Best family cars in India in 2024

A car for a family assumes multiple roles. It’s a hard-working member of the family that needs to have the space for your lifestyle, features and amenities to keep the passengers comfortable and be fuel-efficient and reliable at all times. The humble family car absolutely needs to be versatile. Then again, a family car isn’t one size that fits all. For some, a 7-seater van may be a prerequisite while a premium hatchback might suffice for a nuclear family. To help you decide what fits your needs best, CARS24 has listed out 10 of the best family cars in India for you to choose from.

Have a particular car in mind that has been a great family car to you over the years? Share your recommendation with the CARS24 auto community, CLUTCH, where there are more interesting automotive discussions taking place.  

1. Maruti Suzuki Wagon R

Over the years, the Wagon R has been a top choice for the budget-conscious buyer. It is not only affordable but also rounds up most of the requirements of being one of the best family cars in India. In addition, Maruti Suzuki is known for its wide service network and that opens up the Wagon R’s capability of being used for long-distance travels with your loved ones.

The Wagon R’s body shape as a hatchback keeps practicality in mind. It is tall with large doors and window areas that make entering and exiting very easy for a variety of people, along with offering generous legroom and headroom. The large luggage capacity of 341 litres can hold a fair amount of travel bags for the occupants. For day-to-day needs, the boot will leave plenty of room after groceries have been placed, while the flexibility of the hatchback’s split-folding seats makes carrying larger objects very convenient. The latest generation of the Wagon R can get you the option of the four-cylinder K12N, 1.2-litre engine in the higher trims for more power and performance, while even being impressively fuel efficient.

Maruti Suzuki Wagon R key specifications

Maruti Suzuki Wagon R key features

2. Renault Triber

An often overlooked option, the Renault Triber makes for an affordable family car option.. This little MUV boasts of many features and its versatility can make it the ideal family car, especially if you’re on a strict budget. The Triber is powered by a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder engine that may not be the most powerful one, but it does offer adequate torque for a seven-seater as well as decent fuel efficiency to keep your pockets happy. The engine also comes with options of a 5-speed manual gearbox or an automated-manual transmission (AMT) for added convenience.

In its compact footprint, Renault has managed to fit in three rows of seating. This not only allows for seating capacity of up to seven passengers but the option to easily remove the last row of seats, liberating a massive 625 litres of boot space. Split-folding second and third row seats make for modular seating arrangement and luggage storage convenience. Renault has also included fore and aft sliding and reclining adjustability of the second row that helps accommodate individuals of various sizes. Among its modern connectivity features, some thoughtful touches for a family car include a cooled centre-console and glove box storage with a combined capacity of 23 litres.   

Renault Triber key specifications

Renault Triber key features

3. Tata Altroz

Tata’s premium offering in the hatchback category makes for one of the best family cars that one can buy in India today. Boasting of modern technology, peppy engine and gearbox combinations, space and comfort, the Altroz has something for everyone. Tata also offers a choice of fuel types with petrol, diesel, CNG and all-electric (EV) to cater to different mileage and fuel efficiency requirements and individual preferences.

The Altroz, as a hatchback, is sporty in its design and aesthetics. It isn’t a tall car, but its width makes for a very spacious cabin that can comfortably seat five passengers. 345 litres of boot space will take care of the luggage for your weekend getaways and the flat floor at the rear will ensure that the middle passenger is seated comfortably. There’s an additional 15-litres of cooled glove box storage available, along with 24 cubby holes for storage, including umbrella holders in the door pads.The Altroz also boasts of wide, 90-degree door openings for easy entrance and exit. Modern features like a 10.2-inch touchscreen with mobile connectivity and wireless charging aside, the Altroz also scores top-safety points with six airbags, 360-degree cameras and much more.

Tata Altroz key specifications

Tata Altroz key features

4. Maruti Suzuki Dzire

Maruti-Suzuki’s best-selling car has received a complete overhaul giving it a new lease of life for 2024 and beyond. The Dzire has been a hot favourite for families ever since its inception and with good reason too. The compact sub-4m shape helps keep the price tag low for a sedan while proven engine and transmission options keep fuel-efficiency and reliability needs in check. The well-rounded product now brings in a plethora of changes in its all-new avatar.

The most striking change are the new exterior updates that ditch the curved lines of the previous generation. In comes a fresh, contemporary exterior with sharper angles and contours lending the Dzire some sportiness and aggression. The Dzire’s top-spec trim will offer you LED lighting, sun-roof and wireless charging as new additions to a revamped interior. A 360-degree camera and 6 airbags will keep your family safe and a 5-star GNCAP safety rating has boosted assurance for safety. Features like climate control with rear AC vents, rear centre armrest have been carried forward to meet your family’s comfort requirements. The new Dzire also comes with a new Z-series engine that, for a slight loss of power, promises up to 25.7 kmpl of fuel efficiency. Boot space has also gone up by a tad, now being able to fit 382 litres of luggage.

Maruti Suzuki Dzire key specifications

Maruti Suzuki Dzire key features

5. Tata Nexon

In its latest appearance post the facelift, the Tata Nexon presents itself as a contemporary compact-SUV. It’s a car that serves a wide spectrum of people and young families will find it particularly attractive as an SUV, with versatility as compared to conventional MUV family cars. With ample room for five passengers and 382 litres of boot space, the Nexon is a strong contender for the best family cars in India.

