Best SUVs by Budget in India: ₹10, ₹15 and ₹20 Lakh Picks, Updated for 2026

By Meezan KhanOct 26, 20266 min read

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Three SUVs of different sizes for the best SUVs by budget guide

The best SUVs by budget in India change every few weeks, and since our August video the Brezza and Scorpio-N have been facelifted, the XUV700 has become the XUV 7XO and the Duster Hybrid is about to be priced. This page is the written companion to that video. It takes the three budgets it covers, about ₹10 lakh, ₹15 lakh and ₹20 lakh, and gives the current prices, engines, safety ratings and offers for every SUV it names, plus what reviewers pick. It also flags the claims in the video that are now out of date, including one safety claim you should not repeat.

Watch the full video above for our top picks, which are given in the video and not in its description. The written version below is checked against Autocar India’s model pages dated 13 and 14 October 2026.

What the video covers

Around ₹10 lakh: the Nexon, the Brezza or the XUV 3XO.
Around ₹15 lakh: the Creta against the Sierra and the new Duster turbo.
Whether to wait for strong hybrids.
Around ₹20 lakh: the XUV700, the Safari or the Scorpio-N.

Best SUVs by budget at a glance

Around ₹10 lakh: Tata Nexon, Maruti Brezza and Mahindra XUV 3XO, all with 5-star Bharat NCAP ratings.
Around ₹15 lakh: Hyundai Creta, Tata Sierra and Renault Duster, the last with a 5-star rating too.
Around ₹20 lakh: Tata Safari, Mahindra XUV 7XO and Scorpio-N.
Strong hybrids: the Duster Hybrid is priced on 17 October.

Around ₹10 lakh: Nexon, Brezza and XUV 3XO

SUV	Price (ex-showroom)	Safety	October offer
Tata Nexon	₹7.40 lakh to ₹14.40 lakh (petrol, diesel); CNG ₹8.99 lakh to ₹14.59 lakh	5 stars, 6 airbags, ESP	Up to ₹75,000
Maruti Brezza (facelift)	₹7.40 lakh to ₹13.55 lakh	5 stars, adult score 30.41 of 32	Not found
Mahindra XUV 3XO	₹7.79 lakh to ₹15.04 lakh	5 stars, 6 airbags	Up to ₹60,000

The Nexon’s 1.2-litre turbo makes 115 hp and 260 Nm, with an ARAI figure of about 17 km/l on petrol and 24 km/kg on CNG, and the Pure+ PS with a panoramic sunroof costs ₹9.59 lakh, per Autocar India. The Brezza was facelifted on 24 July 2026 with a new 1.0-litre turbo of 110 hp, manual only, plus a 103 hp 1.5-litre petrol and CNG, and it got a 10.1-inch screen, ventilated front seats and a sunroof. The 3XO has a 1.2-litre turbo, a 131 hp direct-injection turbo and a diesel, but its CNG version had not launched when we checked, and was scheduled to debut on 15 October with no price. See our Nexon guide for the next-generation question.

Around ₹15 lakh: Creta, Sierra and Duster

A word of caution: ₹15 lakh buys only the lower trims of these cars. The Creta starts at ₹10.91 lakh and runs to ₹20.14 lakh, the Sierra runs from ₹11.49 lakh to ₹21.59 lakh and the Duster from ₹10.49 lakh to ₹18.49 lakh, and the turbo versions of the Duster and Sierra are well above ₹15 lakh.

Hyundai Creta: a 1.5-litre petrol of 115 hp, a 160 hp turbo and a 116 hp diesel. We found no Bharat NCAP rating for it, and the only crash result we found is a 3-star Global NCAP score from 2022 on a two-airbag car, so do not call the Creta a 5-star car. Offers are up to ₹1.15 lakh, with the diesel getting only about ₹10,000.
Tata Sierra: 5 stars in Bharat NCAP, announced in March 2026, with Level 2 ADAS on the Accomplished trim. New since our video are the Legend Series from ₹11.99 lakh and the Dark Edition from ₹13.99 lakh. See our Sierra variants guide.
Renault Duster: launched on 17 March 2026 with a 100 hp 1.0-litre turbo and a 163 hp 1.3-litre turbo, ARAI figures of 19.41, 17.75 and 18.45 km/l, and a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating, scoring 30.49 of 32 for adults.

