4 Most value-for-money SUVs in India

(Updated 4/12/2012)
Sport utility vehicles are becoming increasingly popular in India, with more launches coming in all price segments. More buyers are now shifting toward SUVs, especially in the Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 15 lakh and Rs. 15 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh segments.

These days SUVs offer a buyer refinement levels almost as good as cars, better road presence, decent comfort and features to rival the best sedans. That’s prompted the question – which of these SUVs is the most value for money SUV across each of the price segments?

CarToq takes a look at the most value-for-money SUVs in India across four price segments: Below Rs. 10 lakh, Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 15 lakh, Rs. 15 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh, and Rs. 20 lakh to Rs. 25 lakh. Also read: 5 most value-for-money hatchbacks

Below Rs. 11 lakh

Mahindra Scorpio VLX 2WD

Among SUVs below Rs. 11 lakh, there are a few that qualify as proper SUVs. You have the Mahindra Scorpio, Tata Safari, the entry variant of the new Tata Safari Storme and the Renault Duster. All these three have variants that are priced over Rs. 11 lakh as well. There are also vehicles like the Premier Rio compact SUV, Maruti Gypsy and Mahindra Thar.

If you look at the SUV that offers maximum features at this price point, it is a close call between the Renault Duster RXL Option pack and the Mahindra Scorpio VLX 2WD.

The Renault Duster RXL Option pack is priced at Rs. 10.49 lakh ex-showroom Delhi. It offers features such as two airbags, ABS, alloy wheels, Bluetooth music system, power mirrors and parking sensors. The Mahindra Scorpio VLX offers all these features and also includes cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlamps, and tyre pressure sensors. Going by the feature pack in the Mahindra Scorpio VLX vs the Renault Duster, the Scorpio offers better value for money. The Scorpio is also a genuine seven-seater, while the Duster is a 5-seater. Also read: Renault Duster vs Mahindra Scorpio

Rs. 11 lakh – Rs. 16 lakh

Mahindra XUV500

In the Rs. 11 lakh to Rs. 16 lakh category, SUVs include the Mahindra XUV500, Force One and Tata Aria as well as the base Skoda Yeti. It also includes the top-end variants of the Mahindra Scorpio and Tata Safari Storme. Also read: Tata Safari Storme vs Mahindra XUV500

In this segment the Tata Aria and the Mahindra XUV500 offer the maximum features, on their top-end variants. The XUV500 W8, for instance, has alloy wheels, six airbags, ABS, cruise control, Bluetooth, parking sensors, power folding mirrors, ESP, GPS navigation and a whole lot more. The Tata Aria Pride also offers most of these features, but falls short on a few such as static bending lamps and voice commands, and it also loses out on pricing. The top-end Mahindra XUV500 is priced at Rs. 13.2 lakh for the two-wheel drive and 14.3 lakh for the all-wheel drive model. The Tata Aria Pride is priced at Rs. 16.7 lakh ex-showroom, over Rs. 2.5 lakh more than the XUV500. Also read: Mahindra XUV500 whips the premium sedan segment

This makes the Mahindra XUV500 the most value-for-money SUV in its price segment.

Rs. 16 lakh to Rs. 21 lakh

Skoda Yeti 4×4 Elegance

When you look at the Rs. 16 lakh to Rs. 21 lakh segment there are very few SUVs available. The Ford Endeavour and Skoda Yeti 4×4 are two of the more popular ones in this segment, along with the 2-litre Chevrolet Captiva and the Mitsubishi Outlander. The Mahindra Ssangyong Rexton also joins this segment at an entry price of Rs. 18 lakh.

In terms of features, the Skoda Yeti 4×4 Elegance easily beats all the other SUVs in its segment. It comes with all-wheel drive, hill descent control, ESP, six airbags, ABS, cornering lamps and dual-zone automatic climate control. The Ford Endeavour has manual AC, only two airbags and no rear arm rest. The 2-litre Chevrolet Captiva also does not match up to the Yeti’s feature list. The Mitsubishi Outlander is close, but loses out on price as it’s a lot more expensive at Rs. 20.6 lakh compared to Rs. 17.9 lakh for the Skoda Yeti. The only vehicle that could give the Skoda Yeti a run for its money is the Ssangyong Rexton, which has a manual variant at Rs. 18 lakh and automatic at Rs. 20 lakh price point, and matches the Yeti on most features. It’s also a seven-seater. Also read: Skoda Yeti vs Renault Duster, an owner’s perspective

This makes the Skoda Yeti Elegance 4×4 the most value-for-money SUV in the Rs. 16 lakh to Rs. 21 lakh segment.

Rs. 21 lakh to Rs. 25 lakh

Chevrolet Captiva 2.2 LTZ AWD

In the Rs. 21 lakh to Rs. 25 lakh segment, the choices are even more vast. You have the popular Toyota Fortuner that sells more than all the others in the segment, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Renault Koleos and Nissan X-Trail. It also includes the top-end Chevrolet Captiva 2.2 all-wheel drive and the base BMW X1.

The Hyundai Santa Fe and Chevrolet Captiva 2.2 come close on features. They both have six airbags, power adjustable seats, all-wheel disc brakes with ABS, 8-speaker music system, Bluetooth, cruise control etc. But where the Captiva 2.2 has an edge is it also offers and electric sunroof. The Santa Fe 4×4 MT is priced at Rs. 24.5 lakh, and the Captiva is at Rs. 24.6 lakh.

Going by the feature list and the close comparison on power specs as well, the Chevrolet Captiva appears to be the most value-for-money in its segment. The Toyota Fortuner is a close contender as well, but loses out on some features like number of airbags and cruise control. Also read: How to sell an SUV – lessons from XUV500 and Fortuner

Share your thoughts on this listing of the four most value-for-money SUVs in their respective price segments.