My daily running is not going to be much, which car should I buy? Budget 15 -17 lacs. Should I go for the Vitara, the Kia Seltos, or the Elevate?

autocar.india

•6h

Go with the Maruti Suzuki Victoris VXi. It is the easier, roomier family car for life with a newborn. The upright cabin, wide rear doors and higher seats make lifting the baby in and out and strapping a rear‑facing seat far simpler. The boot is larger too, so a pram and diaper bag fit easier. It also rides well over broken roads and tall speed breakers.Brezza ZXi is a bit smaller and easier to drive in the city, but it won't be as spacious on the inside.One honest catch with the Victoris is that the petrol is tuned for smoothness, not thrills, so highway performance will be adequate but not punchy.

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

autocar.india

•3h

Go for the Hyundai Exter, because as a first car under Rs. 10 lakh, it is the easiest to live with and gives you the most useful kit in the budget. The high driving position and light controls make city driving and parking stress-free, and you can get a well-equipped trim with safety features without overshooting your budget. Hyundai’s wide service network also helps when you are new to ownership.One honest catch is that the engine feels just okay on fast highways, so it is happier at city and ring road speeds than flat-out cruising.If you deal with broken roads or rough rural patches often, the Tata Punch feels tougher and rides bad roads better, but its engine is noisier, and you will need to pick variants carefully to stay under Rs. 10 lakh. The Maruti Suzuki Fronx is roomier and very easy to drive, but the good trims push the budget, and the base ones feel bare. The Tata Tiago is a smaller hatch and not as airy as the Exter.

Hyundai Exter

Tata Punch

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

autocar.india

•4h

Pick the Ertiga ZXI automatic. Your running is low and mostly city, so a simple petrol with an automatic will keep life easy, and you still get true 7-seat flexibility when parents join. The Maruti 6‑speed automatic is smooth, reliable, and stress-free in traffic, and the K15 engine is E20-ready, so fuel changes are a non-issue for you.The Carens diesel manual is great on highways, but with tier‑2 short trips and only one long run every couple of months, DPF regens can be a headache you do not need. Also, you pay more upfront and won’t recover it with your kilometres. If you liked the Carens for space, the petrol will drink a bit more; that’s the trade you already spotted.Victoris is fine as a 5‑seat SUV, but it simply doesn’t solve your “sometimes six” use case the way Ertiga does.One honest catch with Ertiga: with all three rows up, boot space is tight, and it’s not the quickest for fast highway overtakes. For your family's pace and mileage, though, it fits your budget, comfort and usage best.

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga

Kia Carens