The compact SUV saw the addition of two new refreshed compact SUVs recently in the form of the Hyundai Venue and Maruti Brezza. With the segment already having a lot of competition, it might get confusing to select the perfect compact SUV for you. Let’s take a look at the prices, specs, and features of each and every compact SUV and see how they all stack up against each other!
Prices
| Maruti Brezza | Hyundai Venue | Kia Sonet | Tata Nexon | Mahindra XUV300 | Toyota Urban Cruiser | Nissan Magnite | Renault Kiger | |
| Petrol manual | ₹8 Lakh to ₹12.3 Lakh | ₹7.53 Lakh to ₹11.92 Lakh | ₹7.15 Lakh to ₹12.45 Lakh | ₹7.55 Lakh to 11.95 Lakh | ₹8.41 Lakh to ₹12.38 Lakh | ₹9.03 Lakh to ₹10 Lakh | ₹7.42 Lakh to ₹9.33 Lakh | ₹7.45 Lakh to ₹9.44 Lakh |
| Petrol automatic | ₹10.97 Lakh to ₹13.8 Lakh | ₹10.97 Lakh to ₹12.57 Lakh | ₹11.39 Lakh to ₹13.09 Lakh | ₹9.8 Lakh to ₹12.4 Lakh | ₹10.51 Lakh to ₹13.06 Lakh | ₹10.15 Lakh to ₹11.73 Lakh | ₹8.91 Lakh to ₹10.36 Lakh | ₹7.99 Lakh to ₹10.57 Lakh |
| Diesel manual | N.A | ₹9.99 Lakh to ₹12.47 Lakh | ₹8.89 Lakh to ₹12.85 Lakh | ₹9.84 Lakh to ₹13.24 Lakh | ₹9.60 Lakh to ₹13.38 Lakh | N.A. | N.A. | N.A. |
| Diesel automatic | N.A. | ₹11.99 Lakh to ₹13.69 Lakh | ₹10.99 Lakh to ₹13.89 Lakh | ₹11.69 Lakh to ₹14.06 Lakh | N.A. | N.A. | N.A. |
The cheapest options in the segment are the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger thanks to their smaller footprint and engines. The rest of the compact SUVs start between ₹7 lakh to ₹8 lakh for their petrol manual variants. Except for the Toyota Urban Cruiser, the majority of the compact SUVs top out between ₹12 Lakh to ₹13 Lakh for the petrol variants except for the Brezza which is close to a whopping ₹13.8 Lakh. In terms of diesel manual, the Hyundai Venue is the most affordable at ₹12.47 Lakh for the top-end SX(O). The Kia Sonet, Tata Nexon, and Mahindra XUV300 offer diesel automatic as well with the Sonet being the cheapest and the preferred choice.
Dimensions
| Maruti Brezza | Hyundai Venue | Kia Sonet | Tata Nexon | Mahindra XUV300 | Toyota Urban Cruiser | Nissan Magnite | Renault Kiger | |
| Length | 3995 mm | 3995 mm | 3995 mm | 3994 mm | 3995 mm | 3995 mm | 3994 mm | 3991 mm |
| Width | 1790 mm | 1770 mm | 1790 mm | 1811 mm | 1821 mm | 1790 mm | 1758 mm | 1750 mm |
| Height | 1685 mm | 1617 mm | 1647 mm | 1607 mm | 1617 mm | 1640 mm | 1572 mm | 1600 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2500 mm | 2500 mm | 2500 mm | 2498 mm | 2600 mm | 2500 mm | 2500 mm | 2500 mm |
When it comes to the length, width and wheelbase, all the compact SUVs are very closely matched. In terms of height, however, the Maruti Brezza towers over other SUVs. Though we haven’t mentioned it in the table, the boot space for all the SUVs is roughly between 328 litres to 405 litres with only the XUV300 having less than 300 litres of space. All of these compact SUVs offer healthy ground clearance as well which is over 180 mm for all.
