Best Compact SUVs Under Rs 7 Lakh in India: The Right Pick for Each Need (2026)

Thirteen variants across five models fit under Rs 7 lakh, all with six airbags and stability control. The Fronx qualifies with its base Sigma only, Rs 10,100 under the line, and that variant has no audio system. Two factory CNG variants fit: the Punch Smart CNG and the Exter HX2 CNG at Rs 6,99,900. Only the Punch has a Bharat NCAP rating, and only Maruti and Nissan publish certified mileage for these cars. Magnite and Kiger AMT prices could not be confirmed from their makers' pages.

Five compact SUVs have a variant under Rs 7 lakh ex-showroom today, and the best one depends on what you need from it. The Tata Punch is the pick for safety and CNG (5 stars at Bharat NCAP, Smart CNG at Rs 6,84,990). The Hyundai Exter HX3 AMT at Rs 6,98,600 is the automatic we could verify. The Nissan Magnite Visia+ at Rs 6,26,000 is the cheapest with a touchscreen and rear camera. The Maruti Fronx Sigma at Rs 6,89,900 has the best certified mileage, 21.79 km/l, and the most power, 89.73 PS. The Renault Kiger has the biggest boot, 405 litres, from Rs 5,81,000.

The Fronx does qualify, but narrowly: only the base Sigma is under the line, with Rs 10,100 to spare. Thirteen variants across the five models fit the budget in all, and the gaps between them are small enough that a single price revision can move a car in or out. Every price below was read from the manufacturer's own price page or price tool on 13 October 2026.

Key takeaways

All five have six airbags, stability control and hill hold on every variant under Rs 7 lakh.
Two factory CNG variants fit: the Punch Smart CNG at Rs 6,84,990 and the Exter HX2 CNG at Rs 6,99,900, which clears the limit by Rs 100.
The Fronx Sigma has no audio system at all. A touchscreen under Rs 7 lakh means a Magnite Visia+, an Exter HX3 or a Kiger Evolution.
Only Maruti and Nissan publish certified mileage for these cars: 21.79 km/l for the Fronx and 19.4 km/l for the Magnite manual.
The Punch is the only one of the five with a Bharat NCAP rating.

Every variant under Rs 7 lakh

Compact SUV	Variants under Rs 7 lakh (ex-showroom)	Engine output	Certified mileage	Boot	Crash rating
Tata Punch	Smart Rs 5,74,990, Pure Rs 6,64,990, Smart CNG Rs 6,84,990	87.8 PS, 115 Nm (73.4 PS on CNG)	Not published by Tata	366 litres (210 CNG)	Bharat NCAP 5 stars, 30.58/32 adult, 45/49 child
Hyundai Exter	HX2 Rs 5,80,600, HX3 Rs 6,33,600, HX3 AMT Rs 6,98,600, HX2 CNG Rs 6,99,900	83 PS, 113.8 Nm (69 PS on CNG)	Not published by Hyundai	391 litres (225 CNG)	No Bharat NCAP result
Maruti Fronx	Sigma Rs 6,89,900	89.73 PS, 113 Nm	21.79 km/l	308 litres	No Bharat NCAP result
Nissan Magnite	Visia Rs 5,69,400, Visia+ Rs 6,26,000, Acenta Rs 6,87,000	72 PS, 96 Nm	19.4 km/l (19.7 AMT)	336 litres	Global NCAP 32.31/34 adult, 33.64/49 child
Renault Kiger	Authentic Rs 5,81,000, Evolution Rs 6,59,000	72 PS, 96 Nm	Not published by Renault	405 litres	No Bharat NCAP result

Punch prices are from Tata's price tool for Delhi and Exter prices from Hyundai's for New Delhi. Nissan and Renault show one starting price per grade, so their AMT versions are not priced here. The Fronx price is from the NEXA price page.

The best pick for each need

Best for safety: Tata Punch

The Punch is the only car here that Bharat NCAP has tested. It scored 5 stars, with 30.58 out of 32 for adult protection and 45 out of 49 for child protection, in an assessment dated December 2025. The rating's applicability table lists the Smart and Pure in both petrol and CNG form, which are exactly the variants under Rs 7 lakh.

