpl you are seeing is typical for a turbo petrol automatic, especially with E20 petrol. At this usage, a diesel or a strong hybrid makes far more sense.If you do regular highway runs, a diesel is still the most practical and cost-effective solution. The Mahindra XUV 7XO diesel automatic would be the recommendation here. It is a strong highway car, comfortable, spacious and the diesel engine will deliver significantly better fuel efficiency than your Kushaq. Diesel running costs will be far lower over your kind of mileage. If that is out of your budget, something smaller like a Kia Seltos diesel, while not as powerful, is even more efficient.If your usage is mostly city a strong hybrid could be a better solution. The Maruti Suzuki Victoris is the most practical and cost-effective option. It is well priced, has a proven track record and will dramatically reduce your running costs. The strong hybrid is better suited to the city, where it is more likely to run on its electric motor than use the engine and deliver the better mileage.

Skoda Kushaq

Kia Seltos

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

autocar.india

•1d

Unfortunately, there are no strong-hybrids available within Rs 15 lakhs. Since you're usage is significant, and you're chauffeur-driven usually, we'll recommend you consider the entry-level diesel-manual variants of the Kia Seltos and Tata Sierra. Both of which will deliver impressive fuel efficiency, have comfy back seats and have secured a 5-star BNCAP crash safety rating. The entry-level variants of both these cars are equipped with ample safety kit, as well as the basics that you'd expect in a car of this price.If you want something a bit smaller, you can consider the Kia Syros diesel-manual too, which is surprisingly spacious for its size, and being a segment lower, you'll get more equipment too. What's more, the Syros' rear seats can recline to a very comfortable angle, and even slide back to free up more legroom. Even the Syros has scored 5 stars for its crash safety.

Kia Seltos

Tata Sierra

Kia Syros