I am buying a car for my mother. We need an automatic car mainly for city use, and long trips will be rare. I am considering the Exter S AMT, as its AMT is said to be better than others at this price point, and it also offers higher ground clearance. The other option is the i20 Magna CVT, which is around Rs 50 to 55K more expensive than the Exter S AMT variant. For bumper-to-bumper traffic and city driving, should I go for the i20 CVT, or is the Exter AMT smooth enough to stick with? Also, which transmission is more reliable in the long term?

Autocar India

•22m

Since you will be driving mostly in the city, the smaller footprint of the Skoda Kushaq would be a bit better in terms of maneuverability. The Kushaq is both shorter and narrower than the Kia Seltos. This does mean that rear space is lower; however, if this is not critical for you, then you can happily consider the Kushaq.Skoda also offers the Kushaq with the option of a 1.0-litre petrol engine, which has more than enough performance for regular driving and comes with a torque convertor gearbox, which is smoother than a DCT, especially in start-stop traffic and could potentially be more reliable too.

Skoda Kushaq

Kia Seltos

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Autocar India

•1h

Do note that you will only get the base models of most of these SUVs in your budget of Rs 15 lakh (the two Mahindra cars are entirely out of your budget), so be prepared to increase your budget if you want more features or a more powerful engine. That being said, among your chosen options, the Tata Sierra is the most spacious and comfortable, and best suited for tall passengers, so that should be your choice from the five-seaters.If you want a seven-seater, the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is the best value-for-money option you could pick, and it meets all your requirements, including the budget. However, another car worth considering is the Citroen Aircross X, which comes in both 5- and 7-seat options, and is priced really well. It's spacious, comfortable and gets a punchy engine with a smooth 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga

Tata Sierra

Citroen Aircross

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Autocar India

•1d

The Hyundai Grand i10 Nios Petrol-AMT is an excellent, user-friendly city car. The engine is smooth, refined and fuel-efficient. Do keep in mind that the drive experience with the AMT will not be nearly as seamless as your Micra CVT, however by AMT standards, the Nios' unit is quite smooth. So if you are on a tight budget, go for the Nios. But if you can extend your budget slightly, we'd highly recommend you to consider the Hyundai i20 Magna Petrol-IVT. Not only is the i20 a much bigger, more spacious and more premium offering, but its petrol-IVT combination is smooth and seamless, something as a Nissan Micra CVT owner, you will appreciate.

Hyundai i20

Hyundai Grand i10 Nios

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