Low maintenance SUVs in India - IAB picks

Once upon a time, the SUVs were usually considered to be vehicles with high maintenance costs, thus restricting them to the elite class of buyers only. However, the arrival of newer compact SUVs in the Indian market has broadened the demand of SUVs across various segments of buyers.

Here, we have listed down eight low maintenance SUVs in India, which ask the least annual servicing costs, The range of cost of services mentioned below are for the varying periods of services – the cost increases with increase in mileage in the odometer of the SUVs.

Maruti Vitara Brezza

Maruti Suzuki cars usually command low maintenance costs, and the Vitara Brezza is no exception. The sole compact offering from Maruti Suzuki was recently upgraded with a new petrol powertrain, which replaced the ageing 1.3-litre diesel engine. For starters, the Maruti Vitara Brezza fetches a service bill in the range of INR 3,000 to INR 7,500, depending on the service intervals.

The Maruti Vitara Brezza now comes with only a 1.5-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine under its hood. Available with both 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic gearbox options, the engine pumps out 105 PS of maximum power output and 138 Nm of peak torque output.

Hyundai Venue

Hyundai made its grand foray in the sub-four meter SUV segment with the Venue, which instantly became a hit for the practicality and premium features it offers. The Hyundai Venue comes with two petrol engine options and a diesel engine, the service costs for which range between INR 3,000-6,600 and INR 3,700-7,700 respectively.

The engine options in the Hyundai Venue are two petrol motors – a 1.2-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine (83 PS/113 Nm) and a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine (120 PS/172 Nm), and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engine (100 PS/240 Nm). A 6-speed manual gearbox is common to the diesel and turbo petrol variants, whereas the naturally aspirated petrol engine comes paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard. The turbo-petrol motor can also be had with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

Ford Ecosport

It was the Ford Ecosport which pioneered the sub-four meter SUV segment in India, and thanks to Ford’s consistent endeavours in keeping the after-sales servicing costs as minimal as possible. Hence, its maintenance costs are quite affordable as well. The annual maintenance costs for the Ford Ecosport vary between INR 2,800-8,500 for petrol variants and INR 4,200-10,500 for the diesel ones.

Ford has made the Ecosport available in two engine options – a 1.5-litre three-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol (123 PS/149 Nm) and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engine (100 PS/215 Nm). While a 5-speed manual gearbox is common to both the engines, the petrol motor can be had with a 6-speed torque converter as well.

Tata Nexon

The Tata Nexon is undoubtedly one of the most pocket-friendly SUVs to have ever come from Tata’s stable, as far as maintenance costs are concerned. The Tata Nexon asks for a service cost range of nearly INR 3,300-7,700 for the petrol variants and INR 4,200-9,400 for the diesel variants.

The Tata Nexon can be had with one of the two engine options available – a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol (120 PS/170 Nm) and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel (110 PS/260 Nm). Both the engines can be had with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed AMT transmission.

Mahindra XUV300

Mahindra usually had a history of making SUVs with large engines, however, the XUV300 brought a wave of change with its compact powertrains, which are currently the smallest in the entire Mahindra range. Naturally, they do command lesser maintenance costs as well, with the petrol variants charging INR 3,000-9,000 and the diesel variants asking INR 2,100-8,000.

Like the Tata Nexon, the Mahindra XUV300 can also be had with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine (110 PS/200 Nm) and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engine (117 PS/300 Nm). A 6-speed manual gearbox is common to both the engines, while a 6-speed AMT is offered as an option with the diesel engine.

Hyundai Creta

The new second-generation Hyundai Creta is riding high on the success wave with its versatile powertrain options, enhanced premium appeal in and out and the strong brand value of the brand Hyundai. The annual service costs for the Hyundai Creta range anywhere between INR 2,200-10,500 for the two petrol engine options and INR 3,300-8,500 for the diesel engine it offers.

The Hyundai Creta shares its engine options with the Kia Seltos – a 1.5-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine (115 PS/ 145 Nm), a 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine (140 PS/242 Nm) and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engine (115 PS/250 Nm). The 1.5-litre petrol and diesel variants can be had with a CVT and 6-speed automatic gearboxes respectively, apart from the 6-speed manual gearbox common to both of them. The 1.4-litre turbo-petrol, however, is available solely with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

Kia Seltos

The Kia Seltos became a runaway success from day one banking on its novelty factor and strong after-sales support, thus taking a leaf from the book of its parent company, Hyundai. The Kia Seltos has its powertrains in common with the Hyundai Creta, which specifies similar maintenance costs to the latter – INR 2,500-10,000 for the petrol variants and 3,500-8,500 for the diesel ones.

The Kia Seltos, like the Hyundai Creta, can be had with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine (115 PS/145 Nm), a 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine (140 PS/242 Nm) or a 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engine (115 PS/250 Nm). Here, a 6-speed manual gearbox is common to all the engines, with separate automatic gearbox options for different engines – CVT for the naturally aspirated petrol, 6-speed automatic gearbox for the diesel and 7-speed dual-clutch automatic for the turbo-petrol.

Renault Duster

Once at the top of the game of compact SUVs, the Renault Duster has lost its track a bit with the arrival of newer rivals. For now, the Renault Duster has bid goodbye to the tried and tested diesel engine and is now available solely with a petrol engine option, which seeks an annual service cost in the range of INR 3,000-8,000.

The engine option with which the Renault Duster currently is available is a 1.5-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol motor, which produces 106 PS of power and 142 Nm of torque. The Duster is being offered with only a 5-speed manual gearbox for the time being.

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