Mahindra Scorpio N

Since your driving is mostly on highways and you are particularly looking for a good ride quality, we would recommend the Mahindra XUV 7XO over the Scorpio N. The Scorpio N is a ladder-frame (chassis) based vehicle, which, while tough, has the typical 'busy body' ride over ruts and undulations. 

The XUV 7XO, in contrast, is a monocoque-based SUV and offers much better body control. Monocoque-based vehicles also tend to have a lower centre of gravity than ladder frame ones, which results in better and more stable handling. This is something that you will appreciate on your highway drives. 

The 7XO also uses a new type of frequency-selective dampers - what Mahindra calls Da Vinci dampers - and these offer a very good ride quality and good body control too. 

The Mahindra Scorpio N is a full-size SUV that focuses on cabin space, comfort and cruising. Between the powertrains, the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine is definitely the more powerful one at 205hp. But with big heavy SUVs, you enjoy the low-end torque a lot more. The 2.2-litre diesel has only 175hp in comparison, but the 400Nm of torque versus the 380Nm makes it feel just as exciting as the petrol. 

If you live in an area where policies don't support diesel, petrol is surely the one to go for. If you don't do much long-distance driving and will not be covering over 20,000km in a year, even then, petrol is the right choice. 

However, if you frequent the highways, the diesel is not only more efficient, but it won't miss out on any of the petrol's fun. 

Our detailed real-world fuel efficiency test of the three-door Mahindra Thar was conducted in Mumbai, a city known for heavy stop-start traffic. Compared to this, driving conditions in Delhi NCR generally involve more flowing traffic, which can result in slightly better efficiency figures.

As an additional reference point, we can look at the Mahindra Scorpio N, which uses the same engines as the Thar Roxx, albeit in a higher state of tune. In our real-world tests, the petrol automatic Scorpio N returned 7.9 kpl in the city and 9.4 kpl on the highway. The diesel automatic managed 8.6 kpl in the city and 11.7 kpl on the highway. 

As these figures show, the difference in fuel efficiency between petrol and diesel automatics is not significant enough to justify choosing the diesel variant, especially given your limited running and predominantly city-based usage.

As for manual versus automatic efficiency, especially in the case of the Thar Roxx, it is highly unlikely that the torque converter automatic will match the efficiency of the manual. This is due to the basic nature of the transmission. Torque converters use a fluid coupling instead of a direct mechanical link, which leads to energy losses during acceleration and low-speed driving. In contrast, a manual gearbox offers a direct mechanical connection once the clutch is engaged, resulting in lower losses.

Other automatic transmissions, such as dual clutch units and CVTs, are inherently more efficient than torque converters. DCTs use mechanical clutches for faster and more direct power transfer. CVTs are able to keep the engine operating in its most efficient rev range for most driving conditions. As a result, these transmissions can deliver fuel efficiency figures closer to manuals, something that is unlikely with a torque converter automatic. 

Finally, considering you are based in Delhi, where diesel regulations remain uncertain, the petrol variant of the Thar Roxx would be the more sensible and stress-free choice.

The cars you have shortlisted are very different, but based on your usage and your mileage requirement, we would suggest going for the Kia Seltos with the 1.5 litre naturally aspirated engine paired to the IVT automatic.

The new Seltos has grown in size compared to the previous generation, which not only improves interior space, comfort and boot capacity, but also gives it better road presence. While it lacks outright punch, for most real world conditions and sedate driving it has more than enough performance, both in the city and on the highway. The biggest strength of this powertrain is its refinement and smoothness, which makes the Seltos a pleasure to drive, especially in urban conditions. In terms of mileage, the Seltos with this engine and gearbox should come close to your requirement of 12 kmpl or more, something the other two cars are unlikely to achieve. You can get the HTK(O) variant in your budget which is well loaded with features too.

The Tata Harrier petrol, on the other hand, is larger and has more presence, but it is also more expensive. In fact, the Harrier turbo petrol with the 6 speed automatic costs over Rs 20 lakh on road, which is more than Rs 2 lakh over your budget. Fuel efficiency will also be lower than the Kia’s, as the Harrier is heavier, more powerful, and turbo petrol engines are generally more sensitive to throttle inputs.

This issue is even more pronounced in the Mahindra Scorpio N. It is the heaviest car here, uses a large turbo petrol engine producing over 200 PS, and while it delivers effortless performance, efficiency takes a hit. Being based on a ladder frame chassis, it is more rugged, but for everyday use it won’t be as comfortable as the other two. If you want to buy a Mahindra, we would suggest looking at the new 7XO instead, as it is more practical, more comfortable, and will also be more fuel efficient.