Top Affordable SUVs in India in 2024

Nowadays, the Indian automobile market has witnessed impressive growth, as far as the demand for SUVs is concerned. There are, however, different types of SUVs, belonging to different segments. 

But, the most popular yet affordable SUV market in India, is the sub-four-metre (sub-4m) SUV market. While being affordable, they are also practical, easy to park in congested areas, have good mileage, and are easy to maintain and repair. 

So, here are some top affordable SUVs that you can consider: 

1) Tata Punch (Rs 6.13 to Rs 10.20 lakh) 

The Punch is called “micro SUV” by Tata Motors. It’s one of the bestselling vehicles in the country as it hosts a generous number of features, incorporates a premium design, and boasts a solid build quality despite having two airbags. The Tata Punch has a five-star safety rating from Global NCAP. 

The key features of this vehicle include a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment unit, a 7-inch semi-digital instrument cluster, auto HVAC, keyless entry, a cooled glove box, power windows (all), anti-glare IRVM, and LED lights (front and rear). The connected car technology is also there. 

For safety, it has a tyre pressure monitor, a rear camera with guidelines, ISOFIX child-seat anchorages, dual airbags, central locking, traction control, and ABS with EBD, to name a few. 

It has a boot space and ground clearance rated 366 litres and 187mm, respectively. 

This sub-4m SUV is available in petrol and CNG. The Tata Punch’s mileage ranges between 18.8kmpl and 26.99km/kg.

The Punch EV is also available. It starts from Rs 10.99 lakh and goes up to Rs 15.49 lakh 

2) Hyundai Exter (Rs 6.13 lakh to Rs 10.28 lakh)

The Hyundai Exter is a five-seater sub-4m SUV, but it’s better suited for four people. This vehicle looks butch from the front and has a boxy design overall. Because of its practicality, looks, features, and aftersales, the Exter secured the Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) 2024 award. 

It is a feature-packed vehicle. The features include an 8-inch touchscreen, a semi-digital instrument cluster, connected car technology, a single-pane sunroof, a dual-camera dashcam, a wireless charger, power windows, cruise control, etc. It also has a cooled glove box, voice command, a keyless entry, electric ORVMs, alloy wheels, LED lights (front and rear), and  Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. 

In terms of safety, this vehicle has six airbags, an anti-glare IRVM, an anti-theft alarm, central locking, a tyre pressure monitor, a speed-sensing door lock, and a reverse camera with guidelines. 

Further, this vehicle has boot space and ground clearance rated at 391 litres and 185mm, respectively. 

This sub-compact SUV is available in both petrol and CNG. The Hyundai Exter’s mileage ranges between 19.2kmpl and 27.1km/kg. 

3) Kia Sonet (Rs 7.99 lakh to Rs 15.75 lakh) 

The Kia Sonet is a sibling of the Hyundai Venue and both of them share the underpinnings and powertrains. This vehicle is also feature-loaded and when it came to India, it became a game changer in the sub-four-metre segment, as it had many segment-first offerings.

However, it has a dual display (touchscreen infotainment and digital instrument cluster both measure 10.25 inches), 4-way powered seats, auto HVAC, LED lights (front and rear), ambient lighting, three drive modes, auto-dimming IRVM, keyless entry, etc. It also has a 60:40 split seat, front ventilated seats, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, anti-pinch windows (all), and connected car technology, to name a few. 

Safety features comprise a level-1 ADAS, front and rear parking sensors, disc brakes (all), six airbags, a tyre pressure monitor, a rear camera with guidelines, hill assist, traction control, and a 360-degree view camera. 

The 2024 Sonet has a boot space of 385 litres and a ground clearance of 205mm. 

This vehicle is available in a 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated (NA) petrol, a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol, and a 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine. The Sonet’s mileage ranges between 18.6kmpl and 22.3kmpl, depending on the engine and transmission. 

4) Tata Nexon (Rs 8 lakh to 15.80 lakh) 

The Tata Nexon is one of the bestselling sub-compact SUVs in India. This Made-in-India vehicle is also among the safest cars in the country, as it boasts a five-star safety rating from the Global NCAP.  

Like its rivals, the 2024 Nexon is also a feature-loaded SUV. Its futuristic or concept-like design makes the heads turn. The width-spanning front LED lights with LED DRLs, connected LED taillamp with welcome and goodbye animations and the imposing bodywork make this affordable SUV stand out on the road. 

Features onboard are ventilated front seats, a 360-degree camera, a cooled glove box, a centre armrest with storage, three drive modes, dual displays of 10.24 inches (digital instrument unit and touchscreen infotainment unit), a leatherette upholstery, front fog lamps, etc. It also has a single-pane sunroof, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, auto HVAC, connected car technology, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, and the new two-spoke steering wheel with an illuminated logo at the centre. 

 For safety, the 2024 Tata Nexon has six airbags, a blind spot monitor, hill assist, an anti-theft device, a tyre pressure monitor, an anti-glare IRVM, a rear camera with guidelines, and ISOFIX  child-seat anchorages.

For convenience, this homegrown vehicle has a boot space of 382 litres and a ground clearance of 208mm. 

The engine options include a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine and a 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine. As for the Tata Nexon’s mileage, the figure ranges between 17.01kmpl and 24.08kmpl, depending on the engine and transmission configuration. 

The Nexon EV is also available and the price ranges between Rs 14.49 lakh and Rs 19.49 lakh. 

5) Mahindra XUV 3XO (Rs 7.49 lakh to Rs 15.49 lakh)

The Mahindra XUV 3XO is a facelifted version of the XUV300. For those unaware, Mahindra has renamed the latter to XUV 3XO. Since it competes with feature-loaded cars, such as the Kia Sonet, Tata Nexon, Hyundai Exter, etc., the XUV 3XO will not let you lament the offerings. 

It has many segment-first features, such as a panoramic sunroof, a dual-zone HVAC, 65W USB-C charging ports, an electric parking brake with auto hold, 3 smart steering modes, and level-2 ADAS. This ADAS suite is borrowed from the XUV700. Further, it has a keyless entry, 60:40 split seats, a cooled glove box, a centre armrest with storage, LED DRLs, and LED lights (front and rear). 

The 2024 XUV3XO also has a leatherette upholstery, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment unit, a dual-tone horn, alloy wheels, a 10.25-inch digital driver display, Harman Kardon audio system, Adrenox telematics, an Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. 

The safety features include six airbags, rain-sensing wipers, a tyre pressure monitor, a rear camera with guidelines, a 360-degree view camera, ISOFIX child-seat anchorages, central locking, and anti-glare IRVM, to name a few. The XUV 3XO has a five-star safety rating from the Global NCAP. 

The XUV 3XO has a boot space of 295 litres and a ground clearance of 201mm. 

This homegrown vehicle is available in turbocharged- petrol and -diesel units. The mileage of the 2024 XUV300 (now called 3XO) ranges between 17.96kmpl and 21.2kmpl, depending on the engine and transmission combination.