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

•21h

With 60 km a day in Bengaluru traffic and an XUV700 already handling family trips, you need a smooth, safe, easy-to-own petrol automatic that uses less fuel and comes with strong service support. For that use case, we’d pick the Kia Seltos IVT. The IVT feels very smooth in stop-go traffic, with no jerks, and it keeps the engine calm, which makes long office runs less tiring. Kia’s service network in Bengaluru is strong and generally hassle-free, which addresses your after-sales pain point with Tata. The Seltos also rides comfortably over broken patches, has good seats, and gives you a steady, secure feel at speed, which ticks your safety box along with the usual safety features.A couple of trade-offs to note: it is larger than your Nexon and, while that means more room inside, it won’t be as easy to thread through traffic. If you want to stick to a sub-4-metre SUV, then consider the Skoda Kylaq automatic instead.Overall, for your Bengaluru commute, the Kia Seltos IVT lines up well with what you want.

Kia Seltos

Tata Nexon

Skoda Kylaq

Autocar India

•23h

The two cars and variants you are comparing sit nearly ₹3 lakh apart, so they cater to slightly different buyers. The Kia Seltos HTE diesel manual is the more premium, spacious and mature feeling SUV with better highway comfort, stronger road presence and a more refined overall driving experience, so if your budget comfortably allows it, it feels like the more complete car for long term ownership. Even in base HTE form, the Seltos is reasonably well equipped and comes with all the essential features most buyers would need.The Tata Nexon Pure Plus diesel manual, on the other hand, offers excellent value for money with strong diesel performance, solid ride quality and a better feature to price ratio. It also feels easier to manoeuvre in the city thanks to its smaller size, while still being comfortable and capable on the highway.The only drawback with the Seltos is that the price jump over the Nexon is significant, but overall, it feels like the more polished and premium package if your budget permits. If value matters more, the Tata car makes stronger financial sense.

Tata Nexon

Kia Seltos

Autocar India

•1d

Mostly city driving at about 700 km a month and moving up from a Tata Tigor - in that use, the Mahindra XUV 3XO AX5 L petrol automatic is the stronger fit. It's automatic is a torque-converter type, which means it changes gears smoothly and feels calm at very low speeds. The driving position is higher than your Tigor, visibility is good, and the AX5 L gives you easy-to-use screens and parking aids you will want every day.The Tata Nexon DCA is still a solid choice. It has a roomier back seat and a bigger boot. But its DCA gearbox, which is a dual-clutch that shifts very quickly when you speed up, can feel a bit hesitant when you inch forward in heavy traffic. It is not a deal-breaker, but for a primarily city user like you, the Mahindra’s calmer behaviour at low speed matters more.Two trade-offs with the 3XO to keep in mind: the back seat and boot are not as spacious as the Nexon’s. Overall, for mostly city use, the XUV 3XO AX5 L petrol lines up best with what you described.

Tata Tigor

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Tata Nexon

Autocar India

•6d

You want a car that is comfortable in the city, easy to drive and capable of doing long trips for the next 10 years. The Toyota Innova Hycross fits this very well. The hybrid system makes it very smooth and quiet in city driving, and the automatic gearbox is effortless, which becomes more important with age. On highways, it is stable, comfortable and built for long-distance travel, which is what the Innova name has always stood for.What really works in your favour is long-term ownership. Toyota’s reliability, strong service network and resale value make it one of the safest bets if you plan to keep the car for many years. The Hycross also offers excellent space, easy ingress and egress and a comfortable ride, which are important for everyday use and for passengers as you grow older.

Toyota Innova HyCross

Autocar India

•6d

For your usage, a naturally aspirated petrol with a CVT or IVT is the best fit. These setups are smoother, easier to drive in traffic and more predictable, which matters far more in city conditions than outright performance. So yes, in your case, NA engines are better suited than turbo petrol.The Hyundai Verna IVT stands out as the most well-rounded option for city driving. The engine is smooth, the IVT gearbox is very intuitive in stop-and-go traffic, and the overall driving experience is effortless. It feels refined and easy to live with daily.The Honda City Hybrid is worth considering if your running is high. It offers excellent fuel efficiency, strong performance and is very easy to drive in the city thanks to its hybrid system. However, it comes with a higher upfront cost, and the battery placement results in a higher boot floor, which slightly affects practicality.Compared to the Verna, the standard Honda City CVT is also an option, but the engine feels a bit noisier, and the gearbox is not as intuitive as the Verna’s IVT in everyday use.

Hyundai Verna

Honda City

Autocar India

•1d

Going by your shortlist, you want a bigger family car on a tight budget and are looking at base trims. If you need the car in the next couple of months for mostly city use with some weekend trips, pick the Kia Seltos HTE (O) IVT. It is well equipped and, compared to the Maruti Suzuki Brezza, gives you more back-seat space and boot room.The Brezza update will be relatively minor, though we expect the 1.5 NA engine to make way for the 1.0 turbo-petrol from the Fronx. Waiting for it only makes sense if you mainly drive in tight city areas and want an easier-to-park car.Overall, for a near-term purchase and everyday comfort, the Seltos lines up best with what you’re considering.

Kia Seltos

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Maruti Suzuki Fronx