Cars And SUVs With Best Ground Clearance Under Rs. 10.0 Lakh
If you’re looking to buy a car with high ground clearance and an ex-showroom price tag of under Rs. 10.0 lakh, then here’s what you can shortlist. Since many cars have the exact same ground clearance, we have grouped the cars here in 4 groups with 18 cars in total. So, you’ll find something relevant, no matter your budget. Even the car with the lowest ground clearance in this list has 180mm of it - enough to go over tall speed breakers or rough roads. In our opinion, 180mm is also the minimum ground clearance a car should have to enter the SUV club.
Group 1: >200mm Ground Clearance
In Group 1, we have 5 SUVs with a ground clearance of more than 200mm.
1. Nissan Kicks - 210mm
While the Nissan Kicks sells in small numbers, there’s no denying that it’s a fantastic option for buyers interested in an SUV with good road presence and high ground clearance. It’s one of the larger SUVs in the C-segment and the one with the best ground clearance for any car under Rs. 10.0 lakh. The only problem here is that only 2 of its variants with the 1.5L normal petrol engine are available under this budget.
2. Tata Nexon - 209mm
The Tata Nexon is another option if you’re okay with a smaller, B2-segment SUV. It has a fantastic ground clearance of 209mm. However, among the 4 powertrain options, only 4 petrol-manual, 2 petrol-automatic and 1 diesel-manual variants cost less than Rs. 10.0 lakh to help it reserve a spot on this list.
Tata Nexon Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?
Tata Nexon Diesel Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?
3. Renault Kiger - 205mm
Renault Kiger is the next in line with a 205mm ground clearance. It’s on par with the Nissan Magnite and Kia Sonet. However, the Kiger offers more powertrain options for under Rs. 10.0 lakh. Its 1.0L normal petrol with the AMT automatic transmissions makes it the most affordable option for an SUV buyer on a tight budget.
New Renault Kiger Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?
4. Nissan Magnite - 205mm
The Nissan Magnite is another option with a high ground clearance of 205mm. It costs about the same as the Renault Kiger but it doesn’t get the option of the AMT automatic transmission with the smaller 1.0L normal petrol engine.
Nissan Magnite Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?
5. Kia Sonet - 205mm
The Kia Sonet also has a 205mm ground clearance. Among the cars on this list, the Sonet brings a new kind of driving experience for under Rs. 10.0 lakh with the auto-clutch manual transmission with the turbo petrol engine.
3 of its variants with 1.2L normal petrol engine with manual transmission, 1 variant with 1.0L turbo petrol engine and auto-clutch manual transmission and 2 variants with the diesel engine are available for under Rs. 10.0 lakh.
Kia Sonet Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?
Kia Sonet Diesel Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?
Group 2: 200mm Ground Clearance
In the 2nd group, we have only 2 cars at 200mm.
1. Toyota Urban Cruiser - 200mm
The Toyota Urban Cruiser may seem like an old car but it has tried-and-tested mechanicals with Toyota’s logo on the nose for some more peace of mind. All 3 variants of the Toyota Urban Cruiser petrol-manual cost under Rs. 10.0 lakh.
2. Maruti Suzuki Brezza - 200mm
For a more modern design, you can choose the Maruti’s Brezza, which costs a fair bit more and offers relatively lower value for money. Only 2 of its variants with the petrol-manual powertrain cost less than Rs. 10.0 lakh.
Maruti Suzuki Brezza Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?
Group 3: 181 - 190mm Ground Clearance
In Group 3, we have 6 cars with ground clearance between 181mm and 190mm.
1. Honda WRV - 188mm
The WR-V’s proportions may give it a cross-hatch appeal, but its 188mm ground clearance certainly has a good amount of SUV DNA in it. However, its 1.2L normal petrol engine not only has a lower torque output but it also peaks at a higher RPM. Unfortunately, only the 2 petrol-manual variants cost less than Rs. 10.0 lakh. Moreover, the diesel engine adds more than Rs. 2.0 lakh to the ex-showroom price, making it difficult to justify the upgrade.
2. Tata Punch - 187mm
The Tata Punch has a ground clearance of 187mm and it doesn’t cost a whole lot more than a typical hatchback. The Punch offers the option of a 1.2L normal petrol engine with a manual and an AMT automatic transmission. All of its variants cost under Rs. 10.0 lakh (ex-showroom).