Beautiful exterior design aside, the Nexon offers sprightly turbocharged-petrol engines, while the extensive portfolio of variants also presents options of diesel, CNG as well as EV models to choose from. The turbo-petrol engine is mated to either a 5-speed manual, a 6-speed AMT or a 7-speed DCT, making for one of the largest selection of powertrain combinations in the segment. Feature list in the top-trims include voice activated sunroof, ventilated front seats, 10.2-inch infotainment and instrument clusters, air purifier and lots more. Rear passengers get dedicated air-con vents as well as folding rear seats for increased luggage storage but misses out on split rear seats.

Tata Nexon key specifications

Tata Nexon key features

6. Honda City

The Honda City in, its latest guise, is a technologically advanced sedan that makes for a great family car. It presents a stylish outlook in a typical three-box sedan shape with modern features to entice prospective buyers. LED lighting, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in the form of Honda Sensing and options of  naturally aspirated i-VTEC petrol or hybrid engines to choose from are some of the highlights of this family friendly sedan. The 1.5-litre engine does produce a respectable amount of power, however, it is geared and tuned to prioritise fuel efficiency and refinement, making for a comfortable drive.

The interior of the City is high-quality as expected from Honda, with premium leatherette seats and the beige colour scheme lends a roomy feel to the cabin. A massive 506-litre boot will gobble up luggage for the entire family and in-cabin convenience features like wireless charging, automatic climate control, rear air-con vents and more make the car very convenient.

Honda City key specifications

Honda City key features

7. Maruti Suzuki Ertiga

For a proper family car, nothing beats a 7-seater MUV in versatility. The Ertiga has been around for a while now and its popularity is simply due the fact that it can accommodate seven full-size adults in a fair amount of comfort compared to pricier alternatives. It is powered by a fuel-efficient 1.5-litre petrol engine that also gets mild-hybrid tech to further boost fuel-efficiency. With the last update, the transmission options now include the 5-speed manual and the 6-speed torque converter automatic instead of the erstwhile 4-speed automatic, greatly improving drivability.

When it comes to features, the Ertiga’s trump card is the versatility in seating and luggage capacity. The boot space can be adjusted from a low 209 litres to a whole 803 litres, with the second and third rows folded. The passengers also get roof-mounted air-con vents with fan-speed control and nifty touches like cooled cup-holders for those longer journeys.   

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga key specifications

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga key features

8. Kia Carens

Kia steps up the MUV game with a bit of luxury and premiumness thrown into a tried and tested formula. A choice of six or seven seater formats are on offer with Kia speccing the six-seater with captain seats in the second row. At this price point, the feature list in the higher trims are truly appreciable as they all increase convenience. For instance, Kia has equipped the second-row seats with “One Touch Easy Electric Tumble'' function that takes the manual effort out of folding the second row. This makes accessing the third row all the more easier. 

There are other nifty convenience features like sliding and recline adjustable second and third row seats and the third row seats fold flat for better luggage loading. Boot space ranges from 216 litres with all the rows up, expanding all the way up to a massive 1,650 litres of space with the second and third row folded. The Carens’ cabin is loaded with features like diffused air-con vents for the rear rows, multiple charging ports and storage options. A choice of powerful petrol and diesel engines and transmissions complete a well-rounded package.

Kia Carens key specifications

Kia Carens key features

9. Mahindra XUV700

If you’re someone who’s looking for a large family car with up to seven seats but don’t like the idea of an MUV, then the Mahindra XUV700 might just be the car for you. With an SUV silhouette, the XUV700 blends all the conveniences of an MUV seamlessly, making for a good-looking vehicle. It even has the power of an SUV with turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel engine options producing over 190bhp.

On the convenience front, top-notch features galore in the XUV700 like ADAS functions, wireless Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay connectivity, dual 10.2-inch screens for infotainment and instrumentation, panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, and much more. Luggage capacity ranges from 220 litres to 1,025 litres with the seats folded. 

Mahindra XUV700 key specifications

Mahindra XUV700 key features

10. Toyota Innova Hycross

Some would even regard the Toyota Innova as the ultimate MUV given its massive success story in India. With the Innova Hycross, Toyota has upped the game and the Innova has now become even better than before. If you’re looking for the last word in the best family car in India, the Toyota Innova Highcross Ranks right on top as a luxury offering.

The Innova Hycross boasts of features like ADAS functionality including Adaptive Cruise Control, wireless Android and Apple device connectivity among others. Most interestingly for a family car, the Hycross can be specced with sunshades for the rear windows, powered ottoman with captain seats in the second row, electric tumble function for the seats, ventilated front seats and a whole host of features for a long haul. Luggage capacity ranges from 300 litres to 991 litres with the seats folded. 

Toyota Innova Hycross key specifications

Toyota Innova Hycross key features

Conclusion

The best family cars need to have a few important qualities. They have to be comfortable which means good ride quality, generous seating as well as good in-cabin convenience features. Ingress and egress should be convenient so that older adults as well as children can step in and out of the car easily. They have to be easy to drive to be used by different members of the family. Lastly, practicality has to be high to fulfil storage and luggage carrying capabilities. The ideal family cars are usually MUVs but the above list presents various other options as we have a plethora of cars to choose from.

FAQ

Q. What are the best cars in India that offer value for money?

Some of the best family cars in India are the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, The Swift Dzire, the Tata Altroz and Nexon, and the Honda city. 

Q. Which are the most popular family cars in India?

The Maruti Suzuki Dzire, in sheer sales volume alone, is the most popular choice for a family car in India.

Q. What is the best car for a family of five?

For a family of five, a hatchback is a great option for the best family car and the Tata Altroz is our choice.