I’m looking for an automatic car in the ₹10-12 lakh range - I drive approximately 1,000 km and want reliable, low-maintenance options. Please suggest suitable models. Also, explain the types of automatic transmissions available (and their order of technological advancement), and tell me whether automatic cars with factory-fitted CNG are available and which models to consider.

Autocar India

•1d

We would recommend you look at the Maruti Suzuki Celerio. Refinement from the 1.0 litre engine is much better than you would expect from a three-cylinder engine, and minimal vibrations filter into the cabin. The overall performance is smooth and easy for normal everyday driving, and at low city speeds, it even feels a bit eager, and it is thus quite enjoyable to drive. In terms of safety, the car is well equipped with safety features like 6 airbags, anti-locking brakes (ABS) and electronic stability program (ESP). It also scored a three-star crash safety rating in the GNCAP test. You can get cars with a better crash rating, like the Tata Tiago, for instance, but you will not find the engine as smooth.

Maruti Suzuki Celerio

Tata Tiago

Autocar India

•24m

With your daily running of around 50-60 km, your monthly usage will easily cross 1,500 km, so choosing a fuel with low running costs makes sense. In this case, CNG is generally a better fit than diesel, especially since most of your driving is in the city.One of the better options to consider is the Tata Nexon CNG. Unlike most CNG cars, the Nexon uses a turbo-petrol engine, which means it still feels reasonably strong and comfortable even on the highway. The turbo engine produces good torque, which helps maintain performance despite running on CNG. This makes the Nexon CNG a good balance between low running costs for the city and decent highway performance for weekend drives.Another practical option is the Maruti Suzuki Brezza CNG, particularly the LXi or VXi variants. The Brezza uses a 1.5-litre engine with factory-fitted CNG. It is known for being smooth and reliable while still offering good mileage and reasonable performance.

Tata Nexon

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Autocar India

•1h

We would recommend you look at the new upcoming Skoda Kushaq. It sits above the compact SUV segment but is still not too large and is among the smaller of the mid-size SUVs, thus it remains quite easy and manageable in the city. The Kushaq is well equipped with many standard safety features and has scored a 5-star crash rating in the GNCAP tests, thus it meets your priority of safety too. Since you are driving in the city and looking for fuel efficiency too, we would suggest the 1.0 litre engine, which will launch with an 8-speed torque convertor automatic transmission. Torque convertors are the smoothest type of automatic transmission around, which you will appreciate in the city stop-and-go traffic. Being an 8-speed (earlier was a 6-speed unit), mileage should also improve over the previous car. It returned a figure of 8.5kpl in the city, 12.4 kpl on the highway, in our standard test cycle. Stay tuned to our channel as we will be driving the car shortly.

Skoda Kushaq facelift