Group 1: >200mm Ground Clearance

In Group 1, we have 4 SUVs with a ground clearance of more than 200mm.

1. Tata Curvv – 208mm

Launched in September 2024, the Tata Curvv coupe SUV offers 208mm of ground clearance. The 2024 Curvv is available with 3 engine and 2 transmission options. However, only the base Smart petrol-manual variant qualifies for this list with an ex-showroom price tag of Rs. 9.99 lakh. The Tata Curvv Smart turbo petrol variant produces 120PS of power and 170Nm of torque. It is offered with a 6-speed manual transmission.

Also Read: Tata Curvv Petrol Variants Explained — Which One To Buy?

2. Tata Nexon – 208mm

The Tata Nexon facelift, which was launched in September 2023, offers the same ground clearance as the Curvv that sits above it in Tata’s SUV lineup. The 2023 Tata Nexon facelift offers a ground clearance of 208mm. However, only 5 petrol-manual variants and 1 petrol-automatic variant of the Nexon fall under the Rs. 10.0 lakh price bracket.

Also Read: Tata Nexon Petrol 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. The Kiger offers 2 engine options with a choice of manual, AMT and CVT transmissions. However, only the normal petrol-manual, normal petrol-AMT and 1 variant of the turbo-petrol manual fall under Rs. 10.0 lakh. 

Also Read: New Renault Kiger Petrol Variants Explained – Which One To Buy?

4. Nissan Magnite – 205mm

The Nissan Magnite, which received an update in early October 2024, is another option with a high ground clearance of 205mm. It costs about the same as the Renault Kiger and offers the same 4 powertrain options as the French SUV. Its 1.0L normal petrol with the AMT automatic transmissions makes it the most affordable option for an SUV buyer on a tight budget.

Also Read: Nissan Magnite Facelift Launched At Rs. 5.99 Lakh – Full Price List, Features And Specs

5. Kia Sonet – 205mm

The Kia Sonet received a facelift in early 2024 The updated 2024 Sonet SUV offers the same 205mm ground clearance as before. 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 and 1 variant with the diesel engine are available for under Rs. 10.0 lakh.

Also Read: Kia Sonet Petrol Variants Explained – Which One To Buy?

Also Read: Kia Sonet Diesel Variants Explained – Which One To Buy?

6. Mahindra XUV 3XO – 201mm

Launched in April 2024, the Mahindra XUV 3XO is the heavily updated version of the XUV300. Offered with 2 turbo petrol and 1 diesel engine option, 4 turbo petrol-manual, 1 turbo petrol-automatic and 1 diesel manual fall under the Rs. 10 lakh price bracket. The updated Mahindra SUV offers a ground clearance of 201mm.

Group 2: 200mm Ground Clearance

In the 2nd group, we have only 1 SUV that offers a ground clearance of 200mm.

1. Maruti Suzuki Brezza – 200mm

The Maruti Suzuki Brezza offers a ground clearance of 200mm. Although it is available with 3 powertrain options – normal petrol-manual, mild hybrid petrol-automatic, and CNG-manual, only 3 variants of the Brezza normal petrol-manual fall under Rs. 10.0 lakh (ex-showroom).

Also Read: Maruti Suzuki Brezza Petrol Variants Explained – Which One To Buy?

2. Hyundai Venue – 200mm

The 2025 Venue is Hyundai’s contender in the B2-SUV segment. It offers a ground clearance of 200mm, just like the its primary rival, the Brezza, above. The 2025 Venue is available with multiple engine options, including a 1L turbo petrol, 1.2L normal petrol, and a 1.5L diesel engine. 6 normal petrol-manual and 1 turbo petrol-manual variants are available for under Rs. 10 lakh (ex-showroom).

3. Citroen Aircross

The 2025 Aircross from Citroen offers a ground clearance of 200mm. While the Aircross is offered with a 1.2L turbo petrol engine, all variants powered by it are priced over Rs. 10 lakh (ex-showroom). Thus, if you only have a budget of Rs. 10 lakh and want an Aircross, your options are limited to the 2 normal petrol variants – You and Plus – only. This 1.2L normal petrol engine produces 82PS of power and 115Nm of torque and offers a claimed mileage of 17.50kmpl.

Group 3: 181 – 190mm Ground Clearance

1. Maruti Suzuki Fronx – 190mm

The Maruti Nexa Fronx offers a ground clearance on 190mm. It is available with 5 powertrain options:

• 1.0-litre turbo petrol with 5-speed MT
• 1.0-litre turbo petrol with 6-speed TC
• 1.2-litre normal petrol with 5-speed MT
• 1.2-litre normal petrol with 5-speed AMT
• 1.2-litre CNG with 5-speed MT

While all variants equipped with the 1.2-litre normal petrol and 1.2-litre CNG fall under Rs. 10.0 lakh, only 1 turbo petrol-manual makes it to this list.

