5 of the Best UVs to buy this Diwali

Below is the evaluation and ranking of the 5 Best  cars in the UV (Utility vehicle) category for this Diwali.

1. Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza

Price: Rs 7.9 lakh

It is only one of the two diesel vehicles in the ranking that is worth buying in the below Rs 15 lakh category. The reason? It's price. What you get in Brezza, including the ownership experience, at this price, is exceptional. It has the road presence of a compact SUV and is mechanically sound.

Its diesel engine has proven itself over the years, is fuel-efficient and offers decent performance too. The Brezza rides a little hard and is probably the only thing that should keep you away from it. Maruti Suzuki’s after-sales service network, low running and maintenance costs, and stress-free resale experience are the icing on the cake.

Specifications

Variant: VDi

Fuel type: Diesel

Engine capacity: 1,248 cc

Mileage: 24 km/l

Running cost (per month @30 km a day): Rs 2,175

Loan EMI (loan for 5 years, 80% financed at 10% interest): Rs 11,588

Resale value (after 2 years): NA

2. Maruti Suzuki Ertiga

Price: Rs 7.4 lakh

Can you think of one car priced below Rs 15 lakh that is as easy to drive in the city as a hatchback, has a refined petrol engine and can carry seven people? The answer is Ertiga.

It looks a little dated now and the engine feels short of power in hilly areas, but consider the fact that the petrol version starts from Rs 6.24 lakh and goes up to Rs 8.75 lakh, and you know that it’s a no-brainer for those who consider buying practical vehicles. Besides, it is easy to maintain and has no real competition.

Specifications

Variant: VXI

Fuel type: Petrol

Engine capacity: 1,373 cc

Mileage: 17 km/l

Running cost (per month @30 km a day): Rs 3,620

Loan EMI (loan for 5 years, 80% financed at 10% interest): Rs 10,945

Resale value (after 2 years): Rs 5.4 lakh

3. Hyundai Creta

Price: Rs 12 lakh

Hyundai’s image as a mass-market carmaker has evolved into a mass-market premium carmaker because of vehicles like Creta that are well-built and offer a lot of features. The Indian market has also embraced almost all of Hyundai’s recent designs and a long feature list is now virtually standard.carmaker has evolved into a mass-market premium carmaker because of vehicles like Creta that are well-built and offer a lot of features. The Indian market has also embraced almost all of Hyundai’s recent designs and a long feature list is now virtually standard.

Since it has a petrol engine and is a proven product, Creta is one SUV that can be recommended in the below Rs 15 lakh category. Its powerful petrol engine, option of automatic transmission, long feature list, Hyundai’s wide service network and interiors quality, make it worth a buy.Creta is one SUV that can be recommended in the below Rs 15 lakh category. Its powerful petrol engine, option of automatic transmission, long feature list, Hyundai’s wide service network and interiors quality, make it worth a buy.

Specifications

Variant: 1.6VTVT SX Plus

Fuel type: Petrol

Engine capacity: 1,591 cc

Mileage: 15 km/l

Resale value (after 2 years): Rs 6.5 lakh

Running cost (per month @30 km a day): Rs 4,143

Loan EMI (loan for 5 years, 80% financed at 10% interest): Rs 18,125

4. Mahindra Scorpio 4WD

Price: Rs 11.7 lakh

There must be something special about Scorpio to be only one of the two diesel vehicles being recommended even if your average daily run is just 30 km. This is because it is the only 7-seater SUV in this range with off-road ability.

It also has the Intelli-Hybrid tech that helps in saving fuel, not to mention features like onboard GPS navigation, tyre-tronics, auto headlamps and wipers, automatic climate control and cruise control that make it practical for outstation trips.

Specifications

Variant: 1.99S4 Plus WD

Fuel type: Diesel

Engine capacity: 1,997 cc

Mileage: 15 km/l

Running cost (per month @30 km a day): Rs 3,432

Loan EMI (loan for 5 years, 80% financed at 10% interest): Rs 17,229

Resale value (after 2 years): Rs 7.1 lakh

5. Toyota Innova Crysta

Price: Rs 14.5 lakh

This is a surprise entry since its automatic version is also available with the petrol engine for less than Rs 15 lakh. While the diesel manual Crysta would fetch a better resale value after five years, we chose petrol-AT as it’ll be registered for 15 years (diesel for 10 years) and has automatic transmission.

So whether you take it out every day for 30 km or just over the weekends, you’ll drive it with ease. Its resale value, reliability, 7-seats with captain seats in the middle row make it a good pick.

Specifications

Variant: 2.7 GX AT 8S

Fuel type: Petrol

Engine capacity: 2,694 cc

Mileage: 10 km/l

Running cost (per month @30 km a day): Rs 5,893

Loan EMI (loan for 5 years, 80% financed at 10% interest): Rs 21,236

Resale value (after 2 years): Rs 12.6 lakh

All prices are ex-showroom Delhi. Cost of petrol is Rs 70.39 and diesel Rs 58.72 per litre as on 12 October 2017. Estimated price for resale value is for 30,000 km after two years. Mileage figures are for highway driving and are sourced from Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). Figures for running cost and loan EMI are indicative and may vary.

Source- ET Wealth