Need a safe 6/7 seater car under Rs 20 lakh to replace my Maruti Baleno

The new vehicle will be primarily used in the city. I am considering the Maruti Ertiga, Mahindra XUV700 & Hyundai Alcazar.

BHPian tarunbhp91 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The background

We currently own a 2015 Maruti Suzuki Baleno auto. We are looking to upgrade to a 6/7 seater. No major problems with the current car. The criteria are:

• Good safety rating
• Will be mainly used as an urban car so auto (preferably petrol)
• Preferably a 7 seater. Not a fan of the captain seats.
• Budget: 10-20 lakh OTR Banglore (a bit strict budget max. 21 for the right one).

Cars considered

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga/XL6

Where there is a tight budget, there is a Maruti. The Ertiga is the top-selling 7-seater in the market.

Likes:

• The price
• Maruti's less maintenance cost
• Decent mileage

So, as you can see, except for the price and money savings, I did not find the car attractive.

Dislikes:

• Ancient 4-speed TC. (My baleno has a 5-speed CVT)
• According to me, insufficient power (Baleno has 83 hp).
• Top variant does not get auto.
• Poor safety.

XL6 is pretty much the same car, so rejected it as well. But due to the tight budget, Ertiga is still in the race.

Mahindra XUV700

The XUV700 is the car that shook the market with its features and waiting time. It is an absolute gem of a car with its 200 hp petrol engine. Due to my tight budget, I can only go for the AX5 7-seater diesel auto. So the likes and dislikes are of this variant only.

Likes:

• The premium cabin.
• Really good safety rating.
• Have not driven the car so don't know how the diesel will drive.
• Has some tech bites that I like such as the twin display.

Dislikes:

• It does not have a reverse camera!
• Long waiting period.
• Misses out on a lot of small comfort features for a Rs 18.97 lakh (ex-showroom) car.

The other option is to go for the AX7 (Non-L badge) that comes at around Rs 19.51 lakh ex-showroom). But except reverse cam and ADAS, there is nothing much.

My POV on ADAS

I love that Mahindra has bought ADAS to this price range. But IMHO, I think India (Indian roads in particular) is not ready for it. I, for one, think that ADAS, even though helpful to the driver in some scenarios, is harmful in many others. So not shelling out extra Rs 2 lakh for the AX7 L/T/C.

PS: This is my opinion about it from what I have heard about it. If anyone of you thinks otherwise, please correct me.

Hyundai Alcazar

This is the best urban, 7-seater car in this segment (PS: Note, urban). IMO, for a change, I like the front part of the car, unlike many people. Hyundai should have followed the same design at the back too. The back reminds me of the Tata Hexa.

Likes:

• Easier to use in the city compared to others.
• Features like a 360-degree camera, Blind View monitor are pretty good.
• Panoramic sunroof etc.

Dislikes:

• Cramped 3rd row.
• Mediocre engine.
• Mediocre safety rating.

Nothing stands out in the Alcazar but there are not many drawbacks.

Other rejected cars

• MG Hector Plus - Chinese car, very cramped 3rd-row space, MG's aftersales service is still a question.
• Tata Safari - Not exactly a family car, Tata's aftersales service is still a question, Not a VFM at all.
• Toyota Innova Cyrsta - Out of budget, taxi image.

So these are all the automatic cars that are there in the Rs 10-20 lakh bracket. If the Kia Carnes is good then I will add it to my list later.

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