Tata Punch Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?
3. Renault Kwid - 184mm
The Renualt Kwid is one of the most affordable options on this entire list with a ground clearance of 184mm. The Kwid has 3 powertrain options — a 0.8L normal petrol-manual, 1.0L normal petrol-manual and 1.0L normal petrol-automatic (AMT). It’s not just the ground clearance of this car that impressed us. It’s one of the few cars that deserves a spot in the higher segment but its price and performance options compel us to keep it in the A-segment.
The Kwid has a large boot, big 14-inch tyres and a tremendous road presence for the price.
Renault Kwid Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?
4. Mahindra Bolero Neo - 184mm
The Bolero Neo from Mahindra also has a 184mm ground clearance. It too has a much stronger road presence than its B2 SUV rivals because of its body-on-frame construction. Unfortunately, only 2 of its most affordable diesel-manual variants cost less than Rs. 10.0 lakh. Moreover, despite a fairly punchy diesel engine, the heavy kerb weight takes a toll on its efficiency and performance.
5. Renault Triber - 182mm
The Renault Triber is the most affordable 7-seater car on this list. Surprisingly, it’s also fairly affordable and with the removable 3-row seats, it offers enough boot space to move your house. The only notable problem with the Triber is its 1.0L normal petrol engine, which doesn’t have the performance to continuously haul 7 adults at expressway speeds without stressing the engine. We wish it had the option of 1.0L turbo petrol engine and CVT automatic transmission.
Renault Triber Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?
6. Tata Tiago NRG - 181mm
The Tata Tiago NRG is an ideal choice for buyers interested in a safe car with a low budget and a high ground clearance. At this price range, nothing else beats the Tiago NRG’s 12.52/17 score in GNCAP adult safety. Its 181mm ground clearance is better than that of even the Mahindra XUV300.
Group 4: 180mm Ground Clearance
The Group 4 has 5 cars with exactly 180mm ground clearance. This is the last group as this is the minimum a car should offer to warrant an interest among buyers looking for a high-ground-clearance car.
1. Maruti Suzuki Ertiga - 180mm
The Maruti Ertiga has a 180mm ground clearance and it’s the only other car with 3-row seating. However, being a larger, more powerful car with a bigger engine, you have the option of only 2 variants under Rs. 10.0 lakh.
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?
2. Maruti Nexa Ignis - 180mm
The Ignis is another unsung hero among affordable cars with high, 180mm ground clearance. Its tall boy design makes ingress-egress easy even for tall occupants with a turban. Even with inflated car prices these days, the Ignis seems to carry a reasonable price tag and good value for budget car buyers.
Maruti Suzuki Ignis Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?
3. Mahindra XUV300 - 180mm
The Mahindra XUV300 also has 180mm ground clearance. It’s barely enough to put it in the SUV family but acceptable, nonetheless. Being one of the more powerful cars in the B2 SUV category, the XUV300 is quite expensive. It has 5 powertrain options but only the lower 2 petrol-manual and base diesel-manual variants meet our Rs. 10.0 lakh (ex-showroom) cap.
Mahindra XUV300 Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?
Mahindra XUV300 Diesel Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?
4. Citroen C3 - 180mm
The Citroen C3 is another option if you think the XUV300 is a bit too expensive while the Ignis and Punch are too small for your taste. The issue with the C3 is that it doesn’t get an automatic transmission with either of the 2 petrol engines.
Citroen C3 Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy? (v3cars.com)
5. Maruti Suzuki S-Presso - 180mm
The S-Presso is the most affordable option on this list of cars with high ground clearance. Its styling may not appeal to everyone but its efficiency figures certainly will. Around 25kmpl mileage is something you just can’t ignore.
Maruti Suzuki S-Presso Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mahesh Yadav
Mahesh is a fan of compact, quirky and underrated vehicles that punch above their weight. Multix, Nano and Navi are his favorites.
1 Comments
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Positive feedback - Very detailed and informative Negative - Group means "Many" , Dont use this word if only 1 car falls into a segment. Rather use a range - 180 - 185 MM ( 3 cars ) then specify their GC. Otherwise using "Group" doesnot make sense.