I currently own a 2016 Maruti Suzuki Baleno and am planning to upgrade to an SUV. I am not a frequent user, and my driving is mostly on highways. My current car has covered around 88,000 km. I am looking for a good SUV within a budget of ₹10 lakh that offers comfortable rear legroom and adequate boot space. Additionally, would opting for a CNG variant be a good choice for my usage? Please suggest.

Autocar India

•2d

With 50 km a day in Delhi-Gurgaon traffic and only rare highway trips, a compact petrol automatic suits you best. In your budget, the Mahindra XUV 3XO petrol automatic fits your brief best, as it has a 5-star crash safety rating, a lengthy feature list that includes a panoramic sunroof, and is still easy to live with in the city.It feels solid and comes with key safety tech like ADAS, multiple airbags and stability control, depending on variant. The automatic takes the strain out of driving in slow traffic, the steering is light, and the small footprint makes parking easy. You also get a rich feature set in mid trims within your budget, and it stays steady on the highway for your quarterly runs. Two trade-offs to note: the boot is smaller than some rivals, and the turbo petrol automatic isn't very fuel efficient.If you prefer to stay with a known feel, the Tata Nexon petrol automatic remains a safe, feature-rich pick. For better city mileage, the Maruti Suzuki Brezza petrol automatic is also worth a look, though it is lighter on features at this price.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Tata Nexon

Autocar India

•2d

With 40 km a day and mostly highway, from your list, the Tata Nexon diesel fits best. It will use less fuel on long runs, feel more relaxed at 80-100 kph, and give easier overtakes with family and luggage. Your mix has enough highway, so the diesel’s exhaust filter should stay healthy. As a fuel type, CNG is cheap to run, but for 60% highway, it can feel slow, and needs more planning for refills. Better for mostly city use.Maruti Suzuki Victoris petrol will be simpler to own and should be reliable, but on highways with a full load, it will use more fuel than the Nexon diesel. Also consider the Hyundai Venue diesel, which is available with a smooth 6-speed auto. Overall, from your choices, the Nexon diesel lines up best.

Tata Nexon

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Hyundai Venue

Autocar India

•1h

Given your use case and considering your budget of Rs. 15 lakh, you should take a closer look at the Hyundai i20 IVT Asta (O). It is easy to drive in traffic, the CVT automatic is smooth at low speeds, and the steering is light, so city commutes will be far less tiring than in your Tata Tiago. The cabin will feel like a clear step up too: it is quieter, seats are more comfortable, and the car feels more premium overall, which you will notice on your daily runs and the odd weekend drive.Do note, it is not a tall car, so if your roads have very high speed breakers or you like a high seating view, an SUV may suit you better. If so, take a look at the Hyundai Venue HX6 turbo petrol DCT. Overall, for your city-heavy use, the i20 automatic lines up best.

Hyundai i20

Tata Tiago

Hyundai Venue