TOYOTA FORTUNER
The Fortuner is the best-selling SUV in the Rs 20-30 lakh bracket today and it doesn’t look like that is going to change for a while. It is a beefy seven-seater SUV based on the IMV platform like the Innova and has a 3.0-litre diesel engine with 167 bhp on offer. The body-on-ladder chassis means it is designed to off-road and it does that pretty well. Its price of just under ' 20 lakh, ex-showroom, Mumbai, is attractive for those who want a Toyota SUV, but can’t afford the Prado. The only drawbacks are that it dynamically isn’t as adept and the interiors don’t feel as well appointed. 

CHEVROLET CAPTIVA
Like the Santa Fe, the Captiva is a soft-roader that can handle some amount of off-roading. It too boasts seven seats, handsome lines and some decent dynamics. Power comes from a 2.0-litre common rail diesel with 148 bhp on offer, which makes it pretty quick. The Captiva also comes with a six-speed automatic with four-wheel drive as standard. It’s priced reasonably too, at ' 18.1-19.9 lakh. Trouble is, the Captiva doesn’t feel as special on the inside, nor does it do anything spectacularly. 

HONDA CR-V
It is the only other petrol SUV, apart from the Mitsubishi Outlander, but it does set some benchmarks in terms of refinement, build quality and overall road dynamics. The CR-V is the most expensive here at ' 23-25 lakh, thanks to it being a CBU. The CR-V’s 2.0-litre and 2.4-litre petrol motors are nippy and refined, but not necessarily the most efficient. Designed as an urban utility vehicle, it isn’t meant to be taken for any serious off-roading. Lack of a diesel option has hurt its chances over time.