I am planning to buy a new automatic car with a budget of around ₹12 lakh. My driving will be mostly in the city, with occasional highway trips on weekends. I would prefer a car with a peppy engine and good safety. I currently own a Kia Sonet iMT, so I would prefer suggestions from brands other than Kia.

Autocar India

•1m

The Mahindra XUV3XO will meet your requirements of a car with a peppy engine and good safety. The petrol automatic comes paired with a torque convertor gearbox, which is the smoothest autobox around. Since your driving is mostly in the city, you will really appreciate this.

We would recommend the 1.2 litre MPFi turbo engine, which would offer you more than enough pep and a slightly better mileage than the direct injection unit. Though bear in mind that on the whole, mileage will still be lower than something like the Maruti Suzuki Brezza, as Mahindra tunes all its engines for a peppy feel.

If mileage isn't a priority and you simply want a very peppy and lively drive feel, opt for the direct injection unit. The 3XO will also meet your requirements for safety as it comes well equipped with 6 airbags and ESP as standard, and it has secured a 5-star rating in the BNCAP crash tests

Explore cars mentioned

Mahindra

XUV 3XO

from ₹8.37 Lakh

Maruti Suzuki

Brezza

from ₹9.36 Lakh

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Latest questions in the community

Deepesh

•17h

I am a first-time car buyer and also a new driver. I am planning to buy a car for long-term ownership with a budget of around ₹11–12 lakh (on-road). My family has five members, and the car will be used mostly for city driving in Hyderabad, with occasional highway trips maybe once a month. I prefer an automatic transmission since it will be easier to drive in city traffic. Currently, I am considering the Mahindra XUV 3XO MX2 Pro Petrol AMT and the Tata Nexon Pure Plus S AMT Petrol. I am looking for a car that offers good safety, reliability, comfort for family use, and reasonable maintenance for long-term ownership. Between these two options, which one would you recommend? Also, are there any other better options in this price range that I should consider?

Autocar India

•4h

First, a small correction. The Mahindra XUV 3XO does not use an AMT gearbox. It comes with a proper torque converter automatic, which offers a much smoother and more refined driving experience compared to AMTs. This makes it easier to drive in city traffic and overall more comfortable for daily use.Because of this, the XUV 3XO MX2 Pro automatic becomes the better choice between the two cars you shortlisted. The wider cabin also makes it more comfortable for a family of five and the ride quality is well suited for both city drives and occasional highway trips.The Tata Nexon does offer a DCA/DCT automatic option with the turbo-petrol engine, but that variant is significantly more expensive and would go well beyond your ₹11–12 lakh budget. The Nexon AMT variants therefore do not match the smoothness of the torque converter automatic offered in the 3XO.For your requirements of ease of driving, comfort and a better automatic gearbox, the Mahindra XUV 3XO automatic would be the better option over the Nexon in your budget.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Tata Nexon

•13h

I am looking for a compact car under ₹6 lakh. I am open to buying either a new car or a second-hand one, but my main condition is that the car should not have very low or very high seating, as there is a knee problem in the family. Please suggest which car would be a good option to buy within this budget.

Autocar India

•12m

For your needs, either the Tata Punch or the Maruti Suzuki Ignis would be a good option. The Tata Punch sits at a comfortable height, and its doors open up to almost 90 degrees, which makes ingress and egress easier. The seating position is also not too tall, so it should feel comfortable even for someone with knee issues.If you want something that feels more spacious, especially in the rear seat, then the Ignis ticks all the boxes as well. Its 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine is smoother, more responsive and nicer to drive too.To buy these cars brand new, even the base variants will be slightly above ₹6 lakh on-road. If you are okay with stretching the budget a little, you can go ahead with a new car. Also, you can consider used versions of higher variants within your budget.

Tata Punch

Maruti Suzuki Ignis

Tarun

•2d

I am confused between the Hyundai Venue SX(O) Petrol 1.0-litre Turbo Automatic (DCT), Mahindra XUV 3XO AX5 Petrol 1.2-litre Turbo Automatic (Torque Converter), and Hyundai Venue SX(O) Diesel 1.5-litre Automatic (Torque Converter). Which of these would be better in terms of hassle-free ownership, reliability, and long-term peace of mind? I plan to keep the car for many years for my family, so comfort and reliability are very important to me.

Autocar India

•22h

If your priority is long-term reliability and hassle-free ownership, the powertrain choice and brand service experience will matter more than outright performance.Between the three options, the Hyundai Venue petrol turbo with the DCT automatic is the safer choice in terms of ownership experience. Hyundai has a strong reputation for reliability and service support, and the Venue is a well-proven product. It also offers a comfortable ride and a well-finished cabin, which makes it suitable for long-term family use.The Mahindra XUV 3XO petrol automatic is a very good car to drive and offers strong performance thanks to its larger 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine. It also has a spacious cabin and good ride quality. However, Mahindra’s ownership experience and service consistency can vary depending on location.The Venue diesel automatic can make sense if your running is high and you regularly do highway drives. However, for typical mixed usage, the petrol automatic will generally be the simpler option to live with.

Hyundai Venue

Mahindra XUV 3XO

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