Renault Petrol Cars in India (6)

Hi Autocar, I’m looking for a petrol SUV under Rs 18 lakh with a manual transmission. I live in a small town and travel to Bengaluru occasionally. Most of my driving is a mix of city and highway use, with some hill driving, and I expect to cover around 5,000–8,000 km a year. I’m not looking for excessive features, as I feel the more electronics and automation a car has, the higher the maintenance costs can be. My priorities are a strong SUV stance and commanding driving position, good safety, annual maintenance costs below Rs 10,000, decent mileage, good road presence, predictable handling and comfortable ride quality. I also go trekking and take part in other outdoor activities, so some light off-road capability would be useful. Nothing extreme, but enough ground clearance and confidence to tackle rough patches and uneven roads. At the moment, I’m considering the Honda Elevate and Renault Duster, but I’m slightly concerned about long-term maintenance and after-sales support. From what I understand, Honda parts are generally sourced through its authorised network, while the Duster is not particularly known for having strong after-sales support. Could you please suggest which SUV would be the better choice for my requirements? Any other recommendations would also be helpful.

Hi, I currently drive a 2014 Maruti Suzuki Dzire Petrol and am planning to upgrade to a new SUV. My shortlisted options are the Kia Seltos HTX(A) DCT and the Mahindra XUV 7XO Petrol Automatic. My biggest concern with the XUV 7XO is its low fuel efficiency. My monthly running is less than 1,000 km, as I work from home, with a 60:40 city-to-highway split in the NCR. I also plan to use the new car for trips to the mountains, so it should offer strong performance, sufficient torque, and confident handling. I also test-drove the new Renault Duster and loved the driving experience, but I wasn't impressed by Renault's showroom and after-sales experience. Which of these would you recommend for my requirements?

​I am upgrading from my 2019 Tata Tiago (1,30,000 km clocked) to a manual SUV. ​Driving Profile & Driver Stats: ​Driver: 6'2" (188 cm), 90 kg — need good headroom, under-thigh support, and legroom. ​Terrain: High-speed multi-lane highways + steep, winding mountain climbs (hairpins, heavy loads, broken roads). ​Core Needs: ​Strong low-RPM torque for steep climbs (minimal gear-hunting). ​Decent fuel efficiency under heavy uphill loads. ​Comfortable ride quality and solid highway stability. ​Cars Under Consideration (Buy Now): ​Mahindra XUV7XO 2.2L Diesel MT ​Kia Seltos 1.5L Diesel MT ​Renault Duster 1.3L Turbo Petrol MT ​Or Should I Wait? ​Upcoming Updates: Wait for models like the Scorpio-N facelift or Mahindra's upcoming Vision S? ​Strong Hybrids: Wait for upcoming hybrid SUVs, or will small hybrid batteries drain quickly on prolonged mountain ascents? ​Given my height, driving mix, and intent to keep the car for 1+ lakh km, which model or strategy would you recommend?

I recently purchased a Hyundai Venue HX8 DCT and now want to replace my 10-year-old Hyundai i20 Magna Manual. Since E20 fuel is becoming standard, I am looking for a small, budget-friendly, E20-compliant car that is reliable for Kolkata’s heavy city traffic and can handle potholes and waterlogged roads well. My budget is under Rs. 7.5 lakh. The options I’m considering are the Renault Kwid Climber, Hyundai Grand i10 Nios Sportz, Tata Tiago Pure Plus, and Maruti Suzuki Celerio ZXi. I am also open to better suggestions if there are any.

Confused between Seltos Diesel Manual HTE O and Duster AT 1.3 Evolution. Looking to buy a car for next 10 years. My 90% driving is in the city but too worried to buy a petrol car because of the Ethanol issues. Looking for - Comfortable drive - Easy to maintain - Fuel efficiency should be average or above. - Shouldn't affect the ethanol or isobutenol issues.