I currently drive a 2014 Maruti Suzuki Wagon R, which feels underpowered for my driving style and returns only about 15 km/l on average. I’m looking for a mid-size SUV with good ride comfort, enough power for enjoyable highway overtakes, and decent fuel efficiency as a bonus. Safety is important. My budget is ₹12 lakh, and I’m considering the Citroen C3 Aircross, Citroen C3 Basalt X, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Mahindra XUV 3XO, Skoda Kyaq, and Tata Elevate. Please suggest the most suitable option.

From your shortlist, and looking at your requirements, we would recommend the Citroen Basalt X. 

Ride quality is a Citroen cars hallmark, and on the Basalt X, too, ride quality is excellent; the suspension does a superb job of soaking up all the bumps and ruts. As for overtaking on highways, the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engine is decent, but if you want something very quick, opt for the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol instead, which is very quick and lively. As for fuel efficiency, you should be able to get mid-double-digit figures on highway runs. In our standard highway cycle, we got 15.01kpl and 9.87kpl in the city.