Kia Carens

The Kia Carens is a better pick between the two options you are considering. The Carens is a more modern and more spacious MPV compared to the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. It also has a more powerful and efficient 116hp, 1.5-litre diesel engine option.

The Kia Carens Premium (O) diesel comes with all necessary features like 6 airbags, TPMS, an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a height-adjustable driver's seat and more. The Kia Carens Premium (O) diesel manual is priced at Rs 12.77 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Since you already own a turbo-petrol Kia Carens, chances are that you might find the 1.5 NA Petrol's performance a touch lacklustre in comparison. However, since you are looking for a city car, the Seltos Petrol IVT will do the job just fine. This combination is smooth and refined, and the automatic is seamless in its operation. It is an ideal combination for the city, and one we can easily recommend.

The iMT, on the other hand, is paired to the turbo-petrol, and even though there is no clutch pedal, you still have to row through the gears manually. And while the gearshift action is smooth and effort-free, you don't get the absolute convenience of full automatic. So for an effort-free drive, go for the 1.5 Petrol IVT version instead.  

Considering your requirements, you should take a closer look at the Kia Carens petrol manual. The Carens has a spacious cabin that can accommodate up to 7 people with ease, and it has a comfortable ride quality.

The Carens petrol is powered by a 115hp, 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that's paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The Kia Carens mileage for the petrol-manual variant is 15.70kpl (claimed). 

In terms of features, it comes with an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, a rear parking camera, 6 airbags and more. The Kia Carens Premium (O) petrol MT costs around Rs 13 lakh on-road.

The Maruti Suzuki XL6 would best suit your requirements of mileage and performance. Against the others in your shortlist, the 1.5 litre petrol engine in the XL6 offers decent performance and refinement, but a noticeably better fuel efficiency. The engine has a mild-hybrid setup and, in our standard test cycle, returned a figure of 9.2kpl in the city and 17.0kpl on the highway. 

We assume, of course, you are comparing petrol versions across the three MPVs in your shortlist, given that the XL6 comes with only a petrol engine. If not, the Kia Carens and Hyundai Alcazar also have diesel engines, and these versions would be more fuel efficient than the petrol XL6.