The Magnite is the runner-up on evidence. Global NCAP tested the six-airbag car in 2025 and gave it 32.31 out of 34 for adults and 33.64 out of 49 for children. That is a different protocol with a different maximum score, so the two results cannot be compared number for number. The Fronx, Exter and Kiger have six airbags and no Bharat NCAP result.

Best for CNG: Tata Punch Smart CNG, Rs 6,84,990

It is the cheapest factory CNG compact SUV, and the crash rating covers it. The engine makes 73.4 PS and 103 Nm on gas. You do give up boot space, 210 litres against 366 in the petrol car, and the Smart trim has front power windows only and no audio system.

The Exter HX2 CNG is the alternative at Rs 6,99,900, with 69 PS, 95.2 Nm and a 225-litre boot. Nissan and Renault offer CNG only as dealer-fitted kits: Nissan's brochure says its kit is developed and warranted by a third party, and Renault describes a retrofit available in select states. The Fronx Sigma CNG, rated at 28.51 km/kg, costs Rs 7,93,900 and is out of reach here.

Best automatic: Hyundai Exter HX3 AMT, Rs 6,98,600

This is the one automatic under Rs 7 lakh that we could confirm from a manufacturer price list, and it is not a stripped car. The HX3 has a 20.32 cm touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a rear camera and steering-mounted controls. It misses rear power windows and rear AC vents, which arrive on the HX4 at Rs 7,31,600.

Nissan sells the Magnite with an AMT from the Visia grade and Renault sells the Kiger with one, and either may also come in under the limit. Their model pages list only the manual starting price for each grade, so we have not quoted a figure. The Punch's cheapest AMT is the Pure+ at Rs 7,74,990 and the Fronx's is the Delta AGS at Rs 8,24,900.

Best equipped for the money: Nissan Magnite Visia+, Rs 6,26,000

For Rs 6,26,000 the Visia+ has a 22.86 cm touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a rear camera, rear wiper and defogger, on top of the Visia's six airbags, stability and traction control, tyre pressure monitoring and four power windows. The Acenta at Rs 6,87,000 adds automatic air conditioning, steering-mounted controls and electrically folding mirrors.

The Exter HX3 (Rs 6,33,600) and Kiger Evolution (Rs 6,59,000) match it on the touchscreen and rear camera, and the Kiger adds rear AC vents. The Punch Pure at Rs 6,64,990 has rear vents, four speakers and steering controls but no touchscreen; that needs the Pure+ at Rs 7,16,990.

The price of the Magnite's value is its engine. At 72 PS and 96 Nm it is the weakest here, along with the Kiger, which uses the same unit.

Best for mileage and performance: Maruti Fronx Sigma, Rs 6,89,900

The Fronx's 1.2-litre petrol makes 89.73 PS and 113 Nm, the highest output of the five, and Maruti certifies it at 21.79 km/l. The Magnite manual, the only other car here with a published figure, is rated at 19.4 km/l. Over 10,000 km that difference works out to roughly 57 litres of petrol.

The Sigma is better equipped in some places than a base variant usually is: automatic climate control, keyless entry, power windows on all four doors, a 60:40 split rear seat and a rear defogger are on Maruti's feature list. Six airbags, ESP, hill hold assist, ISOFIX mounts and reverse parking sensors are standard.

Its weaknesses are just as clear. There is no touchscreen, no speakers and no steering-mounted audio controls on the Sigma; those come with the Delta at Rs 7,74,900. There is no rear camera below the Zeta. The 308-litre boot is the smallest of the five, and there is no Bharat NCAP result. At Rs 6,89,900 it is also the most expensive entry point on this list, more than Rs 1 lakh above the Punch, Exter, Magnite and Kiger base variants.

Best boot: Renault Kiger, from Rs 5,81,000

The Kiger's 405-litre boot is the largest here, ahead of the Exter (391), Punch (366), Magnite (336) and Fronx (308). The Authentic has six airbags, stability control, hill start assist, tyre pressure monitoring, remote keyless entry and four power windows. The Evolution at Rs 6,59,000 adds the 20.32 cm touchscreen, a rear camera and rear AC vents. The Evolution+, with automatic climate control and push-button start, is Rs 7,03,000 and just misses.

