Affordable cars, SUVs with powered driver seats: Skoda Kylaq, Curvv & more

Electrically adjustable driver’s seats are no longer exclusive to premium cars and luxury SUVs. As manufacturers continue to expand feature offerings across mainstream segments, this convenience feature has become increasingly common in more affordable vehicles.

In addition to improving convenience, powered driver’s seats allow users to achieve a comfortable driving position more easily. The feature can be especially useful in households where multiple people use the same vehicle, as seating adjustments can be made quickly without relying on manual controls. In this article, let’s take a look at affordable cars and SUVs with powered driver seats under Rs 15 lakh (ex-showroom).

Hyundai VenueThe first car on the list is the Hyundai Venue subcompact SUV. The Venue gets a four-way powered driver seat from the HX8 trim priced from Rs 11.9 lakh (ex-showroom). Venue gets three engine options: a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, turbo diesel engine with 116 hp and 250 Nm of torque; a 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder, NA petrol engine with 83 hp and 114 Nm of torque; and a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder, turbo petrol engine with 120 hp and 172 Nm of torque.

Skoda KylaqNext on the list is the Skoda Kylaq sub-compact SUV priced from Rs 11.99 lakh (ex-showroom). The Kylaq stands out as the most affordable car in India to offer a 6-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat. It is also the first model in its segment to provide a 6-way powered adjustment function for the front passenger seat, making it a unique offering among its rivals. It’s powered by a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine with 115 hp and comes paired with a 6-speed MT or a 6-speed torque converter automatic.

MG AstorNext is the MG Astor compact SUV. It gets a powered driver seat from the Sharp Pro trim priced from Rs 13.37 lakh (ex-showroom). Among compact SUVs on sale in India, the Astor stands out as the most affordable compact SUV to feature a 6-way powered driver’s seat. It’s powered by a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder NA petrol engine with 110 hp and gearbox options include 5-speed MT or a CVT Auto.Kia SonetNext on the list is Venue’s cousin, Kia Sonet, which gets a four-way powered driver seat from the GTX Plus trim priced from Rs 13.6 lakh (ex-showroom).

Sonet gets three engine options - a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, turbo diesel engine with 116 hp, 250 nm torque, a 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder, NA petrol engine with 83 hp and 114 Nm and a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder turbo petrol with 120 hp, 172 nm torque.Kia SyrosAnother Kia on the list is the Kia Syros, which gets a four-way powered driver seat from the HTX trim priced from Rs 14.02 lakh (ex-showroom). The Kia Syros gets two engine options - a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, turbo diesel engine with 116 hp, 250 nm torque and a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder turbo petrol with 120 hp, 172 nm torque.Tata CurvvAnother compact SUV on the list is the Tata Curvv coupe SUV, which gets a 6-way powered driver seat from the Accomplished S trim priced from Rs 14.65 lakh (ex-showroom). The Curvv gets three engine options - a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, turbo diesel engine with 118 hp, a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder, turbo petrol engine with 120 hp and a 125 hp, 1.2-litre turbo direct injection petrol engine.Hyundai VernaNext on the list is the Hyundai Verna sedan priced from Rs 14.9 lakh (ex-showroom).

The Verna is equipped with an 8-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat and a 4-way powered front passenger seat. The driver’s seat adjustment function is available from the HX8 variant onwards, while the powered co-driver’s seat is offered exclusively on the top-spec HX10 variants. It gets two engine options - a 115 hp, 1.5-litre NA petrol engine and a 160 hp, 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine.Skoda SlaviaAnother sedan on this list is the Skoda Slavia, which offers 6-way electrically adjustable front seats for both the driver and front passenger from the Prestige variant onwards, priced from Rs 15 lakh (ex-showroom).

The sedan is offered with two engine options - 115 hp, a 1.0-litre turbo petrol and a 150 hp, 1.5-litre turbo petrol.Volkswagen VirtusNext on the list is Slavia’s cousin Volkswagen Virtus, priced a little over 15 lakh (ex-showroom). The Virtus offers 6-way electrically adjustable front seats for both the driver and front passenger from the Topline variant onwards. The sedan is offered with two engine options - 115 hp, a 1.0-litre turbo petrol and a 150 hp, 1.5-litre turbo petrol.