Budget Rs. 20 lakh: Need a 6 or 7 seater to replace my Tata Hexa

Spouse does not want to go through the pre-owned route this time around. I am a sedate driver and do not overspeed / drive rash.

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Hi members,

I am seeking advice for my next purchase which I am tinkering of since the past few weeks. We have recently become parents to 2 kids who turn one in November. We frequently drive to Lonavala on weekends where we have a family home. Now I currently have a Hexa which was a pre-owned purchase and was bought in Sept 2021. We were using the Hexa on such weekends. Now we are in a situation where my father (currently an NRI) will permanently shift to India and stay for good in Pune and will take the Hexa along with him.

I am looking to buy another 6/7 seater to replace the Hexa, considering we travel with our kids and their help plus the luggage. Spouse does not want to go through the pre-owned route this time around. I have shortlisted petrol and diesels from what is currently on offer in India. I am a sedate driver and do not overspeed / drive rash. On expressways I use cruise control and generally maintain 5-10 km/hr less than the speed limit. I have a budget of approx. INR 20 lakhs +/- 2 lakhs.

We have seen a few vehicles till now which are:

Maruti Suzuki XL6:

Pros:

• Excellent offering for the price point.
• Smart hybrid offers decent fuel economy in city.
• UV cut glass is great where sunflims are banned.
• Ventilated seats are a boon in our summers.

Cons:

• Dull performance on highways.
• 3 star GNAP rating is bothering me to make the purchase.
• Automatic is overpriced to justify the performance on offer. Manual has a better drive.
• Second row does not fold flat like the and is difficult to access the 3rd row.
• Interior quality is average.

Kia Carens:

Pros:

• The diesel auto is great to drive with adequate performance on highways.
• Luxury Plus interiors feel luxurious with ambient lighting, wireless charging, in built maps, ventilated seats and air purifier.
• Safety kit on offer is amazing right from the base variant with all disc brakes, 6 airbags and what not.
• Amazing space management with 3rd row useable by adults.
• Cons:

• 3 star GNAP rating like XL6 is bothering me to make the purchase.
• Topline is expensive at 22.xx on road Mumbai which is significantly more than the XL6.
• DEF concerns on BS6 diesel engines.

Apart from the above 2, we checked out the Hyryder in the Hybrid guise even though a 5 seater. Better half and me both felt that the space is similar to a hatchback for the price point. Interiors were great but space is something we cannot compromise on now. We have learnt that since we got the Ameo TDI DSG over the Vento TSi. We did not even bother seeing the Skoda / VW twins as they are not 6/7 seater and they do not provide hybrid like tech. Also I cannot deal with another DSG which is like a ticking bomb.

SUV/MUV we have not considered yet:

Tata Safari:

The base variant is 25.xx on road Mumbai and would not prefer to go for a barebones variant. Would at least want a mid-variant which is well beyond budget.

Innova Crysta and HyCross:

Considered only the topline diesel automatic in Crsyta which was way above budget at 32.xx. The base again is barebones and has absolutely no creature comforts, also they have discontinued the diesel and I cannot bear the running costs of a petrol Innova. I followed the HyCross launch, loved the overall vehicle, but I doubt Toyota will price it below 25.xx

Scorpio and Mahindra:

For me, spending 25.xx and beyond for Mahindra does not justify. There are multiple threads on niggles faced by XUV and Scorpio owners and I cannot deal with such issues in a new vehicle.

The dilemma is weather I should increase my budget and look at Safari / HyCross considering my concern about safety ratings? We have liked the Carens as an overall package but the 3 star GNAP rating is bothering me. My usage is going to be 75% city and 25% highways. Also the 25% highway trip are generally on well paved roads like expressway. We are not the adventurous type and as I said, I am a sedate driver, I like fast acceleration but always maintain speed limits.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

Top choice is the Kia Carens. There is a reason that it outsells the XL6 as well as the Alcazar. Great design, excellent space packaging, comfortable suspension & superb powertrain options.

I would pick the Diesel AT simply because I don't trust the long-term reliability of the DCT turbo-petrol. You'll get excellent FE with that diesel motor & the torque-converter gearbox is perfectly mated to it.

You should take a test-drive of the Scorpio-N. If for nothing at all, just the experience. Who knows, you might end up liking its tough & butch nature. Drive the fast turbo-petrol as well as the practical turbo-diesel, both in AT.

Also, there are 100 other factors affecting safety, the most important being the nut behind the wheel. I say, go ahead if you like the Carens.

Here's what BHPian Pashin had to say on the matter:

My top choice would be the 7 seater Hyundai Alcazar Petrol Automatic. The 2.0 NA engine is now in its 3rd generation and is mated to a nice and smooth 6 speed torque converter. This engine/gearbox also does duty on the much more premium Tucson. Being naturally aspirated you don't have to carry the fear of turbo reliability or DEF issues with diesel engines, Hyundais are 2nd to none as far as features are concerned so you get great bang for buck in the Alcazar.

Here's what BHPian narayans80 had to say on the matter:

Do you need a diesel? Do you need an AT? How quickly do you need the car?

The XL6 is actually well kitted, it primarily loses out on drivability. The UV cut glass on the XL6 is actually better than the Carens or Alcazar. It is the choice if you don't want to spend much upfront. Should cost you 15-16L and you'll get your car in 1-2 months.

The next choice would be Carens 1.4T Manual Prestige Plus or Carens 1.5D Manual Prestige Plus. Both would be about 17.5L on-road. You'll get the 1.4 turbo petrol sooner within 2 months, diesel was quoted 6 months waiting.

If you want a diesel automatic, you are bringing Alcazar into the mix. At the Carens diesel Lux Plus AT budget you are close to Alcazar Prestige/Platinum diesel AT.

The XL6, Carens and Alcazar are compromised 6 seaters, meaning to keep the 4500 mm length the space is lost somewhere. Either in rear legroom or boot space or both. For your use case it should not be much of a deal. These 3 also will have relatively lower running costs.

You also have a choice of Scorpio Classic S11 and Marazzo E8, which are both around the 19-20L price bracket.

The Hector Plus, Innova petrol, Safari are a full size bigger that offer more space. If you are willing to spend upfront as well as running cost.

Here's what BHPian mayankk had to say on the matter:

Any reason why you're not considering the Hector plus?

It seems to fit in with your price/seating/feature configurations very well.

Here's what BHPian furyrider had to say on the matter:

Since you have mentioned your budget as 20-22 lakhs and want at least a mid-spec vehicle, Carens and its cousin Alcazar might fit the bill for you.

I was on the same boat as you last year and finalised on the Carens just because of the practicality on offer and the introductory price. Kia is slowly ironing out the niggles through active (ACU recall)/silent recalls (silently changed ambient temperature sensor clip during service - billed as 0). Keep in mind that the condensation issue is not sorted yet and Kia is still experimenting on owners to find a fix. Other than that, one cannot really go wrong with the vehicle, especially in the Diesel avatar. Regarding DPF, if you regularly hit the highways, it should not be an issue.

Also, if you plan to install a roof rack for luggage, do note that the roof rails on the Carens are non-functional.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.