Mahindra cars in India (18)

autocar.india

•4h

Consider the Kia Seltos DCT. For a 12km commute and occasional 5-6-hour road trips, you will find it comfortable in the city, quick on the highway and easy to own long term. The latest-generation Seltos is larger than before, so feels spacious inside. The cabin is tech-laden and upmarket, and the ride quality has improved too. The turbo-petrol DCT has good performance for quick overtakes on the highway, and the DCT is responsive. The downside is that it can occasionally hesitate in the city, but with your short commute this shouldn't be a deal-breaker. Kia's service is also amongst the best in the business.If you want something larger, the Mahindra XUV 7XO petrol automatic is also a solid choice in your budget. It is a genuinely comfortable car with a spacious cabin, excellent ride quality and strong highway manners. The petrol engine is smooth and refined, and the automatic gearbox makes city driving effortless. Mahindra's service network is strong in Thane and Mumbai. The drawback is that the big petrol engine will be thirsty in the city.An electric car makes sense if you can charge at home and if there are fast chargers on your usual highway route. In that case, the Hyundai Creta Electric is a safe bet. It is well suited to your short daily commute and offers very low running costs. In our real-world testing, it managed an impressive 486km on a single charge in the city and 378km on the highway.Overall, the Seltos is the best balance of comfort, reliability, running costs and ownership experience for your needs.

Kia Seltos

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Hyundai Creta Electric

autocar.india

•22h

The Jimny is a genuinely likeable car with its compact dimensions, rugged looks and proper SUV feel, and it is well suited to city use and small road trips. However, your concerns about low sales and resale value are valid. The Jimny has not found a large audience, and that does have an impact on long-term ownership confidence. The Thar Roxx is indeed much larger and less city-friendly, while the standard Thar remains cramped in the second row, so neither is an ideal alternative for your usage.As for a facelift, there is no confirmed timeline for a major update, and waiting for a 4x2 variant is not advisable unless you are specifically looking for a more affordable, less capable version. The Jimny’s appeal lies in its 4x4 capability, and a 4x2 version would dilute much of what makes it special.If you love the Jimny for what it is, you can still go ahead and buy it, but do so with the understanding that resale value may not be its strongest suit. If that is a major concern, you may want to consider more mainstream alternatives like the Brezza or the Kylaq, which offer better ownership confidence without the same level of off-road character.

Maruti Suzuki Jimny

Mahindra Thar

Mahindra Thar Roxx

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Skoda Kylaq

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•1d

For a family of three with a five-month-old child, your priorities should be comfort, safety, space for a child seat and luggage, and a relaxed driving experience for both city and highway use. Your budget of Rs. 10-20 lakh gives you a wide range of options, but the key is to choose a car that will remain comfortable and practical as your child grows and your travel increases.The Mahindra XUV 3XO is a strong recommendation. It offers a spacious cabin, a wide rear seat that easily accommodates a child seat and an adult, and a comfortable ride that makes long drives less tiring. The Mahindra car is also well equipped and feels like a genuinely premium product for the price. The only drawback is the relatively small boot, which can be a limitation on longer trips with a lot of luggage.If boot space is a concern, the Tata Sierra is worth considering. It offers a larger boot and a more premium cabin, making it better suited to long trips with family and friends. The Mahindra XUV 7XO is also a good option if you want more space and a more powerful engine for highway cruising, but it is a larger car and may not be as easy to manoeuvre in the city.Overall, the XUV 3XO strikes the best balance between city usability, comfort and value, while the Sierra and XUV 7XO are better choices if space is your top priority.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Tata Sierra

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Do not let E20 concerns drive your decision. Modern turbo petrol engines are engineered to run on E20 fuel, and there is no official roadmap beyond E20 at this stage. The main impact of higher ethanol blends is a slight reduction in fuel economy, not engine damage. Premium petrol is not required, and long-term wear is generally limited to some rubber fuel-system components, which manufacturers account for in their designs.If you want to buy a car under 15 lakhs, the best approach is to focus on the car that best suits your needs rather than worrying about E20. If you want a turbo petrol, the Skoda Kylaq is a strong recommendation. It offers a genuinely enjoyable driving experience, a proven 1.0 TSI engine and a well-balanced package. If you want a more spacious car, the Mahindra XUV 3XO is also worth considering. It is one of the most spacious compact SUVs, has a wide cabin and is a great 5-seater. The only drawback is the boot, which is one of the smallest in the segment.The key point is that E20 should not be the deciding factor. Both Kylaq and 3XO are engineered for E20 and will serve you well for years to come. Choose the one that best fits your usage and ownership priorities.

Skoda Kylaq

Mahindra XUV 3XO

autocar.india

•1d

Since you're open to electric cars, get the Hyundai Creta Electric. It is a fantastic, well-rounded EV that'll easily fall into your budget. Performance is very smooth and effortless, and there's ample power on tap. Coming from an i20, the Creta Electric will feel like a natural upgrade within the Hyundai family.In case you're keen on diesels, you could opt for the new Kia Seltos, which feels thoroughly modern, spacious, and its engine delivers impressive fuel efficiency. For outright performance, the Mahindra XUV 7XO diesel remains unmatched - power delivery feels strong, and even though it won't be as efficient as the Kia, it will still return decent fuel efficiency given its size and power.

