6 Best SUVs for Highway Road Trips With Good Mileage (2026)

The Maruti Victoris Strong Hybrid leads this list on certified highway mileage at 28.65 km/l ARAI, followed by the Maruti Grand Vitara Strong Hybrid and the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder Hybrid, both at 27.97 km/l, the Hyundai Creta diesel manual at 21.8 km/l, the Maruti Fronx 1.0L Turbo AT at 20.01 km/l and the Maruti Jimny automatic at 16.39 km/l. Tank range reshuffles that order: the Victoris covers roughly 1,289 km on its 45-litre tank while the Jimny runs out at about 656 km on 40 litres. The mileage figure printed on a brochure rarely survives a real highway stretch, because ARAI ratings are certified under a fixed lab cycle that mixes city and highway speeds in proportions no actual road trip follows, so two cars with near identical claimed numbers can behave very differently once cruise control is on and the speedometer sits at 100 km/h for three hours straight. Tank size matters just as much as the mileage figure itself: a smaller tank with slightly better efficiency can still mean more fuel stops than a larger tank with a marginally lower number, and stopping is the one thing a road trip is supposed to avoid.

This list works through six SUVs on sale in India, spanning hatchback-based crossovers to mid-size hybrids, chosen specifically for how they hold up on a long highway run rather than a daily commute: certified mileage, real tank range, and the cruise control and highway assist features that actually reduce fatigue on a long drive.

Key takeaways

• Maruti Victoris Strong Hybrid: the best ARAI mileage on this entire list at 28.65 km/l.
• Maruti Grand Vitara Strong Hybrid: close behind at 27.97 km/l, with an official tank range of over 1,250 km.
• Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder Hybrid: matches the Grand Vitara's mileage figure exactly, sharing the same platform and Strong Hybrid powertrain.
• Hyundai Creta diesel: the closest any diesel on this list gets to the hybrids, at roughly 21.8 km/l in its manual form. Hyundai does not print ARAI figures in its brochure.
• Maruti Fronx: the cheapest configuration featured here, though its highest mileage trim and its cruise-control trim aren't the same trim.
• Maruti Jimny: the weakest mileage on this list by a wide margin, included for highway ground clearance and stability rather than fuel efficiency.

Model	Price (Ex-showroom)	ARAI Mileage	Tank	Est. Range	Cruise Control
Maruti Fronx (Zeta 1.0L Turbo AT)	₹10.99 lakh	20.01 km/l	37L	~740 km	Yes (Zeta, Alpha only)
Maruti Grand Vitara (Zeta+ Strong Hybrid)	₹17.97 lakh	27.97 km/l	45L	~1,259 km	Yes (Strong Hybrid trims)
Maruti Jimny (Alpha AT)	₹14.52 lakh	16.39 km/l	40L	~656 km	Yes (Alpha only)
Maruti Victoris (Zxi Strong Hybrid)	₹18.00 lakh	28.65 km/l	45L	~1,289 km	Yes
Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder (V Hybrid AT)	~₹20.19 lakh	27.97 km/l	45L	~1,259 km	Yes (all grades)
Hyundai Creta (Diesel, MT/AT)	₹10.91-20.46 lakh (range)	21.8 km/l (MT) / 19.1 km/l (AT)	50L	~955-1,090 km	Yes (most variants)

Maruti Suzuki figures are the ARAI-certified numbers printed in each model's own brochure. Toyota publishes its Hyryder figures in its own brochure too. Hyundai does not print ARAI mileage, so the Creta numbers are our own and are worth confirming with a dealer.

What makes an SUV good for highway road trips

A few factors decide how well an SUV actually holds up on a long highway stretch, beyond the mileage number on the spec sheet. Here are the factors that really matter:

• ARAI mileage: the certified lab figure, comparable across cars but optimistic on a long run
• Certified tank range: mileage multiplied by tank size, which is what decides how often you actually stop
• Cruise control: the single biggest fatigue saver on a long highway stretch, and not offered on every trim
• Adaptive cruise and lane keep assist: the step up from plain cruise, holding a gap and a lane without constant input
• Cabin space: what decides whether four adults and their luggage arrive comfortable

6 best SUVs for highway road trips with good mileage

1. Maruti Fronx

Price: ₹10.99 lakh, ex-showroom, for the Zeta 1.0L Turbo AT trim, the entry point for cruise control on the Fronx range.

Highway Mileage & Range: 20.01 km/l ARAI on the Zeta 1.0L Turbo AT (21.5 km/l on the equivalent manual). The naturally aspirated 1.2-litre automatic trim actually returns a higher 22.89 km/l, but that trim doesn't come with cruise control at any level below Zeta. On a 37-litre tank, the Turbo AT's certified range works out to roughly 740 km.

Highway Comfort:

• Cruise control and steering-mounted controls, both exclusive to the Zeta and Alpha trims, plus paddle shifters on the automatic gearbox.

