Don’t Buy A Diesel SUV This Diwali Before Checking These 10 Automatic Options

India’s festive season is just around the corner, and this period also sees the highest sales volume throughout the year. A lot of people who consider buying cars around July or August delay their purchase to the festive season, as it’s considered an auspicious time. If the past decade is any sort of measure of the market, it’s evident that Indians love buying SUVs, big or small, and many people actually do consider a diesel engine option too.

While earlier you were restricted to a diesel manual SUV, you now have a huge chunk of diesel SUVs with the choice of an automatic transmission. So, this Diwali, if you’re in the market for an automatic diesel SUV up to Rs 20 lakh, here are the 10 most affordable options you can get.

Kia Sonet

The first Kia in our list is also actually the smallest and the oldest model in the brand’s portfolio currently. However, the Sonet still remains at the top of Kia’s sales charts on a very regular basis. One of the many reasons for that is the variety of powertrain options on offer. Other reasons include the premium cabin experience and the plethora of features on offer.

The diesel unit here is the same as the one in the Creta, a 1.5-litre diesel with a proper 6-speed torque automatic. You could also choose other powertrain options, which include a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and a 1-litre turbo-petrol engine that could be mated to either a manual, an IMT, or a dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Tata Nexon

The Nexon was one of the best-selling SUVs in India up until a while ago, but the crown has now been stolen. Even after clubbing the sales figures of the electric version, the Nexon barely makes it to the top 5 best-selling cars of each month. However, that doesn’t mean the Nexon is not a good car by any measure.

It comes with a 1.5-litre diesel engine with a 6-speed AMT. The Nexon is also available with the option of a turbo-petrol and a CNG powertrain, offering a wide variety to buyers. Some key features on the Nexon that make it a good deal include a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, a 10.25-inch virtual cluster, a built-in dashcam on Camo variants, a panoramic sunroof and more.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

The XUV 3XO isn’t Mahindra’s only sub-4m SUV, as the Bolero and Bolero Neo also fall into this category. However, the XUV 3XO is the most sophisticated and premium subcompact SUV that Mahindra offers. It’s got a good mix of good driving dynamics, an up-to-the-brim feature list, and decent ride comfort to make it a compelling choice.

It also comes with a 1.5-litre diesel engine that’s offered with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed AMT. Other engine options include two 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engines. Of the 11 trims on offer on the XUV 3XO, the diesel engine with an automatic is available only on three variants. They come with comfort features like a panoramic sunroof, two 10.25-inch screens (RevX Edge (O) gets an analogue instrument cluster), auto headlamps and wipers, and more.

Hyundai Venue

The Venue is the latest product in Hyundai India’s lineup and, as mentioned earlier, also utilises the same 1.5-litre diesel engine as the other Hyundai-Kia cars. The Venue, which shares its platform with the Sonet and Syros, is larger overall compared to the Sonet. The other engine options on offer include a 1.2-litre petrol and a 1-litre turbo-petrol.

The Venue now becomes an even better value proposition with the longer wheelbase, new tech features, and the more premium-feeling cabin in the segment. As expected with diesel variants, the Venue also gets this oil-burning engine with mid- and top-spec variants only. The features list on these variants is quite good, as with any Hyundai, as you get either a 10.25-inch or a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, a digital instrument cluster, ADAS on the HX10 variant only, and more.

Kia Syros

The Syros is the latest SUV nameplate for Kia in India in this segment, and it honestly is one of the best cars in the segment, if you can live with the design. The Syros is best known for the packaging inside the cabin, making a sub-4m SUV feel much larger inside. It is also one of the most feature-loaded vehicles you can buy in the sub-Rs 20 lakh price bracket, as it offers a triple-screen layout, ADAS, front and rear ventilated seats, a panoramic sunroof and so much more.

