Best SUVs under 20 Lakh in India 2021: Hyundai Creta to New Safari

There's no doubt that the SUV segment in India is developing at a radical speed. In fact, almost all mass-market automobile manufacturers in India have at least one player in their respective lineup to join the sub-20 lakh SUVs space already. Gone are the days when buyers consider SUV an expensive buy. With the stiff competition in the SUV segment, carmakers are racing against each other to introduce more affordable SUV cars, all the ways to attract a wider range of customers in the price-sensitive market. Among plenty of SUV cars available on sale here, IndianAuto lists out the best SUVs under 20 lakh you can buy in India in 2021.

1. Hyundai Creta

The first-gen Hyundai Creta was one of the most successful mid-size SUVs coming out from the Hyundai stables and the second-gen Hyundai Creta has just carried forward the nameplate’s legacy. The 2020 Hyundai Creta is now the bestseller in the SUV segment for many good reasons. Its design, from our visual standpoint, is a step forward from the previous-gen model.

The new-gen Creta offers a bunch of comfort goodies and safety features inside the cabin, making it a safe and confident drive. The new-gen Creta also scores better in terms of performance and ride quality, with the aids of multiple engines and gearbox options underneath the skin.

We must accept that the all-new Creta might entail some grouses such as lack of soft-touch materials and the outright grunt of the earlier diesel car. However, the plethora of features with plenty of cabin space, comfort, convenience and practicality on offer has made a nice compensation for that. At present, the Hyundai Creta is positioned in between Rs 9.99 – 17.53 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), thus making it to the list of best SUVs under 20 lakh in India.

2020 Hyundai Creta Prices in Some Popular Cities

2. Kia Seltos

The fact that Kia is a whole new brand in the Indian space can stop them from becoming one of the most popular car brands in a short period. The biggest contributor to Kia’s success is none other than the Kia Seltos. Marked its first entry in India last year, the Kia Seltos has been among the highest-selling SUVs of India since then.

Kia Seltos comes with an extensive feature list with many first-in-segment features. Not just that, the Seltos also offers three different powertrain options including a 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine making 155 PS / 144 Nm, a 1.5-litre diesel engine good for 115 PS/ 250 Nm, and a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine producing 140 PS / 242 Nm of torque.

Talking about the features, the Kia Seltos is equipped with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with UVO connect, an 8-speaker Bose sound system, heads-up display, smart air purifier, electric sunroof, power-adjustable driver’s seat, 360-degree camera view, and more.

Currently, Kia retails the petrol variant of the Seltos at around Rs 9.89 – 17.29 lakh while the diesel trims are on sale between Rs 10.35 – 17.45 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom).

Kia Seltos Prices in Some Popular Cities

3. Tata Harrier

Launched back in early 2019, the Tata Harrier is a popular domestic-grown mid-size SUV in the list of best SUVs under 20 lakh. Earlier this year, the Tata Harrier received a mild update that brought in the BS6-compliant engine with automatic transmission and technological update.

Powering the Tata Harrier is a BS6-compliant 2.0-litre Kryotec diesel engine that churns out 170 PS of max power and 350 Nm of torque. The car can be had with either a 6-speed MT or an automatic unit. With the addition of the automatic gearbox, the Tata Harrier is now a more convincing product. The car can perform the 0 – 100 kmph acceleration run in just under 11 seconds.

Other than that, one thing that the Tata Harrier scores the highest in the competition is the build quality. It makes use of top-notch components and things feel very sturdy. The cabin is feature-laden and the list of safety fitments is just mile-long. Particularly, the Tata Harrier gets its reputation as the “made-in-India” and “made-for-India” SUV that also helps garner a huge fanbase in the country.

Tata Harrier Prices in Some Popular Cities

4. Mahindra Scorpio

One of the most well-known Mahindra cars in India, the Mahindra Scorpio is the next model to be named in the list of best SUVs under 20 lakh in India. Despite being around the market for quite a long period, the Scorpio still makes it to the top-selling SUVs of India month by month.

The most successful SUV by Mahindra employs a 2.2-litre 4-cylinder mHawk turbo-diesel engine that churns out 140 HP/ 320 Nm of torque. The engine comes paired with a mere 6-speed manual transmission. The Scorpio is quite a well-loaded car. Depending on the variants, the Scorpio offers Driver Information System (DIS), Tyre-Tronics, rain and light sensors, GPS navigation in 10 languages.

In its latest avatar, the Mahindra Scorpio is priced at around Rs 11.99 - 16.52 Lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Mahindra is gearing up for the introduction of the new-generation Scorpio which is said to come to us in 2021.

Mahindra Scorpio Prices in Some Popular Cities

5. Mahindra Thar

Among the SUVs within a 20 lakh budget in India, the Mahindra Thar is the one that just received a new-generation change in India a while back. In its newest guise, the 2020 Mahindra Thar is setting the sales chart on fire since it officially went on sale on October 2.

While the older-gen Mahindra Thar was successful for its off-roading focus, the new-gen Thar has managed to transform into a contemporary urban SUV without losing out its iconic 4x4 off-roading capabilities and prowess. The ladder-on-frame SUV comes with a plethora of options, ranging from a 2.2-litre mHawk diesel engine, a 2.0-litre mStallion petrol motor, manual and automatic transmissions, soft-top, hardtop, and convertible rooftop options.

The all-new Mahindra Thar boasts of many new-age features like a touchscreen infotainment system, roof-mounted speakers, cruise control, steering-mounted controls, forward-facing seats among others. Priced from Rs 12.10 - 14.15 lakh (ex-showroom), the Mahindra Thar is certainly one of the best SUVs you can buy in India for less than 20 lakh.

Mahindra Thar Prices in Some Popular Cities

6. Tata Safari

Tata just introduced the seven-seater iteration of the Harrier which carries the iconic nameplate Tata Safari in India. The new Tata Safari is currently going on sale within the price range of Rs 14.69 - 21.45 Lakh, making it one of the best SUV cars under 20 lakh to buy in India this year. The new Tata Safari shares the Omega-Arc platform with the Harrier sibling while getting an increase in terms of dimensions for the extra seats.

Under the bonnet, the new Tata Safari comes with the same 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine making 170 HP/350 Nm as seen in the Harrier. Transmission duties are handled by a 6-speed MT and a 6-speed torque converter automatic option, which are as same as that of the Harrier as well. The Tata Safari offers a spacious cabin with the biggest talking point lies in the three rows of seats. It boasts of many premium interior features for the utmost comfort and safety quotients. The new Tata Safari faces competition with the MG Hector Plus, new Mahindra XUV500 and the upcoming Hyundai Alcazar.

That concludes the five best SUVs under 20 lakh in India. If you think there are any models that deserved to be listed here, let us know. For more interesting stories, stay tuned and keep yourself updated with IndianAuto.