I have been using an i20 Sportz for the last 15 years and it has only clocked 87,000 km. I am now planning to buy a new car within a budget of ₹15-16 lakh, preferably automatic. My prime concerns are mileage, maintenance, and safety. My driving will increase compared to my previous car, probably around 1,000-2,000 km per month, mostly on highways and sometimes in the city. Please suggest some good options.

Autocar India

•2d

Given your requirements, we'd recommend the new Kia Seltos. It's got plenty of space for five and their luggage, it's very modern, and it's comfortable too. At your budget you can get a reasonably high variant, which means you will get lots of features too. Moreover, like its sister brand Hyundai, Kia has a good reputation for reliability, and so you can safely hold on to the car for six to seven years. The best bit is you have the choice of three engines - the naturally aspirated petrol, turbocharged petrol and diesel. The turbo petrol is not available with a traditional manual and gets a clutchless manual or iMT instead. It's a good option that mixes convenience with control, but frankly given your usage, we would recommend the naturally aspirated petrol with the 6-speed manual. It's a great combination of efficiency, smoothness and value for money.

Kia New Seltos

Autocar India

•14h

Go for the Honda City ZX CVT. For chauffeur‑driven parents, it offers the comfiest rear bench, ample legroom, and a smooth CVT for Bengaluru traffic within your ₹20-21 lakh budget.Rear comfort is its strength: the 2,600 mm wheelbase helps knee-room, the rear seat is well-cushioned with good thigh support, and the ride is tuned soft for long trips. The 506‑litre boot easily swallows luggage for highway runs. ZX adds 6 airbags and ADAS with adaptive cruise control, useful on long highways. The CVT’s smooth creep and no shift‑shock make occasional city use easy. Versus your shortlist, Elevate’s rear bench feels upright, while Slavia/Virtus ride firmer and are more driver‑centric for back‑seat comfort.The one thing you give up is ground clearance in comparison to the Elevate. Also, if getting in and out is a concern, the Elevate's high-set seats would make it easier. A test drive should sort that out. For now, we recommend the City for its hassle-free ownership experience, reliability and most of all, a refined and comfortable cabin.

Honda City

Honda Elevate

Skoda Slavia

Volkswagen Virtus

Autocar India

•16h

We would recommend sticking to the Maruti family and upgrading to the new Swift. The Swift, in its ZXI AMT guise, will fit in your budget and deliver your requirements. It is compact, which makes it easy to handle, and has enough power at 82hp for the city and the highway from the 1.2-litre engine.In terms of efficiency, the AMT version returns 12.7kpl in the city and 19.7kpl on the highway. The AMT is one of the nicer versions in the segment and makes light work of city driving. The ride comfort is good too, and the Swift is tuned for bumpy Indian roads. The ZXI will also get you a good kit like 15-inch alloy wheels, touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging and rear AC vents.

Maruti Suzuki Swift