I’m planning to buy a new automatic car with a budget of ₹8-9 lakh (maximum). I drive about 250–300 km per week, and I’m a first-time car buyer. Please suggest suitable options.

Autocar India

•13w

The Maruti Baleno Zeta AGS will be a good option to consider. This version will fit in your budget and has good fuel economy for an automatic. Your high usage, it also has comfy seats, a good ride and a decent feature list.

Adding to the convenience is Maruti's widespread network and low maintenance cost. It is easy to drive in the city, has a practical and spacious cabin and a comfy ride for long drives.

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Maruti Suzuki

Baleno

from ₹7.07 Lakh

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Latest questions people are discussing

Satish V

•1w

Hi Sir, I need car advice for a family of 4-5 members. I want an AMT/AGS car costing less than ₹10 lakh, with about 80% city usage. Most importantly, our family members are stout, so I need a car that comfortably accommodates them. Thank you.

Autocar India

•1d

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno would suit you. The car is among the more spacious in its class, and the automatic version would fit within your budget. However, we would definitely recommend you take your family down to the showroom and make sure you are all reasonably comfortable inside. You could also consider the Nissan Gravite or its sister car, the Renault Triber.The automatics would also fit your budget. But most importantly, with three rows of seating, you could better spread out your family of 5 so each has sufficient shoulder room.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Uday Zinzuvadia

•6d

I’m planning to buy the Hyundai i20 N Line N8 Manual. My monthly travel will be under 500 km. Will this car be economical in terms of maintenance costs and mileage? Also, should I wait for the upcoming i20 facelift or go ahead with the current model? Finally, should I choose the i20 N Line, or are there better alternatives I should consider? Please suggest.

Autocar India

•2d

The Hyundai i20 N Line is the sportiest hatchback for the money. It is powered by a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine that's zippy, and its 6-speed manual transmission is slick in operation. Moreover, the N Line drives well and certainly feels more special than anything else in the market.As far as maintenance costs go, the i20 N Line is likely to be slightly more expensive than the standard i20 petrol, but the difference should not be significant. In terms of fuel efficiency, the i20 N Line is likely to return around 10-12 kpl in the city and 15-17 kpl on the highway.Sure, the N Line is a bit pricey, but it is more of an emotional buy. If you love to drive, go for it. However, if you are trying to rationalise this purchase, there are more affordable and more fuel-efficient, equally (if not more) practical hatchbacks that are cheaper to maintain, such as the Maruti Baleno/Toyota Glanza, Tata Altroz, or even the standard i20 petrol.

Gurcharan Gandhi

I have been driving a Ford EcoSport Trend+ since 2018 and have done over 1,00,000 km on it. I am fully satisfied with its performance. Now I want to buy a mid-size petrol SUV. I am a driving enthusiast and prefer a car with good driving dynamics, strong road grip, and handling. My budget is up to ₹15 lakh. Which car would you suggest is best for me?

Autocar India

•6h

Since you are a driving enthusiast and are looking for a mid-size SUV with good driving dynamics, we would recommend the new Skoda Kushaq. Skoda recently unveiled the facelift and will also be announcing prices this month. The Kushaq is one of the more driver-focused mid-size SUVs with very good handling manners. It will feature two engines as before, a 1.0-litre TSI and a 1.5-litre TSI. If the bigger engine is out of budget, the 1.0-litre is also quite peppy and fun to drive, with good grip and cornering. Another SUV worth waiting for would be the Renault Duster, which is launching on the 17th of this month. It gets a powerful turbo-petrol engine, and Renault has developed a good chunk of it at MMRT (Madras Motor Race Track) in Chennai and assures us that the handling would be exciting. If you aren't in a hurry, we advise you to wait till we get our hands on the Duster and even the updated Kushaq for a definitive verdict.

Skoda Kushaq facelift

Renault Duster

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