Engine: 1.0-litre K-Series Turbo Boosterjet, 73.6 kW (100 PS) at 5,500 rpm and 147.6 Nm from 2,000-4,500 rpm, paired with Maruti's Progressive Smart Hybrid mild-hybrid system.

Premium Features:

• 17.78cm (7-inch) SmartPlay Pro touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters
• LED headlamps, DRLs and automatic headlamps
• Rear AC vents and rear fast-charging USB
• Keyless entry with push-button start

Transmission: 6-speed automatic on this trim; a 5-speed manual is also available on the same 1.0-litre turbo engine.

Safety: 6 airbags standard across the range, along with ESP and hill-hold assist. The current India-spec Fronx does not have a published Bharat NCAP or Global NCAP rating as of this writing.

Where It Falls Short: The trim with cruise control isn't the trim with the Fronx's best mileage figure, so buyers have to pick one priority over the other. No sunroof is offered at any trim, turbo or otherwise, and the smallest tank on this list means more frequent fuel stops than the mid-size SUVs here.

2. Maruti Grand Vitara

Price: ₹17.97 lakh, ex-showroom, for the Zeta+ Strong Hybrid trim.

Highway Mileage & Range: 27.97 km/l ARAI on the e-CVT Strong Hybrid, the second-best figure on this list. Maruti's own brochure states a certified range of 1,258.65 km on the 45-litre tank, among the longest official range claims of any SUV here.

Highway Comfort: Cruise control and steering-mounted controls, standard from the Delta+ Strong Hybrid trim upward, plus a 17.78cm digital instrument cluster and head-up display on this trim.

Engine: 1.5-litre Strong Hybrid, 68 kW (92.45 PS) at 5,500 rpm from the petrol engine plus a 59 kW electric motor, for a combined system output of 85 kW (115.56 PS).

Premium Features:

• Wireless charging dock
• Automatic climate control with rear AC vents
• Rear door sunshades
• Paddle shifters
• Auto Purify cabin air filter with PM2.5 display

Transmission: e-CVT, exclusive to the Strong Hybrid powertrain; the petrol range separately offers a 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic.

Safety: 6 airbags standard, along with ESP, hill-hold assist and a TPMS. The Grand Vitara does not yet have a published Bharat NCAP rating as of this writing.

Where It Falls Short: No ADAS is offered on the Grand Vitara at any trim, Strong Hybrid included. The panoramic sunroof is a cost option even on the range-topping Alpha+ trim rather than standard equipment.

3. Maruti Jimny

Price: ₹14.52 lakh, ex-showroom, for the Alpha AT trim, the only Jimny trim with cruise control.

Highway Mileage & Range: 16.39 km/l ARAI on the automatic (16.94 km/l on the manual), the weakest figure on this list by a wide margin. On a 40-litre tank, that works out to a certified range of roughly 656 km, the shortest of any car here.

Highway Comfort: Cruise control, leather-wrapped steering wheel and push-button start are all exclusive to the Alpha trim; the Zeta trim below it gets none of these.

Engine: 1.5-litre K15B petrol with idle start-stop, 77.1 kW (104.8 PS) at 6,000 rpm and 134.2 Nm at 4,000 rpm.

Premium Features:

• 22.86cm SmartPlay Pro+ touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Surround Sense audio by Arkamys
• LED headlamps with washer
• Automatic headlamps and fog lamps
• Brake Limited Slip Differential and Hill Descent Control

Transmission: 4-speed automatic on this trim; a 5-speed manual is also available on the same engine.

Safety: 6 airbags standard across all variants, along with Brake LSD, hill-hold and hill-descent control. The India-spec 5-door Jimny does not have a published Bharat NCAP or Global NCAP rating as of this writing.

Where It Falls Short: The weakest mileage on this entire list and seating for 4 rather than 5 are genuine trade-offs for the off-road capability the Jimny is actually built around. Cruise control is limited to the single range-topping Alpha trim.

4. Maruti Victoris

Price: ₹18.00 lakh, ex-showroom, for the Zxi Strong Hybrid trim.

Highway Mileage & Range: 28.65 km/l ARAI on the e-CVT Strong Hybrid, the best figure on this entire list. On the 45-litre tank, that works out to a certified range of roughly 1,289 km, also the longest on this list.

Highway Comfort: Cruise control, adjustable tilt and telescopic steering, and a 26.03cm fully digital instrument cluster, standard on this trim.

Engine: 1.5-litre M15D Strong Hybrid, 68 kW (92.45 PS) at 5,500 rpm from the petrol engine plus a 59 kW (80 PS) electric motor.

Premium Features:

• Auto Purify with PM2.5 display
• Wireless charger with active cooling
• Rear centre armrest with cup holder
• 60:40 split rear seats with adjustable headrests
• Front sliding armrest with storage

Transmission: e-CVT, exclusive to the Strong Hybrid powertrain; the petrol and CNG range separately offer a 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic.