Renault's brochure prints no fuel-efficiency figure, and there is no Bharat NCAP result for the Kiger.

What Rs 7 lakh does not buy

No sunroof fits under Rs 7 lakh on any of these five: the Punch's arrives at Rs 7,51,990 and the Exter's at Rs 8,13,600. None of the turbo engines we could price fits either; the Punch turbo starts at Rs 8,46,990.

The larger compact SUVs all start higher. On their makers' own pages the Tata Nexon begins at Rs 7,39,990, the Kia Sonet at Rs 7,44,900, the Maruti Brezza at Rs 7,49,900, the Skoda Kylaq at Rs 7,59,000, the Mahindra XUV 3XO at Rs 7.79 lakh and the Hyundai Venue at Rs 7,99,900. The Toyota Taisor, the Fronx's twin, is Rs 7,43,000 at Toyota's Delhi dealer. If you can stretch to Rs 8 lakh the choice widens quickly, and our guide to the best first car under Rs 8 lakh covers that bracket.

How this list was built

We took every variant priced below Rs 7,00,000 ex-showroom on the manufacturer's own price page or price tool on 13 October 2026, then read its equipment from the variant grid in the current brochure. Engine outputs, boot volumes and mileage are brochure figures, except the Kiger's boot, which is from Renault's model page. Crash scores are from Bharat NCAP and Global NCAP.

This is a different cut from our existing overview of SUVs under Rs 7 lakh, which introduces the same five models one by one. Here the cars are sorted by need, with every qualifying variant priced.

What was not verified: AMT prices for the Magnite and Kiger, and certified mileage for the Punch, Exter and Kiger, which their makers do not publish. Ground clearance is left out because Maruti's brochure does not print it for the Fronx. We have not driven these cars back to back for this piece.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the best compact SUV under Rs 7 lakh?

The Tata Punch if safety or CNG matters most, since it has a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating and a Smart CNG variant at Rs 6,84,990. The Maruti Fronx Sigma is the choice for mileage (21.79 km/l) and power (89.73 PS), the Nissan Magnite Visia+ for features at Rs 6,26,000, and the Hyundai Exter HX3 AMT for an automatic at Rs 6,98,600.

Is the Maruti Fronx available under Rs 7 lakh?

Yes, in one variant. The Sigma 1.2 manual is Rs 6,89,900 ex-showroom on the NEXA price page. The next variant, the Delta, is Rs 7,74,900.

Which is the cheapest compact SUV in India?

Of these five, the Nissan Magnite Visia at Rs 5,69,400, followed by the Tata Punch Smart at Rs 5,74,990, the Hyundai Exter HX2 at Rs 5,80,600, the Renault Kiger Authentic at Rs 5,81,000 and the Maruti Fronx Sigma at Rs 6,89,900.

Which compact SUV under Rs 7 lakh has CNG?

Two have a factory CNG variant: the Tata Punch Smart CNG at Rs 6,84,990 and the Hyundai Exter HX2 CNG at Rs 6,99,900. Neither maker publishes a certified km/kg figure. The Magnite and Kiger offer dealer-fitted kits only.

Which compact SUV under Rs 7 lakh has a touchscreen?

The Nissan Magnite from the Visia+ (Rs 6,26,000), the Hyundai Exter from the HX3 (Rs 6,33,600) and the Renault Kiger from the Evolution (Rs 6,59,000). The Punch Smart and Pure and the Fronx Sigma do not have one.

Do all compact SUVs under Rs 7 lakh have six airbags?

Yes. The Punch, Exter, Fronx, Magnite and Kiger all fit six airbags, electronic stability control and hill hold or hill start assist as standard on their base variants, according to their brochures.

Prices, features and specifications were taken from each manufacturer's price page, price tool and brochure, and crash scores from Bharat NCAP and Global NCAP, on 13 October 2026. Prices are ex-showroom and vary by city, colour and date. Confirm the price and equipment of the exact variant with your dealer before booking.