Mahindra cars in India (18)

Autocar India

•2h

For that requirement, the Toyota Fortuner is the safest bet. It feels built for bad roads, can be had with proper low-range four-wheel drive for steep, loose climbs and snow, and Toyota’s service reach is strong even in smaller hill towns. On highways, it sits steady at speed, the seats are supportive, and you can load it up with family and bags without worry. Coming from a Pajero, you will feel the same go-anywhere confidence but with a far more modern cabin and easier ownership.Two things to keep in mind. It is very expensive for what it is, and in slow, broken patches, the ride can feel firm. It is also a big SUV, so narrow village lanes and tight hotel parking will require patience.If you want most of that ability for a lot less money, look at the Mahindra Thar Roxx. It too can be had with low-range four-wheel drive, strong pull at low speed for hairpins, and Mahindra support is widespread in the North. You give up some highway polish, and it may not be as rock-solid reliable as a Toyota, but it is a serious mountain tool. Overall, the Fortuner fits your brief best; the Thar Roxx is the strong value alternative.

Toyota Fortuner

Mahindra Thar Roxx

Autocar India

•1h

With a hard cap of ₹13 lakh on-road in Bengaluru and a 60-40 city-highway mix for the next 10 years, the Maruti Brezza VXi (manual) fits your brief best. It stays within budget in Bengaluru in most cases, uses less fuel in city traffic than the cars you’ve named, and Maruti’s service is the cheapest and easiest to find. The Brezza’s high seat and simple 1.5 petrol make it easy in Bengaluru traffic. If you’re coming from no car, you’ll also like how smooth and quiet it feels in daily use.Two things to note for you. It won’t feel as quick when you want a fast overtake as the XUV 3XO, and its cabin won’t wow you like the Kia trims. On your facelift question, if you can wait for a few months then yes, its always better getting a newer car, but you would likely pay a bit more.

Kia Seltos

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Autocar India

•1d

Given your usage, the Maruti Brezza ZXi AT fits your brief best within Rs 12-14 lakh on-road. Pick it because the cabin is roomy and the seat is set high, so getting in and out is easy, and there is good headroom for your height. Its 6-speed automatic is the smooth, torque converter type (not an AMT or DCT). Coming from your Nissan Magnite’s CVT, this will feel natural and calm in stop-and-go traffic and on slopes. Ride comfort is good over broken roads, and its simple 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine allows a vehicle of its size to be unstressed, fuel efficient and sufficiently powerful. Do note: The Brezza automatic is tuned for easy driving, not fast pick-up, so it feels relaxed rather than quick, and it hasn't been crash tested by any NCAP agency, though it has all the requisite safety features. The Mahindra XUV 3XO is also a decent option, though it's not quite as spacious as the Brezza, and in your budget, you'll have to settle for a mid-spec automatic model. Most of all, though, it is nowhere near as fuel-efficient. The Maruti Suzuki Fronx, while also good, won't feel like as much of an upgrade from your Magnite as the others, especially in terms of size and space. Overall, for comfort, smooth driving and sensible running costs in your budget, the Brezza ZXi AT is still your best bet.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Autocar India

•12m

Seven people, mostly adults, and a Rs 25 lakh cap points to one clear choice, the Mahindra XUV 7XO diesel. It rides smoother than the Scorpio N and the Innova Crysta. The step-in height is friendlier for elders, and you get more features at this price.One thing to note is that the XUV 7XO's third row is not the most spacious around. Alternatively, also consider the Kia Carens Clavis diesel. It is refined and comfortable, easy to drive in the city, and the third row is comfortable for adults.We would avoid the Scorpio N for your use. Its third row is tight for adults, access is not easy, and the high step can bother older family members, even though it is very strong on rough roads.Overall, the XUV 7XO diesel 7-seater fits your family and budget best.

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Mahindra Scorpio N

Toyota Innova Crysta

Kia Carens Clavis

Autocar India

•42m

For mixed city and some highway use, you can go ahead with the Mahindra XUV 7XO AX7T diesel manual. Don’t drop it only because of DPF worry. The DPF is a filter in the exhaust that catches soot, and it needs a bit of heat and steady running now and then to clean itself. On the latest XUV 7XO, Mahindra has improved the software and the system over the past few years, so your friends are right that things are better now, but it is not completely worry-free in every case.If your daily use is mostly short trips in slow traffic, the filter may not get hot enough to clean. That’s when you may see a warning. The fix is simple: take the car for a longer drive on a clear road for 15-20 minutes, keep the engine revs a little higher than usual, and don’t switch off if you see a “drive to clean” message. Do this once in a while, even before any light shows, if your routine drive consists of only short hops. Also, fill diesel from a trusted pump, avoid driving at very low speeds in a high gear, and at delivery, ask the service advisor to confirm the car has the latest software.If you do some highway runs every week or two, DPF issues are rare. Where it can be a pain is if you mostly do many 2-3 km trips and almost never leave the city. So, if your usage is mixed, you’re fine to buy it. If it’s almost all tiny trips, think twice about diesel. Overall, with a bit of these simple habits, the AX7t diesel manual will serve you well.

