Top 8 SUV Cars Under 15 Lakhs: Our Picks for Style, Safety, and Space

Author: Nikhil Ramchandani •Published on: 1/16/2026•6 Minutes
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Highlights:

  • Kia Syros and Tata Sierra are the most spacious offerings in their respective segment.
  • XUV 3XO, Nexon and Syros have already proven their safety in crash test assessments. 



If you’re in the market for an SUV that strikes a good balance between style, cabin space and safety? Well, you are at the right place. Here, we have listed eight head-turning SUVs that offer excellent space for a family and place great emphasis on safety. And yes, all of these are priced under ₹15 lakh!


Hyundai Venue


  • Price Range: ₹7.90 - 15.69 lakh

The Hyundai Venue, now in its second generation, is one of the most well-rounded compact SUVs you can buy in the Indian market. Borrowing its design cues from the Alcazar and Creta, the new Venue looks appealing from every angle and has also grown in size. All of this translates to a good road presence and a spacious cabin with ample knee room, head room and width even for taller passengers. And with the new-gen, the Venue now pays great attention to safety as well, with a reinforced chassis and over 20+ standard safety features.  


Overall, it is very comfortable for daily use, loaded with modern-day amenities, and offers a wide powertrain options, including 1.2-litre NA petrol (83PS/114Nm), 1-litre turbo-petrol (120PS/172Nm) and 1.5-litre diesel (116PS/250Nm), to suit various driving needs.


Tata Nexon

  • Price Range: ₹7.32 - 14.15 lakh

The Tata Nexon is among the safest SUVs in the country, with a proven 5-star rating from both Bharat NCAP and Global NCAP. Customers admire it for its commanding appearance, excellent ride quality, extensive features list and spacious cabin that has good space for four adults and a kid. There’s enough space for two six-footers to sit one behind another. The bigger rear seat base further improves underthigh support, and even is a boon for taller occupants.


Tata offers it with 1.2-litre turbo-petrol (120PS/170Nm) and 1.5-litre turbo-diesel (115PS/250Nm) engines. The former also comes with a factory-fitted CNG kit, featuring twin-cylinder technology that offers plenty of space inside the boot as well, making it a great fit for those craving high fuel efficiency without compromising on the boot space.


Mahindra XUV 3XO


  • Price Range: ₹7.28 - 14.40 lakh

The Mahindra XUV 3XO, with its quirky design, is one of the most spacious SUVs in the sub-4m SUV segment, which offers plenty of space for all passengers. Even after the panoramic sunroof, the XUV 3XO has enough headroom for 6-footers. The kneeroom and footroom are also ample for occupants of all sizes. Additionally, the dual-tone black-and-white cabin theme, with good material selection, not only gives it a premium appeal but also enhances the sense of airiness inside the cabin.


Loaded with amenities like six airbags, hill assist, 360-degree camera and radar-based level-2 ADAS suite, the XUV 3XO has aleady secured a 5-star safety rating from Bharat NCAP.


What’s more interesting is that the 3XO gets the segment’s most powerful engine options — 1.2-litre MPFI turbo-petrol (112PS/200Nm), 1.2-litre TGDi turbo-petrol (130PS/230Nm), and a 1.5-litre (116PS/300Nm), all will excite you with their peppy performance and relaxed driving experience. 


Kia Syros


  • Price Range: ₹8.67 - 15.94 lakh

Sharing its platform and powertrain options with the Hyundai Venue (turbo-petrol and diesel), the Kia Syros is the most spacious offering in the compact SUV segment that can even put cars of a segment-above to shame. It provides the best rear seat experience thanks to its generously large seat, along with a slide & recline function that can create room for occupants of every size. The experience is further elevated by sunblinds and a segment-first ventilation function for outboard seats. Kia has also set a segment benchmark with its materials selection and top-notch fit & finish.


The Syros has also received a full 5-star crash test rating from Bharat NCAP, showing its focus on occupants’ safety as well. 


Citroen Basalt


  • Price Range: ₹7.95 - 13.11 lakh

Next on the list is the Citroen Basalt, which only looks unique due to its coupe styling, but also the most comfortable SUVs of its segment, with some exclusive comfort features like adjustable underthigh support & winged headrests. It also offers the best ride quality in its class. 


MG Windsor EV


  • Price Range: ₹12.65 - 18.39 lakh

The Windsor EV is an excellent family car with one of the most spacious cabins in this price range. Its unique styling and born EV architecture enable it to utilise the space and practicality within the same size much better than its rivals. 

While the Windsor is yet to get any official star rating for occupants’ safety, the brand claims to use a strong steel structure, along with amenities like six airbags, ESC, and a level-2 ADAS suite in higher variants, which might yield good results when crash tested.


New-Gen Kia Seltos 


  • Prices will be announced on January 2, 2026

Kia has recently unveiled the new-generation Seltos, making it more mature than before. The tech-savvy SUV looks better, drives better, and has grown in size. Complementing this are its wide powertrain options, plush cabin experience, strong emphasis on active & passive safety and high reliability of Kia products, making it one of the most appealing SUVs in its class that ticks all the right boxes.

While Kia is yet to announce its prices, we expect it to range between ₹11.5 lakh and ₹20 lakh (ex-showroom).


Tata Sierra 


  • Price Range: ₹11.49 - 21.29 lakh

The Tata Sierra was one of the most anticipated launches of 2025 and created a huge buzz among buyers. And this time, Tata has really done a great job to make the product actually desirable. It is needless to say that the Sierra is one of the best-looking SUVs available in the Indian market. And with the segment’s largest wheelbase of 2,730mm, it offers the best rear seat experience in its class. This is further elevated by a long list of comfort & convenience features, along with mighty engine options. However, one can only get the Sierra with 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol and diesel engine options under ₹15 lakh. For its turbocharged petrol version, one will have to increase their budget.


It is worth noting that the Sierra is yet to be crash tested by any independent safety assessment organisation, but given Tata’s past track record, it is expected to obtain a full 5-star crash test rating in both AOP (Adult Occupant Protection) and COP (Child Occupant Protection) categories.


FAQs

1. Which are the safest SUVs under 15 lakh in India?

Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV 3XO, and Kia Syros are a few names that have proven safety records, securing a 5-star adult and child safety rating during crash tests done by independent safety assessment organisations like Bharat NCAP and Global NCAP.


2. Is there any car that gets an ADAS suite under 15 lakh?

Yes, cars like the Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, and Mahindra XUV 3XO offer a level-2 ADAS suite under ₹15 lakh.



3. Which SUV has the most spacious interior under 15 lakh?

Kia Syros and Tata Sierra are the most spacious SUVs in their respective segments.