MG cars in India (9)

The best sub Rs 20 lakh EV for city use and short distances is the MG Windsor. It has compact dimensions which give it good manouverability in the city but without compromising on cabin space, which is very generous. It is easy-to-drive, well-equipped and has enough range for your daily runs of 75km and more. 

A brittle ride and a fair bit of road noise that creeps into the cabin are the only real drawbacks. You can get the Exclusive Pro and Essence Pro, depending on how much you can stretch your budget.

While the Tata Punch EV is a good all-rounder, it is perhaps a size too small for a family of 5 or to be chauffeur driven in. The Mahindra XUV 3XO EV and Windsor have far more spacious cabins, but then the Mahindra is low on boot space when it comes to your 180-200km round trip. However, this would still be our pick as it has a spacious cabin for 5, tough chassis and comfortable ride quality. 

The Windsor may be more spacious on the whole, but its suspension and ride are quite stiff, and its large touchscreen, which controls the entire car, is full of bugs and glitches. Moreover, in standard guise, it has a very low range, and you would have to move up to the Pro version, which will increase your budget. Also consider the Tata Nexon EV, which, though expensive, feels like a more complete car than any of these.

We recommend cars depending on people's specific needs. MG Hector is a spacious car and comes with a lot of features, and if someone is looking for those in a large SUV, we do recommend Hector. 

Hector has not received a full, ground-up generational change since its launch in 2019. Mg has updated it many times with facelifts, but to compete in the fast-changing segment, Hector would do better to get a full generation change. 

Hector's petrol and diesel engines are found to be thirsty units in the real world compared to their competitors. So if someone's priority is mileage, Hector falls low in their recommendation set. 

Of the two, the Mahindra XUV 7XO is the better pick. The XUV 7XO is packed with tech and is far nicer to drive than the MG Hector, too. Mahindra's engines and gearboxes are highlights, and the 7XO's updated suspension also gives it the edge in ride comfort. Importantly, the 7XO offers a better third-row experience than the Hector Plus. 

That said, the XUV 7XO is not the best 7-seater for the money. Especially in case the third row space and comfort are a deal breaker for you. The Tata Safari offers a more comfortable third row among petrol/diesel SUVs of the segment. 

If you are open to electric, the Mahindra XEV 9S is worth a look. While you could think of it as an all-electric version of the XUV 7XO, the 9S does boast of a better third row. The option to slide its middle row seats makes all the difference to balance second and third row space in the cabin.  

The Kia Carens Clavis is the ideal pick for your requirements. It's a well-packaged MPV that offers comfortable seating across all three rows. A one-touch operation for the middle row seat fold makes access to the last row easy. Also, there is ample movement built into the middle row to balance space for all passengers. 

The Clavis is also easy to drive and doesn't intimidate as some three-row SUVs can. From the Clavis line-up, the Turbo DCT HTX(O) is the one to buy.

Of the other three-row petrol-auto options, there's the Hyundai Alcazar, MG Hector Plus, Mahindra XUV 7XO and Tata Safari.

Unfortunately, no EV is available within a budget of Rs 7 lakh. You will have to extend your budget by at least 1-1.50 lakh to purchase the entry-level MG Comet or Tata Tiago EV. 

The MG Comet is an excellent urban runabout, due to its tiny footprint, which makes it easy to manoeuvre and park. Occasionally, it can seat four passengers in relative comfort, with the only limiting factor being access to its rear seats due to its two-door layout. The Tata Tiago EV is relatively more conventional in its approach, and it drives a bit better than the Comet. 

Also, it is the Tata Tiago EV, which will feel a bit more comfortable and confident for the occasional highway drives. Hence, if this is going to be your primary vehicle, we'd recommend the Tata Tiago EV for its well-roundedness.