Strong hybrids: wait or not?

The question has a concrete answer within days. The Renault Duster Strong Hybrid has bookings open at ₹21,000 and its launch and price are due on 17 October, with a claimed 29 km/l. Estimates of ₹19 lakh to ₹23 lakh are unofficial, and Renault is reported to have sold out its 2026 allocation, though we could not confirm that. Today’s proven strong hybrids, the Grand Vitara and Hyryder, are rated at 27.97 km/l and cost about ₹16.6 lakh to ₹20 lakh, from list sites. Read our Duster Hybrid guide.

Around ₹20 lakh: Safari, XUV 7XO and Scorpio-N

Tata Safari: ₹13.40 lakh to ₹26.91 lakh. A new 1.5-litre turbo-petrol of 170 hp now sits alongside the 170 hp diesel, and it has a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating, with 30.08 of 32 for adults. Diesel offers are up to ₹45,000.
Mahindra XUV 7XO: the video’s “XUV700” is now the XUV 7XO, a facelift launched on 5 January 2026. Prices run from ₹13.99 lakh to ₹25.79 lakh after a rise of up to ₹87,000 on 10 July, and it has a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating from September.
Mahindra Scorpio-N facelift: launched on 5 August 2026 from ₹13.69 lakh to ₹25.49 lakh, with a 12.3-inch screen, a digital cluster and a panoramic sunroof. The 5-star rating we found is a Global NCAP result on the old model, and we could not find a rating for the facelift.

The ₹20 lakh tier is stretched, since the Safari starts at ₹13.40 lakh while the Scorpio-N petrol automatic and the 7XO diesel automatic cross ₹20 lakh at the top.

Best SUVs by budget: what reviewers pick

Autocar India scores the Duster 9 out of 10, and the Sierra, Safari and Brezza 8 out of 10. In its list of compact SUVs under ₹15 lakh, as summarised in search results, it rates the Venue, Kylaq, Syros, XUV 3XO and Sonet 8 out of 10, calling the Syros the best inside, the Kylaq the most fun to drive and the 3XO the toughest-feeling. It also names the Scorpio-N as the only six- or seven-seater in that band with a 5-star rating. We found no V3Cars pick. These are the reviewers’ views and not our test results.

A note on our video

Our video is six weeks old, and its description has an unfilled placeholder. Three things are out of date. The “XUV700” is now the XUV 7XO. The Brezza has been facelifted, with a new turbo and a 5-star rating, and the Scorpio-N was facelifted on 5 August, after the video. The Duster had no strong hybrid in the video and now has one about to launch. Do not repeat any claim of a “5-star Creta”, because we found only the 2022 three-star Global NCAP result. We have not driven these SUVs, and the picks in the video itself are our opinion.

How to choose among the best SUVs by budget

Pick the budget first and then the safety rating, which for most of the cars above is five stars, with the Creta the exception we could not verify. Check the offers, since the Creta and Nexon have the largest this month, and wait only if you want the Duster Hybrid or the Hyundai Bayon, whose prices arrive on 17 and 26 October. Watch the full video for our top picks, and see the videos page and car news. The Creta offer is in Autocar India’s October report.

Best SUVs by budget FAQs

Which is the best SUV around ₹10 lakh?

The Nexon, Brezza and XUV 3XO are the main choices, and all three have 5-star Bharat NCAP ratings. The Nexon has the largest October offer, up to ₹75,000.

Does the Hyundai Creta have a 5-star rating?

We found no Bharat NCAP rating for the Creta, and only a 3-star Global NCAP result from 2022 on a two-airbag car. Do not call it a 5-star SUV.

Is the XUV700 still sold?

It is now the XUV 7XO, a facelift launched on 5 January 2026, priced from ₹13.99 lakh.

Should I wait for a strong hybrid?

The Renault Duster Hybrid is priced on 17 October, but its 2026 allocation is reported sold out. The Grand Vitara and Hyryder strong hybrids are on sale now.

Which SUV has the best safety rating?

The Nexon, Brezza, XUV 3XO, Sierra, Duster, Safari and XUV 7XO all have 5-star Bharat NCAP ratings. The Scorpio-N facelift’s rating is not found.

Most SUVs in these budgets are 5-star cars, so choose by size and features, and check the October offers and the 17 October Duster Hybrid price before you pay.