Hyundai Alcazar Signature Knight 1.5 Petrol DCT 7 seat

Autocar India

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You've done a lot of research, and for the most part, you're right about the Toyota Innova Crysta. The ladder frame chassis means it can take a beating, it's almost flawlessly reliable and will run for decades on end, and even when it's time for maintenance, it should be relatively reasonable, too. We would have recommended the Toyota Hycross hybrid, which is a more sophisticated version of the Crysta in every aspect, but as you said, it's out of your budget. Do note, higher Crysta variants push Rs 30 lakh on the road themselves. That said, we don't feel a ladder frame chassis is strictly necessary given your usage. While tough, it does make the ride incredibly busy on rough patches, it feels quite heavy to drive, and it places the cabin higher, which could make ingress and egress cumbersome for your parents down the line. An automatic would have been ideal, but given your usage is infrequent, a manual should be easy enough to live with. While the future of diesel is uncertain in the Delhi NCR, the rest of the country hasn't seen a change in policy for some time, and if you're keen on a diesel car, you should go for it. While the Innova Crysta does seem like your best bet, you should also check out an often overlooked three-row SUV, the Hyundai Alcazar. It's not as powerful as the Innova, but it is far more sophisticated, easy to drive and cheaper to buy. Plus, you get the option of a diesel automatic, and Hyundai's service network is widespread and of good quality. Though a monocoque, it'll handle rural rough patches just fine, too, so as an alternative, we think it's worth consideration as well.

Toyota Innova Crysta

Toyota Innova HyCross

Hyundai Alcazar

Autocar India

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Consider the Hyundai Alcazar Signature 1.5 Petrol DCT 6 seat. It offers very comfortable and supportive captain’s chairs in the middle row, with winged headrests, manual under-thigh support extensions and even a ventilation function. Furthermore, they can slide and recline for more space, and the front passenger seat can be moved forward using the powered Boss mode function.Other niceties in the second row include a folding table, window sunshades and a wireless charger. For your usage, the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol is a good fit with refined performance, while the DCT is also generally smooth in operation.What you miss out on is a usable third row. If that is important, then the Kia Carens Clavis offers a similar experience, but its second-row captain’s chairs aren’t as plush and lack ventilation.On the test drive, sit in the left rear for 20 minutes. Check thigh support, recline comfort and second-row slide range.

Hyundai Alcazar

Kia Carens Clavis

Autocar India

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Both cars are quite closely matched on premium feel, though one aesthetic seems to have worked better for you than the other. It's more a contest of road presence versus space, as the tall, SUV body style of the Hyundai Alcazar makes a strong impression on the road. It is boxy and upright and has the edge on ground clearance, as well as larger wheels.The price you pay is in the third row, where the Kia Carens Clavis' practical MPV shape liberates more space, and there's better ease of access too. Both cars have the same powertrain options, except that the Carens Clavis offers an additional engine option - the 1.5 naturally aspirated petrol. It also gets an iMT automated manual gearbox with the Turbo Petrol engine instead of a conventional manual, which the Alcazar gets.Yes, the Turbo Petrol is a good option, as given your relatively low usage, a diesel doesn't feel necessary. The 160hp, 1.5-litre turbo feels strong enough to haul 7 people and is quite enjoyable to drive too.As for which of the two you wish to buy, if you simply must have an SUV for its visual appeal and ground clearance, that is the only reason to choose the Alcazar. If that is not a bother, then the lighter, more spacious, more practical Kia Carens Clavis is the one we recommend.

Kia Carens Clavis

Hyundai Alcazar

Autocar India

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You will find plenty of good petrol-automatic examples of the Mahindra XUV700 in the used car market. It is a very comfortable SUV, that's big on size and power. Alternatively, you could also consider the Hyundai Alcazar 1.5 Turbo-DCT, which isn't as spacious but is a bit narrower than the Mahindra, making it a bit easier to drive in the city.