Under the hood is the same 1.5-litre diesel engine that does duty in the Sonet, Creta, Venue, and Seltos that’s featured in this list. Again, it’s also mated to the same 6-speed torque converter automatic as its siblings and cousins. Unlike the Sonet and Venue, the only other engine option on offer is a 1-litre turbo-petrol with the option of a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Kia Seltos

Once you move up from the subcompact to the compact SUV segment, your options for a diesel automatic SUV reduce as you’ll get limited variants in that price bracket. The same is the case with the Kia Seltos also, but even the variants in this price bracket are quite loaded. If you want ADAS, there’s only one variant that gets it (HTX (A)), but if you want features like dual screens, panoramic sunroof, ventilated seats and more, the GTX and X-Line offer you that, at exactly Rs 20 lakh.

Like its siblings and cousins, the Seltos also comes with a 1.5-litre diesel engine, mated to the same 6-speed torque converter automatic. The Seltos, though, also offers you the choice of a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol or a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with the option of a CVT, iMT, manual or a dual-clutch automatic.

Tata Sierra

One of the latest entrants in our market marks the comeback of an iconic nameplate. While the OG Sierra was offered with a naturally aspirated diesel engine and later a turbocharged unit, the new Sierra comes with a choice of three engines — a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine.

Along with a 6-speed torque automatic, the diesel is also available with the option of a 6-speed manual transmission. The Sierra, in true Tata Cars fashion, is offering a wide variety of creature comforts like a triple-screen setup, panoramic sunroof, boss mode, ventilated seats, and everything you can think of and then some.

Hyundai Creta

The supreme leader of the SUV segment in India, the Creta has sometimes been the best-selling model in India in recent months. The Creta is popular because it offers a lot of features, powertrain options, Hyundai’s reliability and a good design (especially the current version). Like most of its rivals, it can be had with either a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol, a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol, or a 1.5-litre diesel. All three engines serve a different purpose, and if you’re looking for great fuel efficiency, then diesel is your best bet.

While you don’t get the ultimate top-spec Creta diesel automatic under Rs 20 lakh, you still get a lot of features like a panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting, powered driver’s seat, ventilated front seat, 10.25-inch touchscreen and instrument cluster and more. If you want ADAS with your Creta diesel automatic, you’d have to get the King or King Dual Tone variant.

Mahindra Thar OG

The latest entrant in the market is the Thar OG, basically a proper facelift of the second-gen Thar that was launched back in 2020. The Thar OG is the only vehicle on this list that’s offered with two diesel engines (a 1.5-litre and a 2.0-litre unit), but the one listed here comes with a 2.2-litre diesel engine, as that’s the only diesel engine that comes with a 6-speed automatic. It’s also the only diesel automatic four-wheel-drive SUV that you can buy in this price bracket.

The Thar OG was recently updated, and it came with major mechanical changes like frequency-dependent dampers, Pentalink rear suspension, and electric power steering to make it a more comfortable drive in the city. Comfort features include a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, a 6-speaker system, wireless charging and more.

Mahindra Thar Roxx

The final car on this list is essentially another Thar, but this time it’s the five-door variant. The Thar Roxx has become quite successful and popular since its launch in 2024, as it offers everything the Thar did but with the added comfort of an easily accessible second row. If you are buying a diesel automatic Thar Roxx under Rs 20 lakh, then you might miss out on a few features, especially four-wheel drive, which you get with the Thar OG.

However, even the AX5 L and Star Edition come with a fair bit of kit like ventilated front seats, a 10.25-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 10.25-inch virtual instrument cluster, a blind-spot monitor and more.

CarDekho Says…

If you’re planning to buy a diesel automatic SUV this festive season, the sub-Rs 20 lakh price bracket offers you a wide variety. If you’re a small family and you’ll be driving the car primarily, the Nexon, XUV 3XO, Venue, and Sonet offer you a good choice. But if you’re a slightly larger family and will prefer being driven around too, the Syros, Creta, Sierra, and Seltos offer you good space and decent tech. But if you’re looking for an adventurous SUV, you can’t go wrong with the Thar OG, and if you want your car to look tough but won’t be taken off-road, the Thar Roxx is your best bet.

Ultimately, the right SUV will depend on what matters to you the most, whether it’s more features but a compromise on space or vice versa.

With a plethora of options in this price bracket, which one are you choosing? Tell us in the comments.

All prices are ex-showroom.