2. Toyota Taisor – 190mm

The Taisor is Toyota’s version of the Maruti Suzuki Fronx above. It offers 190mm of ground clearance. Toyota offer the Taisor with the same engine options as the Fronx above. However, only 3 normal petrol-manual, 2 normal petrol-automatic, and 1 CNG-manual variant fall under the Rs. 10 lakh price cut-off for this list.

Also Read: Toyota Taisor Petrol Variants Explained – Which One To Buy? 

3. Tata Punch EV – 190mm

The all-electric version of the Tata Punch offers a ground clearance of 190mm. However, only 1 variant – Smart – falls under the Rs. 10 lakh price bracket. This variant is powered by a 25kWh battery that gives it a range of 315km per charge. It powers a front-mounted electric motor that produces 82PS of power and 114Nm of torque. 

4. Skoda Kylaq – 189mm

The latest entrant to this list, the 2025 Kylaq is Skoda’s first foray into the ultra competitive sub-4 metre SUV segment. The 2025 Kylaq SUV offers a ground clearance of 189mm. Powered by a 1L turbo petrol engine, the Kylaq produces 116PS of power and 18Nm of torque and it is available with 2 transmission options – a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic. However, only 2 petrol-manual variants – Classic and Signature – fall under the Rs. 10 lakh (ex-showroom) price bracket. 

Also Read: Skoda Kylaq Petrol Variants Explained – Which One To Buy?

5. Kia Syros – 189mm

Another new entrant in this list is the 2025 Syros SUV from Kia. Offered as a more luxurious alternative to the Kia Sonet, the Syros offers 189mm of ground clearance. Kia offer the Syros with 2 engine options – a 1L turbo petrol and 1.5L diesel. However, only 1 turbo petrol-manual variant – the HTK – falls under the Rs. 10 lakh (ex-showroom) price bracket.

Also Read: Kia Syros Petrol Variants Explained – Which One To Buy?

6. 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 variants except one 1.2-litre normal petrol-AMT with the dual tone paint option cost under Rs. 10.0 lakh (ex-showroom).

Also Read: Tata Punch Petrol Variants Explained – Which One To Buy?

7. MG Windsor – 186mm

Launched in September 2024, the Windsor EV rivals other electric SUVs such as the Tata Nexon EV and Mahindra XUV400. The MG Windsor EV is offered with a 38kWh battery pack that gives it a range of 331km per charge. The Windsor EV offers a ground clearance of 186mm, which is quite impressive for an electric vehicle considering all the batteries are placed down low, under the floor. However, only the base Excite variant of the Windsor EV qualifies for this list with one caveat – it costs Rs. 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom) only if its optioned with the Battery as a Service (BaaS) package.

Also Read: MG Windsor EV Launched At Rs. 9.99 Lakh

Also Read: MG Windsor EV – BaaS In Detail

8. Hyundai Exter – 185mm

The Hyundai Exter B1-segment SUV offers a ground clearance of 185mm. All variants except the top normal petrol-automatic variant with a dual-tone roof cost under Rs. 10.0 lakh (ex-showroom). The Hyundai Exter is worth considering if you value safety along with a healthy ground clearance as it offers 6 airbags as standard. It also offers a generous boot space of 391 litres, which is higher than the Tata Punch.

9. 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.

Also Read: Renault Kwid Petrol Variants Explained – Which One To Buy?

10. 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 one 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.

11. 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.

Also Read: Renault Triber Petrol Variants Explained – Which One To Buy?

12. 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. Citroen Basalt – 180mm

The Citroen Basalt is the second coupe SUV on this list to offer a high ground clearance. Launched in August 2024 with 2 engine options, the base You and Plus variants qualify for this list with ex-showroom prices of Rs. 7.99 lakh and Rs. 9.99 lakh, respectively. These variants are powered by a 1.2L normal petrol engine that produces 82PS of power and 115Nm of torque. Both variants are only available with a 5-speed manual transmission.

Also Read: 2024 Citroen Basalt Launched At Rs. 7.99 Lakh

2. Maruti Suzuki Ertiga – 180mm

The Maruti Ertiga has a 180mm ground clearance and it’s the second car on this list that offers 3-row seating. However, being a larger, more powerful car with a bigger engine, you have the option of only 2 petrol-manual variants under Rs. 10.0 lakh.

Also Read: Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Variants Explained – Which One To Buy?

3. 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.

Also Read: Maruti Suzuki Ignis Petrol 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.

Also Read: Citroen C3 Petrol Variants Explained – Which One To Buy?

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.

Also Read: Maruti Suzuki S-Presso Petrol Variants Explained – Which One To Buy?

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