The said space has become crowded with products now, with a range of new cars now offered in this price bracket ranging from mid-size SUVs to D-segment sedans
While the Rs 15 to Rs 20 lakh space in the Indian automobile industry was previously largely dominated by sedans, a range of SUVs have been launched in the country in the past couple of years or so, and they have gone on to create their own niche.
Today, a host of SUVs and sedans are available in this price bracket, and we have put together the top 5 cars that fall in between the Rs 15 lakh and Rs 20 lakh space –
1. Kia Seltos – Rs 9.89 – 17.34 lakh (ex-showroom)
Kia Motors entered the Indian market last year with a bang, thanks to its first offering in the country – the Seltos. Even while it was launched in late August, the car still managed to become the fourth highest-selling SUV in India in FY20, with 81,984 units sold.
The Seltos is managing to rake in high numbers month in, month out, thanks to its extensive feature-list and drivetrain options. Some noteworthy features include a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, an 8-inch heads-up display, an electric sunroof, ventilated front seats, a smart air purifier system, automatic climate control, a 360-degree camera and blind-view monitor that transmits to the 7-inch multi-information display in the instrument cluster.
The powertrain options on offer are – a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol motor (115 PS/144 Nm); a 1.5-litre turbo-diesel unit (115 PS/250 Nm); and a 1.4-litre T-GDi turbocharged petrol engine that makes 140 PS of max power, along with 242 Nm of peak torque. Transmission options include a 6-speed MT, an IVT automatic (1.5-litre petrol), a torque converter automatic (1.5-litre diesel), and a 7-speed DSG (1.4-litre turbo-petrol).
2. Hyundai Creta – Rs 9.99 – 17.20 lakh (ex-showroom)
The Kia Seltos’ launch and the success that ensued, jeopardised the mid-size SUV segment leader Hyundai Creta’s sales. However, since Kia and Hyundai are sister brands, the latter was able to borrow Seltos’ platform to introduce the all-new second generation version of the Creta.
Launched in March this year, the Creta uses the same drivetrains as the Seltos, and is largely similar in terms of size. However, the Hyundai SUV features a very different design, both inside and outside. In terms of features, the Creta gets a panoramic sunroof, paddle shifters, an electronic parking brake over its cousin.
3. Tata Harrier – Rs 13.69 – 20.25 lakh (ex-showroom)
The Harrier is currently Tata Motors’ flagship offering in the Indian market, and the carmaker seems to rely on it a lot. While it was only launched back in January 2019, Tata introduced an updated version of the SUV at the 2020 Auto Expo in February this year.
The Harrier now gets a panoramic sunroof, 17-inch dual-tone alloys, a 9-speaker premium sound system from JBL, an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment display, three terrain-response modes, 6-way power adjustable driver’s seat and more. It is offered with a 2.0-litre Kryotec diesel motor that belts out 170 PS power and 350 Nm torque, with a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed AMT as the transmission options available.
4. MG Hector – Rs 12.73 – 17.72 lakh (ex-showroom)
MG Motor took everyone by storm when it launched its first product in the country, the Hector SUV, which went on to become India’s first internet-connected car. It still is one of the most well-equipped car in the Rs 15 – 20 lakh price segment, since it comes with features like a 10.4-inch vertically stacked infotainment system embedded with an Airtel eSim, a 360-degree camera, a large panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting, rain-sensing wipers, cruise control, heated ORVMs etc.
Powertrain options include a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine that makes 143 PS/250 Nm; the same engine with a 48V mild-hybrid system; and a Fiat-sourced 2.0-litre oil burner that puts out 170 PS and 350 Nm.
5. Honda Civic – Rs 17.93 – 21.24 lakh (ex-showroom)
The Honda Civic is the only sedan to be included in this list, since it gets both petrol and diesel powertrains, and also gets tons of equipment like a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, lane-watch cameras, cruise control, 8-way adjustable driver’s seat, electric sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control and smart key engine on and off.
The Honda Civic comes with a 1.8-litre petrol engine that pumps out 139 PS power and 174 Nm of torque; along with a 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel engine that produces 118 PS and 300 Nm of power and torque respectively. The petrol engine is only offered with a CVT automatic gearbox, while the oil burner makes do with a 6-speed manual transmission.