I currently own an Alto K10, which is 15 years old. I plan to upgrade to an SUV or hatchback (petrol or hybrid). My budget is ₹12-13 lakh. Around 70 percent of my driving is on highways and 30 percent in the city, covering 900-1,000 km monthly. I want good mileage, comfort, safety, and ample rear legroom.

Autocar India

•2d

Given your requirements, your best bet is the Maruti Suzuki Victoris VXI CNG. It falls well within your budget and has received 5-star crash test ratings from both Bharat NCAP and Global NCAP. It's one of the very few midsize SUVs to be available with CNG, and thanks to an under-floor dual-cylinder CNG tank layout, you don't sacrifice too much boot space and practicality as you do in most CNG cars. Being a Maruti, you can expect great mileage and low running costs as well, and its controls are light, making city driving quite effortless. The only downsides are that it is not available in a higher trim than the mid-range VXI, so you miss out on some features from the petrol car, and though power from the 1.5-litre engine is adequate when running on petrol, it will feel a bit underpowered running on CNG.If you don't mind a slightly smaller car, the Tata Nexon i-CNG is another great option within your budget. It also uses an under-floor dual-cylinder setup and has a 5-star crash test rating. However, its turbo-petrol engine is a lot punchier, whether running on petrol or CNG, and the CNG version is available in many more variants - all within your budget - going up to a well-loaded Fearless + PS Red Dark. It is, of course, not quite as spacious as the Victoris, but it comes quite close.

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Tata Nexon

Autocar India

•6h

Pick the Toyota Innova HyCross hybrid. With four adults, a baby and a puppy, it is the one that effortlessly takes people, pram, diaper bag and a dog together, and still feels easy to drive in the city. Your 60 km daily run suits its strong hybrid well - expect real city mileage in the mid teens, so fuel costs drop sharply without any charging hassle, and long trips are a breeze.It also complements your Slavia 1.5 nicely. Keep the Slavia for the fun drives, let the HyCross do family duty with a quiet, smooth automatic and a big, usable boot. Fold the third row and you get a flat, huge space for a dog bed or crate plus luggage.

Toyota Innova HyCross

Skoda Slavia

Autocar India

•6h

Go for the Maruti Suzuki Victoris strong hybrid. It keeps the SUV ground clearance that's beneficial on hill trips, yet gives real 20-plus-kpl economy and an smooth, refined automatic driving experience. As retirees you will like the relaxed drive, light controls and the long features list - ventilated seats, 360 camera, EPB with auto hold, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay - so you still get your bells and whistles without the size and thirst of your XUV700. And though the Victoris gets ADAS features, they aren't offered on the strong hybrid, but you do get cruise control, which should be helpful on long drives.While the Honda City Hybrid is an excellent option, and possibly more fuel efficient than even the Maruti Suzuki car, but its sedan shape works against it. Ground clearance is nowhere near as good, and ingress and egress could be an issue. Plus, as its hybrid system isn't localised like Maruti and Toyota's, the City Hybrid is very expensive. While the electric assist helps, as you've noted, hybrids in general are not as quick as a powerful turbocharged car like your XUV700, and the engine can sound strained when wrung out, such as on steep climbs. Also, the hybrid variant does not get AWD or hill descent. If you truly need extra grip in slush, the AWD mild-hybrid manual exists, but you will lose the auto hold feature.

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Honda City