Hyundai Alcazar

Autocar India

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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

Autocar India

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An automatic transmission will be far more convenient for your daily city commutes; hence, between the two options you've listed, the Hyundai Alcazar DCT makes more sense. The Hyundai's service and ownership experience is likely to be better than Tata's.Additionally, since you'll be purchasing the vehicle in Delhi, opting for the petrol-automatic version will give you a maximum of 15 years of ownership in the region, whereas the diesel-manual Tata Safari can only be driven for 10 years.

Hyundai Alcazar

Tata Safari

Autocar India

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It's not a bad idea to split your budget in two, between an EV for the city and a more powerful vehicle for outstation trips. However, we would suggest you alter the split slightly, spending more on the EV and less on the larger vehicle. Rs 6.5 lakh for a Tata Punch EV sounds attractive, but in reality, you will have to spend around Rs 19,000 per year more on battery rental, over and above charging costs. It also has to be borne in mind that this is an ex-showroom price and only gets you the base model.Then, if your next vehicle under consideration is a Mahindra XUV 7XO or Tata Safari, your remaining budget will again only get you a low- to mid-range model. Thus, we would instead recommend going in for a mid-range Punch EV (with or without BaaS) and spend the rest of your budget on either a Hyundai Alcazar or Kia Carens Clavis. Both these 7-seaters offer ample space, comfort, power, luxury and features, and should be well suited to your outstation trips.

Tata Punch EV

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Kia Carens Clavis

Hyundai Alcazar

Autocar India

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The ideal upgrade for you would be the Kia Carens Clavis. It has all the positives from the Maruti Ertiga but in a much more premium package. The engine is more powerful, it is extremely practical, and despite being a 5+2 seater, it is easy to drive in the city. The third row space is also usable for adults, especially in city drives. On the highways, too, it offers a comfortable ride and a decent amount of room in the third row with all three rows up. Being a Kia car, the equipment list is quite comprehensive, and you wouldn't miss many features with this MPV.The Mahindra XUV 7XO is also good, but it is a bit too large for the city, and the third row space isn't as good or usable as the Kia's. The Hyundai Alcazar struggles with third-row room while carrying over the underpinnings of the Clavis. The Tata Safari isn't easy to use in the city, courtesy of its size and cramped third-row space, and the Toyota Innova HyCross, in its petrol-only guise, is quite inefficient and has to sacrifice a whole bunch of features too, unless you spend upwards of Rs 30 lakh and get the strong-hybrid version.The Carens Clavis will tick all the necessary boxes and at a reasonable price point, making it the best pick for you.

Kia Carens Clavis

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Hyundai Alcazar

Tata Safari

Toyota Innova HyCross

Autocar India

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Your 2024 Hyundai Alcazar with just 17,000km is still very new and has plenty of life left. Also, the Alcazar isn’t the fastest-moving SUV in the used market, so resale values aren’t particularly strong. If the car is running well, it may make sense to hold on to it for another couple of years. The EV space is evolving rapidly, and you’ll likely see many more options with better range and tech as manufacturers push new models to meet upcoming CAFÉ norms.However, if you’re keen to switch right away, your budget becomes the key factor. Assuming you’d like something with similar flexibility, including a third row, options are limited today. In the Rs 25 lakh bracket, the Mahindra XEV 9S is among the more practical and well-rounded EVs to consider, offering strong range, space and performance.If you plan to sell your Alcazar, we’d recommend posting it on our partner channel, Spinny.com, to get a competitive, transparent price.

Mahindra XEV 9S

Hyundai Alcazar

Autocar India

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From a passenger comfort point-of-view, the Kia Carens Clavis is a much better option than the Hyundai Alcazar, especially for passengers in the third row. The Clavis also fares better as far as ride comfort goes. Yes, its MPV-like body might not look as desirable as the Alcazar's SUV body style. But it is the more practical, sensible choice. What also works in Kia's favour is its lower price, which makes it a better value too.

Kia Carens Clavis

Hyundai Alcazar