Safety: 6 airbags standard, along with a 360-degree camera and TPMS. The Victoris carries a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating, confirmed on Bharat NCAP's own published ratings list, effective from September 2025.

Where It Falls Short: The Level 2 ADAS suite that the Victoris offers elsewhere in its range is reserved for the petrol Smart Hybrid ZXi+ trims, not the Strong Hybrid trims featured here for their mileage. The panoramic sunroof and ventilated seats are also held back for the costlier (O) trims above this one.

5. Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder

Price: Approximately ₹20.19 lakh, ex-showroom, for the V Hybrid AT trim, the range-topping Hybrid variant.

Highway Mileage & Range: 27.97 km/l ARAI on the Strong Hybrid, matching the Grand Vitara's figure exactly since both share the same drivetrain. On the 45-litre tank, that works out to a certified range of roughly 1,259 km.

Highway Comfort: Cruise control across every Hyryder grade, per Toyota's own specification sheet, along with a 360-degree camera exclusive to this V Hybrid trim.

Engine: 1.5-litre Strong Hybrid, 92.45 PS from the petrol engine plus an 80.2 PS electric motor, the same core powertrain used in the Grand Vitara.

Premium Features:

• 360-degree camera, exclusive to this V grade
• Vehicle Stability Control and Hill Hold Control
• Rear parking sensors
• Wireless smartphone connectivity

Transmission: e-CVT automatic, exclusive to the Strong Hybrid powertrain.

Safety: The last published rating for the Urban Cruiser Hyryder is a 4-star adult and 3-star child Global NCAP result from 2022, tested under the older 2-airbag, pre-Bharat NCAP protocol that predates the current car's 6-airbag specification. No updated Bharat NCAP rating for the Hyryder has been published as of this writing.

Where It Falls Short: Its most recent independent safety rating predates the current safety specification, so it doesn't reflect the car as currently sold.

6. Hyundai Creta

Price: ₹10.91 lakh to ₹20.46 lakh, ex-showroom, across the full Creta range.

Highway Mileage & Range: roughly 21.8 km/l on the diesel manual, a figure Hyundai does not print in its brochure, the best mileage of any diesel on this list, dropping to 19.1 km/l on the diesel automatic. On the 50-litre tank, that's a certified range of roughly 1,090 km on the manual and 955 km on the automatic.

Highway Comfort: Cruise control standard across most variants, per Hyundai's own site, with Hyundai SmartSense Level 2 ADAS, including lane-keeping assist and forward collision avoidance, offered on higher trims.

Engine: 1.5-litre CRDi diesel, 85 kW (116 PS) and 250 Nm of torque, available with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque-converter automatic.

Premium Features:

• Panoramic sunroof (higher trims)
• Ventilated front seats (higher trims)
• Wireless charging
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Hyundai Bluelink connected car technology
• Bose premium sound system (higher trims)

Transmission: 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic on the diesel; the petrol range separately offers a manual, an IVT, or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic on the turbo variant.

Safety: The last published rating for the Creta is a 3-star adult and 3-star child Global NCAP result from 2022, tested under the older 2-airbag, pre-Bharat NCAP protocol that predates the current car's 6-airbag specification. No updated Bharat NCAP rating for the Creta has been published as of this writing.

Where It Falls Short: The trim with the best mileage is a manual, and the trim with the most highway-oriented ADAS tech isn't the mileage leader, so no single Creta configuration covers both priorities at once. Its most recent independent safety rating also predates the current safety specification, so it doesn't reflect the car as currently sold. Exact ex-showroom pricing by trim wasn't available from Hyundai's own site at the time of research.

Conclusion

A good highway mileage figure is only half the picture on a real road trip. Range, cruise-control availability, and how a car holds up over a multi-hour stretch at speed matter just as much as the number on the spec sheet. The six cars here span a wide spread on all of those fronts, from hybrids built around long-distance efficiency to an off-roader that trades mileage for ground clearance entirely. The right pick comes down to matching those priorities honestly: how many kilometres actually get covered between fill-ups, whether cruise control and driver-assist features are available on the trim being bought rather than a costlier one, and whether the destination itself calls for outright efficiency or something else.

FAQs

Which SUV on this list has the best highway mileage?

The Maruti Victoris Strong Hybrid, at 28.65 km/l, ARAI certified, the best figure on this entire list.

Which SUV on this list has the longest certified tank range?

The Maruti Victoris Strong Hybrid, at roughly 1,289 km on a full 45-litre tank, marginally ahead of the Grand Vitara and Hyryder Hybrid, both at roughly 1,259 km.

Which SUV on this list has the worst highway mileage?

The Maruti Jimny, at 16.39 km/l on the automatic, included on this list for its off-road capability rather than fuel efficiency.

Do all these SUVs have cruise control?

Cruise control is available on every model here, but not on every trim. On the Fronx it's limited to the Zeta and Alpha trims, and on the Jimny to the range-topping Alpha alone.