I’m looking for a car for my wife, who is turning 30. Her daily usage will be short city drives, about 8 km to and from the gym, along with grocery runs and mall visits. Our budget is ₹15 lakh, and we already own an i20 and an XUV700. Is the Thar 3-door RWD a good option for her, or would something more practical and fuel-efficient be better?

autocar.india

•3h

Pick the Maruti Suzuki Fronx 1.0 Turbo AT for petrol and the Kia Sonet 1.5 diesel manual for diesel, because both return excellent real-world mileage and fit your Rs. 14 lakh budget with a good amount of features. You could also consider the Fronx 1.2 petrol AMT, which while more efficient and cheaper to buy, isn't as smooth as the 1.0 Turbo's 6-speed AT. The Fronx suits daily city use. It is easy to drive, easy to park, and the 1.0 turbo petrol is efficient while also having sufficient punch when needed. Maruti's service network is massive, and maintenance costs are low. Do note, however, as this is a turbo petrol with a torque converter auto, good mileage is highly dependent on your driving style, and if you drive with a heavy foot, the number will go down.For your 1200km-a-month usage, the Sonet diesel manual makes strong sense if you do a lot of highway driving. The 1.5 diesel is smooth at low revs and still pulls cleanly, so you will easily see 20-plus-kpl on highways and high teens in town. It also feels more relaxed with a full load or on inclines. Do note, the rear seat is quite cramped for three adults and the ride is a bit firm. If you can stretch your budget a bit, the Hyundai Venue diesel MT with the same engine and gearbox is a far better-rounded product.

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Kia Sonet

Hyundai Venue

autocar.india

•5h

Punch EV can do it, but only if the five aren’t all big adults and you pack light. For 100-150 km runs, it’s fine, especially in the Long Range version, because real highway range at steady speeds is roughly 250km with AC, so you won’t be hunting for a charger on a day trip.Where it strains is people and bags. The rear seat is narrow for three adults, so shoulders touch, and the middle passenger’s comfort fades after an hour or two. The boot will take weekend luggage for four easily, but five people’s 2-3 day bags will need some clever packing and ideally soft duffel bags.For a 2-3 day vacation, plan to charge at your hotel or at a reliable fast charger on the route. A quick top-up break of about 30-45 minutes is realistic, but outside major corridors, chargers can be patchy.If your family often travels five-up with big bags, this will feel cramped. If it’s mostly short trips, it’s okay.

Tata Punch EV

autocar.india

•10h

Go ahead with the Hyundai Venue DCT you’ve booked. For a 20-30km daily run and as the second car alongside your Virtus GT, it fits your Rs. 11-13 lakh budget, is compact and easy to park, and the automatic makes city driving simple for your wife.About those reviews: at typical highway speeds, the Venue feels settled enough. It will not match your Virtus’ rock-solid high-speed stability, but for the occasional fast run, it is perfectly fine. The one gripe is that the steering does not weigh up enough at highway speeds. Being a turbo-petrol, it is also quite sensitive to driving style, so expect city fuel efficiency to be in the 10-12kpl range.If you are looking for an alternative, consider the Skoda Kylaq. It feels more planted than the Venue on the highway, and its torque-converter automatic shifts more smoothly. However, the rear seat is not as spacious.Overall, for your usage, the Venue DCT remains a sensible choice.

Hyundai Venue

Volkswagen Virtus

Skoda Kylaq