Price comparison: Citroen C3 Aircross vs Honda Elevate vs Kia Seltos vs Skoda Kushaq vs Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara vs Hyundai Creta vs MG Astor vs Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder vs Volkswagen Taigun

Citroen India has launched the new C3 Aicross into a very competitive space in the market and with a new competitor from Honda as well, it is even more difficult to make a choice than it already was. Obviously, the Hyundai Creta has been a long-standing champion in this game but you cannot rule out its recently revised cousin the Kia Seltos. The European twins, Volkswagen and Skoda Kushaq also have a huge following as they are the only SUVs here with a 5-star safety rating.

The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder also make a strong case for themselves as they are the only SUVs here with AWD and CNG options. The MG Astor might just be the most striking-looking of all the cars here and its lengthy features list is very difficult to overlook. So let's take a closer look at how these SUVs compete against each other in terms of their prices.

Surprisingly, Citroen India has only launched the price of the base model i.e. the C3 Aircross You 1.2 5 seater at Rs 9.99 lakh. Powering the new C3 Aircross SUV is a 1.2-litre, inline three-cylinder turbocharged petrol Puretech engine generating 110PS at 5,500rpm and 190Nm of torque from 1,750rpm. This motor comes mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

The Honda Elevate starts from Rs 11 lakh for the base SV MT variant while the top-end ZX CVT variant with a dual paint will set one back Rs 16.20 lakh. Honda Elevate is the newest rival and contender in the compact SUV segment. It comes powered by a 1.5-litre, inline four-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine paired with a six-speed manual or CVT automatic transmission. It can deliver 121PS and 145Nm of torque.

The Creta starts from Rs 10.87 lakh for the E 1.5 petrol variant with a manual gearbox while the top-of-the-line SX(O) 1.5 diesel automatic Knight dual-tone will cost you Rs 19.20 lakh. The Hyundai Creta is powered by the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol motor making 115PS and 143.8Nm of torque and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel unit that generates 116PS and 250Nm of torque. While the petrol comes mated to a CVT automatic and a six-speed manual gearbox, the diesel can be paired with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.

The Kia Seltos was also recently refreshed for 2023 and the base HTE 1.5 petrol MT costs Rs 10.90 lakh and the top-end variant, X Line 1.5 diesel AT will set you back Rs 20 lakh. The updated Seltos comes powered by a new 1.5-litre, inline four-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine producing 160PS and 253Nm of torque. This engine debuted with the Hyundai Alcazar and all-new Verna, followed by the Kia Carens. On top of that, it will come with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol motor and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel unit. Transmission options include a six-speed manual, six-speed iMT, torque-convertor automatic, CVT automatic, and dual-clutch automatic.

The Skoda Kushaq range starts with the Active 1.5 TSI MT for Rs 11.59 lakh and a top-of-the-line Monte Carlo 1.5 TSI DSG is priced at Rs 19.69 lakh. The Volkswagen Taigun on the other hand starts from Rs 11.62 lakh for the Comfortline 1.0 TSI MT while the GT Edge Limited Edition DSG Deep Black Pearl is priced at Rs 19.26 lakh.

The Volkswagen Taigun, or the Skoda Kushaq for that matter, get two powertrain options. Firstly, there is a 1.5-litre, inline four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine producing 150PS and 250Nm of torque, secondly, the SUVs can also be had with a 1.0-litre, inline three-cylinder, turbocharged petrol motor that delivers 115PS and 178Nm of torque. VW and Skoda both offer a choice of six-speed manual, six-speed automatic, and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission options.

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara comes powered by a strong hybrid powertrain. It gets a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol motor with a mild hybrid system that makes 103PS and 137Nm of torque and a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine paired with Toyota's TNGA Atkinson cycle hybrid technology. Together, this system produces 116PS and 122Nm of torque. While the former is mated to a six-speed manual and a CVT automatic, the latter is coupled to only an e-CVT automatic transmission. The Grand Vitara also offers an option of all-wheel drive. Meanwhile, the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder bears specifications identical to the Maruti's SUV.

The Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder E NeoDrive starts from Rs 10.86 lakh while to to trim V Hybrid model will set you back 20 lakh. The base model Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Sigma Smart Hybrid is priced at Rs 10.70 lakh and a top-end Alpha Plus dual-tone Intelligent Hybrid eCVT is priced at Rs 19.85 lakh.

Finally, the MG Astor kicks off with a Style 1.5 MT from Rs 10.82 lakh while the Savvy 1.3 Turbo AT S Red is priced at Rs 18.69 lakh. Powering the Astor is a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine producing 140PS and 220Nm of torque and a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol unit that makes 110PS and 144Nm of torque. The former comes mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, while the latter is paired with a five-speed manual or CVT automatic unit.