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Autocar India

•2d

As a first car, from your two shortlisted choices, we recommend the Mahindra XUV 3XO RevX A. While the larger Tata Sierra is certainly better on road presence, in every other aspect, the XUV is a better fit. Its more compact dimensions make it much easier to drive, which is a worthwhile consideration for your first car. It is very comfortable, including in the rear seat and being a 5-star Bharat NCAP rated car, safety is not an issue. It has a 131hp turbo-petrol engine that is the most powerful in any compact SUV. Overall, this Mahindra car has an excellent power-to-weight ratio and is fun to drive too. Moreover, its price is around Rs 3 lakh less than the Sierra Pure+. The Tata Sierra Pure+ comes with only the naturally aspirated 1.5-litre petrol engine. While it's smooth enough, thanks to the heavy Sierra kerb weight, its power-to-weight ratio is nowhere as good as the XUV 3XO's. Also, the Pure+ variant of the Sierra, aside from being more expensive, won't be as well equipped as the 3XO RevX A. Overall, for your needs, the Mahindra is the better be

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Tata Sierra

Autocar India

•2d

You're right to lean towards the Hyundai Creta Electric. Range, efficiency, performance and features aside, you'll mainly appreciate it for its comfort and practicality. Being a Hyundai, it will feel like a natural upgrade from your i10, and you're already integrated into the brand's wide ecosystem. The Creta EV's suspension takes bad patches of road well, so daily commutes are less tiring. It's as spacious as a regular Creta, which means a big boot, a wide rear seat and ample in-cabin storage; it even has a small frunk under the bonnet. As for the EV powertrain, it scores high on refinement, smoothness and progressive power delivery. It's incredibly efficient too, and can easily deliver upwards of 7km/kWh in city traffic. Plus, regen modes are easily accessible via the paddle shifters, and performance feels strong enough. Your next best bet is the Mahindra BE 6, which offers up much more performance and a funky and high-tech interior. Moreover, it looks futuristic, whereas many find the Creta too ordinary-looking for an EV. The trade-off is space, practicality and ergonomics, where the Creta scores much higher than the BE6.Interestingly, though the BE6 has a much larger battery (79kWh) than the Creta Electric (51.4kWh), their overall real-world range is very similar, as the Creta is significantly more efficient in city traffic. You should be advised that using any EV over long distances requires some planning, given the current state of charging infrastructure today.

Hyundai Creta Electric

Mahindra BE 6

Autocar India

•1d

The 360 camera, auto-dimming inside mirror, and ADAS are driver-assist features that can certainly help tangibly. For your parents, the 360 camera would be a big help in tight parking, narrow lanes and when judging the corners of the car. The auto-dimming mirror is a nice touch and helps with sustained good visibility, and even if you won’t use ADAS every day, it’s a nice safety net on highway runs, and you can turn most alerts down or off if they feel too intrusive in city traffic.As for the panoramic sunroof and leatherette of the Mahindra XUV 3XO REVX A, they do make the cabin feel special, but there are also practical trade-offs. The sunroof adds heat in summer and needs some care over the years, and leatherette seats can get hot and clammy to sit on.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Autocar India

•1d

After almost a decade with your Hexa, a good idea is to replace it with a tough and powerful diesel SUV, and we'd recommend the Tata Harrier Adventure X Diesel AT. It gives you the relaxed, solid, long‑distance feel that you liked in your Hexa, but in a newer and easier‑to‑drive package.It works for you because the diesel has strong pull at low and mid speeds, so overtakes on two‑lane roads need less effort. The 6-speed automatic is the torque-converter type that uses a fluid coupling, which is known for smoothness and long life, and it does not get hot and fussy in traffic. Safety is strong too, with a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating and must‑have features like 6 airbags and stability control. Ride comfort is good, and though not quite as tough-feeling as your ladder-frame Hexa, this Tata car feels softer and more comfortable overall.If you want the option of a third row of seats, there's also the Tata Safari at a slightly higher price point, which has all the same strengths of the Harrier. There's also the XUV 7XO, which is a better all-rounder and more fun to drive, but it doesn't feel quite as solid and commanding from behind the wheel as the Harrier or Safari.

Tata Harrier

Tata Safari

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Autocar India

•2d

First, on the policy concern. E20 is the current standard, and cars sold today are fully compatible with it. The move to E85 or E100 is still at an early stage and depends on multiple things like flex-fuel engines, fuel availability and nationwide infrastructure. Even if announced, it will take years to become mainstream. It will not suddenly replace E20 across the country in the next one or two years.For existing vehicles, there is no risk of becoming unusable. Petrol cars will continue to run on available blends, diesel cars are unaffected by ethanol policies, and CNG vehicles are entirely separate from this transition. So there is no scenario where millions of current owners are suddenly stranded.Now, coming to your dilemma of ICE vs EV. With your usage of around 15,000 km a year and 60% highway driving, an EV is not the ideal fit yet unless you have very reliable charging access on highways. For your pattern, a diesel or efficient petrol still makes more sense in terms of range, flexibility and ease of long-distance travel.Between your shortlist, the Mahindra XUV 3XO diesel is the better choice. Your usage is high enough to justify diesel, and your highway running will naturally keep the engine and emissions system healthy. It will also give you better efficiency and stronger performance on highways compared to the Amaze petrol. The Amaze is smoother and easier in the city, but it does not match the diesel’s efficiency and torque for your kind of usage.

Mahindra XUV 3XO