I am a senior citizen looking to purchase a new car with an automatic gearbox and within a budget of around Rs 5 lakh. It should be best suited for city driving and occasional highway trips to nearby cities. High safety features are a must.

Asked by: D D Thaware

The Maruti Suzuki S-Presso AMT is the cheapest automatic car on sale in India, which is in your budget. And while it is a very user-friendly and easy-to-drive city car, it doesn't feel confident on the highway. Yes, Maruti has upped its safety feature list by adding Electronic Stability Program (ESP); however, it still gets only 2 airbags - side and curtain airbags are missing.

Since you plan to drive on the highways regularly, you could consider picking a pre-owned, safer car from a higher segment from reputed platforms like Spinny - the used cars are not only thoroughly inspected, but the company also offers a comprehensive warranty for added peace of mind.

Maruti Suzuki S-Presso

Maruti Suzuki S-Presso

Answered by

Autocar India Team

Dec 03, 2025

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