I have a family of four and am planning to upgrade from my Maruti Celerio. My budget is ₹10 lakh. Which car would be the most suitable option for my needs?

Autocar India

•1h

Consider the Tata Punch Adventure with the 1.2-litre petrol and manual combo for a family of four moving up from a Celerio at around Rs 10 lakh; it fits your needs right now. You sit higher than in your Celerio, so getting in and out is easier, and you get a better view in traffic. The cabin has more room, and the boot is bigger, so weekend bags or a stroller fit without a squeeze. Ride quality is good too, and it feels robust on rough roads.

One thing to be aware of: this engine is fine in the city, but you will need to plan your overtakes on the highway with a full load. Also, if you choose the automatic, it is the AMT type, so you will feel a small pause between shifts. If this is an issue, then consider the Hyundai i20 with a CVT instead.

Take your family along and do a short highway stretch in both to see which cabin and driving experience you prefer.

Explore cars mentioned

Tata

Punch

from ₹6.68 Lakh

Hyundai

i20

from ₹7.07 Lakh

More questions on similar cars

Chandra

•5d

I have a budget of ₹10 lakh and drive around 40 km daily in the city. I am looking for a car with high ground clearance and a very upright seating position. What would you suggest?

Autocar India

•1d

Go for the Tata Punch. The car has a good ground clearance of 193mm (unladen) and offers a very good ride quality over bad roads. The front seatbacks are adjustable, and the rear seatback is a bit more vertical than those of other cars. Thus, in your case will meet your requirement of an upright seating posture. Within your budget, you will also get a variant closer to the top trim. The Hyundai Exter could also be another option that meets your ground clearance requirement, and at your budget, you could get a slightly better-equipped model too. However, the rear seat is more reclined than the Punch and other cars, too.

Tata Punch

Hyundai Exter

Mohit

•1d

I am looking to buy a new car within a budget of ₹10 lakh. My usage will be mostly city driving, with very minimal usage on weekends (around 50 km per month). My requirements are: Petrol engine only (naturally aspirated) Automatic or manual transmission High safety and strong build quality Good mileage and low maintenance Rear camera required No sunroof needed I am also confused between choosing a 1.2L vs 1.5L engine, and 3-cylinder vs 4-cylinder engines. I want to consider options only from Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, and Kia. Please suggest the best suitable car.

Autocar India

•4h

You should check out the Kia Sonet 1.2 HTK (O) manual, it fits your budget and needs best for safe, easy city driving. Your use is very low and only in the city, so the simple 1.2 petrol with no turbo is the right call. It is a 4-cylinder engine, so it feels smoother and quieter than most 3-cylinder engines. The HTK (O) trim includes a rear camera, though if you can increase your budget slightly, consider moving up to the Sonet HTK+, which will get you features like keyless entry and go, a wireless phone charger, a 60:40 split rear seat and alloy wheels.The 1.2 in the Sonet doesn't get an automatic option, so if you decide you must have one, you would need to look at a different model. Consider the Maruti Suzuki Fronx 1.2 Delta+ AMT, which also gets a rear-view camera and a four-cylinder engine. If you don't mind a hatchback, there's also the Hyundai i20 1.2 IVT Sportz, which gets a smoother CVT automatic gearbox.The only 1.5-litre engine in your price bracket can be found in the Maruti Suzuki Brezza. But as that very engine capacity disqualifies it from small car tax breaks, its price is higher than others, and you will only get a base model.

Rajiv

I am planning to buy a car for my 22-year-old son, who will primarily be driving in the city in Mumbai. He has just learned to drive. Should I go for a new or a used car? My budget is below ₹20 lakh.

Autocar India

•2d

We would recommend you shortlist the Skoda Kylaq 1.0 Turbo-AT and the Hyundai Venue N Line 1.0 Turbo-AT. Given that your son has only recently learnt to drive, it will be better to buy him a 'relatively' compact car that's both user-friendly. It has a good audio system, and at the same time has the 'cool' factor that a young driver would be looking for. Both the Kylaq and Venue N Line fit the bill. Also, the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engines in these cars will be adequately powerful and fun to drive, without feeling overwhelming for a new driver.A hatchback alternative that you could consider is the Hyundai i20 N Line Turbo-DCT, which should cost you around Rs 14 lakh for the top-end version.All these will comfortably fall within your Rs 20 lakh budget with some cash to spare, which you could utilise to upgrade the vehicle down the line, once he has mastered the art of driving, and wants a bigger car.

Skoda Kylaq

Hyundai i20

Hyundai Venue

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