Tata cars in India (21)

autocar.india

•1d

Go for the Renault Triber. Your three kids will fit far more comfortably than in a Tiago, and its flexible seats mean you can use it as a five seater now, and a more comfortable six or seven seater when they are older.In the city, it is easy to drive and park as it is a small car, but you get rear AC vents and a wide second row, so school runs and weekend outings are comfier. For road trips, pop out the third row and you get huge boot space. It will cruise fine, but if fully loaded, you will need a heavier right foot for hills and overtakes - its 1.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine is the only real compromise.The Tiago is a sweet, tough little hatch and nicer to drive, but with three growing kids you will outgrow its rear seat and boot fast, then feel the need for another upgrade. The Gravite has all the strengths of the Triber, just in a Nissan-badged and styled package, so pick based on your preference and which brand has a dealer and service centre close to you.

Renault Triber

Tata Tiago

Nissan Gravite

autocar.india

•1d

Your usage is almost tailor-made for a modern diesel. At 1,000-1,200km a month with frequent highway drives, weekend trips and annual drives to the Konkan, you'll comfortably justify the diesel and shouldn't have to worry about DPF-related issues. The Kia Seltos Diesel Automatic also strikes the best balance for your requirements. It is the easiest of the four to drive and park in Mumbai, which is particularly important given your apartment's tight puzzle parking. It has a refined and efficient diesel engine, a smooth automatic gearbox, a comfortable ride, a premium cabin and one of the strongest service networks in the segment. It should also prove to be a dependable long-term ownership proposition.The Mahindra XUV 7XO Diesel Automatic is a close second. It offers more space, a more powerful engine and feels like a bigger, more substantial SUV. It is also the more accomplished overall product when compared to the Harrier and Safari, offering a better balance of performance, features, technology and overall package. The only drawback is that it is physically larger than the Seltos, which may become a hassle in your parking situation and while navigating Mumbai's streets.The Harrier and Safari are excellent highway cruisers with comfortable ride quality and spacious cabins. However, they are considerably larger than the Seltos, and when compared with the XUV 7XO, the Mahindra is the more complete package overall. Unless you specifically need the Safari's third row, we don't see a compelling reason to choose either Tata over the Mahindra.

Kia Seltos

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Tata Harrier

Tata Safari

autocar.india

•2d

The Kia Seltos GTX Turbo Petrol Automatic would be our recommendation. Since you already have a Tiago EV handling city duties, this second car will primarily be used for road trips and intercity travel. In that role, the Kia Seltos feels like the more complete package today. The 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine is refined, powerful and well-matched to the automatic gearbox, making it an effortless long-distance cruiser. It also has a premium cabin, comfortable seats, a strong feature list and a proven ownership track record.The Tata Sierra Accomplished+ Turbo Petrol Automatic is certainly appealing. It offers more road presence, a spacious cabin and a distinctive design. However, it is still a relatively new product, whereas the Seltos is a well-established benchmark in the segment. The Kia also feels more polished overall and is likely to offer a more predictable ownership experience.

Kia Seltos

Tata Sierra

autocar.india

•2d

You could consider the Nissan Magnite Turbo-CVT. Coming from a Tiago auto, this will feel much smoother in traffic, more powerful on the highway, and one of the mid variants should fit within your Rs. 12 lakh on-road budget. It is compact, and it gives you the extra ground clearance you wanted from an SUV. If there is a Nissan touchpoint nearby, it is worth checking out.Alternatively, if you are open to an electric car and you can arrange for home charging, consider a Tata Punch EV. It is an excellent, well-rounded car.

Nissan Magnite

Tata Punch EV

autocar.india

•2d

Do note that none of the cars available within a budget of Rs. 30 lakh will feel like an "upgrade" from your outgoing XUV700. The new-age XUV 7XO will feel very similar in terms of powertrain and dynamics, although the tech is more modern, and it gets some more features too. Alternatively, you could consider a Tata Safari which gets you more space in the third row compared to your outgoing car. Additionally, it has a all the modern features too, and Tata has also introduced a turbo-petrol-automatic version, which feels adequate in this large SUV.