Hyundai Creta Electric

Kia Seltos

Mahindra XUV 7XO

autocar.india

•1d

Go for the Tata Sierra EV RWD top variant. Your usage is predominantly city with a driver, and you spend most of your time in the rear seat. The Sierra EV is the better fit here because it is a genuinely comfortable, spacious and premium-feeling EV with a strong focus on rear-seat comfort. The ride quality is excellent, and the cabin feels airy. The Mahindra XEV 9S is a very good EV, but this Mahindra car is a larger, more premium SUV, and the price difference is significant. For your usage, that extra spend does not translate into a meaningful ownership benefit. The Sierra EV gives you everything you need: a comfortable rear seat for daily commutes, a premium cabin and strong EV performance. It is the more sensible and value-driven choice for your usage pattern.

Tata Sierra EV

Mahindra XEV 9S

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•1d

The XEV 9E Pack 3 uses semi-adaptive dampers, so the suspension response does change with drive mode. In 'Everyday' or 'Range' mode, the car is tuned for a softer, more relaxed ride, which is where you will notice that slight floaty sensation at the rear over undulating roads. Switching to 'Race' mode firms up the dampers and reduces that float, giving the car a more tied-down feel, especially at the rear. With a recent update, there is an individual suspension setting too in this electric car, which allows you to configure a Custom drive mode. In Custom, you can select the firmer suspension setting while keeping the steering and powertrain in their more relaxed settings. This is the best way to get rid of the floaty feel without making the entire car feel overly aggressive.Overall, this Mahindra car is comfortable, but if you are sensitive to that floaty sensation, use the Custom mode with the firmer suspension setting.

Mahindra XEV 9e

autocar.india

•7h

Given your usage pattern of high daily running and frequent highway trips, the Honda Elevate has clearly done its job as a dependable and comfortable workhorse. That said, your need for a meaningful performance upgrade is understandable. The 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine paired with the CVT is smooth and efficient, but it does start to feel underwhelming once you begin to prioritise performance and responsiveness.A logical step up on the ICE side would be the Mahindra XUV 7X0 petrol. Its 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with 200hp delivers a strong jump in performance, and the 6-speed automatic is far more engaging than a CVT. Overtakes are effortless, and it brings a sense of urgency that the Elevate simply cannot match. The trade-offs, however, are worth noting. It is a larger car, so it won’t feel as nimble or easy to manoeuvre in tight urban conditions, and fuel efficiency can drop into the mid-single digits, especially with enthusiastic driving.If you are open to going electric, the upgrade in performance becomes even more pronounced. The Tata Sierra EV stands out as a compelling option. Like the Elevate, it sits in the mid-size SUV space but offers significantly more performance and space. With a 0 - 100kph time of under 6 seconds, it delivers instant torque and strong, seamless acceleration, which will feel like a dramatic leap, particularly in city driving and quick overtakes. It is also shaping up to be a well-rounded EV with a usable real-world range and a ride quality suited to long highway runs.In both cases, you are looking at a clear step up in performance, but the choice really comes down to whether you want the familiarity and refuelling ease of petrol, or the instant performance and lower running costs of an electric car.

Honda Elevate

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Tata Sierra EV

autocar.india

•2d

With 80-100 km daily running, diesel is the right choice, and the Mahindra XUV 3XO diesel is the best fit for your needs. It is one of the few sub-4-metre SUVs still available with a diesel engine, and the 1.5-litre diesel is a strong, efficient unit that will handle your daily mileage comfortably. The 3XO also offers a spacious cabin, good rear-seat comfort and a strong feature set, making it well-suited to family use. It is also a genuinely enjoyable car to drive, with good performance and a solid, planted feel on the highway.The Tata Nexon diesel is the other option worth considering, but the 3XO has the edge in terms of engine refinement, performance and overall ownership experience. The Nexon diesel is a solid car, but the engine is not as refined as the Mahindra unit, and the 3XO feels like the more complete package.The only caveat with the 3XO is that the boot is one of the smallest in the segment, so if you carry a lot of luggage, that is worth noting.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Tata Nexon

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•1d

For your usage, the Mahindra XUV 7XO AX5 diesel manual is the best fit. Your running is high, the route is highway-heavy, and you are doing this regularly. The 7XO diesel is built for exactly this kind of use. The 2.2-litre diesel engine is strong, efficient and relaxed at highway speeds, and the car feels stable and planted on long runs. This Mahindra car is also spacious and comfortable, which matters when you are doing this distance five times a month. The petrol version is also good, but at this kind of running, diesel makes more sense financially and in terms of driving experience. The only thing to keep in mind is that the 7XO is a big car, so if your city driving is genuinely very limited, that is not a problem. If you want something smaller, the Kia Seltos 1.5 diesel is the alternative. It is more compact and still very good on the highway, but when you're running, the diesel 7XO is the more sensible choice.

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Kia Seltos