Considering you plan to keep the car for a long time and want something that is both performance oriented and a good family car, we’d suggest the new Hyundai Venue.Since you’re based in Bangalore, the 1.0 litre turbo petrol with the DCT automatic makes the most sense. Within your budget, you should be able to consider the H8 variant, which is well equipped and feels premium.The turbo petrol engine gives the Venue effortless performance, and the DCT gearbox manages both city traffic and occasional highway drives well. The new Venue is also larger than the older model, and it offers enough space for four adults to travel comfortably. Importantly, this engine and gearbox combination has been in use for several years in Hyundai cars, so it is a proven and reliable powertrain.If you want even more space than the Venue, you can also look at the Kia Syros. It is roomier on the inside, similarly priced, and gets the same turbo petrol DCT combination. The only caveat is that the ride quality of the Syros isn’t as comfortable as the Venue.

Since you’ve already liked the Tata Sierra a lot, you can go ahead with it. We’d recommend the Turbo Petrol automatic variant, as it is powerful, delivers effortless performance, and will feel like a proper upgrade over your Maruti Suzuki Ritz.The Sierra also comes with a naturally aspirated petrol option, but it isn’t very strong on performance. In fact, it is among the slowest cars we have tested, with a 0 to 100 kph time of 17.34 seconds for the manual transmission.If your usage is predominantly city based and you value smoothness over outright performance, you can also consider the new Kia Seltos with the 1.5 litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, paired with either a manual or a smooth CVT automatic. This engine feels noticeably stronger than the Sierra’s naturally aspirated unit and will still feel like an upgrade over your Ritz.

In your budget, you will end up with the absolute base variants of the Mahindra 3XO and Skoda Kylaq. So, compared to cars with a lower starting price, they can feel a bit basic in terms of features and equipment.That said, even in their base trims, both SUVs offer effortless performance, a more sophisticated driving experience thanks to their strong ride and handling, and in the case of the 3XO, excellent interior space.We’d recommend considering the recently launched Skoda Kylaq Classic Plus, as it adds a good mix of essential and premium features like a single pane sunroof, 16 inch steel wheels with covers, cruise control, an auto dimming IRVM, and rain sensing wipers.If you want to stay within the Maruti Suzuki family, you can look at the Maruti Suzuki Fronx Delta Plus. It offers more features, but it may not feel like a meaningful upgrade over the Maruti Suzuki Baleno you already own.

Considering your running of around 1,000 to 1,200 km a month, it makes more sense to go for the petrol Mahindra 3XO.In our real world economy test, the diesel was around 3 kpl more efficient than the petrol, which translates to a saving of roughly Rs 3,000 a month. However, the diesel is also over Rs 1 lakh more expensive, so it will take years to recover that extra upfront cost.So, we’d recommend the petrol over the diesel. And if you’re looking at an automatic, it’s a no contest as the petrol gets a refined 6-speed torque converter, while the diesel comes with a relatively crude AMT.