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Delhi
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Govindarajan Raghavan

6w

I am a new driver and wanted to buy a SUV. My daily driving is around 60 km in city and will be taking one or two monthly long drive covering around 800 kms. I prefer safety and fuel economy. Suggest a best SUV

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
5w

Since you are a new driver, we would recommend you look at a compact SUV. The sub 4-meter length will be easy to manage initially, and in our crowded streets. Since you drive a lot we would recommend a diesel. The diesel Tata Nexon is very fuel efficient in the city and on the highway too, it delivered 16.5kpl in the city and 19.4kpl on the highway in our standard test cycle. The Nexon is also a safe car with many active and passive safety features and has secured a 5-star rating in both the GNCAP and BNCAP safety tests. 

If you would prefer something newer, then consider the Hyundai Venue. We are yet to put the car through our standard fuel efficiency testing and it is yet to go through an NCAP test. However in both cases it should perform quite well.         

Tata Nexon Front Right Three Quarter

Tata Nexon

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Krishnav

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I have been looking for a secondary car, primarily to be driven in the city. A petrol automatic would be preferred. Mileage is not a very big criterion. Good engine performance, features and a hassle-free ownership experience are on the must-have list. We are looking for something compact and easy to maneuver in the city and park in tight spaces. Budget is around ₹15 lakh, plus or minus a lakh. A lack of dealerships in the city we reside in restricts us to only a few brands: Maruti Suzuki (Nexa too), Kia, Hyundai, Mahindra, Toyota and Tata. We test drove the Hyundai Venue (new gen), Kia Sonet and also looked at the Toyota Fronx and Nexon. Which car would you kindly suggest?

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The Hyundai Venue is a good option to consider. It is compact, has a good feature list, and the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine is punchy and fun to drive. The DCT automatic gearbox is also smooth and quick to respond. Being the newest entrant to the compact SUV segment, it gets a modern cabin that is well-equipped and gets all the features you would want.This Hyundai car also has decent space at the rear, and the ride comfort and sales and service experience is good, too. Overall, it is a well-rounded package that does everything the way you'd want it to. The HX 8 trim is one shy of the top-spec, but it will fit in your budget and offer a long equipment list.

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Suresh

4d

Hi Autocar Team, My monthly running is around 1,600-1,800 km, and about 85% of my driving is on highways. My priorities are safety, a refined engine, good mileage, and low maintenance costs. My budget is around ₹15 lakh. Currently, I drive a Hyundai i20 petrol manual, but now I want to switch to an automatic car. I have shortlisted the Mahindra XUV 3XO AX5 diesel Autoshift and the Kia Seltos lower variant. Considering my high highway usage and priorities like safety, refinement, mileage, and maintenance, which of these would you recommend?

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
2d

While the Mahindra XUV 3XO has a strong and refined engine, the AMT gearbox is not the best performing units in terms of smoothness and response. Quick overtakes on the highway would require a lot more planning with an AMT, and over time, it can get frustrating. We would recommend checking out the Hyundai Venue as it gets a diesel engine mated to a 6-speed torque converter gearbox that is a lot better than AMT units. The Venue is also well equipped in its HX5 guise that falls within your budget. It is the newer car overall with a fresh and modern interior.

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VehicleHyundai Venue

Posted on: 3 Feb 2026