Best Diesel-Automatic 7-seater SUVs Under Rs 35 Lakh

Mahindra Alturas G4

• Ex-showroom Prices: Rs 27.70 - 30.70 Lakh

Back in November 2018, Mahindra’s most premium flagship SUV as yet, the Alturas G4 was officially launched in India. Being a re-engineered badged version of the global-spec SsangYong Rexton, the Mahindra Alturas G4 is expected to take the market by storm with its hardcore nature on offer. The luxurious, spacious and well-loaded SUV endears itself with a refined 2.2-litre diesel motor that rolls out a very impressive performance on every place it goes. Though the Alturas G4 is not considered the best value-for-money SUV (with quite expensive price tags) and the third row of seats isn’t the best, too. Still, this “hulking” SUV is certainly a big deal for average luxury SUV buyers, to say the least.

Ford Endeavour

• Ex-showroom Prices: Rs 31.33 - 33.70 Lakh

Joining the list of best 7-seater SUVs under Rs 35 lakh is the Ford Endeavour. The vehicle is not inferior to the Mahindra Alturas G4 in many cases and even it towers over the Mahindra’s offering with the options of two diesel-automatic combinations. Recently, Ford has made a serious makeover for the Endeavour that keeps the SUV extremely refreshed- both inside and out. More features have been added while the 160 HP turbocharged 2.2-litre 4-cylinder diesel engine and a 200 HP turbocharged 3.2-litre 5-cylinder diesel mill are, albeit a tad noisy, very powerful which can be noticed right from the first 50 metres. The only grouse that we hope to be improved lies in the third row which is not really comfy for use, just like the earlier Alturas G4 counterpart.

Toyota Fortuner

• Ex-showroom Prices: Rs 31.70 - 33.60 Lakh

Over the years, the Toyota Fortuner always stands first among the list of best-selling 7-seater SUVs under Rs 35 lakh for Indian enthusiasts. Despite having quite premium prices, the Fortuner's unrivalled resale value combined with the proven decent off-road capabilities makes it a “mouth-watering” car over many other seven-seater candidates. However, in my subjective judgment, the middling refinement and interior quality of the car come as a bit let-down for many car fanatics.

Isuzu MU-X

• Ex-showroom Prices: 27.35 - 29.32 Lakh

Unlike the three earlier SUVs, the Isuzu MU-X carries a relatively competitive price with a usable third row of seats. The exteriors and interiors are quite premium while its largest 177 HP 3.0-litre diesel engine is also a pinnacle then. Nevertheless, its styling design is still lacking a sense of occasion while the engine is less potent than its competitors, not to mention that it's a bit noisy besides. The slow 5-speed gearbox, quite a lot of body roll at three-digit speeds, and heavy steering are also something we could complain about.

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

• Ex-showroom Prices: Rs 28.36 - 29.53 Lakh

The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport is a bit aging compared to its adversaries though, it is still among the top diesel-automatic 7-seater SUVs under Rs 35 Lakh. First launched in India in 2012, the Pajero Sport hasn’t seen many changes in its package so far. Still, the 2.5-litre diesel engine tuned for the maximum power of 178 HP along with a 5-speed automatic gearbox looks fairly nice, making the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport a capable off-roader. However, the absence of the 4WD system for the automatic variants is a big discouragement, to be honest. Note that it is available for the manual option only.

That concludes our list of the best diesel-automatic 7-seater SUVs under Rs 35 lakh. Read more interesting car stories from IndianAuto.