The insane popularity of SUVs in the global automotive market is at its absolute peak right now, with most buyers in India also preferring to buy one. This is due to bad road conditions and because Indian car buyers prefer a commanding driving position and loads of space on the inside. There are plenty of options to choose from in almost every segment, but arguably, the most popular of them all has to be the five-seater compact SUV space. Although there are a number of options, we’ve listed down five of the best from SUVs under the Rs 20 lakh mark in India –

Hyundai Creta

The Creta has been around for quite some time now in India and got a major update in 2020. At first, there was skepticism due to the polarising looks, but, as time has gone by, the Creta has retained its popularity in its segment. It comes with a whole range of engine and gearbox combinations, which makes it the pick of the litter if you looking for a practical, comfortable and spacious option.

Kia Seltos

The Korean cousin to the Creta, the Seltos, too, has been around for years and is due for an update soon. The current generation model is still quite well designed and well-equipped with a number of features. The interiors too feel slightly more premium than the Creta, in some respects. The Kia Seltos also comes with a sizeable amount of options to choose from, in terms of the engine and gearbox combo.

Volkswagen Taigun

The only German on this list gets the basic VW bits right. It’s well-built, handles quite well and has a couple of exciting petrol engine on offer. Sure, it might not be as spacious as some of its competition, but it does come through on providing an SUV that is quite nice to drive. Other than that, it gets clever tech like cylinder deactivation on the 1.5-litre TSI turbo-petrol motor and is decently equipped for an SUV in the sub-20 lakh segment.

MG Astor

The Astor caused quite a stir when it was launched because it is a good-looking, well-equipped and pretty dynamically sorted SUV. However, MG sold it in very limited numbers and buyers are eagerly awaiting the next batch of Astor SUVs to hit the market soon. However, we must mention that there is the MG Hector in the mix as well, but it doesn’t quite have the design language the Astor does. The Hector is also getting a little long in the tooth.

Tata Harrier

If a true-blue SUV is more up your alley, then the Harrier should be the obvious option for most. Apart from the fact that Tata Motors has quite literally turned their game around in India through some genuinely good products, there’s also the homemade angle that seems to resonate with a lot of buyers in India today. The Harrier has a commanding driving position along with a Fiat-sourced diesel engine and a chassis derived from JLR.