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Tata Safari

autocar.india

•3d

Pick the Tata Nexon EV 45. It fits your Rs. 18 lakh on-road target, is super easy to drive and park, and its high seating and ground clearance take bad roads and speed breakers in stride. For your moderate use, the larger 45kWh battery is enough for a week of city runs, and those occasional roadtrips with just one planned charge stop, and Tata’s charging and service network is the widest right now, which makes EV life simpler outside big cities. It is light on upkeep, too - no oil changes, fewer wear parts, and Tata’s EV service costs have been reasonable.

Tata Nexon EV

autocar.india

•2d

Pick the Seltos if fuel efficiency and hassle‑free ownership are your top worries right now. Its petrols are easier on fuel in the city than the Sierra TGDi, which is a heavier turbo petrol and will drink more in traffic. The Kia’s longer proven run also make living with it simpler, and you can pick the engine and gearbox that suit your usage, ideally the naturally aspirated petrol with the CVT if a balance of efficiency and performance is your priority or a diesel if your running is high.The Sierra sales dip looks more like the usual post‑launch cool‑off than a red flag. But the TGDi’s real‑world mileage can be disappointing if most of your driving is short city hops.If you value a cushier ride, a more solid feel, and a roomier cabin for highway trips, the Sierra still appeals and feels special. Given your concern about efficiency and the headlines, the Seltos is the safer pick.

Tata Sierra

Kia Seltos

autocar.india

•3d

Go for the Mahindra XUV 3XO, and get the petrol with the 6‑speed automatic. It gives you a roomy back seat, a strong crash rating, and a planted and secure highway ride that suits your 80 percent highway use. The turbo petrol engine is the strongest here, and it's the only one of your shortlist to get a smooth torque-converter automatic gearbox. The only real downside is that the boot is not as big as that of rivals, and fuel economy won't be as good either, but for your largely highway use, the difference won't be so bad.The Hyundai Venue HX5 is fine for four but tight for five on long trips, and while the Kia Syros HTK Plus feels the largest, rear width and thigh support are only average, and its ride quality is quite choppy. Tata Nexon diesel would be lovely on highways and is safe, but the diesel automatic is an AMT, which is nowhere near as smooth as the XUV's torque converter, or even the Hyundai/Kia's DCT.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Hyundai Venue

Kia Syros

Tata Nexon

autocar.india

•2d

The MG Windsor EV would be our recommendation here. Coming from a Honda City diesel, you're likely looking for a comfortable, spacious and practical family car. Among the EVs you've shortlisted, the Windsor feels like the most complete package. It offers the roomiest cabin, excellent rear-seat comfort and enough space for five adults to travel comfortably. It also feels like a genuine upgrade from a sedan in terms of practicality and everyday usability.The Nexon EV 45 would be our second choice. It is a proven product, offers good performance and range, and is a sensible option if you prefer a more compact SUV. However, it cannot match the Windsor for rear-seat space and overall family-car appeal.The Maruti Suzuki e Vitara is worth considering, but it does have some notable shortcomings. The rear-seat headroom and boot space are limited, the seating position is slightly knees-up, the ride can feel busy and there is more road and tyre noise than we'd like. Given how late it is to the EV market, we expected Maruti to address some of these areas more effectively.The Punch EV continues to offer excellent value, but it is a segment smaller than the others and may not feel like a significant upgrade from your Honda City in terms of space and overall comfort.

MG Windsor

Tata Nexon EV

Tata Punch EV

Maruti Suzuki e Vitara

Honda City

autocar.india

•14m

If you can stretch your budget, go for the Nexon CNG, as it has two key advantages. For one, as you mentioned, it has the bigger boot, and thanks to the dual-cylinder setup (as in the Punch and Exter too) lets you use most of the space effectively. Secondly, it uses a turbocharged engine, which addresses a big complaint with CNG cars, namely a lack of power. It also has far more space in the cabin which makes it a proper five seater, whereas the Exter and Punch will not be as comfy for rear passengers. The disadvantage, of course, is that even with a small budget stretch, you will still only get a mid-range variant of the Nexon CNG, but you should still get all the essentials. The Punch and Exter CNG will be available in their top-spec variants in your budget, and the Punch even gets an AMT option. However, this being your first car, we feel the bigger Nexon will feel like more of a statement while still keeping running costs in check. Yes, it's likely the Brezza facelift will get a dual-cylinder CNG setup, and it should launch before August, but how it will be priced remains unknown.

Tata Nexon

Tata Punch

Hyundai Exter