That said, not all three-row cars are available in a 6-seat configuration with captain’s seats in the center row, a feature that would be desirable for chauffeured drivers. However, we have put together a list of the 5 cheapest cars in India currently on offer posts of captain in the middle row, take a look –
1. Maruti Suzuki XL6 – Zeta onwards
The Maruti Suzuki XL6 is the cheapest car in India to be offered with a 6-seat configuration with captain seats in the middle row as standard. Based on the 7-seater Ertiga, the XL6 was originally introduced as a premium 6-seater alternative and is sold through Maruti Suzuki’s Nexa dealerships.
Pricing for XL6 currently starts at Rs 11.29 lakh (ex-showroom). It has the same 1.5-litre NA petrol engine as the Ertiga, producing 103PS of power and 137Nm of torque, available with 5-speed MT or 6-speed AT with paddle shifters.
2. Hyundai Alcazar – Prestige Executive onwards
The three row Hyundai Alcazar is offered with both 6 and 7 seat configurations in India, however, the cheapest 6 seat version with captain seats you can buy is the Prestige Executive variant with the diesel engine, priced at Rs 16.30 lakhs (ex showroom). This makes it the most affordable 6 seater SUV in India!
The Alcazar can be equipped with a 2.0-litre NA petrol engine delivering 159PS/191Nm or a 1.5-litre diesel engine delivering 115PS of maximum power and 250Nm of maximum torque. Both engines are available with a 6-speed manual or optional 6-speed AT gearbox.
3. Kia Carens – Luxury + onwards
The Kia Carens was launched just under a year ago in an effort to capitalize on the growing popularity of three-row cars. The Maruti Suzuki XL6 and Mahindra Marazzo’s rival MPV can be supplied in either a 7-seat layout, or a 6-seat configuration with the captain’s chairs in the center row being electrically lowered with a single touch.
The captain’s seats are available from the Luxury+ variant onwards, with a 1.4-litre turbo petrol (140PS/242Nm) or 1.5-litre diesel (115PS/250Nm) engine. Pricing for the cheapest variant of Kia Carens with second row captain’s chairs starts from Rs 16.75 lakh (ex showroom).
4. MG Hector Plus – Super ahead
The MG Hector Plus is essentially the three-row version of the Hector SUV which, due to the trend of the segment, is available in a 7-seater configuration or in a 6-seater configuration with captain’s seats. The cheapest 6 seater variant is ‘Super’, currently priced at Rs 17.73 lakh (ex showroom).
MG offers the Hector Plus with a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine producing 143PS and 250Nm of torque, and an FCA-sourced 2-litre diesel engine producing 170PS and 350Nm of torque. A 6-speed manual gearbox is offered as standard with both, while the petrol engine can also be supplied with an optional CVT gearbox.
5. Toyota Innova Crystal – GX onwards
Toyota Innova Crystal It’s the only car on this list that gets captain’s seats on the 7-seat version. That’s because an 8-seater version of the MPV with a bench seat in the middle row is also available. That being said, the entry-level GX variant of Innova Crysta is priced at Rs 18.09 lakh (ex-showroom) and is the cheapest variant of the Toyota Minivan to offer with captain seats.
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The Innova Crysta’s 2.7-litre four-cylinder petrol engine delivers 166PS of power and 245Nm of torque. The MPV was also previously offered with a 2.4-litre diesel engine, producing 150PS and 360Nm. However, the diesel variants of the Innova Crysta have been temporarily discontinued due to the large number of existing orders. That said, Toyota has confirmed that the Innova Crysta diesel will be available for preorders soon.
What’s your favorite people carrier or SUV with captain’s seats? Let us know in the comments below.
