Indian car owners generally have large families, and a seven-seater car makes sense for a lot of them. Here are the more budget-friendly options.
Seven-seater cars are not required by most consumers, but quite a few people operate under the premise of “better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it”, so they are quite popular among Indian car buyers. The bulk of the Indian car sales are concentrated in the Rs 5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh price range, so we have compiled a list of seven-seater car models in this price range and highlighted what sets each one apart from the competition.
Maruti Suzuki Eeco: Rs 5.61 lakh
The Maruti Suzuki Eeco is available as a seven-seater car, though it is a single trim, with all other trims being five-seaters. It is absolutely the least expensive way to transport seven people from point A to B and, for this budget-friendliness, the passengers have to make a pretty large sacrifice on creature comforts. Even Maruti Suzuki themselves classify it as a van. If the vehicle has the slightest chance of being used as a regular car, we need to take a look at the next entry on this list.
Renault Triber: Rs 5.99 lakh
The Renault Triber was launched in 2019 and it shows with its array of flexible seating, easy-to-remove third row of seats, not to mention a tilt-adjustable steering wheel. With optional features, the Triber becomes a properly useful seven-seater car for single-car garages, which is usually the case for customers in this price bracket. The Triber also offers an optional automatic transmission in the guise of an AMT, which makes dealing with city traffic a bit easier.
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga: Rs 8.69 lakh
If someone’s looking for a seven-seater car from Maruti Suzuki but does not want to compromise on creature comfort, the Ertiga has been a reliable choice since its inception in 2012. It is also the most affordable seven-seater car that offers an optional torque-converter automatic transmission. It pays to go for the ZXi trim level if it’s going to be used as a daily driver, but there’s no difference in safety equipment among the trims, though the base model is clearly designed for the commercial market. It is the first to offer a petrol-CNG bi-fuel option on this list.
Mahindra Bolero: Rs 9.79 lakh
We didn’t think to find this old soldier still chugging on, but here is the legendary Mahindra Bolero in all its glory, virtually unchanged from the year 2000. It now has ABS and airbags and is the first seven-seater car to come with a diesel engine. The agricultural mHawk75 BS6 unit develops a tractor-like 210 Nm between 1,600 and 2,200 rpm. While it does have seven seats, the third row is, in fact, two side-facing jump seats and prolonged exposure to them may warrant a visit to the chiropractor.
Mahindra Bolero Neo: Rs 9.95 lakh
Another long-running car, the Mahindra Bolero Neo (previously known as the TUV300) has been around since 2015. The price difference is marginal between the Bolero Neo and the OG Bolero, and the side-facing jump seats continue in this seven-seater car as well. That being said, the looks and interior of the Bolero Neo are much more contemporary compared to the OG Bolero, though the indestructible reputation the latter carries is something most cars can only dream of.
Toyota Rumion: Rs 10.44 lakh
The Toyota Rumion is Toyota’s most affordable seven-seater car in the Indian market. It is based on the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. The base S trim on the Rumion is equivalent to the VXi trim on the Ertiga, with features like a second-row centre armrest, second-row roof-mounted a-c vents, second-row 12V power outlet, keyless entry and driver-side auto window with anti-pinch coming as standard equipment. The Rumion does get two fewer colour options compared to the Ertiga.
Kia Carens: Rs 10.60 lakh
The 2023 Indian Car Of The Year winner, the Kia Carens comes in the form of either a six- or seven-seater car. It is the first of this list to offer both petrol and diesel engine options, which is a rarity these days. It also offers a total of four different transmission options, the choices having been tailored to specific engines. The Carens is loaded to the gills with features expected from Kia, which is reflected in the sales figures as the Carens is consistently competing with the Seltos in numbers, despite not being an SUV.
Maruti Suzuki XL6: Rs 11.61 lakh
The more upmarket version of the Ertiga, the Maruti Suzuki XL6 is the seven-seater car catering to the Nexa customers. It is physically larger than the Ertiga in all three dimensions, though the wheelbases are identical between the two. The engine and transmission options are identical between the two as well, however, a lot of features that are either missing or optional on the Ertiga are standard in the XL6, such as an overhead console with a map light and sunglass holder, height-adjustable driver’s seat, etc.
Citroen Aircross: Rs 12.46 lakh
The Citroen Aircross (previously called the C3 Aircross) is a five or seven-seater car, and the seven-seater gets a more powerful turbocharged engine, an optional torque-converter automatic transmission and the third row of seats is removable. As the seven-seater option is not offered on the base trim, it automatically gets a 10.24-inch touchscreen infotainment with wireless smartphone connectivity and a steering wheel with audio, phone and cluster controls.
Mahindra Scorpio Classic: Rs 13.61 lakh
Another old soldier from Mahindra’s stable, the Mahindra Scorpio Classic (the original Scorpio was launched in 2002) is still the dream SUV for many Indians. It is also the first Mahindra to offer a choice between a side-facing third row (7SF) against a forward-facing third row with captains chairs in the second row (7CC). This is an option not offered by any other cars here, though we believe that given the choice most people would prefer a forward-facing third row.
Mahindra XUV700: Rs 14.49 lakh
The successor to the wildly popular Mahindra XUV500, the Mahindra XUV700 carries forward the monocoque line of Mahindra. It is also the first car in this list to offer optional AWD and ADAS, though the prices of the variants with these are way above our cut-off. Being the flagship Mahindra SUV, it is the single-most potent car in this list, with three engine options–one petrol and two diesels–all developing 360 Nm or more torque. Even the base MX trim’s feature list is quite extensive and seven seats is an option on every trim.
Mahindra Scorpio N: Rs 13.99 lakh
Mahindra are known for their body-on-frame SUVs though, and the Mahindra Scorpio N is the flag-bearer of tough, old-school SUVs that created a cult-like following around the brand. Every variant of the Mahindra Scorpio N is a seven-seater car and the top Z8 L trim offers a six-seater option. It is also the only car in this list which is a pukka off-roader with a proper transfer case, though once again, like the XUV700, the price of that particular trim puts it beyond the scope of this list.
Hyundai Alcazar: Rs 14.99 lakh
Hyundai Creta’s larger counterpart, the Hyundai Alcazar can be had as either a six- or seven-seater car, and it barely manages to clear our cut-off for this list with that starting price. That being said, it is a ridiculously feature-loaded car, offering the kind of luxury items as standard that isn’t even common in cars that are a segment above, such as alloy wheels, hill start assist, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), dual-zone climate control, electrically-adjustable tilt and telescopic steering and electric tailgate release, among others.