Powertrain
| Maruti Brezza | Hyundai Venue | Kia Sonet | Tata Nexon | Mahindra XUV300 | Toyota Urban Cruiser | Nissan Magnite | Renault Kiger | |
| Engines | 1.5 litre mild hybrid petrol | 1.2 litre petrol, 1 litre turbo petrol, 1.5 litre diesel | 1.2 litre petrol, 1 litre turbo petrol, 1.5 litre diesel | 1.2 litre turbo petrol, 1.5 litre diesel | 1.2 litre turbo petrol, 1.5 litre diesel | 1.5 litre mild hybrid petrol | 1 litre petrol, 1 litre turbo petrol | 1 litre petrol, 1 litre turbo petrol |
| Power | 102 hp | 82 hp/ 118 hp/ 100 hp | 82 hp/ 118 hp/ 100 hp, 115 hp | 120 hp/110 hp | 110 hp/ 115 hp | 103 hp | 71 hp/100 hp | 71 hp/100 hp |
| Torque | 135 nm | 114 nm/172 nm/ 250 nm | 114 nm/172 nm/ 250 nm | 170 nm/260 nm | 200 nm/ 300 nm | 138 nm | 96 nm/152 nm, 160 nm | 96 nm/152 nm, 160 nm |
| Transmission | 5 speed MT, 6 speed AT | 5 speed MT/ 6 speed IMT, 7 speed DCT/ 6 speed MT | 5 speed MT/ 6 speed IMT, 7 speed DCT/ 6 speed MT, 6 speed AT | 6 speed manual, 6 speed AMT | 6 speed manual, AMT | 5 speed manual, 4 speed AT | 5 speed manual/ CVT | 5 speed manual, AMT/ CVT |
The compact SUV segment has every kind of engine/ transmission combo on offer for customers to choose from. Cars like the Venue, Sonet, Magnite and Kiger offer a small naturally aspirated engine as well. You have a lot of options when it comes to turbo petrol engines as well and cars like the Venue and Sonet offer a DCT and iMT transmission mated to it. Apart from diesel manuals, you also have the option of a diesel automatic in the Sonet, Nexon and XUV300.
Features
In terms of features, the new Brezza is loaded with features such as cruise control, auto-folding mirrors, auto-dimming IRVM, 360-degree parking camera, 40+ connected car features, HUD, wireless charging, auto headlamps, ambient lighting, and automatic climate control to name a few.
The facelifted Hyundai Venue comes loaded with remote start/stop, USB C- type fast charging ports, puddle lamps, ambient lighting, cruise control, keyless entry with push-button start/stop, digital instrument cluster, automatic climate control, projector headlamps, electrically adjustable driver’s, an electric sunroof, and wireless phone charging.
The Kia Sonet comes loaded with an electric sunroof, remote engine starts on a smart key, keyless entry with push-button start/stop, electrically adjustable and foldable ORVM, cruise control, automatic climate control, rear A/C vents, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple Carplay, ventilated seats, front parking sensors, steering mounted audio controls and a rearview camera.
The Tata Nexon comes with features like an air purifier, ventilated seats, air purifier, auto-dimming IRVM, LED DRLs, a digital instrument cluster, 7” infotainment system with Android Auto and apple car play, Auto A/C, keyless entry, cruise control, and a sunroof.
The XUV300 gets of features like Dual-zone climate control, 7 airbags, front parking sensors, 4 disc brakes as standard, heated ORVMs, drive modes, auto-folding mirrors, and Front tire position indicator coupled with a 7” infotainment system with smartphone connectivity.
Some of the key features of the Urban Cruiser SUV include push start and stop, automatic climate control which will be standard across all variants, a smart play cast touchscreen, rain-sensing wipers, cruise control and an electrochromic rearview mirror.
The Nissan Magnite comes with features such as LED bi-projector headlamps and LED DRLs, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 360-degree camera, connected car tech, climate control, TPMS, cruise control, push-button start/stop and a digital instrument cluster, to name a few.
The Renault Kiger gets features such as LED projector headlamps, LED DRLs, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, reverse parking camera, push-button start/stop with keyless entry, 8-inch infotainment system with wireless smartphone compatibility, selectable drive modes, cooled glove box, automatic climate control with PM 2.5 filter and ambient lighting.
Conclusion
The compact SUV segment has a lot of competent cars to choose from with each car bringing in a USP. The Magnite and Kiger are the cheapest in the segment and yet they are great in their own way. The Toyota Urban Cruiser may feel outdated but it comes with the Toyota badge. The Mahindra XUV300 is let down with its boot space but, it is one of the safest compact SUVs that you can buy today. The Nexon is also a well-built car with a sorted ride and handling package. However, it does lack quality in a few places.
The new Maruti Brezza has improved a lot over the previous iteration and it comes packed with a lot of equipment but it has become very expensive in the higher variants. The Kia Sonet remains the pick for an all-rounder diesel automatic compact SUV. But, the Venue facelift comes out on top thanks to its pricing which makes it cheaper than most compact SUVs. It also has the best back seat experience thanks to the reclining seat and the comfort-oriented suspension.